Most of us know by now that the Xbox LIVE price will be raised from $50 a year to $60 in November. What most of you probably don’t know is that Wedbush Morgan Securities’ Michael Pachter predicted that this price hike would occur, and that he made one other prediction. That prediction has to do with a higher tier membership level priced at $100. Currently, we have the free Xbox LIVE Silver membership and $50 a year Gold membership. Could a third be on the way?

Pachter spoke with IndustryGamers earlier this week, first about the $10 price increase:

“The extra $10 translates to around $100 – 150 million per year in additional revenue for Microsoft.  I think that they will reinvest at least this much in developing other new applications, and will roll out a premium service with $100 – 200 million worth of enhancements. “If they can get 2 million users to switch from the $60 plan to the $100 plan, they’ll make an extra $80 million a year, and can keep investing to try to grow that business.”

He then spoke about how rational it would be for Microsoft to make a move like creating a new membership level:

“The Xbox 360 can work as a media center, and conceivably could do things like managing a music library. Although Apple and Microsoft aren’t the best of friends, I could see Apple letting Xbox Live members manage their iTunes accounts through their 360s, and other such premium services.  I’m not the guy to speculate as to what they will offer (for example, I didn’t even know ESPN 3 existed before it was announced for the 360), but I’m sure that there are many talented and creative people at Microsoft working on such a plan right now. For all I know, the Platinum plan might include virtual goods credits for various Microsoft games. If members could get specialized Halo armor or weapons worth the extra $40, they might be more willing to sign up, and it doesn’t really cost Microsoft anything to offer things like that.”

If this were all true, would you shell out the cash for the predicted next level of membership? Let us know your thoughts on this.

[IndustryGamers]

Medal of Honor is making news before release, yet again. The upcoming title, published by Electronic Arts has caused the British defence secretary to call on retailers to show their support for troops by not selling it. Britain’s defence secretary Liam Fox had this to say:

“At the hands of the Taliban, children have lost fathers and wives have lost husbands. It’s shocking that someone would think it acceptable to recreate the acts of the Taliban against British soldiers. It’s hard to believe any citizen of our country would wish to buy such a thoroughly un-British game. I would urge retailers to show their support for our armed forces and ban this tasteless product.”

Despite not responding immediately to the statement made by Fox, EA spokeswoman Amanda Taggart made the following response:

“We give gamers the opportunity to play both sides. Most of us have been doing this since we were seven: someone plays cop, someone must be robber. In Medal of Honor multiplayer, someone’s got to be the Taliban. Nobody who plays video games is going to be shocked or surprised by this.”

Maybe she’s right, but maybe it’s just a little too soon. With something so recent and still an ongoing struggle, it’s understandable that people will react sensitively to the content of the latest Medal of Honor.

[bigpond]

It’s been over a year since we last saw the latest installment in the Resident Evil series, but already Capcom is hoping to put Resident Evil 6 in the hands of gamers as soon as possible. Capcom’s Keiji Inafune made this statement in his 3DJuegos interview:

“Given the great success which led to us Resident Evil 5, we want Resident Evil 6 to hit the market as soon as possible…In fact, Capcom will have news about this soon…”

Soon, you say? Maybe as soon as Tokyo Game Show? Looks like we’ll have to wait and see!

As if this comes at a great surprise, and to add to the growing mound of controversy, it looks like EA’s Medal of Honor will not be sold or promoted in any Army and Air Force bases, as well as 49 GameStops located across the U.S.

If someone wished to pre-order a copy of the game, which focuses on the war in Afghanistan, they will be directed to a GameStop that wll take reserves of the game. Along with the banning, all marketing material will also be removed as well. GameStop employees were told this along with the news of ban:

“GameStop fully supports AAFES in this endeavor and is sensitive to the fact that in multiplayer mode one side will assume the role of Taliban fighter.”

