Episode 5: In A Video Game Far Far Away...

Star Wars geeks of the world rejoice... Star Wars: The Old Republic hits stores TODAY!



Old Republic is an MMORPG (World of Warcraft for you non-gamers) and comes with a free month of online play with purchase of the game. The game is set a few hundred years after Knights of the Old Republic but still a few thousand years before the rise of Darth Vader.

You will have to choose whether to follow the Light Side or Dark Side of the Force which will lead to more character options. The Sith have 2 types of Force users, a Bounty Hunter (i.e. Boba Fett), and an Imperial Agent class to choose from. The Republic also has 2 types of Force users (Jedi), a Trooper, or a smuggler (i.e. Han Solo).



And that about wraps up gaming news in 2011. I'll keep the info coming in 2012 but until then grab your favorite lightsaber and get your game on!

Episode 4: DLC FTW!

So it looks like the only real "release" this week is Grand Theft Auto 3 making its way to iPhone and Android this Thursday. Luckily, there are plenty of gaming extras coming out this week!

First up, today is the LAST DAY to become a founder with Call of Duty: Elite. Basically you get early access to new features and it covers the cost of all Modern Warfare 3 maps coming next year. Click here for more info and to register (today only).

Next, the first expansion pack out this week is for Battlefield 3 and it's called "Back to Karkland." 4 maps, 10 weapons, and 3 vehicles to add to your Battlefield experience. This expansion actually hit PS3 last week, launching on Xbox 360 this week. And it's FREE if you pre-ordered the game!

Gears of War 3 is next on the expansion list with "RAAM's Shadow." This is a prequel to the original GoW and features Zeta Squad (Lt. Minh Young Kim from GoW 1, Tai Kaliso from GoW 2, and Michael Barrick from the GoW comics). You also get to play as RAAM in one level.

Last on the expansion list, Assassin's Creed: Revelations is releasing it's Ancestors Character Pack. 4 new mulitplayer characters: the Privateer, Corsair, Brigand, and Gladiator.

Next week, very excited about this, Star Wars: The Old Republic hits PC. It's an MMORPG similar to World of Warcraft but set in the Star Wars universe a few hundred years after Knights of the Old Republic but still 3000 years before the rise of Darth Vader. Preorder now at swtor.com (click here for an explanation of the difference between Standard and Deluxe Editions).

So there you go, no new games but tons of new content. So expand your gaming world and get your game on!

Episode 3: "Major" Releases

Only 2 "major" releases this week. I use the quotation marks because neither seem very "major" but let's dive in.

First up, another movie made into a video game... The Adventures of Tintin: The Game (Xbox, PS3, Wii, PC, and DS). You play as Tintin (a Belgian reporter) who investigates mysteries. It's rare you see a movie game worth playing so I'm not going to lose any sleep over this one.

The only other big release this week is Just Dance 3 (Xbox, PS3, & Wii). This game is built for the motion control systems and by the name you can safely guess dancing will be involved. This one features multiplayer modes with choreography. I'm not a fan but these games have had a HUGE following so if you like to shake your booty, might be worth checking out.

In other gaming news, Trey Parker and Matt Stone are working on a South Park RPG. Not a lot of details yet but sounds promising. A bar in London has installed video games in the MEN'S BATHROOM! You control them with your pee stream. Interesting to say the least.

And lastly, the Video Game Awards will be on Spike TV Saturday at 8p (EST). Word is there will be TONS of game premieres this year so don't miss your first peek at what's coming next.

That's all for this week, now go out there and get your game on!

Episode 2: Ghosts of Games Gone By

Sadly this week, no new major releases... BUT there is still gamer news to share!

Xbox 360's Dashboard is getting a big update on 12/6. New features will include cloud storage of your game saves and a new feature called Beacons. Beacons will allow you to post notes asking for advice or help from friends on games you're stuck on.

For the PS3 owners out there who bought "Battlefield 3", you have a free game coming! It was supposed to include a free copy of "Battlefield 1943" but was shipped without it. They are fixing this by giving them "Battlefield 1943" vouchers on 12/10.

Speaking of Playstation, new downloadable content this week include FULL VERSIONS of "Modern Warfare 2", the Sly Cooper trilogy, and "Voltron."

I hate to end a blog on a sad note, but here is a list of games that were supposed to launch this year but have been pushed back: "Kinect Star Wars" (no release date announced), "Mass Effect 3" (Mar. 6, 2012), "The Darkness II" (Feb. 7, 2012 tentative), "The Last Guardian" (no release date announced), "Ghost Recon: Future Soldier" (Mar. 6, 2012), "XCOM" (AFTER Mar. 2012), and "Spec Ops: The Line" (aiming for Spring but has been delayed since 2009!).

So there you go, now get out there and get your game on!

Episode 1: Swords, Suplexes, & Skyrim Babies

I've decided that there are too many games and too much info to talk about all the new releases each week. So, each Tuesday I'll feature the biggest release on the air and post more in-depth info and a full list of releases on here so all my fellow geeks can stay informed.

This week's biggest release is definitely The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for the Wii.

I've been a HUGE fan of the Zelda series since the original NES game (hence the Triforce tattoo on my arm) and the 16th installment in the series continues to impress. Using the Wii MotionPlus you will have full control of Link's sword as you travel between sky and land as you investigate why the two have seperated. Rated E10+.

For the karaoke fanatics (or Glee "gleeks") Karaoke Revolution: Glee 3 hits Xbox 360 & Wii this week.

Pretty straightforward here, you sign along with 35 songs from Glee Season 2. Rated T.

Next up, another installment in the long line of WWE rasslin' games, WWE '12.

Enter the squared circle with your favorite legends like "Macho Man" Randy Savage and The Rock or current stars like John Cena and Randy Orton.

In other game news this week, the makers of Skyrim offered any new parents who had their baby on the game's release date FREE GAMES FOR LIFE if they named their kid Dovahkiin after the game's main character... and here he is:

If this kid doesn't grow up to be a dungeon master, I'll be very surprised!

And before I head out, it appears PETA's attack on Mario (recently they claimed the Tanooki suit "advocated wearing fur") was meant to be "tongue-in-cheek". Personally, I think they made themselves out to be idiots and are backtracking.

Anyway, that's what's new in the world of gaming. Now go out there, and get your game on!