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DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue's virtuous thongs: explained!
When DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue was first introduced, we were baffled by the mysterious origin of the game's various undergarments of legend. Now that we know where they're from -- thanks to this latest trailer, care of PAX -- well, we're just as baffled. Head past the break and see for yourself.
Four other Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One titles Insomniac considered
When Insomniac announced the co-op focused Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One at Gamescom last month, we were all thinking the same thing: How did the series with the clever titles – Going Commando; Up Your Arsenal; Size Matters; Quest for Booty – miss out on the most obvious title here? 4play. Duh. It turns out the guys at Insomniac didn't miss it, they just decided not to use it. "At the end of the day, I think we didn't want to scare off the parents who might be buying the game for their kid," series writer TJ Fixman told an audience at PAX this weekend. "So we went with 'All 4 One.'" Better still, they had other names, four of which they shared with us last night and, since we heart you, we'll share with you here. Multiple Organisms Bros b4 Foes (Community Manager James Stevenson clarified the 'b4' spelling) Fiends with Benefits Even better, we were later told there's a spreadsheet with over a hundred possible titles on it but, without that in our possession (send it to us, Insomniac!) we've got to do the next best thing. We're asking for your contributions in the comments below. But before you get to that, we're going to ask you to vote for your favorite title in the poll below. Our guess: "All 4 One" isn't going to make the top spot. %Poll-52349%
PAX 2010: A visual tour
Just because you didn't attend PAX this year doesn't mean you can't tell your friends and loved ones that you totally did. Just click through our gallery and memorize every nook and cranny of the expansive show floor. Then you'll be ready when your friends and family try to test your story. "Ricky, when you were at PAX, did you see a giant dinosaur statue, Phoenix Wright cosplayers and Jonathan Blow working on a laptop?" You bet your sweet ass I did, grandma. But enough with the words, let the images commence! %Gallery-101434%
'We bought Duke Nukem.' Franchise rights transferred from 3D Realms to Gearbox
Just two days after revealing its stewardship of the Duke Nukem Forever title at PAX, Gearbox Software just revealed that it has actually purchased the Duke Nukem brand. Gearbox president Randy Pitchford told an audience at PAX this afternoon that they're not just making sure Duke Nukem Forever makes it to store shelves, but they've actually purchased the entire Duke Nukem IP. "We actually bought the brand," Pitchford told fans. "We bought Duke Nukem." A press release timed to go out with the announcement has some more information. Here's the big picture quote: "Gearbox Software announced today that it has acquired the full intellectual property rights of the 'Duke Nukem' brand including Duke Nukem Forever and all future projects in a cooperative deal made with 3D Realms." Even more interesting: "The first product to be available under the Duke Nukem brand will be the long awaited Duke Nukem Forever." Naturally, if they're buying the brand you can imagine DNF won't be the last game to feature the Duke. Pitchford made a point to say that Alan Blum, the creator of the Duke Nukem franchise, is now with Gearbox. "He's on the 10th floor with his team," he said. He also wanted to explain that this franchise couldn't simply have been purchased by anyone. "I didn't buy it from [3D Realms]," Pitchford said. "They sold it to me." In the press release, 3D Realms' Scott Miller said, "Gearbox was handpicked as the new home for Duke Nukem because of their continued passion, commitment and long-time heritage with the brand and 3D Realms." So, Duke Begins then?
Sonic Colors preview: Wisp you were here
We can all agree that Sonic Unleashed had some pretty deep lows -- specifically, the Werehog. But the daytime segments in the game showed promise; almost a return to form. These areas of the game, for the unaware, combined Sonic Adventure-like 3D free-running elements alongside more classical, 2D elements from the series' past. It was easily the highlight of that game. And Sega knows it, which explains why Sonic Colors is pretty much nothing but those portions of gameplay. That alone would make for a pretty serviceable Sonic game, but Sega has also added Wisps: small alien creatures who imbue Sonic with one-time-use powers.%Gallery-95227%
Bit.Trip Beat DLC on iPhone/iPad will be Bit.Trip Void tracks
You know how we told you about DLC for the iPhone and iPad versions of Bit.Trip Beat a few days back? During an appointment with developer Gaijin Games here at PAX, CEO and designer Alex Neuse confirmed the exact nature of the DLC tracks: they're Bit.Trip Void songs! He informed Joystiq that the tracks weren't actually being developed by Gaijin Games, but were instead being crafted by the iPhone/iPad version's publisher, Namco-Bandai. Neuse is looking forward to trying the new tracks, as you'd imagine -- it's not every day you have an opportunity to be stumped by your own game, you know? %Gallery-101131%
PAX 2010: Wrassling the FFXIV community with Square-Enix
It was hard to miss Final Fantasy XIV at PAX Prime this year -- its booth loomed large, white and sprawling right inside of the main exhibition hall doors. As players poured in to get their hands on this imminent title, Massively pulled aside Square-Enix's Yasu Kurosawa and Sage Sundi for a chat about managing the global community. Sage deals with more of the global aspect across multiple regions, while Yasu is Square Enix's North America representative and is tasked with bringing the community's voice back to Japan. Unfortunately, we were limited from discussing gameplay aspects of FFXIV, but the pair were open about the challenges and difficulties of handling a community worldwide, especially in regions where the game's developers are not linguistically fluent. Read on for their thoughts on the subject.
