New Max Payne 3 Screenshots, Some Actually Look Like Max Payne Now April 22, 2011

Max Payne 3 has not had a positive mention in most gamer dialogs since the initial previews of it hit the internet.  Originally developed by Remedy, the same developers who went on to make Alan Wake, Max Payne was a Hard-Boiled New York City detective who went rogue after being framed for murder and staged a personal vendetta against the mafia family that framed him.  Along the way he uncovered a government conspiracy and single-handedly destroyed an entire designer drug operation.

He also fell in love with a mafia hit woman, the identical twin of the Don’s wife.  Twice it appeared she died, and with the multiple endings of Max Payne 2, it was left ambiguous if she had survived or not.  For years fans clamored Remedy and publisher Rockstar for a third game to the series.  They wanted Max back, they wanted to know where the story was going to go from there.  But Remedy was busy working on Alan Wake and no longer had the rights to the game.  Rockstar promised a third game would come, and fans eagerly awaited to see it.

Then the first screenshots and synopsis hit the internet and all that eagerness turned into a collective groan.  Max Payne 3 showed Max in a completely different city in a completely different country. He no longer looked like the character we knew and loved and instead like a flabby bald failure.  What does this have to do with the third game to the series so many know and love?  Well, nothing.

The game had a definite release date which I don’t think anyone was looking forward to.  But some time after the previews and the solid release date were announced the game was pulled from release and the project, which had a pretty steady momentum to release up to that point, went dark.  I think a lot of people figured that the negative press from fans made Rockstar think twice about destroying their extremely expensive property.  I personally was secretly hoping that they’d cancel the game altogether and apologize for the insult that was the initial screenshots.

Well from the looks of it, they’re still going ahead with the project, but these new screenshots show that at least some respect for the property is being added to the game as they do now intend to show the story of how Max went from where he was in the previous games to where the game developers are putting him now.

The game currently has no release date but the site says it’s coming for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3.

Duke Nukem Forever Uncensored Trailer April 21, 2011

Gearbox Software and 2KGames decided to finally throw caution to the wind and release a bona-fide uncensored trailer for Duke Nukem Forever.  Lets face it, if you decided to censor every Duke Nukem Forever trailer that you were releasing, you’re not really going to be able to see very much of the game (as was shown in the initial release date trailer).

I remember a lot of people on the Gearbox Software Forums were concerned that the fact that the footage was censored on YouTube meant that the game was going to be censored as well.  No, it’s just not happening.  Want to see the game uncensored?  YouTube be damned, here you go.

Duke Nukem Forever is coming June 14th, 2011 for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

Do Not Adjust Your Networks, PSN is Down April 21, 2011

Yeah, I’m writing this little tidbit to everyone with a PS3 that gets a rejection notice from the PSN whenever they try to log in.  You also might notice that your Steam Cloud support in Portal 2 is no longer working (which is what tipped me off that their was a problem, my cloud saves were no longer syncing halfway through my second playthrough).

The Playstation Network is not functioning very well right now, and Sony is looking into it.  That said, they have no definite timeline as of the point I’m typing this, as to when the issue is going to be resolved, and it could easily last a day or two.

Needless to say, if you want to play an MP game on your PS3 right now, you likely won’t be able to, nor will you be able to access the Steam service through the PSN right now either (Steam Service through PC is functioning perfectly fine however, if you’d rather continue your Portal 2 game on your PC or Mac, feel free to.)

The current ramifications on this site are as follows.  I had wanted to do a recording of the inFamous 2 beta software which I got access to and was in the process of downloading and show you what was up with it.  I can’t do that until this issue is resolved.

inFamous 2 Beta Codes Being E-mailed April 19, 2011

If you’re one of the individuals who signed up for the inFamous 2 beta you’ll find out if you’re either very much in luck or not at all, as it seems that the e-mails are being sent out with beta codes as I type this down.

