Today digital distributor Steam launched a new set of sales for no particular reason besides that it’s summer. Dubbed the “Perils of Summer” sale, Steam is offering a variety of publisher-specific discounts until July 4.

In addition to the publisher-specific deals, Steam is also offering a drastic discounts on select games (“up to 90% off regular prices.”) The catch is, every day, new games are going to be discounted, so refresh your Steam browser regularly.

To check out which games are on sale today, hit the jump. Read more… »

As someone who has neither been into the Grand Theft Auto series (I know it’s not the same developer or publisher) nor even laid eyes on the original Mafia, I went into the demonstration with no knowledge and low expectations.  When I came out, the first question I asked the proctor was, “When is the release date?”

There’s something refreshing about a game that suddenly spikes one’s interest after a simple 15 minute demonstration.  And whether much of that is credited to how well 2K games presented themselves this year or just the overall gameplay of the demo, they really did an excellent job of getting the public excited for its soon-to-be release.  Lest it to say, it did have some minor flaws, but from my initial impressions, its fun factor is what counts and it definitely delivers. Read more… »

Welcome to Port Caverton – a skater’s open-world skateboarding wet dream. This world, full with pedestrians, skaters, cars, and everything else that makes up a living, breathing city is yours to shred, create, and share. The world is your playground this time around.

Armed with just a board, you and some friends will set out to make a name for yourselves and, most importantly, sell some boards. Now with community created content sharing, Skate 3 hopes to bring skaters around the world continuous, new, free content from you, the gamer. The premise and new addictive features are certainly there, but whether the evolution from Skate 2 to Skate 3 is enough is questionable at best.

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Today independent developer Muzzy Lane announced that its World War II turn based grand strategy PC title Making History II has been released in both retail stores as well as digital distribution outlets (Impulse, Gamers Gate, and Making-history.com).

Allowing gamers to “experience grand strategy on an epic scale,” Making History II boasts that it’s “More than simply winning battles, MHII is about exercising diplomacy and waging war. Players might choose to invade a neighboring country, use espionage against allies and enemies, or destabilize a government by crippling their economy.” Read more… »

After previewing and then getting a hands-on look at Bulletstorm, I really have no idea what to think about it.  On its surface, the game seems like it caters towards low IQ players who get their adrenaline pumping by smashing wooden furniture.  Basically, it comes off as one of those games where it’d be the focal point of a huge controversy should a kid get an impulsive rush to stab someone while playing it.  In other words, it’s an excellent college frat game.

On the other hand, your ability to rack up high scores is limited by your creativity to kill as many guys as you can in the most diverse and graphic ways possible.  Essentially, if you can’t get a high score, this game makes you feel very dumb for not being able to think in one of man’s most basic instincts, killing.

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With a host of special offers courtesy of SEGA and 6 brand new PSN games, there’s very little to complain about this week’s PSN Store update. The selection of downloadable content on offer is also anything but light, featuring new content for Lost Planet 2 and also the anticipated Onslaught co-op download for Battlefield: Bad Company 2.

Hit the jump for a complete listing of this week’s PSN update.

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Today Frictional Games announced that its up coming survival horror title Amnesia: The Dark Descent will be released on September 8.

Currently priced at $20, gamers are able to pre-order Amnesia directly from Frictional Games for $18. If you go the pre-order route, Frictional will send you a key to activate the game on Steam upon its release. Read more… »

Did you play the first Kane & Lynch? I didn’t but I do remember, among other things we’re not going to bring up, the multiplayer being kind of a big deal. IO Interactive and Eidos (now Square Enix Europe) were really pushing the co-operative aspect.

Problem for PC gamers was, well, it kind of didn’t work. The broken multiplayer has led IO Interactive to explore other options and the apparent solution? To use Valve’s popular Steamworks platform.

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Hothead Games has finally let the cat out of the bag on DeathSpank, their newest title inspired by Ron Gilbert of The Secret of Monkey Island fame. The hacking, slashing, down-trodden saving hero will be available on the Playstation Network for $14.99, while Xbox LIVE players will have to wait until the 14th to get your slash on.

If you haven’t seen some of the interesting promo content that has gone along with DeathSpank, then now is definitely your chance. One of the greatest pieces Hothead Games has put together is the DeathSpank hotline, which you can call any time day or not to be rescued from a wide variety of problems. Check it out by calling 1-866-631-1574 to be treated with the best promotional material a game could ever get.

I don’t need an Xbox 360 Slim. I don’t need an Xbox 360 Slim. I don’t need an Xbox 360 Slim. I don’t need an Xbox 360 Slim. I don’t need an Xbox 360 Slim.

But we have a new Arcade version coming out this fall for $199!

I don’t even know what’s included! Does it have a smaller HDD? Did you guys take out the WiFi? We know nothing!

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This past week has been quite an experience for gamers everywhere, with E3 bringing tons of games to make your jaw drop or scratch your head in a “WTF?!” moment. ModDB.com quietly unveiled their new sister site IndieDB.com this past week and announcements quickly got lost in all the E3 hubbub.

IndieDB.com works similar to ModDB.com but with a design that is dedicated to indie games. The great thing is that if you already have a ModDB.com account, then you already have an IndieDB.com account. The two sites do share their content, but IndieDB.com acts as a filter so those who are only interested in seeing the latest news and developments concerning indie games don’t have to worry about those pesky awesome Half Life 2 mods, like Dear Esther and Too Many Crates!

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Today Microsoft announced that it will be adding a Xbox Live Gold subscription plan geared toward families who share a single Xbox 360 Live account. Dubbed the ‘Xbox Live Gold Family Pack,’ the new plan allows up to four Gold memberships controlled by one primary account, who can distribute Microsoft Points and monitor online activity.

The Family Pack, which costs $99 annually, also promises “[e]xclusive family content and discounts.” Microsoft has this new bundle slated to arrive in November, the same month that Kinect is suppose to hit. Read more… »