BioShock 2's 'Capture the Sister' mode isn't kidding around

The citizens of BioShock 2's undersea dystopia, Rapture, love them some ADAM -- especially when it's been freshly harvested by a Little Sister. It's with this in mind that Digital Extremes tweaked the tried-and-true Capture the Flag multiplayer contest to place one team in charge of abducting one of these adolescent creepsters while the other must lay their lives on the line to protect her.

As the above first look at the mode explains, the "attacking" side's goal is to return the girl to a Little Sister vent. The defenders -- well they defend, of course ... but one of them gets to be a Big Daddy. We'll have our hands-on impressions of BioShock 2's single and multiplayer modes tomorrow, so look for more details then.

BioShock 2's 'Capture the Sister' mode isn't kidding around originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Epic Mickey was originally an epic PC, PS3 & 360 game

While the family-friendly Wii seems like the starting point for a Mickey Mouse relaunch, the decision to make Disney Epic Mickey a Wii exclusive wasn't automatic. In fact, it wasn't even the original plan. "The reality is that we started Wii development in 2008," Warren Spector told Official Nintendo Magazine, "but before that we were a PC, PS3, and 360 title."

When the issue of a Wii port was raised, Spector told Disney that it wasn't going to work. "It needs to be its own game. A lot of the design ideas just won't work on the Wii, we need to give the Wii its dues." In response, Disney Interactive's Graham Hopper suggested that the game simply be a Wii exclusive, thus solving the problem of a subpar Wii port and addressing Spector's desire to focus on a single platform. That single platform just happened to be none of the ones for which the game was initially planned!

Epic Mickey was originally an epic PC, PS3 & 360 game originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

New Modern Warfare: Airport Murder Simulator 2 video game glorifies terrorism

Sorry, mainstream press, but we already beat you to the headline! Much like the level of anticipation amongst us gamers, controversy is set to reach uncomfortable levels when Activision and Infinity Ward's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 starts shooting up the sales chart (and the airport) on November 10th. By now, you've likely seen or heard of the leaked footage depicting a civilian massacre, perpetrated by the player himself.

Speaking to Joystiq, Activision noted that consumers will be given the option to skip such scenes, which it claims are not representative of the overall game. They'll also be preceded by explicit warnings about their "disturbing" nature. While we imagine most players will judge, discuss and react to the sequence within its context -- did you know that the plot tasks you with infiltrating a terrorist group? -- don't expect the mainstream media to handle the issue with equal consideration. Witness Mirror.co.uk's initial reaction: "Modern Warfare 2: Leaked level makes light of terrorist activities." Terrorists in my vidgame -- haha!

"The game includes a plot involving a mission carried out by a Russian villain who wants to trigger a global war," reads Activision's official statement, included in full after the break. "In order to defeat him, the player infiltrates his inner circle. The scene is designed to evoke the atrocities of terrorism." Whether or not it crosses a line in doing so is up for debate ... but don't tell Fox News that.

On the bright side, at least you can't shoot a pair of alien lesbians having sex on the luggage carousel. We'd never hear the end of it.

Continue reading New Modern Warfare: Airport Murder Simulator 2 video game glorifies terrorism

New Modern Warfare: Airport Murder Simulator 2 video game glorifies terrorism originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 also joins the Q1 party

Just when you thought those Q1 delays were over, SCEA comes in with a surprise. The upcoming SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 for PSP will miss its original late November release, and will instead come out on January 12th, 2010, two weeks before Zipper deploys MAG on PS3.

SCEA Senior Producer Mark Rogers says that developer Slant Six is not responsible for the delay and "development is on schedule." Instead, Rogers blames marketing, saying "some high value visual assets (screens and video) have only recently been made available to global marketing and we have decided to move the release and allow time to get the word out to everyone." So, although assets have been available since April, marketing hasn't received them until "recently." We're not entirely sure how this makes sense, but the end result is clear: you'll be waiting longer for this game, as someone gets their act together.

SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 also joins the Q1 party originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Frogger Returns, crosses street to WiiWare and PlayStation Network

Click to see even larger rats.

