RipTen Videogame Blog » Chad Lakkis

Ubisoft Servers Offline Next Week, Some PC Games Unplayable During Transition

Chad Lakkis — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 05:30:16 +0000

I’m a PC gamer who has never used Ubisoft’s UPlay reward service, but I’d imagine that there are some PC gamers out there who do. What I do know is that people who have legitimately purchased Ubisoft games want to be able to play them. Unfortunately, the company has taken some flack in the past for DRM that requires Internet-based verification. The servers that manage that process? Yeah, some of those are coming down, too.

We’re not in favor of piracy, but it’s easy to see that some less-scrupulous gamers might use this as an argument against crippling DRM and for the ol’ five finger discount.

As a notice to their customers, Ubisoft issued the statement, which you can see in it’s entirety below, notifying them of a disruption in their service during a hosting transitional period. While a handful of games will and will not be affected, PC gamers who make use of the UPlay feature will not be able to access it starting February 7th.

Just how long the service will be out of commission is not specified. So read through the list below and wrap up any loose ends in the next 48 hours or so.

UBISOFT ONLINE SERVICES
Important information to our customers

Starting February 7, Ubisoft will be transitioning the hosting of many of its online services from a third-party data center to a new facility. During the transition, some Ubisoft services and online games will not be available. We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience. This move ultimately will help us improve the maintenance of our infrastructure and deliver better uptime and greatly improved services for our customers.

Please find below more details on impact on our games and services :

The following games will NOT be impacted during the transition and will remain fully playable:
Anno 2070™ PC
Assassin’s Creed® Revelations ONLIVE
Assassin’s Creed® Revelations PC
Assassin’s Creed® Revelations PS3
Assassin’s Creed® Revelations X360
Driver® San Francisco PC
Driver® San Francisco ONLIVE
Driver® San Francisco PS3
Driver® San Francisco X360
Just Dance ® 3 X360
The Settlers ® Online PC web-based
The following games will not be playable during the transition:
ASSASSIN’S CREED ® MAC
Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X.® 2 PC
Might & Magic : Heroes VI PC
Splinter Cell Conviction® MAC
The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom™ PC
The Settlers ® MAC
The Online features of all games that are not mentioned above will be impacted during the transition, Offline modes will not be impacted.
Impact on Uplay™:
Uplay PC will be not be available during the transition.
PC games will remain available for all players who have already connected at least once.
All Ubisoft websites will be impacted during the transition, except :

Ubisoft official forums
Ubisoft Consumer Service

You can follow migration progress through our Ubisoft twitter account.

Stuff That Never Gets Old: Gabe Newell’s Watching Me

Chad Lakkis — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 02:00:30 +0000

Do you ever feel like, Gabe Newell’s watching you? No? Well, maybe it’s just on Steam… (oh oh oh)

I remember the first time I saw and heard this video, and to this day, every time I hear the loop, it manages to remain on repeat for the next several hours, usually until someone barges into my office screaming “STOP IT! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PLEASE STOP!!!” I usually wait another hour so after that (to make sure they know who’s boss) and then slowly ween myself off the GabeN funk fest. Though it should go without saying, I’m going to say it anyway. If you haven’t seen this yet, you will be mesmerized, and if you have something to do in the next sixty minutes or so I suggest you hold off and watch this after. You were warned.

Stay tuned next week for more videos we wish we’d been clever enough to make ourselves.

2013 Madden NFL Cover: EA Sports Allows Fans to Vote from 64 Players

Chad Lakkis — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 01:00:25 +0000

You know that copy of Madden 2012 you have with Peyton Hillis on the cover? The one you took to your local FedEx Kinkos to have blown up into a life-size wall decal? No? Well, if you’re wondering how the Cleveland Browns running back earned the coveted spot, the answer is simple. Last year, EA Sports concocted an internet poll, asking fans who they thought should grace the cover. However, they weren’t allowed to pick any player from their favorite team, because the list was already narrowed down for them, meaning each team was represented by one player that EA Sports picked in advance. In the end, Payton Hillis beat out Mike Vick for the 2012 cover, a small victory for dog lovers everywhere, unless of course they wanted one more shot at cursing him.

