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Sam and Max is Downloadable from PSN and Telltale

Fans of Telltale's episodic Sam & Max games can pre-order the full upcoming Devil's Playhouse series on PSN -- the first time a downloadable game has been available for pre-order on a console.

Users who buy the series early via the PS3's PlayStation Network get $5 off the $34.95 price of the full series, a promotion that lasts until the series' first episode hits.

Pre-orderers also get a free Telltale game episode, plus access to a private fan forum and preview area where they can be part of chats with creator Steve Purcell and the design team.

Thus far, the latest in the Sam & Max series -- which is also being published on the PC and Mac -- has only been confirmed for PlayStation 3 thus far, with Telltale apparently eschewing the Xbox 360, a home for earlier Sam & Max episodes.

The episodic Sam & Max series sprang from earlier LucasArts adventure games, themselves inspired by creator Purcell's comic book work in the late 1980s. The story-driven games feature a pair of detectives, an anthropomorphic dog and rabbit, solving mysteries with a comedic tone.

"This is the first time Sony has executed a pre-order campaign, and we couldn't be happier that the dog and bunny duo are leading the way," says Telltale.

Source: Gamasutra

Bioshock Monsters That Didn't Make the Cut

Irrational Games has posted concept art of creatures proposed for Bioshock that didn't make the cut, such as Jelly Man and Yam Hand. That guy up there is Monster Bug. That's partly how you can tell they never made it past the concept art stage: they're saddled with the sorts of absurd but descriptive names that artists come up with because they know someone else is going to give it a place and a name in the game universe.

Here's the skinny on Monster Bug:

This is one of the more gruesome pieces of concept work to emerge during work on BioShock - a huge insect slowly growing from within a human being and taking over the physical form. And as sickening as this image is, its true power comes from what's implied: what was it like for the original person transitioning to this state of organic fusion? And what mash-up of man and bug is hidden under that cloth?

And if you want an in-depth look at various directions Bioshock 2 could have gone, get your own yam hands on the coffee table book that came in the collector's edition. It's full of fantastic artwork and explanations of material that didn't make the cut in the sequel, including monsters, weapons, and places.

See the rest of the monsters here.

Source: Fidgit

Rockin' on with Rock Band...?

In November 2005, the same month that the current generation of consoles started with the release of the Xbox 360, Harmonix unleashed Guitar Hero on the world. The sleeper hit quickly became a mainstream success, prompting the company to ship Guitar Hero II the following November - two games in two years. Not too bad, considering that the industry pumps sequels out like clockwork.

2007, however, changed everything up. Although RedOctane, the publisher of the game series, was purchased by Activision and Harmonix itself was bought by MTV, placing the GH franchise out of its creators' hands for good, and although the developer was already hard at work on its next title, Rock Band - a Guitar Hero-esque game that added drums and vocals to the guitar and bass elements - it still had contractual obligations to fulfill: one last, "encore" performance, an expansion pack that was ultimately called Guitar Hero: Rocks the '80s and which was released in July. It was not very good, but it proved to be popular with a public that was obviously keen on more guitar-shredding experiences.

Now in full control of the franchise, Activision launched Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, the first entry to not be helmed by Harmonix, that October. It sold amazingly well and, taken in conjunction with Rocks the '80s, the company gleefully realized that the market could - and would - support multiple releases in one year, a premise it tested right away. June of 2008 saw the release of the next spin-off, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, with Guitar Hero: World Tour, the fourth installment in the series and the first to adopt the Rock Band formula of multiple instruments, hitting shelves in October - four games in two years. It was an ominous sign.

2009, Activision unofficially decided, would be the year of the music game - its music game. Guitar Hero: Metallica, its annual expansion, was bumped up from its customary release window of summer to spring, shipping in March; Guitar Hero: Smash Hits, a collection of songs from the first five games that were given the full-band treatment, made the traditional June date; Guitar Hero 5 hit one month early, in September; and Guitar Hero: Van Halen, that year's third encore title, was squeezed into December. As if four games in one year weren't enough, two brand-new GH spin-offs - both planned not as single titles but as new franchises in and of themselves - also were introduced: DJ Hero, utilizing a turntable instead of a guitar peripheral, in October, and Band Hero, featuring "Top 40" pop songs instead of rock 'n roll tracks, in November. All told, the publisher released 25 SKUs in '09, tripling the previous year's output and equating to two Guitar Hero games per month for the entire year.

