Griffin McElroy

Griffin is a graduate of Marshall University with seven years of experience in professional video games reporting. In addition to his work as Weekend Editor, Contributing Editor and now Reviews Editor for Joystiq, he's produced content for a number of local West Virginia news organizations and contributed to MTV's Choose or Lose Street Team '08 election coverage. He's also the co-host and editor of My Brother, My Brother and Me, a podcast in which he distributes exclusively terrible advice.

Articles by Griffin McElroy

Deus Ex PC patch now live on Steam
If, while playing the PC version of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, your heads-up display inexplicably disappeared, don't worry! Your techno-magical eyeballs haven't fallen out of your cyberhead -- that was a bug in the programming (the game's, not Adam's) which was fixed by a patch that recently launched on Steam. Other fixes in the update include a remedy for a plethora of crashes, frame-stuttering issues and an option to skip the logo screens whenever you start up the game. We wish every video game valued our time in this manner. Check out all the updates after the jump.
Hang out with Felicia Day in Dragon Age 2: Mark of the Assassin DLC
The Felicia Day-fronted live-action web series based in the Dragon Age 2 universe has been delayed until October. Fortunately, it'll be paired with a companion piece that'll be infinitely more playable. BioWare recently announced a DLC pack for the Kirkwallian RPG titled "Mark of the Assassin," which sees you teaming up with Day's "Tallis" character from Dragon Age: Redemption, and diving through a trap-riddled dungeon in search of a precious gem. The expansion will be available on October 11 for an undisclosed price. Really, though, how much is too much to ask for being able to hang out with Felicia Day without waiting in a week-long line at Comic-Con? %Gallery-134111%
Ridge Racer Vita gets insane teaser trailer, fairly tame screens
YOU WILL GET A NEW "MACHINE," the teaser trailer for the obligatory PS Vita version of Ridge Racer promises. We have ... just, literally no idea what that means. The screenshots posted below, however, are a lot more clear-spoken.
Toys R' Us offering 320GB PS3 for $249
Toys R' Us has quite the appealing offer for folks looking for a gaming console with an obscene amount of hard drive space. For an undisclosed amount of time, the 320GB PS3 is marked down to $249.99 at the giraffe-branded retailer.
Battlefield 3 screens are action-packed (and gorgeous)
This most recent batch of screenshots for EA and DICE's wartime shooter, Battlefield 3, really want you to be certain of one thing: This game is going to have gunfights in it. Or, wait, two things: It's gonna have gunfights, and it's gonna have explosions, in that order.
Star Wars ads find their way into Deus Ex: Human Revolution loading screens
Deus Ex: Human Revolution plays host to a wide assortment of advertisements for fictional future-products (like robot eyes and face-installed sunglasses) -- but the game now sports a promo for a real-life, purchasable thing. The game's loading screen occasionally includes a tiny banner announcing the launch of the Star Wars Blu-ray trilogy, as seen in the corner of the image posted above. Some of the billboards built into the game's environment are equipped to sport dynamic advertisements, but we haven't noticed anything as unsubtle as this. We suppose it could be worse! The advertisement could just pop up during a climactic boss battle. Or Darth Vader could just make a totally out-of-place cameo in one of Detroit's seedy alleyways. Actually, no, wait. That would be rad. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in.]
Dead Island patch out on Xbox 360; PS3 and PC update coming later
The various and sundry niggling issues that plagued Dead Island upon its highly anticipated launch appear to be on Techland's hit list -- the game recently received another patch on the Xbox 360. According to the game's official Twitter account, updates include "improvements to matchmaking, AI, quest and escort fixes, visual glitch fixes and a ton more." We encountered most of those issues during our time with the game, so we're pleased as punch to hear they've been remedied. If you're rocking the PC or PS3 version of the game, don't get too blinded by jealousy. The Dead Island account also tweeted that PS3 and PC updates are on the way.
