Nintendo’s New York Comic Con lineup has been announced!  The following titles will be playable at Nintendo’s booth at this years event located in the Javits Center in Manhattan from October 13 to the 16th:

Nintendo 3DS
• Super Mario 3D Land
• Mario Kart 7
• The Legend of Zelda™: Ocarina of Time™ 3D
• Star Fox 64™ 3D
• Tetris®: Axis
• Pokémon Rumble Blast
• Shinobi™ by SEGA®
• Sonic Generations™ by SEGA

Wii
• The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
• Fortune Street™
• Kirby’s Return to Dream Land™
• Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure™ by Activision Publishing Inc.

Nintendo DS
• Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker™ 2
• Professor Layton and the Last Specter

Nintendo will also have other events planned.  Not part of Comic Con, but happening nearby at Stage37 at 508 West 37th Street on October 15th from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., will be the Pokémon Gaming Lounge where Pokémon fans will be able to play Pokémon Rumble Blast for the Nintendo 3DS.  Other activities will also be located at the Pokémon Gaming Lounge including a Pokémon Photo Booth, giant Pokémon AR Markers (for the Pokédex 3D), Pokémon giveaways, and more.  Additionally Pikachu is said to be making an appearance! (I don’t think you’re allowed to catch him though.)

Nintendo is also set to have a special screening of The Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva, a movie based on the Professor Layton series which will be out soon in North America.  Fans attending New York Comic Con can catch this at room 1B01 of the Javits Center on October 14th at 8:00 p.m.!  Trust me, this is probably the best video game movie that I have ever seen so you don’t want to miss out if you’re a Layton fan!

For more information on any of these events be sure to check out the official Press Release below!

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Want to stay up to date on the latest Nintendo news, information, editorials, and more?  Follow me on Twitter @KingNintendoFan or Like Me on Facebook.  Be sure to let me know what you think about Nintendo’s New York Comic Con lineup!

NINTENDO TO SHOWCASE STRONG HOLIDAY GAME LINEUP AT NEW YORK COMIC CON

Special Events for Pokémon Rumble Blast and Professor Layton and the Last Specter Highlight Consumer Experience

REDMOND, Wash., Oct. 5, 2011 – When gaming and pop culture fans gather for the annual New York Comic Con – taking place Oct. 13-16 at the Javits Center in Manhattan – they’ll get a firsthand look at the wealth of exceptional video games and systems offered by Nintendo this holiday season. Show attendees will get a chance to play games such as The Legend of Zelda™: Skyward Sword for the Wii™ console as well as Super Mario™ 3D Land and Mario Kart 7™ for the Nintendo 3DS™ system. They’ll also be invited to take part in special activities to celebrate the upcoming release of the first Pokémon™ game created exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS system, Pokémon™ Rumble Blast, which arrives Oct. 24, and Professor Layton and the Last Specter™, which launches Oct. 17 for the Nintendo DS™ family of systems.

Pokémon fans can participate in an expanded interactive experience at the nearby Pokémon Gaming Lounge on Oct. 15 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., located at Stage37 at 508 West 37th Street (one block from the Javits Center). Pokémon Gaming Lounge visitors will enjoy hands-on game play with the Pokémon Rumble Blast game prior to its Oct. 24 launch and participate in a wide array of activities highlighting the imaginative fun of the Pokémon franchise. Pokémon Rumble Blast is an action-packed Pokémon adventure and the first Pokémon game for Nintendo 3DS. The game lets players battle against more than 600 Toy Pokémon in full 3D without the need for special glasses. Planned activities include a Pokémon photo booth, oversized Pokémon AR Markers for the Pokédex™ 3D application, special appearances by Pikachu, Pokémon giveaways while supplies last and other fun Pokémon activities. The Pokémon Gaming Lounge will be free and open to the public.

On Oct. 14, Nintendo will host an exclusive screening of Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva, an animated feature film based on the fan-favorite series of puzzle-based mystery games and distributed by VIZ Media. Beginning at 8 p.m. in Room 1B01 of the Javits Center, the event will include appearances by costumed characters, trivia contests and a chance for fans to play the Professor Layton and the Last Specter game, the fourth installment in the Professor Layton puzzle adventure series. This game is the earliest story in the series and tells the tale of the case that made Layton famous. Nintendo will also give special recognition to the winner of the Professor Layton and the Last Specter Quiz Challenge, a contest that was recently conducted via Twitter. The screening event will be open exclusively to registered New York Comic Con attendees with a valid conference pass.

