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Gears of War 3 multiplayer footage appears in UNC news report
The UNCTV report posted after the jump is noteworthy for two reasons: First, it shows off a bunch of Gears of War 3 multiplayer during a tour of Epic Games' HQ. Second, it's a mainstream news report about video games that isn't awkward and condescending enough to peel the flesh off your bones.
343 Industries adding 12 more positions for 'the future of Halo'
The new Halo house, 343 Industries, is once again hiring for "Halo jobs," ranging from "multiplayer designer" to "environment artist." Though the dozen listings don't spell out anything specific about a new project, job applicants must "demonstrate that you've played all of the games and thought a lot about the [Halo] franchise." So far, there's been no official announcement regarding a new Halo game, with 343's current focus on "supporting" Halo: Reach, according to Microsoft. An HD remake of Halo: Combat Evolved, built with the Reach game engine, is rumored to be in development.
Fable 3 PC playable at Microsoft's CES booth; release date still in darkness
We knew in August that Fable 3 wouldn't hit Windows PCs day-and-date with the Xbox version last October, but Microsoft told us to "expect news soon." Well, we suppose everyone has a different definition of "soon" since Fable 3 on PC is here at CES with an expected release date of ... well, they're still not saying. But if you'd become convinced that the latest installment in Lionhead's Fable franchise would never make it off the Xbox 360, much like the excellent Fable 2, then we suppose you'll find the above photo comforting. In our short hands-on time with the title, we didn't spot any notable distinctions from the Xbox 360 version. In short, it's Fable 3, warts and all.
ilomilo review: Thumbs upside down
Whether you intend to meet someone for a light lunch, or to discuss a murder plot that culminates in a heavy lunge, it's crucial to pick a spot of friendly intersection that's appropriate for both parties. Choose a place that is recognizable, visible and within polite distance -- it's just a good rule of thumb. Actually, scratch that. Thumbs are particularly bad at following that rule, especially when they're the haplessly opposed pair of Ilo and Milo. ilomilo asks you to reunite the waddling pair of stout, endearing and ever-forgetful thumbs in a whimsical maze of cubes. Their topsy-turvy neighborhood puts them at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to navigation, with different orientations, levels and walking angles delaying Ilo (the red one) and Milo (the blue one) from their elate greeting. It's an elegant, often devilish puzzle game wrapped in presentation that's just too vibrant and earnest to resist.%Gallery-92112%
Real-life 'Grunt Birthday Party' will make you cheer
It's likely that no skull has provided more joy in a Halo game than "Grunt Birthday Party," the toggle that makes headshots on the Convenant's Grunts explode into confetti while children cheer. An enterprising Halo fan has recreated the charming little bit of flair in real life, building a papier-mâché grunt, loading it up with some confetti and an exploding rifle target, then shooting at the thing with a real-life gun. As Bungie's official blog says, "Don't try this at home." But we're glad somebody did -- you can see the headshot in slow motion, along with some making-of pictures, after the break.
Joystiq Top 10 of 2010: Alan Wake
Turns out we'd been thinking of "episodic" gaming the wrong way. Episodic pioneers like Telltale long-since realized that consumers won't stick around episode to episode unless they buy the season upfront; so, episodic gaming isn't so much about a new business model as it is about a new (well, for gaming at least) method of storytelling. And that's where Alan Wake comes in. When Finnish game developer Remedy Entertainment announced it was turning in wronged NYPD cop Max Payne's badge and gun, only to pick up mystery writer Alan Wake's uh, pen ... and hoodie ... it was clear something was different. Over the game's prolonged five-year development cycle, Alan Wake morphed from an open-world, sandbox-style game set in the Pacific Northwest's fictional town of Bright Falls to a carefully scripted, episodic creation that had more in common with Twin Peaks than Grand Theft Auto.
