Video Games

Quarterly Report: Part I

Welcome to the Xbox Team’s new feature that myself, Jay
Malone, will post every three months. In this, I’ll discuss the games released
in the past three months (the months being January, February, and March in this
installment), specifically the games’ quality, and at the end make a list of the top 5
Xbox games of 2011 so far. Now I know not everyone cares about my opinion so to
get readers a bit more involved, I want you all to comment with your own current
top 5. If you haven’t played 5 Xbox 360 games, just list the ones you have
played, as long as you enjoyed them. And then at the end of the year, I will add
up all the games mentioned in the comments section and we’ll have an official
Player Affinity fan voted Xbox 360 Game of the Year. And hell, while you’re here,
mention some games you’re anticipating in 2011. Let’s get started, shall we?

Bloodrayne: Betrayal Announced for PSN

Video games favourite blood-sucking femme fatale, Rayne, is
making a comeback this summer in Bloodrayne:
Betrayal. The announcement was made by Majesco Entertainment, and will be
developed by Wayforward, known for Batman:
The Brave and the Bold.

Bloodrayne: Betrayal
is an adventure game, where players will reprise the role of Rayne, a dhampir
(half-human, half-vampire) who hunts vampires for a secret organisation, known
as “The Brimstone Society”.

Time Machine: Rogue Pilot Announced for PSN

Lesta Studio has just announced that Time Machine: Rogue
Pilot will be coming to the Playstation Network. According to the International
Affairs Manager of Lesta Studio, Lucy Khatajaeva; Time Machine: Rogue Pilot is
in the final stages of development, which is very exciting for the studio. This
will be the first ever Playstation 3 title developed by Lesta Studio.

Time Machine: Rogue Pilot promises a brand new approach to
the puzzle game genre, mixed with story mode missions, several bonus game
modes, and a multiplayer mode that can be played either offline or online with
friends, all in full high definition.

Xbox Live Releases for the Week of March 27, 2011

Xbox Live Releases for the week of March 27th, 2011 include Seisou Kouki Strania, Rush’N Attack: Ex-Patriot, and Islands of Wakfu. This week’s games feature an interesting assortment of gameplay mechanics. Seisou Kouki Strania
is a top-down, vertical-scrolling shooter. You are tasked with stopping
an alien invasion. You have a mech suit at your disposal that is able
to shoot long range weapons along with equipping short range weapons
like swords. The game also features drop-in and drop-out co-op. Seisou Kouki Strania will be available March 30th for 800 Microsoft Points.

Midweek Sales Tuesday March 29th

After a very good week, we’re coming into a dry spell for online game sales.  As of this writing Steampowered.com hasn’t even posted their Midweek Madness sale yet.  They are selling a few games at discounts now, including the recently-released Sega Genesis Collection which has dozens of old school Sega games for $9.99.  If that’s not to your tastes, you can get the Sega Dreamcast Collection which has four games from that console for $14.99.

Deus Ex: HR Development Talk

In a
recent interview, Deus Ex:
Human Revolution Director
Jean-Francois Dugas and Producer David Anfossi talk about the game’s
development and shed a little light on what they would like to
accomplish with the project. Being fans of the original Deus
Ex, which saw its fair
share of Game of the Year awards, they explain why the team wanted to
see the title adopt a new style—while remaining true to the
original. “It was important for us to see Deus
Ex:
Human Revolution as
a new IP. We wanted to re-imagine this world.” Dugas goes on to
explain that “when you look at the endings of the other Deus Ex
games, the future is looking pretty grim.” Human
Revolution is set in 2027,
fifteen years before the original; in this time period, ungovernable
technological advancements and monolithic corporations rule the
world.

Sanctum Preview

The Unreal Tournament games have always been solid first person shooters in their own right but Epic’s powerful game engines have provided a strong platform for numerous awesome games such as huge commercial blockbusters likeBioshock or Borderlands, and smaller indie projects like Killing Floor and The Ball.