Games that are scheduled to be playable at Nintendo’s New York Comic Con booth (#1538) include:

Nintendo 3DS
• Super Mario 3D Land
• Mario Kart 7
• The Legend of Zelda™: Ocarina of Time™ 3D
• Star Fox 64™ 3D
• Tetris®: Axis
• Pokémon Rumble Blast
• Shinobi™ by SEGA®
• Sonic Generations™ by SEGA

Wii
• The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
• Fortune Street™
• Kirby’s Return to Dream Land™
• Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure™ by Activision Publishing Inc.

Nintendo DS
• Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker™ 2
• Professor Layton and the Last Specter

For more information about Nintendo, visit http://www.nintendo.com.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™ home console, Nintendo 3DS™ and Nintendo DS™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 3.7 billion video games and more than 600 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at http://www.nintendo.com.

• Nintendo Bringing Game Demos To North American Malls For The Holidays
• Nintendo Announces PAX Lineup
• Nintendo Dates Several North American Titles Across All Platforms
• Nintendo Download 9/29/2011
• Nintendo Dates Two Upcoming Portable Games
• Nintendo Gives Release Months And Updated Names To Several 3DS Games

Batman: Arkham City is shaping up to be bigger and better than it’s predecessor in every way.  That means story, gameplay, and of course… graphics.

This week I had the chance to sit down with Paul Crocker, the lead narrative designer for both Arkham Asylum and Arkham City.  Low and behold, he had some great things to say about what he and the team at Rocksteady are working so hard on.

First off, when asked about Catwoman – Paul said that she was nearly first on their list of characters they wanted to have playable, it was just a matter of ‘if’ they could pull it off.  They really wanted to push themselves to deliver a different experience from the first game, and having the two characters playable with an intertwining storyline really helped them to achieve that goal.

I pressed Paul for details about hopefully seeing Robin playable in more than just the challenge missions (since he’s so badass now) but alas, he replied that they have no plans to bring Robin into the game in a greater playable capacity at the moment.

However, when I asked if there would be any BIG surprises in store for players in the game, he replied, “Oh, yes”

He went on to say that since people know and love just about every character in the Batman universe, keeping things a secret and letting the player be surprised is that much more important to them.  The team at Rocksteady knows it’s infuriating for players who want to know every detail of the game before it hits stores, but they believe that the payoff is worth the frustration:

“You have no idea how hard we worked to keep Scarecrow under wraps the first time… it was insane.  Yet, I think everyone who got to experience the game, was thankful for that moment”

When I grilled him about how amazing Arkham City looks on PC thanks to their partnership with Nvidia, he said that it was obviously brilliant since they develop on PC, but that Rocksteady’s goal was to make the game look as good as possible on all platforms.

I then asked, “Why do you go that extra step, when so many other developers don’t?”

“What’s brilliant for us, and also terrible for us, is that we’ll make this thing look amazing on the PC, and then have to find a way to keep the quality of the visuals on consoles.”

A rough task indeed, given how capable PC’s are of pumping out next gen graphics and how far ahead of consoles they are at this point in this gaming generation.  However, when I asked if he thought it was time for new consoles yet, he had this to say:

“I would buy a new console if it came out tomorrow, but I don’t know if it really is time.  Arkham City looks great on the current gen, so I can hold onto that money for a bit longer.”

“Our goal is to make all versions of the game look as absolutely stunning as we can”

And indeed it does.  Both Paul and myself admittedly have had to do double takes when checking out Arkham City.  Only upon close inspection did we realize it wasn’t the PC version, but in fact the Xbox 360 version that was being shown.  Paul went on to say:

“I’ve walked into rooms and gone, “Is that the PC version?”  and been “Amazed” that it was the Xbox version”

So, by all accounts, it looks as if Rocksteady will prove once again that they are a developer who can go toe to toe with the best of them and deliver a gaming experience in the current generation that is second to none.

“Honestly, we just want to make the best Batman game we can”

Stay tuned to RipTen for continued coverage of Arkham City and all things Rocksteady.

Editor’s Note:  I know you guys are used to me doing video interviews, and I do indeed have this entire conversation on video.  However, it was far too noisy in the press room for me to publish it as such. 

Deal with it ^__^

• The Penguin Gets His Own Batman: Arkham City Trailer
• Watch Nightwing Kick Ass In His Arkham City Trailer
• Batman: Arkham City – Nightwing & Robin DLC Packs Dated and Detailed
• Arkham City Will Have New Game Plus+
• Batman Arkham City to Feature 3D Gameplay on Xbox 360
• Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary – Comic Con Gameplay Trailer

Just a few hours ago Capcom announced Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and revealed four of the new characters in the game; Strider, Firebrand, Ghost Rider and Hawkeye. Capcom‘s plans were to reveal the remaining eight characters over a period of time, but due to an error on their press site, they managed to leak the entire roster!

