Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Epic sticks a fork in Gears of War 2http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/10/epic-sticks-a-fork-in-gears-of-war-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/10/epic-sticks-a-fork-in-gears-of-war-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/10/epic-sticks-a-fork-in-gears-of-war-2/#commentsFiled under:

gears 2
Anyone else's mouth not watering? Yeah, we've got the darn thing pre-ordered, we'll be there in line at midnight with the rest of you, and, once home, we'll be tearing through the cellophane with the usual patience of a two-year-old. We get it, it's meatier, moister and more tender than the first one, but gosh this bird sure looks and smells like the first one Epic served up two years ago.

Admit it, it's odd to think that a potential Game of the Year -- at least, sure to be a critical and commercial success -- is one we, who obsess over this industry, are not obsessing about. Gears of War 2 is just a sure bet. So sure that we don't have to think about it. Was there ever any doubt the game wouldn't "go gold" well in time for its November launch (that's today's news, by the way)? It's not that something's missing, it's that everything's there. Gears 2 is utter professionalism: excellence in design, execution and marketing, right down to the dropped "y." Almost bland tasting, isn't it?

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]]>epicgears-of-wargears-of-war-2James Ransom-Wiley2008-10-10T11:25:00+00:00Joystiq hands-on: The finished Gears of War 2 campaign modehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/07/joystiq-hands-on-the-finished-gears-of-war-2-campaign-mode/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/07/joystiq-hands-on-the-finished-gears-of-war-2-campaign-mode/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/07/joystiq-hands-on-the-finished-gears-of-war-2-campaign-mode/#commentsFiled under: ,


click to enlarge
With just one month to go before Gears of War 2 deploys on 360, we were recently challenged to play "as far as we could get" into the now-finished game's campaign mode by Microsoft, Epic Games, and the game's director, Cliff Bleszinski. Like the good Gears we are, we couldn't - nor would we want to - refuse the order.

All told, we got really far in our roughly six hours of play ... but still nowhere near the end. It was far enough that, if we told you all about it, there wouldn't be as many surprises come November 7 (and trust us, there are quite a few). With that in mind, we've decided to recount the high points of the first act, "Tip of the Spear." We've done our very best to steer clear of any major spoilers, but be forewarned: those who haven't completed the first game should tread lightly after the break.

Gallery: Gears of War 2 Campaign Mode (10-07-2008)


click to enlarge
With just one month to go before Gears of War 2 deploys on 360, we were recently challenged to play "as far as we could get" into the now-finished game's campaign mode by Microsoft, Epic Games, and the game's director, Cliff Bleszinski. Like the good Gears we are, we couldn't - nor would we want to - refuse the order.

All told, we got really far in our roughly six hours of play ... but still nowhere near the end. It was far enough that, if we told you all about it, there wouldn't be as many surprises come November 7 (and trust us, there are quite a few). With that in mind, we've decided to recount the high points of the first act, "Tip of the Spear." We've done our very best to steer clear of any major spoilers, but be forewarned: those who haven't completed the first game should tread lightly after the break.

Gallery: Gears of War 2 Campaign Mode (10-07-2008)

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]]>cliff-bleszinskiepic-gamesgears-of-wargears-of-war-2hands-onjoystiqfeaturesmicrosoft-game-studiosRandy Nelson2008-10-07T09:00:00+00:00Gears of War 2 and the extremely giant COG taghttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/04/gears-of-war-2-and-the-extremely-giant-cog-tag/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/04/gears-of-war-2-and-the-extremely-giant-cog-tag/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/04/gears-of-war-2-and-the-extremely-giant-cog-tag/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Tucked away in the dark, at the far back of E for All is a fair-sized Gears of War 2 booth with many stations showing off the Horde mode, and handing out COG tags. However, these are fairly normal sized tags, about the size of a dollar coin. So what's up with this image of a giant COG that looks like it could serve as Sauron's ring?

