RipTen Videogame Blog » 2010

NPD 2010 – Year End Console Sales Totals Detailed

Garrett Hartman — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 02:22:43 +0000

The 2010 December NPD sales figures have been released, enabling a 2010 year end sales total. It looks as if the Wii can claim victory, passing the Xbox 360 by less than 300,000 units.

Xbox 360 sales grew in by a whopping 42% making it the only console to increase in sales. Wii sales were down 27% marking a sizable decline.

The PS3 sales in comparison, stayed about the same – slightly dropping in sales by less than 1%. Heart breaking as it is, PS3 missed 2009 numbers by less than 1000 units.

Here are the numbers:

Hardware:
WII – 7.07 million
360 – 6.76 million
PS3 – 4.33 million

Source

The RipTen End of the Year Awards (2010)

Ripten Staff — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 23:58:17 +0000

Holy shit, is it the end of the year already? Gotta admit, it’s been a pretty great year for games. That being said – it’s time to hand out some awards. We’ve got over 50. Come get some!!

Let’s get the fanboy nonsense out of the way first – here are the:

Best Xbox 360 Exclusive – Halo: Reach

Best Playstaytion 3 Exclusive – God of War III

Best Wii Exclusive – Super Mario Galaxy 2

Best PC Game – Starcraft II

Best Handheld Game – Professor Layton

Best Mobile game – Infinity Blade

There were plenty of big releases this year – but some of the year’s best came via download:

Best Overall DLC – RDR Undead Nightmare

Best Game (360) – Super Meat Boy

Best Game (PS3) - Dead Nation

Best Game (Wii) – Mega Man 10

Best Game (Multi-Plat) – LC & The Guardian of Light

While not every game can be the game of the year – It CAN be the best in it’s respective genre:

Best FPS – Battlefield: Bad Company 2

Best Action/Adventure Game – Lords of Shadow

Best Stealth/Action game – Splinter Cell: Conviction

Best Adventure Game – Alan Wake

Best Racing Game – NFS: Hot Pursuit

Best Fighting Game – Super Street Fighter 4

Best Sports Game – FIFA 11

Best 3D Platformer – PoP: The Forgotten Sands

Best 2D Platformer – Super Meat Boy

Best Music Game – Rock Band 3

Best Indie Game – Super Meat Boy

Best MMO Content – World of Warcraft: Cataclysm

Most Addictive Game: Minecraft

But 2010 was not without disappointment – However, there were also some surprises:

Biggest Disappointment – Final Fantasy XIV

The Final Fantasy series just can’t catch a break – we almost voted Final Fantasy XIII for this award as well. How can you make a seemingly competent MMO (No easy feat) only a few years before, then churn out a completely broken and boring MMO experience only a few years later . . . it’s inexplicable and also inexcusable. Get your shit together Square-Enix.

Biggest Surprise – Bayonetta

Everyone expected Bayonetta to be either be a typical female character, designed by sexist pigs or a raging, feminist dyke. Yet, to everyone’s surprise, Bayonetta was a sassy, yet classy female protagonist starring in a great game. Plus, her clothing is made of hair and turns into things!! I mean c’mon – imagine seeing that for the first time in real life. It’d be the biggest surprise of your life – just like how good this game was.

Some games get overrated – while some sadly, get underrated:

Most Overrated Game – Civilization 5

Who on earth keeps giving Civ V perfect 10′s? Did these people not play the previous Civ games? Civilization 5 is a great game, sure – but it’s certainly not the series best and was overrated by almost everyone.

Most Underrated Game – Splatterhouse

Everyone we know who owns this game – loves it. That includes both members of the RipTen staff and our readers. Sure – a brutal, bloody and metal old school brawler may not appeal to a large audience - But to under rate a game simply because you don’t fall into it’s target demographic is for lack of a better term – fucking stupid. Splatterhouse is by no means a perfect game, but for what it is, and whom it’s for – it’s a great game, and a bloody good time.

Many games wouldn’t be so great without their storylines – here are some of the year’s best:

Best Storyline in a Linear Game – Mafia II

Many people didn’t realize Mafia II was going to be a linear experience until they played it. However, even though some people felt duped by the games seemingly linear take on a very open genre – once they got into Vito’s classic mafioso story, they pretty much stopped caring about the game’s linearity. Did you like The Godfather? Goodfellas? A Bronx Tale? Then you’ll love Mafia II. It may just be the best mob movie you’ve ever played.

Best Storyline in an Open Game – Red Dead Redemption

John Marston’s tale of betrayal and redemption is something that not even the best westerns are made of. Rockstar has managed to drop the player into an enormous open world and yet tell a very tightly woven story at the same time. It’s a remarkable feat and one that deserves our praise.

However, a story is nothing without voice acting – for better, or for worse:

Best Voice Acting – Mass Effect 2

Mordin stole the show – hell, he almost stole the game. Not to mention Jennifer Hale as female Shepard owns the galaxy in a totally cougarlicious way. The rest of the voice cast was equally talented.

Worst Voice Acting - Metro 2033

Now, I understand that a game made by Eastern Europeans will feature some questionable voice acting – however, we’ve heard better Russian accents down in Chinatown!! Luckily the graphics (on PC) and gameplay in Metro 2033 were extremely solid – so nobody really noticed . . .except us. Is this award being given to Metro 2033 simply because we wanted to award this bad ass game with something for better or for worse? You bet your ass it is.

Sometimes, sequels are great – and sometimes, they’re not so great:

Best Sequel – Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood

AssCreeBro improved upon Assassin’s Creed 2 in almost every way. The great story, visuals and gameplay were all there, and they even added multiplayer that kicked ass. Bra-fucking-vo Ezio.

Worst Sequel - Crackdown 2

Yeah, they fucked this one up. Could have been a great sequel to a fun game – instead it was mediocre in every way. Fail.

The Return of Duke Nukem

This year at PAX, Gearbox Software announced they owned the Duke Nukem IP and would finally be releasing Duke Nukem Forever. A game that was lauded as vaporware of the year for over a decade. Some laughed, others cried – some of us kicked ass and chewed bubblegum as we actually played the demo. There’s no question that Duke is finally back – Hail to the King, baby.

But we weren’t the only ones with Duke fever. (Way better than Bieber fever) A small group of programmers has been given the go ahead by Gearbox to remake Duke 3D with the Unreal 3 engine and a short fan film was also made this year. I think it’s safe to say that Duke is back – in a big way.

Our editor even spoke with Gearbox about bringing back the Duke during PAX – Read the interview here.

Long before the days of multiplayer – games were single player experiences:

Best Single Player – Read Dead Redemption

What can we say about Red Dead Redemption that you don’t already know? It’s a great open world game featuring a great protagonist that could literally keep you occupied all year with the amount of content provided.

Worst Single Player – Metroid: Other M

Nintendo tried, they really did. Unfortunately, they failed. If it ain’t broke – stop trying to fix it.

