Dear Game Publishers,

It goes without saying that I love playing games.  A lot of my friends do as well, in fact. I spend a good portion of my free time gaming, and I also find it a good stress reliever.  There’s nothing I love more after a long day than turning on my iPod, grabbing my controller, and using a human shield in Saints Row: The Third to unwind.

Now, I want you to take a good look at the gaming schedule from the past year.  In the January-May frame, there was Dead Space 2, Bulletstorm, Crysis 2, LA Noire, Portal 2, Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Two Worlds II, LittleBigPlanet 2, Killzone 3, Dragon Age II, and Mortal Kombat, along with a bunch of other games I really don’t feel like listing.

From August to December, we had (deep breath) Deus Ex, Resistance 3, RAGE, Dead Island, Gears 3, Arkham City, Uncharted 3, SKYRIM!!!, Battlefield 3, Modern Warfare 3, Skyward Sword, Saints Row: The Third, Rayman Origins, Halo Anniversary, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, Rocksmith, and Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Last, but not least, here’s what we got for June to July: Infamous 2, Red Faction: Armageddon, Duke Nukem, Catherine, Bastion, and Shadows of the Damned.

Pardon my French but, what the fuck is wrong with you, gaming industry?

Now look, I understand that times are tough.  I get that you can’t afford to go on making new IPs whenever you please with shareholders breathing down your necks, and I get that you want to get more money with everything from online passes to “Complete Editions” that make day-one buyers feel like asses.  I don’t agree with these things but I get them.  What I don’t get is why you continually think that you need to put all your games out either super early or super late in the year while you leave the summer months hung out to dry.  Sure, in the winter and fall, people are more likely to be inside as opposed to the summer.  But that doesn’t excuse anything.  If you’ve got nearly 300 games coming out over the course of 12 months, you should be able to spread them out a little more evenly.

If you don’t believe me, look at Saints Row 3 and Rayman Origins.  While I don’t have any doubt that they’re great games–in fact, playing Saints right now, I can confirm it’s a great game –whoever the hell made the call to release these games when they did either doesn’t have a firm grasp on reality, or enjoys taking it to the face.  It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that, out of all the games in the September-December time frame, those two got hit the heaviest in the wallet.  I mean, come on.  They go up against Skyrim, Assassin’s Creed, Halo, and Skyward Sword in their opening week.  That was a death sentence if I’ve ever heard of one.

Even though a lot of people are out and about during the summer, there are those moments where the weather sucks, our friends are all out of town, or we’re just bored.  And what do we do when we’re bored?  We either play video games or play video games. It’s also a good fact that video games that release in the summer have a greater chance of getting a sequel.  Don’t believe me?  Explain why Prototype 2 is coming out.  Trust me, it the reason has less to do with it being a revolutionary gaming experience.  Tell me how Duke Nukem Forever was number 2 in sales for June.  We all know it wasn’t the best game that month. It’s why a game like Darksiders II is making the leap to summer 2012 instead of the holidays, because it’s better to make bank in the heat than get sank in the sleet.

You give us online passes, 3D functionality, motion controls, and a bunch of other crap many of us never asked for, so throw a little more common sense into your feature list please.  Release some more good games during the Summer.  Because I’ll say it right now, if another Duke-esque title comes out this year and reaches number 2 in NPD sales , you’ve only got yourselves to blame.

I enjoy games and I’m tired of seeing good studios close their doors, not because their work wasn’t up to snuff, but because the extremely saturated release schedule logic in play right now doesn’t give them a fighting chance.

• Carrier Command Competition, Win ArmA Series And Take On Helicopters
• Rift to Launch World Record Attempt for Most In-Game Marriages
• The RipTen End of the Year Awards (2011)
• X-Play’s 2011 “Year In Games” Mega-Trailer Is Full Of Awesome Memories
• Make the Best Battlefield 3 Video and Win a Trip to Sweden to Play With DICE!
• New Video Game Releases: Nov. 21 – Nov. 27

You should have acted.  They’re already here.  The gaming world told of their return.  E3 was merely a delay…  ’til the time after PAX opened.  When the scribes of RipTen would spill their own thoughts.  Behold!!

Let’s get the fanboy nonsense out of the way first.

These are the best games of the year, by platform:

The Gears of War series is synonymous with the Xbox 360.  If Master Chief is the faceless hero of the Xbox fanbase, then Marcus Fenix and company are the gritty, brutal, excellently detailed faces of it.  We’ve given each iteration of the Gears series a perfect score because the quality of the games that Epic releases never cease to impress the hardened Xbox fanboys and newcomers alike.  The graphics, gameplay and over the top attitude of Gears of War 3 is what makes it the showpiece for Microsoft’s gaming console, and the best Xbox 360 exclusive.

Nathan Drake is a man on a mission.  A mission to prove that each chapter of the Uncharted series can push the PS3 to its limits and impress even the most jaded of console gamers.  Naughty Dog not only excels at creating the most jaw-dropping visuals for the Playstation platform, but also tells stories that make us fall in love with their characters each and every time.  They’ve once again succeeded at crafting an immersive world filled with action, adventure and intrigue that will keep us coming back to the wild world of Uncharted every single time.

Geralt of Rivia.  A man’s man.  A ladies’ man.  CDProjekt’s adaptation of  Andrzej Sapkowski’s tortured protagonist is something literary fans dream of.  A world torn from the pages of books beyond anything you could ever imagine.  So richly detailed and magnificent to behold in every way that it puts games produced by legendary publishers to shame on a budget infinitely inferior.  A game that improved upon its predecessor in every way.  The deep and branching quest narrative combined with fluid combat and breathtaking visuals not only made The Witcher 2 one of the best RPGs of the year, but its rig-breaking technical requirements rewarded only those most dedicated to PC gaming.  The world needs more developers like CDProjekt, and more games like The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings.

All we ever wanted since Nintendo revealed its motion controlled console was to swing our swords in the land of Hyrule.  Twilight Princess gave us a taste of true motion controlled swordplay, but we wanted something entirely new.  Luckily, the legendary Shigeru Miyamoto did not let us down.  When Skyward Sword finally arrived on the Wii, it came with rich visuals, picture perfect controls and a story that made us fall in love with The Legend of Zelda all over again.  A worthy successor to the Zelda franchise in every way, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword might be the best reason to own a Nintendo Wii yet.

Did somebody say Miyamoto?  You betcha.  We were all sad to learn that Super Mario 3D Land wouldn’t launch alongside the Nintendo 3DS, but when it finally arrived, we let them slide.  A near perfect combination of Super Mario Brothers 3 and Super Mario 64, 3D land had something for everyone.  Not only did it make great use of the 3D visuals and 3DS controls, but it has difficulty levels to challenge hardcore fans and please casual gamers alike.  Is Super Mario 3D Land the best reason to own a Nintendo 3DS?  It’s certainly one of them.

Nobody has pushed the envelope in mobile gaming quite like Chair Entertainment and Epic Games with Infinity Blade.  Unmatched visuals and addictive gameplay provide a true console-quality experience on a mobile platform.  With Infinity Blade II, everything was taken to the next level and we were once again floored by what these developers have made possible on a mobile platform and what the Unreal technology is capable of.

However, some of the best games of 2011 were download-only.

These are the year’s best downloadable games:

They changed the name to Iron Brigade, but that didn’t take away from one of the best downloadable titles of the year.  Trenched was the first game to truly blend elements of Tower Defense and Action successfully. Not only that, it had tons of loot drops to further enhance your mechs and the full game was able to be played cooperatively with up to three other players. Combine those features with Double Fine’s signature comedic writing and you have an XBLA title to remember.

More of the same?  Not exactly.  Q Games not only added plenty of new content to their microbial sized shooter, they also added competitive multiplayer which made the game even that much more addictive and challenging.  Rescuing survivors from puzzling alien innards has never been this much fun, and few PSN exclusives are this addicting.  This is a game every PSN user should own, as well as pretty much everything else Pixel Junk.

