""In a great sandbox game, simply horsing around in the environment and exploring for hours on end can be just as fun as going through the rigmarole of the game’s storyline and campaign.""
Binge Gamer's James Walker takes The Bulletin's Susan Brinkmann to task for her recent article that claimed that video games are becoming more "anti-religion". Walker addresses falsehoods in Brinkmann's assumptions before looking at how religion is handled in video games. Finally, he chastises the games industry for being too afraid of offending particular groups of people to take the next necessary steps forward in storytelling and game design.
"We all have those games that we follow for what seems to be our whole lives. If you don’t, most likely you aren’t reading this column. The game I most anticipated in my life was The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Ok, I admit it; at first it was because of how pretty it was and just plain how nerdy I am for an immersive fantasy world. When the game’s producer started to release more information however, I found something that I believe to this day to be one of the best game elements of all ..."
"For a limited time, you'll get three Xbox 360 Platinum Hits for the price of two. Offer valid February 7, 2010 through February 13, 2010, or while supplies last, when shipped and sold by Amazon.com. Limit one free Platinum Hit per household. To qualify, check out with three of the Xbox 360 Platinum Hits listed below in your cart. The price of the third qualifying Platinum Hit of equal or lesser value will be discounted during check out."
All Age Gaming has gone through all the Playstation 3 games that have been released to the end of 2009 and have come up with the Top 10 Games on the Playstation 3 so far. Although there are many great games scheduled to release over the coming months, any of the titles on this list are worthy additions to your collection.
Xboxliveaddicts’ reviewers look back on some of the best Xbox 360 and Xbox Live Arcade games of the decade with scores of 9 or above in this feature.
John Elliott from All Age Gaming has plowed through all the Xbox 360 games that have been released to date and has come up with the Top 10 Games on the Xbox 360. Although there are many great games scheduled to release over the coming months, any of the titles on this list are worthy additions to your collection.
Let's face it. Most videogame movies suck. It's extremely hard to make the transition from videogame to the silver screen and even harder to portray the game's plot effectively within a two-hour motion picture. Here's eight games that are so good that turning them into movies would be suicide.
Celebrating the 360's fourth anniversary IGN takes a look at the top 25 games on the console including some new and old releases over the years. The list is comprised of a wide variety of genres and features XBLA games for those looking for something on a budget. 360 owners can see what they've missed out on and put on their list for the holiday season.
Recently Bethesda hasn't said not about the Elder Scrolls series. Fans are hoping for a new game, and soon. But interesting news has been revealed from the Elder Scrolls novel; The Infernal City. With a description of the novel taking place between Oblivion and the next game, set 200 years after IV. Well, at least we know now when the time period will be.
A great episode of The Bender this week, lots of topics covered, both good and sad. Mike gets a little miffed at the XNA games people are buying. James gushes over the Saturn being the best controller ever. And Intern Perry is back. Listen live/stream with iTunes here or download the mp3 directly here
"There seems to be a glimmer of hope for those who like to play games and still be considered literary-minded. Del Ray will be publishing the first novel (of a planned two)based on the Elder Scrolls series."
"Games should be fun.
But sometimes they get to a point where the challenge simply becomes beyond frustrating and makes you feel like an incompetent, so you don’t finish. Sometimes maybe it is your lack of skill, but other times it is just poor game design.
Or maybe the game becomes so boring that it becomes too frustrating to even bother finishing. After all, every second is a second lost of your life you’ll never get back, and who wants to be stuck playing a game that’s no long..."
"On this week's instalment of No Plans Watch: Bethesda's Todd Howard, speaking at QuakeCon 09 on the future of the Elder Scrolls series now that his company is officially done with Fallout 3.
Answering fan questions on the subject, Howard said that there are "no current plans" for a fifth game in the Elder Scrolls series."
"I would suggest that, in fact there appears to be a total lack of strategy behind Microsoft’s pricing arrangement for the Games on Demand service, though it would be foolish to do so. You and I are both fully aware that this is just the first piece of a new digital distribution puzzle for the console manufacturer, and one that’s very likely to receive a lot of attention from both the media and consumers. It’s the fact that Microsoft have decided to do as Electronic Theatre initially sug..."
