Are you ready to watch this movie? I’m really past ready to watch this movie. We’re getting damn close to the release date of the third and final film in Christopher Nolan’s Batman run, and at this stage there’s not much else they can release about the thing. But here! ]]>

Are you ready to watch this movie? I’m really past ready to watch this movie. We’re getting damn close to the release date of the third and final film in Christopher Nolan’s Batman run, and at this stage there’s not much else they can release about the thing. But here! Here’s a new poster for the movie, depicting the Caped Crusader (do people still call him that?) against a flaming bat-shaped explosion in Gotham City. Peep that tagline towards the bottom, too: “The Legend Ends.” If you were doubting that this was the big finale, you should probably stop doing that.

Spoiler alert: the Joker totally dies at the end of Batman: Arkham City. Sorry, but the name of the upcoming downloadable bonus campaign pretty much reveals this fact.

It’s called Harley Quinn’s Revenge, and as you can see, it features the Joker’s girlfriend, who is very much pissed about ]]>

Spoiler alert: the Joker totally dies at the end of Batman: Arkham City. Sorry, but the name of the upcoming downloadable bonus campaign pretty much reveals this fact.

It’s called Harley Quinn’s Revenge, and as you can see, it features the Joker’s girlfriend, who is very much pissed about her main man being taken about by the caped crusader. Who in turn has taken him out.

Hence why you play as Robin for a good deal of the time. Yay. But you also play at Batman himself, the game’s maker assures us all. Harley Quinn’s Revenge will be available as DLC for all existing owners of Arkham City, or will be pre-loaded in the Game of the Year Edition.

Both are due next week, on May 29. Never mind the September 7 date in the trailer, that’s for Europeans (I couldn’t find an American version of the trailer above, for whatever reason, sorry for the confusion).

Flyers fan dresses up as Batman. Batman does not have superpowers. Flyers lose to Devils. Fan loses at life.

For future reference folks, if you’re going to dress up as a comic book hero, it’s best to go as one with some kind of supernatural power. Perhaps The Hulk ]]>

Flyers fan dresses up as Batman. Batman does not have superpowers. Flyers lose to Devils. Fan loses at life.

For future reference folks, if you’re going to dress up as a comic book hero, it’s best to go as one with some kind of supernatural power. Perhaps The Hulk or Spiderman or whatever character Scarlett Johansson was.

But Batman? Nah. The way Ilya Bryzgalov was playing you’d need the entire Avengers cast.

In today’s Guyism Speed Round, Katie Nolan discusses a proposed bill that will force store owners to translate any foreign language signs, a man who shaved his facial hair into the Batman symbol, and more.

Don’t forget! There’s an EXCLUSIVE giveaway of a $200 Amazon gift card and a signed ]]>

In today’s Guyism Speed Round, Katie Nolan discusses a proposed bill that will force store owners to translate any foreign language signs, a man who shaved his facial hair into the Batman symbol, and more.

Don’t forget! There’s an EXCLUSIVE giveaway of a $200 Amazon gift card and a signed copy of DeStorm’s new album “Be Careful” in the YouTube comments of this video. Go there for details.

And make sure to subscribe on YouTube. You big jerks.

At this point, are there any words even necessary about The Dark Knight Rises? Are there any words even necessary about anything Christopher Nolan? Third and final Batman film. Everything’s about to pop off hardcore. The new trailer gives us a chance to hear a less-muffled Bane, see some Catwoman ]]>

At this point, are there any words even necessary about The Dark Knight Rises? Are there any words even necessary about anything Christopher Nolan? Third and final Batman film. Everything’s about to pop off hardcore. The new trailer gives us a chance to hear a less-muffled Bane, see some Catwoman whipping tail, and watch some serious explosions rock Gotham City. When a new villain breaks the Bat and takes him out of the picture, chaos reigns in Gotham. Can Bruce Wayne get it together and save his city, and what will it cost him? Not in terms of money, that guy’s loaded.

