Episode 54: VGA 2012

My readdiction to Diablo 3 continues. I've been squeezing in play time here and there when I can and am still having a blast with my Witch Doctor. Still haven't messed around with the Auction House though so maybe that'll be my next endeavor. Sadly, nothing new to talk about today so instead, here's a quick recap of the 2012 Video Game Awards

This year marked the 10th Anniversary of the VGAs and my favorite host, Samuel L. Jackson, was back manning the microphone. 

The crowning glory of the night, Game of the Year, went to The Walking Dead: The Game. To save time I'm just going to list some of the big categories and their winners:

Studio of the Year: Telltale Games

Best Xbox Game: Halo 4

Best PS3 Game: Journey

Best Wii/Wii U Game: New Super Mario Bros. U

Best PC Game: XCOM: Enemy Unknown

Best Graphics: Halo 4

Best Independant Game: Journey

Best DLC: Dawnguard - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

There are several other categories listed at their website. Click here to check the full list of winners. 

There were also tons of World Premieres including The Last of Us, Dark Souls II, BioShock Infinite, Gears of War: Judgement, and South Park: The Stick of Truth. Click here to check out the full list of world premieres and their trailers.

And there you go, a nice breakdown of the great games that have come our way in 2012 and an awesome playlist of great things to come! Until next time, get out there and get your game on!

Episode 53: Ride the Dragon

Slowly but surely I've been playing more Diablo 3 and the more I play the more fun it gets. Haven't spent a lot of time working on crafting armor and weapons just yet but the gameplay is still a blast and the Witch Doctor has been very fun. Anywho, moving on to new stuff...

Far Cry 3 lands on Xbox360, PS3, and PC this week. This time around you and your friends get attacked by natives on a mysterious island and you must fight your way to escape. Online multiplayer lets you decide if you want to show mercy or punish the losing team with some twisted cut scenes.



Guardians Of Middle-Earth is downloadable on Xbox360 and PS3 this week. You'll play as your favorite characters from Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit and battle it out in 5 on 5 combat.



The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dragonborn is the newest expansion for Skyrim on Xbox360 and PS3 this week. This expansion will take players back to Morrowind from Elder Scrolls IV: Morrowind with new quests and you can now RIDE DRAGONS!!



Power Rangers Samurai is a Kinect game for Xbox360 this week. You'll use motion controls to master the Kanji symbols like Fire, Earth, and Sky.



There is also a sizable list of games making the move to Wii U this week: Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth, Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2013, Rise of the Guardians, and Family Party 30 Great Games Obstacle Arcade.

So there you have it. Still more games to come as the holidays creep closer and I'm guessing the DLC will explode around 1st of the new year but until next time, get out there and get your game on!

Episode 52: Leftovers

Only 2 releases to look at this week and one is DLC. Still plenty to come before Christmas though but first let's check these out.

Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault hits PS3 and Vita this week. This is the 11th game in the series and stays true to form with your standard crazy gameplay with a new added mode where you build and defend a fort using Ratchet & Clank's arsenal.



Mass Effect 3: Omega is your big DLC of the week. This content centers around Aria T'Loak's quest to reclaim the black market base Omega from the Cerberus forces.



And there you have it, not a lot new this week but the past few months have seen MANY new games hit the market so there's definitely plenty of great games out there leading into the holiday season. Until next time, get out there and get your game on!

Episode 51: Give Thanks for Gaming

With a nice 4 day weekend for most people this weekend, it's the perfect time to grab a new game and get some quality time in on your favorite console or PC.

Hitman: Absolution lands on Xbox360, PS3, and PC this week. It's the 5th game in the series and this time your target is Agent 47's handler before becoming the target yourself while protecting a little girl your handler was protecting. The game also features a version of HORSE where you pick a target, kill them, and a friend must complete the kill the same way.

Rise of the Guardians: The Video Game comes to Xbox360, PS3, Wii, Wii U, and 3DS this week. Based on the movie you play as Santa, The Easter Bunny, The Tooth Fairy, and Jack Frost to protect kids from an evil spirit.



Family Guy: Back To The Multiverse hits Xbox360, PS3, and PC this week. You play as Brian and Stewie and use a remote control to traverse the Multiverse as you battle Stewie's evil twin Bertram.



Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale comes to PS3 and Vita this week. Basically this is Sony's version of Super Smash Bros. It's a fighting game featuring Playstation exclusive characters like Kratos, Sweet Tooth, and Ratchet & Clank.



