Well, in case you have been living under a rock, you may have heard of a new game called Tony Hawk: Ride.  Not content with just having you controller a skater via a controller, Activision has upped the ante with a new skateboard peripheral.  Full of sensors and gyroscopes, the new Skateboard controller allows you to interact with Tony Hawk: Ride in all new ways.

I think that all the analysts and game companies are going to be watching this release to see how it does, kind of as a barometer for the future of plastic peripheral based games.  So far, we have watched as DJ Hero has debuted to less than stellar sales, and Tony Hawk: Ride could be the nail in the proverbial coffin if it does not sell extremely well.  Word of advice to Tony Hawk – find out how to buy out your contract and hit up the guys working on the skate. franchise at EA.  It is what your games use to be oh so long ago.

Tony Hawk(TM): RIDE(R) Rolls Onto North American Retail Shelves

Innovative Board Controller Gets Kids and Families Off the Couch and Into the Game

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Nov 17, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ – It’s time to get off the couch and into the game with Activision Publishing, Inc.’s (Nasdaq: ATVI) Tony Hawk: RIDE, the ground-breaking new entry in the popular action sports franchise. Featuring a revolutionary skateboard controller, players of varied skill levels can physically control the action by stepping on board to perform movements and gestures that directly translate into amazing tricks in the game; from grinds, grabs and ollies to Tony Hawk’s signature tricks.

“Tony Hawk: RIDE is THE new way to play. It gives a whole new meaning to game night by allowing the entire family to challenge one another to competitions that are as fun to watch as they are to play,” said Rob Kostich, head of marketing, licensed products, Activision Publishing, Inc. “It’s the perfect activity for the entire family this holiday season … and anytime of the year.”

“This is the game I’ve always wanted to make,” said legendary pro skater Tony Hawk. “The skateboard peripheral opens up a whole new level of interactivity and physicality, allowing players to control the action with their whole body. I can’t wait for everyone to jump on the board and ride.”

Tony Hawk: RIDE takes the popular action sports video game franchise in an all-new direction. The wireless skateboard controller was designed in conjunction with the game to offer a dynamic gaming experience built from the ground up. The innovative motion sensing peripheral offers a completely new way to play games. Without complex button combinations or analog sticks, gamers of various skill levels can literally step on the board and play.

Tony Hawk: RIDE is developed by Robomodo for the Xbox 360(R) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION(R)3 computer entertainment system. Buzz Monkey developed the Wii(TM) system version. The game is rated E10+ by the ESRB. For more information, fans can visit www.THRide.com, www.Facebook.com/TonyHawkRIDE and www.Twitter.com/THRIDE.

About Tony Hawk, Inc.

Tony Hawk, Inc. is a world leader in its field with the unprecedented ability to bring alternative sports and their unique lifestyle to the masses while maintaining an indispensable edge of authenticity with the market’s hard-core, trendsetting audience. Founded by Tony Hawk in 1998 and based in Vista, CA, the company is organized into five segments: Merchandising, Events, Endorsements, Film and Digital Media. These lifestyle sports include skateboarding, BMX, Motocross, surfing and snowboarding. Consumer goods bearing the Tony Hawk brand have dominated several markets, including interactive games, skateboard hard goods, lifestyle apparel, toys, publications and more.

About Robomodo

Based in Chicago, IL, Robomodo is a video game development studio focused on producing top-tier products on current and next generation console platforms. Robomodo’s team has a strong track record for marrying solid game design with an innovative artistic style, as well as harnessing the power of current and next-gen consoles. The core Robomodo team has proven its abilities in the Mortal Kombat, NBA Street and Fight Night franchises. The company’s first game for Activision Publishing, Inc. is Tony Hawk: RIDE, which will be released in 2009 simultaneously on the Xbox 360(R) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION(R)3 computer entertainment system and Wii(TM) system.