The last movie had a dude with a melted off face and a guy getting stabbed with a pencil. Why isn’t the sequel rated R? The official verdict from the MPAA dropped this week for Christopher Nolan’s upcoming The Dark Knight Rises, third and probably final ]]>

The last movie had a dude with a melted off face and a guy getting stabbed with a pencil. Why isn’t the sequel rated R? The official verdict from the MPAA dropped this week for Christopher Nolan’s upcoming The Dark Knight Rises, third and probably final of the Christian Bale Batman movies. I brook no argument to The Dark Knight being the best superhero movie of the last two decades, with sizzling direction and amazing performances, but a lot of things about Rises are kind of weirding me out. Bane’s dumbass costume and voice were bad enough.

The thing with these movies is that they’re very obviously not for kids. The intense psychological content of the Batman franchise will go right over the heads of younger viewers. Making them PG-13 just lessens what they could be – and they’re already really good. I guess we can just hold out hope for a Director’s Cut.

We’re near the tail end of February 2012, so the last thing we need is another 2011 recap. But present it in the form of stop motion animated clip using Legos? There are exceptions to every rule.

The following was created for the Interactive Achievement Awards, held at DICE earlier ]]>

We’re near the tail end of February 2012, so the last thing we need is another 2011 recap. But present it in the form of stop motion animated clip using Legos? There are exceptions to every rule.

The following was created for the Interactive Achievement Awards, held at DICE earlier this month It starts off somewhat slow, but a lot of ground is covered by the end…

I could name every single game highlighted, but that would somewhat ruin the fun. But I will take my stab at the one which has confused the most: I’m pretty certain the racing game is Forza 4. Spent plenty of time on that one, so the HUD is pretty unmistakable at this point.

Also, no Mortal Kombat? Would have been tough to realize, I know, but would have been nice to see a Lego fatality nonetheless.

Alas, an interactive version of Gotham by Gaslight would have been awesome, most definitely.

Often we hear of games that were in production, but were killed somewhere along the line, for one reason or another, by the people who were involved. Like Julie Farrell, an artist ]]>

Alas, an interactive version of Gotham by Gaslight would have been awesome, most definitely.

Often we hear of games that were in production, but were killed somewhere along the line, for one reason or another, by the people who were involved. Like Julie Farrell, an artist who worked on a game based upon the famous comic that put the caped crusader in late 20th century Europe, in a steampunk-rific adventure (it’s totally worth checking out, if you’re into funny books and the like).

Apparently the NDA wore off today, hence why it was finally okay to post the work that she did. Other visual assets can be seen here. Unfortunately, there are no gameplay shots, meaning that the game was not very far before having the plug pulled. Or perhaps it never even got passed the sales pitch.

But as Joystiq notes, the control diagrams speak of a game that was based upon a shooter, much like the upcoming Gotham City Impostors. Except that it also had a single player, story mode, presumably based upon the source material.

Such a shame; game sounds great on paper at least. Though I still wish we had gotten that Avengers game that was also canned, and which was quite a ways along, and which also looked amazing (and was also a FPS)…

Semi-related: you know what would be awesome? A game based on Superman: Red Son, which is another “what if”, in which the last son of Krypton crash lands on Russian soil, not American. Though I guess what would be nice is just a decent Superman game to being with.

If you’re a person reading this while hanging upside down from your feet, I encourage you to stop immediately (and possibly reevaluate your reading habits). Otherwise you might end up nearly killing yourself like this girl whose attempt to hang upside down could have broken her neck.

She must ]]>

If you’re a person reading this while hanging upside down from your feet, I encourage you to stop immediately (and possibly reevaluate your reading habits). Otherwise you might end up nearly killing yourself like this girl whose attempt to hang upside down could have broken her neck.

She must have been trying to emulate the ‘Knightfall’ era Batman. *snort

It’s been said often, but Jesus, a LOT of games came out this year, many of them quite good. And the following is a visual checklist, for those who might have missed or forgotten anything.

Via Joystiq…

So I was planning on passing along a rundown ]]>

It’s been said often, but Jesus, a LOT of games came out this year, many of them quite good. And the following is a visual checklist, for those who might have missed or forgotten anything.

