Following the official announcement of Spec Ops: The Line over the weekend at Spike’s VGAs, 2K Games has now clarified a release window of the company’s fiscal 2011 for the game (i.e. sometime between November 1st 2010 and October 31st 2011).

The title is being developed by German outfit Yager Development for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. Set in a Dubai environment that’s been buried under cataclysmic sandstorms, Spec Ops: The Line challenges players to use the unpredictable landscape of collapsing sand chasms to their advantage (you can have a look at some of this tech in action in the teaser below).

Spec Ops: The Line Trailer – Spike VGAs Trailer

2K Games’ Dubai based, sandstorm driven shooter emerges…

2K Games has also confirmed multiplayer for the shooter by stating the following in an announcement press release: “Spec Ops: The Line underscores 2K’s commitment to deliver original and innovative single and multiplayer experiences to current generation consoles and PCs. Spec Ops: The Line will take that commitment to the next level by providing players with a new and exciting multiplayer experience that offers a unique perspective on the single-player storyline.”

“The production of Spec Ops: The Line has been a tremendous experience for Yager,” said Timo Ullman, Managing Director at Yager. “Our close collaboration with 2K Games over the course of this production has allowed us to achieve our goal of giving players a unique and exciting gaming experience in Spec Ops: The Line. Yager’s goal is to always push the boundaries of what is possible and exceed players’ expectations in every production.”