History Legends of War: Patton lands on Xbox360, PS3, and PC this week. In this game you command Patton's Third Army as General Patton in World War II.



And there you go, quite a few new games this week and plenty from the past few weeks to get you through family time this holiday weekend. Until next time, get out there and get your game on!

Episode 50: Answer The Call

Another MASSIVE release hitting stores this week so let's not waste any time diving right in.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 lands on Xbox360, PS3, and PC this week. This one is set in the near future with unmanned drones and other futuristic technology on the battlefield. Zombie mode will have it's own separate campaign this time and a new mode called Infected where if you die you become a zombie. Create-a-class now allows you to customize with ANY 10 items and weapons. Strike Force Missions will branch out and success or failure can affect later missions. Single player features 2 intertwined stories, one set in the 1970s with Alex Mason from previous Black Ops games and one set in 2025 with Alex's son David.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified also comes out this week on Vita. It features single and multiplayer and takes place between the two Black Ops games.



Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two comes to Xbox360, PS3, Wii, Wii U, 3DS, DS, and PC this week. Mickey and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit battle to save Wasteland and change it forever. Similar to the first game, you'll use Mickey's magic paintbrush to color the landscape.



Ben 10 Omniverse lands on Xbox360, PS3, Wii, Wii U, 3DS, and DS this week. Based on the Cartoon Network show you play as Ben discovers events from the past that are affecting the present.



F1 Race Stars hits Xbox360 and PS3 this week. A cartoon racing game featuring real F1 racers on real race tracks like the new Circuit of The Americas.



The Hip Hop Dance Experience is on Xbox360 and Wii U this week. You will use motion controls to break it down to tracks from Drake, Nelly, LMFAO, and others.



LEGO Lord of the Rings hits Xbox360, PS3, and Wii this week. Like the other LEGO games it loosely follows the Lord of the Rings trilogy while changing the characters and worlds into LEGO blocks.

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is out last new release this week coming to Xbox360, PS3, and Wii. Sonic and other characters race in cars that can change to planes or boats in mid-race.



And there you have it. Another HUGE week of new games and the flood will continue through the holiday season. Until next week, get out there and get your game on!

Episode 49: Hail to the Chief

Today is election day but for gamers, there's another Chief that's having a big day today as well.

Halo 4 hits Xbox360 today. This one is the first of a new trilogy of Halo games. The original trilogy saw Master Chief battling the Covenant to save humanity. This time, Chief is brought back from suspended animation on a planet called Requiem to battle the Prometheans. Downloadable Spartan Ops missions will be released over the next 10 weeks for free download. The bonus edition comes with all 5 parts of Halo: Forward Unto Dawn which is a web series that tells the backstory of the captain of the ship that houses the Spartan Ops missions.

Mass Effect Trilogy lands on Xbox360 as well this week. It's a boxed set of all 3 games. The PS3 version will be out Dec. 4th.

Angry Birds Star Wars hits iPhone, Android, and other devices this week. Not a lot of details yet other than it's an Angry Birds game with Star Wars themed birds and piggies.



NASCAR The Game: Inside Line comes to Xbox360, PS3, and Wii this week. This one features 16 player multiplayer action and the ability to relive recent NASCAR history.



Nickelodeon Dance 2 comes to Wii and Xbox360 Kinect this week. Dance to over 30 tracks from Nickelodeon shows like Dora the Explorer and The Backyardigans.



Last up this week is LittleBigPlanet Karting for PS3. It's a racing game built on the LittleBigPlanet concept that EVERYTHING is customizable.



And that does it. Halo 4 is the biggest of the big this week but still plenty of great games coming over the next few months. Until next time, get out there and get your game on!

Episode 48: Time for a Revolution!

Lots of new games to get into this week so let's not waste any time!

Assassin's Creed III is by far the biggest release this week coming to Xbox360, PS3, and WiiU which launches on Nov. 18th. This time you'll venture though Revolutionary War times. This game features hunting, captaining a ship, and new weapons like a tomahawk. Although the title says 3, it's actually the 5th game in the series.



Assassin's Creed III: Liberation gives you a totally different game to play only on Vita. This one follows a female assassin of French and African decent.



