If you’re too lazy to read, go to the bottom and watch the vid. But this mono-tone dude is ultra boring.

I love the way online video gaming is shaping up, it’s certainly a booming industry still in its infancy. Sony’s move (no pun, I’m not even talking about the Move today…other than just now; saying that I wasn’t going to mention it… ugh) to develop a more robust online experience will help move online video gaming into the next generation.

I’m a devout xbox 360 Live Gold member, have been since Halo 2 came out many moons ago. Yes, you pay about €40 a year for it, but you do get a quality platform to game and socialize from with your friends.  Xbox Live set the mark high for any console competitor coming into the subscription gaming market. Up until now, Sony simply offered their limited online experience for free. This hasn’t changed since the PS2 first came out. And really, at that time no paid subscription model would have worked.  What lacked with Sony’s online experience Xbox capitalized on and collected a lot of cash from their Live experience.

It’s interesting, as Sony’s newest paid online subscription service still lacks some essential features, but makes up for it in ways that will see its competition concede into gross acts of discounting and flagrant give-aways.  A win-win for us gamers.  Here’s a rundown of Sony’s Playstaion Plus online service.

- FREE PSN games, minis, and PS One Classic games.
This is a nice touch, as you literally have to pay for EVERYTHING on Xbox Live, unless it’s an advertisement.

- Exclusive Discounts
20 to 50% off PSN games and content.  No hardware discounts yet, but that has been brought up. I’m sure we’ll see it.

- Early Beta and Demo Access
You uber early adopters will be able to play even sooner!

- Full Game Trials
Trial games are treated differently with Sony. Instead of Xbox Live’s demoralizing 10% of the game trials, Sony will let you play the FULL VERSION game for an hour. That’s awesome! I forsee many YouTube vids titled:  “I beat ‘ ‘ this game ‘ ‘ in the hour demo time” .

- Automatic downloads
This is a bigger deal than you think it is. Your PS3 will turn on during obscure hours of the night to download the latest game patches, system updates, and custom content you like – like videos, music…etc.  You will never turn on your PS3 to a laundry list of update downloads, you’ll get right to gaming!

- Price points
One year is $50 usd, and 3 months is $18 usd.  Enough to undercut Xbox Live.

So did you notice anything missing from the above features? Probably the biggest request that is NOT fulfilled (yet, Sony is listening) is the cross gaming chat. Being a Xbox Live fan, this is a HUGE feature. I sometimes still want to talk to my buddies, but hate the game they’re playing. Cross gaming chat allows us (or a party of many) to chat between all the games we may be playing individually. . . and the quality of the chat is as clear as De Rossi’s disgusting dive. Never a hissing, hiccup, or scratchy interference. It’s quality.

I find that Sony’s chat is far from good. It’s really, reallllllly lacking. BUT – as you can see Sony is going hard on the “FREE” content and conveniences than that of Xbox’s polished and expensive platform. In my opinion, this is the best possible competitive scenario. Both have distinct strengths.

Xbox Live will have to start competing with more FREE quality downloadable content and find additional value compared to the subscription price. Maybe a Gold membership price reduction? Maybe way better downloadable content?  Likewise, for Sony, they’ll be hard pressed to try and compete with the highly polished Xbox Live social platform. They’ll be forced to make revisions to their online experience to eventually get to a level of comparable quality. It’s a great situation.

Oh, and i haven’t forgot about you… the cheap-skate “I don’t pay to play online” gamer:  Sony will still offer the same free online service they’ve always have, just don’t expect any improvements to that system.

With awesome features like NetFlicks and Hulu coming to a PS3 in UK soon, we’re going to see some amazing advancements in the next few years to come. This is literally just the beginning.

I’ll buy the first year, for sure.