The new assets reveled; Nemisis, Vergil, Phoenix Wright, Frank West, Iron Fist, Dr, Strange, Nova, and Rocket Raccoon. Capcom has now removed the assets, but thanks to NeoGAF we have them for your viewing pleasure.

• NYCC 11: Phoenix Wright and Nova Revealed for Ultimate MvC3 – Trailers and Screens
• Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Was Originally Intended To Be DLC
• Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 Vita Trailer Shows Frank West and Others in Action
• Rocksteady is “Amazed” by How Arkham City Looks On Current Gen Consoles
• New Ultimate MvC3 Character Trailers Feature Ghost Rider and Hawkeye
• Rumor: Capcom Booting Scorned Comic-Con Attendees

Capcom have just released their latest gameplay trailer for Dead Rising 2: Off The Record.

The video features one of the games many new combo weapons, Electric Crusher. You may not be the God of Thunder, but you can surely kick some ass with this new weapon.

• Dead Rising 2: Off The Record Gets Sandbox Mode, Screens and Trailer
• Dead Rising 2: Off The Record Box Art Revealed
• RipTen Review: Dead Rising 2: Off the Record
• Dead Rising 2: Off the Record Launch Trailer
• Dead Rising 2: Off The Record Pre-Order Bonus Features Cosplay
• Dead Rising 2: Off the Record – Dated for October Release

Nintendo has released their  Comic Con 2011 lineup which includes several anticipated games playable in North America for the first time: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Super Mario 3DS,  Super Mario Kart 3DS, and Kid Icarus Uprising.

No doubt our own  King Nintendo Fanboy is salivating.

Here are the games:

Nintendo 3DS:

• Super Mario 3DS
• Mario Kart 3DS
• Kid Icarus: Uprising
• Star Fox 64 3D
• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D Edition
• Pokedex 3D
• Metal Gear Solid 3D: Snake Eater
• Shinobi
• Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition
• Resident Evil: The Mercenaries
• Dead or Alive: Dimensions 3D

Wii

• The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
• Kirby Wii
• Rhythm Heaven
• Fortune Street
• Captain America: Super Soldier
• Just Dance 3

Nintendo DS:

• Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2

• The King Nintendo Fanboy’s Collectors Journal E3 Edition 6/17/2011
• Nintendo Announces New York Comic Con Lineup
• Nintendo Announces PAX Lineup
• The King Nintendo Fanboy’s E3 2011 3DS Predictions
• Nintendo Bringing Game Demos To North American Malls For The Holidays
• Nintendo Gives Release Months And Updated Names To Several 3DS Games

Comic-Con is fast approaching, starting the July 24th and running through the 27th. Companies are quickly confirming line-ups to pump up the excitement and  Square-Enix is no exception to that rule.

Square’s presence is highlighted by playable demos of  Final Fantasy XIII-2, which has been confirmed for a January release, and Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Comic-Con attendees will be able to preview and play the following titles:

• DEAD ISLAND™ – In Deep Silver’s hotly anticipated action title, the lush island paradise of Banoi truly is a holiday destination with everything – including a lethal zombie outbreak.
• DEUS EX®: HUMAN REVOLUTION® – Eidos-Montreal brings back one of the most critically acclaimed franchises of all time with one of 2011’s most highly anticipated games. Due out August 23, attendees can experience the multi-path, action RPG gameplay at the Square Enix booth.
• FINAL FANTASY® XIII-2 – Serah and Noel are desperately seeking Lightning in the next installment from Square Enix’s all-star production team.
• WAKFU® – The latest role playing game from Ankama Studios (DOFUS) turned heads at this year’s E3 show – now Comic-Con attendees get their chance to experience the world of WAKFU.

In addition, Square-Enix will be hosting a couple of panels, including one that delves deeply into the mythos and psychology of zombies. The two panels will each be scheduled for 1 hour and are available to every Comic-Con attendee.

• Thursday July 21, 11:00 am: The World of 2027 in DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION: Join Eidos-Montreal community manager Kyle Stallock as he moderates a discussion between Mary DeMarle (lead writer, Eidos-Montreal) and Will Rossellini (CEO, MicroTransponder). The two will discuss the vision and moral landscape of transhumanism in DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION and compare it to current scientific advances in the field of bio-mechanical augmentation. Extended footage from the game will make its world debut at this can’t-miss session in room 5A. There will be a Q&A session following immediately after the panel.

