Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
Genre: FPS / RPG
ERSB rating: Mature
Release date: Available now

Folks, we’re coming to end of Fallout: New Vegas. With the release of Lonesome Road, many of the loose ends of the latest Fallout chapter are being answered and resolved. Bethesda has in fact announced two other pieces of downloadable content (Gun Runner’s Arsenal and Courier’s Stash), however neither of those add-ons will advance the universe or story of Fallout: New Vegas. So, for the time being, if this isn’t the last piece of DLC in this series, it’s probably pretty close.

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Originally published in May 2011, reprinted for additional content.

Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Developer: Zen Studios
Genre: Pinball
ESRB rating: Everyone
Release date: Available now

There are certain games that I believe will always be transported into video game form, no matter what generation of console is on the market. Board games like chess and checkers, and sports like baseball and football will always find a home somewhere in the digital world. But we must not discount an arcade staple of such simplicity, and yet such intricacy, that has survived the gaming world for ages – pinball. Pinball FX2, an Xbox Live Arcade franchise, is slowly becoming the gold standard for casual play, and they have just released a new themed table, Mars, which has a sci-fi outer space theme.

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Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
Genre: First-person Shooter/RPG
ESRB rating: Mature
Release date: Available now

So far the downloadable content for Fallout: New Vegas has been somewhat hit or miss with fans. Dead Money was riddled with problems surrounding difficulty and Honest Hearts, while definitely an improvement, still lacked the proverbial punch players are used to with this franchise. However, Obsidian is clearly not willing to go down without a fight, and the latest expansion for New Vegas has arrived in the form of Old World Blues.

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In case you missed out on Thursday.

Friday

Backing up a bit to Thursday, we arrived a little late due to seating issues, but Jill and I did in fact get to jump into the Gears of War 3 panel. What I can tell you is that the graphics and sound definitely appeared to have been given a bit of an upgrade. The creators told the fans that the finale wouldn’t answer all of the questions people had, as they wanted to keep the universe a bit open, but many plot points would be resolved.

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This year marked the first time ever my wife, Jill, and I attended the San Diego Comic-Con. As two proud geeks, it has long been on our bucket list, so we were thrilled when we got our tickets and made our arrangements. When the schedule was released each day, Jill and I poured over it with excitement, meticulously choosing the panels we wanted to see the most and which activities were not to be missed. But, you want to know about the Con, so let’s dive right in!

Thursday

As we approached the San Diego Convention Center, we couldn’t help but be amazed by the sheer number of people who surround us. An estimated 130,000 people attend the event each year, all descending on the downtown area for four days of nerd-dom. You may have heard that you have to wait in endless lines almost around the clock. This is partly true, and we first experienced it when we had to pick up our badges, bright and early, the first morning. But waiting in line is half the fun. Almost everyone around us was brimming with excitement, and extremely friendly. Also, Comic-Con is perhaps the best place in the world to people watch. About 20% of con-goers are dressed up in elaborate costumes and 85% have quirky, unusual t-shirts worn proudly. It’s not uncommon for people to stop those in costume to take pictures of or with them (I rocked out this Captain Hammer outfit the first day).

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Fans of Twitter and Pokemon! The popular mash-up game has arrived for the Android platform. Twimon allows players to raise monsters which can then be let loose to wreak havoc upon cities and buildings. Collect all 80 monsters to become a Twimon master!

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that starting in September, Netflix clients will have to open up their wallets a bit wider if they want to continue enjoying unlimited streaming video as well as one DVD at a time in the mail. Currently, subscribers can pay $9.99 a month to receive both services. Netflix is changing that by splitting each service into two different line items. Unlimited streaming will now cost $7.99 and receiving one DVD in the mail at a time (unlimited instances) will also cost $7.99 a month. Subscribing to both services brings the monthly fee grand total up to $15.98, a 60% price increase.

So how much are Bejeweled, Peggle, and Plants vs. Zombies worth? A cool $750 million. As first reported in a rumor last month, video game conglomerate Electronic Arts has scooped up PopCap Games, a producer of popular titles for mobile devices, tablets and social networking sites, reports CNN. The deal is expected to close in August.

As fans may now be aware, the popular book series turned HBO hit TV show, Game of Thrones is coming to the PC. Written under the direction of mastermind author George R.R. Martin, Genesis will allow players to play out the events of A Song of Fire and Ice, which deals with an epic army siege as well the decisions and consequences of the actions as set forth by the King of the Iron Throne. Expect a lot more information to come soon, as Game of Thrones – Genesis is still slated for a Summer 2011 release.

With the NFL lockout still presiding, fans of the pigskin are desperate for some good news. Well today there is something to get excited about – the release of NCAA Football 12! Complete with all new gameplay modes and stellar graphics, NCAA 12 lets collegiate fans take control of the gridiron action in brand new ways. Partake in your time-honored university traditions, and challenge your division rival to battle it out helmet to helmet. Let us know what you think!

Google appears to be trying to capture the market that Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes and Noble’s Nook have broken wide open. CNN Technology reports that Google is attempting to enter the eReader fray with its own version, named the Story HD. The Story HD has been built with Google eBook optimization in mind. Google’s library currently holds three million free titles, but the reader will also support other popularized eBook formats, such as Sony and Nook files. Of note however is that as of now, the Story HD does not appear to have touchscreen capability, putting its technology a bit behind the Nook, but holds the same price as its B&N competitor at $139.99 (for a black and white version). The Story HD is scheduled to launch on July 17, so let the battle for eReader domination commence!

AL-VINNN! For all you Chipmunk lovers out there, the opportunity to sing and dance with your favorite musical rascals is on its way. Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked arrives later this fall, coinciding with its theatrical release, for the Wii, Nintendo DS, Xbox 360 and will include Kinect functionality. Players will be able to control their favorite characters including all of the Chipmunks and Chipettes as they take to the stage. When performing vocals, singers will even have their voices “Alvin-ized”, to create a unique musical experience.

The details surrounding Runespell: Overture have finally hit. Players will be able to dive in starting on July 20, 2011 at a cost of $9.99. Keep checking your Steam account, however, as a public demo is expected to be released shortly, giving people the chance to give the title a test-run before launch. In addition to these details, Mystic Box has also given us this little teaser trailer to hold us over for now.

On June 28, EA Sports will release its NCAA Football 12 demo for the PSN and Xbox Live. Players will be able to choose among a few popular teams in the sample, including Oregon and Texas. A major upgrade the franchise has received this year are the school-specific animations for each team’s crowd, introduction and on-field rituals.

Graphics have also gotten a lot of attention, as NCAA Football 12 will include 3D rendered grass and dynamically changing light modeling, making the players look ultra-realistic has they run down the field on a sunny day. Players will be able control the action as either coaches working their way up through the chain of command or as the players, hunting for the Heisman and ultimately the national title. NCAA Football 12 will be released in full on July 12, 2011 for both systems.

Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Developer: Double Fine Productions
Genre: Tower Defense / Third Person Shooter
ESRB rating: Everyone
Release date: June 22, 2011

I think there’s something kind of neat about remembering a genre’s inception and watching as it evolves and grows. The Internet has proven to be a fantastic sandbox where novice developers can get their ideas, even in rudimentary form, out to the masses and see their reactions. One such concept was that of the tower defense style of game, where players build weapons and defenses in order to defeat increasing hordes of enemies and protect some object or point. Today, this basic, and very popular, style of game has spawned many iterations, and one is about to hit the Xbox Live Arcade – Trenched.

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