About Activision Publishing, Inc.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Activision Publishing maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, Russia, Japan, South Korea, China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Publishing’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Activision Publishing generally uses words such as “outlook,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “might,” “remains,” “to be,” “plans,” “believes,” “may,” “expects,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “estimate,” future,” “plan,” “positioned,” “potential,” “project,” “remain,” “scheduled,” “set to,” “subject to,” “upcoming” and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause Activision Publishing’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include, but are not limited to, sales levels of Activision Publishing’s titles, shifts in consumer spending trends, the impact of the current macroeconomic environment, the seasonal and cyclical nature of the interactive game market, Activision Publishing’s ability to predict consumer preferences among competing hardware platforms, declines in software pricing, product returns and price protection, product delays, retail acceptance of Activision Publishing’s products, adoption rate and availability of new hardware (including peripherals) and related software, industry competition, rapid changes in technology, industry standards and consumer preferences, protection of proprietary rights, litigation against Activision Publishing, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, customers, licensees, licensors, vendors and third-party developers, counterparty risks relating to customers, licensees, licensors and manufacturers, domestic and international economic, financial and political conditions and policies, foreign exchange rates and tax rates, integration of recent acquisitions and the identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities, and the other factors identified in the risk factors section of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Publishing and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

A(C) 2009 Activision Publishing, Inc. Activision is a registered trademark and Ride is a trademark of Activision Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Tony Hawk is a registered trademark of Tony Hawk, Inc. All rights reserved. Wii and the Wii logo are trademarks of Nintendo.

The update brings the social interaction features that were ballyhooed at this year’s Microsoft E3 press event.  You will now be able to twitter from your console, check out your Facebook friends, listen to some music via Last.fm and of course, stream movies instantly at 1080p via the Zone HD marketplace.

If you are curious about what is in this new Dashboard update, take a look at our preview of all of the new features.  And sorry folks, no Mafia Wars, Vampire Wars or Farmville are available via the new dashboard update.

When asked about the viability of sequels for their “Hero” brands next year, the response was rather awe-inducing.  Dan Rosensweig stated:

“We’re working on our 2010 slate now. You will probably see fewer SKUs from us, but the focus on making the best-selling, most fun to play, best-reviewed games will continue. Those are the things that are constant. [There will be] more DJ Hero, and the next iterations of Guitar and Band are on the way. But we will see how the market plays out. What you will see is the games will live longer and be more vibrant through DLC.”

Okay, so apparently, next year is the year when DLC for music games finally becomes an important battleground.  Did I miss something here?  Isn’t that what Harmonix has been preaching about for some time now?  The idea that you do not need to have a new release for your game every year.  Instead, just load up on DLC content for the game, buying what you want to be included in the game.  I am just amazed by the idiocity of the people that run the brands at Activision.  No, I do no think Dan Rosensweig would ever want to admit that his chief competitor is better, but sometimes, you need to acknowledge those that have created something in your field that works.  Borrow from it and innovate, but it is really stupid to completely ignore the fact that someone has outplayed your brand in the downloadable marketplace.

What do you think about the current “Hero” brand games.  Do you need more disc based releases, or should Activision take a page from Harmonix and work on ramping up their DLC offerings?  Make your comments known below.

AFI fans will have a chance to rock out to such tunes as “Beautiful Thieves”, “End Transmission” and “Love Like Winter” to name a few.  If you are a Bangles fan, you will get your chance to rock out “Walk Like and Egyptian”.  And just for those paying attention, Susanna Hoffs was totally looking at me in that video.  “Walk Like an Egyption” will also be playable in Lego Rock Band.

If you have Rock Band Unplugged on the PSP, you will have a chance to grab “California uber Alles” by Dead Kennedys and “Your No Rock n’ Roll Fun” by Sleater-Kinney.

Check the jump for the full press release with pricing info.

ROCK BAND ADDS AFI FIVE-PACK AND THE BANGLES

Also, tracks from Dead Kennedys and Sleater-Kinney for Rock Band Unplugged!