IGN's 360 team has created a "Cheers & Tears" list comprising of 5 RPGs you should check out and 5 of them that your wallet should stay clear of. The Cheers section probably won't be much of a surprise to anyone, featuring Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Fable II, Fallout 3, Mass Effect, and Lost Odyssey. The Tears list is made up of Dark Messiah, Phantasy Star Universe, Two Worlds of Might and Magic, Spectral Force 3, and The Last Remnant.
"2K Games and Bethesda Softworks, a ZeniMax Media company, announced today that the BioShock & The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Bundle is now available in shops across the UK for a suggested retail price of £29.99 for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and £19.99 for Windows PC."
GameObserver.com conducted an interview with Ashley Cheng, Production Director at Bethesda. They asked him questions on the Gamebryo engine, why they prefer it over other engines and the advantages it presented while making Fallout 3.
Cheng also talks a bit about what inspired their designers while making Fallout 3, what is in store for the PS3 and elaborates on various other topics relating to their game design process.
PC fight fans are in for a real treat come July 7 -- Street Fighter returns to the platform, appearing for the first time since Alpha 2 in 1998. Those interested in an arcade-style pad for their fix (or a pad at all, if you don't have one) can pick up the bundle pictured here from the Capcom Store for just $60.
Another classic series is being revived, too -- Tales of Monkey Island gets its first chapter this week in the form of "Launch of the Screaming Narwhal."
Multiplayer shooter fans...
"June 24, 2009 (Rockville, MD) – ZeniMax Media Inc., parent company of noted game publisher Bethesda Softworks, today announced it has completed the acquisition of legendary game studio, id Software, creators of world-renowned games such as DOOM, QUAKE, Wolfenstein, and its upcoming title, RAGE. The acquisition by ZeniMax Media joins together two of the finest, most respected videogame developers in the world, combining the first person shooter (FPS) expertise of id Software with acclaimed r..."
This week on The Bender, we bring you a discussion between Perry and Mike over digital downloads versus owning a physical copy of a game, we give Scribblenauts some attention, and a whole lot more, check the show notes in the quote. Grab the podcast off iTunes by clicking here or download the mp3 directly here.
"2K Games and Bethesda Softworks are teaming up to deliver a
value-packed experience that combines 2006 Game of the Year Winner The Elder Scrolls
IV: Oblivion with 2007 Game of the Year Winner BioShock into one complete package.
Beginning July 7, the BioShock & The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Bundle will be
available in retailers across North America for an SRP of $39.99 on the Xbox 360(r)
video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and $29.99 for Windows PCs."
"DLC is great. It breathes life into games that have been under your bed for a few weeks. Good DLC makes gamers excited to dive back into familiar worlds. Bad DLC makes gamers hesitant to trust the gaming industry as a whole. Companies have to stop viewing DLC as a cheap money maker and start viewing it as something that can strengthen their relationship with gamers, something that can bring us all together."
""We are going to make an announcement on a really big Wii game this year, we've got a couple of other things in the pipeline, and it's a format we're really looking at with the right approach," revealed Sean Brennan, managing director for Bethesda in Europe, in an exclusive interview published today.
"I've got consoles at home but I wouldn't sit and play an 18-rated game with my family on the Wii," he said. "Is there space in the Wii market for that? I think there is, but again, it's all a..."
"At a recent press event, Bethesda's VP of Marketing and Public Relations Pete Hines told attendees not to hold their breath in regards to a new game in the Elder Scrolls franchise. The team led by Todd Howard that is responsible for the Elder Scrolls games -- including Morrowind and Oblivion – as well as Fallout 3 will remain quiet for now. As Hines plainly stated, "The next big project announcement is not coming anytime soon.""
Books based on video games aren't new, so it's no wonder Bethesda is adding their Elder Scrolls franchise to that growing list. Make some extra money, please the fans, everybody's happy.