Madden 2013 will have the same voting process for the cover with one small twist. This year, fans will have the opportunity to select from 64 players instead of the 32 they had the year prior. It appears we still won’t have the ability to pick our team favorite, instead, we’ll likely have a choice of two stars from each team. My vote will be for Raven’s Kicker, Billy Cundiff. Sure, he missed a chip shot of a kick that would have sent his team into an overtime period with the New England Patriots, but his daughter still loved him just the same. That tells me that he and his family have the ability to endure through anything — even the Madden Curse.

False But Funny: Epic’s Unreal Engine Powers Chevy Super Bowl XLVI Spot

Chad Lakkis — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:00:11 +0000

It’s customary for me this time of year to browse the internet in search of the upcoming Super Bowl commercials, partly because I am not patient enough to wait for the big game, and partly because I can.

Well, stumbling upon the Chevy Silverado Super Bowl XLVI spot reminded me of a video game franchise I love very much. If you’ve ever played Gears of War, you know that critics of the Unreal Engine often refer to the game as “Greys of War.” Now, I happen to think the subject matter itself plays a huge part in the game’s overall color palette, but even I can admit the resemblance in the video below is pretty darn funny. Check it out for yourself.

Also, fans of RipTen need not worry. Dave Oshry does not drive a Ford.

All Your Skyrim Voices Are Belong To Conan O’brien Sidekick, Andy Richter

Chad Lakkis — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:30:55 +0000

If you dream about lending your voice to popular video games, and think to yourself… how hard could it be? Conan O’brien and his long time comedic companion, Andy Richter, would like you to believe that it’s actually quite simple. In fact, in the skit below, Conan uses his TBS platform to announce that his good buddy Andy voiced all characters in Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim hit RPG. Have a look.

Stuff That Never Gets Old: The Game Fuel Commercial That Should Have Been

Chad Lakkis — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:00:56 +0000

I remember the first time I came across Francis and his Mountain Dew Game Fuel video review. It was shortly after seeing the real commercial featuring an Orc and Night Elf doing battle in the grocery check out line. While that had far more to offer in the special effects department, it lacked a certain something. That something was more than made up for by Francis. This video contains a slew of classic one liners that you will no doubt share with your World of Warcraft friends long after the last million subscribers leave the game.

Got a video you’d like to see featured in Stuff That Never Gets Old? Drop us a line at editors@ripten.com.

See more Stuff That Never Gets Old right here.

Death Rises: New Darksiders II Trailer

Chad Lakkis — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 05:30:04 +0000

From the moment I heard there would be a sequel to Darksiders, easily one of my favorite games of 2010, my head began to spin with questions. How would it improve? What would the play style of a new character be like? Would it retain the same formula that made the original so much fun or would Vigil Studios and THQ try to please the naysayers who knocked the game’s borrowing mentality?

There’s a Darksiders event going on right now in San Francisco, but most of that information is hush hush, so despite my wanting to spill the beans to you right now, you’re going to have to wait a few more days to hear all the details. What I can share with you is the sweet video below that was released today. Surprisingly, I found that it answered most of the questions I had about the transition from War to Death, and it even went a step beyond that bringing some new aspects to light that I didn’t even think of. Where War was more of a mixture of He-Man and Link, Death is a combination of Bruce Lee and The Grim Reaper. It may sound strange, but it looks really freaking cool. In short, the team at Vigil seems to have their finger on the pulse of their fans and another potential hit on the horizon.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Playable at E3, Director Announced

Chad Lakkis — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 01:00:12 +0000

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, formerly Metal Gear Solid: Rising, is getting the Platinum Games treatment on all levels. In addition to being playable at E3 2012, Kenji Saito, who acted as the main programmer on Bayonetta, has been confirmed as the Director on the recently revived title. If you blew by the E3 playable part and got stuck wondering what a former code junkie is doing at the helm of a high profile video game such as this, you’re in good company. Saito has apparently been working under the tutelage of Bayonetta Director, Hideki Kamiya (best known for his work Resident Evil, Devil May Cry, and Viewtiful Joe), since approximately 2003. Now, if you’re asking yourself about the “revived?” and “Platinum Games” part, you’re going to have to keep reading.