The kid probably wouldn’t care if he got this award.  Too busy rebuilding the bastion he’d be.  What makes Bastion the best downloadable game of the year?  Besides the fact that it was great on XBLA, PSN and PC, there was damn near nothing bad anyone could say about it.  A perfect blend of hack n’ slash RPG gameplay topped off with tight controls and a story told by the coolest narrator this side of the calamity, Bastion is game that’s impossible not to like.  Throw in a visually stunning world that comes together piece by piece and plenty of achievements for the hunter in all of us, and you’ve got the clear winner of downloadable game of the year.  The kid should be proud.

We’re just getting started.  Up next?  The best games of the year, by genre:

• You Like Me, You Monster. You Really Like Me – New York’s First Videogame Awards Ceremony
• Blockbuster Extends Rental Promotion to Gamers for the Holidays
• Batman: Arkham City Beats Skyrim to Metacritic’s Top Rated Game of 2011
• Buyer’s Remorse: The Problem With Online Passes
• Nvidia Launches New 275.20 Beta Drivers
• Portal Kombat!! (Live Action Video Awesomeness)

2011 was a pretty sweet year for video games.  In case you’ve forgotten just how awesome it was, the folks over at X-Play have constructed this equally awesome Mega-Trailer:

I never asked for this… but it’s awesome.

• The RipTen End of the Year Awards (2011)
• If The World Ended Tomorrow, What Video Game Would You Play?
• Hawken Gameplay – You Wanted More? You Got More!
• Game Publishers: Please Spread Your Game Releases Out Better
• X-Play to Award the Worst Games of 2011 in Tonight’s Golden Mullet Awards
• RipTen Review: Sonic CD (XBLA)

Thanksgiving falls on this release week and the past few weeks have given gamers much to be thankful for. With releases like Serious Sam 3: BFE, Batman: Arkham City at long last on the PC, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword on the Wii and The Rock on the cover of WWE ’12 (The People’s Edition) it’s quite pleasant to smell what this release week is cooking!

The highlight of this release week is The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for the Nintendo Wii. Yes, I included it in my NVGR report last week but with it releasing today, it deserves another mention. With an aggregate review score of 94 on metacritic, it is likely a GOTY contender.

Looking for a solid old school shooter? Look no further than Serious Sam: BFE. Sam is back and promises to deliver insane over-the-top FPS action. Look for Sam on PC only, baby.

Can You Smell What the Rock is Cooking? The WWE is back and better, mostly because it will include many of the all-time greats including The Rock, Mick Folley and even the Macho Man Randy Savage (a good number of them as DLC)! WWE ’12 will be available on the Xbox360, Wii, and PS3.

PC gamers can also finally don the cape and cowl of the Dark Knight as Batman: Arkham City finally becomes available on the PC this week.

Pick of the Week: The King Nintendo Fanboy Justin Berube will be proud. This is the first time I’ve given a Wii game the honors but The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword deserves it.

Check out all of the weekly releases below:

PlayStation 3

• Final Fantasy V (PSN)
• Spelunker HD
• The King of Fighters XIII
• Tekken Hybrid
• Winter Stars
• WWE ’12
• WWE ’12 (The People’s Edition)

Xbox 360

• Jillian Michaels’ Fitness Adventure
• Karaoke Revolution: Glee 3
• Karaoke Revolution: Glee 3 with microphone
• Kung Fu High Impact
• Puss In Boots: The Game
• The King of Fighters XIII
• WWE ’12

Wii

• JAWS: Ultimate Predator
• Jimmie Johnson’s Anything with an Engine
• Fishing Resort
• Karaoke Revolution: Glee 3
• National Geographic Challenge!
• Power Rangers Samurai
• The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
• WWE ’12

PC

• Batman: Arkham City
• Batman: Arkham City CE
• Defenders of Ardania
• Magicka: The Stars are Left
• Minecraft
• Serious Sam 3: BFE

3DS

• Carnival Games: Wild West 3D
• Cooking Mama 4: Kitchen Magic
• Face Racers: Photo Finish
• JAWS: Ultimate Predator
• Nano Assault
• Sonic Generations
• WWE All Stars

DS

• Power Rangers Samurai
• Tsumiki: Block Drop Mania

PSP

• Corpse Party
• Final Fantasy V (PSN)

• New Video Game Releases Nov. 28 – Dec. 5th
• New Video Game Releases: Dec. 5 – Dec. 11
• New Video Game Releases: Nov. 7 – Nov. 13
• New Video Game Releases: Oct. 31 – Nov. 5 (Uncharted 3 Edition)
• New Video Game Releases: 10/17 – 10/23
• Nintendo Announces New York Comic Con Lineup

4) A professional Wrestler takes one of his moves from a Tekken character

Who cares if wrestling is bullshit, did you just read that?  Holy anabolic steroids batman!  The guy’s name is Alvin Burke Jr.  better known by his ring name Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP). He is currently the IWGP Intercontinental Champion , but he is better known for his days on World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). In 2007, he captured the WWE United States Championship, making it his first title reign with the company. His reign was the longest since WWE came into possession of the championship in 2001 and the third longest in the title’s entire history. That same year, MVP captured the WWE Tag Team Championship alongside Matt Hardy. He won the United States Championship for the second time on March 17, 2009, becoming a God among oily men.

Helping his followers fight lung cancer. The manly way.

Anyway, you didn’t click on this article to read about men in dreadlocks and how good they are at fighting. You probably just kept reading until I, hopefully, explain how MVP performs a perfect Hadouken. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but it´s nothing like that. The move he took from the Tekken series is his own finisher called Malicious Intent. He performs this move by spinning his feet in the air in order to kick his opponent in the face, destroying his will to live along with his cranium.

In an interview with IGN.com he explains how this move was inspired by the Tekken character Eddy Gordo. Eddy is an Afro-Brazilian fighter who was introduced to the series in Tekken 3 in 1997. His style of fighting is called capoeira, a form of Brazilian art which combines martial arts with dancing. No, not like that break dancing scene in Zoolander…  It is known by quick and complex moves, using mainly power kicks and quick leg sweeps, with some ground and aerial acrobatics, knee strikes, take-downs, elbow strikes, punches and headbutts. Eddy Gordo has since, appeared in most of the games in the series.

He was also a member of Milli Vanilli.

MVP being a huge Eddy Gordo fan and a raging psycopath, decided to create a move imitating Gordo´s style. A long time has gone by since he last performed it, as he now has newer finishers, but at least he left us with an awesome, awesome story. Thank God for steroid infused lunatics.

3) Politician uses video games in his campaign  

C´mon, politics? I must be lying now. Fortunately, I’m not. Some dude actually used video game images in his campaign for the 2010 New York gubernatorial elections. This man is ,of course, Carl Pasquale Paladino, an American businessman and political activist from Buffalo, New York. Paladino is considered to be a real life loose cannon, which in political circles means wearing brown socks with a black suit. Anyway, you probably don´t even care who the fuck this guy is, so here´s an image he used for his campaign against Cuomo:

That is one of the actual images he used in his electoral campaign. The face in that image was of his, at the time, opponent, Andrew Cuomo. He depicted him as Mario Jr. because Cuomo´s father, named Mario, was formerly the governor of New York and was claiming that “Andrew Has Been Playing the Albany Game for 30 Years.” Well that doesn´t make any fucking sense Paladino. If he has been “playing the game”, why the fuck is he depicted as the actual in-game character? Wouldn’t Cuomo be the gamer and Albany be the the character in your little metaphor?

Yeah... That´s what I though Paladino.

The flyer, along with the rest of his campaign was so lame that Cuomo effortlessly won the elections scooping up 61% of the total votes. It was to be expected as his candidacy was mainly supported by something called the Tea Party movement. People don´t like it when their country is ran by something that sounds like a bunch of pussies running around drinking tea. We like to support things called  ”maximum voltage eruption global economists” instead.