We asked one of the community managers at the GoW2 booth, and he said, "Wait... did you see this image recently? A huge COG tag that's thick and made out of metal? Yeah, there's a big announcement about that coming out. I can't say anything about it really, but keep watching the website all weekend. And no, it's not something you can buy. It's made of metal, is thick, and weighs about two pounds."

Is Epic hiding these in the world somewhere, and there's a contest to find them? Are they items you can win based on your in-game performance like those rings they added to Madden? Is it just a huge paperweight? We'll keep watching the site, which yesterday put up a blurb about COGs. How convenient. What do you think it is?

[Via JoystickWidow]

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]]>COGEforAllEforAll08EforAll2008EpicGears-Of-War-2GoW2MircrosoftKevin Kelly2008-10-04T12:00:00+00:00GoW 2 comes with 'Flashback' maps; gold Hammerburst code at special launch eventshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/03/gow-2-comes-with-flashback-maps-gold-hammerburst-code-at-spec/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/03/gow-2-comes-with-flashback-maps-gold-hammerburst-code-at-spec/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/03/gow-2-comes-with-flashback-maps-gold-hammerburst-code-at-spec/#commentsFiled under: ,


Those who purchase Gears of War 2 will receive a code in the box to download the "Flashback" map pack from XBM for free. The pack contains visually upgraded versions of original Gears maps: Canals, Gridlock, Subway, Mansion and Tyro Station. This means Gears fans will have 15 total multiplayer maps to practice their chainsawdomy at launch.

GamePro has also learned that a code to download the in-game gold-plated Hammerburst will be given out at "Midnight Madness" launch events for the game on Nov. 6. Epic allegedly has no plans to offer the Flashback maps or the special Hammerburst as DLC at this time.

[Via X3F]

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]]>dlcflashbackgears-of-war-2gow2Alexander Sliwinski2008-10-03T11:10:00+00:00Zune of War: Gears 2 Zune unleashed Nov. 7, $280http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/01/zune-of-war-gears-2-zune-unleashes-nov-7-costs-280/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/01/zune-of-war-gears-2-zune-unleashes-nov-7-costs-280/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/01/zune-of-war-gears-2-zune-unleashes-nov-7-costs-280/#commentsFiled under: ,


Much like the Haloz before it, Gears of War 2 will receive a special edition Zune 120. The glossy black media player has the Gears logo laser-etched on the back and comes with 244 pieces of GoW bric-a-brac -- all for $280. The unit is available to pre-order now at Walmart.com and Amazon.com, and will ship on November 7. Same day as the game ... fancy that! No word yet if the military will get its own (sexier) version of the Gears Zune like they did with Halo 3.

[Via X3F]

Gallery: Gears of War 2 Zune

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]]>epicgears-of-war-2gears-of-war-2-zunemicrosoftzuneAlexander Sliwinski2008-10-01T22:00:00+00:00Gears of War 2: Skorge in multiplayer, no PC version, rumored map remakeshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/29/gears-of-war-2-skorge-in-multiplayer-no-pc-version-rumored-ma/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/29/gears-of-war-2-skorge-in-multiplayer-no-pc-version-rumored-ma/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/29/gears-of-war-2-skorge-in-multiplayer-no-pc-version-rumored-ma/#commentsFiled under: ,

We've got quite a bit of Gears of War 2 information and rumors, so let's begin, shall we?
  1. The Skorge (pictured) -- a towering, 12-foot beast with dual chainsaw staff in campaign -- will be playable in multiplayer, albeit very scaled down, according to an interview with Cliff Bleszinski at AddictGaming (via X3F).
  2. Jumping over to TVG, Bleszinki told the website that there are no plans for a PC version. "Here's the problem right now," he said, "the person who is savvy enough to want to have a good PC to upgrade their video card, is a person who is savvy enough to know bit torrent to know all the elements so they can pirate software."
  3. Hopping over to less-confirmed territory, a poster on Evil Avatar who allegedly has a copy of the new GamePro says that a redemption code will be in all new copies of GoW2 that will let gamers download five remade maps from the original GoW.
Since the embargo on coverage lifted today, X3F has collated a list of GoW2 previews from across Internetland, as well as new screenshots and artwork.