Wreck-It Ralph lands on Wii, 3DS, and DS this week. It's a movie made into a video game based on the upcoming John C. Reilly movie. You play as Ralph as Fix-It Felix repairs the things you break.


Marvel's The Avengers: Battle for Earth hits Kinect this week. You'll play as Marvel favorite like Captain America, Thor, and Spider-Man and control the combat with full motion control.



WWE '13 brings rasslin' home on Xbox360, PS3, and Wii this week. This version features a single player mode where you control superstars from the Attitude Era like Stone Cold Steve Austin.



Need for Speed Most Wanted races to Xbox360, PS3, and PC. Like most Need for Speed games you build a garage of badass cars and can either elude the police or be the cops and chase other cars.



Transformers Prime comes to Wii, 3DS, and DS this week. You'll play as 11 different Transformers including Optimus Prime in various single player and multiplayer modes.



Nike+ Kinect Training will get blood pumping on Kinect this week. Every month your progress in areas like strength and endurance will be compared to athletes and others int he Nike+ community.



Sports Champions 2 is your only PS3 exclusive and requires Playstation Move. New sports include boxing, golf, skiing, and more.



And lastly, LEGO The Lord of the Rings hits 3DS, DS, and Vita this week. The console versions are coming Nov. 13th. Same as the other LEGO games, follows the movie with LEGO characters and worlds.



And there you have it. HUGE list of new games coming as the holidays draw ever closer and tons more to come. Until next time, get out there and get your game on!

Episode 47: The Great Outdoors

As predicted, summer is gone and fall is here and I have FINALLY had some time to game. I played a few hours of Diablo 3 on Sunday and it was great. I hated taking such an extended break but the game is much smoother either due to less players or upgraded servers or both. Anywho, let's look at what's new in the world of video games, shall we?

Medal of Honor: Warfighter hits Xbox360, PS3, and PC this week. It's the sequel to the Medal of Honor reboot from 2010 and expands the story of Preacher, Mother, and Voodoo as they battle across the Philippines and Somalia. Multiplayer gives you control of 12 elite units from around the world like British SAS, Russian Septznas, and our own Navy SEALs. 

Forza: Horizon is the big Xbox exclusive for the week. It's the 5th installment in the super realistic racing franchise with new features like destructible environments, night racing, and the ability to race against planes and helicopters.

Just Dance: Disney Party is on Xbox360 and Wii this week. Dancing game to a track list of 25 Disney songs from various old and new Disney movies and TV shows.

Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2013 and Cabela's Hunting Expeditions both land on Xbox360, PS3, and Wii this week. The first is based off a story by Andrew Kreisberg and the second uses a new Strategic View to plan your hunts.

Another game you may want to check out isThe Unfinished Swan for PS3. Not sure exactly what's going on here but it looks pretty amazing visually.

Also in gaming news, a live-action CGI trailer for Halo 4 is out and shows Master Chief's mind being invaded by a new enemy who sees memory of his transformation into a Spartain super-soldier.

So there you have it, some great games to get into now and Halo 4 and other big releases to come as the holidays grow closer. Until next time, get out there and get your game on!

Episode 46: Multipayer Mayhem

The flood of new games continues as the holidays creep ever closer and this week has a ton of great multiplayer games for you and your friends to enjoy.

007 Legends makes it's way to Xbox360, PS3, and PC this week. This one has a unique story that pulls elements from "Moonraker", "License to Kill", "Goldfinger", "Die Another Day", "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" and the upcoming "Skyfall" and features 6 on 6 multiplayer and 4 player split-screen.

Doom 3: BFG Edition lands on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC this week. This badboy is fully remastered and includes a "Lost Mission" that includes seven new single player levels.

Silent Hill: Book of Memories comes to Vita this week. This is the FIRST Silent Hill game to feature multiplayer and actually focuses on co-op gameplay.

Dance Central 3 is a Kinect exclusive coming this week. This game features Usher teaching his moves from some of his biggest songs as well as over 40 new songs.

Zumba Fitness Core will be on Xbox360 and Wii this week. This one features 40 new songs and 30 dance styles to tighten those abs.

Last on the list this week is Skylanders Giants for Xbox360, PS3, Wii, and 3DS. This is an expansion for Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure and features over 40 new figures, some of which are double the normal size!

Growing up with a little brother, we were always big fans of good multiplayer games and there's quite a few hitting the shelves this week. Find some friends, grab your controllers, and enjoy. Until next time, get out there and get your game on!