2) Fat kid loses 150 Pounds Thanks to his Addiction to Video Games

Taylor Labron, a 297 pound 14 year old from Georgia, practically cut his size in half using something he calls “The Ultimate Fitness Game”.  I’m not talking about one of those fitness games your sister plays with the hot girls on the cover. Labron didn’t give a shit about those, he created his own. He might,  occasionally, stare at those covers though.

He´s only human after all.

It all started when while in sixth grade, he dropped one of his books and when he bent over to pick it up, some asshole pointed at him and said “Look, Taylor has a double chin!”.  That was the moment that still haunts him to this day, but it took him several years and some more weight gain to make it real for him. The day he stepped on a scale and watched it make a face only people taking a real hard shit make, was when he decided to do something about those 297 pounds.

 He knew one of his problems was gathering dust while playing videogames, but he also knew that video games are far too awesome, so he devised a way to defeat his problems using some of the mechanics he learned while gaming. I’m not saying he started imagining murdering aliens while vomiting manly one-liners or that he started killing rats with a sword in his free time, this is not a story about a crazy person.

Besides, that job is already taken.

In devising his Ultimate Fitness Game, LeBaron calculated how many calories — converted to money — he had to spend each day. He set about going through a maze of rooms without running out of dough; for example, eating a cookie would cost him 200 points. Exercising upped his cash reserves.

Dude dropped 150 in the course of three years. That´s quite impressive for a 14 year old to do on his own without any help from any fitness program. If you consider how someone can spend 40+ hours obtaining an Xbox Achievement or a PS3 Trophy it isn´t hard to imagine how Labron got addicted to his own game, and here´s the result:

How awesome must he feel? Shedding off every nasty thing said to him with each pound, overcoming his biggest demon, getting to say “Fuck You!” to so many people. Even his mother and grandmother lost 120 pounds between them playing Taylor´s game. We could all learn something from this guy, that is why I am creating the Ultimate Game to to rule the world. I will remember the positive feedback I get here when I become president of the world.

1) Video Game Weddings

Believe it or not this is an actual thing, and it´s not as weird as it sounds. And no, I’m not talking about that freak who married a videogame character. These are actual weddings with real guests, cake and drunk uncles. These are carefully elaborated video game themed weddings and are usually held between couples who work in the gaming industry or hardcore fanatics. I don´t know who my wife will be yet, but im about 90% sure this will never happen in my wedding:

"It´s hard as fuck to see through this visor, we´re just gonna have to skip over to the part with all the kissing, sorry guys."

One great example of one of these was the 8-bit wedding between Kelly, a game designer, and Chris, a web developer. They decided to have a very original pixeled celebration. They did awesome stuff like pixelled wedding invitations and centerpieces using over 30,000 Lego bricks.

If you see this kind of thing anywhere else it means you are having a stroke.

They even had the band play with instruments from RockBand instead of real life musical instruments. They also had some Mario kart in there and a very nice 8-bit-looking wedding cake.

And what nuptial ceremony can be complete without a black guy crying in the background? Not this one, that´s for fucking sure.

There are more of these types of weddings each day and they actually look like a lot of fun. This is only for people who don´t give a fuck about what everyone else thinks of their awesomeness. I bet even you don´t think it´s as stupid as you thought it was when you first read the title, huh?

We can always count on video games to make weird shit happen. Some may consider the gaming industry a form of fine art and some might even see it as a highly competitive sport, however no matter how we choose to see it, very passionate people can always be found around it.  As David Spade would say in that movie in which he played that a ridiculously awesome redneck: Keep on keeping on, people.

Aaaaand cue the cakes:

• Game Publishers: Please Spread Your Game Releases Out Better
• The RipTen End of the Year Awards (2011)
• X-Play’s 2011 “Year In Games” Mega-Trailer Is Full Of Awesome Memories
• New Video Game Releases: Nov. 21 – Nov. 27
• Games Now Legally Considered An Art Form in the U.S.
• If The World Ended Tomorrow, What Video Game Would You Play?

In what could be the biggest blow in the Art v Non-art bout, Forbes has reported that the National Endowment for the Arts has reclassified their defintion of ‘art’ to include interactive games.

The 2012 art reclassification was amended to include our favorite pastime possibly amidst growing discussion over whether games were in fact art or not. The reclassification reads:

“Projects may include high profile multi-part or single television and radio programs (documentaries and dramatic narratives); media created for theatrical release; performance programs; artistic segments for use within an existing series; multi-part webisodes; installations; and interactive games. Short films, five minutes and under, will be considered in packages of three or more.”

Interestingly, this now opens up video game developers for large government grants, however as is duefully noted, $200,000 isn’t likely to put much of a dent in the budget of large AAA titles, but it could definitely help out indie developers.

Are you pro or anti games as art? Let us know in the comments below.

Image Credit: [PlatformNation]

• Dr. Mario Wants Princess Peach to Bend Over, and Cough?
• Game Publishers: Please Spread Your Game Releases Out Better
• The RipTen End of the Year Awards (2011)
• X-Play’s 2011 “Year In Games” Mega-Trailer Is Full Of Awesome Memories
• New Video Game Releases: Nov. 21 – Nov. 27
• Five O’Clock Fan Art: A Very Mario Halloween

As we all wait for the world to end tomorrow (according a handful of nutjobs) we’ve been doing some thinking around the RipTen offices.

If the world does indeed end tomorrow (which it won’t) what video game (that currently exists or not) would we want to be playing as we’re going off to that spirit in the sky?

Well, we asked around and these were what we came up with:

Chad Lakkis: Darksiders 2 (He sort of has a thing for Joe Mad)

Dave Oshry: Planescape: Torment (He’d like to go out while pondering the nature of man)

Bryce Wilson: DiRT 3 (This choice paid for by Codemasters AU)

Dani Cantrell: Chrono Trigger (She likes bosses named Lavos and boys with spikey red hair)

Steph Gutowski: Mass Effect 3 (DUH)

Brandon Fenty: Super Mario World (He’d like to relive his childhood)

Dylan Duarte: BioShock (DOUBLE RAPTURE)

Sam Naylor: Half Life 3 (Who wouldn’t?)

Aaron Alexander: GTA IV (He wants to shoot innocent bystanders while eating hot dogs…)

Dave Ernst: Earthbound (It’s his favorite game of all time)

Justin Berube: Super Mario Bros. (Spoken like a true Nintendo Fanboy)

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So, that’s what we’d like to play, how about you?

Feel free to let us know in the comments or @RipTen on Twitter if you’re not too busy being sucked up into the sky.

• Top Ten Gaming Wake Up Calls
• The RipTen End of the Year Awards (2011)
• X-Play’s 2011 “Year In Games” Mega-Trailer Is Full Of Awesome Memories
• Geeked Out: Would You Kindly Check Out This Andrew Ryan Action Figure
• Valve Not Showing Any Titles At E3 2011
• New Bioshock Infinite Gameplay Teaser Looks Slick and Refreshing

Hey, woah… this might be one of the worst release weeks that I’ve ever written about.  The PS3 and Xbox 360 boast a combined release number of three games - including such high profile releases like StarDrone (PSN), Carnival Games: Monkey See, Monkey Do (Kinect), and The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile (XBLA).  It seems the only noteworthy releases include Super Meat Boy (Ultra Edition) (PC) and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell 3D (3DS).