The beta is for the mission editor system, which allows people to create their own missions.  Just how in depth this goes is not quite understood by me, but after I give it a whirl I’ll be sure to post up my thoughts about it.

The beta will run between today and the 6th of May.

inFamous 2 is coming this June exclusive to the Playstation 3.

Halo Waypoint Update Coming Tomorrow April 14, 2011

A highly anticipated functionality update is coming to Halo Waypoint tomorrow.  The be-all and end all free Xbox 360 program to integrate all the achievements across all Xbox 360 Halo games and their DLC, is becoming a lot more functional come Friday.

You’ll soon be able to check out your multiplayer statistics in Halo Reach, similar to how you’re able to look them up on bungie.net and compare them.  They’re also promising that the release will also coincide with the release of The Mona Lisa animated feature, which was based off the story from the Halo Evolutions book.

This update can also be expected to come to the mobile program as well.

I for one, love the Halo Waypoint, but I think that the initial novelty of the program has worn off, given the fact that I’ve pretty much gotten every single achievement I could possibly get in Halo games at this point (Halo Reach’s DLC notwithstanding) and since I made it past rank 50 already and got the EVA Helmet awarded, there’s really been no incentive to go back and get those extra levels without a major reward dangled in front of me.  Hopefully something will be added in this update that will be an incentive to leveling up.

On a side note, Xbox has a rewards program that they’re testing, and I saw a promotion on it for spending at least 200 Microsoft Points you get a free Banshee avatar item.  I spent those points last night to buy the new Halo Reach Map Pack, but the site doesn’t say how I’m going to unlock the Banshee.  The site also states that they’ll give you 400 points for spending 800 on the Halo Reach Defiant Map Pack (the new one).  I’m pretty sure you have to be a rewards member to get access to these deals, but I encourage you to check the site for yourselves, log into your Live Profile and see if you get in.

Portal 2 Investment Opportunity Video 4 April 12, 2011

The fourth (and probably final) Portal 2 Investment Opportunity trailer has hit the web.  This one is detailing the newest technology in footwear.

In the original Portal game, the protagonist walked around barefoot with these stylish walking prosthetics attached to her leg, which I immediately took as some new futuristic form of high-heeled shoe.  It turns out, that this is why in the game you can fall incredible distances and not have your legs rip off your body.  The shape was strikingly similar to the prosthetics worn by Special Olympics runners who have lost their legs (I believe they were modeled after the legs of bipedal animals).

Well, now they’re adding a boot to it!  You can check it out here.

Portal 2 is releasing April 21st, 2011 for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3.

Gears of War 3 Multiplayer Beta Behind The Scenes Video April 12, 2011

Epic Games has released a new behind the scenes video for Gears of War 3, detailing the trials and tribulations of the push to release the Gears of War 3 beta.

The beta is expected to go live on the 18th of April for Bulletstorm: Epic Edition owners.  It should be released a week later to those who pre-order the game.  Xbox Live Gold required for beta participation.

Gears of War 3 is coming September, 2011 exclusive to the Xbox 360.

Mortal Kombat: Legacy Episode 1 Released April 12, 2011

The first episode of a multi-part live action Mortal Kombat series has been officially released through Machinima.com.

This is the series that was promised after the highly successful Mortal Kombat: Rebirth viral video hit the web last year.  Although that original video has since been taken down, this new one has been done by the same production people and stars many of the same actors.

The series has been released by a division of Warner Bros and starrs Jeri Ryan and Michael Jai White.

Mortal Kombat (The New Game) will release April 21st, 2011 for PS3 and Xbox 360.

Portal 2 Comic Part 2 Released April 11, 2011

The second and final part of the comic that bridges the gap between Portal and Portal 2 has been released on IGN.com.

Portal 2: Lab Rat continues the story of Portal, introducing readers to a new character, and opening possibilities to what their impact will be on the new game.

You can read Part 2 here.  If you missed Part 1, it’s here.

Portal 2 is coming April 21st, 2011 to PC, Xbox 360 and PS3.