Cambridge, Mass. – Nov. 13, 2009 – Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that a five pack of tracks from AFI and a single from The Bangles will be added next week to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation® 3 computer entertainment system and Wii™. Tracks from Dead Kennedys and Sleater-Kinney will be available for download next week for Rock Band Unplugged on PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system.

Rock Band DLC Additions for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 System and Wii

Rock Band is delivering more tracks from punk outfit AFI with a five pack of songs to join “Girl’s Not Grey” and “Miss Murder,” which are already available on the Rock Band platform. “AFI Pack 01” features three songs from the group’s eighth studio album, Crash Love, released Sept. 29, including “Beautiful Thieves,” “End Transmission” and “Medicate;” as well as “Love Like Winter,” from Decemberunderground, and “The Leaving Song, Pt II,” from Sing the Sorrow.

“Walk Like an Egyptian,” the 80s staple from The Bangles, will also be available in the Rock Band Music Store next week.

Available on Xbox 360 and Wii (Nov. 17) and PlayStation 3 system (Nov. 19):

· AFI – “Beautiful Thieves”

· AFI – “End Transmission”

· AFI – “Love Like Winter”

· AFI – “Medicate”

· AFI – “The Leaving Song, Pt II”

· The Bangles – “Walk Like an Egyptian”+

(All tracks are original master recordings)

These tracks will be available for purchase as “AFI Pack 01” as well as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, and as individual tracks on Wii. Tracks marked with a “+” are also available in the family-friendly LEGO Rock Band Music Store

Price: $1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track

$8.49 £5.25 UK, €6.59 EU (680 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “AFI Pack 01”

$2.00 USD (200 Wii Points™) per track

Rock Band Unplugged Tracks for PSP®System

Rock Band Unplugged fans will enjoy the addition of Dead Kennedys’ “California über Alles”and Sleater-Kinney’s “You’re No Rock’n’Roll Fun” to the 57 tracks already available via the Rock Band Unplugged in-game music store for the PSP system.

Tracks available for Rock Band Unplugged (Nov. 19):

•Dead Kennedys – “California über Alles” •Sleater-Kinney – “You’re No Rock’n’Roll Fun”

Price: $1.99, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU per track on the PSP system

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **

Website Links:

For more information, please visit:

Rock Band Website

AFI Website

Rock Band 2 is available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and Wii system. Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii versions support downloadable content. Downloadable content for Wii is purchased via the in-game Rock Band Music Storeusing Wii Points™ purchased through the Wii™ Shop Channel and can be downloaded to the system memory or to an SD card for additional storage. The tracks stream directly from the SD card for seamless play.

There are now 949 tracks available to date via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at www.rockband.com/music). Rock Band continues to satisfy music fans’ and gamers’ voracious appetite for rock with more than 60 million paid downloads since its launch Nov. 20, 2007. The Rock Band Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks and packs from the vast selection of offerings available to date without ever leaving the game as they build their own custom Rock Band library.

Rock Band and Rock Band 2 are rated “T” for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB. Music downloads are not rated by the ESRB.

For more information on Rock Band 2 and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com and www.harmonixmusic.com.

Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Wii is a trademark of Nintendo. © 2006 Nintendo

The Sgt. Pepper’s album DLC will finish off the album collection, and includes such hits at “When I’m Sixty Four”, “Lovely Rita” and “A Day In The Life” to name a few.  You can purchase tracks individually, or in a “Complete The Album” pack if you have an Xbox 360 or Playstation 3.

Pricing for individual tracks is standard Rock Band pricing, with each track costing 200 Wii Points, 160 MS Points or $1.99 on the PS3.  The “Complete The Album” download will be 1080 MS Points or $13.49 on the PS3.

Check the jump for the full press release for more info.

MTV Games and Harmonix Release Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band As Second Downloadable Album For The Beatles™: Rock Band™ On November 17th

New York – November 13, 2009 – Apple Corps, Ltd., MTV Games and Harmonix, the world’s leading developer of music-based games and a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), today announced The Beatles’ album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) will be available in its entirety for purchase and playable as downloadable content in The Beatles™: Rock Band™Music Store starting November 17, 2009.