Episode 45: Get Kinected

This week has quite a few Kinect based games hitting the market but let's start from the top of the list and work out way down.

First up this week is Dishonored for Xbox360, PS3, and PC. You'll use supernatural skills like stopping time, teleportation, and the ability to possess creatures in this first person assassination game.

Our first Kinect (and other motion systems) game this week is Just Dance 4 for Xbox360, PS3, and Wii. This one features tracks from Justin Bieber, Nicki Minaj, Maroon 5, and more.

Also for Kinect this week is Harry Potter for Kinect. You enroll in Hogwarts and use your hands and voice to cast spells using magic words and proper hand movements.

Fable: The Journey takes the Fable series to Kinect exclusive on Xbox360. You'll use your hands to cast spells in this one.

Last game for Kinect this week is Dragon Ball Z for Kinect. This fighting game will be more like a personal workout as you punch and launch fireballs as your favorite DBZ characters.

Back to controllers and keyboards, Port Royale 3: Pirates & Merchants lands on Xbox360, PS3, and PC with 16 different types of ships and 60 cities to trade with.

Old school gamers like myself will want to check out the remake of Spy Hunter coming to Vita, 3DS, and DS. The legendary red sports car is back and can now off-road and turn into a boat! 

Last on this GIGANTIC list is XCOM: Enemy Unknown for Xbox360, PS3, and PC. This is a strategy game where you lead a group of Earth's finest against invading aliens.

And that wraps up our list for this week. As you can see, the holiday flood has begun and the new releases will continue to pour out as the year rolls on. Until next time, get out there and get your game on!

Episode 44: Black & White & Dead All Over

My drought of console or PC gaming rolls on BUT I have found a couple of decent app games that have been keeping me busy: Blood Brothers and Quests and Sorcery. Both are very easy to pickup and play (Q&S has been a little tougher but not bad). Both are stripped down RPGs but very fun and simple. Anywho, on to the new stuff...

First up this week, NBA 2K13 lands on Xbox360, PS3, Wii, PC, and PSP. Jay-Z is one of the executive producers and brought the idea of having the 1992 "Dream Team" available to play this year's Olympic team.

Following the release of the newest movie, Resident Evil 6 hits Xbox360 and PS3 this week. The T-Virus created by the evil Umbrella Corporation has spread across the globe and even infected the president.

Our last big sequel of the week is Pokemon Black and White Version 2 for DS. Use your best Pokemon to discover the mysteries behind the Black Kyurem and White Kyurem.

Carrier Command: Gaea Mission makes its way to Xbox360 and PC this week. It's a strategy game where you fight over land, air, and sea to control the islands of the moon-planet Taurus.

And, what may be my favorite game title of 2012, Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit lands on PS3 this week. You play as a jet pack drilling rabbit who goes insane after paparazzi blow the whistle on his bath time antics with his rubber duckies.

In other gaming news...

The entire Ezio trilogy which started with Assassin's Creed 2 will come out on PS3 as a bundle on Nov. 13th. Assassin's Creed 3 will hit stores on Nov. 20th.

Mass Effect is also getting bundled. All three games will come out as a bundle for Xbox360 and PC on Nov. 6th. PS3 will get their bundle later on.

And that wraps it up for this week, lots to play and more to come! Until next time, get out there and get your game on!

Episode 43: Soccer, Sherlock, & "Sensual Graphics"

The flood of big releases continues this week with 5 big releases and a big expansion!

First up, The Testament of Sherlock Holmes hits Xbox360 and PS3 this week. This one got an M rating from violence (sweet!) and you play as Sherlock and Watson and have to decide who to interview and what clues to examine yourself.

The first of 2 soccer games out this week is FIFA Soccer 13 for Xbox360, PS3, Wii, 3DS, Vita, and PSP. This version has smarter AI when you are on offense, more realistic collisions, and a dribbling feature to give you the edge in 1-on-1 matchups.

The other soccer game dropping this week is Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 for Xbox360 and PS3. Graphics and AI got an upgrade this time and they added a MyPES feature that links online and offline players.

The game famous for it's bouncing boobies is back with Dead or Alive 5. If you don't know, it's a fighting game series that puts a lot of focus into "realistic" boob physics. This version makes more use of the environments.

The big expansion I mentioned earlier is World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria for PC. This is the 4th expansion thus far and adds the new Monk class, increases the level cap to 90, and adds the first ever NEUTRAL RACE... the Pandaren.