Nowadays, many games are all about the multiplayer experience:

Best Multiplayer – Battlefield: Bad Company 2: Vietnam

Just when we thought the BFBC 2 multiplayer experience couldn’t get any better – they took it to Viet-fuckin-nam!! . . .and it did

Most Broken Multiplayer – Call of Duty: Black Ops

Don’t get us wrong, Black Ops single player is great and the multiplayer is a fuckin’ blast – especially with all the new modes – only problem is getting it to WORK!! See this, this and this for reference. /sigh

Now, we know THIS is the award you’ve all been waiting for so here it is, you fucking perverts:

Best Tits – Jen (Splatterhouse)

Yeah, They're Perfect

Best Ass – Miranda (Mass Effect 2)

"Yeah, Imma Tap Dat"

Sexiest Male Protagonist – Ezio Auditore (AssCreeBro)

"Mi Scusi!! You Want We Should Make Love Now or Later?"

Least Sexy Male Protagonist – Joe Barbaro (Mafia II)

"Who Da Fuck You Sayin' Ain't Sexy!?"

Sometimes it’s the little things like sound that make a great game:

Once again, Super Meat Boy takes home an award well deserved. The entire staff has this soundtrack and Danny B’s cool techno grooves are perfect for getting us through the work day. Uhn-tiss uhn-tiss uhn-tiss baby. Here are some of our favorites:

Now on to awards that really don’t fall into any one category – the RipTen Randoms:

The Masterpiece You Have Already Forgotten

Darksiders (Editor’s Choice)

Best Hero – Commander Shepard (Mass Effect 2)

Best Villain – Bobby Kotick (Activision)

The Best GOTY Edition – Borderlands GOTY Edition

The Game We Liked That Everyone Else Hated

Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days

Funniest Game – Deathspank: Thongs of Virtue

The Most Polarizing Game – Alpha Protocol

Best Ending: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

Best Game Featuring Nazi Zombies

Call of Duty: Black Ops

Best Companion Character

Boone (Fallout: New Vegas)

Best Use of a Shitty Old Game Engine

Fallout: New Vegas

Most Overlooked Game – Singularity

Best Reboot: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

Game We Really Wanted to Come Out in 2010 but Didn’t

Gears of War 3

Best Random Use of the Trigger Buttons

(L2 To Smoke a Cig) – Vanquish

Most Mindless Fun – Splatterhouse

Game with the Most Potential Lost Due to Buggy, Unpolished Gameplay and Bland Visuals

(Insert Any Obsidian Title Here)

<3

If you’ve managed to get through the rest of our awards – congratulations – here is the one you’ve really been waiting for:

That’s right - it’s a tie. The RipTeam was deadlocked between Red Dead Redemption and Super Meat Boy. However, once we really thought about it – both of these games represent everything that is right about gaming today, and they both deserve to be Game of the Year.

Red Dead Redemption is a sweeping open world epic. On it’s surface it’s the Grand Theft Auto of the Wild west, but underneath you will find that it’s much more. Rockstar has managed to improve on a tried and true formula many thought they’d already perfected with Grand Theft Auto IV. What we got instead was a better game, one that not only looked and played better – but delivered more content per square inch than any Rockstar game that has come before. It’s a AAA title from a AAA developer and may be Rockstar’s best work to date. It’s well worth it’s full $60 price as it is truly a game that can keep you entertained all year long.

On the complete other side of the spectrum we have Super Meat Boy. A $15 indie title that may very well be the best 2D platformer of all time. Super Meat Boy is not so much the game of year in what it does right – which is everything – but in what it does wrong – nothing. Super Meat Boy is a perfect game. The visuals are perfect, the sound is perfect, the controls are perfect. The game is only as hard as you are skilled and you will never blame the game when you fail and will surely exalt triumphantly when you succeed. It pays just the right amount of homage to all it’s indie brethren and also to all the great games that paved the way for it’s existence. Super Meat Boy respects all the games of the past, while in itself re-defining the future of a genre that many thought had left no stone unturned.

So, there you have it. RipTen’s choices for the best and worst of 2010. Don’t agree? Too bad.

See you next year!!

Call Of Duty: Black Ops Is The Most Pirated Game Of 2010 – Yarrrh!

Aaron Alexander — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 03:39:15 +0000

Call Of Duty: Black Ops is well known for selling an insane amount of copies, in fact it’s one of the fastest selling video games of all time. According to TorrentFreak, the game is now also known as the most pirated game of 2010.

The PC version of Black Ops was pirated 4.2 Million times, beating out Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (3.96 million downloads), Mafia II and Mass Effect 2 to become the most stolen video game product this year.

Pirates (Yarrrh!) who own a Xbox 360 also dabbled in stealing Black Ops, downloading the Xbox version 930,000 times.

Surprisingly however, Dante’s Inferno took the throne as the most heavily pirated 360 game of 2010. Over on the Wii side of things, Super Mario Galaxy 2 took the top spot for downloads. Them damn pirates love them some Mario.

So Congratulations (I think?) to the winners of the Pirate cup, until next year!

Source

2010 Could Have Been Better – For Gaming

Matt Wadleigh — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 23:59:55 +0000

I can’t help but feel at the close of 2010 that this year was a perfectly servicable, but not great, year of gaming. Whenever I bring this up to friends and colleagues, they disagree with me, citing Call of Duty: Black Ops or Red Dead Redemption, rattling off about their experiences in Halo: Reach or Heavy Rain. I feel like a contrarian. No matter what game released this year, from the ones that I loved the most (Mass Effect 2 and Super Meat Boy) all the way down to those that I liked the least (I’ll single out Fable III here), each had some significant flaw that I thought detracted from the experience, enough so to keep them from being legendary releases.

I feel like 2010 was defined by the lack of an absolute must-play. There was no Uncharted 2 for 2010, no Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. There was nothing legendary released this year that we’ll go on nostalgia trips in a few years about. 2010 was a good year, a safe year. It was a year dominated totally by safe, unsurprising sequels. The few original games that I played were fun – Alan Wake, Heavy Rain, Enslaved, Red Dead Redemption – but each had flaws. Mr. Wake’s adventure felt both under-developed and over-developed, Heavy Rain had awkward control issues and Enslaved, while beautiful, was a shallow experience. And then there was Red Dead Redemption – a great game that would really, really, really have benefited from some editing to trim out some of the painful mission repetition and boring segments.

The big budget releases were decent. I really enjoyed Call of Duty: Black Ops. The single-player campaign was solid, but Call of Duty’s campaigns have always been one-and-done kind of experiences. Nothing really stuck with me and once the next game comes around, the fine details will get fuzzy and the game will just blur with all the others before it. There was Halo: Reach, probably the finest Halo game to grace the 360, but the series swan-song felt very familiar – at times, too much so. Halo’s multiplayer experience, though very servicable, is starting to feel a little dated. And Medal of Honor’s already been discussed enough in other press that I don’t feel like I need to say much more.

There was Final Fantasy XIII and Fable III, Mass Effect 2, Alpha Protocol and of course we can’t forget Fallout: New Vegas. It’s something when a substantial argument could be made that the DS had a better RPG year than the home consoles, despite what Dave Oshry might say about Obsidian’s first of two buggy 2010 releases. Mass Effect 2 was probably the strongest release, but I don’t think that Bioware did enough to push forward the main story arc of the franchise. Final Fantasy XIII was all about walking in a straight line; Fable III was all about dancing.