Pick of the Week – We named the original version our Co-Game of the Year – Super Meat Boy (Ultra Edition)

PlayStation 3

• StarDrone (PSN)

Xbox 360

• Carnival Games: Monkey See, Monkey Do! (Kinect)
• The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile (XBLA)

PC

• Anomaly: Warzone Earth
• Dino D-Day
• End of Nations
• Hoard
• Mole Control
• Shadow Harvest: Phantom Ops
• Super Meat Boy (Ultra Edition)

Wii

• Karaoke Glee: Volume 2
• Remington Super Slam Hunting Alaska

3DS

• Raving Rabbids: Travel in Time 3D
• Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell 3D

DS

• Zhu Zhu Puppies

PSP

• Nothing

• New Video Game Releases Nov. 28 – Dec. 5th
• New Video Game Releases: 4/25 – 5/1
• New Video Game Releases: Dec. 12 – Dec. 18
• New Video Game Releases 5/2 – 5/8
• New Game Releases: 4/11 – 4/17
• New Video Game Releases: Jan. 30 – Feb. 6

Yep, time for another one of those all-day video game Gold Box Events. Amazon.com has announced yet another Gold Box event for Wednesday, February 23rd.

From the email I received:

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Amazon Gold Box video game events often have a few good deals, but that’s not to say they haven’t had a few duds. Featuring deals every hour on the hour starting at 6 am PST with the last deal at 6 pm PST they normally include one big deal of the day.

If you are into gaming, it’s definitely worthwhile to check it out.  To get in on the deals, click this link on February 23rd.

• Amazon’s ‘All Video Games Gold Box Event’ Has Begun
• Portal 2 Only $29.99! Today Only! (5/1/2011)
• Amazon ‘All Video Games Gold Box Event’ on Tuesday the 18th
• Amazon All Video Games Gold Box Event Wednesday Dec 15th
• Amazon Buy 2 Get 1 Free Sale! Killzone 3 (Helghast), Bulletstorm, GT5 and More!
• Microsoft Kicks Off Xbox LIVE Fan Appreciation Sale

Another week, another episode of your favorite podcast about video games and weird accents. We’re taking it back old school, as we record a strictly Oceanic podcast with no American oppressors to bring us down!

The discussion this week includes back alley deals regarding Mortal Kombat, Sony finally banning hackers on Call of Duty: Black Ops, EA pimping The Sims 3 on Steam and our thoughts on the upcoming PSP Successor, the NGP. So stand at attention and get ready to hear a goddamn podcast about video games!

Thanks once again to all our awesome podcast fans and the community who have been sharing the links to our show. We love you!

Make sure to check out our show sponsors; the Australian Cyber League, for Australia’s premier e-Sports league and community.

Meet the Crew:

Bryce Wilson: Facebook – Twitter: @DrjftGaming.
Aaron Alexander: Facebook – Twitter: @iamaaronalex.
Shaun Hammond: Facebook – Twitter: @iisshaunhammond.

RipTen Radio Down Under – Episode 12
60 Minutes – 55MB

Click Here for Episode Notes.

• RipTen Radio Down Under – Episode 14
• RipTen Radio Down Under – Episode 11
• RipTen Radio Down Under – Episode 10
• RipTen Radio Down Under – Episode 9
• RipTen Radio Down Under – Episode 8
• RipTen Radio Down Under – Episode 3

The first big week for multi-platform releases.  Both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 owners will encounter menacing orcs and terrifying necromorphs in Two Worlds II and Dead Space 2.  The Wii finally has a release this year with … Jam City Rollergirls?  Yeah, never heard of it before either.  The PSP is still clinging on to life with Lord of Arcana.

Pick of the Week: Not too easy this week but I’m more of a Sci-Fi guy than a Dungeon Master – Dead Space 2

PlayStation 3

• Dead Space 2
• Two Worlds II

Xbox 360

• Breach (XBLA)
• Dead Space 2
• Two Worlds II

Wii

• Jam City Rollergirls (WiiWare)

DS

• DSiWare Announced on 1/24
• Paws & Claws: Marine Rescue
• Rec Room Games

PSP

• Lord of Arcana

PC

• Breach
• Chronicles of Mystery: The Tree of Life
• Dead Space 2

• New Video Game Releases Nov. 28 – Dec. 5th
• New Game Releases: 4/4 – 4/10
• New Video Game Releases: Jan. 30 – Feb. 6
• The RipTen End of the Year Awards (2011)
• New Video Game Releases: Nov. 21 – Nov. 27
• New Video Game Releases 5/23 – 5/29

We finally hit the double digits as RipTen Radio finally hits it’s tenth episode. As usual the terrific threesome consisting of Aaron Alexander, Bryce Wilson and the monotonous silk that is Shaun Hammond, spit talk about the latest in video game news.

This time however it’s an American invasion as RipTen’s own Dave Oshry gets amongst the Oceanic Warriors to talk about Amazons $40 Playstation 3 escapade,  some Mass Effect 2 demo woes, CCP doing space drugs and taking a shit on civilian tables in the latest Elder Scrolls game.

Sit back, relax and get ready to listen to a good damn conversation about video games! Make sure to check out the Australian Cyber League, our Official Show sponsor, for Australia’s premier online e-Sports league.

Meet the Crew:

Bryce Wilson: Facebook – Twitter: @DrjftGaming.
Aaron Alexander: Facebook – Twitter: @iamaaronalex.
Shaun Hammond: Facebook – Twitter: @iisshaunhammond.

RipTen Radio Down Under – Episode 10
40MB – 40 Minutes

• RipTen Radio Down Under – Episode 12
• Target Website Error Lists PS3 Console for $40 – Gets Overloaded With Orders (UPDATE)
• RipTen Radio Down Under – Episode 9
• RipTen Radio Down Under – Episode 8
• Awesome PS3 Black Friday Deals
• RipTen Radio Down Under – Episode 17

RipTen would like to wish our readers Happy Holidays and a Merry Christmas. In the honor of the Spirit of Giving, we would like to share with you our favorite Holiday gaming memories.

Read our most cherished holiday memories and feel free to add your own:

Dave Ernst

My favorite Christmas in gaming has to be when I finally got an NES when I was 5, back in ’91. At that age I played maybe a few games in arcades, but had never been exposed to gaming in an accessible way. I can’t thank my parents enough for gifting me a gaming console. They didn’t think I was old enough, but I suckered them into getting it for me by promising I would stay out of trouble.

Owning the NES truly was my “NINTENDO SIXXXTY FOURRRRRRR” moment as a kid. I remember busting out the Super Mario/Duck Hunt combo that came with the bundle and completely losing my shit. Seeing a world as strange as Mario for the first time is an insane experience as a kid and I will never forget it. All of my life I have been a creative person and I can thank my parents and gaming for it.

Bryce Wilson – Ripten AUS

Back when the Nintendo 64 first launched I got a copy of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire for the 64. I was engrossed in the experience and unfortunately I had an annoying little brother who wanted to play, and I constantly kept telling him to shut up and to go away. He insisted on being annoying so I grab both outside grips of the Nintendo 64 controller and used the middle as a tool of destruction as I smashed it into his head. Needless to say, I didn’t get to play Nintendo for a while.

David Oxford

I believe my most memorable gaming Christmas was the year I finally got a Super Nintendo Entertainment System. I believe it was the Christmas of the year following its release, but back then, it felt like it might have been two or three years.

And even with the length of time after the system had been released, receiving it for Christmas seemed like anything but a sure thing, something my parents capitalized on when they had me unwrap The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, complete with a note saying that they couldn’t get the system, but maybe we could rent it now and then so that I could play my game.

Of course, I had to kind of feign happiness for what I did receive (and it was a great game, after all, so it wasn’t exactly insincere), but not for long– they brought the full console package with Super Mario World out once they’d had their moment.

With the Super NES in my possession, my Nintendo vs. SEGA rivalry with my best friend could finally, truly begin in earnest.

Sam Naylor - Ripten UK

Christmas Eve and a present sitting under the tree
My young mind was racing- just what could it be?
A toy car or a boat, what could be enclosed?
A puzzle indeed, as the box lid was closed.