Gallery: Gears of War 2 - Screenshots (9/29/08)


Gallery: Gears of War 2 - Art/Renders (9/29/08)

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]]>cliff-bleszinskiepicepic-gamesgears-of-wargears-of-war-2Ross Miller2008-09-29T19:35:00+00:00Video: Gears of War 2's plethora of weaponryhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/17/video-gears-of-war-2s-plethora-of-weaponry/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/17/video-gears-of-war-2s-plethora-of-weaponry/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/17/video-gears-of-war-2s-plethora-of-weaponry/#commentsFiled under: ,


Epic Games has released another Gears of War 2 featurette, this one focusing on the weapons that Marcus and Co. will be using when the game emerges at retail Nov. 7. The video, embedded after the break, is tapped from the same vein which produced the "Sounds of War" featurette released last week.

We also captured a quick frame of what we're dubbing the "Predator-Elite" Locust, shown in the image above. Scary!

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]]>cliff-bleszinskiepicgears-of-war-2weapons-of-warAlexander Sliwinski2008-09-17T17:00:00+00:00Video: Gears of War 2 sound choices: Meaty vs. Crunchyhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/08/video-gears-of-war-2-sound-choices-meaty-vs-crunchy/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/08/video-gears-of-war-2-sound-choices-meaty-vs-crunchy/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/08/video-gears-of-war-2-sound-choices-meaty-vs-crunchy/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Epic Games has put together a little video for Maxim about the audio in Gears of War 2. Snore-worthy, right? Nope. It's actually a fun little six-minute romp showcasing the work that goes into all the little sounds we'll hear in the game releasing Nov. 7.

An interesting factoid is that 85% of the audio in the game is new, according to Audio Director Mike Larson. There's also a brief interview with the game's composer, Steve Jablonsky, who did the music for Command & Conquer 3 and the Transformers movie. Check it out after the break.

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]]>foleygears-of-war-2maximsoundAlexander Sliwinski2008-09-08T11:40:00+00:00X3F interviews Gears 2 lead artist and writerhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/06/x3f-interviews-gears-2-lead-artist-and-writer/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/06/x3f-interviews-gears-2-lead-artist-and-writer/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/06/x3f-interviews-gears-2-lead-artist-and-writer/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Between all the hip nerdrock concerts and multifaceted gaming marathons, it was easy to forget that PAX 2008 was a pretty sweet place for developers to show off their big titles. Not that Epic really needs to spread the word about their sequel to 2006's chainsaw-wielding bestseller, Gears of War 2 -- regardless, our Bleszinski-loving sister site, Xbox 360 Fanboy, recently got a chance to sit down with the lead artist and writer for the Locust massacring simulator to ask about some of the finer points of sequeling. If you find yourself hungry for details about the story and art direction for Gears the Second, we suggest hopping over to X3F and skimming through the twin interviews (or, if we may be so bold, the twinterviews).

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]]>epicepic-gamesgears-of-war-2gow2joystiqfeaturesxbox-360Griffin McElroy2008-09-06T12:00:00+00:00Epic approaching tech ceiling of Xbox 360http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/02/epic-approaching-tech-ceiling-of-xbox-360/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/02/epic-approaching-tech-ceiling-of-xbox-360/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/02/epic-approaching-tech-ceiling-of-xbox-360/#commentsFiled under: ,


Epic's Rod Fergusson tells Gamasutra that the developer is approaching the "upper end" of what the Xbox 360 can do, but that consumers won't notice for a few more years. The senior producer on Gears of War 2 explains that the company is much further along with optimizing the console than it expected to be at this point. He believes that trend will continue over the next few years, with "room to grow" on titles shipping two years from now.

