One big problem that both Xbox Live and PSN have is that they don’t share their release schedules for the majority of their online content.  They just roll out new games and DLC at the drop of a hat, typically neglecting to inform the rest of the civilized gaming world that they’ve done so.

Major Nelson wants to start putting an end to that this year, as today he posted the Xbox Live Marketplace release schedule for the entire month of January.  The list not only contains all the Arcade, Games on Demand, and Avatar Marketplace releases, it also includes the scheduled Deal of the Week.  He hopes to post a new schedule on a bimonthly basis, but let’s see if he can keep up with this New Year’s resolution.

To view the complete January Xbox Live Marketplace release schedule, hit the jump. Read more… »

Today developer Visceral Games announced that it has teamed up with book publishing giant Random House to release a “special edition” of the 14th century Italian poet Dante Alighieri’s ‘Inferno’ as a means of promoting the upcoming action game Dante’s Inferno.

The paper back book will feature cover art similar to the videogame’s box art, as well as an introduction by executive producer Jonathan Knight and a sixteen page art section that shows “the evolution of characters and environments from the classic poem to the video game.” Read more… »

The Divinity series, if you haven’t head of it, has taken a backseat since 2002, playing second fiddle to other, more viable RPG beasts like Neverwinter Nights, Knights of the Old Republic, and of course, World of Warcraft. Although not gaining instant recognition, Divine Divinity and it’s sequel, Beyond Divinity slowly garnered enough respect to deem a third installment worthy – nearly six years later.

Divinity II: Ego Draconis (Latin for I, of the Dragon) comes at a time where many-a-gamer are still reveling in the expansive bliss that is the world of Dragon Age: Origins. Once again lying in the wake of yet another epic’s release, can Divinity II finally make a name for itself and stand out amongst the competition? Or is it destined for yet another divine flight under the radar? Read more… »

This morning several videogame blogs reported a rumor that independent developer Rebellion Developments may close its Derby satellite office. Rebellion quickly squashed these rumors, saying that the Derby office is merely undergoing a restructuring.

The confusion started with Rebellion’s Derby office, which recently worked on the game Rogue Warrior, coming to the end of its lease. According to rebellion, the developer plans to expand its facilities at Oxford and Runcorn and may move some, if not all of the Derby office staff to these new expansions. Read more… »

I have this friend (believe it or not) that is on his fifth playthrough of Infinite Undiscovery.  “Can’t afford a new game?” I joked.  “I have lots of games,” he said, “but I only buy and play the really good ones.”

Now, I’m not bashing on Infinite Undiscovery (a very capable JRPG, I’ve heard), but at some point, you just need to move on.  Don’t replay games; there are too many other games you’ve already missed, and more are being created every day.

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0 Day Attack on Earth may be the single most unnecessary release on the Xbox Live Arcade service.  There are plenty of other twin-stick shooters that do it better and feel like actual “fun” instead of a tedious chore, which is what 0 Day devolves into after one paltry level.

Is it actually bad, or just boring?  Well, it’s a a lot of both, actually. At least it has a cool Google Earth-like map backdrop.

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Some of you may remember my ambitious machinima car chase project Collateral Collision from last year which involved a huge collaborative effort by the Live For Speed community and countless hours of work. For those who are not familiar with it, you can watch the full movie here.

This is a bonus supplement to the aforementioned movie which details some of the cinematic inspirations that applied to the project.

My goal was to create the most authentic and definitive machinima car chase possible within the PC racing simulation Live For Speed, which drew inspiration from just about every movie car chase scene known to man. The Influences is therefore a montage of movie scenes compared against equivalent or similar scenes from Collateral Collision – I will be duly impressed if anyone can identify some of the more obscure movies featured.

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Although it was not yet official when news of EA acquiring the rights to NBA Jam broke out, it is now. Press release is out. Official website is up. And we will be seeing it this year! So dust off your Wiis (as if you haven’t heard that before), and get ready for some old-school NBA arcade action.

One can only hope for blast from the past elements of the game to be found in this newest release. And that may just be the case according to the press release. So dive right in eh? (Sorry EA Canada, I couldn’t resist) Read more… »

Mark Hamill’s call to fame has undoubtedly been his role as young Luke Skywalker, but since then, Hamill has been lending his voice to various video games and cartoons.  Most notably, he played the voice of the Joker on the animated TV series and in 2009′s Batman: Arkham Asylum.

Similarly, Hamill’s face and voice were portrayed in Wing Commander as Christopher Blair, and irony struck gold when he played as the Watcher in Darksiders. Obi Won obviously didn’t have that big of an influence on him.

As a notable voice actor in the video game world combined with his Jedi presence in Star Wars, surely he’d be the first in line to voice Luke Skywalker, right? Read more… »

Today 2K Boston, of BioShock fame, announced that it has changed its name back to Irrational Games. Some of you may remember two and a half years ago when publisher 2K sought to show solidarity in it’s development studios by rebranding Irrational Games as 2K Boston and 2K Australia.

Apparently 2K has decided that studio solidarity isn’t the most important thing, and that studio identity plays a major role when gamers are deciding which games to buy. According to 2K, the rebranded studio doesn’t just bring a new logo, but also a new focus on the studio’s style and fanbase. Read more… »

Good ol’ Pokémon. For over a decade now, you have been to little boys and girls (and creepy, grown men) as cake is to us fatties. Easy, sweet, and delicious, and after it’s all gone, you’re hankerin’ for some more. With the release of Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver looming on the horizon, Nintendo and Game Freak have announced that each copy of the game will be bundled with the Pokéwalker.

A neat little device, the Pokéwalker will let players take their Pokémon everywhere they go, without the need of their trusty Nintendo DS or DSi. Hit the jump for more details about this great Poké-accessory! Read more… »

Some of you Australian based gamers may have heard the murmurings of The Mana Bar, a pet project of Zero Punctuation famed critic “Yahtzee” and AustralianGamer.com’s Yug.

Based in Brisbane, Australia, the hometown of yours truly, the bar promises to combine the two passions of the modern gamer – gaming and drinking – in a way that promises to suit every taste; from Retro (Vodka Martini) to Rock Band (JagerBomb).

The still-in-production website offers the opportunity to play unreleased titles, attend launch parties, multiplayer tournaments and other special game related events. It’s also pretty likely that most of Brisbane’s burgeoning gaming industry will make it their local, so prospective game developers may find themselves with an opportunity to smooze.

It’s planning to open next month, so if you’re a local, subscribe to @TheManaBar on twitter or hit up their facebook page for updates on upcoming events and specials.

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