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The eyes are the windows to the soul, a common reoccurring theme of Quantic Dream’s work so it’s little wonder that the French studio spent so long creating the most believable pairs of eyes and characters we’ve ever seen in a video game.  Forget one dimensional characters with their corny one-liners or cliched Hollywood heroes, Heavy Rain is truly shaping up to be a game of Oscar worthy performances. Heavy Rain originally made an appearance under the moniker of ‘The Casting’, a tech demo of sorts that was wheeled out at E3’06 to little fanfare but gave us a first look at what the PS3 could offer.  It wasn’t too hard to be impressed considering the competition comprised of Giant Crabs and Riiiiiidge Racer.  Despite providing an early glimpse of what the French studio was up to, the featured footage was never intended to actually appear in the resulting game, it was merely to highlight what a visionary could create when armed with the power of the PlayStation3 and enough courage to take a risk.   Now with a release date of early 2010 fast approaching, TVG has had the opportunity to excessively play the first 11 chapters of the game.   They largely serve as an introduction to the four main characters, each of which have a separate yet interweaving plot which propels the central drama of a serial killer at loose and likely to strike again.  Targeting boys aged between nine and thirteen and leaving an origami animal as his/her calling card, the preview code thankfully refuses to reveal too many clues but leaves our anticipation well and truly drenched for more.  Q1 2010 may already be stocked full of AAA titles, but there’s little doubt that from what we’ve played, Heavy Rain has shot to the top of that list.  Under the watchful gaze of David Cage, Quantic Dream’s follow-up to the widely acclaimed Fahrenheit (Indigo Prophecy) has the potential to be one of the most important video game releases since Mario introduced the world to 3D back in 1996.  It’s hard to pigeonhole the game into one particular genre, but there’s little doubt that it’s striving to create an experience unlike anything else and pushes forward the case for video games to be treated as an artistic medium alongside movies and books.  Strong words, but ones that we don’t use lightly and without a degree of necessity.  But it’s a “game” that will polarise opinions and doesn’t strictly adhere to the AAA video game blockbuster blueprint.  In many ways it’s hard to find the traditional criteria for a compelling video game experience.  The typical mandate for any successful video game largely revolves around intensifying degrees of action and enough weapons to match.  Shooter fans probably won’t get their fix from Heavy Rain’s stunning QTE action sequences, which have more in common with the likes of Dragon’s Lair then AAAs such as Modern Warfare 2.  But it may just provide the answer for those seeking something more than aiming a cross-air and pressing the shoot button.  It could also become this generation’s standout title, employing stunning visuals to create characters that you can genuinely believe and empathise with. Heavy Rain’s story revolves around the aforementioned Origami Killer; like a good episode of Murder She Wrote, Colombo, or Poirot, the underlying challenge is to unravel the mystery and discover who the killer is before they can kill again.  Considering the dark subject, Heavy Rain begins in an inconspicuous manner.  A perfect family home with the white picket fence and children’s playground in the back-garden serves as the intro to the first playable character Ethan Mars.  The beauty behind Heavy Rain is making the mundane wonderfully captivating.  Waking from his bed, Ethan’s daily chores such as taking a shave and a shower before his wife and sons arrive for a birthday party, may seem woefully unexciting to an audience more akin with saving humanity in sci-fi epics or just surviving for a day in Liberty City.  The purpose behind such menial tasks however are subtle elements that set the scene; such subtlety is typically the trait of an acclaimed auteur and not a video game designer.   It’s not long before one of Ethan’s sons is killed but not at the hands of the serial killer.  The traumatic sequence where Jason disappears in a crowded shopping mall is superbly portrayed, playing havoc with the camera direction and intensity of the crowd to create a foreboding sense of panic and despair.  The idyllic beginning is quickly juxtaposed by an unshaven Ethan in the next chapter.  You don’t need to know exactly what happened in the immediate aftermath of the mall to work it out, it’s perfectly conveyed by an unkempt Ethan standing in the rain waiting for his other son to leave school for the day.  This scene alone tells us that Ethan’s world has been turned upside down; his wife has left him, he’s living in a ram-shackled apartment and his relationship with his only son is left distanced by the previous event.  The following scene in which Ethan struggles to relate with Shaun is a touching moment.  As the player you’re not actually doing that much, but in between making dinner, enquiring about his day at school and helping with his homework, Ethan’s anguish is plainly evident as he struggles to overcome his guilt.  You can’t help but sympathise with the character.  Cage has a vision and a team at Quantic Dream to deliver it, Heavy Rain looks set to finally break the barrier to which many video games have aspired and evoke genuine emotions in the player. Like Fahrenheit before it the way in which you interact with the environment is handled with appropriate context sensitive movements on the right thumbstick.  Understandably Quantic Dream has developed the concept with a greater level of refinement as to how you perform actions and introducing new concepts on the basic techniques.  The setup covers the aforementioned everyday actions such as drinking a cup of coffee to secretly stepping up behind a robber and putting a bottle over his head.  Admittedly there’s a distinct lack of gameplay in a traditional sense, but each and every action has been wonderfully mapped and feels completely natural.  In attempting to bottle the robber you have to be very delicate with the thumbstick to prevent him noticing, whereas difficult scenarios require more demanding combinations.  All of these actions and the choices you make in conversation are governed by Quantic Dream’s trademark ‘elastic band narrative’.  Essentially each chapter has a beginning and an end, but the way in which you go about it is largely up to you.  We’ve played the 11 chapters incessantly since code came into the office and managed to find a different way of playing each scene; it’s entirely possible that you’ll play Heavy Rain multiple times and still not discover everything in the game. Continuing to convey the atmosphere of the scene in question, dialogue choices and the thoughts of the playable characters are depicted on the screen with the accompanying button to press.  For example, a tense scene in which a character is under stress will mean that the accompanying choices are blurred or moving quickly, thus making it difficult for the player to make a choice particularly when such choices have to be made in a quick manner.  It’s a fantastic setup that firmly puts the player into the scene, somehow managing to convey the appropriate emotion and atmosphere through the PS3 pad. Scott Shelby is the next main character to appear, a private investigator following a lead with a prostitute who lost her son to the killer.  Dialogue between the two characters provides the opportunity to reveal some details, providing you make the correct choices.  It also leads to a frenetic action sequence when a former client turns up and begins to get violent.  Action heavy scenes are portrayed with a myriad of co-ordinated button presses.  Stunning choreography compliments the frenetic button bashing; truly Quantic Dream knows how to create exhilarating QTE sequences and are easily becoming the best in the business.   The preview code also took us to the crime scene of the latest victim and introduces us to another of the main cast, Norman Jayden, a profiler for the FBI.  Using some newfangled FBI technology that comprises of a snazzy pair of shades and a dubious latex glove, Jayden gets to investigate the area with interesting bits of evidence handily highlighted through his specs.  A later scene in a police office sees Jayden access his virtual office, flicking between pages of virtual evidence and clues that he’s amassed to attempt to unravel the mystery.  We’re hoping these sections really develop and challenge the player to actually investigate and solve the mystery.  The final character Madison Paige is introduced in the last chapter and only gave us a fleeting chance to get to know her.  Struggling with insomnia, this scene features a frenzied action scene as she attempts to escape from somebody who has entered her apartment, but is probably most notable for its particularly seductive shower scene.   It’s the depth and belief of these characters that really makes Heavy Rain.  Because of the way in which the characters that you play already have a purpose and the way in which you influence their actions as opposed to having a precise control over their destiny, lends Heavy Rain a voyeuristic feel.  You never feel as though you’re in total control of these characters, instead watching and influencing how they go about their business.  Because of the depth of the characters, it’s easy to find a sense of empathy with their own individual challenges.  Although we didn’t manage to kill off a character (believe us we tried), the possibility of these characters actually dying during the game has a very tangible sense of loss that goes with it.  It isn’t a case of restarting from a checkpoint or loosing a life in Heavy Rain. Heavy Rain continues the work that Quantic Dream created with Fahrenheit, a gaming experience unlike any other and the nearest we’ve got to the works of great film directors.  If it wasn’t for some dodgy games back in the early 1990s it would be easier to describe it as an interactive movie, but that seems to be doing it a grave misjudgement. 