12 Days of Joyswag: Halo: Reach hair clippers, briefcase, book ... oh, and game
To celebrate the holidays, we're having twelve straight days of giveaways up through Christmas day. And while we say it's to celebrate, really ... we're simply getting rid of some of the larger packages around the ol' office. Our theme for day eight is Halo: Reach and, we'll be honest ... it's a strange collection. First (and certainly foremost!) is this pair of military-grade Oster hair clippers and virtually indestructible Pelican case. Some of you may be more interested in an actual video game than hair clippers with video game branding so, for you, we've got another Halo: Reach-themed case. The press kit briefcase, pictured after the break, includes a copy of the game, The Fall of Reach book by Eric Nylund, the Halo: Reach gamepad, and some other trinkets. We're going to send both cases out to one lucky reader. Find out how to enter after the break. %Gallery-92034%
Halo: Reach infographic spills stats for first three months
The Grunt genocide continues, a fact highlighted in Bungie's latest and very thorough infographic for Halo: Reach. 11 billion grunts have met their demise at the hands of a Spartan, representing a full third of all Covenant kills across all gametypes. Between September 14 and December 10, players have logged "just over 1.3 billion games," taking up a collective 24,000 years of actual human time and earning 900 trillion credits. A stunning 1,500 people have managed to hang on to enough of those creds to nab the "Pestilence" armor effect, while only 1,000 have earned "Inclement Weather." More unbelievable? 320,000 people have won the "Unf-believable" medal, earned by completing 40 kills without dying. We totally would've gotten that one too, had that kamikaze Grunt not popped around the corner at the last minute. Never again! The infographic can be seen in full just below the break.
Halo: Assault on Squad 45 makes motion-stop mayhem with Mega Bloks
Halo: Assault on Squad 45 is hard to explain. On the one hand, it's corporate synergy, a joint promotional effort between 343 Industries and Mega Bloks, which makes a Halo Wars line. On the other hand, it's completely badass.
12 Days of Joyswag: Fable 3 rucksack with Collector's Edition, book, and controller
To celebrate the holidays, we're having twelve straight days of giveaways up through Christmas day. And while we say it's to celebrate, really ... we're simply getting rid of some of the larger packages around the ol' office. For day seven, we're giving away what can only be described as a rucksack full of Fable 3 swag. You'll find the Limited Collector's Edition of the game, a novel titled The Balverine Code, and that fancy Fable-edition wireless gamepad. Not shown here: the hefty 5MB patch released earlier this month.%Gallery-111751%
Fable 3 DLC starts raining hats and dogs
So, you're unhappy with the current breed of your Fable 3 murderhound? That's totally understandable -- the three options currently made available to settlers of Albion are Border Collie, Boxer and Red Setter, none of which are considered the classic warrior breeds. Luckily, the "Dog Breed Pack" (out today for 240 Microsoft Points) makes three far more combat-ready types of pups available for adoption: German Shepherd, Doberman and Poodle. What? Have you ever seen a poodle when it's really, really angry? Those things are vicious, man. If you're content with your dog's current genetic makeup, perhaps you'll be interested in another piece of DLC released by Lionhead today: The "Free Yule Hat," which, true to its name, is totally free. Seems like a nice way to add a little festivity to Albion's bleaker regions -- just make sure you take it off before you decide to conduct some horrible, unspeakable act. We'd hate for you to tarnish the image of Santa, you know.
Forza 4 will have Kinect support, Top Gear content
With a quick tease during this past weekend's Spike VGAs, Turn 10 Studios revealed its next project: Forza Motorsport 4. Microsoft confirmed today that Forza 4 will feature Kinect functionality -- the teaser trailer we've dropped after the break shows a brief moment that looks identical to a few of the features we saw at E3 this year. Additionally, the studio is working with the US version of Top Gear "to create an automotive experience unlike anything before it" -- perhaps Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson has been cloned and will ship with copies of the game, cheering and jeering players as they pilot supercars? That remains to be seen. What we do know is that Forza 4 will drift into retail outlets sometime next fall.%Gallery-110457%
Forza 3 'community choice classics' DLC adds 10 cars, hits Dec. 14
With all the hype surrounding the likes of Gran Turismo 5 and Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, Forza Motorsport 3 dev Turn 10 Studios would like owners of its Xbox 360-exclusive racing sim to know that they're not forgotten. To that end, it's releasing the Community Choice Classics pack on December 14 for 400 Microsoft Points ($5), featuring 10 new cars voted into the game by fans. For us, the highlight of the pack is the 1982 DeLorean DMC-12. (We probably shouldn't tell Turn 10 it could've just sold the car by itself for $5 and called it a day.) You'll find the full list of cars after the brake break, and remember: just like election day, you can't complain about the winners if you didn't vote. Well, you can, but you'll sound like a big jerk.