Here’s a vid I found about it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfCwzvmbkgM

Related posts:

• PFA Team of the Year Named
• How-to-Play: Texas Hold’Em – Poker Tells
• Top 5 Games of Spring 2010

No, but really.  The Electronic Entertainment Expo, widely known as E3, comes but once a year and offers gamers and enthusiasts alike the chance to see what will be released in the near (sometimes not so near…) future.  Nintendo has been known to surprise many people during their presentations and they often try to include something new and innovative, whether it be software, a new technology, or just an idea.  This year is no different.  Nintendo have come out with some of their biggest plans and offerings.  This, as always, is an attempt to keep hold of the lucrative gaming industry which is being fought for by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony.  Nintendo has always tried to stay ahead of the competition.  They commercialized analog controllers, the light gun, the power glove, and recently of course, motion sensing controllers.  With each step in the right direction, Nintendo can always see Microsoft and Sony looming closely behind.  This can be clearly seen with the fact that both Microsoft and Sony are now releasing their own motion sensing controllers.  But without their own ideas and plans, Microsoft and Sony will stay behind Nintendo and their innovative ways.  Though many of Nintendo’s offerings may not appeal to more mature gamers, they at least spark ideas within developers minds and lead to fresh, new innovations within the industry.

Without further ado, here are some of Nintendo’s show-casings from E3 2010.

Nintendo 3DS

The Nintendo 3DS is the direct successor to the highly successful Nintendo DS (Nintendo DS, DSi, DSi LL).  It offers a multitude of upgrades over its predecessor.  The biggest one of which has to be the fact that the system will be able to output 3D games and movies without the need of special glasses.  Aside from this amazing upgrade, it will feature a wide-screen on the top, an analog control stick aside from the native d-pad, along with a dual-camera on the outer shell which will allow the user to take their own 3D pictures.  Aside from these upgrades, it will also include a major overhaul to the system, greatly improving the graphics.  The last two notable upgrades have to do with the controls.  One is a motion sensor while the other is a gyro sensor.  Nintendo continues to add to it’s motion sensing peripherals and also hopes to keep developers thinking of new ways to make games that challenge gamers and gives them new ways to play.  The starting price of the 3DS may be a bit hefty, but as always, the price will drop.  Expect this to be a big hit when it is officially released.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

The Zelda franchise is one of the most renowned franchises of the past few decades.  It continues to be one of the most beloved franchises around the world and does not look like it will be slowing down anytime soon, with a new Wii game coming soon.  Implementing Nintendo’s new 1:1 controls, this game will allow for more immersive gameplay controls, including sword-fighting and archery.  The game itself will use the same cel-shading art-style that the game “The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker” used, but will feature a much improved art style (one not so childish and cat-eyed).

Kirby’s Epic Yarn

Kirby has always been entertaining and innovative, and expect this title to be no different.  The latest entry in the Kirby series features some entertaining gameplay mechanics aside from a visually stunning game.  The world that is portrayed within this new game is stunningly beautiful.  A very texturized approach is being used, and the whole world looks like it’s made from materials like yarn, cotton, denim, etc.  Kirby himself is made from a few strings of yarn, and will be able to make use of that yarn to do many special moves.  Kirby will also be able to manipulate the world around him in order to progress.  This looks to be one of the best Kirby games to date.

Kid Icarus

Kid Icarus finally makes his long awaited return!  It’s been much too long since the last entry in the Kid Icarus series, and fans have been begging for this for a long time.  Now it is finally coming and it looks better than ever.  It’s probably a good thing that it took this long to make its return.  The timing could not be better.  Since Kid Icarus has wings, it is perfectly suitable that he returns on the 3DS to give gamers one of the most immersive games around.  Though any sort of flying is rather strange when using a controller, using a 3DS which has different motion-senors and gyroscopes will provide for a much more fulfilling gameplay experience.

Epic Mickey

One of the few non-Nintendo items includes Epic Mickey.  A very unique and intriguing game that tries to employ new gameplay characteristics on the Wii along with a very beautiful art style.  The game mechanics feature paint and paint thinner.  Mickey can quite simply recreate the world around him and choose to go about the game in many different ways.  The gamer will ultimately decide how to go about this game, but whichever path the gamer takes will decide how the game ends.  Epic Mickey features multiple paths that branch off depending on the choices you make and the methods you use to progress.  This is a similar mechanic to that which was used within the masterpiece that is known as Chrono Trigger.