Here’s the Japanese trailer for the upcoming Kirby game, Kirby’s Epic Yarn. The game is as much charming as it is eye-catching and just overflowing with cuteness. If you’ve been waiting for another Kirby game, like I have, you’ll definitely want to check this trailer out. Yet another reason it’s good to own a Wii this fall, even if it might not get used as much as other consoles. Kirby’s Epic Yarn comes out in North America on October 19, 2010. Hit the jump for the video and let us know what you think!

Reportedly, in Denver, Colorado, a pair of thieves made off with more than one thousand two hundred dollars in video games from a shop. Of the two crooks, one of them would distract the single employee by asking for help with various things while the other tucked games away in his clothing.

The heist took place on the morning of August 10th, 2010 at approximately 11:15 AM. At the very least, twenty fully priced titles were taken. Denver residents are urged to call a tip line with whatever information they may have, and a cash reward is being offered.

It has been more than two and a half years since the release of Devil May Cry 4 on the PS3 and Xbox 360. Since that time, we have heard absolutely nothing on the next entry in this storied franchise. Hardly confirming it, head of R&D and designer for Capcom said to Spanish gaming site 3D Juegos:

Devil May Cry 5 is a game that, when started development, this will change a lot in relation to the above. The reason is that, despite the franchise has some very loyal followers, their sales are not particularly high, especially overseas. For this reason, it is likely that in the fifth chapter will incorporate certain “Western touch” to make it more attractive to American and European players.

So it’s nice to know that we’ll be getting the game eventually right? I suppose, but no further details have been revealed about the title. Let’s cross our fingers and hope that the game makes an appearance  at the Tokyo Game Show.

Recently we posted an article that lambasted both the PS Move and MS Kinect as silly motion control fads that were a waste of time and money. It would appear that gaming great Shinji Mikami, creator of Resident Evil and director of the upcoming TPS Vanquish totally agrees with that:

“I don’t think motion controls will be in the gaming mainstream in the next ten years. When the technology gets to the point where you can just flick your eyeballs around and the computer can pick it up, you won’t need a controller anymore. Obviously it’s going to take a while to get there.”

I don’t see how he could have called them a gimmick any kinder. Perhaps we dont have to get there at all Mikami-san. Long live the controller. Vanquish comes out for the PS3 and Xbox 360 on October 19th. Currently (thankfully) there is no news of motion control support for the title. Check out our impressions of the game, here.

The first gameplay footage of the exclusive Glados track “Still Alive” from OneBigGame’s successful hit music-puzzler game Chime.

This trailer shows us just exactly what to expect from the music-puzzler that reminds me a lot of an intense session of Tetris, but better.

Zoe Mode, the UK-based developer who had created the original game pro bono (or free to us layman’s) for OneBigGame, will donate part of the proceeds of the PC version. And as for Xbox Live Arcade, Chime royalties from the PC version will benefit OneBigGame’s charity partners Starlight Children’s Foundation and Save the Children. For more information, please visit OneBigGame’s website.

Check out the trailer after the break.

Mythos is an upcoming hack n slash action MMORPG from Frogster. The game utilizes 3D graphics and a lovely, comic book esque art style. The game will be free to play and features all of the aspects of MMORPGs you’ve grown accustomed to like PvP battles and guilds.

There is also a beta scheduled for the game, which you can learn more about at its official website. The game will launch officially early next year. To learn more about Mythos and check out the new screens, hit the break.

Mythos brings the highly successful “Hack-and-Slash” formula into an action-packed online role-playing game. Mythos offers players a virtual fantasy world based on an atmospheric comic book style where they must hunt countless monsters in a variety of diverse dungeons. Players may also compete with each other in gripping PvP battles. There is a choice of four races and three character classes which can be heavily customized. Mythos was originally developed by Flagship Studios and since 2009 has been further continued and prepared for its release in Europe by the Korean publisher, HanbitSoft. Frogster will publish the game in four language versions – English, German, French and Turkish. The action-packed online game is due to throw open its gates in early 2011.