As I got ready for bed I couldn’t but grin
For I’d spotted a figure with a beard on his chin
The smile was returned but he spoke not a word
And when I turned away he was gone- how absurd!

Christmas Day dawned and I dashed to the tree
To open the present that was given to me.
The wrapping tore off with a flick of my hand
“Golly!” I yapped, “It’s bloody Rock Band!”

That’s right, dear reader, I’m afraid you’ve been tricked
It was only last year- how could you predict?
“The man with the beard” you ask, “Was it Santa?”
No- it was me in the mirror, you stupid little wanker.

Matt Wadleigh

This is one that I’ve kept as my most closely guarded Christmas secret. I did a lot of holiday snooping when I was a kid. When I was 8, I discovered that my parents were buying me a GameBoy by digging through their closet and unwrapping some of the presents. I didn’t do a good job covering up the evidence and when they discovered my crime, they didn’t give me my gifts until February. When I was 12, I discovered my mom’s stash of presents and found out I was getting Metal Gear Solid. I couldn’t help but tell someone and I told my neighbor, who then turned around and told my mom. She was pissed.

At 16, I had got a lot better at it. Granted, at this age I shouldn’t have been snooping for games, but I knew what I was getting since I went to the store to pick out 4 new GBA games with my mom just before the big day. I just couldn’t wait for Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis, so one night when she was sleeping, I went under the tree and tried to figure out which box was which. I have terrible luck, so I ended up opening all of them (very carefully this time). I carefully violated the plastic shrink wrap on the games and fished out the cartridges inside. Then I sealed them back up and spent the next five days before Christmas both elated that I had a bounty of awesome new games (I also got Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland that Christmas) and terrified that my crime would be uncovered.

But it wasn’t. I opened the gifts up on Christmas morning and the crime went undetected. But this was the last year I ever snooped. The victory felt hollow and though I enjoyed those games immensely, I should have waited.

Brandon Fenty

One of my favorite Christmas gaming memories was the year I got the original Super Smash Bros on the N64. I’d just bought the N64 for a birthday a few months before, and so every game on it still looked new and shiny. It was the first multiplayer game I had for the system, and my uncle, brother, sister and I all got to sit down and play a game together. J don’t remember how old I was, but it was great to game with other people.

I don’t remember how old I was at the time, but super smash definitely made an impression. The fact that four people could play simultaneously was a new concept for me, and even this Christmas I plan on sitting down to a good game of SSB Brawl with those same people.

Aaron Alexander - Ripten AUS

Christmas has always been gaming related for me, every present i can remember (from my father at least) has been a game. One Christmas, i remember wanting Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas with all my heart. Everyday leading up to this magnificent time, i would talk on and on to my Grandmother and Dad about how i wanted this amazing crime simulator.

Needless to say the day came, and my grandmother arrived with her batch of freshly wrapped presents. I knew San Andreas was in there, i could just smell it. Sure enough it was, as we all unwrapped our presents San Andreas was unveiled behind layers of wrapping paper, just not in my hands.

I got socks. My dad got San Andreas.

To this day i will never know if it truly was a mix up, or my grandmother thought i required more foot-warming material. However my father now assures me that it was given to him, so that i wouldn’t play it day in and out, as the present was originally intended for me and my siblings.

Pshhh, as if that stopped us Old Man!

Garrett Hartman

Growing up it seemed I always received game consoles on my Birthday.  Which wasn’t bad, but makes me have shift to my adulthood.  I wasn’t always a big gamer, actually for more than a few years I didn’t game at all and focused on lifting weights and powerlifting.  It wan’t until 2 years ago that this changed.

It had been a while since I played my PlayStaion 2 and I was impressed at what this new generation of video games could do.  I was torn on which system to get.  I had owned the PS1, PS2 and naturally wanted a PS3, but was fascinated by Gears of War.  On the other hand, I had read that MGS4 was the best damn game ever made.  It was a tough choice to make and I had planned on buying a system after Christmas.

Then Christmas 2008 came and under the tree my girlfriend had a nice big package waiting for me.  I knew immediately it had to be a video game system…but which one?  I frantically unwrapped to see a nice new Xbox 360 and a copy of Gears of War 2.  I couldn’t wait for Christmas family time to finish so I could sink my teeth into it.  Gears of War 2 and the Xbox 360 blew me away.  I was hooked.

Since then, gaming has become my hobby.   I no longer lift as much as I used to and have lost a bit  of  muscle from my former 20″ guns, but I’m happy.  Well anyway, the next year she got me a PS3 with MGS4. Needless to say I’m engaged to that girl – she’s a keeper.

Merry Christmas! Share your memories below.

• Game Publishers: Please Spread Your Game Releases Out Better
• The RipTen End of the Year Awards (2011)
• Watch Serious Sam Blow Up Your Christmas
• X-Play’s 2011 “Year In Games” Mega-Trailer Is Full Of Awesome Memories
• Steam Sale Day 3: Batman: Arkham City, F1 2011 50% off
• The Steam Holiday Sale is Now On, Until the First of January

It can be really tough to know what to get the gamer that has everything. Luckily, SantaTen is here to help! We’ve put together some of our favorites from this year to help you get through Christmas this year. Enjoy!

Microsoft Xbox

Kinect

What is it?
Motion based control for the Xbox 360.

The value:
Works with a wide variety of genres, although it’s not really intended for the hardcore gamer. The people that will like this are more casual gamers, kids, and people who want to use video games for fitness.

The cost:
$149.99

Rock band 3 with keyboard

What is it?
Music game from the creators of the original guitar hero.

The value
Music games offer near infinite replay value, and the rock band series offers the most songs and options for different instruments. You can also expect DLC of new songs in the future to expand the games already stellar soundtrack.

The cost
$129.99 w/ controller, $59.99 game only

Call of Duty: Black Ops

What is it?
One of the fastest-selling games of all time, a continuation of the best-selling Call of Duty Franchise

The Value
Top-rated shooter, and one that almost every other current generation shooter is based on. Features a robust single player campaign as well as a deep online multiplayer mode.

The Cost
$59.99

Nintendo Wii

New Super Mario Bros Wii

What is it?
Remake of one of the most classic games of all time, allows up to four players to play simultaneously on the screen.

The Value:
Great for groups of people playing together, or for playing by yourself. The game even has a feature that causes it to play itself to help you get through the tough parts if you get frustrated. Great for all ages and families.

The Price:
$49.99

Goldeneye Wii

What is it?
Remake of the classic Goldeneye, with many modern improvements to the shooter genre.

The Value:
One of the most polished shooters on the Wii, this game takes a new look at one of the greatest games of all time. The graphics are gorgeous, the gameplay is fun, and the online multiplayer adds immense replay value. Or, you can gather round for some old-fashioned split-screen with friends. Great for teens and up.

The Price:
$49.99

Super Mario Galaxy 2

What is it?
The latest game in Nintendo’s ever-popular Mario Franchise.

The Value:
This game is just fun. The graphics are great, the gameplay innovative, and you can even add a second player to help collect stars. Great for all ages.

The Cost:
$49.99

What is it?
Only the most anticipated Racer EVER!  Gamers waited 5 years for this which released to universal praise.

The Value:
With Thousands of cars to find, buy and customize the game is a gearhead’s delight.  Photorealistic graphics, tight control and great online play doesn’t hurt either

The Price:
$59.99

God Of War 3

What is it?

The third game in Sony’s God of War trilogy.  Winner of Best Graphics at the 2010 VGAs.

The Value:
An Epic story where protagonist Kratos seeks his vengeance against Zeus and Mount Olympus.  Breathtaking graphics and engaging gameplay.  Warning: This Game is Rated Mature with a capital M

The Price:
$49.99

PC

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm

What is it?
The newest expansion pack to the ever-popular massively online RPG from Blizzard

The Value
The game’s greatest strength is the fact that it is completely ongoing. There’s always something to do in this game, always someone to play with, and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. There’s a reason it’s been the #1 MMORPG for years.