Via Joystiq…

So I was planning on passing along a rundown of the best games that came out in 2011, but truth be told, because I didn’t get a chance to play (and beat, that’s the most important part) every single thing, I felt a bit awkward doing so. So instead, here’s a brief rundown of waht the video highlights, roughly in the order they appear, and with my two cents. Again, time spent with each one greatly varies, but I am the gaming expert here, not to brag…

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations – It’s funny how I had shunned the series up until this installment and am finally okay with the wacky “experiencing the past through some VR simulator that’s driven by the Freemasons” or something like that, but all diehard fans are officially done with the game.

Rage – It kinda sucks when you’re depending on cutting edge graphics to be the star of the show, when said graphics have so many issues. Leaving the “back to basics” gameplay somewhat out there to dry.

Modern Warfare 3 – Certainly not my kind of game, but if you want ultra realistic military simulations, and blow other people up in said virtual environments, the latest Call of Duty can’t be beat.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution – The cyberpunk sandbox game experience that everyone has long dreamt off. Sucks that the boss battles are so wonky and out of place.

Uncharted 3 – Really say something when a game that basically gives more of what everyone loved, i.e. part 2, and it’s no longer good enough. Though now that we know half the team was working on The Last of Us, at least we know why.

Gears of War 3 – The final GoW was a damn fine one! Not sure what else needs to be said; a satisfactory conclusion to a trilogy, which is kinda hard to pull off a lot.

Catherine – Every loved the ultra adult subject matter, but the wacky, block-based puzzle gameplay? Not the best of mixes. Sorry, I like metaphors, but in my video games? Guess it varies.

Saints Row: The Third – Well, the GTA wannabe had their best showing yet. Having a big purple dildo as a weapon definitely helped.

Portal 2 – While it didn’t have quite the magic (or the accessibility) of the first one, the sequel was quite excellent, though you definitely need to play with a buddy to see the game truly shine.

Skyward Sword – Believe the hype; it’s the best Zelda game ever, period, without question. It’s both funny and sad that after this time, we finally have the second game (the first one being Wii Sports) that truly legitimizes motion gaming.

Rayman Origins – Years after getting lost in the mediocre 3D shuffle, and cast aside fro frankly unfunny spin-offs starring rabbits (hey, the French just have strange sense of humor), Ubi’s mascot is finally back in tip top form.

Yakuza 4 – For those of you who would rather be a virtual bad ass on the streets of Tokyo instead of New York City, the latest Yakuza happens also be the greatest one yet.

LA Noire – Rockstar really nailed the look and feel of the LA circa the 40s, but the gameplay unfortunately couldn’t quite match up in the end. Still a fun romp.

Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet – One of the hits of the XBLA scene, it does what promises, and that’s deliver old school gameplay in a super stylish, modern threads.

Child of Eden – Speaking as a fan of Rez, I simply had no patience for this pretty but fundamentally (as well as long-winded) broken shooter.

Infamous 2 – Yet another GTA-esque game, except you’re a bad ass with super powers, and running around the south. Haven’t touched this one, but fans of the first say it’s pretty awesome.

Alice Madness Returns – Hey, I guess everyone else is finally sick and tired of Alice In Wonderland, but all dark and gothic! Guess everyone became pals with lazy and uncreative art school hacks.

Arkham City – Hey, it’s Arkham Asylum, but bigger and bolder, with more stuff to do and more characters to do it with. Any wonder why everyone loves it death and that it sold like a billion copies?

Dead Space 2 – My vote for best game that everyone forgot game out this year. Whereas everyone who tried to make survival horror games have basically given up on making stuff scary, not the folks behind Dead Space.

Skyrim – The game of the year for many. Never has running around in a fantasy land, with swords and spells, yelling like a dragon, been so vividly realized in video game form.

Battlefield 3 – I guess what I said about Modern Warfare 3 could be said about this one. I honestly can’t tell the difference, but once again, I’m not the biggest fans of these types of games, so there ya go.

Fear 3 – I can’t believe this one got included, cuz it flat out sucked, and even fans of the first two games (which I sorta am) could tell from a distance.

Dead Island – I don’t recall seeing it in the video, but it just has to be there (I mean, if you’re going to include Fear 3). People said it’s actually a good game, but that douche-y trailer with the sappy piano music totally turned me off permanently, sorry.