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A few years ago, you couldn’t set two feet in a games shop without being accosted by a World War II strategy game. The likes of Codename: Panzers, Blitzkrieg, and Company of Heroes (as well as many, many more that don’t bear mentioning) even managed to rival the mighty World War II FPS at one point. Thankfully, the game industry’s obsession with WWII has started to wane in recent years, which is good news for game journalists like us who’ve begun to dread the WWII setting like a one-hit-wonder pop star who has to play the same melody – day in, day out – for the duration of their uneventful career.

There are still stragglers that attempt to mine the WWII setting as if it’s a sustainable resource (which it isn’t, as they really should have learned from RTS gameplay itself) , and Eugen System’s RUSE is one of these stragglers. However, while it might remain stuck in World War II, it nevertheless brings fresh gameplay dynamics to the table, which do manage to revive a sub-genre that’s quickly going cold. Similarly to the likes of Massive Entertainment’s World in Conflict, Creative Assembly’s Total War series, and Gas Powered Games’ Supreme Commander, Ruse allows players to opulently zoom in continuous motion from small scale battles at street level all the way up to a stratospheric view of the whole battlefield.

This sort of freedom of movement and strategic scope has been well received by gamers in the past and there’s no reason why it won’t continue with Ruse. Starting at a battle map similar to those that you’d imagine in the war rooms of generals (there’s even a softly focused backdrop of just such a war room around the boundaries of the map), players can then scroll the mouse wheel forward to zoom-in on individual city regions and units represented like Risk figures, and then further on down to watch singular troops fire their piddly little guns at a looming tank. As far as ‘Strategic Zooms’ go, it certainly holds its own. The maps are large enough as well, encompassing around half a dozen settlements per map dotted between landscapes of procedurally generated forests, hills, and fields.