Features

• Action-MMORPG with fast-paced game play
• Hack-and-Slay meets Online Role-Playing
• Numerous randomly-generated dungeons and items
• Powerful crafting and item upgrading systems
• Fully-customizable range of four races and three character classes
• Challenging single- and multi-player PVP battles
• Free regular and extensive updates with new game content

No monthly fees, free to download

If you are a fan of adventure games, this just might be up your alley. Pendulo Studios has released some new screens for their upcoming adventure title, The Next BIG Thing.

The Next BIG Thing follows a couple of charismatic heroes, Dan Murray and Liz Allaire, who are involved in a crazy adventure full of twists, monsters and comedy that makes some subtle references to popular movies and TV shows.

The Next BIG Thing will be making its way towards PC’s during the first quarter of 2011.

Take a look at the screenshots of The Next BIG Thing after the break.

2008’s most slept on cult prize Mirror’s Edge is getting a fresh face with the upcoming iPhone re-release. While there is still no word on the Mirror’s Edge sequel, it’s very nice to see that EA hasn’t completely abandoned the franchise.

Amongst its legions of triple A shooters and action titles, it’s easy to see how a game like this could be forgotten. The game is scheduled to be released sometime this month and there is no word yet on pricing. Hit the break for further details about the game, as well as some new screenshots.

Mirror’s Edge^TM – iPhone^® and iPod^® touch

In a city where information is heavily monitored, where law is brutally enforced, where most people sacrifice freedom for a comfortable life, there are still those that choose to live on the edge. In Mirror’s Edge, take control of Faith Conners, a member of an underground group known as “Runners.” These acrobatic messengers who the last source of free communication in this “perfect” city. But a deadly threat has grown from within and Faith finds that she alone is the one that can stop it. Use Faith’s incredible acrobatic moves to outmaneuver the enemy –run on walls, slide down precarious ramps, ride ziplines, and leap between rooftops. Mirror’s Edge been designed to maximize the visual intensity available with the iPhone 4 Retina Display. Leave the enemy in the dust.

Street Date: September 2010

The third-party titan, Mad Catz will have their presence felt greatly at this year’s Penny Arcade Expo (PAX). From September 3rd until September 5th in Seattle Washington, Mad Catz has a bunch of activities and events scheduled for all the attendees.

Mad Catz will be located at booth number 3217 and if you click ‘Read More’ below, you can see all the stuff scheduled for the jam-packed weekend.

Highlights of the Mad Catz 2010 PAX show include:

• Mad Catz Street Fighter IV Arcade FightStick: Tournament Edition – Exclusive 3D Chun-Li Limited Edition

A new and strictly limited edition Street Fighter IV Arcade FightStick: Tournament Edition will be available for purchase directly at the PAX show! Limited to a product run of just 4000 units world-wide, this stunning new FightStick features highly detailed and exclusive artwork provided by Capcom. Designed to celebrate the ‘first lady’ of Street Fighter: Chun-Li, the new FightStick is the first to feature an all new 3D lenticular design and exclusive new chassis color scheme. Complete with special edition packaging, the 3D Chun-Li Limited Edition is a must for Street Fighter fans everywhere!

• Rock BandTM3

Mad Catz invites gamers to experience the next generation of the ultimate social and interactive music gaming platform launching world-wide in October 2010. Step onto our Rock Band stage and try out the new range of Mad Catz Rock Band 3 instruments including the Wireless Keyboard, Mustang PRO-Guitar Controller, and accessories. Be one of the first to play the new Rock Band 3 songs. The game features an 80 plus song set list and new PRO modes to master

• Preview New Call of Duty: Black Ops Accessory Range

Coming holiday 2010, Mad Catz celebrates the launch of one of the year’s most anticipated action titles with the release of the officially licensed Call of Duty: Black Ops accessory range. Check out the new Combat Controllers on Xbox 360 and PS3, Black Ops gaming based on the R.A.T., and the unveiling the top secret range of TRITTON powered Call of Duty: Black Ops ProGaming Headsets!

