New Screenshots & Release Dates: Silent Hill

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., today announced the definitive release dates for the three 2012 Silent Hill franchise titles: Silent Hill HD Collection, Silent Hill Downpour and Silent Hill Book of Memories.  Available nationwide this March fans can experience the horror and thrill that they've come to love while embarking on exciting new quests and challenges. Silent Hill HD Collection: March 6. Silent Hill HD Collection serves as a tribute to the core Silent Hill fans by taking the most famous games of the series, Silent Hill 2 & 3, and re-mastering them in high-definition graphics and adding new voiceovers. Silent Hill Downpour: March 13. Silent Hill Downpour follows the story of Murphy Pendleton, a convicted felon, who finds himself trapped in Silent Hill after his prison transport bus crashes. Silent Hill Downpour is the most expansive Silent Hill to date, as players can embark on side missions, explore the town and piece more of the mystery of Silent Hill together.     Silent Hill Book of Memories:  March 27 Available exclusively for the brand new PlayStation®Vita handheld device, Book of Memories is an all-new game in the Silent Hill series, with a unique premise and storyline.  The story begins with a strange book that is received; inside that book is your entire life story and all of your memories.  You discover that by altering what's written you can actually change the past.  You can write your own ideal history.  And for the first time ever in a Silent Hill game, it will support multiplayer, so friends can share in the fright in a co-op mode.

The Secret World Illuminati Teaser Video

Funcom's Week of the Illuminati continues with a brand new teaser video giving a unique glimpse into the world of the Illuminati, one of the three secret societies of The Secret World. In Funcom's upcoming modern-day massively multiplayer online game, the Illuminati are undoubtedly the most secret of the three secret societies. The Illuminati are invisible puppet-masters and corporate manipulators, and they crave power and wealth by any means necessary. They may have ancient roots, but they remain forever young and hungry. The Illuminati's golden agents enjoy power, money and glamour – but the real power they offer you goes beyond that: Information worked from every civilian, government and clandestine organization in the world.     'The Secret World' is consistently mentioned as one of the most anticipated MMOs in development, breaking new grounds and genre conventions by introducing a modern-day setting, a story-focused MMO experience, and a freeform progression system using no classes and no levels. Last year Funcom announced that over 500,000 gamers are now registered for the ongoing beta testing. 'The Secret World' is published by Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) and will ship in April 2012.

Cyborg F.R.E.Q. 5 Pro Gaming Headset

New Stereo Headset Expands Award Winning Cyborg Range Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. ("Mad Catz") (AMEX/TSX: MCZ) announced today the F.R.E.Q.⁵ Pro Gaming Headset for PC, expected to ship Spring 2012 and being released under the Company's Cyborg professional gaming brand. "The new Cyborg F.R.E.Q.⁵ gaming headset makes a great addition the awarding winning Cyborg product range and is part of our broader strategy to grow our PC and audio market share." said Darren Richardson, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz Interactive, Inc.  "The F.R.E.Q. is part of our on going commitment to create new and innovative products for passionate consumers." The F.R.E.Q.⁵ features a lightweight durable metal headband and 50mm Neodymium drivers for superior stereo performance.  The headset is uniquely designed to match the aesthetics of the Cyborg range, including the Company's award winning range of R.A.T. pro gaming mice.

The House of the Dead 3 and 4 Exclusive

SEGA Reloads The House of the Dead 3 and 4 Exclusively for PlayStation Network SEGA® of America, Inc. and SEGA  Europe Ltd. announced that legendary horror arcade shooter The House of the Dead 3 will be coming exclusively to PlayStation Network on February 7, followed by the arcade shooter The House of the Dead 4™ this spring. Both titles have been updated with HD graphics, trophies, and complete PlayStation®Move support to give players the full arcade The House of the Dead™ experience in their living room.     "The House of the Dead has always been one of SEGA's most popular series, and over the years we have worked hard to bring that full arcade experience to console owners," said Haruki Satomi, Senior Vice President of Digital Business at SEGA of America. "The abilities of the PlayStation 3, as well as PlayStation Move, have let us get closer than ever before. The only thing these titles are missing is a need for quarters." Originally released in 2002, The House of the Dead 3 introduced a number of new elements to the series, including "rescue events," a shot ranking and grading system that challenges players to shoot both quickly and accurately, and a Boss "cancel" bar that players must fill to fend off devastating attacks. Featuring unique-to-console gameplay mechanics, The House of the Dead 3 can be played using a PlayStation Move controller or a standard PlayStation controller. The House of the Dead 4 arrived in arcades in 2005, and its upcoming release on PlayStation Network will be the first time this extremely rare title has ever appeared on a home console. In addition to the run-and-gun-down-creatures gameplay players had come to know and love, this title introduced hidden "treasure rooms" that contain score-boosting items, as well as interactive sequences that force players to push away grabby enemies. Watch out for the biters!