• Friday July 22, 7:30 pm: Find out what makes DEAD ISLAND’s zombies tick as GamePro’s science editor, Andrew Groen, joins Dead Island writer Haris Orkin, Harvard psychiatrist and author of The Zombie Autopsies, Dr. Steven C. Schlozman, author of The Zombie Survival Guide Max Brooks, and UC Berkeley’s neuroscience expert Brad Voytek to explore the misunderstood monsters in a panel that will be anything but dead simple. Shuffle to Room 8 to pick their brains.

Comic-Con is shaping up to be better than ever this year, and if we’re lucky there might even be a comic book or two at Comic-Con this week.

• Executive at Square Enix Admits to a “Humiliating” Japanese E3 Lineup
• FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 Launch Trailer and Future DLC Detailed
• New Video Game Releases: Jan. 30 – Feb. 6
• New Final Fantasy XIII-2 ‘Clash of Time’ Gameplay Trailer
• Behind the Scenes Deus Ex Live Action Movie Footage is Full of Win
• First WAKFU Developer Diary Video Shows That its All About the Player

In this latest Starhawk dev diary the team at Lightbox Interactive discusses how they created the universe and lead protagonist Emmett Graves.

For more on the influences on Starhawk be sure to check out our interview with Lightbox CEO Dylan Jobe.

• The Inspirations of Starhawk – An Interview With Dylan Jobe
• A Starhawk Beta Is Definitely Coming
• PS3 Exclusive ‘Starhawk’ Officially Announced (Video/Screens)
• Starhawk Public Beta Begins January 17th for PlayStation Plus Members
• New Starhawk Trailer Shows Off Space Combat
• Hands On With DC Universe Art Director Mike Daubert

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

• The Best Gaming Cosplay of Comic Con 2010
• Nintendo Announces New York Comic Con Lineup
• Frank West Returns in Dead Rising 2: Case West DLC (Trailer)
• Hands On With DC Universe Art Director Mike Daubert
• Nerds Forced To Leave Comic Con After Playing TERA For Six Straight Hours
• Hate Spewing Church Will Protest At Comic Con 2010

The wait is finally over … almost!!  The Behemoth has announced pricing for the PSN, and promises the game will be available … soon!!

But that’s not all, they will also be bringing Castle Crashers to PAX Prime in a whole new way … arcade style!!  Yes, old school four player standing in front of a booth Ninja Turtles arcade style beat em up action!!  Here’s a mockup of what they are talking about:

Looks like I know where I’ll be hanging out during PAX!!

Anyhoo, here’s the rest of what The Behemoth had to say.

So let’s talk Castle Crashers. For people on a continent whose last name is “America,” the price will be as close as we can get it to $15. Maybe $14.99. Maybe $15.01. Somewhere right around there. The long and the short of it- Castle Crashers is coming to planet earth like a speeding train ready to fly off the tracks and crash into a village. That village is your PS3.

Meanwhile, we are also getting ready to attend the Penny-Arcade Expo on September 3-5th, in Seattle: Booth #3102. We’re bringing with us our latest build from BattleBlock Theater, awesome merchandise for all of your consumption needs, and a never before seen 4-player Castle Crashers arcade cabinet, just for PAX. Say what? Did we just say arcade cabinet? Wait a second am I talking to myself? What is going on?

As for a release date, sources very close to The Behemoth have told us, “Really, really soon.”

Keep up to date with all things Behemoth at their Dev Blog.

• We Get Into The New Game From The Behemoth – And The Possibility of Castle Crashers 2
• The Ripten Swagtastic Castle Crashers Giveaway!!
• Castle Crashers Coming to PSN August 31
• NEW Witcher 2 Trailer Shows off Non-Linear Gameplay and Excellent Swordplay
• Ripten Review: Castle Crashers (PS3)
• Castle Crashers coming to PS3

Comic Con has been known to drop some major announcements about certain games, and the big announcement for DC Online Universe seemed to be it’s 6 ½ minute cinematic trailer. I agree, it was extremely impressive and beautiful, but sadly it did not match up to the demo. The demo at the DCUO booth was PVP only.  So, you could play other gamers that were checking out the game at the convention.  Either way, running around as the joker (once again voiced brilliantly by Mark Hamill) is always fun.  Check out the trailer below.

We had a chance to meet up with Art Director Mike Daubert, and hear what he had to say about the game.

MD: What we have here is DC Universe Online, it’s a massively multi-player action game. So, what you’ve got is you get to make your own character that is inspired by the DC characters, fully customizable, you get to pick a Hero or a Villain and you get to be the next Legend in the DC Universe itself.  So what we’re showcasing here and the big announcement for us is you make your own Hero and Villain in the game, but what you get to do is you actually get to find sim cards, right, so you find like a Batman sim card or a Joker sim card and you take that sim card and you take that into the PVP match and you actually get to play as the iconic characters.