Maybe it was the sports and racing genres that had the best 2010. Though not my game, everyone seemed to thoroughly love NBA 2K11. Racing games had a solid year from Split/Second, Blur, Gran Turismo 5 and Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. But Split/Second and Blur each had their problems, and it’s sad to say, but Hot Pursuit was the superior game to Polyphony’s offering. Gran Turismo 5 offered players absolutely everything they could want, but years after they wanted it.

Perhaps the only really original, fun stuff that was released this year was available only on XBLA and PSN. Retail shelves were filled with too much stuff we’ve already played before. Super Meat Boy was probably my favorite release, though I kind of sucked at it after about 90 or so levels. Pac-Man Championship Edition DX was an enjoyable romp. Limbo’s visual design was spell-binding. So many unique, original experiences were weaved outside of retail. Perhaps that’s the most important development of 2010, what this year will be remembered for. But while all of these games were great, there was nothing here that was an essential play.

Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe I’m just looking for too much or being too demanding. But all around, I can’t help but feel that 2010 wasn’t a banner year for gaming. It was a solid year, filled with a few fine releases, but nothing that really stood out. We had some great stories, some beautiful graphics, some great gameplay segments, but I just don’t think these elements ever came together in one legendary experience. When all of the sites put out their 2010 game of the year awards, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find a lot of different games winning across a bunch of sites. 2010 had several very good games, but no single title climbed to the top of the heap.

VGA Live Blog Poll Results – Nobody Cares About Thor or Olivia Munn, Super Meat Boy Was Robbed

Dave Oshry — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:49:29 +0000

Last night, the RipTen team held a live blog from the press room at Spike TV’s 2010 Video Game Awards. Amidst the fun and chaos we took over 25 polls and found out quite a bit about what our readers thought of the show.

First up was the Arkham City trailer – after watching – were our readers excited? Survey says – YES

The Dark Knight Cometh in Our Pants

Then the lovely Olivia Munn (Formerly of G4 and now on The Daily Show) took the stage – turns out, nobody gave a shit.

More Like "Olivia Done"

Then we debated what the big BioWare reveal was going to be – Mass Effect 3 didn’t come as a surprise.

They Weren't Fooling Anyone

I was really pulling for Bass Effect myself.

Then, Bethesda’s Todd Howard revealed The Elder Scrolls V – Skyrim. Most people were ecstatic. Others could care less.

OMFG - I'm Excited

Next up was a gameplay trailer for Thor: God of Thunder – nobody cared.

Thor Is Not Pleased With These Results

When Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood took home best action/adventure game – it looked as if our readers weren’t all thrilled about it.

Marston > Ezio

Then Denise Richards took the stage – is she still hot, or not? Survey says – Eh.

I Suppose Eh Is Better Than "I Threw Up In My Mouth"

Mass Effect 2 was up for GOTY – and it looks as if our readers wanted it to win. They also agree that RipTen’s Steph Gutowski is hot, but we already knew that :-)

Mass Effect 2 is Hawt - So is Steph

CodBlOps Won best First Person Shooter – the RipTen faithful were not pleased!!

No Love For Medal of Honor?

Then Olivia Munn came back out to do some horrible schtick with NPH – this poll popped up almost immediately.

wtf gusy!?

Then came the world premiere Resistance 3 trailer – the reaction was “Amazingly Meh”

Amazingly Meh Indeed

Was John Marston from RDR the best character of the year? FUCK MAYBE!!

Fuck.

Then came the big BioWare reveal which was Mass Effect 3 – The trailer provoked some excitement :-)

Poll Obviously Created By Steph Gutowski

Comedian Nick Swardson was at the event – turns out people don’t know who he is and don’t think he’s funny.

Ouch

I ran into Nick a few times last night and not only is he funny but he’s one cool dude as well – fuck all y’all!!

Up next was the God of War III GOTY trailer – our readers seemed torn on whether or not it should win.

Kratos Disapproves of Your Indecision

Sgt. Woods from CodBlOps was up for best voice acting in a game -but it turns out nobody liked any of the voice acting in Black Ops …

No Love For Ice Cube!?

Then, after much speculation – Prototype 2 was finally confirmed with a full trailer. Looks like once again, nobody really cared.

I Like Violence Too . . .

Mobile gaming keeps getting bigger – now even Epic has stepped into the arena with Infinity Blade – looks like RipTen readers are all about consoles however . . .

Angry Birds!!!!

Director Guillermo Del Toro showed a world premiere teaser trailer for his upcoming game – Insane. We weren’t scared.

Silent Hill For The Win

Then they announced the winner of Indie game of the year – Limbo. Super Meat Boy was robbed.

The People Who Voted Don't Care Have Clearly NOT Played SMB

Halo Reach was also up for Game of the Year – but it seems as if our readers were not in favor of Noble Team claiming victory.

Xbros Go Home!!

Nathan Fillion was at the show – we think he’s an underrated hero.

Nathan > Marky Mark

Finally, the Uncharted 3 trailer was unveiled in all it’s glory. It was the best looking thing that anyone had ever seen, in the history of forever – seriously.

Kayne West Agrees, Greatest of all Time!!

Well, that was all she wrote for the 2010 VGAs. We had a blast live blogging with our readers and hanging out drinking in the press room with B list celebs. Could we have taken more polls? Sure, but we were clearly too busy fapping to Mass Effect and Uncharted 3 while hating on Thor and Olivia Munn.

See you next year!!

Guillermo del Toro is “Insane”

Dave Ernst — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 04:09:18 +0000

Guillermo del Toro has just announced via the Videogame Awards that he is making a game with developer Volition (known for Red Faction) and published by THQ.

Simply title, Insane will introduce a “new terror” to the player. A teaser accompanied the announcement and gives a brief feeling of the mood of the game could be, but no major details at all. That’s all the news we have on the game, except the title won’t be released until 2013. No platforms have been specified.

Check out the teaser below:

Video Games | Insane | VGA 10: Exclusive Debut Trailer HD

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Neil Patrick Harris to Host VGAs – Will Likely Wear a Suit

Dave Oshry — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 16:43:32 +0000

NPH goes wherever god takes him, and it looks as if god will be taking him to Spike TV’s annual Video Game Awards this Saturday.

According to the Wall Street Journal:

The star of stage, video games and TV’s “How I Met Your Mother,” Harris will preside over the eighth annual celebration of gaming’s best, Spike TV announced Monday.

Also expected are comedian Dane Cook, “Thor: God of Thunder” video-game star Chris Hemsworth, pro skateboarder Tony Hawk, and cast members from “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia,” including Danny Devito, Kaitlin Olson and Rob McElhenney.

The show will feature 13 world premieres of games scheduled for release in 2011 and beyond.

The awards show airs live on Spike TV on Saturday at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

You know who else is gonna be at the VGAs? Me!! Look for me and the lovely Ms. Andrea Emmes covering the red carpet before the show. You can be sure we’ll be heckling the talent harder than anyone.