Of course, Fergusson's comments are pretty much a tale as old as the industry. Studios get really good at optimizing for a console, only to have the next one thrown their way, which involves stumbling through development and potential for a couple years. God of War 2 in particular is a good example of the type of title possible at the end of a console cycle, just when every last drop of blood is wrung from the stone.

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]]>epicgears-of-war-2microsoftpotentialAlexander Sliwinski2008-09-02T16:30:00+00:00PAX 2008: Gears 2 will not have a Halo 2-style endinghttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/30/pax-2008-gears-2-will-not-have-a-halo-2-style-ending/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/30/pax-2008-gears-2-will-not-have-a-halo-2-style-ending/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/30/pax-2008-gears-2-will-not-have-a-halo-2-style-ending/#commentsFiled under: ,

Last night, during a PAX interview we had with Gears of War 2 lead writer Josh Ortega, our "Gears 2 not having a fulfilling ending" fears have (thankfully) been calmed, because we now know the story will not wrap like a certain Spartan 117 sequel.

When asked if Gears 2's storyline will follow in the footsteps of a game like Halo 2 and its unsatisfying cliffhanger, Ortega comforted our worries by admitting that players will "get nice closure." But not too much closure, because Ortega was also quick to acknowledge fact that he didn't want to end Gears 2 "too much where there couldn't be room to expand should you decide to." Because that would totally put a damper on any trilogy hopes. So, no unsatisfying Halo 2-style ending, a sense of fulfillment and room to grow the Gears franchise? Sounds like a campaign winner to us.

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]]>epicepic-gamesgears-of-war-2gow2xbox-360Dustin Burg2008-08-30T13:00:00+00:00Epic: There will be no Gears of War 2 for PChttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/29/epic-there-will-be-no-gears-of-war-2-for-pc/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/29/epic-there-will-be-no-gears-of-war-2-for-pc/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/29/epic-there-will-be-no-gears-of-war-2-for-pc/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Sometimes it's just best to get to the point ... even if that point is really sharp and will pierce the hearts of PC gamers. In an interview with IGN, Epic's Cliff "Don't Call Me CliffyB" Bleszinski, designer of Gears of War 2, revealed that, unlike the original game, the sequel won't appear on PC.

"Gears of War is a great franchise first and foremost for Xbox 360, and therefore we're focusing on that platform for Gears of War 2," CliffyB Bleszinski said, adding, "We've decided we're not going to do a PC version this time around." Point made. Now to stop the bleeding ...

[Via Shacknews]

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]]>cliff-bleszinskiepicgears-of-war-2microsoftRandy Nelson2008-08-29T20:30:00+00:00So, what's on the Gears 2 bonus disc?http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/27/so-whats-on-the-gears-2-bonus-disc/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/27/so-whats-on-the-gears-2-bonus-disc/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/27/so-whats-on-the-gears-2-bonus-disc/#commentsFiled under: ,


When the BBFC isn't busy keeping cool, violent games away from kids with totally square parents, they like to leak out the occasional news tidbit, just so all the game journalists think they're "hip." It's actually a little sad, but it's hard to argue with the benefits, like learning the content on the Gears of War 2 bonus disc that comes with the Limited Edition of the game.

Now, because there are some of you who may want to go into the experience completely pure, we've put the list after the break. But the awesome rebels among you should waste no time in clicking below.
  • 00:34:29:00 BENEATH THE SURFACE (NO SOUND UNTIL 3M30S)(FREEZES AT 6M50)
  • 00:01:05:00 RENDEZVOUS
  • 00:01:28:00 BARE YOUR TEETH
  • 00:07:30:00 E3 2008: GEARS 2 DEMO
  • 00:03:38:00 GTTV SPOT
  • 00:11:56:00 CHARACTERS - MARCUS FENIX
  • 00:07:40:00 CHARACTERS - DOMINIC SANTIAGO
  • 00:07:40:00 CREATURES - BOOMER
  • 00:07:10:00 CREATURES - KANTUS
  • 00:15:55:00 LOCATIONS - HOSPITAL
  • 00:13:01:00 LOCATIONS - THE HOLLOW
  • 00:07:08:00 VEHICLES - CENTAUR
  • 00:06:10:00 VEHICLES - REAVER
  • 00:13:00:00 WEAPONS - LANCER
  • 00:10:50:00 WEAPONS - HEAVY WEAPONS
  • n/a MAIN THEME
  • n/a CINEMATIC OPENING
  • n/a ASSULT INTRO
  • n/a MARIA
  • n/a COG SQUAD PACK (5 IMAGES)
  • n/a LOCUST SQUAD PACK (5 IMAGES)