Turns out the Kojima Production team on Metal Gear Solid: Rising began experiencing the video game world equivalent of writers block, which caused the title to secretly be canceled. No updates were made on the game for about a year. That was until Hideo Kojima himself got word that Bayonetta creators, Platinum Games, were interested in reviving the half finished project. It was then taken to a remote location, dusted off, covertly renamed to Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, and surprisingly reintroduced to us via a spiffy new trailer at this year’s Video Game Awards. We met up with Kojima on the red carpet of the VGA’s for a video interview to ask about the gameplay differences, and you can check that out by clicking right here if the mood strikes you.

Thanks to hokanko-alt.ldblog.jp and Andriasang

Activision CEO Talks About Transparency, Getting Past the Modern Warfare 3 Leak

Chad Lakkis — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:48:09 +0000

Current Activision CEO, Eric Hirshberg, gave an interesting speech at Advertising Age’s Creativity and Technology event during CES this year, one that focused on the company’s approach when dealing with the massive Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 leak that hit the web in a big way back on May 13th, 2011.

He talked about fans of the franchise, and how they had every right to enjoy the information and discuss it via the multitude of online social outlets that propigate the web today. He went on to say that he implored his team to embrace the leak and live on, to view it as an opportunity instead of an obstacle. Eric called a meeting within Activision to answer one simple question, “if this leak had never happened, we would not have been able to do what?” The answer in short, revolved around the concept of welcoming “transparency” and being “straight with people.” He often used the term “lean into it,” telling his team to embrace the fire, to embrace the discussion. To ask themselves why they would normally rejoice at the notion of millions of fans discussing their game, but with this instance found themselves cringing at it simply because they did not control the moment and means which it was revealed.

Ultimately, Eric and his team decided to use the social media avenues, he described as a “blessing,” to reach out to their fanbase, admit the leak was not something they wanted to see happen, and release a teaser trailer they had planned to debut on television 4 weeks later, via the internet at that very moment instead. Traditional means such as radio and television were replaced with Facebook and Twitter.

While I think Eric’s candor and willingness to think outside the box is refreshing to say the least, some may not fully understand the lesson to be learned here for the next company that finds themselves in the same unfortunate situation. Is he suggesting they offer up their shirt when caught with their pants down? Is he asking that they openly embrace defeat, by changing their outlook? Does he want them to use Jedi mind tricks to shrink what most would see as a massive problem into something that could easily be tucked into the category of “don’t sweat the small stuff?”

The comic in me compares this to an individual realizing that there’s a burgler in their home as they head down to the fridge for a midnight snack, and instead of calling 911 (or shooting him between the eyes) they ask him if he needs a hand carrying their 60′ flat screen out the front door. Why? Because they’d rather get back to eating left over chicken wings in their bunny slippers.

On one level, yes, they didn’t allow the effort of another individual to ruin their “Feng shui” as they approached a highly anticipated product launch, but on the other, they broke away from their rollout strategy, essentially waving what some will deem a white flag to an internet community that, while great in a many ways, is often guilty of harboring criminals for their own informational gain.

Eric and his team had a choice. The freedom to decide whether or not they were going to let a situation that was clearly out of their control steer them off course. In the end, they found a way to rise above it all despite the disappointment they undoubtedly felt at the time of the leak.

Years ago, a friend of mine, who now runs one of the biggest movie blogs on the web, was approached by (let’s call him a thief) who had lifted information off the set of a blockbuster movie prior to it’s release. He approached my friend and asked him if he would be interested in purchasing said information for publication on his site. My friend said he would think about and call him back. Instead he contacted the studio and arranged a sting operation of sorts, after convincing the individual that he was interested in making the deal. Police apprehended him and my friend was later rewarded with an exclusive director sit down session by the studio for doing what he believed to be the right thing.