On the sidelines of Activision's unprecedented release orgy was Harmonix. After Rock Band and Rock Band 2's launches in November 2007 and September 2008, respectively, the company likewise saw encouraging signs from an ever-eager audience and similarly engaged in a multi-release schedule for 2009 - although it only shipped The Beatles: Rock Band, the series's first expansion, in September and Lego Rock Band, a "family-friendly" spin-off, in November. All told, it moved only one title for every three that Activision did in the same time period.

But it was enough. Consumers, decidedly unhappy with the avalanche of music titles and already affected by the Great Recession, rejected most of the offerings from both companies; sales of either Guitar Hero- or Rock Band-branded games in '09 plummeted to a staggering fifty percent of what they were the year before. The sudden and shocking drop of revenues forced MTV's parent company, Viacom, to demand that Harmonix pay back most, if not all, of a $150 million bonus for "performance-based compensation" it had given the star developer in 2008. Activision also took an equally desperate move: it has laid off a significant portion of the employees at the various GH developers, including lead studio Neversoft, and has shut down RedOctane entirely, a company that it paid some $100 million for not even four years previously. Even more drastically - particularly for a publisher that is so predicated upon "annualizing" its franchises - Activision has slashed its slate of releases, going from six in '09 to just two in '10: Guitar Hero 6 and DJ Hero 2.

Harmonix, however, despite - or, perhaps, because of - the financial penalty inflicted by Viacom, looks as if it hasn't taken the hint. With Green Day: Rock Band having been already announced for release this year (it hits shelves in June), the company announced right before last week's Game Developers' Conference that Rock Band 3 will also see the light of day sometime this fall (more than likely in September) - continuing with its 2009 level of multi-releases, and marking the first time both series of music games will have the same number of entries.

Whether this is a sustainable position for Harmonix to take will, of course, only be known once the final sales figures are tallied, but, should the developer go the way of
Activision's studios, there would be a nice degree of symmetry for historians to wryly appreciate:

Harmonix started the music game revolution, and it ended it, as well.

EA Games Plans to Handle Their Own Advertising

Electronic Arts plans to handle dynamic in-game advertisements for its titles in-house beginning this August, abandoning its current partnerships with specialist advertising firms like Massive Incorporated and IGA Worldwide.

The publisher held an event earlier this week in New York City where executives pitched possible in-game sponsorships and other ad opportunities available in its upcoming titles to advertisers and media buyers. EA showcased popular series such as Madden NFL, NBA Live, FIFA, and Need For Speed, as well as social titles from its recently acquired Playfish division.

SVP of Global Media Sales Elizabeth Harz boasted EA's releases as "the best in the world, reaching the most engaged, forward-leaning user base," according to a report from digital marketing site ClickZ. She noted that advertisers aren't so much concerned about the networks its reaching consumers through as they are about the EA brands themselves.

The company's move to manage its dynamic in-game ads across all platforms and its brands cuts out long-time partners IGA Worldwide and Massive Incorporated. Both companies will continue to provide in-game ads for EA's releases until the publisher ships Madden NFL 10, which would have been a crucial title in Microsoft-owned Massive's ad network.

EA also made repeated references to the ad potential of Apple's upcoming iPad tablet. The company's SVP and GM of Pogo and Social Games Michael Marchetti said the publisher is "really excited" about the iPad and also discussed opportunities on Facebook, describing the social network as the "largest gaming platform in the world."

Marchetti went on to estimate that total revenue for the casual/social gaming market will grow 59 percent by 2012, predicting that "large portion of which will come from advertising."

Source: Gamasutra

Long Planned Gallactica MMO Nearing Completion

Leading [MMO publisher Bigpoint's] product slate for 2010 will be Battlestar Galactica Online, a tactical space combat and adventure MMOG based upon Syfy's Battlestar Galactica series. The game, inspired by one of the most popular science fiction series in television history, will launch worldwide exclusively this fall on Syfy.com for a 30 day period. The Unity co-developed MMOG will offer state of the art graphics that can be played directly in an Internet browser.

I'm allergic to the word "browser" appearing anywhere in the same paragraph as "MMO" or even "game", but that's usually because it indicates some cutesy free-to-play thing that's big in Korea, or else a social gaming pyramid scheme.

Fortunately, this doesn't seem to be case with Battlestar Galactica Online. The game is being developed by a Norwegian studio called Artplant that, as near as I can tell, isn't yet guilty of any particularly bad online games. In fact, checking their website, they don't seem to be guilty of many games at all. But they seem to have the right idea.