Source: The Wall Street Journal <–Where we get all our gaming news

Target Black Friday 2010 Video Game Deals

Garrett Hartman — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 02:54:01 +0000

Looking for great Black Friday deals? With video games Target always seems to hit the mark. Read our Target Black Friday 2010 guide to keep informed.

Also, check out the deals at Toys “R” Us and Best Buy

Friday 11/26 Doorbuster’s – 4AM until supplies last

PS3 Dual-Shock Wireless Game Controller – $39.00
Xbox 360 Black Wireless Game Controller – $39.99
Sony PSP Holiday Bundle w/ Little Big Planet, The Karate Kid UMD and 1GB Memory Card – $127
Flingsmash w/ Wii Remote Plus – $39.00

Friday and Saturday Deals

$50 Gift Card w/ purchase of Xbox 360 4GB – $199.99
Sony PS3 160 GB Holiday Bundle w/ Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II and Prince of Persia Blu-ray – $299.99
$10 Gift Card w/ purchase of following games
- Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (PS3, Xbox 360) – $59.99
- Dance Central (Xbox 360) – $49.99
- Just Dance 2 (Wii) – $39.99
- New Super Mario Bros Wii (Wii) – $49.99
- Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II (PS3, Xbox 360) – $59.99
- Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II (Wii) – $49.99
Assorted Nintendo DS games – $7.00
- LEGO Battles
- LEGO Batman
- Iron Man 2
Assorted PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, DS games – $17.00
- Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies (DS)
- Final Fantasy XIII (PS3, Xbox 360)
- iCarly 2 (DS)
- Marvel Superhero Squad (DS)
- Wipeout (Wii)
Assorted PS3, Xbox 360, Wii games – $27
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Reflex (Wii)
- LEGO Harry Potter (Wii)
- NBA Jam (Wii)
- New Carnival Games (Wii)
- Shaun White Skateboard (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii)
Assorted PS3, Xbox 360, Wii games – $35
- Fable III (Xbox 360)
- Halo: Reach (Xbox 360)
- Medal of Honor (PS3, Xbox 360)
- Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (PS3, Xbox 360)
- Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)

Best Buy Black Friday 2010 Video Game Deals

Garrett Hartman — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 02:11:31 +0000

Best Buy’s Black Friday Advertisement has leaked and displays many tempting gaming deals. We’ve got them all here on RipTen so our frugal shoppers can be preapared.

Read about Target and Toys “R” Us deals.

Here are of the Best Buy Black Friday 2010 video game deals:

Apple
- 8GB iPod Touch – $229.99 + Free $30 Gift Card
Nintendo Wii:
- Wii Console Bundle – $169.99 (DoorBuster)
- NHL Slapshot – $39.99
- Cabelas North American Adventures 2011 w/ Top Shot – $34.99
- Babysitting Mama – $34.99
- The Beatles Rock Band – $16.99
- Madagascar Kartz w/ Wheel – $16.99
- Tetris Party – $16.99
- Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 – $16.99
- Dance on Broadway – $16.99
- Medieval Games – $9.99
Xbox 360:
- Xbox 360 4GB Console w/ 3 Games – $199.99
  - Includes Lego Star Wars, Lego Batman, Lego Indiana Jones games
- Medal of Honor – $34.99 (DoorBuster)
- Need for Speed Hot Pursuit – $34.99 (DoorBuster)
- The Sims 3 – $34.99 (DoorBuster)
- EA Sports MMA – $34.99 (DoorBuster)
- Madden NFL 11 – $34.99 (DoorBuster)
- NHL 11 – $34.99 (DoorBuster)
- NCAA Football 11 – $34.99 (DoorBuster)
- FIFA Soccer 11 – $34.99 (DoorBuster)
- Fallout New Vegas – $39.99
- Halo Reach – $39.99
- Fable III – $39.99
- Blood Stone 007 – $34.99
- Def Jam Rap Star – $34.99
- WWE Smackdown vs. RAW 2011 – $29.99
- Mafia II – $29.99
- Battlefield Bad Company 2 – $29.99
- Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe – $16.99
- MLB 2K10 – $16.99
- Splinter Cell Conviction – $16.99
- The Beatles Rock Band – $16.99
- Fallout 3 – $9.99
- Tekken 6 – $9.99
PS3:
- PS3 160GB w/ 2 Games, 1 Blu-ray – $299.99
  - Includes LittleBigPlanet, Modnation Racers, Cars Blu-ray Movie
- Medal of Honor – $34.99 (DoorBuster)
- Need for Speed Hot Pursuit – $34.99 (DoorBuster)
- The Sims 3 – $34.99 (DoorBuster)
- EA Sports MMA – $34.99 (DoorBuster)
- Madden NFL 11 – $34.99 (DoorBuster)
- NHL 11 – $34.99 (DoorBuster)
- NCAA Football 11 – $34.99 (DoorBuster)
- FIFA Soccer 11 – $34.99 (DoorBuster)
- Fallout New Vegas – $39.99
- Blood Stone 007 – $34.99
- Def Jam Rap Star – $34.99
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare – $29.99
- Mafia II – $29.99
- Battlefield Bad Company 2 – $29.99
- Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe – $16.99
- MLB 2K10 – $16.99
- The Beatles Rock Band – $16.99
- inFamous – $16.99
- Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction – $16.99
- Metal Gear Solid 4 – $9.99
- Star Wars Force Unleashed – $9.99
- Fallout 3 – $9.99
Nintendo DS:
- Nintendo DS Holiday Bundle – $149.99
  - Includes Mario Party Game
- Disney Fairies: Tinkerbell and the Lost Treasure – $9.99
- Cooking Mama 2 – $9.99
- Vet Collection – $9.99
- 2-for-1 Party Pack – $9.99
PC:
- Fallout New Vegas – $39.99
- World of Warcraft Battlechest – $9.99

BlizzCon 2010 Red Shirt Guy Gets Auto-Tuned

Bryce Wilson — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 15:47:15 +0000

Just when you thought the BlizzCon geekiness had drjfted off into the past, someone just had to go and resurrect it, but this is definitely worth it. Auto-tune is definitely the in thing right now, and Red Shirt Guy is the best advocate for it that I have ever seen.

They might be rapin’ errbody out here, but fa fa Falstad Wildhammer is what’s hot right now.

Check out the original (if you’ve been living in a closet the past 2-3 weeks), then check the auto-tuned version below.

Ripten Review: Medal of Honor (PC)

Bryce Wilson — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 13:13:10 +0000

Medal of Honor has been in the light of public attention lately albeit not for the most positive of reasons. People scathed the fact that you could play as the Taliban, killing US soldiers, whilst others disapproved of the fact it was essentially two games in one. Well now that the game has been out for a good few days, RipTen can give you the truth and nothing but the absolute truth in regards to the quality of the long established series reboot courtesy of Danger Close and DICE.

First established back in 1999, the Medal of Honor series and name became synonymous with quality first person shooter titles that became more and more challenging and story driven as they progressed. When it was announced, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare launched what was becoming a stale franchise into a new and exciting realm. Medal of Honor followed suit albeit a few years later by announcing a reboot of the series in a new, engaging and relevant theatre of war; Afghanistan.