On a day where many sites, including RipTen, are making black out tributes in recognition of SOPA and PIPA protests, Eric’s calm approach to his company’s dillema and my friend’s clear conscience decision regarding his own, are prime “reaction” and “action” examples pertaining to both the “outcome” and “opportunity” of unlawful information distribution and the internet freedom we all stand to possibly lose.

It’s my belief that the majority of the problem lies in the choices we make, not in our right to make them. Regardless of which side of the information we find ourselves on, we should always strive to make sound decisions that we’re not afraid to stand behind, and fight to preserve our rights, not because we hope to someday abuse them, but because we truly believe we’ve earned them.

THQ Issues Statement, 2014 Lineup “Not Cancelled”

Chad Lakkis — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 04:45:03 +0000

Earlier today, THQ was rumored to be up against the ropes with it’s 2014 lineup, and the company itself, in jeopardy. The rumor started with several tweets from Tiswaz Entertainment Head, Kevin Dent, and took off from there. There was talk of the entire 2014 line-up being scrapped, the company handing back intellectual property to Disney at a loss, and even looking to find an Asian market buyer.

In an official statement (which you can read below in full) THQ squashed these rumors and reassured fans that the 2014 lineup has not been canceled. Most of the release is marketing mumbo jumbo, but the big takeaway is “THQ has not cancelled its 2014 line-up” followed by “not made any decisions regarding the planned MMO.”

THQ has not cancelled its 2014 line-up, and has not made any decisions regarding the planned MMO. As part of the ongoing review of our business, we have made decisions to ensure that the company is strategically addressing the most attractive markets. As we have previously announced, we have dramatically reduced our commitment to the kids’ boxed games sector which leads to a significantly more focused release schedule moving forward. Our slate for calendar 2012 and beyond is focused on high-quality core games and continues to build our digital platform and business. We are excited for our pipeline of original and high-quality content along with our relationships with some of the best talent in the industry.

Additionally, we are thrilled with the great performance of Saints Row: The Third, which on a like for like period in North America has tripled in sell-through from Saints Row 2. In addition, WWE ’12′s worldwide sell-through sales are up almost 40% year-over-year for the same sales period with fewer platforms. According to NPD, for the month of December and the 2011 year, THQ was the #5 publisher overall, #4 third party, with reported sell through growing over 18% in a market that was down almost 6%. And coming up next, we have two great titles for the first half of the year including UFC Undisputed 3 and Darksiders 2.

Also, this, the latest tweet from Mr. Keven Dent…

Source: Kotaku

Dave’s Making Kotakus This Weekend, They Paid Him Generously

Chad Lakkis — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 16:38:06 +0000

Make sure to check out RipTen’s Consigliere, Dave Oshry, in action this weekend as he bashes his fingers against his keyboard high atop his San Diego condo, screaming “LOOK MOM I MADE A KOTAKU!” Stephanie and I will be helping him out with the random image creation and headline massaging because Kotaku is srs bzns!

Here’s the link to his “special weekend guest star introduction” to the Kotaku readers courtesy of our good buddy Owen Good.

Geeked-Out: Tecmo Bowl Tebow Time Shirt Delivers 8-Bit Tebowing To Your Chest

Chad Lakkis — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:09:39 +0000

Even if you weren’t around in the 80s, you’ve undoubtedly heard of the phenomenon that was Tecmo Bowl. Combine that with the football phenomenon that is Tim Tebow today and you get quite possibly the most period appropriate piece of clothing I’ve seen since Zubaz Pants.

Get your hands on this for $18.99 by heading on over to the Tecmo Bowl Store. Remember to use the promo code “Our God is an awesome God.”

Hungry for more hand-made swag? Take a leisurely stroll through our Geeked Out collection.

Bethesda Blog Promises Skyrim PS3 Lag Remedy In 1.4 Update

Chad Lakkis — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:33:46 +0000

If you are one of the many Skyrim PlayStation 3 gamers out there experiencing lag issues, it would seem that Bethesda is prepared to answer your cry for help.

In a recent response tweet by the official Bethesda Blog twitter account to a well phrased question asking “What about PS3 Lag ?????”, the company promptly replied letting the individual know that they are “addressing that in the 1.4 update planned for this month.”