The Cost
$39.99

Starcraft 2

What is it?
The long-awaited sequel to the most popular RTS of all time.

The Value
The RTS genre in general features near endless replayability, and Blizzard’s online matchmaking service is amongst the best. The game is amazing, and definitely lives up to its pedigree. A must-have for any RTS fan.

The Cost
$49.99

Mobile Gaming

Speck Cases

What is it?
Durable and stylish gaming cases for iDevices

The Value
These cases are tough and will provide protection for that $300 iPod, as well as providing a decent grip to play games with. In addition, the cases are pretty good looking and come in a wide variety of textures and styles.

The Cost
$24.99

• Call of Duty: Black Ops – Intel Location Guide
• Gran Turismo 5 Easy Money Tutorial 3 – Mo’ Money and Hidden Trophy Guide
• Gran Turismo 5 Easy Money Tutorial 2 – Mo’ Money Cheats and Tricks Guide
• Gran Turismo 5 Easy Money Tutorial – $17.3k in Under 3 Min (Video)
• Data Installation ‘Highly Recommended’ For Gran Turismo 5
• Call of Duty: Black Ops Pro Perk Challenge Guide

Amazon.com is at it again offering an all video games gold box event tomorrow Wednesday December 15th.  Not to give a free plug but that’s where I do most of my video game shopping.

Gold box deals offer incredible values, but only for a limited time.  It will probably be worth it to take a look at Amazon tomorrow on the 15th.

Amazon Gold Box Event Link

• Amazon.com Video Game ‘Gold Box’ Event on February 23rd
• Amazon’s ‘All Video Games Gold Box Event’ Has Begun
• Angry Gamers Destroy Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D on Amazon
• Portal 2 Only $29.99! Today Only! (5/1/2011)
• Amazon Buy 2 Get 1 Free Sale! Killzone 3 (Helghast), Bulletstorm, GT5 and More!
• RipTen Radio Down Under – Episode 10

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
• Awesome PS3 Black Friday Deals
• Toys “R” Us Black Friday 2010 Video Game Deals
• Awesome *After* Black Friday Gaming Deals
• Microsoft Kicks Off Xbox LIVE Fan Appreciation Sale
• Mobile Thanksgiving Sales – Mo’ Cheap Gaming On The Go

Itching to know about Toys “R” Us’  Black Friday specials?  Scratch that itch by reading about all their specials here on RipTen.

Take note that Toys “R” Us has three separate windows for deals though from Thursday evening to Friday afternoon, early Friday morning to Friday afternoon and Thursday evening to Saturday at close.

Also, check out the Best Buy and Target deals.

Thursday (11/25) 10PM – Friday 1PM Doorbuster’s

• $50 Gift Card w/ purchase of 4GB Xbox 360 – $199.99
• $50 Gift Card w/ purchase of 250GB Xbox 360 – $299.99
• Assorted Nintendo Wii and DS games – $9.99
  • How to Train Your Dragon (DS)
  • My Sims Party (Wii)
  • Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thieft (DS)
  • Scooby Doo: First Frights (DS)
  • Scooby Doo: First Frights (DS)
  • The Sims 2: Pets (DS)
  • SimCity (DS)
  • Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions (DS)
  • SpongeBob: Truth or Square (DS)
  • Spore: Hero Arena (DS)
  • Transformers: War for Cybertron – Autobots (DS)
• Assorted PS3, Nintendo Wii and DS games – $14.99
  • Battle of Giants: Dinosaur Strike (Wii)
  • Cabela’s Monster Buck Hunter (Wii)
  • How to Train Your Dragon (Wii)
  • iCarly 2: iJoin the Click (Wii)
  • inFamous (PS3)
  • Kung Zhu (DS)
  • MegaMind: The Blue Defender (DS)
  • Monster Jam: Path of Destruction (DS)
  • Scribblenauts (DS)
  • Shrek Forever After (Wii)
  • Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (PS3)
  • Zhu Zhu Pets 2: The Wild Bunch (DS)
• Buy 1 Get 1 for $5 on select PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii games
  • Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2011 (Wii)
  • Fable III (Xbox 360)
  • Goldeneye 007 (Wii)
  • Halo: Reach (Xbox 360)
  • Madden NFL 11 (Xbox 360)
  • Medal of Honor (Xbox 360)
  • The Sims 3 (Xbox 360)
  • Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions (Xbox 360)
  • Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (PS3)

Friday 11/25 5AM – 1PM Doorbuster’s

• All Video Game System Chargers – 40% off (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii shown)
• Nintendo DS Starter Kits 50% off – $14.99
  • 12-in-1 Everyday Starter Kit for Nintendo DS Lite
  • Folio Starter Kit for Nintendo DSi
  • Nerf Starter Kit for Nintendo DSi
  • Starter Kit for Nintendo DSi XL
• Nintendo DSi Holiday Bundles w/ Mario Party – $149.99 w/ free DS Essential Kit
• Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock Guitar Bundle (Wii) – 59.99
• 40% Off Select Controllers
  • LEGO Play and Build Remote for Nintendo Wii – $23.99
  • Power A Pro Pack mini Wii controllers – $29.99
  • Power A Pro EX controller for PS3 - $11.99
  • Power A Pro Wireless Elite controller for PS3 – $26.99
  • DualShock 3 Blue PS3 Controller – $32.99
  • Black Xbox 360 Controller – $29.99

Thursday (11/25) 10PM – Saturday 10PM Deals

• Pokemon DS Games – $14.99
  • Pokemon: Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness
  • Pokemon: Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time
  • Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia
• All Storage Solutions 40% Off – PS3, Xbox 360, Wii
• 50% off Select Video Game Accessories
  • 9-in-1 Crown Pack Deluxe for Nintendo DS/DSi – $9.99
  • 15-in-1 Player’s Kit Plus for Nintendo Wii – Black – $24.99
  • 16 Game Card Case for Nintendo DS – $3.99
  • Nickelodeon SpongeBob 10th Anniversary Expressions Kit for Nintendo DS – $4.99
  • Star Wars Light-Up Lightsabers Dueling Pack (Wii) – $19.99
  • Wireless Headset for Xbox 360 – $24.99

• Target Black Friday 2010 Video Game Deals
• Best Buy Black Friday 2010 Video Game Deals
• Game Publishers: Please Spread Your Game Releases Out Better
• Toys ‘R Us Has a Sick FF XIII-2 Preorder Deal
• The RipTen End of the Year Awards (2011)
• X-Play’s 2011 “Year In Games” Mega-Trailer Is Full Of Awesome Memories

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

• Target Black Friday 2010 Video Game Deals
• Toys “R” Us Black Friday 2010 Video Game Deals
• Awesome PS3 Black Friday Deals
• Game Publishers: Please Spread Your Game Releases Out Better
• Blizzard Denies Diablo III Release Date Rumors
• Soulcalibur V Has Gone Gold

Here’s founder and CEO Steve Perlman’s complete statement:

It’s official: There will be no base monthly fee for the OnLive Game Service going forward. WOOT!

Free Instant-play Demos, Free Massive Spectating, Free Brag Clipâ„¢ videos, messaging, friending.

No credit card needed, unless you decide to buy a 3-day, 5-day or Full PlayPass. And ongoing access with no monthly fee. Of course, we’ve had a promotion waiving the monthly fee for the first year, so this announcement is confirming what we had hoped—that we can continue without a monthly fee beyond the first year. Although we wish we could have confirmed no monthly fee from the get-go, pioneering a major new video game paradigm is hard: we had to first grow to a large base of regular users before we could understand usage patterns and operating costs. Now that we’ve reached that stage, we can confidently say a monthly fee is not needed, which deserves a double WOOT! WOOT!