Donkey Kong Country Returns

The return of Donkey Kong Country!  The Gamecube lacked any real Donkey Kong title, and the Nintendo 64 gave gamers a 3d version.  Though the N64 game was received well and decently innovative, it did not entail a sequel of any sort.  Now, Donkey Kong returns to its original roots.  Back to two dimensions!  The game looks like the most outrageously fun Donkey Kong game to date.  It’s what everyone wished could have been released for the Super Nintendo.  It may be a little late, but it is finally coming.

Aside from some of the games listed above, there are already plenty others in production for the 3DS.  Some of the games that we know are currently in production (Names not final):

• Shin Megami Tensei (3 different games in the series)
• Resident Evil Revelations
• Super Street Fighter IV
• EA FIFA Soccer
• Bomberman
• Contra
• Pro Evolution Soccer
• Harvest Moon
• Dragon Ball
• Gundam
• Star Fox 64
• Sonic
• Final Fantasy
• Ninja Gaiden

Related posts:

• Reinventing Console Sports

Disclaimer:

Before we precede with my list of the best video game soundtracks, I feel you should all know…

1. This is my list, not his/her list, their list, etc…I could care less what GameSpot, IGN or anyone else says/believes, I like video games, I like music – the rest of the story tells itself.
2. This list will include complete soundtracks, single pieces & effects. Yes I know creating a complete soundtrack involves much more effort (& deserves more praise) when compared to a single piece/effects – & yes, what I have just said is contrary to the title of the post itself, maybe I should change it, hell – maybe I should respect my elders as well. The truth is: neither is going to happen here today…so don’t hold your breath.
3. I have indeed thoroughly played all of the below listed games, so I’m sure bias has reared its ugly face here as well. Luckily, I embrace bias– I say out with individuality/open-mindedness, In with conformity/preconception.  Don’t you worry – I will never become a world leader, hold any sort of military might nor ever try to ‘make a difference’.
4. You may ask questions/make statements like: “Why the bloody hell isn’t Fallout 3 mentioned, that had an amazing soundtrack…I really don’t trust your judgment at all”. I will not be listing soundtracks that have just been sampled from other artists music, I’m looking for video game soundtracks created specifically for video games; & yes, it would be a smart decision NOT to trust my judgment when it comes to most things – I have made some seriously debilitating life-decisions in the past, but gaming & music I know…I promise you that much.
5. Very rarely am I ever serious about anything at all…

Now on to the Top 10 Video Game Soundtracks…

_______________________________________________________________________

#10 – Duke Nukem (Megadeath)

If you’ve played it, then I’m sure you can all agree: There is nothing like “Kicking ass & chewing bubblegum” while listening to these bad-ass Megadeath adaptations.

_______________________________________________________________________

#9 – Gothic 3 (Kai Rosenkranz)

Quite respectable as far as video game soundtracks go I must say. Every track does a very good job at setting the tone for any fantasy role-playing-game. All seem to be performed by  a live symphonic orchestra. Unfortunately the soundtrack I believe to be the best part of the game, these scores can easily be ruined by cheesy screams, disappointing voice-acting & otherwise crappy audio effects, but the soundtrack itself is quite pleasant.

_______________________________________________________________________

#8 – Contra (Konami Digital)

Absolutely great stuff, it feels like every single track should be a boss song. I specifically remember playing this game & always feeling like I had to continuously run from something (besides an orgy of bullets of course). Upbeat analog bliss – that’s what this is, brilliant! Oh dear…I’ve gone nostalgic again.

_______________________________________________________________________

#7 – Super Mariokart (Koji Kondo)

Ahhh yes! So familiar – I played the hell out of this game, so much that I find myself waiting to hear sounds of heat-seeking shells, banana-drops & wipe outs while i listen to this track. Nintendo has always been good at what they do – especially when it comes to the Mario franchise. Very upbeat, insanely catchy & memorable.

