Borderlands 2 is running on a platform of trimmed fat and effective economics -- it will be better, Gearbox says, it will be meaner and it will fix all of the problems of its predecessor. We've all heard promises like this one before, but if the leaked gameplay video above is anything to go by, Borderlands 2 has our vote.
The video shows 14 minutes of Borderlands 2, featuring new weapons such as a disposable, regenerative, Wal-Mart-inspired rifle, a new character in Maya the Siren, an old character in Roland, and new enemies, such as the torturer Nomad, who uses a midget as a meat-shield. Check out the stunning new art style and gameplay mechanics of Borderlands 2 above, and don't forget tovote in 2012 pre-order before it drops after April 2012!
The Call of Duty XP event continues today here in Los Angeles, with Activision showing off Modern Warfare 3's multiplayer and Spec Ops modes, as well as giving fans (who paid $150 each for tickets to the show, the proceeds of which are all headed to the Call of Duty Endowment) a little something back.
And the fans appreciate it, apparently. Chris Munoz and Alonzo Contreras, both 19, came just a few miles away from here in Los Angeles, and they say the event exceeded expectations. "The multiplayer reveal was one of the ones that got to me," says Contreras. "I was excited about that." The pair also enjoyed the reveal of the new Find Makarov short film, and their friend, Omar Torres, 20, enjoys one specific change in the new Call of Duty game: "No more Last Stand!" 
Despite living in a world where automatic renewal is a thing, a full two-thirds of European Xbox Live subscriptions are purchased at retail locations rather than online or through the console itself, according to Xbox Live marketing manager Robin Burrows.
This statistical tidbit was revealed during an interview with MCV, where Burrows also stated that Microsoft is in the process of testing new ways of manifesting digital products in meatspace, specifically referencing "point-of-sale activation," which allows shoppers to activate their newly purchased codes immediately after purchasing them.
Just like you'd be able to do if you hadn't gone to the store to buy something that already exists in your house. 
Activision has confirmed the suggested retail price for the Modern Warfare 3 Hardened Edition: $99.99, which is $20 more than previous Hardened Editions. The Modern Warfare 3 Hardened Edition comes with a one-year membership to Call of Duty Elite, bonus in-game content, a Juggernaut XBL avatar skin, a 100-page field journal and new disc art, all in a fancy steel case.
So far, Gamestop and Amazon have the Hardened Edition listed at $99.99, while EB Games Australia is charging $158 for the same package. Modern Warfare 3's jump in price may be attributed to the one-year Elite access alone, which is valued at $50 and bumps users up to "Founder status," which includes an in-game emblem, player card, camouflage and an XP boost. Or, it may all go to pay the air-conditioning bill at the Call of Duty XP Event -- we hear it's awfully temperate in that hangar. 
Holy leakin' 'chievos, Batman! We may have to wait until October 18 for The Dark Knight clean up the mean streets of Gotham in Batman: Arkham City, but you can check out a list of the cloak and cowl's forthcoming accomplishments after the break. ... continue reading.
Historically, very few small pink blobs have done more to further innovation in the field of minigame design than Kirby, and judging from the above trailer, HAL Laboratory's DS swan-song Kirby Mass Attack will continue that proud tradition. Other continuing traditions include: ruthlessly destroying docile forrest creatures via accurately timed button presses, and ruining Whispy Woods' day in as many ways as possible.
We've talked about Solatorobo: Red the Hunter, but we haven't seen much of how the game works. In these videos (one above, two after the break) you can actually see for yourself what the combat is like, including the basic action of picking up and throwing enemies, and even a shooting match with a pirate airship.
In this gameplay footage, you'll also see that the camera is sufficiently zoomed out for you to ignore that your character is a dog-man. That's helpful.
AMC's Breaking Bad featured a bizarrely long, obvious advertising plug for Rage on this week's episode, as seen above, and included a light-gun motion-controller that Bethesda assures us is entirely fictional. We knew using crystal meth could lead to extreme, sudden bursts of rage -- we just didn't think it would ever be so literal. The clip shows Jesse Pinkman, drug-peddler extraordinaire, playing a level of Rage while hallucinating about shooting chemist Gale Boetticher point-blank in the face.
While we don't know what Bethesda's strategy is with this plug, we're pretty sure it's not a great argument against the (bogus) theory that video games promote violence. Maybe it marks the beginning of Rage's new reverse-psychology tagline: Rage -- Not Even Once. 
These days, multiplayer games are all about letting the player play the way that they want to. Shooters let you customize your loadouts, racers give you a selecton of cars. If it's online, it's all about standing back and letting players determine their experience. And Spy Party creator Chris Hecker couldn't care less.
Spy Party, his multiplayer espionage game, demands that you play by its rules. It doesn't bend the rules, even in the slightest. Either you learn its complexities, or you lose. Every time. Guaranteed. 
PlayStation Network has had a hell of a time with public relations this year. After the well-publicized attack on the service (which potentially exposed the personal information of millions of users), Sony has done everything it can to regain the trust and goodwill of its customers. It would seem those efforts appear are paying off, according to claims conveyed by CNET.
The site reports that Sony CEO Howard Stringer recently addressed the subject at the IFA conference in Berlin, saying that PlayStation Network is "more secure and better than ever." He added that the company is working to expand the service, which has added 3 million new customers since the attack. Furthermore, Stringer noted that PSN sales have actually increased relative to pre-attack levels.
According to Stringer, "the summer of our discontent is behind us." 
Danger! Intrigue! Romance! Murder!