Mike Daubert, Studio Art Director and gamer Justin Fitzwater

AE: Really?

MD: Ya, so you get all the major iconics, like Lex Luthor and the Joker, and Batman and Robin. What we’ve got right now is Joker, Batman, Nightwing and Harley and we’ve got a PVP match going on. You’re fighting inside the Batcave right now. And what this is is a King of the Hill so you’re trying to hold the Batcomputer as long a you can against the heroes. (we’re playing as the Joker in the demo right now).

The DC Universe is an MMO, you’ve got your full progression, and a very robust character creation system. Jim Lee is the Executive Creative Director, so our character creation system is really built around creating a character that looks and feels like it belongs in a Jim Lee comic book. (I got Jim Lee’s autograph on a Batman Hush comic book!)

You pick your own movement type, you’ve got super speed, we’ve got flight and acrobatics, and you get to pick from nine different power types and as you go through the game with true progression , we actually let you customize the gear as you’re going along, so you keep your own color palettes…so like, if you find a pink helmet or something and you put it on, it actually matches your color palette.  We think that’s pretty cool

(we got interrupted by a kid who wanted freebie stuff. Mike said, “It’s all about the schwag” And it is!!)

AE: Like all MMO’s there is a starting point where your character begins their progression. What is DCUO’s starting point?

MD: We have a very robust storyline that explains a lot, and has been written by Jeff Johns and Marv Wolfman, so it starts you out as a low end super hero that explains why all of a sudden all of the world has all these characters that have super powers. The story really is very robust so it really is getting to a point where all of the major iconic heroes are calling you and saying, “Listen, we can’t save the world without you”. You actually are a big part of the storyline itself. You are actually affecting the way the story is drawn out throughout the whole game.

AE: So I’m confused, in the game you can play as the this new super hero but also as the Joker?

MD: No, you can’t play the Joker but you make your own character, right? The only time you get to play the Joker is in the PVP matches where you actually find the sim cards. You can make a character inspired by the Joker. We actually have button in our Character Crate that says “Inspired by” and you get the same exact powers that Joker would have or Superman would have and it kinda looks like the Joker , but you make your own twist on it and to customize it to the way you want to.

AE: Very cool.  So you can only play as the actual iconic super heros in a PvP match?

MD:  Exactly, the rest of the time you will play as the hero you’ve created.

AE: Is this a subscription based MMO?

MD: It is subscription based, $14.99. The box for the PC is $49.99 and $59.99 for the PS3.

AE: So as you play live on the PlayStation will you be able to play with PC gamers, or is it separate?

MD: The PS3 and PC will be on separate servers. So you cannot play against each other. It really came down to balancing the game experience. We really wanted to make sure that both sides had as much fun within the realm, and so we kept them on separate servers.  We’re getting ready for beta, we’ve got open beta registration right now, so hopefully in the next week or so we’ll start announcing our beta and we also have pre-order right now so if you order it right now, the only way you can play the Batman in the PVP is if you do pre-order.

(beta keys were given out at one of their panels at Comic Con)

AE: So as a designer, producing this game, how do you live up to the standard of DC Comics?

MD: That’s a great part about it.  We’ve got Jim Lee as the creative executive/creative director, with Marv and Jeff. They’re really looking over us and really making sure that we’re staying close to the idea itself and making sure that we’re representing the heroes, the iconic heroes and the iconic villains and the environments they way you expect to for all the comic book lovers.

AE: Cool, let’s go back to the PVP area. How many players can play in each match?

MD: So, right now, this is a 2 on 2 and we’ve got up to a 12 person PVP and then the rest of the world is open PVE for us. It’s a complete open world. We have Metropolis and Gotham at launch and we’ve got some smaller areas, adventure zones, that the true die hards are gonna love, like Oolong Island, one the comic book fans will recognize and we’re also doing smaller ones, we have raids that will actually be in the Batcave and Arkham Asylum. So we’re really taking advantage of the DC license and making sure that we’re delivering the experience that the comic book fans wanna see.

AE: I’ve noticed you’ve got some hard core gamers here now in the booth wondering when you’re going to launch.

MD:We’ve been doing this for almost 6 years and every year that we come out (Comic Con), they’re like, “wait a minute, why aren’t you guys launched?” And really we’ve taken our time to make sure that we doing this right because we want to make sure that we deliver the experience that the comic book fans are going to want.

It really came down to making the gameplay first and then just building this huge world that is the DC Universe.