We’re excited because this opens the door for the OnLive Game Service to be used by everyone whenever they feel like it, whether for playing a full game on OnLive, or for just instantly playing a demo before buying a game for a console or a PC. Or, even for people just wanting to spectate games in the Arena or friend other gamers. Whatever interests you in gaming, OnLive provides it instantly, without complexity or hassle.

And…stay tuned for some exciting announcements coming this holiday season:

•MicroConsole™ TV Adapters and OnLive Game Pad Controllers in manufacturing now: Founding Members get first dibs.
•Just Cause 2 contest going on now. Follow @OnLiveCommunity for more contest news.
•More international announcements coming. Check out recent ones: www.onlive.be and www.onlive.lu.
•Improved video quality and lower latency.
Come one, come all. Just Play!

Source

• CES 2012: Gaikai Cloud-Based Gaming to be Integrated in LG 3D TVs
• OnLive’s App Updated with Xperia Play Support!
• Gamestop Testing New Console Game Streaming Service
• Duke Nukem Forever Coming to OnLive, Free Game with Pre-Order
• Pre-Order Homefront for OnLive, Get OnLive System Free
• OnLive Microconsole Coming by the End of 2010

If you are reading this,  then before you go any further, sign The Gamer Petition, an independent campaign started in order to mobilize the gaming community before the case of Schwarzenegger v. ESA and EMA is heard.  This landmark Supreme Court case will determine whether video games will continue to be protected as free speech like any other respectable medium of art.  If you’ve not already been made aware of this case, then we’re glad you’re here.

Here is what The Gamer Petition states:

We, the undersigned American video game consumers, purchase, rent and play video games the way we do other entertainment content such as movies and music. We respectfully request that you hold that video games are indeed free speech, protected under the First Amendment, like other entertainment media.

Today was the last day to file, “friend of the court briefs” to be be considered by the court before the case is heard.  Well, the gaming pioneers over at Id Software have done just that. In a 32 page document, Id states many reasons why games should receive the same free speech protection as do movies, books and other forms of media, and we’ve sifted through the entire thing to outline them.  If you enjoy legal jargon, feel free to read the entire brief here.

The brief begins by outlining who Id is and why they have any reason to address the court.  We all know that Id helped to pioneer gaming as it is today and that their games have been brought into question many times before, but being a legal document, this all must be re-iterated at length:

Id Software LLC (“Id Software”) is a limited liability corporation organized under the laws of Delaware.  It has been recognized as a pioneer in the creation and development of video games. See Micro Star v. Formgen Inc.  Id Software has also been active in explaining why the First Amendment protects video games as much as any other artistic medium, having been a party in James v. Meow Media, Inc. and Sanders v. Acclaim Entm’t Inc. It also submitted a brief amicus curiae in Interactive Digital Software Ass’n v. St. Louis County.  In addition, two briefs submitted in the instant case make specific, negative references to Id Software’s work. See Brief of Amicus Curiae Eagle Forum Educ. & Legal Def. Fund in Support of Petitioners(referring to the video game Doom); Brief of Amici Curiae California State Senator Leland Yee, Ph.D. (referring to the video game Wolfenstein 3D). These amici have thus put Id Software’s interests directly at issue.

They then go on to say how their livelihoods depend on being able to create video games, and that this ruling would threaten their own human expression and free speech rights:

… from the perspective of individuals who create and develop video games, whose livelihood depends on such activity, and one of whose primary forms of expression consists of such activity. The statute under review not only threatens their expression, but also threatens to destabilize an artistic movement of which these individuals form part of the vanguard.  A decision by this Court affirming the Ninth Circuit would protect important constitutional interests, confirm the status of video games as a fully protected form of expression, and substantially serve the interests of Id Software.

What they are basically saying is, that if you take away games as a form free speech, then you take away the creators rights to free speech as well.  Just as you would if a piece of literature or film was not considered free speech.  They then go on to summarize their argument:

As a matter of content and form, video games are a projection of such traditional media as literature and film, both of which the First Amendment protects in full. In fact, the themes on which video games rely are staples of fiction … This being true, this Court could not deny full protection to video games without making an artificial distinction among forms of art.  This Court would not ask whether a book or film lacks serious value, either for minors or for adults.  The First Amendment fully protects such works, leaving the individual to decide what his or her expressive fare will be.  As this Court has made clear, the First Amendment does not permit any department of the government, or even a majority of the voters, to dictate the expressive activities of others … Numerous lower courts have reached this very conclusion, and this Court should confirm the correctness of their decisions. Video games are a form of art presumptively entitled to the protection of the First Amendment … A game can be every bit as expressive as any other work of art.  In addition, to seek to deny protection to video games because of their interactivity mistakes a virtue for a flaw.

They then go on to draw comparisons to Homer’s “The Illiad” (Which you probably read in high school) I’ve always thought The Odyssey would make a great Action/RPG myself.

A Comic Book Adaptation of Homer's "The Iliad"

No legislature subject to the First Amendment could prohibit a minor from purchasing a copy of The Iliad. After all, the Iliad is a bedrock of western civilization and a staple of many a curriculum. But the Iliad – actually read – is not a polite book. People die horrible deaths in this epic, after they have cooperated with their killers, after they have begged for mercy, after we have learned about their loving families.  Consider the fate of Dolon, a young man caught spying by the Greeks. After he has helped his captors, revealing his comrades’ positions, he learns that Diomedes will do away with him:

With that, just as Dolon reached up for his chin to cling with a frantic hand and beg for life, Diomedes struck him square across the neck – a flashing hack of the sword – both tendons snapped and the shrieking head went tumbling into the dust.

To describe this scene as “graphic” or “violent” – “a flashing hack of the sword” – “both tendons snapped” – a “shrieking head went tumbling into the dust” – is almost superfluous. The imagination allows us to see and hear Dolon’s decapitation.  The Iliad is full of such images, for Homer does not flinch in his descriptions. A god does not simply walk in anger. Instead, “Arrows clang at his back as [he] Quake[s] with Rage.”

And they are not wrong, the imagination is capable of conjuring up just as vivid an image as a video game.  So why protect literature and film, yet allow video games to be scrutinized?

They go on to say that:

A person might respond that Homer should sanitize his violence, that he should tell his story without being graphic. Homer chooses the contrary.  The Iliad, accepts violence as a permanent factor in human life and accepts it without sentimentality, for it is just as sentimental to pretend that war does not have its monstrous ugliness as it is to deny that it has its own strange and fatal beauty.

Needless to say, the First Amendment fully protects the Iliad as a work of creative expression, for minors as well as for adults. In precisely the same way, the First Amendment would protect the Iliad – or the epic story of the Spartans at Thermopylae – as a comic book. (300)  And so too would the First Amendment protect a film of the Iliad (There have been many), or of Thermopylae (300), as much for minors as for adults. The question then arises how a video game with the same expressive characteristics can somehow lose commensurate protection. The answer must be that it cannot.

A Movie Poster for "300" Based on a Graphic Novel and Inspired by The Battle of Thermopylae

 

I could not agree more.  How can you say that The Illiad is protected by free speech, 300 is protected by free speech, and yet DooM is not? Id then goes on to further elaborate on how games are similar to other forms of media:

In their current state, video games bear many of the same formal qualities as books and film, including attention to plot, characters, dialogue and setting.  With these qualities in mind, the authors of a video game create narrative parameters in a fictional world to reflect their vision, and the player navigates through the game in relation to these parameters. As with other artistic media, a successful video game creates for the player a rhythm through the story it tells, using both visual and aural tableaux, including such facets as animated figures, props, architecture, landscape, narration and music. And, like other narrative forms of art, including polyphonic music, video games draw a thematic arc from exposition to climax and denouement … video games present fictional worlds that immerse their audiences in a broad range of aesthetic possibilities. And each technological advance enhances the immediacy and scope of such possibilities …  As with any form of art, video games draw inspiration from other media. Their narrative, for instance,often derives from myths, and their basic texture is cinematic. With the ‘hero of a thousand faces’ almost always at the center of video games, we see familiar recurring themes: the triumphant underdog, the common man caught up in (and important to) events on a global scale, the outsider proving he is not so much odd as he is special, the unavoidable prophecy fulfilled, hard work rewarded, and so on.