Recording Alan Wake audio was just as scary as listening to it
In a recent interview with Designing Sound, the audio team behind Alan Wake revealed much about their process creating the game's creepy soundscape. One of the more interesting bits in the interview involves the field recording that was done to capture some of the nature sounds of the forest. Pete Comley, a freelance sound designer hired for the project, actually lives in Washington and recorded sounds in many of the forests on which Alan Wake's environments are based. "Some of the recording was done very late at night in environments very similar to the ones Alan Wake tromps through, far in the woodsy backcountry," said Comley. "I had to keep reminding myself that there were no such things as "the Taken" when I heard the sound of elk crackling through the underbrush in the moonlit darkness (or even worse, total darkness)," he said, adding, "Making this game scared the daylights out of me more than once since I feel like I live where it takes place." Check out the full, exhaustive interview for more on Alan Wake's audio design process, including how the team approached creating the sound of light, the Dark Presence and the Taken.
Halo: Reach machinima features live-action footage for a cheesy-good time
Alan Marsala and Chance McManus (best name ever, by the way) both like Halo: Reach. They also like making movies. Perhaps it was inevitable then that the two would be combined. Whatever the reason, we're glad it happened -- their short film, You Will Never Get the Power Core, is a whole lot of fun.
Halo: Reach Mythbusters rips the lid off
Defend The House, a troupe of game sleuths, just debuted its fourth episode of Halo: Reach "Mythbusters," dispelling the hearsay of the land's people and offering us the cold hard facts we desire. Be sure to thank them the next time you almost try to trick a sniper with a hologram.
A World of Keflings, Raskulls and ilomilo dated for XBLA
"But Joystiq," you ask, "isn't there already a way to get the absolutely delightful ilomilo for XBLA right now?" Yes, there is -- or you could wait until it's "officially" released on the Xbox Marketplace come January 5 as part of the "Games for the Holidays" promotion. But really, who would do such a silly thing? (Either way, it'll set you back 800 Microsoft Points, or $10.) Of course, since there's no way to secretly procure Ninja Bee's latest, A World of Keflings, or the puzzle/racer mash-up that is Raskulls from Halfbrick Studios, you will have to wait until their official launches on December 22 and 29, respectively, at 800 points ($10) each.
Fable 3 patch prevents crashes, cures Jasper's laryngitis
With a 5MB title update released this morning on Xbox Live, Lionhead Studios has corrected some major Fable 3 issues. Primary among the fixes: quest progression issues (enemies not appearing, player getting physically stuck in certain parts of the world, etc.) and total game crashes. Additionally, various online multiplayer issues have been resolved, as has Jasper's curious case of sudden laryngitis. And hey, if you played in Japanese and really missed Reaver's voiceover in that one quest, you're all set now! The complete, embarrassing list of fixes can be found after the break.
PSA: Halo: Reach Noble Map Pack now available
INCOMING MESSAGE ORIGIN: OFFICE OF NAVAL INTELLIGENCE CLASS: SSSS | ORIG MSG IDENT: 19738244 | DISTR: LIMITED / CODE-WORD RESTRICTED SUBJ: ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINING PROGRAM (NOBLE MAP PACK) Message to all Spartan III operatives: Environmental training program classified "Noble Map Pack" is now available for download and evaluation. Program contains three new environments: Breakpoint, Tempest, Anchor 9 (see: visual archive). 800 Microsoft Points ($10) required for program access. New honorary distinctions (classification: "Achievements") will be awarded to the most dedicated personnel. Access to program may be obtained at this node. MESSAGE ENDS
Bungie offers a trio of video tours of Halo: Reach's Noble Map Pack
We got a brief demonstration last week of the three new Halo: Reach battlefields present in the Noble Map Pack -- however, don't you want a tour from the sage minds who created said arenas? Well, then, look no further than the three Bungie video tours posted just after the jump.