Swarm preview: strength in numbers
Hothead revealed Swarm for the first time back at E3. Then, we didn't know much about the game -- it's actually still in pre-Alpha, despite a launch window of "early 2011." We were given a demo of the game at PAX and finally came to understand what we were dealing with. It's hard to see the game and not compare it to Lemmings. Both games have a seemingly dull-witted cast who have found themselves inexplicably stuck in an incredibly dangerous environment. And both have the same means to persevere: teamwork. %Gallery-101328%
CCP releases new EVE trailer, reveals new contest
While most of the MMORPG fans at PAX are focused on headline-hogs like Guild Wars 2 and The Old Republic, EVE Online is making its share of noise, first with a new expansion announcement followed by the unveiling of a new game trailer titled Causality. CCP Games has also revealed a new contest called the Universal Glory Sweepstakes. Despite stiff genre competition, the Icelandic development firm shows no signs of slowing down development on its landmark space sandbox, and players now have the opportunity to win computer hardware and EVE merchandise including a complete gaming system and a year's subscription to the game. The contest runs through October 3rd, and the entry form requires you to answer a couple of questions posed about the new Causality trailer. Check it out after the cut or at the official contest website.
Statement: Snarky assassin droid steals the show in PAX TOR trailer
It was starting to feel like forever since any new information had come out of The Old Republic's well-oiled marketing machine. Happily, a new video released at PAX 2010 has temporarily quenched the drought and simultaneously provided a glimpse into ground-based combat in BioWare's upcoming Star Wars opus. The trailer is heavy on dialogue and even heavier on exposition, as BioWare shows us lengthy snippets of a conversation between a player group and an NPC officer who offers them the opportunity to poke around the former stomping grounds of the legendary Darth Revan. There's a bit of battle footage thrown into the mix as well, but the highlight of the two-minute video is undoubtedly the appearance of everyone's favorite assassin droid. Check out the footage after the cut or on the official website.
SpyParty preview: A triumph of reverse intelligence
I know times are tight, especially for one-man indie dev teams, but, as a service to the gamers of Earth, Chris Hecker has got to get a better booth. In a nondescript corner of PAX, under a nondescript banner and sporting slightly worse than nondescript graphics (all placeholder, Hecker assured) it would have been easy to miss SpyParty. It would have been a particularly unfortunate fate considering it was (drumroll) the best thing I've played at PAX so far.
Here's the BioShock Infinite Game Informer cover(s)
Next month's Game Informer cover isn't revealing a new game – unlike last month's Batman: Arkham City cover – but it's still got plenty to offer. Behold! Three separate BioShock Infinite covers, crafted by Irrational artist Rob Waters, that ape the old-timey, Norman Rockwell aesthetic of "The Saturday Evening Post." Unveiled during a PAX panel titled "From Concept to Cover: The Game Informer Selection Process," GI Editor-in-Chief Andy McNamara shared not only the final three covers, but the many revisions that went into each one. We've got some galleries below of each cover and its various revisions, including some commentary from both Game Informer and Irrational.
Meatbag-hating droid HK-47 teased in Star Wars: The Old Republic
Good news for you HK-47 fans out there! The meatbag-hating android from KOTOR and KOTOR 2 was teased at the tail end of today's Star Wars: The Old Republic panel at PAX, meaning you can enjoy classic lines like "Observation: I am awesome" in a massively multiplayer setting. Check out HK-47's greatest hits after the break.
Video: Watch Splosion Man's 'Donuts, Go Nuts!' song performed live at PAX
Not at PAX? Want to live vicariously through the power of the internet? We can think of no better solution to your dilemma than to recommend you watch our video of Matt "Chainsaw" Chaney's ukelele performance of "Donuts, Go Nuts!" from the Twisted Pixel booth this afternoon. And look on the bright side: You can go flip on your Xbox and play Splosion Man (again!) while all these suckers at PAX are left napping on beanbag chairs.
