In the latest EA news, the company is now trying to help out the little man a bit by waving all distribution fees for crowd funded games for three months. It’s a shockingly nice move by a company that quite frankly gets a lot of well-deserved flak for some of the company’s practices in the past. So, I have to wonder, what’s the catch? What is EA trying to pull here?

Well, simply put, EA is looking for more users and developers for its Origin service. While they claim that 9.3 million people have downloaded and installed Origin, it’s commonly thought that most people still purchase most of their games through Steam or other services. This is an attempt by the company to draw some potentially talented developers to the platform, instead of having the games show up on Steam.

Overall, not a bad deal for everyone involved. If anything, the developers stand the most to gain here, as they’ll be keeping all of their money from the sales they’ll get from Origin in the first 90 days. And, you have to figure that those first 90 days are likely to see the vast majority of the copies sold in the lifetime of the product. But while EA isn’t likely to make money off of the games themselves, those people who play those particular games will be using Origin, and EA is going to make sure that the gamers see all of the other deals that Origin has going on.

Final Fantasy VII has a huge following. So much of one that at E3 back in 2005, the intro to the game was remade for the PS3. Of course, that’s all we’ve seen from Square Enix on an actual HD remake of the game. While they’ve been happy to remaster several of the earlier games, the company doesn’t seem too interested in this one. Thankfully a better-looking version of the game does actually exist.

There are a number of mods for the PC version of the game floating around. Some of them good, others not so great. However, a program called Bootleg will allow you to see what the game will look like with a variety of the mods, and once you’ve found the look you want, it will let you know where to download them.

Sure, it’s still a poor substitute for an actual remake of the game, but it’s the best we’ve got. Personally, I’m still holding out for an official release. Though at this point, I wonder if it would be on the PS3 at all.

Freddie Wong, a notable maker of awesome videos on Youtube, has been working hard on his newest project, which has been a webseries. The new series is called Video Game High School and, as you expected, it’s frickin’ sweet. Freddie has been working with Rocket Jump to make the series possible and so far it’s worked out flawlessly.

The series follows a kid by the name of BrianD who is an upcoming competitive gamer. He finds himself called upon by his fellow team mates, though chores pull him from the battle. Escaping back to the warzone BrianD is met with an unfortunate fate. His reflexes kick into action at the last minute and, thinking fast, BrianD pulls out of the peril, all while eliminating the world’s most elite player in the process. The next day he sees an invitation at his door welcoming him to VGHS – a gamer’s heaven on Earth.

The second episode is up now, and you can watch it here. When I first heard of the series premiere I was a bit apprehensive, I’ll admit. After I sat down and watched it, however, I was surprised. Rocket Jump and Freddie have done a great job piecing the series together with the first two episodes and it’s not the cliche I expected. Check out the second episode yourselves and strap in for when the rest of the series releases.

Last week, 38 Studios was in some pretty deep water. The developer had failed to pay a $1.125 million fee to the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, and when it finally tried to pay the fee, they had the check recalled because of an apparent lack of funds available to cover it. Now it seems that the company has bought itself some time, as the company delivered a check to the state on Friday and said check cleared.

The next large-scale payment that 38 Studios will need to make will be due on November 1st to the tune of $2.6 million. While that gives them some time to earn some revenue, they’ll have to look outside of the Rhode Island government for it, as the governor Lincoln Chafee told them that “it’s time for them to go out and get private capital funding”. Also as a result of all this madness, the state is changing its legislation on tax breaks, as they look to close loopholes pertaining to state funds being used for motion picture endeavors. That’s what got everybody in this mess in the first place, and they don’t want it happening again.

The company is still in pretty weak position. Last week, it had to suspend pay for its employees, and as of yet there’s been no word that they’ll be able to pay their employees this week. Hopefully the company will get some help soon and start making money, because if it doesn’t Rhode Island will be on the hook for a $75 million loan until 2020.