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band becomes the second full album from The Beatles to hit The Beatles: Rock Band Music Store since the video game’s launch on September 9, 2009. Last month MTV Games and Harmonix released Abbey Road (1969) as the first full downloadable album for use in the game. Additionally, “All You Need Is Love,” the first downloadable track available for the game, has shown similar success with more than 100,000 downloads to date on Xbox LIVE® online entertainment network and all Apple Corps Ltd., MTV Games, Harmonix and Microsoft proceeds benefiting Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

With “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” “With A Little Help From My Friends,” “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds,” “Getting Better,” and “Good Morning Good Morning” already included on The Beatles: Rock Band game disc, players will now be able to play songs from, and complete, the entire Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album.

Available for Xbox 360®video game and entertainment system from (Nov. 17) and PlayStation®3 System (Nov. 19):

Individual Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band singles: “Fixing A Hole,” “She’s Leaving Home,” “Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite!,” “Within You Without You,” “When I’m Sixty-Four,” “Lovely Rita,” “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)” and “A Day In The Life.”

Price: $1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per each individual track

The “Complete The Album Pack” features:

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band singles: “Fixing A Hole,” “She’s Leaving Home,” “Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite!,” “Within You Without You,” “When I’m Sixty-Four,” “Lovely Rita,” “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)” and “A Day In The Life.”

Price: $13.49 USD, £7.49, €8.99 (1080 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “Complete The Album Pack”

Available for Wii (Nov. 17):

Individual Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band singles: “Fixing A Hole,” “She’s Leaving Home,” “Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite!,” “Within You Without You,” “When I’m Sixty-Four,” “Lovely Rita,” “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)” and “A Day In The Life.”

Price: $2.00 USD (200 Wii Points™) per each individual track

As previously announced the complete Rubber Soul (1965) album will be released as downloadable content in December. The Beatles: Rock Band downloadable content is available for purchase on the Xbox LIVE, PlayStation®Network and via the in-game The Beatles: Rock Band Music Store for Wii™ using Wii Points purchased through the Wii™ Shop Channel.

The Beatles: Rock Band offers players an unprecedented, experiential progression through the music and artistry of The Beatles and is available for Xbox 360, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™ console from Nintendo. The game is compatible with all The Beatles: Rock Band and Rock Band™ instrument controllers, as well as most Guitar Hero® and other authorized third-party music video game peripherals and microphones.

The Beatles: Rock Band marks the first time that Apple Corps, along with EMI Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Harrisongs Ltd and Startling Music Ltd has presented The Beatles music in an interactive video game format. The Beatles: Rock Band is published by MTV Games and developed by Harmonix, the world’s premier music video game company and creators of the best-selling Rock Band. Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) serves as distribution partner for the game. In addition, Giles Martin, co-producer of The Beatles’ innovative LOVE album project, provided his expertise and served as Music Producer for this groundbreaking Beatles project.

The Beatles: Rock Band is rated “T” for Teen with the descriptors “Mild Lyrics” and “Tobacco Reference” by the ESRB.

About Apple Corps. Ltd. Apple Corps Ltd. was founded by The Beatles in 1968 to look after the group’s own affairs. The London-based company has administered the catalogue of The Beatles releases of the 1960s that have sold to date more than 600 million records, tapes and CDs. Since the 1990s, Apple has piloted new Beatles projects that have become benchmarks for pioneering accomplishment and which have included The Beatles Anthology projects, the 28-million selling album The Beatles 1 and The Beatles LOVE show and CD. Further information on The Beatles’ projects can be found at www.thebeatles.com.