• Cyborg F.L.Y. 9 and Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. 2

Reach for the sky with a first play on the all new Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. 2 from Ubisoft. Mad Catz believe there’s no better way to experience the intense aerial combat than with the all new Cyborg F.L.Y.9 Wireless Flight Stick for Xbox 360 and PS3, and invite gamers to try for themselves!

• TRITTON Professional Gaming Audio

Experience the difference of professional gaming audio. TRITTON is the latest brand in the Mad Catz family and the Company invites gamers to try the entire range, from precision stereo to immersive true Dolby Digital 5.1 surround, of ProGaming Audio Headsets.

• Cyborg R.A.T. Gaming Mice

Designed for the professional gamer, the new range of Cyborg R.A.T. professional gaming mice feature state-of-the-art technology and an advanced feature set, all dedicated to delivering remarkable levels of precision and quality. Launched to critical and consumer acclaim, gamers can catch a R.A.T. for themselves at the Mad Catz retail area.

• Beat-A-Pro Contest

Hosted by professional gaming group ‘Galaxy 4 Gamers’ on behalf of Mad Catz, the Company will be sponsoring the event which invites gamers to try their luck against some of the gaming worlds’ most elite talent. Win TRITTON headsets, Arcade FightSticks or just take an opportunity to brush up on strategy with tips from the professionals!

• Gamers Outreach: Support the Troops

Come show your support to the hardworking and fearless American troops fighting overseas. Donate to an excellent cause and be in with the chance of winning a one-of-a-kind custom Xbox 360 console. Built by Chris “Omega” Ruble from Gamer-Grafix.com, the Xbox 360 has been modified to resemble a modern day military Humvee.

In addition to the events and activities listed above, Mad Catz will be celebrating the PAX 2010 expo through a variety of limited edition retail promotions, being held at gamesharkstore.com through the duration of the show.

Mad Catz look forward to welcoming gamers everywhere at booth number 3217 at the PAX 2010 expo. For further information, please click here.

There is something about Platinum Games titles that I just can’t put a finger on. They have a certain je ne sais quoi or swagger if you will. Whether you’re slaying angel fiends or entrenched deeply within space, each of their games possesses a unique and distinct flair that simply oozes quality. In this aspect, Vanquish appears to be no different from its older brothers and sisters.

From the very start menu it boasts a very distinct, very immersive ambience. This only increases as you begin to play through the demo. Playing the game somehow makes you feel so cool and stylish. The visuals are absolutely superb. You’re going to make your first stop at the tutorial though, where all the controls are explained in a very simple yet effective manner. The controls really are wonderful I might add.

You move and direct with the right and left thumbs sticks. Three of the face buttons are the dodge button, the grenade button, and the melee button. You take cover behind objects with the last button. L2 is used to boost around. See, these rockets placed in various positions around the main character’s suit all blast in unison and he uses them to propel him around at ridiculous speeds.  It looks as cool as it sounds.

You can also aim with L1 and shoot with R1. The shooting is handled superbly well I think. I found it very fluid and transitional, more so than in any TPS I’ve ever touched. The melee combat is also handled well, though there is a lengthy recharge after using it. This is of course a balancing mechanic, but you notice it. You can initiate AR Mode or a kind of slow motion by holding the aim button during either boosting or dodging.

The controls are rather simple, but very, very tactical. After you boost into an area full of enemies, use AR mode and shoot down two, boost over to a third and obliterate it with a stylish kick, throw a grenade to decimate a fourth and fifth and then take cover where one previously sat while reloading, you’ll feel like a million bucks. What’s more is that all of these things can happen in a matter of seconds.

Another thing that is really well executed is the sheer sense of scale. The game sends hoards of enemies at you, and in no time hundreds of bullets, lasers and missiles are firing off in every different direction. You feel surrounded by the battles; completely immersed. It possesses its own brand of “nonstop” action, if you catch my drift *wink wink*.