As opposed to a more arcade feel that Call of Duty 4 took to its cinematic campaign, Medal of Honor aims to deliver a true to life experience of a new type of modern day warrior: the Tier 1 Elite soldier, whilst still delivering adrenaline filled moments as you control a soldier of the US Rangers. When playing as the Tier 1 soldiers you engage in smaller more precise actions such as raiding terrorist hideouts, rescuing hostages and even sniping enemy mortar teams from a kilometre away. Then when you swing into the boots of the US Ranger, the gameplay becomes more large scale as you partake in attacks on hillsides, villages and even helicopter assault landings.

Although the two different approaches to the campaign appear to be on the opposite end of the “action scale” per say, they both intertwine with each other at various points, giving a “broader reach” type of feel that I think works extremely well and helps to make the campaign a fully fleshed out experience. One example of this is after completing the well execute AH-64 Apache on-rails segment. A cutscene depicts the chopper crew nearly being fired upon by an anti aircraft gun before the gunner is promptly and professionally killed by a precise shot from one of the Tier 1 operators currently equipped with a Barrett 50 Calibre Sniper Rifle. The camera then pans over to the sniper and you take control of him as you surgically and efficiently eliminate a number of threats on a hillside. Light and innovative moments like this help the Medal of Honor campaign stand out as the best modern combat campaign I have played.

As well as the standard campaign, there is also Tier 1 mode which aims to give players a more competitive and challenging experience. There is one life per level, harder AI and your task is to move through each level as quickly as possible with various actions such as killing enemies with headshots and knifing enemies, taking seconds off your time. Your final score is then added to a global leaderboard, allowing friends and strangers alike to challenge and better each other consistently.

As I mentioned earlier, Medal of Honor is effectively two games merged into one. The single player element was created by Danger Close (A team within LA Los Angeles), whilst the multiplayer was wrangled by DICE, the kings of battlefield destruction, and better known for their work on the Bad Company series. The multiplayer element is fresh and new, yet I can’t help but think that it’s just a poor undercooked expansion to the Bad Company 2 multiplayer. Once again there is a class based approach, with three classes available – Rifleman, Special Ops and Sniper. Each has access to different weapons and each weapon is side specific to either the OPFOR or the Coalition (Although you can unlock the opposing weapons at a higher level). Experience is earned in a generic now commonplace way, which then allows you to level up and unlock additional weapons and attachments to make your weapons better. An example of this is that the sniper rifles don’t start with a Scope, and instead you must level up before you unlock one.

Akin to Call of Duty’s killstreak system, Medal of Honor introduces a new “scorechain” system that rewards players for playing both defensive and offensively. Each scorechain reward is unlocked at a preset point amount, and each battlefield action i.e.: Killing an enemy, scoring a headshot, arming/disarming an objective, rewards players with a set amount of points. When you fill each quota you gain access to either an offensive or defensive reward. The first you had access to is a Mortar Strike or UAV Intel, with the offensive reward being stronger but making you run the risk of getting no additional points, whilst the UAV Intel rewards points but doesn’t offer as strong an incentive. Players aren’t limited to any amount of scorechains in a life and they can be earned continuously.

Graphically Medal of Honor doesn’t disappoint. The game is beautiful to look at and some certain vistas actually made me stop and take a look around for quite some time. Firefights come to life as tracer splashes at the ground around you, the dirt and dust whipping up in the wind. Both enemy and friendly animations look perfect, and both DICE and Danger Close have done a fantastic job rendering the weapons to make them look as authentic as possible. Cut scenes are well done and the exchanges between the Colonel and General evoke a sense of urgency and emotion that I’m not familiar with seeing in most games.

Although I expected this right from the start, Medal of Honor has one of the most immersive and engaging soundtracks and sound mixes out of any shooter I’ve played lately. Bullets whip by you, explosions reverberate through the valleys and your friendly soldiers swear and provide vocal information to what is going on around you. This isn’t lost in multiplayer either, with DICE once again providing a sound palette so good you almost think you’re there. When this is coupled in with the graphics and gameplay, Medal of Honor goes from being a game to an experience any shooter fan should engage themselves with.

In conclusion, Medal of Honor isn’t a Call of Duty killer, but on the same hand it doesn’t set out to be. Scrap the arcade approach, add in the realistic. Take out the “too easy” approach, and add in some actually difficult to master gameplay. That’s how Medal of Honor sets out to feel. Whilst the game launched amidst poor reviews, negative publicity and a whole lot of speculation, it goes on to shine through as one of the best examples of a realistic and immersive shooter campaign in recent times, and gives an amazing jolt of life to one of the best and most established franchises in gaming.

The Rundown:

+ Immersive and believable campaign
+ Great reboot to a classic series
- Not enough playtime with Dusty (The dude with the beard)
- Multiplayer feels like a bit of a ripoff. I paid for Medal of Honor, not Bad Company 2…

Medal of Honor was developed by Danger Close/DICE and was published by Electronic Arts for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC. The game released worldwide in October of 2010. The game was played til completion in Single Player, with around 25+ hours sunk into Multiplayer. Medal of Honor was played on a PC with 4GB DDR3 RAM, 2 HIS 5750 1GB DDR5 GPU’s in CrossFire, ASUS M4A89GTD PRO EVO Motherboard, AMD Phenom II Quad Core CPU OC’ed to 3.6Ghz and Windows 7 64 Bit. The copy was purchased by the reveiwer.

The Best Gaming Cosplay of New York Comic Con 2010

Dave Oshry — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 03:55:32 +0000

Well, it’s taken us a full week. The RipTen staff has sorted through the hundreds of gaming cosplay pics that we took during NYCC 2010 and are bringing you 50 of the very best. Some were so good, we’ve even decided to feature them by themselves. Enjoy!!

The Best

The Original Vault Dweller

Fallout

I'm sorry. You're a hero . . . and you have to leave Comic Con

We’ve seen a lot of gaming cosplay in our time, but nothing ever like this. After the release of Fallout 3, there were countless cosplayers running around in new-style Vault 101 jumpsuits calling themselves the lone wanderer. But Ilya Chernyatyev wasn’t a fan of Fallout 3, he was a fan of the original games. So what did he do? He created the most realistic portrayal of the original vault dweller from Fallout 1 that we’ve ever seen. In fact, it’s the only one we’ve ever seen. He has modeled himself after the final scene in Fallout 1. <–12 year old Spoiler alert!! The outfit even comes complete with a Vault 13 water flask and a replica of the .223 pistol, one of the deadliest small guns in the Fallout universe. Check out some more pictures of Ilya as well as the shot that his outfit was modeled after.

Comic Con is a Wasteland. Best To Come Prepared.

In fact, Ilya has been so gracious to us with his likeness, that we’ve done some of our famous RipTen photoshopping just for him. :-)

You're a Hero . . . To Fallout Cosplayers Everywhere.

The Castle Crashers

Castle Crashers

We Shall Smite Thee With Our Rubber Chickens and Such!!

Do we give points for originality? You bet your ass we do!! These guys were hard to miss at NYCCand we stopped to take some pictures just like everyone else. The red castle Crasher (named Mike) was thrilled to learn that we sent their pictures to The Behemoth, who promptly retweeted them for greatness!!

