With the NHL in lockout one can’t help but wonder what this will mean for the EA Sports NHL franchise. During the last lockout, NHL 05 saw a drastic drop in sales numbers year over year. However, NHL 05 wasn’t really that great of a step above NHL 04.

Thankfully, NHL 13 is not only a solid title, but will surely keep you transfixed throughout the season – or lack thereof. It isn’t without its issues though so you may want to stick around before running out and hitting the ice. Read more… »

A great deal has changed for the rhythm genre over the past decade. After experiencing a period of outrageous boom, things have been moving rather decidedly in the opposite direction for the past few years. A precipitous drop-off occurred in 2009, when the market reached the point of saturation, things have plodded along since but few releases have managed to capture community’s imagination, much less steal Guitar Hero‘s crown.

From that seemingly exhausted soil, however, emerges a PlayStation Network exclusive that is certain to provide a breath of fresh air for a genre that has become a tad stagnant. So, dust off those plastic guitars and read on to find out more Retro/Grade, a game that blurs the lines between music games and shmups to provide one of the standout PSN releases of the summer.

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It might also be tempting to entitle this post “Cliché Limit: orc holding man over chasm”. However, knowing that the fabled orc will be taking the center stage — rather than the villain role — in the upcoming RPG, Of Orcs and Men, may change one’s mind.

The following screenshots attempt to show the other side of the orc race — the side that you get to play against vicious human oppressors.

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Sine Mora is a great game; I think we can all agree on that. That’s why it was such a surprise when it was announced that previously XBLA-exclusive game was coming to the PS Vita. Now, that announcement is joined by this one: Sine Mora is coming to PSN too.

With the game’s XBLA exclusivity period up, there’s nothing keeping the Grasshopper Manufacture and Digital Reality co-developed game from gracing the PS3 with it’s “dieselpunk shoot ‘em up” charms. The PS3 version does not have a release date other than a vague “soon.”

Oh come on! After delay upon delay, it seems as if SEGA is now setting Anarchy Reigns up for a “Quarter 1 2013 release”. According to Platinum Games, they were left completely in the dark about this delay, as the international version is completely finished.

As always, the PS3 version will be region free (and it’s reported that the 360 version may be as well, but I’d check that), so you can import to your heart’s content. I think I may just do that.

[CVG]

Yesterday evening Sony presented their E3 2012 press conference, and in stark contrast to Microsoft started by revealing a brand new IP. For the most part Sony focused much more on games than supplementary services or features.

Here are some of the biggest highlights from Sony’s show.

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Warner Brothers has just announced that Guardians of Middle Earth, a MOBA style game, is now in development from Monolith Productions. It’s set to release on the Xbox 360 and PS3 later this year, and will feature 5v5 battles with various marquee characters from the lore. If you’re not familiar with the term MOBA, think DotA. The term MOBA itself is short for “Multiplayer Online Battle Arena”.

As hardcore Tolkien fans are aware of, there were very little actual magic users alive in the Third Age, so packing the game full of them might create an issue, and devalue the enjoyment of the game for some (like Lord of the Rings Conquest). Also, the prospect of Gollum potentially fighting Morgoth (Sauron’s boss) would be pretty absurd (and yet so awesome at the same time).

[Gamesradar]

Today id Software announced they will be releasing Doom 3 BFG Edition on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC this fall. But this is no ordinary console port! No sir. The BFG Edition is getting remastered graphics, new levels, Achievements and Trophies, and more.

This special edition also includes Doom, Doom 2, Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil, and seven brand new levels which id is calling the “Lost Mission.” Other features include 3D support, a new checkpoint system, and an armor-mounted flashlight, thus fixing one of the game’s biggest problems according to fans. Since Doom was one of the first games I ever played, I’m really looking forward to getting to experience a “director’s cut” of Doom 3.

[Source: Joystiq]

Good news, lovers of pain! While the servers for the acclaimed Demon’s Souls were scheduled to go offline at the end of this month, Atlus released a statement today that said they are leaving the game’s servers on for the “foreseeable future.”

Tim Pivnicny, the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Atlus, said, “While it originally seemed as though it would be unfeasible for us to continue to sustain the servers, a number of developments have made it possible for us to continue to invest in and support our fans as they have continued to invest in and support us and Demon’s Souls.” If gamers continue to stay invested in the game, Atlus said they have not ruled out the possibility of more extensions.

According to a source that spoke to Siliconera, “Sony Computer Entertainment is recording a teaser for a future Killzone game” that apparently will take place after the events of Killzone 3. The rumor hints that Visari’s daughter–seen briefly in Killzone 3‘s opening cinematic–will be a feature character in the future game.

Siliconera’s source also revealed the dialogue for what appears to be the game’s opening political diatribe, a staple of the Killzone series.

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Resident Evil 6 was initially slated for a November 20th release, but it looks like the Gods have smiled upon us this day, as Capcom has announced a new October 2nd target. Also, more importantly, in light of this news Capcom has released a new trailer for the game, which highlights the real news here: Wesker Jr. will be a playable character in the game. Also, Leon and Chris engage in an epic battle for whatever reason — more news for this game can’t come soon enough!

Considering I played the Resident Evil 5 demo at least fifty times before I got my hands on the main game, it’s safe to say I’m pretty excited to play the July 3rd demo included with Dragon’s Dogma.

Shortly following Tiger Woods’ first PGA Tour event win in more than two years, the newest installment of Tiger Woods PGA Tour was released. The past few years of this franchise has brought with it some of the best innovation in sports gaming. A sentiment that many hope stays true in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 and beyond.

Game mechanics like Focus and True-Aim have kept the games fresh and rewarding in years past. And while not all of them were gems – looking at you caddie – EA Sports keeps all of this in mind and does not rest on its laurels. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 successfully polishes its strengths, focuses on addressing its weaknesses, and provides enough new content to keep players entertained for hours on end. Read more… »