_______________________________________________________________________

#6 – Morrowind (Jeremy Soule)

This is another instance where my aforementioned “bias” comes into play. It is safe to say this game changed my life (for the better? most certainly not) I have probably dumped more hours into this game than any other since. The entire thing just seemed to immerse me into a world of almost believable fantasy & I believe that the soundtrack contributed to this more than anything else. To this very day, that opening score sends chills up my spine – Oh god…what a monumental waste of time, but an amazing soundtrack none-the-less.

__________________________________________________________

#5 – New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Tommy Tallarico)

Yes, I do realize this is the 2nd time I have listed the “Mario” franchise in a Top 10. No, it’s not a mistake, it’s the simple fact that Nintendo kicks-ass when it comes to sound architecture. Also, it’s the only one of the video game soundtracks I can think of that actually interacts with the environment itself. Unfortunately I cannot properly/accurately describe what I just said, again, if you’ve played it…you’d understand. They also did a fantastic job of remaking some of the old classic songs – A lot of love went into this game.

__________________________________________________________

#4 – The Curse of Monkey Island (Michael Land)

Why ask why when you can just take my word for it. Play it & journey into a digital witty wonderland of curses, Islands…not so many monkeys though – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, I hear they are mischievous, require high-maintenance, can become vicious if provoked & can accurately hurl their own poo up to 10yrds…I’ve made my mind up.

_______________________________________________________________________

#3 – Portal (Jonathan Coulton)

To properly understand & fully appreciate such a thing of flawless audible beauty, you must follow the below steps…(yes, in same order)

a)      Play & beat Half Life

b)      Play & beat Half Life 2 (Might as well play the episodes well your at it)

c)       Play & beat Portal

d)      Enjoy the song that plays with the credits “Still Alive”

God I’m a nerd…

_______________________________________________________________________

#2 – Riven (Robyn Miller)

I have to say (with confidence) that this is my favorite video game soundtrack of all time. Why is it not listed as #1 you may ask…Well, id have to say because its composed not so much of actual songs/musical composition, but more ambient/subtle audible atmospheres & effects. I used to get scared while playing this game on behalf of the atmosphere being so rich – yet there was nothing remotely frightening that ever took place in this game. I used to just leave the game running in forest scenes through my surround system because the quality of the birds/crickets/wind/chimes was so utterly perfect…it was like you were really there. If i had a choice to own only one of all the the video game soundtracks ever created…This would definitely be it.

_______________________________________________________________________

#1 – Super Mario Bros. (Koji Kondo)

I shouldn’t have to explain “why” – But for those that are still wondering…Its bloody epic, that’s why. Of course it holds 1^st spot, what did you expect, honestly? For starters, it’s probably safe to say that its audio has been sampled more than any other game to date & has also been remixed by nearly every instrument our planet has ever heard. I also go as far as to say it is probably one of the most widely-recognized musical compositions ever written. Congratulations Super Mario Bros! In my opinion, you hold the#1 spot for best video game soundtrack EVER!

_______________________________________________________________________

Video Game Soundtracks: Cool Related Links

• Duke Nukem Soundboard
• Super Mario Bros. on double-guitar
• Riven Slideshow
• Portal: A day in the life of a turret – Hilarious!

Related posts:

• How to Win Blood Suckers Video Slot Game!

Two years ago in 2008, Pro Evolution Soccer ’08 (PES) was released for the Nintendo Wii.  It marked a pivotal moment in gaming history as it was the first time a football game was designed with a completely new style of game-play.  Abandoning the old method of simply improving graphics and making other small changes, Konami has revolutionized the football video gaming world by actually changing the way the game is played.  Though Pro Evolution Soccer was released across all platforms, it is the Nintendo Wii version that is above the rest.  This is thanks to the fact that Nintendo chose to go with motion control.  While most sports games allow you to control one player at a time, the Wii version of PES not only gives you that same control, but also allows you to manage the rest of your squad at the same time.  It really is as simple as pointing and clicking.  You control the player with the ball, as expected, with the control stick.  While doing this, the Wii pointer can be used to move any players on your team wherever you would like.  Without the ball, players are no longer limited to controlling one person and trying to recover the ball.  Now players can set up offside traps with ease, set-up double coverage in an instant, cut off passing lanes and much more.