Ragna the Bloodege

BlazBlue

Wanted. Dead or Alive.

You may not know this featured character unless you’re a BlazBlue fan, but either way you should take notice of the epic detail of his costume. He got every detail right, even the eyes . . .

Look Deep Into My Eyes

Chuck Greene and Frank West

Dead Rising

Anyone Need Some Zombies Killed?

Dead Rising 2 just came out, but it’s never too early for some awesome cosplay!! Chuck is rocking one of the awesome available outfits in DR2 as well as the, “boomstick” combo weapon (Pitchfork+Shotgun) Frank had his signature leather jacket and camera but is also sporting the Mega Buster and a Servbot head!! Also, Chuck brought some Zombrex. (Never leave home without it)

It Does a Body Good.

Cammy

Street Fighter

Kicking Ass and Lookin' Good

What would a cosplay gallery be without Cammy!? We’ve seen this Cammy cosplayer before, and she is clearly one of the best around. We got some glamour shots, and also some, “oh so necessary” shots from behind.

As Deadly as She is Sexy.

Yeah, We Went There.

Speaking of, “behind” let’s give a special shout out to the other Cammy we saw at NYCC 2010. This is a Cammy that Sir Mix-A-Lot would appreciate. We give you, “Big Booty Cammy”

Now THIS is Some Cosplay We Can Get Behind!!

Now, while we’d love to feature every cosplayer we saw at NYCC 2010, we simply can’t. However, please check out the gallery below to see the rest of the best gaming cosplay from NYCC 2010!!

If you have any pictures of NYCC cosplayers that you think we missed, please send them to Team@RipTen.com!!

The Rest

Medal of Honor Set to Break Records

Bryce Wilson — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 02:00:19 +0000

Despite some mediocre reviews (That I don’t agree with), and a whole bunch of negative publicity leading up to the launch of EA’s series reboot of Medal of Honor, the 2010 modern combat title is looking to break all other records set by any other game in the long running first person shooter series. Stuart Lang, the Marketing Director of EA UK recently told MCV in an interview;

“Overall, we’re set for the strongest launch in the history of the Medal of Honor brand, pre orders already outstrip week one sales for any Medal of Honor game. So we know that this Medal of Honor will eclipse every title in the series to date – including the award-winning Frontline and Allied Assault.”

Lang went on to talk about the fact that Medal of Honor was receiving praise from a number of media outlets, and was a must play title of 2010, something I can confirm. Expect the Ripten review in days, if I can pull myself away from possibly the best campaign ever seen in a modern combat title…

Duke 3D Next Gen Remake Gets the Greenlight From Gearbox

Dave Oshry — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 08:24:24 +0000

That’s right, the fan-made Unreal 3 reboot of the original Duke Nukem 3D that you probably didn’t hear about, has actually been given the go ahead to get some!!

A while back, Frederik “Fresch” Schreiber decided he wanted to remake Duke 3d with the Unreal 3 engine, but he never thought anyone would let him bring it to life . . . until now!!

First check out this video . . . then read on to see how he got Gearbox to let him go all the way!!

Here’s the full story as it reads on the Gearbox forums, where Frederik has already become a hero to Duke fans worldwide!!

What is Duke Nukem: Next-Gen?
Duke Nukem: Next-Gen – Is a new independently developed game – By the fans, for the fans!

Duke Nukem: Next-Gen (DNNG), is the codename (Not final title), for at new Re-vision of Duke Nukem 3D. Duke Nukem 3D, if the game was made today.
DNNG uses Unreal Engine 3 technology to achieve the graphics expected for a next-gen title.

The final game will include both a 3 Episode Singleplayer campaign, and a full fledged Multiplayer Component, and will be released free to everyone – NO other games required.

How did this happen?

A few weeks ago, i played with the idea of a Duke Nukem 3D revision, made on Unreal Engine 3 Tech. Knowning that every other Duke project, not based on 3Drealms own technology (Build), has been knifed and cancelled, i didnt think it was possible to do.

But i still went for the idea and made a “Test” map, of what it might look like. Afterwards i took some screenshots, posted them on this board, for everyone to see – And all hell broke loose! Suddently the “News” of a Next-Gen remake, was all over the internet, even though the development wasnt approved by either Gearbox or 3Drealms.

I contacted George Brussard and Scott Miller, to start a conversation about the project – The shots managed to convice Scott Miller to a certain degree – But the project was only doable if Take-Two would approve it.

Thinking that Gearbox might have a better relationship to Take-Two, than 3Drealms, I contacted AdamF, who passed me through to PJ Putnam, Vice President and General Counsel of Gearbox Software.

Luckily Gearbox was interested in supporting the project, which resulted in a personal non-commercial license to Duke Nukem.

When will this be released?
DNNG – The final full game, will be released “When its done” (No kidding).
But we wont hold back the experience, until the final game gets released.
We want to ensure that the entire community will play a part in testing the product in different phases.

Thats why everyone will be able to play the first official Milestone Test.
The first test will include a few maps, and the weapons, items, etc. included in those maps. This will be a Multiplayer Duke-Match Test.

We have an internal releasedate for the Multiplayer Demo, and its sooner than you think – We hope you are just as excited as we are

We are hiring!
We need a lot of talented people on board on this project – If you think you can help, and have skills and knowledge to contribute to the project, feel free to drop me an email on: mail@meny-graphics.dk – Please attach a portfolio of previous work

________________________________________________________________

Artists
We are looking for artist to sketch, and make modelling ready artwork, for the different assents, charaters, props, etc. in the game.

Skills required:

Able to create stunning and realistic artwork, based on Duke3D sprites

Making Top/Side/Front – Modelling ready pieces

Having a passion for Duke, and gaming in general

Knowing what looks realistic, and how to create artwork that matches

If you think thats you, send an email, with a portfolio attached. We are looking forward to hearing from you

________________________________________________________________

Texture Artists / Wrappers
We are looking for texture artist to texture our models, and making them look good, in UDK. This covers textures for the different assents, charaters, props, etc. in the game. We’ll use basic textures from UDK, based on basics such as Gravel, Concrete, etc. but we still need a LOT of new materials and textures.

Skills required:

Able to create stunning and realistic textures, which matches their real life counterparts

Creating UVs, Maps, etc.

Having a passion for Duke, and gaming in general

Knowing what looks realistic, and how to create textures and materials that matches

If you think thats you, send an email, with a portfolio attached. We are looking forward to hearing from you

________________________________________________________________

Coders / UDK (Unreal) Specialists
We are looking for UDK specialist, who are skilled in both Kismet, UnrealScript etc. and has a feeling for how to bend, and shape the UDK, as required for DNNG. This primary covers the basic functions of the game. Inventory system, custom HUD, weapons coding, scripting, Menu systems, etc.

Skills required:

Some experience with UDK, or UT3 coding – UnrealScript and Kismet

Having a “Everything is possible” approach to problems and ideas

Willing to selfstudy and learn aspects of UDK required for the project

Having a passion for Duke, and gaming in general

If you think thats you, send an email, with a portfolio attached. We are looking forward to hearing from you

__________________________________________________ _______________

Animators
We are looking for animators, who are skilled in creating realistic animations, rigging, etc. for the different models used in the game. Weapon animations are our highest priority right now.