And the one game that I can’t believe was not included, because it was my personal game of the year? Believe it or not, that would have to be Mortal Kombat. Seriously, that game was amazing! Sorry, but I love comeback stories, and talk about a franchise that was on the blink of oblivion. Just goes to prove that, if you go back to basics, but the kind people have been long clamoring for, and really go the extra mile and overload the thing with a ton of extras (like a RIDICULOUS amount), then you’re going to have a package that reminds you of the good old days, and why you love video games in the first place.

So yeah, get the latest MK if you haven’t done so already!

Believe it or not, getting blotto while playing Batman can be somewhat “classy”, with the right spirits.

The convergence of gaming and drinking has been covered a few times already, including Pokemon inspired mixed drinks. But the following is a bit more all encompassing.

The

Believe it or not, getting blotto while playing Batman can be somewhat “classy”, with the right spirits.

The convergence of gaming and drinking has been covered a few times already, including Pokemon inspired mixed drinks. But the following is a bit more all encompassing.

The Guardian decided to ask a bartender at some gaming lounge to concoct six drinks based upon popular games. And they all look great! Though the snazzy photo job certainly helps; precise instructions for putting everything together can be found at the source…

Uncharted 3: Drinks Deception, like the game it’s based upon, is “one big action set-piece.” that uses:

- Ginger beer (Crabbies alcoholic ginger beer can be used for those wanting a bigger bang)
- Goldschlager
- Overproof rum (Wray and Nephew)
- Cinnamon
- A box of matches

Elderflower Scrolls: Skyyrum is built “entirely around a series of highly amusing Skyrim puns”, but it sounds hella appetizing:

- Skyy vanilla vodka
- Sparkling elderflower presse
- Spiced rum (Sailor Jerry)
- Orange peel

LA Noire: Truth, Lie, Stout is one of the more conceptually interesting on this list, since it’s “based around the three responses that lead character Cole Phelps can make during interrogation sequences”. It’s also the easiest to assemble:

- Kahlua
- Vodka
- Guinness (original bottled form only)

The Modern Warfare Frag Grenade is “not so much a cocktail as a military exercise” and it shows; not only is the list of ingredients quite long, but the directions to put them all together is equally complex and rigid:

- Limoncello
- Crème de Menth
- Jagermeister
- Baileys
- Energy drink
- Black vodka

The Portal Two is the prettiest looking of the bunch since it’s meant to resemble the portals themselves:

- Blue Curacao
- Vodka
- Lemonade
- Cointreau
- Rum
- Orangina
- Small tumblers

Finally, Batman: Arkham Party, isn’t just one drink but a series of drinks, each representing one of the Caped Crusader’s foes:

- Midori
- Vodka
- Crushed ice
- Blue Curacao
- Sambuca
- Cranberry juice
- Rum
- Pop Rocks
- Fresh mint
- Sugar syrup
- Blackcurrant coulis (you can buy this in bottles or jars if you don’t want to make your own)
- Champagne

There are loads of male characters in all manner of fictional text and media. Some, though, have such innate manliness that you could practically distill and bottle it. Here’s a list of the manliest fictional characters ever to grace the page and screen.

8 Conan the Barbarian

8 Conan the Barbarian
Forget the movies. In the old novels that defined Conan’s character, he is a giant of a man with a commanding presence. He inspires scores of men who would follow him into battle at any given moment. Conan the Barbarian is a brilliant tactician, has a strict code of honor and women are drawn to him with immutable attraction. He faces monsters, magic and mayhem by day and goes drinking and wenching by night. Wenching! And to top it all off, he has all the rage and fury of his ancestors. Plus, his last name is “the Barbarian” and if that’s not manly, I don’t know what is.

7 Master Chief (of the ‘Halo’ series)
The Master Chief has no life of his own. He is the last of his kind and duty rules his actions. He relies on his Mjolnir armor, just as humanity relies on him: as a shield and protector. He carries the weight of the world on his shoulders and strives only to live another day to fight for the sake of humanity.

6 Wolverine
Nothing says warm and fuzzy like razor-sharp adamantium claws. This is a man who shows tough love or no love at all. He’s a rough, rogue of a mutant man who loves fighting, drinking and smoking big-ass cigars. Man or mutant, he easily makes the cut.