The décor is high tech and futuristic. It creates a tenable ambience which seems to permeate every square inch of the environment. So the demo kicks off with you taking on three enemies, which is fairly simple. Then you enter a much larger area and there are various foes scattered throughout. You will boost between cover spots, annihilating your enemies as swiftly and stylishly as you so choose.

You have a team of soldiers with you who all do their own fair share of fighting, but none of them are as cool as you are. All the weapons and equipment add to the cutting edge vibe that spews forth from the game. I haven’t felt this effortlessly cool since the last Devil May Cry.

You can snatch up various guns from chests and your fallen enemies. There is an incredible amount of activity taking place on the screen at one time. It’s almost overwhelming at first. But when you obtain proper control over the character, you will run towards every challenge smiling. The game play is totally exhilarating.

So after you dispatch all the small fries, and there are a few of them, you can take control of one of the two large mechs on the field and the controls during this sequence are also spot-on. Once you’ve blown up enough baddies you’ll take on the boss, which appears to be some kind of mechanical spider hybrid. The fight commences with you and your team on a raised platform with multiple cover spots.

There are also a good number of turrets and equipment scattered around the platform. The boss has powerful rockets that destroy cover. It will occasionally kill one of your allies, but if you are fast enough you can revive him. You must attack various weak points on the monster like its legs to breach its defense and cause it to expose its core.

As you battle it, you will see hundreds and hundreds of attacks flying at you. It is a very enthralling experience and it commands all of your attention if only for only a brief moment. When you destroy its core it will drawback and release hundreds of rockets that all come flying towards you. While it seems overwhelming, if you burst into AR mode, you’ll be able to destroy the rockets in slow motion while they’re just inches from your face.

Playing the game makes you feel as though you’re watching some kind of epic and surrealistic movie and I don’t think I’ve ever had a similar experience. The boss will then morph into a bigger, more powerful robot only this time it looks more like a Transformer. It will now attack more frequently, and often utilizes a laser that will likely destroy your teammates multiple times.

The process is basically the same though. Attack the weak spots and destroy the core. About halfway through his health bar, you’ll initiate QTE and as you complete it, your character will perform a fantastic maneuver that culminates in him catching a missile, inserting it into the barrel from which it came, and blowing the monsters arm off as he jumps dramatically to safety.

When you defeat the monster it explodes in a bright display of sparks. The game looks very scenic and cinematic. You can tell great care was taken with just about everything. At the end of the demo you receive a score based on a wealth of factors like how many times you revived your allies and how well you made use of cover, though it wasn’t easy to tell if I did well or poorly the first time through.

By the end of the demo my socks were completely blown off. Playing it evokes a euphoric mindset that is simply beyond comparison to anything else I have ever played. I have played through it five times and I will probably play it several times more in the next few weeks. If you thought you were excited before playing this, afterwards you’ll almost be a little scared of what Platinum Games and SEGA are going to throw at you in the full game. Stay tuned for our full review when the game come out next month.

With the MTV Video Music Awards coming in 10 days and the launch of Rock Band 3 coming in October, music is definitely on the horizon. To kick off the launch of both RB3 and the MTV VMA’s, Harmonix and MTV Games launched a worldwide Rock Band 3 Avatar Store on Xbox Live, which features exclusive MTV Video Music Awards and Rock Band 3 themed collections for fans’ avatars for the Xbox 360.

Also on the Rock Band 3 Avatar Store, fans can join a long line of memorable acceptance speeches when they purchase the MTV Moonman statue by September 22nd, 2010. The Rock Band 3 Avatar Store features full outfits, accessories, props, and musical instruments that you can purchase for you Xbox Live avatar to wear. The items available range from 80 to 400 Microsoft Points.

To see what the Rock Band 3 Avatar Marketplace has to offer, please follow this link. I have also provided some screenshots of what to expect after the break.