I’ve only been with Sony for four years, only working on this, but SOE is famous for MMO’s, we’ve done them before—EverQuest, Galaxies, we’ve got the Clone Wars Adventures which is coming out, which is a great IP as well. We know how to do MMO’s and we’re hoping this one’s gonna be a big delivery. We really feel like we’re, right now, at a point where we’re revolutionizing the way MMO’s are played.  Because we’re not calling it an MMO, it’s a Massive Multi-player Online ACTION game. Because it is way faster paced than any MMO that’s ever been out there.

AE: I actually got my first start with MMO’s with EverQuest and loved it. How is the load time for zoning going to be?

MD: Hopefully, seamless. We really are trying to get in on them…I mean the PS3 is strong enough and powerful enough that we don’t want to you sitting there having a load screen for ten minutes or having to jump on a boat and having to float somewhere to go to another zone. We really want you guys in on the action (he says as he snaps his fingers) and making it as fast as possible.

MMO players are always, hamburger in one hand, a Mountain Dew in the other and you’re like ‘autorun, autorun’, you know? That’s not this. This is really a faster paced, action—we’re always saying that within five minutes of the game, you’re in action, you’re in combat. That’s what makes a hero. A hero doesn’t go over, you know and collect a pie or pick daisies. A hero wants to get in there, a villain wants to feel villainous and that’s what we’re trying to really deliver to the fans.

AE: Do you have a definite release date for DCUO?

MD: November 2, 2010. It is definite.

Ok, so I’m looking forward to using the beta key I got from the panel at Comic Con. It was too hard to get a real idea of the true action packed game play that Mike was describing just from the PvP demo.   Yet, from this interview and all of the panel discussions I’ve seen and of course the movie-like trailer, I’m still pretty excited about DC Universe Online.  How about you!?

• The Best Gaming Cosplay of Comic Con 2010
• DC Universe Online Announces Pre-Order Program and Beta Registration
• Nerds Forced To Leave Comic Con After Playing TERA For Six Straight Hours
• StarHawk Beta Begins Today for PS Plus Members – Checkout New Gameplay Trailer
• RipTen’s Resistance 3 Beta Key Giveaway!! (Finished)
• New Starhawk Behind The Scenes Video Talks Backstory

That’s right, six hours with hardly a bathroom break.  While hanging out with the guys at En Masse to talk about the latest news they had recently announced about their highly anticipated true-action MMO TERA, I was alerted to the fact that these two guys had been playing the game non-stop all day.  As the convention was coming to a close, they refused to leave the terminal, so naturally, I interviewed them!!

From this point on, the guy in the blue shall be referred to as Nerd 1, and the guy in black as Nerd 2. While conducting this interview, these guys did not stop playing the game for one second, or even take their eyes off the screen . . . even the guy who wasn’t playing.

DO: Somone told me that there’s been two guys on this console all day, is that you!?

Nerd2:  Haha well, we we’re playing together but they made me move so this kid could get on, so now I’m just watching him play.

Nerd1: But yah, we’ve been here since like 11am

DO: Wow, that’s hardcore . . . so what MMOs have you played before and why are you so into TERA right now?

Nerd1: Well, I played World of Warcraft for years, thats pretty much the only one, and I’m into TERA right now because for PvP and PvE it’s more skill based.

DO: So you mean its not just pressing buttons in a rotation and waiting for cooldowns?

Nerd1: Yah, in WoW I’m basically my friends personal healer.  I heal by pressing a button and spinning in a pretty circle.  Here, I actually have to aim my heals and dodge attacks and get into the battle.

DO:  Interesting, How else is it better than WoW?  I played WoW for almost five years, and only now is it starting to feel old

Nerd1: I still like WoW, but these graphics are amazing, the environment, all the races and classes too, its very well balanced

Nerd 2: Its beautiful, its perfectly rendered

Nerd1: I also like how the PvE monsters follow your every move.  They actually will watch you jump, they try to encircle and flank you, the AI is no joke.  Also, this game takes skill, you can almost solo a boss by yourself if your that good

DO: So the AI is actually proper?  They don’t just path and go through the motions?

Nerd1: Exactly, TERA is skill based while WoW is all about gear and rotation and group comp.  In TERA theres no need for a gearscore and having to get geared.  There’s no way to get carrried by pressing 2 buttons here, you have to get involved and be skillful.  You actually have to get in there, it feels real, your not just going through the motions

DO: Absolutely, I can see you’re really into it (I LoL to myself)

Nerd1: Hell yea, the collision detection is awesome, everything is just awesome, I can’t wait for it to come out

Awesome indeed.  So awesome that I even filmed these guys playing TERA for a few minutes, enjoy.

So, do you agree?  Is TERA the future of MMO’s while games like WoW are the past?  Only time will tell, but no matter what you think, it looks like TERA is the real deal.