5 Indiana Jones
Indiana Jones is known for his resourcefulness, selflessness and utter luck. He’s intelligent, but fallibly human. Indy is an everyman that gets stuck in crazy situations he deals with not by brute strength or special powers, but by his sheer tenacity and clever manipulation of dangerous circumstances. And like every good man, a good woman and good friends are never far behind to help when the going gets rough.

4 Doom Guy (of the ‘Doom’ series)
The Doom Guy is manliness incarnate. His only form of communication is grunting in pain. When he cries, he cries blood. And, goddamn can that dude blast through hell spawn with a sinister level of enthusiasm and intensity. Want to make Doom Guy happy? Give him some chain gun ammo.

3 James Bond
James Bond has it all: intelligence, charm, cool confidence and a whole lot of guns and gadgets at his disposal. He is a killing machine, but he’s also a lover, falling for (and bedding) just about every beautiful woman he meets. He embodies a man’s quest for love and violence with style and aplomb.

2 Jack Bauer (of ’24′)
This is one of the most conflicted, deeply passionate characters on this list. And when I say passionate, I mean unstable. His knowledge of hand-to-hand combat is formidable, his use of guns and knives inspire awe and dread and his interrogation techniques are brutal, all in the name of protecting America. Plus, he’ll yell at you right in your face. And no one likes to be yelled at.

1 Batman
Tights aside, Batman’s altruistic form of revenge on evil-doers for the murder of his parents makes him a man’s man. He strikes fear into the hearts of his enemies, rides a thin line between psycho-vigilante and straight lawman and goes above and beyond, dedicating his life to crime fighting in the name of peace and justice.

His name is Nolan North, and he’s the voice behind approximately 90% of the game characters you hear these days. Time now to hear his take on the other 10%.

IGN recently had the chance to sit down with the hardest working voice actor in gaming today. They asked North ]]>

His name is Nolan North, and he’s the voice behind approximately 90% of the game characters you hear these days. Time now to hear his take on the other 10%.

IGN recently had the chance to sit down with the hardest working voice actor in gaming today. They asked North on the spot to say some of the lines that he’s best know for, like from Uncharted and Arkham City (much like one of the dudes interviewing him, I had no idea he was the Penguin in that). Then came characters that are a bit foreign to him…

BTW, they weren’t lying: his IMDB page is indeed hella long. At any rate, much like Mel Blanc (the dude who did pretty much every cartoon voice throughout the 30s, 40,s 50s, 60s, 70s, even the 80s), his voice is somewhat the same in many instances, but like every truly great actor, he puts something news and fresh in each role, making each unique.

Despite not sounding all that different when assuming the persona of Drake, there’s still that certain something that has helped to make him one of the most beloved modern game characters of this generation, by far. Meanwhile, his Street Fighter voice ain’t bad either, though his Mortal Kombat voice is rather weak. Then again, the current MK announcer also pales in comparison with the original…

… Who, btw, is a noted pinball designer. Guess he went into retirement as it pertains to voice work? Anyhow, the thing about North is that he seems like a totally cool, normal guy. Sure he’s hamming it up, but at least he’s not flat out creepy like the guy who does the voice of Mario, Charles Martinet…

Again, seems like a totally cool dude, and if I got paid as much as he does, I’d be super exuberant as well. Also, I need to watch my mouth, cuz he looks like he could easily kick my ass.

Oh, and the new Spider-Man game looks like it could be okay as well.

First off, the following isn’t in-game footage, but still does a lot to send home the premise of Gotham City Impostors. For those who missed the news the first time around, it’s a multiplayer FPS in ]]>

Oh, and the new Spider-Man game looks like it could be okay as well.

First off, the following isn’t in-game footage, but still does a lot to send home the premise of Gotham City Impostors. For those who missed the news the first time around, it’s a multiplayer FPS in which idiots pretend to be Batman during the caped crusader’s absence in Gotham City (and in which Joker fanboys and girls also follow suit)…

Early buzz thus far has been super positive, and has been called the perfect thing for folks who are interested in FPSs, but aren’t a fan of the current crop of popular offerings, i.e. Call of Duty or Battlefield. Though I’ve yet to hear if it’s like Team Fortress, which is the only other FPS that’s squad based and to have a sense of humor (at least one that’s good or notable).