Some of you may be familiar with the writer Bethesda hired, too. Greg Keyes, that New York Times best-selling author responsible for several Star Wars novels of the New Jedi Order series, will be penning the two Elder Scrolls novels.
This week's The Bender brings the final word on all the fanboy talk, we talk a little MotionPlus, Fallout, Oblivion..and... just get the show and listen. Click here for iTunes. Click here for direct mp3 download.
"Show Notes:
James and Mike briefly take on the Watchmen movie.
WCG Ultimate Gamer - The video game based reality show on Sci-Fi channel, James watched it for you.
NEWS:
Stalin vs. Martians = Game of the Year! (They say so, and we agree so far)
Namco throws Splatterhouse dev Under the Bus - Mike actually defends Scamco for once (the world must be ending).
Resident Evil 5 getting online multiplayer "a few weeks" after launch
Oh, yeah. Capcom announced more RE games, too
..."
"There are a lot of great weapons in video game land. But even with all the guns, swords, and laser cannons available, little can top the satisfaction of giving someone a beat down with your bare hands. Honestly, I dare you to try and think of a better feeling (other than sex) than rushing your enemies-knuckles clenched and ready for action-and giving them that right hook to the jaw, sending a spray of teeth, spit, and blood in the opposite direction.
One word describes it perfectly:
AW..."
Binge Gamer's Intern Perry takes a look at the elements that make a game and provides a guide for future games to follow. Listing examples, both good and bad, on some obvious subjects and some not so obvious that need to be taken into account: Play Control, Characters/Writing, Graphics/Glitches, Depth/Replay Value, Atmosphere, Licensing, Hype, Initial concept, Sound and Music. Hit up the source for the in depth read.
"An object's visual design and intended purpose should work together. And while this may seem like common sense, many developers fail to recognize the need to follow such concept. This is most evident in open world games like Mass Effect and Grand Theft Auto 4. Most if not all open world games can fall into two categories, beautiful and aimless or ugly and purposeful."
We all know of the news that Elder Scrolls V will be hitting the shelves by 2010 and even a Fallout 4 before 2018 but it seems people are somewhat confused by all this.
Many people around the internet are worried that Bethesda Softworks are going to rush ESV due to having only a two year gap between the release of Fallout 3 and the alleged release date of ESV. This is not the case and allow me to explain but in order to do that, you must first understand the concept that Beth Soft employs ...
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Sub-Zero of unrealitymag.com has created a top list for... real estate? Yes that's right, they've made a top list concerning the ten places you'd not want to consider living in.
With a steady theme of violence being a major deterrent, Silent Hill took out first place. This was followed by Raccoon City of Resident Evil and Megaton of Fallout 3.
Read on to see the pros and cons for each!
Timeslip, not a name known to many unless you play Bethesda Softwork games like me and more specifically PC versions of each. After scurrying around the RSS feeds of the Beth Blog, a blog kept by Bethesda Softworks to, well ramble while keeping the public informed that they are actually working and that they are human beings like us, I had found this little gem which Beth Soft have been doing for awhile.
Modder Interviews does exactly what its name says, the company takes time to regard th...
Are we going to hit a video game burst similar to the one during the Atari days before Nintendo saved the day!? A little discussion on the news about Brandon Crisp. James not only is allergic to coconut, but doesn't eat beef either, sad times. Allison doesn't know if she wants Rock Band or Guitar Hero.
Challenge James in a video game quiz where you can pick the category, and we'll give you a prize. Enjoy this weeks The Bender (or else!)
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""At the moment we've got Fallout 3 for this year and potentially there's a new Elder Scrolls title in 2010," said Oughton. "At the moment we're not that interested in the Wii. We're going to stick to PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. We'll continue to pursue three or four titles a year and go for big titles," he said of the company's publishing plans for the future."
"Oblivion had tons of girlie things for me to do. I could pick pretty flowers, collect pretty crystals and buy pretty clothes. Fallout 3 is distinctly un-pretty, but what did you expect from an irradiated post-apocalyptic Earth? The only flowers you’ll find here contain death, and you can forget those fancy brocade gowns.