• TERA Gets a New Trailer – Looks Amazing As Usual
• New TERA Halloween Trailer is Spooky
• Hands On With DC Universe Art Director Mike Daubert
• The Best Gaming Cosplay of Comic Con 2010
• New TERA Armor Renders Are Sexier Than Thou
• TERA’s Latest Video Highlights Horned Castanic Race

So, without further ado, Dave Oshry and I bring you our favorites from Comic Con 2010!!

Sagat and Chun-Li probably hate you.

Sonic and Tales luring a baby.

Yeah. They're huge.

Fierce Grey Warden is fierce.

Pretty Ayane is pretty.

Fem-Squall. I'm ok with this.

I'm also ok with Asian Jean Grey. This is Linda Le and she's amazing.

It doesn't get much more awesome than this.

Modern Warfare kid. Seriously. I asked.

You probably shouldn't mess with War Machine.

... Hadouken? Yeah. Hadouken.

This Deadpool cosplayer never broke character. I was impressed.

Lightning from FFXIII, sad about something.

Kingdom Hearts 2, with twins. Wait, what?!

More post-apocalyptic fun.

Giant Warhammer man. I always knew shoulder pads would make a comeback.

I just... really like the portal gun. I wonder if she has cake.

Oh look. He matches the wall.

Love’m? Hate’m? Sound off below!!

• Hands On With DC Universe Art Director Mike Daubert
• The Best Gaming Cosplay of New York Comic Con 2010
• Nerds Forced To Leave Comic Con After Playing TERA For Six Straight Hours
• New Starhawk Behind The Scenes Video Talks Backstory
• Hate Spewing Church Will Protest At Comic Con 2010
• Max Payne Movie Will “Make You Feel Like You ARE Max Payne”

Yesterday was Ryu day here at Ripten, but it might even be Ryu weekend. Before there was news of Street Fighter x Tekken and Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Online Edition, and now we have media from Marvel vs Capcom 3, which is scheduled for a Spring 2011 release. Enjoy!

• Serious Sam 3 Is So F**king Old School It Hurts (Hands On)
• Three Hours With Skyrim, Two Brave Bosmers and One Lying Khajiit
• Two Whole New Borderlands 2 Screens + Plenty of Facts
• Rocksteady is “Amazed” by How Arkham City Looks On Current Gen Consoles
• Capcom Announces Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 – 12 New Fighters (Screenshots)
• Behold Crysis 2 With Glorious DX 11 Upgrades!! (Video/Screens)

More news from the Comic-Con front today, and this time it’s not actually got anything to do with Street Fighter. Comic artist and writer Jim Lee has said today that DC Universe Online will launch on November 2.

Lee also said that the game will not require a Playstation Plus account to play on the PS3, although nothing was stated about the PC version in terms of subscription costs.

You may remember that Mark Hamill will be reprising his role as the Joker in the game, and while talking about playing the Joker once more he said that it’s “fun to get behind the wheel of that crazy car.”

More info on the game from Comic-Con can be found here, if you’re so inclined.

• DC Universe Online Patch 1.02 – What it Fixed
• Mark Hamill Will Voice The Joker in DC Universe Online
• Latest Battlefield 3 “Back to Karkand” Trailer Goes Back To Wake Island
• Limbo Release Date Revealed for the PS3, PC
• RAGE Release Date Pushed Back to October
• Warner Bros Announce New Batman Game: Gotham City Impostors

Have you had enough Street Fighter x Tekken yet? I certainly hope not, because here’s some more. These screens will give you a much clearer view of the gameplay than that shaky cam footage did. Click a thumbnail to access all of the pictures. Enjoy!

• Street Fighter x Tekken Shaky Cam Gameplay Footage
• Two Street Fighter vs Tekken Games Announced
• Street Fighter x Tekken Gets Mega Man, Pac-Man as Sony Exclusives – Trailer
• Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus Dated for PS Vita Launch, Stunning New Screens
• New Street Fighter x Tekken Characters Announced, Screens, Artwork and More!
• New Street Fighter X Tekken Character, It’s Steve Fox

Guess what, Ryu fans!? Yes, there is more Street Fighter news. It’s not only Ryu day here on Ripten, but on the whole internet at the moment, it seems. Capcom have announced Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Online Edition today at their Comic-Con panel.

As proof that the Street Fighter team “Haven’t forgotten about Street Fighter III,” producer Yoshinori Ono has announced that his team are “just starting to work on” the new version of Street Fighter III. “It won’t be out in the immediate future, ” he added. No further info was given, but Ono has asked that fans give Capcom a good deal of input as they’re not far into development yet.