Konami shocked us by announcing a complete reboot of Frogger, reimagined by American McGee as a dark, twisted platformer about a frog on a quest for revenge.

Wait, they didn't do that. Instead, they announced Frogger Returns, a by-the-numbers follow-up to the arcade classic that has you taking the titular mascot from one side of the screen to the other. This modern take on the franchise adds a few power-ups (like the ability to reverse and stop time) and invincibility. Whoa, who knew frogs could do all that?

Frogger Returns promises to be "12 times the size of the original" and will also offer "local multiplayer," according to the official press release. No details on price were revealed, but Konami's aiming for a release on both WiiWare and PlayStation Network later this fall.

Frogger Returns, crosses street to WiiWare and PlayStation Network originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

God of War Collection coming in November, with two Platinum trophies

Did you know that the God of War Collection features two God of War games: God of War and God of War II? Oh, you could tell from the box art? Well, did you know that the God of War Collection puts both God of War and God of War II on a single Blu-ray disc, remastered in 720p HD for PS3? Oh, so you've been following this game, huh?

While everything about the aptly titled re-release has been unsurprising thus far, we were caught off-guard by this tidbit revealed by the PlayStation.blog. The Kratos Kompilation has not one but two Platinum Trophies, one for each title. Trophy hunters need not worry about the difficulty of nabbing both Platinums: neither will require playing the game on the hardest difficulty. In fact, "Getting My Ass Kicked" encourages dying enough times to unlock Easy Mode.

The God of War Collection will ship to retailers on November 17th. Well, unless you live in Europe ...

God of War Collection coming in November, with two Platinum trophies originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gearbox details known Borderlands glitches, workarounds

After dealing with shortages and that PS3 friends list thing, a few Borderlands players have now reported encountering an online glitch that erases everything. Yes, folks -- it's so bad, we had to put it in italics.

You can check out the list of ongoing issues for yourself over at the Gearbox forums, where the biggest perpetrator is undoubtedly the glitch that causes a player's stats to be downgraded to a big fat zero following another player joining or vacating an online match. Another glitch does the same thing, only with your entire inventory of weapons; Gearbox says the worst issues are fairly infrequent, as scary as they may sound.

As of right now, there's currently no fix or workaround for a lot of the potential game breakers, though the majority of issues aren't as bad as those listed above. Still, Gearbox is working to resolve these issues and if you've found something that isn't on the list, we suggest you hit up the technical support section. We can all make these lands a better place ... together.

[Via 1UP]

Gearbox details known Borderlands glitches, workarounds originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Metareview: Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time (PS3)

Not everyone is brave enough to venture through the cracks in time -- well, Ratchet and Clank are. The duo has found no reason to retire and have once again set out for adventure within your PS3. The latest entry in the series -- Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time -- promised to bring an epic story and non-stop chimpin' action this time around. Has it delivered?

• 1UP (A): "I'm a casual fan of the series and I still found myself excited to get home and play the game each night the past week. It may be a lot of more of the same, but more of the same has never been so darn addicting."
• IGN (90/100): "Insomniac has created a visually appealing game with enough personality to match its good looks. With so much to level-up and enjoy, there's enough to keep even hardcore Ratchet fans coming back for more -- especially with the new Clank sections that feature some enthralling puzzles. Now that the awkward space sections from Tools of Destruction have been replaced, there's almost nothing I don't like about Crack in Time. Unfortunately, as Crack in Time still relies heavily on the tried and true Ratchet Formula, gamers that were satisfied with old Ratchet games might not have enough reasons to come back."
• GameTrailers (89/100): "If A Crack in Time is indeed the final Ratchet & Clank game, then the series has been finished the right way-with a solid game that doesn't stray from what fans love while giving them plenty of service in the process. And in this way, it's also guilty of playing it a bit safe, but when expectations are that high, and are met, it's a sure sign of a quality game."
• Videogamer (80/100): "Fans of Ratchet and Clank will find A Crack in Time to be more of the same, with a few twists here and there. It's a fine end to the current storyline and packs in loads of content that will see you playing well beyond the closing credits. The lack of fresh ideas, especially during Ratchet's sections, will be seen by many as a negative, but there are so few games that nail the action platforming genre that it's easily forgivable. If you're looking for a fun, imaginative, family friendly PS3 game, A Crack in Time fits the bill perfectly."
• Eurogamer (70/100): "But I've been playing R&C games for years now, and I was hoping for something extra. That doesn't mean radical change - goodness knows no one wants Ratchet to "go dark" or start running round sandbox environments. I still want a meat feast pizza, I just want it to have a stuffed crust. And maybe some dips. Or in other words, a proper selection of exciting new weapons, original puzzles and a bit of innovation. It's not that A Crack in Time is all fur coat and no knickers. The problem is, it's all fur coat and the same knickers it's been wearing for seven years. Time for a change."