About MTV Networks MTV Networks, a division of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is one of the world’s leading creators of entertainment content, with brands that engage and connect diverse audiences across television, online, mobile, games, virtual worlds and consumer products. The company’s portfolio spans more than 150 television channels and 400 digital media properties worldwide, and includes MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, HarmonixNickelodeonNick at Nite, Nick Jr., TeenNick, AddictingGames, Neopets, COMEDY CENTRAL, SPIKE, TV Land, Atom, GameTrailers and Xfire.

About MTV Games MTV Games is dedicated to creating, marketing and publishing high-quality, innovative interactive products that are relevant to the MTV audience and complement the core values of the MTV Networks brands.

About Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., based in Cambridge, MA, and established in 1995, is the leading developer of ground-breaking music-oriented videogames. Harmonix was founded by Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy, who formed the company to invent new ways for non-musicians to experience the unique joy that comes from making music and have pioneered music and rhythm gaming in the US. For more information please visit: www.harmonixmusic.com.

About Electronic Arts Inc. Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA™, EA SPORTS™, EA Mobile™ and POGO™. In fiscal 2009, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.2 billion and had 31 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA’s homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA’s products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.

© 2009 Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Harmonix, Rock Band, Rock Band 2 and all related titles and logos are trademarks of Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., an MTV Networks company. Rock Band, Rock Band 2, and The Beatles: Rock Band are developed by Harmonix Music Systems, inc. MTV: Music Television, MTV Games and all related titles and logos are trademarks of MTV Networks, a division of Viacom International Inc. EA, EA SPORTS, EA Mobile and POGO are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Guitar Hero is a registered trademark of Activision Publishing, Inc. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. “PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Wii is a trademark of Nintendo. © 2006 Nintendo. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

It’s mandatory XBox Live update day!

Following on from the launch of Netflix on the PS3 last week, Microsoft hope to appease their own members by an update that integrates dashboards with the biggest social networking and multimedia sites available today.

From the 17 November, Gold members be able twitter with friends via XBox Live (although, thankfully, nothing will pop up whilst you’re in the middle of playing) and update statues or sync gamertags via Facebook accounts. You’ll be able to explore and discover new music via Last FM’s vaults of 3.5 million tracks to tailor your perfect radio station and – with a promise of minimal buffering/download time – Zune offers HD movies to buy/rent from the comfort of your dashboard.

This comes within days of the UK update that enables subscribers to British broadcaster BSkyB to watch Sky TV – including the Sky Sports, News, Movies and entertainment channels – from their console. (As someone who has never been able to access the Sky Player due to Mac functionality issues (sigh), this was a much-wanted feature in Vikkiland.)

Just a note of caution if you’ve got a modded box; the BBC reports that over a million gamers have been banned from the XBL network following violations of terms of use on discovery of chips and pirated games.

So what do you think? Are you pleased with the new features?

Tim Shafer has always created great games that are normally critically acclaimed, yet never have any amount of commercial success.  Brutal Legend went through a tumultuous sequence of events on its way to release, but throughout the process, looked to be a solid experience.  However, some game design elements and repetition seem to take a lot of the fun out of an otherwise, incredible open world experience.

Starting into Brutal Legend, I was poised for a great hack and slash experience, as all of the demos and presentations gamers have received for the game have showed Eddie Riggs, our main protagonist, tearing up beasts.  He would do combat with an axe and with the blazing hot strings of his guitar, but never would I have thought I would be playing Command and Conquer lite in Brutal Legend.  If you cannot piece together that analogy, it basically means that you will be doing less hacking/slashing and far more building units and commanding them into battle.  It is not a flawed system, but it is not what gamers were prepared for walking into this title.

While I was a little perplexed with the design decision for Brutal Legend, I can say that the story that backs the gameplay is rather solid, and was one of the main items that kept me from giving up on Brutal Legend at the half way point.  The writing is top notch, taking something that could be clichéd and making it into something rather memorable.  You have Eddie Riggs, a standard roadie, that never wants fame and fortune, killed in a stage accident, and then transported to a fantasy world, filled with all of the images you could possibly remember from early 80’s heavy metal album covers.  You end up with Riggs helping the native populace rise up from oppression to fight the evil leader of this world, Lord Diviculous.  Of course, there are some great turns and twists, including some great deception in your own party that adds to the intrigue of the story.  However, most may never see the end of the story, because the gameplay just kills any kind of rhythm or atmosphere that is created by the writers.