Now, if that wasn’t enough of a comparison between mediums, the argument then goes on to show how video games have been used to inspire other forms of media, such as film.  They make reference to DooM, Tomb Raider and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World:

At the same time, video games often provide the template for artists working in other media. Consider film, video games’ closest artistic relative. As the members of this Court may know, Id Software’s Doom was later made into a film starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.  Likewise, the cinematic character Lara Croft, played by Angelina Jolie, originated in the video game Tomb Raider. A more recent example of video games’ influence on film is Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. In this film, the hero – much like Hercules – must overcome the seven former boyfriends of his new love.

A Poster for the Film Adaptation of the video game, "Tomb Raider"

They even go on to reference new off-Broadway plays that have adapted the themes of classic video games:

The thematic elements of video games have even translated into theater. This past summer, the off-Broadway production Game Play converted iconic video games into comic vignettes. As Seth Schiesel of the New York Times asks in his review: “What if the gorilla in Donkey Kong is really an abusive, down-on-his-luck meathead straight out of a Tennessee Williams script who keeps his handicapped blond paramour (the princess) captive in their topfloor apartment, periodically thrashing the Italian building superintendent (Mario), who attempts to climb the stairs to alleviate the woman’s suffering?  What if Pac-Man is really a gluttonous German burgher out to gorge himself while dodging the ghosts of those he has so callously wronged, à la Dickens? What if the pilots in Asteroids are merely profane technicians existentially trapped within a corporation that knows nothing more than to send them into the void to shoot rocks, until they become smaller rocks and smaller rocks, until they become nothing?  Video games, then, have the same formal properties as traditional forms of expression. This being the case, a decision to deny full constitutional protection to video games, in addition to being impossible to square with what the First Amendment already embraces, would eviscerate what is perhaps the most vibrant, growing and influential sector of the artistic world today.

Id furthermore states that video games do not fall into any category of unprotected speech such as, “Fighting Words.”

Moreover, the video games subject to the statute do not fall into any category of unprotected expression. First, they are not incitement. Second, they are not obscene, nor do they constitute “variable obscenity”  Finally, they are not “fighting words” (They state numerous court cases to back this up) …  They are therefore fully protected by the First Amendment, and the state may not restrict access to them on the basis of their content, unless it adopts means narrowly tailored to serve a compelling public interest.  A contrary holding, allowing the government to regulate video games on the basis of their content without satisfying strict scrutiny, would make a hash of this Court’s jurisprudence, destabilize a vibrant artistic medium, and subject courts to the impossible task of classifying individual works of art according to their assessed social value.

Indeed, if this law were to be passed, each and every video game would be subject to strict government scrutiny before even being considered for release.  That is a task that is not only ridiculous, but damn near impossible and quite frankly a waste of government time and resources.  They continue:

The First Amendment would not turn its back on a bad film – complete with bad acting, bad dialogue, bad sets, and a bad score. As the members of this Court are no doubt aware, such films exist. (Many based on video games) And yet the First Amendment would protect such films, because our courts do not judge among works that otherwise fall within a protected medium. These are lines the First Amendment will not allow the courts or any other department of the government to draw.

I could not agree more.  But Id makes yet another strong argument before this brief comes to an end: Video Games Distinctive Characteristics Do Not Exclude Them From Full Constitutional Protection.

Their status as games, for example, is irrelevant. “Dungeons and Dragons” is a game, but at least one court has properly recognized it as a form of expression entitled to constitutional protection.  Nor is video games’ status as interactive a reason to deny them full protection. For one thing, with the advent of the DVD, film is no longer necessarily passive. A viewer may choose to watch the same scene many times in a row, or skip scenes he or she does not like.  Even if the distinction between “passive” film and interactive video games persists, it does not diminish the latter’s claim to full constitutional protection. As many have observed, “interactivity” is inherent to the appreciation of art. Video games are certainly not alone in transporting their audience, in “affecting their audience powerfully.” At the end of the day, therefore, petitioners’ objections to video games reduce to acute anxiety over one medium of violent imagery among many.

Read on as Id presents a final argument, also find a recap and my final thoughts afterward:

Needless to say, the First Amendment does not allow people to assuage their anxiety – even acute anxiety – by suppressing the expressive rights of others. As this Court has noted, the First Amendment precludes even a majority from deciding for everyone else what is palatable or correct as a normative matter. This is not because such matters are unimportant, but instead because – at least in the context of expression – they are not the government’s business.  As Justice Kennedy emphasized in United States v. Playboy Entertainment Group, Inc., “The Constitution no more enforces a relativistic philosophy or moral nihilism than it does any other point of view. The Constitution exists precisely so that opinions and judgments, including ethical and moral judgments about art and literature, can be formed, tested, and expressed.”

Who knows what expression will enable the minors of today, or of the next generation, to prepare for the demands of adulthood? The First Amendment proceeds from the assumption that no one can answer this question well enough to dictate to others. Many of today’s minors already live in a violent world, or may be on the verge of one.  Some, for example, may be only a year or two away from service in the military. To be sure, parents are important to the picture, but minors have an independent and compelling claim to the protections of the First Amendment … People are unlikely to become well-functioning, independent-minded adults and responsible citizens if they are raised in an intellectual bubble.  Also important is the ability to engage violence as a serious subject … Historically, cultures have used stories to make sense of senseless acts of violence.  Telling stories about violence can, in effect, remove some of its sting and help us comprehend acts that shatter our normal frames of meaning.  In sum, video games make a powerful contribution to the world of art and expression, and this Court should confirm that they lie fully within the protective scope of the First Amendment.

So, let’s recap.  Id software, pioneers within the video game industry, have filed this brief in opposition to the case of Schwarzenegger v. ESA and EMA.  This case would seek to take away video games’ protection under the first amendment right to free speech.  Id software claims that since video games are no different from other forms of media such as literature and film, that they should receive equal protection.  Numerous lower courts have reached this very conclusion, and Id feels the supreme court should confirm the correctness of these decisions.  Id has drawn numerous comparisons to film and literature as well as stage productions, to enhance their belief that these mediums should be treated equally.  They have also made it clear that video games do not fall into any of the categories of unprotected speech.  Moreover, if the government were to pass this law then they would have to go about the near impossible task of scrutinizing every video game to be released.  Id has also stated that video games status as games, is irrelevant.  Courts have already recognized games as a form of expression and deemed them protected under the first amendment as well.  They have cited numerous court cases to back up each and every argument they have made, and each argument is more compelling than the next.  If you allow literature and film to be protected, then so must video games.

It is safe to say that I could not agree more with Id Software. I would judge a good game just as I would a good book or film, since to me, these mediums are one in the same.  If a law is to apply to one, it must apply to all.  It is as simple as that. If there is no distinct line to be drawn between these forms of media, then no distinct laws can be put into place to decide which recieves protection under our constitution and which does not.  I believe that goes against everything that I was taught America stood for.  Video games conjur up no less vivid images that do a well written book or well directed film, and the fact that they are interactive is quite frankly, irrelevant.  Many gamers out there think that this case is so ludicrous that there isn’t even any reason to pay attention. They simply assume it will be thrown out.  However, I’d hate to be the man who said, “I told you so” if somehow this law does pass, and you soon find yourselves unable to play the games you once loved.  After all, if this issue is important enough for Id to stand up for, isn’t it important enough for you? If we simply sit idly by while our leaders continue to go unscrutinized as they seek to take away our freedom of speech … then I think we’re all DooMed.

Want to discuss this further?  Feel free to e-mail me at Dave@Ripten.com or find me @DaveOshry on Twitter

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