For those still recovering from Gearbox’s shock announcement this week, I urge you to take a deep breath and brace yourselves. That’s right, it has just been announced that the Texas-based studio have purchased the full property rights to the Duke Nukem franchise from the now-defunct 3D Realms. Duke’s alive baby, and he’s back to kick some ass and chew a rather substantial amount of Wrigley’s Orbit.

Not only does this give the much-acclaimed developer full control of the IP, but it also gives them the opportunity to make good ol’ Dukey relevant again. The game has been in development hell for countless years, with the ever-notorious 3D Realms constantly changing every aspect of the gameplay in an attempt to reach an unprecendented level of perfection.

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The Scott Pilgrim series of graphic novels told a wonderful story about learning to accept you as yourself, for all the good and all the bad you’ve done. The Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World film doesn’t really capture that theme, but it at least makes up for it by showing us some action scenes of the likes we’ve never seen before. Both are excellent in their own right.

The Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World game is…just a game. There’s not much to be to excited about; nothing groundbreaking that we haven’t seen before. Perhaps it’s unfair to hold the game to the same standard set forth by the comics and film. Disregarding even that, we’re still left with a game that does little to break the mold of mediocrity.

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I loves me some Labor Day. The weekend is always full of such joy. And of course, full of excuses to eat hot dogs! Yum!

And since there is no work to be done this weekend, when we aren’t sleeping or eating hot dogs, we are playing video games. So, what are you all playing? Or are you sitting around depressed like me that you couldn’t make PAX? I’m okay, I promise. I’m going to go eat a hot dog to ease my pain. Read more… »

Besides some notable RPGs, not often do we come across a game that goes out of its way to provide the community with a lengthy, playable backstory in order to prepare gamers for what’s to come in the main installment. While some may argue that something like Dead Rising 2: Case Zero can be considered a demo or should be included with the game itself, others (myself included) see it as a great opportunity to get acquainted with the gameplay, become engrossed with the plot and character development, and get our hands on a game almost a month before its release, especially if said game is a sequel to one I never really completed.

Case Zero is such a game, providing a thorough explanation of leading man Chuck and his daughter Katey’s exploits. With complaints concerning Case Zero being nothing more than Dead Rising 2′s demo aside, it’s certainly worth the measly 400 MP ($5) asking price. Read more… »

As you can probably already tell, there will be no Gamer Limit Game Night this week. With PAX going on and it being labor day weekend, we felt it best to just cancel it and allow for more time to consume alcoholic beverages. I won’t lie, I have a beer next to me and four empties right now.

So, please feel free to check out some of the previous Gamer Limit Game Nights until we come back next week. Any ideas on what you all would be interested in playing? Don’t worry, Halo: Reach is out soon at which time there will be no debate.

Flower is a title that is considered by many to be largely centered on evoking positive emotions from players. With simplistic gameplay, vibrant visuals and a calming soundtrack, developer thatgamecompany succeeds in providing a relaxing and enjoyable experience. Flower also has a subtle story to tell, one that is far more interesting and profound than a gorgeous game about the interaction between wind and flower petals might first let on.

From the very beginning Flower delivers on the aesthetic which first makes the title so attractive. Within the first moments of gameplay thatgamecompany provides an experience that is beautiful, calming, and liberating all at once. Flower romanticizes nature and revolves around a common modern mindset towards nature: the absence of human development allows the natural systems of the planet to shine and offer their raw beauty.

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[We Need to Talk is a weekly feature that puts you in the driver's seat of the discussion. Got something to say? Hit up the comments and keep the discussion alive. Got a lot to say? Register for a Gamer Limit blog and write a response.]

Greed. One of the seven deadly sins. A simple five letters, yet no one seems to be able to talk about greed properly in the gaming world. We constantly hear about the greed of big companies like Microsoft and Sony due to their apparent desire to charge us out the ass for everything.

Early this week, news broke that Microsoft was raising the subscription fee of its Xbox Live Gold service by ten dollars, and the G word began to fly around. Microsoft is obviously driven by nothing but greed. They’re out to screw over the consumer.

I don’t think you understand what greed is.

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Today Ubisoft unveiled a new downloadable shooter headed to the PC and Xbox 360. Dubbed Bloody Good Time, the multiplayer-centric FPS is currently in development at Outerlight, the folk who made The Ship.

Powered by Valve’s Source engine, Bloody Good Time sees eight players duking it out for the chance to star in a horror movie. Confused? I know I am. Read more… »

Today Blizzard Entertainment revealed that within the first month of it’s release, StartCraft II has sold three million copies. The crazy thing is, one million of those copies were sold on launch day. What’s even crazier is that half of the three million were sold within the first 48 hours of release, setting “the record for fastest-selling strategy game of all time.”

Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime said, “We appreciate all the enthusiasm that players around the world have shown for StarCraft II. It was important to us to deliver an overall gameplay experience that was accessible, balanced, and fun, and it’s been gratifying to see how strongly the global community has already embraced the game.” Read more… »

["Stop It" is a weekly feature which serves as a forum for me to express my opinions on things in the video game industry or community that need to stop. Despite the fact these things may never stop, this will, at the least, fuel discussion. Got something to say? Hit up the comments and keep the discussion alive. Got a lot to say? Register for a Gamer Limit blog and write a response.]

Let’s face it, there have been a handful of downloadable games for consoles each year where we raise our eyebrows at the price. Whether it is the fact that the game feels unfinished, is downright awful, or is far too short, there are a myriad of reasons why the current pricing structure of downloadable games on consoles just doesn’t work. In fact, there are plenty of recent releases that I can think of – and I’m sure you can as well.

Being upfront, I do consider myself to be a huge fan of Apple products. However, I am more than able to realize the problems with the App Store. What I can’t disagree with though is its pricing structure. More so than any other downloadable market out there, the games available on the App Store either seem just right or feel like a downright bargain. I rarely, if ever see that on XBL, PSN, and Wii marketplaces. Overpriced games are an abomination. Stop it! Read more… »

Another Wednesday is upon us, which means it’s time to unravel this week’s goodies for the PSN Store. Highlights include playable demos for R.U.S.E. and the highly touted Vanquish along with new DLC for Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days, Bioshock 2, Red Dead Redemption and a reasonably priced car pack for Split/Second.

All in all, a pretty packed update I would say. Hit the jump for a full round-up.

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We are living in a time where our resource consumption is beginning to threaten the delicate balance of global climatic and ecological systems that make this planet a suitable place to call home. With the future viability of the human species at stake, individuals the world over have taken it upon themselves to do their part to lead environmentally-friendly lifestyles, and so must we.

If you are someone who is conscious of environmental issues and also are an avid gamer, chances are that having such an energy-intensive hobby makes you at least a little uncomfortable. While one might feel torn between their love of games and environmental commitments, that does not mean we are forced to choose.

Hit the jump to find out nine easy ways you can save the environment and maybe even a little money.

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