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]]>bbfcepicgears-of-war-2limited-editionmicrosoftJustin McElroy2008-08-27T09:00:00+00:00Microsoft releases its PAX schedule: Gears 2, Halo Wars, New Xbox Experiencehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/25/microsoft-releases-its-pax-schedule-gears-2-halo-wars-new-xbo/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/25/microsoft-releases-its-pax-schedule-gears-2-halo-wars-new-xbo/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/25/microsoft-releases-its-pax-schedule-gears-2-halo-wars-new-xbo/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Microsoft has released their partial game schedule for the upcoming Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle, and it's chock full of Gears of War 2, Halo Wars, and the New Xbox Experience ... experience. Sure there's plenty of other stuff happening at their booth as well, but we're drooling over these three right now, fetch the bibs. Hopefully those "TBA" slots mean there's going to be some surprises from Bungie someone, which will really kick our saliva glands into high gear.

If you're going to be at PAX, be sure and stop by for some hands-on time with these titles, and then search out one of your favorite Joystiq bloggers to pal around with. We'll be the ones with the plastic spit-shields on to keep the precious electronics dry.

Pictured: our inner child at the Microsoft PAX booth, via Gamerscoreblog's Flickr feed.

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]]>BungieEnsemble-StudiosGears-Of-WarGears-Of-War-2Halo-WarsMicrosoftNew-Xbox-ExperienceNXEPAX-2008Kevin Kelly2008-08-25T23:40:00+00:00X08: Cliff Bleszinski talks Gears of War 2http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/22/x08-cliff-bleszinski-talks-gears-of-war-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/22/x08-cliff-bleszinski-talks-gears-of-war-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/22/x08-cliff-bleszinski-talks-gears-of-war-2/#commentsFiled under: ,


During the X08 event in Toronto last night, Joystiq was able to sit down with Epic Games lead designer Cliff Bleszinski and talk chop about Gears of War 2. Cliff discussed the pacing and intensity of Horde Mode, the trouble with too many players in co-op and his quick impressions of Too Human.

X08 Toronto allowed invited gamers in the Greater Toronto Area (yes, the GTA) to participate in a showcase of upcoming Xbox 360 retail and Arcade releases. Gears of War 2 was a surprise showing with a multiplayer build from E3 2008. Everyone was on the edge of their seat. Jump in for a few choice comments from Cliff Bleszinski, perfect for those of your reading this in a library and unable to listen to the actual interview!


[MP3] Download this interview in MP3 format

Cliff on co-op

"The thing about a campaign is, when you start getting over two players - it's cool to have that, but - the narrative quality decreases exponentially with more players. Once you get a third or a fourth player in there then you're in the middle of fighting a bad guy and somebody's triggering a cutscene and people are flapping their gums and nobody knows what's going on with the story. Whereas if you keep it two-players, keep it focused, grab a buddy and go through the blockbuster experience and then grab five players and fight against the Locust. That's how we're doing it."

Cliff on achievements

"You can chip away at achievements (in Gears of War 2) essentially in every, single mode. So, if you're playing by yourself you can start chipping away at the Seriously 2.0 achievement. If you're playing in co-op, if you're playing in ranked or private matches ... all of it. Everything counts towards achievements this time around. We wanted to be a lot more forgiving with it. The nicest thing is we have a little achievement tracker that pops up in the bottom right occasionally so it's our way of just letting you know, "Hey, we're paying attention!" If you curb-stomp a guy we say, "Oh, you know if you do 10 more of those you might start getting towards an achievement. Kind of adds that kind of, psuedo-RPG grind element in the background."