For you gamers with kids (or who are big Disney fans) Disney Princess: My Fairytale Adventure hits Wii, DS, and PC this week. It features dancing, gardening, decorating, and fashion games while exploring the worlds of Cinderella, Ariel, Belle, Tiana, and Rapunzel.

And if you're looking for a good party game, Wipeout 3 hits Xbox360, Wii, and 3DS. It's based on the ABC show and features 12 new course themes.

In other gaming news, I mentioned this last week but Bad Piggies, starring the green pigs from Angry Birds, hits iOS and Android this Thursday. 

The flood of games continues so find something that sparks your interest and get out there and get your game on!

Episode 42: Open The Flood Gates

Unsurprisingly, as we inch ever closer to the holiday season the new releases are finally starting to pour in more than one at a time!

First up, the highly anticipated Borderlands 2 hits Xbox360, PS3, and PC this week. Up to 4 players can team up or face off.

Racing fans rejoice, F1 2012 lands on Xbox360 and PS3 this week. This time weather will affect your driving and claims to set this game apart from other racing games.

Not a NEW game but possibly the biggest boxed set of the year, Street Fighter: 25th Anniversary Collector's Set comes to Xbox360 and PS3. This bad boys has 15 DISCS including Street Fighter X, Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition, Super Street Fighter III Turbo HD Remix, and Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition... and that's just the games! It also has a Blu-ray documentary, all the animated movies and TV shows, an 11 disc soundtrack, and a few collectibles!

Also got several downloadable games coming this week including Kinect Sports Ultimate for Xbox360. This combines 2 games in the series for a total of 13 playable sports.

Tochlight II will be available for download on PC this week. It's a hack & slash adventure where you fight randomly generated baddies for loot.

If you're looking to buff up, Harley Pasternak's Hollywood Workout lands on Xbox360 Kinect and Wii.

Kinect Sesame Street TV and Kinect Nat Geo TV for Xbox360 will be available tomorrow but aren't games, they are part of Kinect's "TV Experiences".

And for those who are eagerly awaiting the release of the Wii U here's some info:

- On sale date is November 18th
- The basic set will cost $300 and includes 8GB of storage, the console, and one Gamepad
- The Deluxe set will cost $350 with 32GB of storage, the console, one Gamepad, a charging dock for the Gamepad, and a copy of the game Nintendo Land
- Extra Gamepads will NOT be available at release because no games will be available that require more than one
- Call of Duty: Black Ops II will be released for Wii U

And that about wraps it up for this week, plenty of new games, some info on the Wii U, and more to come as the year rolls on. Until next time, get out there and get your game on!

Episode 41: There's No I In Team

I'm excited to start this blog by saying I FINALLY PLAYED VIDEO GAMES AGAIN! It wasn't for long but I did get about an hour or so of Skyrim in over the weekend. I wanted to check out the new content but didn't have the Microsoft points and money's a bit tight but soon I'll be fighting vampires and building houses. Anywho, let's get to the good stuff.

First big release of the week is NHL 13 coming to Xbox360 and PS3. This time around you'll be able to create an online league with friends and replay action from the NHL season with the players on the game using NHL Moments Live.

Coming to Kinect this week is NBA Baller Beats. This is basically a hybrid of Kinect dance games and dribbling drills where you work on dribbling skills to the beat of tracks from Gorillaz, Them Crooked Vultures, Run DMC, and more.

Last major release coming this week is one I'm pretty excited about, Tekken Tag Tournament 2. It follows the standard Tekken formula but this time you'll be able to customize the appearance and moves of the characters in the game!

Not a major release but Finding Nemo: Escape to the Big Blue is coming to DS and 3DS this week in conjunction with the 3D rerelease of the movie. It's a collection of 30 mini games you play with characters from the movie.

In other gaming news...

The release date of the Nintendo Wii U may have been leaked. A video that has since been pulled from YouTube claimed it will hit stores on November 11th.

The green pigs from Angry Birds are getting a spinoff game called Bad Piggies that will be available for Android, iOS, PC, and Mac on Sept. 27th.

The guys over at CollegeHumor.com made a pretty awesome video of what The Wire would look like as an old school RPG game.

And some guy dressed as an assassin from Assassin's Creed made a video doing parkour through some city and set it to music from the game and it looks super badass!