Yes, you will spend most of your time in RTS battles.  The combat starts with your side building a stage, and from there, you are tasked with two directives: capture green geysers that hold the “fans” that will help you generate more troops and upgrades and the other directive is to destroy the enemy’s stage.  Commanding your troops is rather easy, with a press to the D-pad choosing their actions.  They can attack, defend and rally, and that is about it.  Later, you gain the ability to set a simple waypoint, but nothing that will tax an RTS veteran.  There are huge flaws in the RTS gameplay, with troops that really never seem to have any intelligence.  More than once, I had my troops collect at one point and watch another troop in the distance get mauled.  It should have been in their line of sight, but they did nothing to help.  The other issue comes from repetition, because after one or two of these battles, you will just want to get them done as fast as possible, due to the tedium of finishing them.

Side quests are also available, and they do add some variance to the RTS stage battles, but after awhile, even these start to get repetitive.  You do have five or six different type of missions to fight, but they seem tacked on to the game.  Each comes with about six lines of canned dialog that will vary each time you start a mission.  They are also rather easy, and none ever really struck up a challenge.  I started off the game completing most of these missions in the first area of the map, but after awhile, I just wanted to finish the game, and the side quests never got touched after that fact.

The sad thing, after all of these criticisms, is that Brutal Legend is at its best when you are just driving around, experiencing the world.  I loved just checking out the different landscapes and little in-jokes that you would find just observing the world.  One thing that Tim Shafer has always done right in his games is creating a world that is unique and fun to experience, and in Brutal Legend, that is absolutely true, to a fault.  Whether it is looking at huge stone swords, sign of the devil hand statues or even just the creatures that inhabit the world, you can just get mesmerized by the scenery.  Even your character, Eddie, makes great little quips about things he sees while you are cruising, just making the world more enjoyable.

I also enjoyed a lot of the voice over work from everyone involved with Brutal Legend.  I normally abhor anything that Jack Black is associated with, but his voice work for Eddie Riggs is actually amazing.  I loved every little line from his character, because it was done with such gusto and polish.  Normally, big actors tend to phone in their performances on a video game (David Duchovny in XIII anyone) but you can tell that Jack Black really enjoyed his time with Eddie Riggs.  Cameos also abound in the game, including Lita Ford, Rob Halford, Lemmy, Tim Curry and even Ozzy Ozbourne.  Ozzy is especially of note, because his character absolutely steals the show.  He has a surprising amount of dialog, and all of it is funny to listen to, and it is genuinely funny.  This is “I can understand you” Ozzy, not “stammering like an idiot” Ozzy.

One thing of note is also how the game handles language and violence.  My eight-year-old son had watched some of the trailers for this title and was a bit upset when he found out it was going to be a Mature rated title.  But Double Fine has built into the game, a censor system that removes the violence and swearing, in any combination.  You can have swearing and no violence, or vice versa.  So my son was able to start a game with the no violence and no swearing options selected and it was a great experience for him.  It also does some great stuff, by putting big parental advisory stickers on anything that is questionable, remembering back to the Tipper Gore days of early 80’s controversy with obscene lyrics in music.  I was extremely happy for this option in the game, and it would be great to see more developers jump on the bandwagon.

And this is where I am completely perplexed for a score on Brutal Legend.  On one hand, the action is repetitive, side quests dull, and overall fun is lacking, and yet, I could come back and just enjoy driving around and experience the well conceptualized world.  The whole reason this review was delayed for so long, was because I was trying to find a score that would fit what I played.  In the end, I felt that Brutal Legend was a great game to experience, but after getting through the first few hours of the game, boredom and tedium step in and ruin a great, visually stunning world.  Brutal Legend gets a 2 out of 5 Aeropausonauts.
Check out Brutal Legend and other Xbox 360 reviews at Test Freaks.