Next is a super short teaser for the upcoming Amazing Spider-Man. It, along with numerous other games (like the aforementioned Last of Us) will be making their debut at this weekend’s VGA…

Meh. Sorry, but I still think his new outfit stinks. Anyhow, it’s also been just revealed that the game, which is set to come out around the time of the new movie, this upcoming summer of 2012, will be a direct epilogue of the events in the flick.

Furthermore, the game’s plot is being penned by Seamus Kevin Fahey, who was one of the chief writers for the new Battlestar Galactica. The game will have old web head facing off against all his classic foes, and if there’s anyone who can weave an epic story, it’s Fahey, so the game has serious potential after-all, stupid costumes not withstanding (one has to hope alternates will be available, perhaps as a pre-order bonus, which I’ll gladly take advantage of).

Even without the news that Alec Baldwin was kicked off a plane for some word game on his iPhone, it’s been a crazy busy day in the world of cell phone gaming.

First off, Apple’s iOS gets much of the spotlight, but Google’s own thing is doing pretty ]]>

Even without the news that Alec Baldwin was kicked off a plane for some word game on his iPhone, it’s been a crazy busy day in the world of cell phone gaming.

First off, Apple’s iOS gets much of the spotlight, but Google’s own thing is doing pretty good for itself; the 10 billionth download too place over the weekend. So to celebrate, a number of apps have been discounted to the tune of ten cents for the next ten days, including a few games, with the best of the batch being Minecraft: Pocket Edition.

But how about something for free? There’s another promo going on, over at Apple’s App Store; Manny Pacquiao: Pound for Pound is free, but only for today…

Been playing with it all day long; it’s essentially Infinity Blade, but instead of some knight in shining armor, going after other warriors or dragons, you’re a boxer beating up dudes sporting dreds. Overall, not bad, especially for a nothing (not sure what the regular price is). The controls, for what it is, are mostly fine, and Pacquiao looks genuinely impressive in polygonal form!

Unfortunately the illustrations that drive the story forward are not nearly as good, but the tale that’s being told is actually somewhat interesting? Though I’m only halfway through, it could totally fall apart in the end. Meanwhile, Kotaku recently highlighted a game called Time Ducks, and it looks mighty awesome…

Too bad it’s not. Once the cool aesthetics wear off, you’ll discover that it’s essentially Flight Control, but with a painfully slow pace and assorted tweaks to the formula that are completely pointless. It’s only $2, but I assure you, there’s plenty of other way to blow one’s money.

Also for the iPhone is a handy new app from Microsoft to keep abreast of your Xbox Live profile and buddies. There have been countless third part apps, though it’s about time that MS made one themselves. And it’s quite nice, employing the same “Metro” look that is being used to unify all their offers (like the just re-launched Xbox Dash and the upcoming Windows 8)…

It can be nabbed here. And last but not least, Batman: Arkham City is coming to the iPhone. It’s actually out this very second in New Zealand of all places, but should be live in North America later tonight from what I hear. Doesn’t look bad, though once again, it’s very Infinity Blade-like in its gameplay…

When you hire guys in bootleg superhero costumes for your child’s birthday party, there’s a reasonable expectation there’ll be some good-natured and wholesome fun. But don’t turn on the dance music or else they’ll start dancing like the skankiest of hoes like the Spider-Man (men?), Batman, and Iron Man in ]]>

When you hire guys in bootleg superhero costumes for your child’s birthday party, there’s a reasonable expectation there’ll be some good-natured and wholesome fun. But don’t turn on the dance music or else they’ll start dancing like the skankiest of hoes like the Spider-Man (men?), Batman, and Iron Man in this video.

Okay yeah that was kind of weird but can we talk for a minute about how bootleg that Iron Man costume is? I mean he looks like a midget Mexican wrestler. There have been more realistic representations of Iron Man in Thai porn films. Uh..presumably.

Spider Man, Batman, And Iron Man Dance At Birthday Party [Buzzfeed]

When you get down to it, as much as the Caped Crusader has the back of the innocent and the downtrodden, he’s still part of the 1%.