Over and above this map though is an altogether more innovative system of command from which the game’s title is derived. Ruses are essentially what transform Eugen Systems’ game from a good RTS into a compelling one, adding a powerful layer of strategy with more potential than most other RTS games have managed to muster in the last few years. Ruse’s core gameplay principle is simple: deceive the opponent into thinking you’re going to do something that you’re not. Shockingly though, this is actually a principle that isn’t incorporated into many RTS games. All too often, the genre is stagnated by titles that reward lightning fast base building over intelligent offensive manoeuvres (or attrition over cunning). It’s almost 15 years after the original Command & Conquer was released and some developers are still using the archaic Fog of War system as the primary tactical tool for seconding-guessing the enemy.

Not so in Ruse’s case. The multiplayer beta version has 10 separate Ruse abilities that can be initiated at any time and as many times as you like. The only limiting factors are the amount of time a Ruse is operative for, the territory it’s used in, and the number of Ruses that you’re allowed to use at any one time (roughly three). The Ruses themselves are incredibly far reaching, from powers that allow you to conceal your orders or units from the enemy (or, indeed, reveal an enemy’s orders or units in opposing territories), to other subterfuge powers such as camouflaging buildings, deploying decoy units at the enemy, or making your small opposing force look larger than it is (and vice-versa). There are also a few Ruses that provide offensive perks on the battlefield, such as Blitz (which gives your attacking units 50% more firepower) and another Ruse that hinders enemy units from retreating.

Underneath is an RTS that’s deceptively simple.  An HQ at the foot of your army’s side of the map houses all of the unit and building creation. Secondary HQs can then be built on supply dump sites that are found around the map, which then determines your income and resources (i.e. the more supply dumps you capture, the more money flows in for new units and buildings). This simplistic approach to resources and base building positions Ruse as more of a real-time tactics title than a traditional RTS. Building barracks and an airport, for example, is all that’s required to put men on the ground and birds in the air (so long as you have sufficient funds), which thereby dispenses with the complications of specific resource requirements for units and a deep tech-tree etc.

The units are fairly basic in the beta Eugen Systems has served up. One standard unit is used for infantry, although paratroopers can be recruited once you’ve built an airport. A small handful of tank units then comprise the main offensive vehicles, while standard artillery units can also be built for defence. Fighters, bombers, and fighter-bomber hybrids are Ruse’s principle units in the air, while defensive anti-tank/anti-air bunkers and machine gun nests can be placed around important buildings for added protection. There was only one researchable technology in the multiplayer beta, which appeared to be some sort of nuclear facility, but we can only assume that there will be more in the final build. Demos of the game have revealed naval battleship units and amphibious landings, so presumably Eugen Systems has got much more in store that simply hasn’t featured in this beta (particularly where the single-player is concerned).

Nonetheless, this simplistic approach to units and buildings does seem to lend itself to the Ruse system. By taking the emphasis off flashy units, Eugen Systems is effectively ensuring that Ruses are the star of the show by making gamers rely on them for the basis of their strategy. To be quite honest, we’re much more excited by this Ruse system than we are the spearoclorian faction in Super Space Strategy Game 5, with its unique dimensional pulsar units (available only with online pre-orders). If Eugen Systems can successfully balance the vast scope of Ruse in the game’s final build, then we see no reason why it can’t hold its own against the likes of Napoleon: Total War and Supreme Commander 2 next year.

There’s no denying the fact that RTS games are in rapid decline. The lack of a console market and increasingly worrying rates of piracy have placed the genre on its death bed. However, this also means that there simply isn’t space for the weak and the chaff in a market that can now only support the strong and robust. Ruse certainly has the innovative gameplay that’s necessary for it to compete amongst the born survivors on next year’s release schedule (the likes of C&C4, Supreme Commander 2, and Napoleon: Total War). The only question now is whether the World War II setting is still appealing enough for gamers to invest in.

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It could be a very special holiday season for fans of the PS3 RPG Demon’s Souls. Sony teased some sort of announcement earlier today. This site is updated regularly per day with the latest Free PlayStation 3 news and hardware reviews.