EA Sports NFL Blitz is Ready to Roll with Ray Rice Running for the Ravens from Rutgers!

Chad Lakkis — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:44:41 +0000

I can still remember the arcade release of NFL Blitz in 1997. My serious arcade playing days ended a year or two after the release of NBA Jam in the early 90s, but NFL Blitz still coerced a few quarters from my pocket from time to time.

The HD remake video looks sick, and despite having a player from a team I despise on the cover, I may just find myself dipping into my pocket once again to play this bad-boy. You can get a hold of it on Xbox LIVE Arcade for 1200 points and PlayStation Network for $14.99. Video and press release below.

EA SPORTS NFL BLITZ NOW AVAILABLE
HD Version of the Arcade Classic Hits

PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE Arcade for Only $14.99

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – January 4, 2012 – Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ: EA) announced today that the all-new HD version of NFL Blitz™ from EA SPORTS™ is now available via digital download on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for 1200 points and PLAYSTATION®Network for $14.99. A remarkable value, NFL Blitz features the arcade-style gameplay that made the original game a hit, but takes the experience to a whole new level with immersive online* game modes in high-definition.

The recharged NFL Blitz offers fans the opportunity to battle rivals 7-on-7, fight their way through the Blitz Gauntlet, take over the online leaderboards in Blitz Battles, or create a true dream team by collecting player cards in Elite League. Featuring the twitch gameplay and ultra-responsive controls of the original game, combined with all-new single-player and cooperative game modes, NFL Blitz hits the virtual gridiron with blazing 60fps/60Hz gameplay. Challenging to master, yet easy to pick up and play, NFL Blitz is reborn as the ultimate arcade football experience for a new generation.

“We look forward to introducing the over-the-top football action that made NFL Blitz a classic arcade hit to a new generation of gamers,” says Cam Weber, General Manager of American Football for EA SPORTS. “And we are excited to deliver to fans of the original game, the new NFL Blitz complete with online features and in high definition for the first time.”

Fittingly, with NFL Blitz entering into a new era, fans were given the opportunity to choose the NFL player who would become the first-ever digital cover athlete for an EA SPORTS game. Fans exercised their right to vote for the NFL Blitz cover during the 2011 Spike “Video Game Awards”, choosing Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice over fellow Pro Bowlers Roddy White and Patrick Willis. NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice announced the news, revealing Ray Rice as the fan-voted winner at the end of the award show.

First released as an arcade game in 1997, NFL Blitz quickly became one of the most memorable football titles in video game history. In 1998, the first console version became available for the Nintendo 64™ and PlayStation® computer entertainment system, with several console editions released between 1998 and 2003. The new NFL Blitz by EA SPORTS is the first version of the game to carry the NFL license since 2003 and is the only version to be released for HD consoles to date.

NFL Blitz is developed in Orlando, Florida by EA Tiburon. NFL Blitz has been rated “E10+” by the ESRB. For exclusive NFL Blitz news and assets please visit: http://www.facebook.com/EASPORTSNFLBlitz. Be a part of the discussion on Twitter® by using #NFLBlitzisBack.

All player participation has been facilitated by National Football League Players Incorporated, the licensing and marketing subsidiary of the NFL Players Association.

EA SPORTS™ is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, global videogame competitions and breakthrough digital experiences. EA SPORTS delivers experiences that ignite the emotions of sport through industry-leading sports simulation videogames, including Madden NFL football, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey, NBA basketball, NCAA® Football, Fight Night boxing, EA SPORTS MMA and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® golf, and EA SPORTS Active.

For more information about EA SPORTS, including news, video, blogs, forums and game apps, please visit www.easports.com to connect, share and compete.

* Internet connection and EA/Origin account required.