Not much else to say here, other than it’s another homerun for Dorkly…

And here’s another, which is somewhat topical, given all ]]>

When you get down to it, as much as the Caped Crusader has the back of the innocent and the downtrodden, he’s still part of the 1%.

Not much else to say here, other than it’s another homerun for Dorkly…

And here’s another, which is somewhat topical, given all the hoopla over Mario’s affinity for wear fur…

And then we have the following; since every other vid from them is Nintendo related, here’s something that’s not. Note: it’s kinda not very funny, but hey, Double Dragon is somewhat hard to work with…

As noted yesterday, Wal-Mart is the big box, evil empire that not only threatens small business owners, but they impose their moral dogma upon content providers, including game makers. But not all the time, and man, some of their deals cannot be beat!

They just posted their circular ]]>

As noted yesterday, Wal-Mart is the big box, evil empire that not only threatens small business owners, but they impose their moral dogma upon content providers, including game makers. But not all the time, and man, some of their deals cannot be beat!

They just posted their circular for deals going down in two weeks, which may be just the ticket to get some fresh air that Thanksgiving morning, especially if either football or dealing with in-laws is not your deal…

For a closer look, as well as to see what else is on sale, simply head here. Highlights include:

- Wii for not just $100, but in blue! As Siliconera points out, what was previously thought to be a European exclusive is finally making an appearance in America, perhaps as a Wal-Mart exlusive? Note that this is one of the aforementioned modified versions of the console that axes GameCube support.

- One can snag either the Kinect for just $100, which is fifty bucks less than normal, or the Kinect/360 bundle for $200, which is a hundred bucks less than normal.

- I can’t tell how big the hard drive is, but even if it’s just 160GB, the asking price of $200 for a PlayStation 3 is still fifty bucks cheaper than normal for such a configuration.

- As far as games go, you simply can’t go wrong with $10 for Yakuza 4. Like seriously, deal of the century. And there’s plenty of great $15 games as well, but $28 for Gears of War 3, Forza 4, Battlefield 3, and Arkham City? Hot damn!

The country’s hottest game is nothing but news this week, that’s for damn sure. Oh, and the thrid game is going to be called Arkham Island. I just called it.

First thing’s first: the guy who most people know as Luke Skywalker has also been playing the Joker for close ]]>

The country’s hottest game is nothing but news this week, that’s for damn sure. Oh, and the thrid game is going to be called Arkham Island. I just called it.

First thing’s first: the guy who most people know as Luke Skywalker has also been playing the Joker for close to 20 years now. And I guess he believes it’s time to finally give that gig a rest. Via Twitter last night…

… It should be noted that he somewhat joked about retiring the role after Arkham Asylum as well. But then the game became huge, perhaps more so than anyone expected, which in the end led to a bigger second paycheck. And given that the sequel might do even better, if a part three does happen (let’s all it Arkham Island for the time being), I wouldn’t be shocked if Skywalker is back. After all, one can’t live off of Star Wars residual checks alone. Actually, you can.

Next, remember the screw up involving the Catwoman DLC and me going that the only solution was to just give the codes away? Well, guess I was wrong. Joystiq has posted all the things that one must present to Warner Bros if you’d like them to fix their mess up. Which includes:

- A dated proof of purchase (receipt, invoice) showing the purchase of a NEW copy of the game (not a rented or used copy, nor a copy purchased from eBay)
- Either Xbox Live gamertar or PSN profile name
- An email address
- A scan or digital picture of the package and game disc(s)
- A scan or digital picture of the code sheet (both sides)

… As annoying as it is for a customer, that’s a lot of work for your average customer support rep me thinks. I have a feeling that the process will be a huge pain in the ass for many. As well as costly, though I’m guessing it won’t make a dent in the bottom-line that the silly DLC scheme will ultimately net WB.

Third up is how many are taking issue with the game’s salty language. In particular, it’s liberal use of the word “bitch”. Everyone, from those who run random, feminist-tinged blogs (though the author’s argument is completely sound, especially when referring to Straw Dogs… the original, not the crappy remake starring Cyclops) to even Kotaku has had issues with the overuse of the word.