And that wraps it up for this week. I've got a busy weekend ahead but hopefully I can squeeze in some time with Diablo 3 or Skyrim again at some point and start getting gaming back into my schedule. Until next time, get out there and get your game on!

Episode 40: Bonus Content Bonanza!

So it looks like there is a big old pile of NOTHING coming out this week as far as major releases. However, there are several big expansions coming this week.

The 4th and probably final content collection for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will be available from Xbox Marketplace on Thursday. It will include 5 new maps, 2 of which were available for Elite subscribers earlier and 3 are brand new.

Skyrim's 2nd expansion, Hearthfire, is available today for Xbox360. This one allows you to purchase land, build a house, and adopt a child with your in-game spouse. Speaking of Skyrim expansions, it looks like Dawnguard may never make it to PS3 as developers are STILL struggling with programming problems.

Our last expansion for the week is for The Sims 3 on PC and Mac and is called Supernatural. Now you can create witch, wizard, werewolf, vampire, zombie, and fairy Sims. You can also brew magic potions and decorate with supernatural goodies like magic mirrors.

And that's about it for new stuff this week. In other gaming news, Madden 13 sold almost a million copies IN IT'S FIRST DAY! It was also trending HUGE on Twitter getting mentions about every 6 seconds.

Lots of expansion goodies to check out (I'll be getting back to Skyrim here soon to play both of the expansions on there) and hopefully some new games coming soon. Until next time, get out there and get your game on!

Episode 39: Madden Holiday 2013

I hang my head in gamer shame each week when I start this blog and realize it's been another week since I've played ANYTHING! Summer is just too busy for me to play because I can't just play for a minute and move on, I'm a gamer. I need hours to get into my games. Fall is coming tho but we'll worry about that later, now... time for new stuff!

The biggest release this week is obviously Madden NFL 13 on Xbox360, PS3, Wii, and Vita. Calvin Johnson of the Lions is gracing the cover this year (beware the Madden Curse!). Kinect will allow you to control the line of scrimmage by voice and you'll also be able to control your career from your smart phones.

In an attempt to revive the dying music games genre, Rock Band Blitz lands on Xbox360 and PS3 as a downloadable. Instead of using instruments this time, you play with a regular controller. Doesn't sound exciting to me and I actually enjoyed Rock Band and Guitar Hero games.

Mass Effect 3: Leviathan hits this week and is the first expansion for single player campaign adding details about the Reapers origins and new characters, weapons, and upgrades.

Guild Wars 2 brings a new twist to classic PC MMO gaming this week. The story changes based on player's actions and it's free to play after purchasing the game!

Playstation is getting 3 big collections this week: God of War Saga will feature all 5 games remastered into one HD collection. Ratchet & Clank Collection will feature all 3 games in HD and Infamous Collection will have both games in HD.

And that about wraps it up for this week, still a lot of big games coming as the holiday season gets ever closer. Hopefully I'll find a minute to play SOMETHING. Until next time, get out there and get your game on!

Episode 38: Gaming Forecast

Another fairly quiet week with only 2 major releases this week BUT I do have a nice list of trailers to share from upcoming games. But first...

Counter Strike: Global Offensive makes its way to Xbox360, PS3, PC, and Mac this week. It's the 4th in the anti-terrorism series and features some new game modes to explore.

The only other big release this week is Transformers: Fall of Cybertron coming to Xbox360, PS3, and PC. This is the sequel to Transformers: War for Cybertron continuing the story of the civil war between the Autobots and Decepticons on their home world of Cybertron.

Now let's take a look at some trailers of what's coming later in 2012...

Star Wars 1313

Dead Space 3

God of War: Ascension

Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel

Assassin's Creed III

Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified (PS Vita)

And there you have it, a couple of games to keep you busy and PLENTY of games to look forward to. Until next time, get out there and get your game on!

Episode 37: Sequel City

Sadly my summer of non-gaming has continued. I do have some downtime again this weekend and hopes of getting some Diablo 3 back into my system but we'll see if it actually pans out this time. Anywho...

Only 2 major releases this week but both are highly anticipated sequels!

First up, Darksiders II makes its way to Xbox360, PS3, and PC. This time you play as Death (one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse) and battle the forces of Heaven and Hell to try and reverse mankind's extinction.