MAGFest Hosting Child’s Play Charity Auction January 5-8 In Washington Metropolitan Area

Chad Lakkis — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:51:11 +0000

Are you planning on being in the Washington D.C., Virginia, Maryland area between January 5th and the 8th? If you answered yes, would enjoy “four days of non-stop gaming and concerts” and helping children in need, then you’ll surely want to check out the second annual MAG Fest Charity Auction to benefit Child’s Play. More information on the event and the charity itself can be found in the press release below.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MAGFEST TO HOLD CHARITY AUCTION BENEFITING CHILD’S PLAY
Washington, DC — JANUARY 3, 2012 — MAGFest is proud to announce their second annual charity auction benefiting Child’s Play. MAGFest will be occuring January 5-8, 2012, and the charity auction at MAGFest will take place on the afternoon of January 8, 2012. Last year’s charity auction raised over $5500 to buy toys for children in hospitals, and MAGFest is hoping to raise even more this year. Thousands of dollars worth of merchandise has been donated from MAGFest bands, video game developers, electronics manufacturers, Final Fantasy series composer Nobuo Uematsu, and many many more. Come be a part of this fantastic cause, and support the Child’s Play Charity this weekend in National Harbor, MD at MAGFest.

About MAGFest:
MAGFest, The Music And Gaming Festival, is an annual event in the Washington D.C./Virginia/Maryland area dedicated to the celebration of video games and video game music. Each year, MAGFest offers 24-hour console, arcade, and PC game rooms, over twelve live video game cover bands, a vendors area, and guest speakers from the video game industry and fan scene. It also features a “JamSpace” available to all attendees for impromptu music performances. Numerous other events are scheduled each day. The 10th annual MAGFest, or MAGFest X for short, is scheduled for January 5-8 2012.

For more details regarding MAGFest, contact Nick Marinelli, MAGFest press and public relations director, press@magfest.org.

About Child’s Play:
Started in 2003, Child’s Play is a game industry charity dedicated to improving the lives of children with toys and games in our network of over 70 hospitals worldwide. Over the years, the community has come together to raise millions of dollars. Child’s Play donations are used to purchase new consoles, peripherals, games, and more for hospitals and therapy facilities. These donations allow for children to enjoy age-appropriate entertainment, interact with their peers, friends, and family, and can provide vital distraction from an otherwise generally unpleasant experience.

For more details regarding Child’s Play, contact Kristin Lindsay, Child’s Play Foundation Coordinator, klindsay@childsplaycharity.org.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Sequel In 2012? Producer Retweet Stirs The Pot

Chad Lakkis — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:10:24 +0000

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Producer, Dave Cox, playfully retweeted a CVG article that mentioned a potential Lords of Shadow sequel as one of 24 games they believe will define 2012.

In his retweet, Cox added “without comment :).” If you’ve ever met Cox in person, the smiley face says it all. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least bit to see a sequel release here. Not one bit.

Google Pulls Map Powered FPS Created By Amsterdam Agency

Chad Lakkis — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:01:24 +0000

If you just heard about the Google Maps First Person Shooter mash up created by Pool Worldwide of Amsterdam, you’re sadly too late to experience the fun first hand.

What was this masterpiece you ask? It allowed you to access Google Street View maps with a little added bonus, and by added bonus I mean a Call of Duty style assault rifle. Well, that’s all gone now … and just in time it would seem, as our own Dave Oshry was about to use it to turn my newly purchased home into a block of Swiss cheese.

If you’re desperate to see what this looked like in action, you can still access their video teaser on YouTube. Who knows how much longer that will be there though.

I mean, we simply can’t have kids running around thinking its okay to shoot stuff in a virtual environment. That would be wrong.

Follow me on Twitter @themadgamer or shoot me an email at chad@ripten.com.

E3 2012 Early Registration Has Begun

Chad Lakkis — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 21:51:44 +0000

Early registration for the 8th wonder of the gaming world, also known as 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), has begun.

Just how much will it cost to traverse the halls of the three day event? Well, if you dip into your pocket right now you’re looking at $795 with early registration … wait until April 24 to get in on the extraveganza and the price double jumps two bills up to $995. That’s a big meat-a-ball!

Is it worth your time? Better yet, is it worth your dime? We’re most likely looking at a large playable lineup for the Wii U, possible new system announcements from Microsoft and Sony, a saucy sampling of fully nude booth babes, crack cocaine as far as the eye can see, and creamy rivers of chocolate pudding. One can only dream.