This week’s release lineup is pretty solid, considering some big titles we’ve been waiting on for a while are finally hitting, such as Valkyria Chronicles II and Metroid: Other M. We also have Behemoth’s awesome co-op game Castle Crashers, which has been out on XBLA for well over a year, finally making its way to the PSN. That is most definitely one to pick up if you haven’t played it yet! There’s also some other gems appearing in the wild, such as the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Ultimate Edition and the expansion to Dead Rising 2, Case Zero. Hit the jump for a full list of what to look out for this week. What are you guys playing?

Nintendo DS

• Cosmos X2 (8/30)
• myNotebook: Pearl (8/30)
• Music On: Learning Piano (8/30)
• Camp Rock: The Final Jam (8/31)
• Little Bears (8/31)

Mac OS

• Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse – Episode 5: The City that Dares Not Sleep (8/30)

Windows PC

• Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse – Episode 5: The City that Dares Not Sleep (8/30)
• Ghost Pirates of Vooju Island (8/30)
• Prison Tycoon: Alcatraz (9/1)
• Mumbo Jumbo 6 Pack 2nd Edition (9/1)

PlayStation 3

• Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse – Episode 5: The City that Dares Not Sleep (8/30)
• TNT Racers (8/30)
• Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Ultimate Edition (8/31)
• Castle Crashers (8/31)

PlayStation Portable

• Ace Combat: Joint Assault (8/31)
• Valkyria Chronicles II (8/31)

Nintendo Wii

• Gunblade NY and LA Machine Guns Arcade Hits Pack (8/30)
• TNT Racers (8/30)
• Tales of Elastic Boy – Mission 1 (8/30)
• Metroid: Other M (8/31)

Xbox 360

• Snake Death (8/29)
• TNT Racers (8/30)
• Dead Rising 2: Case Zero (8/31)
• Cthulhu Saves the World (8/31)
• Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Ultimate Edition (8/31)

One of the most appreciated aspects of Sony’s consoles this generation – and this applies to both the PS3 and the PSP – is that, when it comes to games, they are “region free”. What does this mean? For those of you who don’t know, various forms of media are typically locked into one region, and can only be played on devices that originate in that region. If you look on the front and/or back of any DVD or BluRay you purchase in North America, you’ll typically see a “Region 1” somewhere on it. This means that it can only be played in DVD or BluRay players native to “Region 1”, which is basically all of North America.

Now, with games things are typically the same. For example, Microsoft and Nintendo’s consoles are region locked, meaning you either need a console from the region the game originates in, or you need to modify your native region’s console to make it “region free” (which is typically illegal and we absolutely don’t approve of doing this). Then we have the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable. According to Sony, it is left up to the developers whether or not to region lock their games, but the systems themselves don’t require it. That being the case, the vast majority of games for these systems are compatible with any system in the world.

This is basically heaven for importers, whether you’re importing the latest JRPG from Japan to the United States, or importing a game from the United States to Europe because you have no idea when the game will come out there. You can play Japanese UMDs on a European PSP, or North American PS3 games on a Japanese PS3. It doesn’t matter, mix and match how you please.

This leads to my point – why doesn’t Sony simply have a worldwide PlayStation Store, and forego with having a separate one for each region? What would be the point of this, you ask? Mostly ease of use for the end user. This came up recently as I tried to download a couple PSP demos from the Japanese PlayStation Store. Do you know how difficult Sony makes it to even log in to another PSN account from your PSP, aside from your default one? Because I forgot my original Japanese PSN account password and e-mail address, I decided to make a new one, safe in the knowledge that I would know what the log in details are. This went well, but when I tried to log into it on the PSP it told me I wasn’t supposed to use someone else’s PSN account. Except that it wasn’t someone else’s, it was mine. Add this to the fact that the PSP by default doesn’t support multiple profiles for multiple PSN accounts, like the PS3 does, and this just makes one frustrating experience overall.