Here is a tutorial video which shows some of the basic controls behind the game:

For any true football fan, Pro Evolution Soccer for the Wii is the best choice out there.  It provides for the fullest football experience across any console or even on PC.  Other football games cannot match up to the amount of control PES gives to the gamer.  A real game of football depends on the whole team, not just one player, which is exactly why PES is a much more realistic representation of the beautiful game of football.  The Wii version of PES has also reached critical acclaim worldwide, and all of this has been achieved after only it’s third release (PES ’08, ’09 and ’10).  Pro Evolution Soccer ’11 is slated to release later this year, and there will be a number of great improvements added.

The first installment of PES was far from perfect.  The idea behind it was fantastic, but the execution was slightly lacking.  With each new year, the improvements have been vast and the game is reaching new heights.  The biggest problems have almost been eliminated, among which included poor Artificial Intelligence, slow reactions and some bad game mechanics.  The fourth release of the series, coming out this year, promises to be the most fulfilling football experience yet.  Having played through the previous versions, I personally know how far this game has come since it was first created.  Though the game has been well received, it’s popularity has not grown as much as it deserves.  The biggest problem people may have with this game is the learning curve.  The learning curve for this game is quite steep and will cause some people to hate it.  It is not for the casual gamer.  Once the game-play is grasped, it is one of the most rewarding experiences anyone could ask for.  To put it simply, no other football game compares.

Related posts:

• Nintendo E3

KEY

• (N) New fighters to the UFC Undisputed franchise
• (P) Fighters accessible exclusively with retail promotions (e.g. GameStop in the US)
• (L) Legendary fighters exclusive to the PlayStation 3

HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION

Dan Hardy

Mustapha Al-Turk (N)
Andrei Arlovski
Pat Barry (N)
Shane Carwin (N)
Mirko Cro Cop
Junior Dos Santos (N)
Todd Duffee (N)
Gabriel Gonzaga
Antoni Hardonk
Heath Herring
Marcus Jones (P)
Cheick Kongo
Brock Lesnar
Justin McCully
James McSweeney (P)
Frank Mir
Roy Nelson (P)
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Eddie Sanchez
Brendan Schaub (P)
Dan Severn (L)
Kimbo Slice (N)
Stefan Struve (N)
Cain Velasquez
Fabricio Werdum

HEAVYWEIGHT & LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISIONS

Mark Coleman
Brandon Vera

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION

Ryan Bader
Stephan Bonnar
Jason Brilz (N)
Luiz Cane (N)
Steve Cantwell (N)
Rashad Evans
Forrest Griffin
Matt Hamill (N)
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
Keith Jardine
Jon Jones (N)
Chuck Liddell
Lyoto Machida
Tito Ortiz
Mauricio Rua
Thiago Silva
Krzysztof Soszynski (N)

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT & MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISIONS

Vitor Belfort (N)
Michael Bisping
Rich Franklin
Wilson Gouveia
Dan Henderson
Anderson Silva

MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION

Yoshihiro Akiyama (N)
Ricardo Almeida
Alan Belcher (N)
Patrick Cote (N)
Kendall Grove
Dennis Kang (N)
Chris Leben
Demian Maia
Nate Marquardt
Drew McFedries
Dan Miller (N)
Yushin Okami
Nate Quarry (N)
Chael Sonnen (N)

Related posts:

• NEW EA MMA Footage Released at Strikeforce Nashville Event
• Gears of War 3 Trailer Released
• MMA Fighters, Brawls, and Some Dancing

A couple days ago I covered the past Strikeforce event held in Nashville, being as all the focus on the event went to the post fight brawl I didn’t have time to talk about EA Sports releasing game footage. For those of you who are unaware, EA Sports is set to release a Mixed Martial Arts game to compete against the UFC video game set to release in May. While this sounds good in theory, EA MMA isn’t set for release until later this year, closer to the holiday season. EA first released footage of the game back in November, where they did a decent job, they went with the cinematic approach which covered up the games obvious holes, however EA tried to build hype for the game by releasing more game footage at the Nashville event, but this could have been a mistake.