Skills required:

Some experience with UDK – or willing to learn.

Knowing how to make animations look real and lifelike.

Willing to selfstudy and learn aspects of UDK required for the project

Having a passion for Duke, and gaming in general

If you think thats you, send an email, with a portfolio attached. We are looking forward to hearing from you

Website – Community -Media – Screenshots
Right now, we are in the process of making the website, and community for DNNG – More information about this well be released as soon as possible.

Below, those of you who havent seen them yet, can see some of the first official screenshots and video from the game. Click on the links in my Signature for more screenshots, and the video

THANK YOU GEARBOX – FOR MAKING THIS POSSIBLE!

Well, way to go Fresch. You certainly have our support. In fact, we hereby pledge to playtest the living hell out of your awesome looking remake until it is ready for launch!! Hail to the King!! And Hail to Fresch!!

SOURCE

Medal of Honor Open Beta – What it Does Right, What it Does Wrong

Bryce Wilson — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 13:25:55 +0000

Everyday readers of RipTen might recall an editorial I posted a while back titled; “Medal of Honor Beta – What it Does Right, What it Does Wrong“. The aforementioned editorial was essentially a rundown of a few things I thought were both good and bad about the closed beta run by EA a few months back.

The beta is back, but is it beta than ever? See what I did there? Oh forget it. This time the beta is open to everyone, with an emphasis on people testing the servers and game modes. This time instead of Team Assault and Combat Mission, the gametypes on display are Combat Mission and Sector Control. Sector Control works in a similar style to that of Domination, from Call of Duty. Players find over three pre-designated sectors, and each allows a side to accrue points depending on how many they have captured.

I’ve clocked up around 4 hours, the same amount as last time, before I chose to write this follow up editorial. Once again, this isn’t a whinge, rant or moan post, it’s my honest thoughts about a game I am genuinely curious about, and interested in.

What it Does Right:

Sound Effects/Immersion:

Once again I am blown away by the level of immersion and realism that this game has delivered. Men shout from afar, bullets whip at your heels, explosions reverberate throughout the confines of the playing field. The weapons sound great, as do the various sounds that are added outside the game. Something I love quite a bit is the constant radio chatter between the soldiers on the ground and the command team wherever they’re located.

The whole thing sounds brilliant on a surround sound setup, and I can’t wait to get the full treatment once the final game launches in October of 2010.

Connection is Fixed:

I found with the previous Beta that I would always have problems with lag and latency. Whether or not the game finder has been fixed or the servers have been cleaned up I don’t know, I just know it works. Throughout the numerous games I played I found I was getting kills easier and I didn’t feel as great of a connection gap helping other players. That being said, the dedicated server browser is still complete and utter shit, but more of that later.

As well as the connection being improved, I was no longer being placed into games with only two or three players. 95% of the games I joined were just starting off, or were just finishing and the next round was about to start. This is good, forward momentum and I hope it’s fixed even more when full release comes around.

Weapons Feel Balanced:

Something I mentioned in my previous article was that the US Rangers rifles and handguns felt a lot more overpowered than the Taliban (Now Opposition Forces). I can genuinely say that both sides feel even, although a little random at the best of times. The Sniper classes rifles feel very on and off, sometimes killing with one hit, other times it can take a metric shit tonne of bullets before the enemy dies.

The explosive weapons (RPG-7′s and Grenade Launchers) feel a little bit lacklustre, and a number of times I would shoot a grenade launcher at an enemies foot, only to have them power on through it and own me. Sad face is sad.

Competitive Community Could Exist

Something I think the game could end up with is a major competitive community. The game is both slow and tactical, whilst still offering explosive thrills and instant action. The map design of both the new levels on show is brilliant, each with their own twists, turns, bunkers and caverns.

Couple this with some seriously balanced rifles and weapon attachments, and you could have a real contender on your hands for a new competitive game. It’s definitely better than Modern Warfare 2.

What it Does Wrong:

Dedicated Server Browser Still Sucks Dick, And Balls.

When I think of dedicated server browsing I think of something like Day of Defeat, Call of Duty and even ArmA 2. A list of all the servers sorted by Ping, Players, Map, Game Type and Server Name. Why can’t the Medal of Honor one be like that? I just use the Game Finder now, and hope I get a good connection, because the standard server browser is stupid and barely any help at all.

I seriously hope it’s fixed, or remodelled prior to launch, because right now it’s a major flaw in an otherwise enjoyable game.

Spawn System:

The spawn system in the Beta is still pathetic. It’s not uncommon for a bunch of people to be huddled in the spawn area, making it impossible to leave while the enemy scurries around, blocking you into a corridor of death. Players spawn on other players, something I absolutely detest, and it’s annoying having someone spawn then give away your location as they shoot at someone they clearly wouldn’t be able to kill.

Not Enough Explanation:

Even now, I am still struggling to understand how you level up and get new weapons. At no point does the game tell you how to do it, or even what you need to do in order to get points. It just drops you straight into the combat and smiles as you prance off into a sure-fire death. The Sector Control is even worse, as the game never tells you how many points you need or how many points each sector provides. Too much of the game is left to interpretation, instead of there being even some loose explanation of each thing and how it works.

The Wrap:

The revised open beta definitely does a lot more right then it does wrong, and I am definitely glad I downloaded it and gave it a second chance. Look out for the full version of the game when it launches October 12th. Enjoy the below frag video, which I recorded over my time with the beta.

Lords of Shadow Gameplay Trailer (Almost) Tells All

Dave Oshry — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 06:20:34 +0000

With Castlevania: Lords of Shadow ready to hit stores next week, Konami and G4 have teamed up to bring you this epic trailer which literally tells you (almost) everything you need to know about the game. Shame this video wasn’t around when I was writing my hands on preview and interview titled, “Everything you Need to Know About Lords of Shadow”

Anyhow, enjoy as Jason Isaacs goes into great detail about the story and gameplay and almost reveals a thing or two in the process ;-)

The obvious reveal here is that Jason Isaacs is indeed Dracula and that Dracula is the final boss!! . . . or is he? I for one, am not so sure . . .

Look for Lords of Shadow as well as the RipTen review on October 5th.

NEW Witcher 2 Trailer Shows off Non-Linear Gameplay and Excellent Swordplay

Dave Oshry — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 20:47:44 +0000

Geralt of Rivia is back, and more bad ass than ever. In this brand new trailer, CD Projekt shows off the non-linear gameplay tactics and excellent swordplay that are ever present in The Witcher 2. Watch as Geralt’s friends Triss Merigold and Zoltan Chivay retell the story of how Geralt once escaped from prison, in two very different ways. Personally, I like some of the, “touches” Zoltan added. In my opinion, the dedication to the quality of this game as a PC only title (for now) is extremely evident. There is no denying that no detail was overlooked by CDProjekt and that The Witcher will simply not be sacrificed for console gamers. It is rare for us PC gamers to have something like this to look so forward to, and even rarer for us PC Role-playing gamers. I’ll talk a bit more about it after you watch the trailer … enjoy:

There are a few things you can take note of. The most obvious being the game’s new engine which pumps out amazing visuals. Next you will notice the revamped combat. In that first scene you can see Geralt using a number of different fighting techniques to take down the guard. He can also take out torches using what I’m assuming is his aard sign much more silently now. You should also notice the new cover system! It seems that Geralt can now take cover behind walls to add to his stealthy tactics. You should also notice some of his new Batman-like abilities enabled by his mutagens (Witchers are mutants that are experts in alchemy) Last but not least, please take note of the revamped swordplay which looks nothing short of incredible, fluid and deadly. You may have noticed that the voice acting ain’t bad either.

So, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: As a PC RPGamer there are few games I have ever anticipated as much as The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. I predict 2 million sales on PC alone and numerous RPG of the year if not Game of the year awards in 2011. You can quote me on that, please :-)

Want to ask me all about the original Witcher? Want to know more about The Witcher 2 but don’t feel like searching all over the web? Feel free to drop me a line at Dave@RipTen.com or find me @DaveOshry on Twitter

Stunning Gran Turismo 5 TGS Trailer Was Worth The Wait

Garrett Hartman — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 23:30:19 +0000

Wow … It definitely looks like it’s been worth the wait. Absolutely stunningly beautiful. What more is there to say? Watch and be in awe …

Enjoy!

It’s almost hard to believe this is gameplay footage . . .

Frank West Returns in Dead Rising 2: Case West DLC (Trailer)

Dave Oshry — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 20:16:25 +0000

It’s no secret that Dead Rising 2: Case Zero was a huge success. (It’s already sold over 500,000 copies) Well, hot on the heels of an epic prologue, comes what looks to be an even more epic epilogue. Players will once again team up with photojournalist Frank West to help clear Chuck Greene’s name at the end of Dead Rising 2. Way to spoil the ending of DR 2 Capcom!!

Check out the teaser trailer for this 360 exclusive below:

Talk about co-op!! I think it’s safe to say that Dead Rising 2: Case West will be available (for 360 only) sometime shortly after the release of Dead Rising 2.

Also be sure to check out the Ripten Review of Case Zero!!

Will Duke Nukem Forever Get AO Rating? (Hands on Impressions and Screens)

Dave Oshry — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:48:00 +0000

Like many other gamers, yesterday I got hands on with Duke Nukem Forever. A game which I’ve been waiting for, for over a damn decade. Was the wait worth it? Well my first impression is, oh hell yes.

My second impression? This game ain’t for kids and may very well deserve an AO rating by the ESRB. Not that I mind, I’m just saying it might be harder for your little brother to get his hands on Duke than he hoped ;-)

We were herded into a small room within the Duke booth at PAX and shown a trailer which I can only describe as pure awesome. Apparently Duke disappeared, but the alien menace didn’t. Yet, when they came back for our women . . . Duke wasn’t having that shit. He’s back and badder than ever . . . Duke Nukem Forever has more tits, ass and foul language than any other game I’ve ever played . . . and it’s about damn time. But it’s all in fun, there is an equal amount of humor as there is cleavage, and I don’t think I’ve grinned so damn hard while playing a game demo in a long time. Best part of the trailer? Duke looks up at a giant naked three breasted alien beast and says, “Hell, I’d still hit it.” Priceless.

After that it was time for the hands-on demo . . . let’s get into it.

Duke Nukem Forever starts off where Duke Nukem 3D left off. After taking a piss (hold RT to piss) and checking out the gameplan … It’s time for Duke to grab a hold of a devastator and take on the final boss from Duke Nukem 3D all over again. Come Get Some!!

He's Back Baby

: Hold RT to Piss!!

You Can Draw on The Whiteboard!!

You can dick around (pun intended) quite a bit in the locker room. Take a piss, use the shower, drink from a water fountain, draw on the whiteboard, and then finally it’s time to Get Some!! Up an elevator with a devastator and onto the field . . . this big bad motherfucker is looking a lot better than he did when I fought him years ago in Duke 3D.

Devastate Me

Duke 1 - Cycloid - 0

: It’s Good!!

After thoroughly devastating the giant cycloid, the game pans out to see Duke actually playing the game from his own swanky bachelor pad . . . while he’s being blown by two chicks. Make no mistake, that’s what they were doing, and loving it.

How Was it Duke?

Seriously, How Was The Game?

After they’re done, one of them asks you, “So how was the game Duke, was it any good?” To which you reply “Yeah, but after 12 fucking years . . . it better be” Classic.

After that lovely scene you’re thrown right into level 15, and given your own sweet monster truck, which handles pretty well.

Shortly after some driving and turning various aliens into road kill, you pop out of the truck and head forth with only a pistol.

"Damn, Those Alien Bastards Are Gonna Pay For Shooting Up My Ride"

So, out you go into a very Borderlands-esque setting, to kick some ass and chew . . . well you know the rest. Good news, all the classic Duke 3d weapons are back. The same shotgun, ripper, RPG, shrinking gun, and devastator were all spotted. I also picked up a sweet railgun with a scope. The gunplay felt good and bloody and surprisingly very Duke 3D-like (I’m not sure how they managed that) Also to note, Duke has an EGO meter instead of a health bar and the max ammo you can carry in any gun is 69 (giggidy)

Scoped and Dropped

I was grinning like a fucking schoolboy the entire demo. Half at how damn good the game played, and half at how damn unfiltered the whole experience felt. They aren’t holding anything back. Nothing is bleeped out, nothing is censored. This is the 21st century Duke baby, tits, ass, booze and all. “Fuck yeah”, I said to myself … it’s about time.

After it was all said and done (and I picked up my sweet Duke t-shirt and atomic belt buckle) I was talking it over with some other gamers and journos and we all seemed to draw the same comclusion. This game might be too much for an M rating. This fucker might actually warrant an AO (Adults Only kiddies) … joining the ranks of Manhunt 2 and the uncensored version of Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude. To be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised. It’s got all the violence and profanity an AO game deserves, plus all the uncensored tits and ass a sleazy fucker like me could ever want. It’s pure bliss, but it’s not for kids. Let’s se what the ESRB classifies as an AO game.

Contains content that is considered unsuitable for people under 18 years of age, and cannot be bought by anyone below that age. These may include adult video games that shows sex and graphic nudity, extreme violence and blood and gore. As of 2010^[update], there have been twenty-three products which have received and kept the rating. The AO rating is the subject of ongoing, heated controversy due to the extreme restrictions it places on game sales. Games from major publishers that receive an AO rating are often ‘toned down’ in order to gain the lesser rating of M such as Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Manhunt 2. Both Sony Computer Entertainment and Nintendo have publicly said that they do not allow AO-rated games on their systems, Microsoft however has not stated whether they allow AO-rated games on their systems.

Does Duke Nukem Forever deserve an AO rating? I think so, but I wasn’t sure . . . so after PAX I headed out on the town to think it over . . . Duke style.

Come Get Some.

AO or not, you can be damn sure I’ll be picking up a copy of Duke Nukem Forever when it drops sometime in 2011.