Also out this week, New Super Mario Bros. 2 hits 3DS. This time the focus is more about coin collecting and there's a new Coin Rush mode where you get one life to run through 3 levels as fast as you can.

That's the only MAJOR releases but there's quite a few other games coming out this week.

Dust: An Elysian Tail comes to Xbox360 as a downloadable. This is the game that won Microsoft's Dream.Build.Play. contest.

Papo & Yo lands on PS3 as a downloadable this week. You play as a kid who solves mysteries with his beastly friend named Monster.

The Last Story is a Japanese import coming to Wii this week where you play as a group of mercenaries looking for work.

And lastly, our only M Rated game of the week is Sleeping Dogs coming to PS3 and Xbox360. You play as an undercover cop trying to bring down a Chinese gang. 

That's it for the new stuff, in other gaming news:

Another gamer has almost died from playing for too long. A 15 year old kid in Ohio spent 4 or 5 days STRAIGHT playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and when he finally stopped and went with his mom to visit family he collapsed 3 different times. Gaming is great but doing anything for 96 hours or more is very unhealthy. Even the sleep deprivation alone can kill. Game smart!

Speaking of Call of Duty, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 has released a new trailer showing off the multiplayer and some new features.

And lastly, Assassin's Creed 3 will land on PS3 October 30th with an hour of additional content not on any of the other versions of the game.

So there you have it, lots of new games out there, tons on the way. Until next time, get out there and get your game on!

Episode 36: Free-To-Play

Let's not waste time and dive right into what's new this week.

Coming to PS3 and Vita is a music based game called Sound Shapes. This is basically a high tech version of the music maker from Mario Paint on SNES. You make music with shapes.



Persona 4 Arena hits PS3 and Xbox360 this week. It's a tournament fighter where you play in a TV world where characters fight using their alter egos.



Lastly, coming to Xbox Arcade this week is Hybrid which is a first person shooter that features jetpacks for air combat.



In other gaming news, Star Wars: The Old Republic is going free-to-play! Most of the game will now be free to all players but some content will require the $14.99 monthly subscription.

Nintendo is finally putting some more grown up content on their console with Mass Effect 3 announced as a launch title on the Wii U (no launch date has been set yet). FIFA Soccer 13 and Madden 13 will also be launch titles for the Wii U.

Speaking of Mass Effect 3, the Leviathan expansion pack will be coming later this summer. Here's the trailer:



And while we're talking expansions, Skyrim's expansion Dawnstar is now live on PC. The creators aren't happy with how it's running on PS3 so they haven't set a launch date for PS3 yet.

A new trailer for Pokemon Black Version 1 and Pokemon White Version 2 hit the web. Both games will release October 7th.



And lastly, Jay-Z is an executive producer for NBA 2K13 and his style can be seen everywhere from the soundtrack he chose, the menu designs, and even his style of artwork in the layouts. Hits stores October 2nd.

And that wraps it up for this week, still a few games trickling in each week but the big stuff will come flooding in as we get closer and closer to the holidays. Until next time, get out there and get your game on!

Episode 35: Back From The Dead

Been kinda slow lately but this week we actually have 3 big releases coming our way!

First up, Risen 2: Dark Waters hits PC, Xbox360, and PS3 this week. It's a pirate RPG where you face sea monsters while defending islands from the wrath of the ancient gods.

Deadlight hits Xbox Arcade this week. You play as a guy who is trying to find his family in Seattle after a zombie apocalypse. 1200 Microsoft Points ($15).

And the 8th in a series of excellence, Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance comes to 3DS. Similar concept as usual, you play as Sora and Riku and team up with various Disney characters in Disney worlds. Leonard Nimoy plays the villian this time around.

Also in gaming news, World of Warcraft has another expansion coming September 24th called Mists of Pandaria. This expansion adds the new class of Monk which can heal, tank, or DPS and the new race of Pandaren which will be the first race that can join Horde or Alliance! They are also adding Pet Battles where you can battle 3 on 3 with other players and a new skill system. Obviously, new instances, remade older dungeons, and more will come as well.

Speaking of MMOs, a new trailer for Planetside 2 hit the web and this game looks bad ass! FPSMMO.

The voice talent for 007 Legends will include current Bond, Daniel Craig, and Moonraker's Jaws, Richard Kiel. Game hits stores in October.

Olympic stud Michael Phelps admitted recently he's a big Call of Duty fan and plays upward of 30 hours A WEEK on Xbox.