My fat man feet are already in motion, pouncing like cheetahs in heat across the virtual treadmill that spins through my head. You can bet your candy ass I’ll be ready for all the huffing, puffing, … and even the occasional walking I’ll to have to do.

So pocket your cash, and tune into our coverage of the event. Your feet and wallet will thank you.

Follow me on Twitter @themadgamer or shoot me an email at chad@ripten.com.

RipTen Review: Gears of War 3 (Xbox 360)

Chad Lakkis — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 07:00:25 +0000

As I prepared to dig into Epic Games‘ third and final installment of the Gears of War franchise a few days ago, I couldn’t help but feel as if it had been forever since I reviewed Gears of War 2. In fact, it seems like forever since I’ve done much of anything these days besides prepare for my upcoming wedding, gather paperwork for my banker to help close on my house, and count down the final days of bachelorhood (T-minus 19 days and counting).

The original Gears of War hit store shelves just about five years ago. That’s roughly six months before I launched RipTen.com and nearly one year after I met my soon to be wife. My relationship with her, the site, and the game itself have all evolved since then.

Diligence drove me (literally) to pick it up the moment it became available, and the rest was history. Marcus, Dom, Cole, and the cover-based combat, quickly became as familiar to me as a basement full of childhood toys. Like a cardboard box, Gears of War 3 metaphorically tucks the franchise away, keeping it safe and dry up on a shelf between my He-Man action figures and my treasured comic book collection.

As far as sequels go, Gears 3 is more of a gradual change from Gears 2 – refined not reinvented. It’s got enough new features to help it feel fresh without all the unnecessary alterations that would otherwise leave it feeling foreign. While there are a slew of new weapons, playable characters, and levels to blast your way through, story is king in the the third and final installment, thus ensuring that the Gears trilogy wraps up with a gratifying and fitting ending that fans will be proud to replay for years to come.

In breaking the game down, one aspect at a time (spoilers aside), I’d have to say that outside of the plot evolution, the addition of four-player co-op makes Gears 3 the perfect game for your man cave … especially if your man cave is equipped with four 60 inch flat screens and just as many 360 consoles. It adds diversity along with my personal favorite, “strategery” to the campaign, boosting its replay value when paired with the multiplayer component. It’s like multiplayer for the guy that doesn’t want to get sniped by the same eleven year old kid over and over again.

Regardless of your age and/or skill level, Gears 3 multiplayer doesn’t disappoint. All of the traditional mutliplayer versus modes are back and ready for camping. The addition of barbed-wire defenses and decoys spice up the return of Horde Mode, helping you divert and slow the opposition in order to stay alive just a little bit longer.

If speed is your thing, you can try your hand at the new Beast Mode, which puts you behind the wheels of various Locust characters in a race to kill as many COGs as you can before the clock hits zero. Your gameplay experience and bottom line contribution in Beast mode varies drastically based on the type of Locust you pick. Familiar entities such as the Ticker gnaw through defensive roadblocks, while newer additions such as the Serapede quickly slither around the level like Barry Sanders in his prime.

The voice acting in Gears 3 is top notch as far as video games go, and the cast behind the Delta Squad once again does an amazing job delivering the sometimes cheesy yet always funny one liners that make Gears the third person gold standard experience that it is. From Cole’s child-like charm to Fenix’s grizzled focus — the cinematic dialogue and in-game call outs are always character appropriate and on point. One scene in particular (which I won’t spoil) features a very fitting musical tribute that adds just the right amount of emphasis to the moment without going overboard.

The overall graphics, gameplay experience and presentation of Gears 3 is what we’ve come to expect, with a few enhancements spliced in to keep things on the up and up. The addition of ammo swapping proves that giving is not always better than receiving, as I often found myself ignoring the “I’m out” calls echoed by my squad members. Campaign level design and transition from one area to the next is no doubt fun and fast paced, with more than enough variety to keep you busy, though I personally give a slight edge to Gears 2 in this department.