Now, downloading Japanese demos for the PS3 is a piece of cake. Here the issue is purchasing full games – you need a Japanese PSN card (or a credit card from an Asia-based bank). The easiest way for those outside Asia to purchase stuff from their store is to buy a Japanese PSN card from a place like Play Asia. Once you do that, you can input the numbers and add a certain amount of Yen to your account, thus being able to buy stuff off the Japanese PSN.

Again, a worldwide PlayStation Store would solve all these issues. So, let’s rehash a couple things – 1) the majority of games are already region-free and 2) there is nothing to stop anyone around the world from creating a PSN account from another region. The conclusion I’m getting at is how it would make sense for Sony to just merge all the various regional PlayStation Stores into one massive entity. Dollar/Euro/Pound/Yen amounts and the languages would obviously be different depending on your region or your PS3’s settings, however the idea here is to be able to, for example, purchase Japanese games with a North American PSN account. This would circumvent the need to purchase a Japanese PSN card and apply that amount to a Japanese PSN account – all in a language that most people in the West can’t read.

I think one reason for the different regional stores initially was that it takes a certain amount of localization for the games. All I have to say is – if you aren’t going to localize a game, then don’t. Simple as that. I don’t expect all these Japanese games I’m interested in to ever be localized, but it would be nice to be able to purchase them without all the extra hassle.

What do you think? Do you think it would be an interesting proposition for Sony to merge all the regional PlayStation Stores into one for ease of use? Along with that, do you think they should allow multiple PSN accounts on the PSP, just like they do on the PS3? In my opinion, there is a lot that Sony can do to improve this whole experience. If they are going to not require region locking on their systems – and don’t get me wrong, I’m infinitely grateful that they don’t – they should provide easier access to game downloads from other regions. Then we can all be one big, happy, global family of Sony minions.

Yakuza 4 is making it’s way stateside and with fury the crime syndicate fighting / action title is arriving on the PlayStation 3 exclusively. There is a time for words and then there is a time for war. Check out the announcement trailer after the break and guess which time it is. Sega of America has scheduled Yakuza 4 for release in the window of Spring 2011.

When I wrote the editorial Why We Need Mag 2… Already it was coming from the perspective of a clan leader, a shooter fan of many years, and an avid supporter of innovative ideas in gaming. When MAG first released my expectations were enormous. Perhaps this was a problem generated by the fact that the title was being announced and talked about so early, or maybe just the overall concept was too broad at the time to fully satisfy what my vivid imagination had cooked up for it. Either way, the game was released and the 8 man squad system really let me down in a major way. The game began to feel as Deputy Editor Joel Taveras dubbed it ‘the 60$ Beta’ since almost nothing had changed since its beta testing period. Overall it just felt overwhelmingly light on content as if something major was missing, some sort of gigantic missed opportunity waiting to be seen.

Recently a brand new MAG beta was released on the PlayStation Store for those who own the MAG disc. Not only does this bring forth the PlayStation Move support which has been promised but also a number of changes are previewed for free which will be coming for the full title in the near future. This includes new maps, game-modes, features, as well as general overhauls to the existing title in question. I am happy to report that after putting some time in with the beta for what is essentially MAG 2.0 I am impressed, excited, and much more satisfied by what is being put forth from Zipper Interactive towards their new, 256 man, first person shooter, intellectual property. Read on for a breakdown on what you’ll experience in the new beta and my thoughts on what works and what doesn’t as well as the timing of all of these updates.The first notable edition upon signing in to MAG after the release of this beta will be that players can now purchase additional character slots for their PSN ID to be able to have a character in each PMC. I actually don’t see any value to this as a paid feature! Zipper Interactive is charging $1 a month for players to do this and it’s going to be a move that shoots them in the foot in my opinion. The reason why I say this is because players have no incentive to want to pay for this feature. You can actually already have 3 free PSN accounts which can each have their own free character, so you can already play as all three PMCs. In addition to that players can just “prestige” their way through each PMC with one single character while keeping all of their stats and rolling over from PMC to PMC each time they max out their character.

