Welcome to The Black List, your one stop shop for the stories published on the site this week.

MONDAY PODCAST Episode 38 > In this special Girl Germs Edition of the Black Panel Podcast, the team talk Syndicate, Rise of Nightmares, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Rock of Ages, Team Bondi’s closure, Techland’s apology, Apple’s censorship and much more! READ MORE

TUESDAY NEW TRAILER NeverDead > Internet memes and phrases tend to come and go, usually overused to the point of meaninglessness while they’re still around, yet if there was ever a fitting use for “what the? I don’t even…” NeverDead’s new trailer would certainly be it. A collaboration between Konami and Rebellion, developers of the none-too-well-received Rogue Warrior, NeverDead looks set to combine third person shooting, demon killing and a distinctly Japanese style. READ MORE

WEDNESDAY NEWS nanoBITES 60 > Epic Games is preparing to release the Horde Command Pack, the first wave of DLC for its 360 exclusive sci-fi sequel Gears of War 3. Launching in the first week of November, the pack will bring new maps, skins and fortifications to the Horde and Beast modes. This is just one of the stories in this week’s edition of nanoBITES, our ongoing feature devoted to small but important news items. READ MORE

THURSDAY NEWS Steve Jobs dead at 56 > Apple co-founder and long time Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs has died at the age of 56 after a long struggle with pancreatic cancer. He will be remembered for his role in taking existing ideas and refining them to create a broad range of remarkably stylish and accessible devices. READ MORE

FRIDAY REVIEW Deus Ex: Human Revolution > Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a rare beast. Not many games can pull off a mix of first person shooting, role playing, and hacking while also providing interesting dialogue and a thoughtful story that has strong core themes running throughout its expertly crafted world. The entire game is a wonderfully engaging experience and only a handful of bugs stop it from being perfect. READ MORE

Recent instalments of The Black List: 01.10.11 l 24.09.11 l 17.09.11 l 10.09.11 l 03.09.11

Welcome to The Black List, your one stop shop for the stories published on the site this week.

MONDAY PREVIEW Mass Effect 3 > Mass Effect 3. The title alone has the potential to send a legion of fans into frenzy. This frenzy is almost what I experienced when I was presented with an opportunity to play and preview an early demo of the game. Hosted by the series’ publisher Electronic Arts, an evening’s session on console provided me ample opportunity to sample the latest instalment of the Mass Effect series. The demonstration provided was by no means a reflection of the final product but served as an insight into the gameplay of Mass Effect 3. READ MORE

TUESDAY REVIEW Driver: San Francisco > The Driver franchise was dying. The original was a great 70s style car chase game on the PSone that quickly garnered a cult following among auto heads everywhere. Driver 2, while okay, never earned the love of the first game. The less said about the abysmal Driver 3 the better and 2006’s Driver: Parallel Lines did little to restore the franchise’s ailing reputation. So it is with some surprise that Ubisoft are trotting out another entry in the series. What is even more surprising is that Driver: SF is not only great but possibly one of the most original and entertaining arcade racers in recent memory.  READ MORE

WEDNESDAY NEW TRAILER Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning > Early coverage of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning showed us what seemed to be a slightly generic action RPG with some great names behind it (notably R.A. Salvatore and Todd McFarlane). However the latest trailer that gives viewers a guide to the various factions within the Amalur universe shows players something extra to get them interested…… some personality. READ MORE

THURSDAY NEWS nanoBITES 59 > The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword will be coming to Australia on Thursday 24 November. While stocks last, all copies of Nintendo’s long awaited Wii MotionPlus showcase will include a soundtrack CD. This is just one of the stories in this week’s edition of nanoBITES, our ongoing feature devoted to small but important news items. READ MORE

FRIDAY PREVIEW Battlefield 3 > Hype aside, Battlefield 3 certainly bears the markings of a polished title. My dive into the first mission was straight into the heart of a warzone with all the gunfire and explosions included. The lighting effects and environments really do leave an impression, especially since the mission was taking place under the cover of night. READ MORE

Recent instalments of The Black List: 24.09.11 l 17.09.11 l 10.09.11 l 03.09.11 l 27.08.11

Welcome to The Black List, your one stop shop for the stories published on the site this week.