EA MMA First Footage Release for November Event: Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvWEwBRrAx4

The game footage they released was for lack of a better word. . . terrible. The graphics look great, which is no surprise, EA has always had above average graphics in their games. I won’t go as far as saying that EA graphics surpass UFC’s but they are neck and neck. Now as far as the game footage; the takedowns looked great but the striking, transitioning and fighter movement are atrocious, the frame rate needs to be sped up dramatically and a lot of tweaks need to be made. Now I won’t say that this game will be awful I feel the opposite actually, I think this could be a great video game. However EA really dropped the ball by showing this much game footage early in the dev stage. They were obviously trying to compete with THQ’s UFC game set to release next month. While these two games are obvious competition, UFC comes out 6 months earlier than MMA. Let’s hope EA can release some stronger footage of the game play to recover before gamers give up on the young franchise and decide to switch back to Street Fighter or Tetris.

Strikeforce Nashville Game Footage Release:

Screenshot Comparison:

(Above) EA Sports MMA: Dan Henderson vs. Joe Stevenson

(Above) UFC Undisputed 2010: Clay Guida vs. Joe Stevenson

In my opinion the EA image looks better than UFC, you can see blood stains on shorts, bruises, scratches and realistic cuts on the fighters, as well as sweat and there is good texture mapping. As for UFC the character models look great, I’m not completely sold on the look of long hair or body hair but they do a great job with lighting and texture mapping. Whether or not EA will surpass UFC is yet to be seen. This will be EA’s first attempt at an MMA game and THQ’s second, I plan on playing both and knocking lads out with my vicious right hook and uppercuts. Let’s hear what you think of the game. Until next time, Cheers.

-Seth-

Related posts:

• Wager $20 and earn a $300+20 Final Event Qualifier ticket!
• UFC Roster Released
• Gears of War 3 Trailer Released

I’ll quote my friend who parodied Bonnie Tyler’s – Total Eclipse of the Heart to reflect his addiction leveling WoW characters: “Once upon a time I was holdin’ your stuff… now I’m just a levelin’ up.  There’s nothing I can do, it’s a total eclipse of my life”.  I suppose jokingly admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery?

Mentioning the game World of Warcraft in social situations can have many effects.  It obviously depends who you’re standing around.  If you happen to be near partners of those who play, you’ll be most likely be met with a “For all that is holy I wish that game would die”.  Understandably so.  After all, WoW could be declared an effective method of birth control:

Video games in general have been addicting people for years.  This is nothing new.  The main purpose of any video game is to repeat an entertaining sequence with an addictive property.  I’ve been a victim to this wonderful disease since I was a child.  However, when you add social activity on a mass scale to this equation, you get a whole different kind of addiction.  It is horrible to hear about relationships ending, scholarships being lost and children being neglected, but these people need to stop pointing their finger at the game.  There are plenty of tools in this world to destroy your motivation and life.  Blizzard and other game companies are not some shady dude pushing crack on a street corner.  What I’m saying is one can blame WoW all they want, but chances are these people were hooked on something else before Warcraft, and will pick something else up to fill the void afterwards.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3WfTSolT_4

My involvement in WoW has never exceeded much past what most hardcore players would call “casual”.  However, I’ve been playing on-and-off for years (the game has been growing for over 5 now) so I’ve seen quite a few interesting things.  When I first played I joined what’s called an RP (Role-Playing) server.  I didn’t really realize it was for people who liked to LARP online.  I’d been a fan of RPG’s, both pen/paper and console for years so I figured it would pool me with people more involved with the lore.  I quickly learned how dedicated players of this game were.  Scheduled guild meetings, dungeon runs and PvP battles.  Did they really want me to schedule virtual game time in real life?  Yes, yes they did.  A lot of challenges in the game require a team effort and practice.  The approach I took to digest this was to look at it like an organized sport.  You show up for practices on a certain date, which with the increasing size and acceptance of gaming culture, isn’t that crazy an idea.