There has been a wide debate about whether or not a “discount” PS3 Hdmi cable is the same as “expensive”, or if there is notable difference in quality. There is one noticeable difference, and that is price. While premium cables can cost upwards of $100, you can get the same length generic cable for around $13.

But what about quality? I think to understand, it helps to know what HDMI cables are. HDMI cables transmit a digital signal (both audio and video) between a HD source such as a cable box and your TV. Digital signals transmit to TV’s using a simple code of 1’s and 0’s, the TV then determines the 1 or 0 and broadcasts the signal. There really is no gray area, they either transmit the signal or they do not, and honestly speaking, your $13 cable will carry that signal just as effective as your $100.

All HDMI cables are certified by the same standard testing at the HDMI Authorized Testing Center. That means that the generic cables receive the same HDMI certification from the same testing as the premium cables.

The reality is there is absolutely no difference in quality. I have seen both side by side, and have not been able to tell any difference. I recommend as well doing some research of the specs, you will see that most discount cables have the same specs as the expensive HDMI cables. It is just like buying a generic brand of cereal, same ingredients, different packaging, and a lot cheaper price.

Some people do wonder how companies are able to sell cables for such a cheaper price. As I can not speak for all, I can tell you how we save the consumer money, and still offer an excellent cable. Our cables come in a plastic sleeve, in a bubble wrapped envelope. There is no fancy packaging, or expensive branding to place our logo on the cable. We simply put a stamp on the envelope and it is out the warehouse door. We have no expensive marketing campaigns; we simply try and keep our overhead costs as low as we can, so we can pass the savings on to the consumer.

Buying a discount cable may leave you without bragging rights, but it will also leave you with a lot of extra cash in your pocket and a clear signal to your HDTV.

PS3 HDMI Cable

About the Author:
David French is an avid fan of technology and enjoys writing and reading about the latest tech gadgets out there. He resides in Seattle, WA.

December 3rd marks the launch of the original PlayStation in Japan, and Sony has busted out the bubbly and put up an excellent birthday website.

From the popularization of CD, DVD, and Blu-ray console based gaming to the huge number of unforgettable games, the various versions of the PlayStation have carved their initials deeply into the rock of gaming.

So grab your DualShock and raise your glass, here’s to 15 years of PlayStation gaming excellence and to the next 15.

[Source: PlayStation 15th Anniversary Site]

Happy 15th Birthday PlayStation originally appeared on About.com PlayStation Games on Thursday, December 3rd, 2009 at 00:10:41.

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It does make us wonder how come it took such a long time for PopCap Games to roll out one of their staples on a casual gaming platform like the Nintendo DS. Well, at there isn’t any more waiting needed to be done with the rolling out of Bookworm for the Nintendo DS, making it the latest adaptation of one of PopCap’s most successful franchises and the most popular digital word game in history.

In this Nintendo DS adaptation, players will spell their way to a higher rank across three different game modes. Players can link letters in the fast-paced Action mode; if laid-back wordplay is more their style, Classic mode provides plenty of action at their own pace; or for the ultimate challenge, players can compete against friends in the Multiplayer mode. The Multiplayer mode is a new feature offered for the first time in any version of Bookworm, and is played over the DS WirelessCommunications network. Players will test their vocabulary might with 20 themed Bonus Book Collections and the ability to build out 18 unique library rooms. They can also build their spelling skills and track their progress with in-depth stats and charts. Additionally, all features have been specifically tuned for dual-screen, vertical gameplay, allowing players to hold their DS like an actual book, while enjoying endless challenge and fun.

Interested in giving your kids a game that can help them improve their vocabulary and word power instead of just zapping aliens and saving the world for the umpteenth time? Then you might just want to consider Bookworm for the Nintendo DS which retails for an extremely affordable $19.95.