Cliff on Too Human

"I have [played Too Human]. I think it's a solid game."

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]]>cliff-bleszinskiepic-gamesgears-of-war-2x08Xav de Matos2008-08-22T09:00:00+00:00X08: Cliff talks Gears of War 2 achievements, Seriously 2.0http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/21/x08-cliff-talks-gears-of-war-2-achievements-seriously-2-0/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/21/x08-cliff-talks-gears-of-war-2-achievements-seriously-2-0/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/21/x08-cliff-talks-gears-of-war-2-achievements-seriously-2-0/#commentsFiled under: ,


In an interview with Gears of War 2 lead designer Cliff Bleszinski at X08 in Toronto, Canada, we learned of an upgraded version of the original "Seriously" achievement, first seen in the popular franchise's previous installment. The achievement, "Seriously 2.0," requires 100,000 kills across the single and multiplayer campaign of the anticipated title. Yikes!

Stay tuned for the entire interview where Cliff reveals his thoughts on the single-player experience, Gears of War 2's Horde mode (first revealed at E3 2008), Too Human and, err, his desire to pee. Yeah, he went there.

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]]>achievementsCliffyBEpic-Gamesgears-of-wargears-of-war-2gow2X08Xav de Matos2008-08-21T16:57:00+00:00Readers pick best webcomic: Gears of Conflict Resolutionhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/19/readers-pick-best-webcomic-gears-of-conflict-resolution/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/19/readers-pick-best-webcomic-gears-of-conflict-resolution/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/19/readers-pick-best-webcomic-gears-of-conflict-resolution/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Despite (or perhaps because of) the similarities to an episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force from 2004, Penny Arcade's Gears of Conflict Resolution took top honors in this week's webcomic wrapup. We'd also like to take a moment to remind everyone of the 300 "PG" parody, since we still can't stop ourselves from shouting "This is Cake Town" at least once a day at random strangers.

Second and third place go to Ctrl+Alt+Del's Moar Co-Op and Monday Night Crew's Street Dated. A special nod goes to mudron's debut in the wrapup.Thanks to everyone who voted; be sure to let us know of any game-related webcomics you stumble upon this week!

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]]>cad-comicctrl-alt-delgears-of-wargears-of-war-2mncmonday-night-crewmudronpenny-arcadewebcomicRoss Miller2008-08-19T07:00:00+00:00Amazon's Gears of War 2 Lancer bundle available now for $140http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/08/amazons-gears-of-war-2-lancer-bundle-available-now-for-140/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/08/amazons-gears-of-war-2-lancer-bundle-available-now-for-140/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/08/amazons-gears-of-war-2-lancer-bundle-available-now-for-140/#commentsFiled under: ,


Gearheads, the time has come to drop everything and put in your pre-order for the exclusive Amazon.com Gears of War 2 bundle with full-size (non-working) Lancer replica. The bundle costs $140 or there's the option of taking the Limited Edition of the game with it for an extra $10. Go forth COGs, daddy Clifford needs a new house on the Riviera.

[Thanks, Andrew and Nate!]

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]]>amazonamazon.comgears-of-war-2gow-2lancerAlexander Sliwinski2008-08-08T00:40:00+00:00Gears of War 2 to feature optional gore filterhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/05/gears-of-war-2-to-feature-optional-gore-filter/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/05/gears-of-war-2-to-feature-optional-gore-filter/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/05/gears-of-war-2-to-feature-optional-gore-filter/#commentsFiled under: ,


Sometimes, all the relentless, in-your-face your-face-is-off violence really gets to us. There are moments when the barrage of bullets ripping through unprotected flesh, or the shuddering chainsaws carving through the bones of an enemy make us wonder if we haven't just become desensitized and bored with our favorite hobby. It's even more depressing when we have to go home and see it all again in our video games.