To draw an analogy though – you never see someone playing soccer all day and night on the field the rest of their team eventually meets them at for practice on Sunday.  You might say to that player “Tom, you’ve been on this field for a week straight, look like shit and need to shower.  My eyes can smell you.”.  Unfortunately there’s no real way to tell the condition of your comrades online.  You must trust they are taking responsibility for themselves and sadly in a lot of cases, they are not.

There are countless fun ways to waste time in WoW.  That is why it’s so awesome.  For most players this can be experienced at a healthy regular pace.  The game presents just about every kind of addictive mini-game on top of social relationships that have even led to real life marriage.  The bottom line is a lot of people who sign up for MMO’s don’t realize they are signing up for a social investment… or maybe they do, and this is just want they want.  Either way, these games are designed to reward time invested and organized group behavior.  I feel for those who are addicted to gaming in general, but it would be nice if people with no self control took responsibility for their actions instead of pointing fingers.

The game now sits at roughly 12 million players, so there’s plenty of bad press to go around.  It makes it near impossible to say the game’s name without hearing some garbage about it being full of lame addicts, and thus the worst game of time.  That’s just silly.  There are plenty of responsible gamers out there, we all have very real lives, jobs and families and it’s not even an issue of keeping game time in check.  I personally can not wait for the upcoming expansion and as the game ages yet another year.

You may remember at the end of the second Gears of War the COG released the Lightmass Bomb destroying nearly everything in Jacinto, flooding it and the Locust stronghold below. The credits role and you hear a faint transmission from Adam Fenix saying “This is Adam Fenix… Is anyone out there…? Can you hear me…? This is Adam Fenix… Can you hear me…? What have you done…?”

We can only assume that Adam (the father of main character Marcus) suggests that flooding the hollow will create a worse threat for mankind.

It has been 18 months since the Lightmass bomb was detonated in the conclusion of the second Gears of War.

The trailer opens in a city of ash; either the Lightmass bomb or something untold has done extreme damage to this city. The city is in ruins, people caught in the blast appear to have been killed instantly, being reduced to ash statues, we then are greeted with the return of Dominic Santiago, fleeing for his life being bombarded by locust gunshots, dipping and dodging through the ash people and running for his life.

We then get a look at the new Dom who has apparently not had time to visit the barbershop for a shave. Perhaps this was the easiest way to show the length of time between games but I am sure the new bearded Dom will be welcomed by gamers. We then see Dom looking off in the distance when he is confronted by a Locust soldier, sure that this is the end Dom looks up and is ready to die, when all of a sudden the sound of a shotgun is heard and you see the Locust soldier obliterated by the games main character Marcus Fenix who also has a new look as well as a new weapon.

We are then introduced to a new female character who could possibly be Anya, who gives Dom a weapon to defend himself. Realizing they are surrounded Dom quickly snaps out of it and continues the fight, where we see a giant creature perhaps Locust or something else, who is killing the Locust but still trying to kill the COG, the screen fades out to “Brothers to the end” and reveals the April 2011 release date.

New Things Noticed

Bayonet Lancer- On all the lancers in previous Gears of War there has been the chainsaw lancer, we will now be able to have the bayonet lancer which is sure to have some gruesome kills.

Double Barreled Shotgun- This could possibly be the best addiction weapon wise to the game, we get a glimpse at the gun when Marcus saves Dom from the Locust.

Dom Beard and New Armor for Marcus- As stated earlier we see Dom’s new beard but we also see some new sleeveless armor for Marcus, this could potentially mean customizable armor.

Female Character- This could possibly be Anya or someone else but either way it gives the female fans a girl character to use.

I must say I was a huge fan of the first and second Gears games, I am extremely excited for this game only 359 days to go, mark it on your calenders. Till then, Cheers.

-Seth-

Related posts:

• The Green Hornet – The First Trailer!
• UFC Roster Released
• NEW EA MMA Footage Released at Strikeforce Nashville Event