Players will be able to choose to play as cylons or humans in a constant struggle to control the universe or just survive its perils. A blend of tactical space combat, exploration, and mission-based gameplay will provide a diverse experience. The dramatic missions will define the game's overall storyline, enabling the player to delve into mysteries of the Battlestar universe. Battlestar Galactica Online will create a new standard for web games, with beautiful 3d graphics and innovative game mechanics bringing a new level of game play to browser based MMOG. Assets from the television production will be integrated into the game to deliver an even more authentic experience.

Read the rest of the article on Fidgit

Updates on The Highly Anticipated Iron Man 2 Game

As if the skilled developers behind May's upcoming "Iron Man 2: The Video Game" didn't load the title up with enough tremendous talent, the blockbuster game also boasts some super-sized voice talent!

Celebrated actors Don Cheadle and Samuel L. Jackson have officially signed on to "Iron Man 2: The Video Game," reprising their roles from Marvel Studios' upcoming "Iron Man 2" blockbuster movie. Cheadle voices Tony Stark's close friend and confidant James "Rhodey" Rhodes--the man inside the ultra-powerful War Machine armor--while Jackson joins the game as S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury.

Cheadle and Jackson bring their inimitable talents to the table, rounding out a cast of characters that transports fans into a deeply immersive and authentic cinematic video game experience. Melding characters, themes and ideas from Shellhead's movie and comic book worlds, "Iron Man 2: The Video Game" allows gamers to choose between playing as Iron Man or War Machine as they battle through massively destructible indoor and outdoor environments. Tony and Rhodey both come armed to the teeth with their own distinct assortments of fully-customizable, gadgets and weaponry, as well as vicious melee combat moves. Believe us, you'll need everything in their arsenals to battle the likes of Crimson Dynamo and other classic Marvel foes.

"With an original story line, an exclusive new song tied in to an incredible soundtrack and the voices of Hollywood's top leading men, 'Iron Man 2: The Video Game' offers a video game experience that has something for any kind of gamer," said Sean Ratcliffe, Vice President of Marketing, SEGA of America. "With the intuitive new control system, this game brings fans of all ages and gaming abilities an Iron Man experience they can enjoy."

Read the rest of the article at Marvel.

Gaming Company Responds to Lawsuits Made by Two of its Founders

Activision has responded to a lawsuit by the founding members of Infinity Ward.

Earlier this week, the publisher ousted founders Vince Zampella and Jason West over claims of "insubordination", which prompted them to file a lawsuit requesting "substation royalty payments" over unpaid work on Modern Warfare 2.

"Activision is disappointed that Mr. Zampella and Mr. West have chosen to file a lawsuit, and believes their claims are meritless," Kotaku quotes a spokesperson as saying.

"Over eight years, Activision shareholders provided these executives with the capital they needed to start Infinity Ward, as well as the financial support, resources and creative independence that helped them flourish and achieve enormous professional success and personal wealth.

"In return, Activision legitimately expected them to honour their obligations to Activision, just like any other executives who hold positions of trust in the company. While the company showed enormous patience, it firmly believes that its decision was justified based on their course of conduct and actions.

"Activision remains committed to the Call Of Duty franchise, which it owns, and will continue to produce exciting and innovative games for its millions of fans."

The exact reasons behind Zampella and West's removal from the studio still remain unclear.

Source: Digital Spy

Five: Chris Dahlen

Five: Chris Dahlen

by Marc N. Kleinhenz

Comic Related's Five interview series takes the brightest minds from the journalistic and game development worlds and asks them to expound on their personal benchmarks of the videogame industry, exploring the crucial components of narrative, music, gameplay, graphics, and character.

Chris Dahlen is editorial director for Kill Screen, a gaming journal which just went to print this past month, and a columnist for Edge. His other writing credits -- which cover music, comics, and technology as well as videogames -- include The Onion and Variety.

You can find more about him and his writing here.

Plot point/character beat/story twist

I still have a crush on Annah from Planescape: Torment, and the time she surprised me by flirting in an alleyway ranks as one of the tensest, most thrilling moments I've ever experienced. In a game, I mean.

Song and/or soundtrack

Maybe this is cheating, but when I played Burnout 3: Takedown on the Xbox, I took the time to replace the game's soundtrack with songs I ripped to the hard drive. I made an '80s playlist with post-punk, college rock, and synth-pop bands like XTC and Scritti Politti. Cruising Tokyo to Chameleon UK's "Swamp Thing" was epic, and if The The's "Uncertain Smile" came on during a race, I was guaranteed to win.