And that about wraps it up for this week, a few games to keep you busy, lots of excitement on the way. Below is the 10 most anticipated games coming in the next few months and until next time, get out there and get your game on!

 

Date	Title	Date	Title
8/14/12	"Darksiders II"	10/9/12	"Fable: The Journey"
8/28/12	"Madden 13"	10/30/12	"Assassin's Creed III"
9/18/12	"Borderlands 2"	10/30/12	"Need for Speed: Most Wanted"
10/2/12	"Resident Evil 6"	11/6/12	"Halo 4"
10/2/12	"NBA 2K13"	11/13/12	"Call of Duty: Black Ops 2"

Episode 34: Death By Diablo

Got some crazy gaming news to share but first, let's dive into the new releases this week.

First up, coming to Xbox360 and PS3 this week is miCoach by Adidas. It's another exercise game but this one has the distinction of sport-specific training hosted by pro athletes like Dwight Howard, Ana Ivanovic, and Eric Berry.



Sony's exclusive this week is Foosball 2012 coming to PS3 and Vita. This works with Playstation Move and will include cross play between the console and handheld. And it's exactly what it sounds like, you play foosball.



Last on the new list, Xbox360 has a pair of exclusives for Kinect this week is Wreckateer. You use a catapult to launch things at a medieval castle. Simple idea but looks pretty fun.



And NASA has released a free game for Xbox Kinect called Mars Rover Landing to promote the August 6th Mars landing! Very cool!



No real "major" releases but a few new games to keep you busy this week. Now, on to the news.

An 18 year old kid in Taiwan DIED from playing video games. He spent 40 HOURS playing Diablo 3 nonstop and when an attendant found him passed out at the cafe he'd been at, he tried to stand and collapsed and died. Authorities speculate he may have had cardiovascular problems from sitting still for so long (possibly a blood clot that formed and broke loose when he stood up).

Sam Raimi has dropped out of the World of Warcraft movie because of schedule conflicts with his upcoming Oz: The Great and Powerful but that movie is coming soon so the WoW movie COULD BE FILMING or at least starting soon!

EA hasn't made any official statements on Battlefield 4 BUT the game is happening. If you pre-order the Medal of Honor Warfighter Limited Edition you'll get access to the Battlefield 4 Beta next year!

I must have missed the memo but there's a new console out there called Ouya and it's built on the Android platform but meant to be played on TVs instead of phones or tablets. It's a very interesting concept and they are asking for donations right now to move to the next step. Click here for more info and to donate.

And before we wrap things up, here's a new trailer for Resident Evil 6!



And that does it for this week, a new console in the works, a warning about playing games for too long, and lots to look forward too. Below is a list of coming titles so until next time, get out there and get your game on!

2012 Game Forecast	The Most Anticipated Releases	Consoles
August 14th	"Darksiders II"	Xbox360, PS3, PC
August 19th	"New Super Mario Bros. 2"	3DS
August 21st	"Counter-Strike: Global Offensive"	Xbox360, PS3, PC, Mac
August 21st	"Transformers: Fall of Cybertron"	Xbox360 and PS3
August 28th	"Madden 13"	Xbox360, PS3, Wii, Vita
September 11th	"NHL 13"	Xbox360 and PS3
September 18th	"Borderlands 2"	Xbox360, PS3, PC
September 25th	"Dead or Alive 5"	Xbox360 and PS3
October 2nd	"Resident Evil 6"	Xbox360 and PS3
October 2nd	"NBA 2K13"	Xbox360, PS3, Wii, PSP , PC
October 7th	"Pokemon Black and White 2"	DS
October 23rd	"Medal of Honor: Warfighter"	Xbox360 and PS3
October 23rd	"Forza Horizon"	Xbox360
October 30th	Assassin's Creed III	Xbox360, PS3, Wii, PC
October 30th	"Assassin's Creed III: Liberation"	Vita
October 30th	"Need for Speed: Most Wanted"	Xbox360, PS3, PC
November 6th	"Halo 4"	Xbox360
November 13th	"Call of Duty: Black Ops 2"	Xbox360, PS3, PC
November 18th	"Disney's Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two"	Xbox360, PS3, Wii, PC, 3DS
November 20th	"Hitman: Absolution"	Xbox360 and PS3
December 4th	"Far Cry 3"	Xbox360, PS3, PC