LittleBigPlanet 2 Move Pack review: A brand new toy box
The LittleBigPlanet 2 Move Pack DLC (which is suitably, adorably subtitled Rise of the Cakeling) is the franchise's most gargantuan expansion, and could make a run for the most ambitious DLC release for any game ever released. Just as the core game sought to allow the use of a DualShock 3 for virtually any purpose, this expansion hopes to give players the same freedom with the PlayStation Move. Media Molecule was successful in achieving that initial, lofty goal -- and once again, the Guildford-based studio has created an engine of infinite possibility for the Move controller. Any function you could devise for the remote is within reach, provided you've got the patience and cleverness to figure out how to invent it. %Gallery-130809%
God of War Origins Collection launch trailer shows Kratos' brutal beginnings
If you skipped Kratos' PSP adventures, you can fill the gaps of his mythos by picking up the God of War Origins Collection, the launch trailer for which is posted above. Or, you can read our handy summary: He used to be very angry, and now he is very, very angry, and he will always be so angry.
Minecraft update 1.8 is (officially) live
We know that Minecraft version 1.8 (also referred to as the "Adventure Update") has been available through semi-official means since late last week, after a Mojang developer leaked the update with the studio's blessing. If you don't feel like chasing down the file, however, you can now grab the patch through the Minecraft launcher, where it recently went live for all users. We realize this doesn't have much impact on our more tech-savvy, file-hunting readers, but if you share our fear of downloading a game update which is secretly an illegal bestiality porno virus, you can now download the update free of that particular worry. [Thanks, Richard.]
European PSN releases for September 14
Whether your interests lie in carving up ancient Greece's cryptozoological creatures, or creeping your way through government installations, this week's PSN update aims to please. There's the God of War HD Collection: Volume II (the two titles from which can also be bought piecemeal), the Splinter Cell Trilogy HD and, for good measure, Fast Draw Showdown, because, hey, why not? Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list: (Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
Fantastic Arcade to keep Austin weird on September 22
If you're fortunate enough to live within (or near!) the borders of Austin, Texas, you should clear your schedule for next weekend. Fantastic Arcade will take over The Highball from Thursday, September 22 to Sunday, September 25. The event will play host to 21 indie games, such as the psychedelic Dyad, the audio-only panic game, Deep Sea, the heartwarmingly bizarre Octodad, the perspective-shifting Fez, and the utterly magical Owlboy. There's also a Starhawk gameplay demonstration from fellow Austin-based studio Lightbox Interactive, and a panel hosted by a whole bevy of PSN developers. Check out Juegos Rancheros for the full lineup, trailers and a schedule of events for the weekend.
Super Monday Night Combat introduces 'Karl,' a new Pro
Uber Entertainment recently showed Shacknews one of the new Pros that will be thrown into the mix in its upcoming free-to-play shooter, Super Monday Night Combat: The dreaded Karl. He's a monocle-toting mechanical man who resembles the Assault archetype from the first game -- a jack-of-all-trades; especially when those trades require him to see really, really well out of one of his eyes. He's also a decommissioned reconiassance cyborg created by oblivious upper-class engineers, as well as a downtrodden divorcee, having recently split from fictional supermodel Jazelle Pivovarova. We now know and care more about Karl than most of our immediate family members. Sorry, guys, maybe if you all had endearing back stories and even-more-endearing eyepieces.
Nintendo shares drop 5 percent following TGS showcase
It seems Japanese investors weren't too thrilled by the presentation Nintendo put together for last night's Tokyo Game Show press conference. Despite revealing a new Mario Tennis, another Monster Hunter title, a firmware update and a different 3DS color, Nintendo's share price dropped to ¥12,290 by the end of trading yesterday -- a five percent day-to-day drop which some investors chalk up to a lineup that doesn't compete with the cheaper offerings of iOS and Android titles. Speaking to Reuters, Ichiyoshi Investment manager Mitsushige Akino said, "Nintendo succeeded by pulling in people who weren't gamers and their needs now are no longer being filled by Nintendo, they are happy playing games on their mobile phones." We suppose Nintendo could combat further losses by making 3DS games cost 99 cents. Whatever they do, they should do it quickly, as Nintendo's stock has fallen 84 percent from its all time high of ¥70,500 in November 2007.