It’s hard to believe that this game can be that good. The gaming press have been all over it, wet-dreaming their way through 10/10s and perfect scores, so when I hit the floor at the Eurogamer Expo in London last week (did I mention how great it was, btw? If you live in the UK and didn’t go this year, you missed out. Seriously), I made a beeline for the dark, tall, hair-clad witch we know and love as Bayonetta to put her through her paces myself as we searched to regain her lost memories and powers …

What struck me first and foremost was that Bayonetta hits the ground running. With an intuitive yet simple combat system, beautiful landscapes, great soundtrack and, of course, our not unappealing heroine, anyone can pick up a controller and get stuck right in – and I do mean anyone. Whilst there’s plenty of combos to be recited, learned and memorised – something you can try whilst hanging around in the loading screen – you can still kick-ass with nonsensical, button-mashing frenzy, too. Other reviews will tell you that there seems to be an infinite amount of combos to discover, and I’m not going to tell you anything different – there is no way the combat system is ever going get old. Add in the extra quick and slow time elements, and you know that no one chapter, no matter how often you replay it, is ever going to give you the same battle twice. The magical elements and special attacks are interesting, engaging and varied. Plentiful enemies keep battles entertaining and spontaneous, and the better you fight, the higher the score, and the better your subsequent rewards. Simple, no?

It’s easy to let the pretty backgrounds and colourful butterflies lull you into a false sense of security but trust me – Bayonetta is bad ass. She fights well and truly for the dark side, slaying angels not demons, and she wilfully cashes in on their blood-soaked halos in exchange for new weapons and techniques. The battles are suitably gory and bloody, but while we’re told that her darkness is deliberately at odds with her unashamed femininity, it does occasionally jar and I’m still not convinced of the contradictory aspects of the butterflies and her blood-lust. But as that is possibly explored later in the game, I’ll keep an open mind for now.

Down points? Yes, there are some. I spent half an hour with this game and was still grappling with the unwieldy camera when I left. Slow time doesn’t add much to the gameplay – at least, not from where I was sitting – but admittedly it doesn’t detract from it, either, and I found the patently non-interactive world to be a bit of a let-down. Whilst I didn’t get remotely bored during my time with Bayonetta, I could sense that the battles themselves could get a tad repetitive after awhile, even if the fighting/combos within them did not. But it remains to be seen how the chapters vary further on in the game.

Although my date with Bayonetta was criminally short, the half hour or so I had to sample her wares was enough, quite honestly. And while there’s certainly no such thing as the perfect game, Bayonetta comes pretty freakin’ close – close enough that it’s currently sitting aloft on my 2010 Must Buy list.

Bayonetta is scheduled for release on the XBox 360 and PS3 in early 2010 in both Europe and the US.

It was only a matter of time before someone saw the value in marrying insanely popular fake-guitar-playing games and actual musical instruction, but it seems as though that time is coming sooner rather than later with Rock Band 3 aiming to be more than just a bit of fun in its next incarnation.

Dhani Harrison, son of Beatle George and a musician in his own right, not only confirms the existence of Rock Band 3, but also goes on to explain its potential educational merit. “I’m working on Rock Band 3 and making the controllers more real so people can actually learn how to play music while playing the game,” Harrison told the Chicago Tribune this week. “Give me a couple years, it’s going to happen.”

Considering his significant involvement and contributions to the Beatles: Rock Band, he does seem well placed to know what’s happening behind the scenes.

Whilst this throws up the question of whether people actually want to learn when they’re unwinding playing video games, the concept of learning how to play a real instrument at the same time as rocking out with friends is undoubtedly an interesting one. Considering the significantly bad press these types of games have, including criticism from (usually aging) rock stars themselves, I can’t wait to see if and when instructional music games hit the shelves. How about you?

Source: G4TV