DC Universe’s latest DLC pack is called The Last Laugh, and the cast of voice actors playing the characters has been revealed. The pack will feature the return of some of DC’s most famous voice stars, including Arleen Sorkin, Adam Baldwin, and of course, Mark Hamill. That’s right kiddos, the J-Man is coming back to mess with all of us.

Mark Hamill has been providing the Joker with a voice for years, and as far as I’m concerned he’s the only Joker I’ll ever know. I mean, Luke Skywalker is pretty awesome on his own, but to think he became the Joker too is mind-blowing. Arleen Sorkin will return as Harley Quinn, taken from the recent Batman: Arkham series of games, and Adam Baldwin lends his voice once again to Superman.

The Last Laugh pack will include an all-new weapon, hours of multiplayer, and brand new Legends PVP characters. The new weapon is being called The Shield, and with it players can unleash the weapon’s power to bash opponents or knock them back from a distance. New to multiplayer, teams can invade each other’s safe houses, meaning no one is safe. Legends Characters will be available to players, introducing Kilowog – a Green Lantern, and Amon Sur – a member of the Sinestro Corps. For DC Universe Online Legendary players the new DLC will be free of charge. Free and Premium players can purchase it on the PlayStation Network Store and the DC Universe Online official site.

Cryptozoic Entertainment, the same company that’s brought you The Walking Dead Board Game and the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game, has just announced a brand new deck building game called 3012. This game will host play for up to four players, pitting them against each other in a battle for supremacy. The aim of the game? Pure and total domination, by any means possible.

A thousand years after the world almost came to an end, humanity has been divided into five clans. Each of these savage clans is battling against each other in an ultimate struggle for survival. Players will take the role of a Hero, competing to amass allies and weapons to make their deck as strong as possible. You can either hinder or help other players during gameplay, depending on your strategy to get to the top. Patrick Dillon, director of business development for Cryptozoic said about the game: 

“3012 is a really unique deck-building game, because every player can get involved in almost every turn. The game is about survival, and all the strategy, cunning and luck that goes with it. Ultimately, to be the winning Hero, you’ll have to make some tough decisions, make and break alliances, and prove you’re the strongest.”

Each player Hero will build his or her deck by gaining combat skills in order to defeat beasts and monsters in Encounters. Players can participate in each Encounter, helping or hindering other Heroes to the advantage of their own clan. 3012 will be ready to play out-of-the-box, and it will contain:

• 228 game cards
• 5 oversized Hero cards
• 5 level tokens
• 120 Action cards
• 48 Encounter cards
• 25 Gold cards
• 20 of each Ally, Weapon, and Scout cards
• 1 game board

Look for 3012 when it releases this fall for $45. With what’s been seen the game looks like it will be a lot of fun. I think the ability to mess with other players on their turns will really be the selling point in 3012 and make it play out differently than most other deck building games out there. Now I’m excited for fall. For more information on the game, head on over to the Cryptozoic site.

Before Harley Quinn took up her mask and guise as the sidekick to the Joker she was an established psychiatrist. Despite that knowledge, she isn’t really managing well with her recent loss. In fact, I’d venture to say it’s no laughing matter. Get it?

Anyway, the teaser trailer for the “Harley Quinn’s Revenge” add-on DLC for Batman: Arkham City shows us a new Harley Quinn. She’s managed to grow even darker, and has become more methodical in her ways. Maybe it was her loss that made her snap? Maybe she thought something like this could never happen to her J-man?

Word is that you’ll spend part of the time playing as Robin through the DLC. You’ll be using your strengths in attempts to rescue Batman from Harley’s new deathly grip. The DLC will release in just two weeks, and you can get it either by downloading it or picking up the Arkham City Game of the Year edition.

Things keep looking worse and worst for Curt Schilling’s 38 Studios. After failing to make a $1.125 million payment earlier this month, it now turns out that the company can’t even pay for it’s 400 some-odd employees who work there. According to a source talking with Joystiq, not only were they unable to make payroll this week, but they also let go all temporary workers and contractors.