Will Ludwig defuse the bomb in time? Will Chris learn of Justin's plot to usurp his throne? Will Chris' evil twin brother Christophe finally steal the family fortune? What the hell is Novus Prime? And what about Scarecrow's brain?
All will be revealed during the startling conclusion of With a Q? The Joystiq Game Show - 002: La-li-lu-le-LOL!!!!!
Get the podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Joystiq Podcast in iTunes
[Zune] Subscribe to the Joystiq Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace
[RSS] Add the Joystiq Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator
[MP3] Download the MP3 directly
Hosts: Justin McElroy (@justinmcelroy), Chris Grant (@chrisgrant) and Ludwig Kietzmann (@LudwigK)
Producer: Jordan Mallory (@jordan_mallory)
Lyrics and vocals: JPHONIC
Beats: tanner4105 (@tanner4105)
Stream the show after the break. 
The most popular posts
The video shows 14 minutes of Borderlands 2, featuring new weapons such as a disposable, regenerative, Wal-Mart-inspired rifle, a new character in Maya the Siren, an old character in Roland, and new enemies, such as the torturer Nomad, who uses a midget as a meat-shield. Check out the stunning new art style and gameplay mechanics of Borderlands 2 above, and don't forget to
And the fans appreciate it, apparently. Chris Munoz and Alonzo Contreras, both 19, came just a few miles away from here in Los Angeles, and they say the event exceeded expectations. "The multiplayer reveal was one of the ones that got to me," says Contreras. "I was excited about that." The pair also enjoyed the reveal of the new Find Makarov short film, and their friend, Omar Torres, 20, enjoys one specific change in the new Call of Duty game: "No more Last Stand!"
This statistical tidbit was revealed during an interview with MCV, where Burrows also stated that Microsoft is in the process of testing new ways of manifesting digital products in meatspace, specifically referencing "point-of-sale activation," which allows shoppers to activate their newly purchased codes immediately after purchasing them.
Just like you'd be able to do if you hadn't gone to the store to buy something that already exists in your house.
Call of Duty XP Event: Modern Warfare 3 Hardened Edition priced at $99.99
by Jessica Conditt 
(14 hours ago)
(14 hours ago)So far, Gamestop and Amazon have the Hardened Edition listed at $99.99, while EB Games Australia is charging $158 for the same package. Modern Warfare 3's jump in price may be attributed to the one-year Elite access alone, which is valued at $50 and bumps users up to "Founder status," which includes an in-game emblem, player card, camouflage and an XP boost. Or, it may all go to pay the air-conditioning bill at the Call of Duty XP Event -- we hear it's awfully temperate in that hangar.
Batman: Arkham City achievements leaked
by Jordan Mallory (15 hours ago)
(15 hours ago) Holy leakin' 'chievos, Batman! We may have to wait until October 18 for The Dark Knight clean up the mean streets of Gotham in Batman: Arkham City, but you can check out a list of the cloak and cowl's forthcoming accomplishments after the break. ... continue reading. Historically, very few small pink blobs have done more to further innovation in the field of minigame design than Kirby, and judging from the above trailer, HAL Laboratory's DS swan-song Kirby Mass Attack will continue that proud tradition. Other continuing traditions include: ruthlessly destroying docile forrest creatures via accurately timed button presses, and ruining Whispy Woods' day in as many ways as possible.
We've talked about Solatorobo: Red the Hunter, but we haven't seen much of how the game works. In these videos (one above, two after the break) you can actually see for yourself what the combat is like, including the basic action of picking up and throwing enemies, and even a shooting match with a pirate airship.
In this gameplay footage, you'll also see that the camera is sufficiently zoomed out for you to ignore that your character is a dog-man. That's helpful.
Rage has a cameo in Breaking Bad, because nothing sells games better than meth
by Jessica Conditt (1 day ago)
(1 day ago)While we don't know what Bethesda's strategy is with this plug, we're pretty sure it's not a great argument against the (bogus) theory that video games promote violence. Maybe it marks the beginning of Rage's new reverse-psychology tagline: Rage -- Not Even Once.
Spy Party, his multiplayer espionage game, demands that you play by its rules. It doesn't bend the rules, even in the slightest. Either you learn its complexities, or you lose. Every time. Guaranteed.
The site reports that Sony CEO Howard Stringer recently addressed the subject at the IFA conference in Berlin, saying that PlayStation Network is "more secure and better than ever." He added that the company is working to expand the service, which has added 3 million new customers since the attack. Furthermore, Stringer noted that PSN sales have actually increased relative to pre-attack levels.
According to Stringer, "the summer of our discontent is behind us."
Will Ludwig defuse the bomb in time? Will Chris learn of Justin's plot to usurp his throne? Will Chris' evil twin brother Christophe finally steal the family fortune? What the hell is Novus Prime? And what about Scarecrow's brain?
All will be revealed during the startling conclusion of With a Q? The Joystiq Game Show - 002: La-li-lu-le-LOL!!!!!
Get the podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Joystiq Podcast in iTunes
[Zune] Subscribe to the Joystiq Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace
[RSS] Add the Joystiq Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator
[MP3] Download the MP3 directly
Hosts: Justin McElroy (@justinmcelroy), Chris Grant (@chrisgrant) and Ludwig Kietzmann (@LudwigK)
Producer: Jordan Mallory (@jordan_mallory)
Lyrics and vocals: JPHONIC
Beats: tanner4105 (@tanner4105)
Stream the show after the break.
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The Joystiq Podcast
With a Q? The Joystiq Game Show - 002: La-li-lu-le-LOL
Latest episode: Friday, September 2nd, 2011