New toys like the Digger Launcher and Incendiary Grenade are thrown into the mix of more than already sufficient artillery options, and while I did use them from time to time (mostly situational), I shamelessly admit to sticking to the combination of Lancer and Shotgun whenever possible. Then again, I fell in love with my turkey sub being made a particular way at seventeen, and I’m still eating it the same way nearly sixteen years later. Sporadic? No. But it tastes good.

From a purely visual standpoint, the contrast between the rich detail you experience in third person perspective and the pixelation you see when the in-game cinematic bring you up close and personal (as they seem to do more often than ever before in the dramatic conclusion) work against each other. It’s not broken by any means, it’s just a far better experience visually from a third-person perspective. At the end of the day, if Gears 3 was a girl, you wouldn’t kick her graphics out of bed in the morning, but you might roll over once in the opposite direction to distance yourself from the morning breath.

Gears 3 also introduces playable female characters, as well as a few new strapping young lads to gaze upon. Unfortunately, while the pacing and focus of the third installment gets us to a fitting end with no shortage of memorable and sometimes moving moments along the way, the writers could have added a little more back-story to flesh out and familiarize us with the newer faces without straying too far off the main course. That said, I applaud the team for not going with the “let’s have them all meet up in a metaphorical church” type ending (see LOST if you’re lost.)

Considering how much I loved Gears 2, there was one aspect of the second installment that left me feeling a little jipped in the end. As noted in my review at the time, I felt that the final encounter between you and the primary villain could have benefited from a slightly clearer establishing shot. That said, Gears 3 does a far better job of making sure there is no doubt in your mind that the battle you are about to take part in is epic in relevance and proportion. In fact, all of the boss battles are extremely gratifying.

Minor nitpicks (and I do mean minor) aside, I absolutely loved Gears of War 3 from start to finish, and will most certainly be playing through it again once I am settled into my new home, and the craziness that is my life at the moment settles down in a few short weeks.

If you are a long time fan of the franchise like myself, or a newcomer on the market looking for an action packed third-person shooter, rest assured that Gears of War 3 will meet or exceed your expectations, and maybe even leave you reaching for a Kleenex when it’s all said and done.

Here’s the Rundown:

+ Fitting conclusion
+ More of the same ‘can’ be a good thing
+ Extremely gratifying Boss Battles
+ Jam packed with love for the Cole Train
- Not so jam packed with love for the Jace …Train?
– When did we start hating pre-rendered cinematics?

Learn more about the RipTen scoring system and what this score means. Visit our review scoring page

Gears of War 3 was developed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft. It was released on September 20th, 2011 for $59.99 exclusively for the Xbox 360. A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for the purposes of this review. The campaign was played to completion and multiplayer was played with developers who were much better than Chad. He shed a tear as the credits rolled and he’ll continue to weep until another Gears project is announced.

Teenage Mutant Sewer Hatchers: RAGE in a Half Shell for Full Price

Chad Lakkis — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 19:04:29 +0000

I’ve often been asked to “get my mind out of the gutter”, and that’s a perfectly understandable request on most occasions. However, the fine folks at id software have decided to offer the gutter as incentive to buy their highly anticipated new IP, RAGE, brand spanking new! I’m sold already.

If you want to play in the gutter (and who doesn’t) these sexy little sewer access points will only be available to you if you buy the game brand new via the handy dandy code inside.

In an interview with Eurogamer, id software’s Creative Director, Tim Willits, explains how the bonus content works.

“If you bought the game new, [sewer hatches] would be open for you. You still have to download it, but you don’t have to pay for it. Those hatches are all over. Most people never find them. But as soon as you do, you’re like, oh. And then you start to look for it. That’s our first-time buyer incentive.”

He then goes on to comment on the logic behind this type of new purchase incentive, by summing up the hatches as “fair”, “cool”, and “outside the main path.” Something that he hopes will serve as a slight incentive for the buy-it-new-brigade, without “detracting from anything.”

In other words, if you want to walk about on the main level like everyone else, go ahead and buy the game used, but if you want to sloth around with Michelangelo and the rest of his Ninja Turtle brothers, you’re going to have to fork up and pay full price.