MONDAY FEATURE An evening with id > It was a warm night out on the 14^th of September when id Software took to the stage at the Sydney Opera House. The intention of their visit? A look at the “past, present and future of gaming.” READ MORE

TUESDAY NEWS Visceral Games Melbourne is no more > Already reeling from the closures of the likes of Team Bondi and Blue Tongue Entertainment, the Australian development community has suffered yet another blow. As reported by MCV, EA has called time on one of its Victorian developers. Though it didn’t enjoy the high profile of its US based progenitor, Visceral Games Melbourne contributed to the success of the Dead Space and Dante’s Inferno properties. READ MORE

WEDNESDAY NEWS nanoBITES 58 > After closing original developer Kaos Studios, THQ has entrusted the next instalment of its jingoistic Homefront series to Crytek. According to CVG, the FPS project will be handled by Crytek’s UK studio, once known for its work on the TimeSplitters franchise. This is just one of the stories in this week’s edition of nanoBITES, our ongoing feature devoted to small but important news items. READ MORE

THURSDAY FEATURE Developer Playlist 3: Daniel Visser > In the latest in our series on developers and the games that inspire them, Daniel Visser of Wicked Witch Software tells The Black Panel about the influence of classic titles Tetris, Age of Empires II and World of Warcraft on his career. READ MORE

FRIDAY CANCELLED Dungeon Duels > The creators of the wildly ambitious BioShock Infinite have delved into their archives to reveal a game that never was. Irrational Games has published its original pitch for a console based fantasy outing known as Dungeon Duel. Though described as a real time strategy title, Dungeon Duel’s combat system was seemingly inspired by turn based trading card games such as Magic: The Gathering and Pokémon. READ MORE

Recent instalments of The Black List: 17.09.11 l 10.09.11 l 03.09.11 l 27.08.11 l 20.08.11

Welcome to The Black List, your one stop shop for the stories published on the site this week.

MONDAY JUST ANNOUNCED Syndicate > If you were mortified by 2K’s decision to resurrect XCOM as a first person shooter, prepare to be outraged all over again. Thanks to an (alleged) leak published on NeoGAF by forum member faulty_fork, you can now assume that Bullfrog’s action strategy classic Syndicate is going down a very similar path. READ MORE

TUESDAY NEWS Techland says sorry > Polish developer Techland has apologised to gamers offended by content found in an incomplete build of its action horror game Dead Island. As reported by Stuff Tracey Writes, a version of Dead Island erroneously published on Steam last week contains a line of code reading “FeministWh*re”. The offending edition of the game has since been replaced, but the slur will do little to assuage the perception that the industry hasn’t done enough to address its ‘boys club’ culture. READ MORE

WEDNESDAY NEWS nanoBITES 57 > Four year old PC show pony Crysis is about to join its sequel on consoles. According to EA and Crytek, the new version will feature “optimised Nanosuit controls, fine-tuned combat and full stereoscopic 3D support”. Look for it on XBLA and PSN in October. This is just one of the stories in this week’s edition of nanoBITES, our ongoing feature devoted to small but important news items. READ MORE

THURSDAY FEATURE Developer Playlist 2: Jon Paquette > In the latest in our series on developers and the games that inspire them, Resistance 3 writer Jon Paquette tells The Black Panel about the influence of classic titles Half-Life, The Legend of Zelda and Rock Paper Scissors on his career. READ MORE

FRIDAY NEWS Apple pulls plug on critic > An iPhone game that alleges that Apple and other electronics manufacturers have encouraged a range of unethical practices has been removed from the App Store. As reported by Giant Bomb, Phone Story implies that Apple has been complicit in the exploitation of child labour, the promotion of mindless consumerism, the enforcement of brutal working conditions and the proliferation of environmentally unfriendly materials. READ MORE

Recent instalments of The Black List: 10.09.11 l 03.09.11 l 27.08.11 l 20.08.11 l 13.08.11