TEKKEN 3D PRIME EDITION Release Date

Leading video game publisher and developer NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc., today announced  TEKKEN 3D PRIME EDITION™ is releasing in North America on February 14, 2012 for the portable Nintendo 3DS™ system. The unique functionality of the 3D system takes the famous King of Iron Fist Tournament into the third-dimension for the first time, delivering a more immersive and dynamic TEKKEN® experience with more than 40 characters.TEKKEN 3D PRIME EDITION will make the most of the Wi-Fi functionality of the Nintendo 3DS, delivering fast-paced dynamic battles with impressive graphics at 60fps. And with the Nintendo 3DS system's StreetPass™ feature, nearby players can exchange collectable TEKKEN cards even when their systems are asleep. "TEKKEN has a rich 16 year legacy, with the franchise first appearing on the Nintendo platforms in 2001 with TEKKEN ADVANCE™ for GAME BOY™ ADVANCE," says Carlson Choi, Vice President of Marketing, NAMCO BANDAI Games America. "With the unique abilities of the Nintendo 3DS, we're able to show the characters of the epic franchise in a way that has never been seen before, and fans are going to love how TEKKEN's return to Nintendo systems has taken the series to new levels." As an industry first, the Game Card will also include the full-length CG animated feature film TEKKEN: Blood Vengeance™, produced by Digital Frontier (Resident Evil: Degeneration, Death Note, Appleseed) and directed by Youichi Mouri (opening movies for TEKKEN 5 and TEKKEN 6: Bloodline Rebellion). For more information on  TEKKEN 3D PRIME EDITION, please visit: www.namcobandaigames.com;  http://www.facebook.com/tekken; http://www.twitter.com/Harada_TEKKEN; or  http://www.twitter.com/FilthieRich.

BioShock 2 Surfaces on the Mac Jan 2012

Feral Interactive announced that the genetically enhanced role-playing shooter, BioShock™ 2, will be released for the Mac in January 2012. Developed by 2K Marin, 2K Australia, 2K China and Digital Extremes, and published by 2K Games for games consoles and PC, BioShock 2 is a sequel to the legendary BioShock. The game provides fans with an unsettling storyline, dazzling visual design and the evolution of BioShock's genetically enhanced shooter gameplay. Set almost a decade after a cruel civil war consumed the once magnificent city of Rapture, evil reverberates through its halls and a wickedness once thought gone forever returns along the Atlantic seaboard. An unspeakable series of kidnappings from local seaside communities by an unseen monster leads to the repopulation of Little Sisters in Rapture's failed utopia under the ocean. Players must step into the boots of one of gaming's most iconic characters, the Big Daddy, as they traverse through the fallen city, fending off attacks from an army of genetically modified Splicers, while searching for escape and the key to their survival. The Mac edition of BioShock 2 will also include an entirely separate multiplayer game, The Fall of Rapture, set prior to the original BioShock. Players will take on the role of mutated test subjects for the opportunistic plasmid manufacturer Sinclair Solutions, and engage in the civil war that tore Rapture apart. "BioShock 2 shows Rapture in a completely new light," said David Stephen, Managing Director of Feral Interactive. "By allowing players to be a Big Daddy, it explores the emotional consequences of the Rapture project." BioShock 2 for the Mac will retail in North America for US $34.95, £24.95 (inc. VAT) in the UK and €29.95 (inc. VAT) throughout Europe. It will also be available online for direct download from a variety of digital partner sites worldwide including http://www.feralinteractive.com and the Mac App Store. The boxed version of the game is now available to pre-order through Feral's online store (http://www.feralinteractive.com/?section=buy&game=bioshock2) and there is also a mini-site dedicated to the game (http://www.feralinteractive.com/bioshock2). Minimum system requirements call for a 2.0 GHz Intel Mac with at least 4GB RAM, Mac OS X 10.6.8 or later, and 256MB of graphics memory. The following graphics cards are not supported: ATI X1xxx series, ATI 2400, NVIDIA 9400, NVIDIA 7xxx series and Intel GMA series. The following cards require will require 4GB of system RAM: NVIDIA 320M and Intel HD 3000. These requirements are subject to change before BioShock 2 ships.