We'll be able to, as the old folks say, turn it down a notch in Gears of War 2, as MCV reports that Epic's M-rated must-see saw sequel will feature an optional gore filter. It's mainly meant to placate parents who are tolerant of frenetic gun battles and ruthless monster murder, just so long as sparks (and not blood) come flying out of the stumps. The filter is also said to replace the naughty words uttered by the game's motley bunch of macho men ("See you in heck, locust motherfluffers!").

As young lads who were constantly teased and foiled by Phantasmagoria's shocking M rating, we certainly approve of Microsoft's implementation of parental control. Mind you, if you're a kid with a copy of Gears of War 2, you've likely utilized powerful parental control already -- otherwise known as the tantrum.

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]]>EpicEpic-GamesGears-of-War-2MicrosoftParental-controlShooterLudwig Kietzmann2008-08-05T18:30:00+00:00E3 awards: Fallout 3 = Best of Show; LittleBigPlanet = Best Console gamehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/05/e3-awards-fallout-4-best-of-show-littlebigplanet-best-cons/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/05/e3-awards-fallout-4-best-of-show-littlebigplanet-best-cons/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/05/e3-awards-fallout-4-best-of-show-littlebigplanet-best-cons/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


This is it, folks. The winners of the official Game Critics Awards for E3 2008 - as chosen by 36 representatives (including yours truly) from most of the leading video game outlets - have been revealed. Leading the pack with two wins each are Fallout 3 - winner of "Best of Show" and "Best RPG" - along with LittleBigPlanet - winner of Best Console game and Best Social/Casual/Puzzle game.

The top publisher was EA (just like in our own awards) with five wins, while Sony took second place with an impressive three wins. In terms of platform concentration, the Xbox 360 barely edged out the competition with eight wins versus both the PC and PS3's seven (for those of you keeping track, the Wii only managed one win and that was for its version of Madden 09). We've got the full list after the break, or check out the Game Critics site for the breakdown by publisher and platform or refresh your memory with this list of nominees in the various categories.

Best of Show
  • Fallout 3
  • (Bethesda Softworks for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
Best Original Game
  • Mirror's Edge
  • (DICE/Electronic Arts for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
Best Console Game
  • LittleBigPlanet
  • (Media Molecule/Sony Computer Entertainment for PlayStation 3)
Best PC Game
  • Spore
  • (Maxis/EA)
Best Handheld Game
  • Resistance: Retribution
  • (Bend Studio/Sony Computer Entertainment for PSP)
Best Hardware/Peripheral
  • Rock Band 2 Ion "Drum Rocker" Set
  • (ION Audio/MTV Games for Xbox 360)
Best Action Game
  • Gears of War 2
  • (Epic Games/Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox 360)
Best Action/Adventure Game
  • Dead Space
  • (EA Redwood Shores/EA for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
Best Role Playing Game
  • Fallout 3
  • (Bethesda Softworks for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
Best Racing Game
  • Pure
  • (Black Rock/Disney Interactive Studios for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
Best Sports Game
  • Madden NFL 09
  • (Tiburon/EA for All Systems)
Best Fighting Game
  • Street Fighter IV
  • (Capcom for Arcade)
Best Strategy Game
  • Tom Clancy's EndWar
  • (Ubisoft Shanghai/Ubisoft for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
Best Social/Casual/Puzzle
  • LittleBigPlanet
  • (Media Molecule/Sony Computer Entertainment for PlayStation 3)
Best Online Multiplayer
  • Left 4 Dead
  • (Valve/EAP for PC, Xbox 360)

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]]>BreakingNewsDead-SpaceEndWarFallout-3Gears-of-War-2Left-4-DeadLittleBigPlanetMirrors-EdgePureResistance-RetributionRock-Band-2SporeChristopher Grant2008-08-05T16:30:00+00:00