[Via Kotaku]

• Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 Full Roster Leaked!
• Capcom To Reveal New Game At Comic-Con?
• Is Mega Man X Coming to Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3? Sorta…
• M. Bison, Akuma, Jin, and Ogre Confirmed for Street Fighter X Tekken
• Resident Evil: Revelations Misspelled on Spine of Game Box
• Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 Vita Trailer Shows Frank West and Others in Action

This shaky cam footage leaves a lot to be desired, but it’s better than nothing. Plus, it’s worth watching just for the guy who yells “uppercut!” and then immediately “no, not you!”

• Street Fighter x Tekken Gameplay Screens
• Street Fightee x Tekken Debut Trailer
• Two Street Fighter vs Tekken Games Announced
• Street Fighter x Tekken Gets Mega Man, Pac-Man as Sony Exclusives – Trailer
• New Street Fighter X Tekken Character, It’s Steve Fox
• Two New Street Fighter X Tekken Videos Are Better Than One

It’s been talked about for a while but now it’s official: the Street Fighter cast is throwing down against the Tekken cast in, not one, but two different games.

Titled Street Fighter X Tekken and Tekken X Street Fighter, one will be developed by Capcom on the Street Fighter IV engine and the other will be spearheaded by Tekken series producer Katsuhiro Harada. Both games are coming to Xbox 360 and PlayStation, but no release dates have been mentioned.

• Street Fighter x Tekken Gameplay Screens
• Street Fighter x Tekken Shaky Cam Gameplay Footage
• Street Fighter x Tekken Gets Mega Man, Pac-Man as Sony Exclusives – Trailer
• New Street Fighter X Tekken Character, It’s Steve Fox
• Two New Street Fighter X Tekken Videos Are Better Than One
• Street Fightee x Tekken Debut Trailer

According to developer David Jaffe, the newest installment in the Twisted Metal franchise will be played with a standard run-of-the-mill controller and be displayed in flat, old-fashioned 2D. Thank the God of War.

Twisted Metal is still a ways off, so the powers that be have plenty of time to cram these things in, but lets hope that they don’t. We know that Jaffe is a fan of gameplay above all else so it’s probably safe to assume that he’s behind this decision. Let’s hope he sticks to his guns and keeps Twisted Metal pure.

• Sony Takes Scalpel to Twisted Metal in Europe
• Sony’s Sly HD Collection Offers Noticeable Upgrade
• Jaffe Says Twisted Metal Multiplayer May Include Ranks and Unlockable Content
• David Jaffe Absolutely Does Not Want To Make A Sweet Tooth Movie for PSN At All
• David Jaffe + Sweet Tooth’s Truck + 100,000 Full Metal Jacket Bullets + You = Twisted Fun
• Twisted News Out of Eat Sleep Play – David Jaffe Departing, Layoffs

Finally… Nintendo is coming back… to Comic-Con.

Okay, so that lacks a little of The Rock’s punch. Nonetheless, for the first time since 2006, those attending the San Diego Comic-Con can expect to see the familiar hot dog-shaped logo of Nintendo among all the other video game, comic book, and movie companies that are in exhibiting at the San Diego Convention Center from July 22nd through the 25th.

So, what will they have on display? One game is the recently-released Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies. And while those who have already purchased the game may not be interested in partaking of the hands-on demonstrations, they may very well have interest in the downloadable treasure map known as “Mortamor,” which will be available in North America for the first time at Comic-Con.

Notes the press release:

To access the map, players must have their Nintendo DS system running the DRAGON QUEST IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies game and set to “Tag Mode.” Once players get to the town of Stornway, they are able to access Tag Mode at the Quester’s Rest inn.

The other game announced to be on-hand is none other than the upcoming return of Samus, Metroid: Other M. Those who attend Comic-Con and visit Nintendo’s booth will gain the rare opportunity to play through some portions of the game in advance of its August 31st North American release.

To check these games out, you’ll want to head for Nintendo’s booth, #2944, on the show floor.

On another note, at least Nintendo isn’t torturing non-attendees with exclusive items that will cost fans an arm and a leg to get a hold of on the aftermarket. Not to say they won’t have any fun swag to give or sell, but at least they aren’t torturing the rest of us by advertising it to a world of people who can’t go.

• Nintendo Announces New York Comic Con Lineup
• Nintendo Comic Con Line-up Includes Kid Icarus, Skyward Sword and Mario Kart
• Dragon Quest Events Coming To Best Buy
• New Dead Or Alive Dimensions (3DS) Metroid: Other M Stage Screens
• Metroid: Other M Stage In Dead Or Alive Dimensions (3DS)
• Four New Club Nintendo Rewards Now Available