More recently, I loved the classic jazz and pop soundtrack of Fallout 3. I never turn it off and I never got sick of it. The horns in Tex Beneke's arrangement of "A Wonderful Guy" are splendorous and bittersweet; they always make me pause.

Gameplay mechanic

I love turn-based gameplay. If I were faster and more sophisticated, I would want real-time gameplay in RPGs, and I'd be more willing to get the hang of real-time strategy games. But making decisions under pressure stresses me out, plus, I get lazy. I love taking the time to plan my moves in Valkyrie Chronicles and Jeanne D'Arc, and I enjoy using the time to second-guess and psych myself out.

Graphical effect

I have a hunch that texture pop-in is the lens flare of gaming: it's an error and a glitch that highlights the shortcomings of our equipment, but it's so much a part of the experience that I think we'll come to love it.

Character

Grim Fandango's Manny remains one of my favorite player characters. When the game starts, he strikes you as a loser -- kind of a shabby hustler-type in a cheap suit, who gets stuck with the lowest-rent clients. But you come to realize that he's actually a capable and ambitious entrepreneur who's been stuck in a stifling bureaucracy. After each chapter of the game, a year elapses, and every year Manny makes good: he goes from an automat janitor to the owner of a swank nightclub, and from a lowly deckhand to the captain. It's a terrific way to remind us of his potential.

Batman :AA and Uncharted 2 Top Winners of Navigatr Awards

Rocksteady Studios' Batman: Arkham Asylum and Naughty Dog's Uncharted 2: Among Thieves racked up nine and ten wins at this year's Navigatr Awards respectively, with Batman capturing the overall Game of the Year honor.

The National Academy of Video Game Testers and Reviewers Corp. has run its annual awards, as voted on by a body of some 640 game journalists and writers.

Despite Uncharted 2 receiving the highest number of wins, Batman edged it out in nominations, taking 17 to Uncharted 2's 16.

Among others, Batman won awards for Character Design, Control Design 3D, Game Design, and Supporting Performance in a Drama for Mark Hamill. Uncharted 2's wins included Art Direction, Camera Direction in a Game Engine, Direction in a Game Cinema, and Lead Performance in a Drama for Nolan North.

No other game was honored nearly as much as those two; Brutal Legend, Infamous, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and Scribblenauts each received two awards.

Among publishers, Sony came out on top with 15 awards, beating its own previous record of 11. Eidos took nine awards -- all for Batman -- while no other publisher received more than four.

Read the full list at Gamasutra

Capcom Offers More Incentives with New Shooter Game

Capcom changed their minds about the pre-order bonus for Lost Planet 2, their latest attempt at a Gears of War style shooter. The original plan was that pre-orders would get an exclusive Albert Wesker playable character who will look really weird to anyone who hasn't played the Resident Evil games. "Why am I a fey European dude with a peroxided coif?" the non-Resident Evil fan will wonder. "Is this a character from Bruno?" .

But now everybody gets Albert Wesker. Albert Wesker for all! And pre-orders get something a bit more substantial. The following multiplayer maps are only for folks who pre-order Lost Planet 2 from Gamestop:

Helix

The underwater NEVEC mining facility houses several layers and twisted corridors. Swim between the layers, or dive to the bottom to change your point of attack. Aqua Catapults can launch you to the upper levels in a hurry, and you must learn every corner and get the upper hand on your enemies.

Back to the Island

The shady atoll of Island 902 is broken into wide open spaces and compact interiors. Choose your battlefield from the beaches to the battered carrier, or explore a new dimension in the underwater battle. Control the bridge to dominate the map, but beware attacks from all sides.

Nice work selling the maps, Capcom. Aqua catapults, underwater mining facility, a battered carrier, controlling a bridge? Who wouldn't want to play on those kinds of playgrounds? I don't know what an aqua catapult is, but you can bet I'm going to get in line for it. And if that doesn't do it, have a look at those screenshots down there.

The even more exciting news about Lost Planet 2 is the following:

After months of speculation, the development team that brought localized splitscreen gameplay to Resident Evil 5 has confirmed that they will be doing it again. With the introduction of two-player splitscreen gameplay to Lost Planet 2, gamers can join the battle for control of the precious thermal energy on E.D.N III alongside a friend from the same living room.

Local multiplayer gaming is a lost art. I'm grateful to games like Resident Evil 5, Borderlands, Halo 3, Resistance 2, and now Lost Planet 2 that let me enjoy a game with my friends in the same room. That can't be easy to do, and those of us who take advantage of it really appreciate the effort.< /p>

Source and Images: Fidgit