After being filled in by Manfriend, I was able to take a look at Fallout 3 and judge for myself if it has more in common with Oblivion than it does with Fallout. And after..."
Recently, the UGO Games Blog got to try out Defense Grid: The Awakening, a game of the Tower Defense genre. During the game, you will be placed in a number of old research facilities, and you're job is to protect them from the dreaded aliens that are surrounding them. They're in search of the rare Power Cores.
UGO described the various ways you are able to upgrade your towers. Cannons, Flamethrowers, and Lasers are just some things you can add on. In addition, the rendered graphics were us...
Bethesda are world renowned for their Elder Scrolls series. And hopefully again when Fallout 3 is released soon. But Bethesda are already looking ahead, their next project? A MMO.
Today in a press release today ZeniMax the owners of Bethesda stated that they were recruiting talented developers for the next big MMO. Is this a continuation of the Elder Scrolls Saga? Or even Fallout? Maybe even a new IP all together? Only time will tell.
"Add LEGO to the front of this list:
10. Lord of the Rings
9. Grand Theft Auto
8. The Matrix
7. BioShock
6. Terminator
5. Silent Hill
4. Scarface
3. Gears of War
2. The Elder Scrolls
1. The Seventh Seal"
GameInformer, the popular magazine about all things gaming that has somewhere near three million subscribers, always has a different game on the cover each time. MTV wanted to see if there was a GI cover curse, so they looked back into the past and pulled out magazines from 2-3 years ago.
One game titled Superman Returns didn't so well, receiving 6/10's. That's nothing compared to Fear and Respect, which was at one point on a GI cover, but ended up being canceled!
All in all, the game...
Fallout 3 is nearing release and people on all three of the platforms it is scheduled to arrive on are naturally getting excited. But should PS3 gamers?
In a recent interview Bethesdas Peter Hines said that while downloadable content will be coming to the 360 and PC, none will come to the PS3. Saying "We felt it was the right thing to do for Fallout 3"
This isn't the first time either, Bethesda pulled a similar stunt with the PS3 version of Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion, were they refused...
"Eric was recently assigned a game developed by Majestic Studios titled "Limbo of the Lost." At first glance, this game appears to be your typical point and click adventure again. This time, however, something seemed oddly familiar to him. Eric, being the avid PC gamer that he is, noticed that there were some similiarties between Limbo of the Lost and The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion.
The first example of this can be seen in the screenshots from Oblivion and Limbo of the Lost below. Notice how e..."
Bethesda Softworks, the team behind Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Fallout 3, has announced a long-term partnership with studio Splash Damage, the ones behind Enemy Territory: Quake Wars. The teams are currently working together on an unannounced title.
"Some games are utterly timeless. Super Mario Bros is still perfect. Soul Calibur 1 is still beautiful. But this is GRs Week of Hate, after all. So here are the once-great games that might shock you if you play them today."
We weren't sure before if they would release it as a downloadable or a retail disc, but fates are on the sides of consumers as we finally have the news that we wanted. They will be releasing the game as a retail disc coming your way on November 20th for $29.99.
There are a couple of things to mention from this article, but firstly, let's talk about the PS3 version of Elders Scroll IV: Oblivion which was recently announced to be getting a GOTY Edition which will include Shivering Isles straight in the box. Many people have wondered whether those that have the normal edition will be able to play it, and we've got confirmation courtesy of the Bethesda Blog that it will be purchasable, either via the PSN or on a separate disc.
Secondly, the last pie...
Bethesda Softworks announced today that it will release The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (GotY) on the Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, and Windows (PC) this September. This edition of the game will include the origional award-winning game, along with both the Elder Scrolls® IV: Shivering Isles, and Knights of the Nine expansions of the game.
Allowing gamers to play the 2006 Game of the Year with additional content will most likely interest many that were thinking of b...
![Box shot of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion [Europe]](http://i.neoseeker.com/boxshots/R2FtZXMvWGJveF8zNjAvUm9sZS1QbGF5aW5nL0ZhbnRhc3k=/the_elder_scrolls_iv_oblivion_frontcover_small_cslwe5AWuvplM29.jpg)