The company was lured to Rhode Island in 2010 as part of an effort by the state to attract more jobs. It was considered a risky move by R.I., attracting a fledgling video game company with promises of a $75 million bond, but at the time it was deemed that the rewards would more than make up for the risk. It’s looking like the rewards won’t be following, however, and the state will be on the hook to pay off the $75 million bond plus interest until 2020 if the company flounders. This debacle has already cost one man his job: head of the REIDC Keith Stokes, who approved the loan in 2010 resigned Wednesday night.

The company did try to make the overdue $1.125 million payment, but after the company’s CFO informed the EDC that there were insufficient funds to cover it, the check was returned. There is one slight positive to this whole mess, however. If the company were to collapse, Rhode Island will gain possession of any and all of 38 Studios’ IP’s. However, at this time the only game produced by the company was Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, and while it was a modest hit, it hasn’t exactly set any records. While the state could sell off the IP, it likely won’t be enough to recoup the more than $100 million it will have to pay for the loan.

For those of you who love the Metal Gear Solid games so much that they want to play them anywhere and everywhere, I have some good news for you! Konami announced  that the PS Vita version of the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection will be made available on June 12th. The games included in the collection are Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.

Konami plans on utilizing the Vita’s controls to their utmost potential, as the game “allows fans to experience the series like never before with optimized controls that take full advantage of the Vita’s unique touch-screen and rear touchpad.” You’ll be able to use the touchscreens to zoom in and out of the game, peek around corners, cycle through weapons, interrogate enemies, and apparently perform rapid attacks with the knife. I’m not sure how the knife combat will work exactly, but I have a feeling it’s going to be gruesome.

What’s probably most interesting is how this game will make use of what Konami is called “Transfarring”. What Transfarring will allow you to do is synchronize the save state of the game with that of the PS3 version of the game. Here’s an example of how it will work: Imagine you’re playing your PS3 copy of the Collection when your mom starts yelling at you to “Get in the car, we’re going to your grandmothers house!” You use the Transfarring feature and put your save state onto your Vita copy of the game, and while you’re grandmother is telling you boring stories of how she met Vic Damone in 1956, you’ll be too busy saving the world to even notice. Of course, the downside to Transfarring? You need to have purchased copies of both the PS3 and PS Vita versions of the game. Still though, pretty cool!

One of the biggest stories in the gaming industry follows ex-Infinity Ward heads Jason West and Vince Zampella in their fight against Activision. In case you’re unaware, Activision tried firing the duo after some heat between them sparked. Now, some time after the initial event, West and Zampella are seeking out a hefty amount of cash in paid damages. They’re asking for one billion dollars to be exact.

One billion dollars. Just say it, say that number over and over again three good times. That’s a lot of money. Notes on the amount were spotted once the publisher released a financial filing which the SEC picked up on. In the text, it states:

“After concluding an internal human resources inquiry into breaches of contract and insubordination by two senior employees at Infinity Ward, the Company terminated its employment of Jason West and Vince Zampella on March 1, 2010.

On March 3, 2010, West and Zampella filed a complaint against the Company in Los Angeles Superior Court for breach of contract and wrongful termination, among other claims. In their complaint, West and Zampella alleged damages, including punitive damages, in excess of $36 million, an amount they have since significantly increased during discovery to over $1 billion, as well as declaratory relief.

On April 9, 2010, the Company filed a cross complaint against West and Zampella, asserting claims for breach of contract and fiduciary duty, among other claims. The Company is seeking damages and declaratory relief.”

This case will set out before judges on May 29^th and that’s not far off. Just recently there was some news regarding an accusation of Activision making attempts to hack into West and Zampella’s company email, which isn’t looking too good. Word is that Activision even conjured up the idea of faking a fire drill to get everyone out of the building so they could send someone in to crack the codes on the duo’s computers. If this is true, Activision really has some things to answer to. We’ll see what happens when the case goes to court.

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