The reason this is a horrible idea from Zipper to charge for this is mainly because waiting for the matchmaking to assemble players into a lobby queue still sucks. The new character slots could have allievated that pain by allowing players to quickly back out of lobbies and switch PMCs on the fly to whatever PMC was low on players at that given moment (instead of signing completely out of your PSN id and switching or waiting and waiting for the lobby to form). Instead many players will not buy this feature and so it will not really have any major impact on the game at all.

Moving right along, it’s not all bad with the updates to be seen. In fact some of them are just great. The game is going to be filled with a number of new guns and upgrades for those guns including an assault rifle, machine gun, and sniper rifle for each PMC. The way these weapons will be unlocked in the game borrows a bit from the Call of Duty style system where points are earned in-game then the gear is unlocked in a Supply Depot new to MAG.

Another COD style addition to the game will be the un-lockable perks that are gained with level-ups. Though the overly complicated tech tree of skills still exists, things have all been re-arranged to be much more neat, coherent, and exciting. Overall this is a great overhaul to the system and will make it easier for newcomers and vets of the game to get a grip on their character’s progression through the various gear tiers.

The new maps in the MAG 2.0 Beta are just great. My favorite is called the Isle De Magma map which has a really good layout in my opinion. The ability for players to have a more vertical battle than ever that centers around elevation both underground, above ground, and at ground level with a fresh look and overall more solid design than previous maps was fun to experience. The new game mode that these maps are played on is called Escalation and takes a few hints from the Modern Warfare 2 game mode Domination but with a major twist. 32 players from one PMC will defend the center while 64 players from two other PMCs (32 from each) will face off to take the middle from that team while defending each side of the map. Instead of working together all three PMCs will be facing off against each other, that’s 96 players worth of madness with the co-ordinated strategy of squads!

One of the greatest additions to the game is the new ability to clan deploy. Players can now drop into a single match with up to 128 players from their clan! This is one of the features I was most up in arms about wanting to have and most disappointed by the omission of in the initial launch of the game, but finally it’s here. The 32v32v32 action with 3 teams on one map is great, but really without the 128 man clan deploy this entire beta would have disappointed me as a guy who has many friends that play shooters. My only question now is how many people will be willing to return to MAG, and how many are left who would fight for my clan. Many people I know traded the title in because it only had an 8 man party, this could have changed the entire reception of the game if included at launch.

Overall this beta shows that a lot of great content is headed to MAG in the near future. Although it may be a bit unorthodox for updates like this to receive their own beta test I am glad that it happened because I now feel confident in partaking in the latest MAG additions when they are finally completed. The new maps are great, the new features are great, and so is the new overhaul. The main highlights for me personally will be the 128 man clan deploy feature as well as 32v32v32 action and the new maps and game mode. Move support is absolutely great but the 128 man clan deploy really makes this all worth while for me and makes me feel like Zipper really cares about the clans that want MAG to work out for them in a reasonable way.

I’m upset Zipper Interactive didn’t see all of this potential much sooner and complete these features before launch. It took 9 months to deliver this to the community, and for a great deal of players that proved to be too long (which is evident by the diminishing player-base the game has). I guess like the labor and delivery of a newborn baby, these features will all bring beautiful miracles to the MAG gaming experience. And for that I thank Zipper Interactive, Sony Computer Entertainment, and any fans who lobbied for these changes to be made, updates to be created, enhancements to be envisioned, and so forth. I am still playing around with the beta but I can already tell that things are taking a 180º and heading in the right direction for this insanely ambitious title. Bravo!

The guys over at Inside Xbox had the chance to get up close and personal with Call of Duty: Black Ops multiplayer mode. Instead of only covering the new Wager mode, they also took the time to learn about all of the other new features found in the game’s multiplayer component. New features such as character customization as well as cinema mode are explained. Sit back, relax and enjoy about 7 minutes of Black Ops multiplayer goodness.