Daily updates on video games and popular culture, along with Australia’s grooviest gaming podcast.

Archive for the ‘Xbox 360’ Category

You should probably sit down…

Posted by Karen Jacobson On Wednesday 8 September 2010ADD COMMENTS

“Eleven years in development and all I got was this lousy severed head.”

Do not adjust your monitor screens. The words you are about to read are true. The supposedly abandoned Duke Nukem Forever is back on the cards. Borderlands developer Gearbox Software has acquired the rights to the medium’s most obnoxious character and is aiming to bring the long awaited first person shooter to market in 2011.

For those unfamiliar with the long sad saga, Duke Nukem Forever is a follow-up to the 1996 cult hit Duke Nukem 3D. It was originally announced in 1997 and developer 3D Realms released various promotional materials, using a variety of engines, over a period of 11 years. The entire project became an industry joke. Many observers concluded that it would never see the light of day, particularly after 3D Realms was sued by its publisher 2K Games for failing to deliver the goods. The matter was settled out of court.

The announcement from Gearbox may be great news for Duke fans, but it’s even better news for those craving new episodes of the development community’s longest running soap opera.

Trendy jump on the bandwagon

Posted by Peter Nickless On Tuesday 7 September 2010ADD COMMENTS

Dungeon Defenders looks set to try and please everyone by combining tower defence gaming with RPG combat and some zany ‘toon’ stylin’. Plot and character development matter little when over 100 monsters are on their way to destroy your castle as you are given direct control over your various troops, defences and customisable hero. Developer Trendy Entertainment promises a myriad of stat building, upgrades, familiars and unique weaponry that can be displayed for all to drool over in your very own Adventurer’s Tavern.

The PSN version of Dungeon Defenders will support the PlayStation Move peripheral and 3D viewing while the PC version will allow you to make your own mods, leaving Xbox Live players feeling a little worse for wear. All gaming formats will allow up to four players to team up for some split screen or online action, with participants able to join and leave the game without interrupting the overall flow.

This jaded gamer can’t help but remember many average downloadable games for every gem like Plants vs Zombies, Peggle or Limbo. In a market where many games have press releases that claim addictive game-play, or direct inspiration from other successful titles, it should be originality and depth of experience that really separate the quality from the drek.  One can only hope.

Dungeon Defenders is due for release in spring 2010.

Black Panel Podcast 24

Posted by Erin Marcon On Monday 6 September 2010ADD COMMENTS

In this episode: Mafia II, Gun Loco, Resistance 3, Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One, Hydrophobia, Captain Smiley, Super Meat Boy, Bloody Good Time and much more!

 

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The Panellists: Erin Marcon (@ErinMarcon), Karen Jacobson (@KarenMJacobson), David Walden (@Havok73) and Peter Nickless

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Related links: What… the… hell?; nanoBITES 8; Ratchet & Clank drought finally over; Resistance continues; The (near) future of XBLA

Retail Roundup 5

Posted by Black Panel Staff On Sunday 5 September 2010ADD COMMENTS

Retail Roundup is your indispensible checklist of the titles arriving in stores this week.


Recent Editions 29.08.10 l 22.08.10 l 15.08.10 l 08.08.10 l 01.08.10

Looking for a list of last week’s downloadable games? Check out our latest Downloadable Digest.