Gallery: Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time

Metareview: Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time (PS3) originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Pumpkin Head mask returning to LBP in time for Halloween

If you missed your chance to grab the LittleBigPlanet Pumpkin Head mask, which was offered as a free Halloween promotion last year, don't fret -- Media Molecule is bringing the complimentary costume piece back to the game this Thursday. We're not certain how long the wearable gourd will be available to download, so make sure you act quickly, lest you be forced to wait another year before you get your Sleepy Hollow Sackboy on.

[Via VG247]

Pumpkin Head mask returning to LBP in time for Halloween originally appeared on Joystiq Playstation on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Now Playing: October 26 - November 1, 2009

Wiki-wiki-wikee!

Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:

Last updated: Wednesday, 1:46 PM

Continue reading Now Playing: October 26 - November 1, 2009

Now Playing: October 26 - November 1, 2009 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Guitar Hero co-founder expects DJ Hero to have slower initial sales

It's rare that we hear anything but doe-eyed optimism from publishers of yet-to-be-released games -- however, Activision's Kai Huang, co-creator of the Guitar Hero franchise, recently voiced some fairly realistic expectations for the upcoming disc-spinning rhythm title, DJ Hero. "We're expecting this to be the type of game that may come out of the gate a little bit slower, but continue to grow over time," Huang explained during a speech at the PLAY Digital Media Conference in Berkeley.

Huang mentioned that while overall sales will be bolstered by the Hero part of the game's moniker, the DJ portion may scare potential players off -- causing Activision to focus on in-store demos to push the product on passersby. If we were unenlightened of DJ Hero's existence, we'd probably be snared by the siren call of the demo unit's mash-up of "Hollaback Girl" and "Give it to Me." Curse you, Stefani/James!

[Via VG247]

Guitar Hero co-founder expects DJ Hero to have slower initial sales originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Swag Saturday: Spoils from Capcom's Fight Club

After getting beaten handily by the folks attending Capcom's NYC Fight Club this week, we were given the tagged black bag you see above, full of consolation prizes (for our bruised egos). Being the good sports we are though, we're giving away everything we got directly to you for this week's Swag Saturday prize. From the fancy event art to the always important Tatsunoko vs. Capcom towel, this goodie bag comes packed full of semi-exclusive swag. To get your hands on it, all you have to do is leave a comment below telling us who your favorite Street Fighter character of all time is. We'll pick one of you at random next week to receive the goods. In the meantime, we'll be over here, putting that bruised ego on ice.

• Leave a comment telling us who your favorite Street Fighter character of all time is.
• You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec, mostly because of the Moon's position in relation to the Earth)
• Limit 1 entry per person per day
• This entry period ends at 9:01PM ET on Sunday, October 25
  
• At that time, we'll randomly select one winner to receive a bag of Capcom Fight Club swag (estimated $30 ARV)
• For a list of complete rules, click here

Swag Saturday: Spoils from Capcom's Fight Club originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

JBO: Joystiq Box Office, October 19 - October 23

We can't be gaming all the time, despite our best efforts, and from time to time we'll actually take advantage of the movie-playing abilities on our gaming systems. JBO features our top picks for XBL, PSN, Netflix's Watch Instantly and Blu-ray each week.