Dungeon Defenders dev diary tells us exactly what we need to hear
Though the first two minutes of the Dungeon Defenders dev diary above goes into great detail about the game, the final thirty seconds or so is just a guy listing awesome, applicable buzz words: "RPG, DotA, hack-and-slash, four-player co-op, Steam support, free hot dogs." (That last one was our own.)
Call of Duty: Black Ops' Rezurrection DLC hitting PC and PS3 next week
PS3 and PC gamers have shamefully allowed the undead to bounce across the surface of our lunar satellite for far too long -- next Thursday, their extraterrestrial galavanting must come to an end. Activision has announced that the Call of Duty: Black Ops Rezurrection DLC pack, which adds five Zombie maps to the game (including the entirely ridiculous Moon stage), will arrive on PC and PS3 Thursday, September 22. You'll be able to grab the pack and its constituent Zombie-slaying grounds for $14.99. Activision's also distributing double experience during the immediately following weekend, September 23 - 25, on the off chance that you haven't Prestiged like, a billion times by now.
PSA: Gamestop now accepting iOS device trade-ins
Are you just lousy with iPhone and iPads, but light on Maddens and Deus Exes? There's a handy way to convert your supplies of the former into the latter: One week after first revealing the initiative, Gamestop is now allowing trade-ins of iOS devices for store credit. In a statement released this morning (at the same time as their Android tablet's announcement), the company announced that its brick-and-mortar locations are now turning your iPods, iPhones and iPads into cold, hard store credit. The amount of credit you'll get for each device varies based on which service provider you're attached to, as well as its hard drive capacity and model. The announcement menions that the credit you'll earn is "significantly higher" than the norm -- an AT&T 3G 32GB iPad 2, for instance, is worth $300 in Gamestop-bucks. Why, that's probably, like, 100 times the going rate for a mint copy of Tak and the Power of Juju!
Gamestop launching branded Android gaming tablet next year
Gamestop has come up with a thoroughly thought-provoking method to stop losing business to the ever-expanding mobile market: By jumping into that market with arms outstretched. The company hinted at the possibility of developing a gaming tablet earlier this year; today, Gamestop president Tony Bartel explained to GamesIndustry that they're currently testing the sale and distribution of an unspecified Android tablet which will be Gamestop branded, and paired with a dedicated controller peripheral. The device will support (and, after a trip through Gamestop's refurbishment center, will be pre-loaded with) mobile apps, but the goal is to allow the tablet to stream full retail releases (assumedly using Spawn Labs' Player software). Bartel also mentioned that the company was working with developers to create titles specifically for the hardware -- though we'll probably have to wait until the device's launch next year to find out the identity of those titles, not to mention the tablet itself.
The Old Republic 'Smuggler' trailer shows us the class we'll be playing as
We're sorry to break the news to such honorable professions as Jedi, Bounty Hunter and Trooper in such a public forum, but we will not be playing as you when Star Wars: The Old Republic launches. We will be playing as a Smuggler, because the trailer above makes that class seem hot like fire.
Plants vs Zombies iPhone update adds nine new mini-games
If you need to take a breather from the exhausting business of arboreal zombie warfare, you'll be able to participate in nine new mini-games on the iPhone version of Plants vs. Zombies today. An update for the title just launched, which adds three packs of three diversions to Crazy Dave's store, such as ZomBotany 2, Invisi-Ghoul and Beghouled Twist. Really, the puns are worth the price of admission. Each pack can be bought with in-game coins, or if you prefer, with $0.99 of your real-world cash. We'd suggest spending the former, because the latter can be spent on other real-world goods and services. Like, you could play the mini games, and also eat the three Twix bars you just bought. Or, wait -- six Twix bars! Because there's two of them.

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