Portal 2's PAX co-op gameplay footage introduces robot hugs
Just because you aren't at PAX Prime this weekend doesn't mean you can't experience at least some of the joys and wonders that the show floor has to offer. For instance, the 10 straight minutes of Portal 2 co-op gameplay that we've dropped after the break, courtesy of GameTrailers -- hearing the "oohs" and "aahs" of the crowd on all sides, you'll feel just like you're there! And sure, you might not get a free Portal 2 shirt like this session's attendees did, but you can experience a heartwarming robot hug. And isn't that more than enough?%Gallery-101341%[Update 9/9: We swapped out the cam-capture with a direct feed version, muy better. Also, happy birthday, Dreamcast!]
PAX 2010: Guild Wars 2 hands-on
I finally found time to check out Guild Wars 2 firsthand this morning, and the experience will easily be counted as the highlight of PAX so far in my book. The demo booth was my first stop this morning, and I was excited to go through the character creation process and save Shaemoor. I've seen a dozen videos of just that, but there's nothing like playing through it firsthand. As I was playing, several ArenaNet staffers passed by, said hello, and chatted a bit. I spent much of my demo time exploring all the character options, learning the controls, and looking around Shaemoor, growing a little anxious all the while. The clock was ticking and I hadn't seen nearly everything I wanted to. With about 10 minutes left, a few ArenaNet devs surprised me by stepping in and offering to show off some more content -- particularly legacy sites, something that was at the top of my wish list for the demo. While there are no earth-shattering new revelations (sorry, no class reveal), it was exciting to check out some features in more detail. Follow along after the jump for screenshots, pictures, descriptions and video recorded in genuine shakycam!%Gallery-101397%
Halo: Combat Evolved and the battle for boats
During development of the original Halo: Combat Evolved, Bungie actually created a working boat. One map in particular was discussed during today's Bungie panel at PAX 2010 -- an area with several islands where the player would have to navigate from one to the other via watercraft. Bungie showed a video of an early rendering of the craft in use, which very much looked like a futuristic version of a cigarette boat. In the end, it was cut from the game -- not because it didn't handle well, but because "it wasn't fun." Personally, we would've liked to try our hand at aquatic Haloing, but then again we're huge fans of Miami Vice.
Outland preview: When shmups grow legs
If you need proof that the upswing of independent game development is having an impact on more mainstream devs, look no further than Outland, the upcoming XBLA and PSN release just revealed by Ubisoft during PAX 2010. Just tell me this doesn't seem like one of those way-out-there ideas, the product of one-man coding in his spare time: It's a beautifully rendered animated platformer that draws aesthetic inspiration from classics like Out of this World ... oh, and it's sort of based on Ikaruga. Crazy, yes, but also very real and, as I can attest after one of the levels and a boss battle, very beautiful. %Gallery-101170%
PAX 2010: City of Heroes moves Fitness over to inherent powers
Big news got dropped today during the City of Heroes panel over at the inimitable PAX, the sort of thing that every veteran of the game will be interested in. Fitness -- also known as the powerset that is more or less mandatory by level 20, or the Stamina set -- is being moved from power pools into the inherent power set. That means that three of the default power choices in the game have just been rolled into every character from level 1, making builds more flexible and players very happy indeed. It wasn't mentioned specifically whether this means the powers will simply be under inherent powers or base movement speed, regeneration rates, and so forth will be increased. There has also been more information about the highly anticipated Incarnate System, with Issue 19 rolling out the Alpha Slot to start players down the road of improvement at Level 50. We'll have more on the panel as a whole and the details of the revelations, including news on the Issue 20 testing, but for now, all City of Heroes players should be happy to learn they have three new power selections to play with when 19 launches.
PAX 2010: Counting down to LotRO's relaunch with Turbine
TweetWith the launch of Lord of the Rings Online's biggest patch to date a scant few days away, we touched base with Turbine's Aaron Campbell, Brian Aloisio, and Bob Hess at PAX Prime to see how their nerves are holding up at this point. It is, as Aloisio laughed, akin to launching the game all over again, and LotRO is definitely under close scrutiny because of it. Many players were surprised to hear that LotRO's free-to-play update was going live much sooner than anticipated, and we asked Campbell whether this was due to a preset schedule or better-than-anticipated beta feedback. He said that they weren't going to release it until it was ready, but by the team's reckoning, the beta process went so smoothly that there was no reason to delay any further. Compared to the betas for Shadows of Angmar, Mines of Moria and Siege of Mirkwood, the F2P beta -- according to Campbell -- was the most upbeat Turbine's ever had, with far more positive feedback than negative. Hit the jump to hear more and see the latest screenshots and video from PAX.