Recommendation of the Week:

Red Cliff (VOD, Amazon, and Xbox 360: 800 ($10) SD to rent)
John Woo is back! And thankfully this isn't the John Woo who directed Paycheck or Windtalkers. This is more like the Hard Boiled, Hard Target John Woo ... just on a massive scale. It's an epic film based on actual historic events and battles that took place in China around 208 AD. Chinese audiences were treated to a four hour long version that was split into two parts, and it has become the highest grossing film in Chinese history. American audience are getting a version that's been heavily edited down to 2.5 hours, but it is still well worth watching. Three epic battles, stealth, trickery, and martial arts action. Plus it reunited John Woo with actor Tony Leung who co-starred in Hard Boiled with Chow Yun-Fat. Don't balk at the running time, because it is worth every minute. Check out an exclusive clip of the movie over at Cinematical.

A lot of you have been asking about the pricing on certain Xbox releases. For instance Red Cliff is 800 ($10) to rent in standard definition, as opposed to the normal rental price of 320 ($4) for SD. The reason for this is that it has not yet been released in theaters, and is exclusive to the Xbox 360, Amazon, and certain VOD outlets. The film actually opens on November 18, so the added price is for the benefit of seeing it early.

As usual, we'll see you at the popcorn st -- well, actually, we won't see you at all. But you catch our drift. Plus, be sure to tell us what you'll be watching, or what you've seen recently that bowled you over.

Continue reading JBO: Joystiq Box Office, October 19 - October 23

JBO: Joystiq Box Office, October 19 - October 23 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Cho Aniki Zero making PSP more manly in Spring 2010

Our somewhat boring day took a turn for the legendary when we received an Aksys press release informing us that the beefcake-infused side-scrolling shooter, Cho Aniki Zero, would appear on the PSP as a PSN download (exclusively) next Spring. The legendary-ness arose not as a result of our excitement for the game (which is immeasurable in its own right), but due to the content of the press release itself. The entire release can be found after the jump, but we've culled our favorite phrases, forming the following poignant, beautiful found poem:

Exaltation. Oiled up and ready to thrust. Epic struggle. Muscle-bounded forces. Manliness. Another dimension of sights and sounds. Heightened experiences of rhythmic action. Man-rageous. Brotherly love. Muscle-on-muscle madness. Man-tastic voyage. Man Protein. The greatest bromances of all time. (Snaps.)

Continue reading Cho Aniki Zero making PSP more manly in Spring 2010

Cho Aniki Zero making PSP more manly in Spring 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

LittleBigWorkshop reveals a handful of LBP PSP costumes

Though LittleBigPlanet's customizable protagonist, Sackboy, may have lost a bit of his highfalutin' texture rendering in the jump over to the PSP, he's managed to retain all of his original adorability factor. This unbridled cuteness can be seen in a recent LittleBigWorkshop blog post, which includes a batch of images previewing a few of Mr. Sack's new garments.

The most intriguing of these duds are referenced in a section of the post discussing "preorder incentives and upcoming DLC packs" -- a moon buggy and a tank, seen above. We imagine these are just articles of clothing and not actual vehicles (a "moon buggy belt", if you will), but if you think that makes us less interested in them, then you must not know us very well.

LittleBigWorkshop reveals a handful of LBP PSP costumes originally appeared on Joystiq Playstation on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Rock Band Weekly: Rob Zombie, Wolfmother and ... 'Daisy of Love'

Harmonix and MTV are billing next week's Rock Band DLC update as a spooky, Halloween-themed selection, mostly due to the inclusion of some Rob Zombie classics and a new Wolfmother set (zombies and wolves are scary, right?). Right? But the really scary part, for us, is the addition of two tracks from Morningwood -- now you'll be able to play the Daisy of Love theme song. Creeeeeepy.

Also, we have to raise a very important issue: How can you have a Halloween music store update with no "Monster Mash?" How is "Monster Mash" not in the Rock Band Store right now? And whatever happened to my Transylvania Twist?

Select a platform below to view complete DLC listing:

Continue reading Rock Band Weekly: Rob Zombie, Wolfmother and ... 'Daisy of Love'

Rock Band Weekly: Rob Zombie, Wolfmother and ... 'Daisy of Love' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.