My take on the subject? All I can say is that Batman has always been about the dark side of humanity, which includes plenty of not so pleasant people, actions, and consequences. That being said, all of those have been brilliant illustrated by the Batman cartoon on Fox from the early 90s, where no cursing was necessary. So yeah, I think it’s overkill. But I also believe all the retarded cat puns that Catwoman uses are just as offensive.

Anyhow, time to take a break and enjoy a good old-fashioned glitch video!

BTW, for those who either don’t own a PS3 or Xbox 360, or simply prefer gaming on a PC, if you pre-order the game right now, you’ll get 20% off Steam! Not sure how long the offer will last though, so act soon.

But also be sure that you have the right hardware in time for the game’s arrival (which is November 15th btw). Specifically a card that’s capable of PhysX-enabled effects; the following is demonstration of the game, both with and without…

And finally, a handy cheat for those obsessed with getting every achievement and calendar in the game, this one involving Calendar Man. Yes, the idea of a bad guy who’s obsessed with dates seems dumb at first, but you’ll be changing your tune once you’ve read The Long Halloween. Trust me on this…

Imagine the horror… or just flat out annoyance… of finally cracking open your copy of Arkham City, knowing that you’ve got a bunch of different outfits to dress Batman up with (if you used our guide from yesterday, then you’re welcome), only to discover that the code to ]]>

Imagine the horror… or just flat out annoyance… of finally cracking open your copy of Arkham City, knowing that you’ve got a bunch of different outfits to dress Batman up with (if you used our guide from yesterday, then you’re welcome), only to discover that the code to nab Catwoman is totally missing. Well, that’s precisely what’s happening.

Take a look at this…

… According to Joystiq, that’s just a tip of the iceberg. Many folks are reporting instances in which their copies do not have the Catoman DLC voucher included. Or that they have two copies of the Joker DLC voucher, but again no Catwoman. Better yet, not one, not two, but three Catwoman codes are enclosed. And best of all is the above, in which the voucher is simply blank. In response, Warner Bros said via Twitter that the problem will soon be fixed.

How? This will be pretty much impossible to properly sort out. Best part is how this is truly a mess that they created. The only realistic solution is to just give everyone the Catwoman DLC code and call it a day. But easier said than done, since that also means figuring out a means to distribute who knows how many unique codes. Basically, WB’s greed has completely bitten them in the ass to a hilarious degree.

In other news, Giant Bomb recently revealed that the paintball mode in the upcoming PS3/360 remake of GoldenEye will only be available to those who pre-order the game via GameStop. Despite the fact that Activision made it clear beorehand that the content is already on the disc.

So that download code ain’t for downloading jack, it’s for allowing you access to something you already paid for. Pretty messed up. Best part is how previously, Activision said it would be unlockable to those who don’t pre-order; they’ll just have to… you know… play the game to reveal the option (just like in the N64 original). One has to assume that a very angry phone call from GameStop HQ put the kaboosh on that idea.

Now, one might assume that the option will eventually be available for purchase after the fact, as annoying as it might be. I doubt it. This is Activision. They do insanely stupid (and greedy) things all the time. And I can totally seem screwing over their customers in such a manner.

Moving on, it was also revealed that Uncharted 3 will also require a PSN Pass, meaning those who buy the game used and who also wish to play online will need to fork over an extra ten bucks. You’ve all heard the same excuses, over and over again. Which Naughty Dog, in a recent interview with The Sixth Axis, happens to use…

“We’re giving out a huge amount of content… and part of the reason for the online pass is that when that stuff goes online, it isn’t free. We have to pay for servers and all this different stuff to maintain it, and so at some point, you know, games have to make money.”

… It was also explained how, if there were no online pass, they’d have to split the game into two: one offline, the other online.

You know what? They should have just done that. I personally can’t think of anything less necessary than a multiplayer mode a game in which everyone cares about the single player mode the most anyway. Not to say that part of the game sucks, but if it’s that much trouble, then just don’t do it. Again, every single Uncharted fan I know has never touched the online stuff (myself included).

Also, the lines being fed are a little hard to swallow, given how they’re being delivered by a company that’s backed by Sony, which certainly has more money in the bank that most. Furthermore, if servers and the like are that expensive, how in the hell are they affording to run the pre-show that’s in association with Subway sandwiches?