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The Nintendo DS isn’t the graphical powerhouse that is the Sony PSP, but at least it has a vast array of games that ought to keep any serious gamer occupied for a long time to come. You can choose from a delectable library that contains RPGs, fighting games, adventure games and puzzle games, which is what we’ll take a look at today. The latest brain-teasing title for the Nintendo DS would be Puzzler World from Atari, where you get over 1,000 games spanning an incredible collection of 14 different puzzle types from popular formats such as Wordsearch, Sudoku, Crossword, Fitword, Link-A-Pix, Codeword, Spot the Difference and Silhouette, as well as bonus games including Hangman and all-new puzzle formats Equate, Jigsaw, and more.

With an extensive collection of classic games and all-new puzzle formats, Puzzler World will challenge users with endless entertainment and different degrees of difficulty. Players will be able to choose from two distinct game modes, Quickplay or Challenge, making it accessible for beginners and tough enough for even the most advanced puzzle gurus. Problem solvers who dominate Challenge mode will find that there are plenty of bonus games to further meet their brain-busting thirst; these include all-new gaming formats such as Equate and Jigsaw, as well as additional classic favorites like Hangman, Missing Piece and Chain Letters.

Folks in North America will be able to get their hands on Puzzler World for a relatively affordable $19.99 a pop, where you can also download it for the PC at Atari.com.

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Used games pose an interesting problem. While a great deal for consumers and for game stores, neither platform holders nor game developers/publishers make any money off of them. To encourage the purchase of new games some companies have come up with creative ways to market them.

“The Saboteur” has taken it to a whole new level. Buy the game new and you get a code for the “The Midnight Show” downloadable content. This DLC includes new hiding spots, a new minigame, and the ability to turn on in-game nudity. That’s right, buy the game new and you can see virtual nakedness.

Of course if you do buy the game used, you can still purchase “The Midnight Show” DLC for three dollars, but that’s the hook isn’t it? Rather than the game being a complete experience, they are fractured now, so that publishers can ensure they get what they think is their share of the pie.

While this is nothing terribly new, using nudity in “Sabotuer” as marketing tool to sell new games really seems to be pushing it in a new direction.

So I’m curious, what’s your thought? Is this low-brow marketing or simply giving consumers what they want? Or perhaps this opens up an opportunity to create new ways to regulate game content?

[Source: Joystiq]

Sex Sells: Nudity in “The Sabotuer” originally appeared on About.com PlayStation Games on Friday, December 4th, 2009 at 01:14:15.

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Surely if you use computers a great deal of time for many years now, chances are you would have stumbled upon this game known as COLLAPSE! from GameHouse. This is no epic RPG, and neither does it have a gripping storyline alongside enthralling gameplay, but COLLAPSE! is one of the more popular time killers at offices and homes worldwide due to its simplicity where most people are able to enjoy from time to time without having to remember character names and the game’s complex mechanics. Good news for COLLAPSE! fans then – the latest installment of hit casual game franchise is now available for Facebook, PC, Mac and a variety of mobile devices.

A flagship title for GameHouse and one of the most popular casual games franchises of all time, COLLAPSE! is a blockbusting, color-matching puzzle game that has earned millions of fans world wide with its award-winning game play and fast-paced, simple and addictive challenges. Each platform delivers a compelling experience for players. Players can now customize their avatars and use explosive power-ups as they free the lands of Blocktopia from Block Widow, Blockzilla, Blocktopus and other fearsome bosses in more than 180 levels and mini-games. As they advance, players can earn codes for use in the Facebook and mobile versions. Free trials and full versions can now be downloaded for the PC and Mac at www.GameHouse.com.

As for smartphones and cellphones, there are over 65 levels to choose from alongside five challenging bosses to conquer, accompanied by quick play modes and customizable avatars that await players as they take the mission to save Blocktopia on the go. If those are not enough for you, there is an unlockable mode which will further increase the level of difficulty on all levels alongside opportunities to earn codes for use in the Facebook and PC/Mac versions.

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