Activision Proceeds With Jury Trial In Suit Against EA

Motions Filed for Summary Judgment by Electronic Arts, Former Employees West and Zampella Denied SANTA MONICA, Calif. - Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI),  announced that the Los Angeles Superior Court has denied a motion brought by Electronic Arts, Inc. (EA) for summary judgment, thereby permitting Activision to proceed to trial on its $400 million contract-interference suit against EA..  At a hearing held yesterday, December 21, 2012, Judge Elihu Berle denied EA's motion, finding that the evidence presented by Activision supplied a basis for a jury to potentially conclude both that EA had intentionally interfered with Activision's employment agreements with former Call of Duty game developers, Jason West and Vince Zampella, and that EA had aided and abetted West and Zampella's breach of fiduciary duties to Activision.  A related summary judgment motion put forth by West and Zampella was also denied. In the suit Activision alleges that West and Zampella breached their contracts and duty of loyalty to Activision by conduct that was insubordinate and otherwise improper and that West and Zampella's misconduct was caused, at least in part, by EA's unlawful tampering.  A jury trial in the case is scheduled to begin on May 7, 2012.

Confrontation: Now Begins the Hostilities!

    Confrontation, the new Tactical RPG from Cyanide (Game of Thrones, Blood Bowl) today unveiled an epic first video teaser! Confrontation is the video game adaptation of the famous board game universe by Rackham. Deftly combining role-playing game elements with strategy, Confrontation offers a rich and unique experience that focuses on intense and extremely tactical battles. This video teaser will immerse you in the heart of Aarklash, the world of Confrontation, while the Rag'narok, announcing the end of this world, has just begun. The Path of Light (the Griffin), Path of Destiny (the Wolfen and Orcs), and Path of Darkness (the Scorpion) are preparing for battle: lead by their champions, the Incarnate, the armies of each faction are getting ready for a merciless war. The reward? The winners will impose their own vision of the Rag'narok… and will survive the others races. Confrontation will release exclusively for PC early 2012. - Visit the website  

An Affordable Green Stand for your Portable Device

Green Stand for your Smart Phone, Tablet & E-Book Let's talk tech… better yet Green Tech. Many people (like myself) are always looking for ways to display our gadgets. I hate just sitting my android phone and my tablet on a flat surface, I want it to be displayed on a stand so that when I get a text, e-mail, call or want watch a movie it's sitting right in front of me. I also don't like to spend money on something big and bulky or something that is proprietary to the phone especially when I'm only using it to sit my device on. Those things are expensive and not so eco-friendly and usually come in 2 colors… white or black. So what's the alternative? Sure you can make on (if you're a handy man) and I've seen some real fail homemade stands. So what's a tech guy or gal to do? On this episode I'll be taking a look at an environmentally friendly solution. To do this I have Garret Moore with Pliant Designs and a new product called E-Sill. Find their web page here    

The Last of Us, PLAYSTATION 3 Exclusive

Sony Computer Entertainment today announced The Last of Us, a new franchise created exclusively for PlayStation®3.  Developed by Naughty Dog Inc., creators of the highly acclaimed and best-selling Uncharted™ series, The Last of US was unveiled in a world premiere trailer at the Spike TV 2011 Video Game Award Show. The Last of Us is a genre-defining experience that blends survival and action elements to tell a character driven story about a population decimated by a modern plague. Abandoned cities are being reclaimed by nature and the remaining survivors are killing each other for food, weapons and whatever they can get their hands on. Joel, a ruthless survivor, and Ellie, a brave young teenage girl who is wise beyond her years, must work together to survive their journey across what remains of the United States. "We are excited to finally unveil The Last of Us, a project the team has been working hard on for some time," said Evan Wells, co president of Naughty Dog Inc. "Naughty Dog's mission is to change the way people experience videogames. We are confident The Last of Us will take a leap forward in cinematic gaming and storytelling, providing gamers with an experience unlike anything else in the industry." The Last of Us is developed by some of the industry's most talented game designers including Bruce Straley, game director and Neil Druckmann, creative director. Naughty Dog Inc. advanced to the forefront of the videogame industry in 1996 with the successful introduction of Crash Bandicoot on the original PlayStation.  The developer extended the franchise with Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped and Crash Team Racing, selling 22 million copies worldwide leading to Naughty Dog Inc. becoming the most successful video game developer in the United States for that console generation. The team then created the Jak and Daxter franchise including Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy®, Jak II™, Jak 3™ and Jak X: Combat Racing™.  In 2007 Naughty Dog Inc. released Uncharted: Drake's Fortune®, this was followed by Uncharted 2: Among Thieves™ and most recently Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception™. Having currently sold over 13 million units worldwide, the Uncharted franchise represents some of the most impressive graphics, sound and processing capabilities found on PS3.