Destructoid

ThinkGeek's PotatOS is GLaDOS in a friggin' potato

2012-02-10T14:30:00Z

Back in December, ThinkGeek rolled out a big line of Portal 2 tie-in merchandise, from an Aperture Labs shower curtain to the super popular talking Cave Johnson portrait. The weirdest item, however, was definitely the PotatOS kit that recreated the experience of carrying GLaDOS around in the palm of your hand.

Originally marked for $29.99, PotatOS is currently discounted to $24.99. But the real reason for this post is the new demonstration video that ThinkGeek just uploaded. If you ever wanted to be insulted by a potato, be happy knowing that you're covered.

Portal 2 PotatOS Science Kit [ThinkGeek] (Thanks, Karl!)

Want to win these A30s? Watch today's DTOID show LIVE!

2012-02-10T14:15:00Z

As per usual on Fridays, The Destructoid Show will be going LIVE on YouTube.com/DTOID at 3:30pm PST today, and we'd love for you all to join in on the revelry. We'll be discussing the latest and greatest in videogame news, and to sweeten the deal, we've got an awesome contest for you.

The Destructoid Show has yet again teamed up with Astro Gaming to give away a custom Infinity Blade II A30 headset. Check out AstroGaming.com to read up on them, and then watch today's show to find out how to win!

Namco Bandai to co-publish Digital Extremes' Star Trek

2012-02-10T14:00:00Z

Hot off The Darkness II, it's been announced that Namco Bandai has signed with Paramount Pictures to co-publish and distribute the upcoming Star Trek in development at Digital Extremes for Xbox 360, PC, and PlayStation 3. This co-op game is set to come out in Q1 of 2013, prior to J.J. Abrams' next movie hitting theaters on May 17.

Though I'm traditionally wary of videogames even remotely attached to films, it's hard for me not to be excited about the game. It's got an original story, lets you play as Spock and Kirk, and you're fighting to stop a "legendary enemy race." Even if things go sour, Star Trek should be interesting at the very least.

Sega's Valentine's Day gift to you is a mobile game sale

2012-02-10T13:30:00Z

I guess this balances things out. Sega's discounting some of its games on the App Store and Android Marketplace in time for Valentine's Day, so you can treat yourself and someone you love. Here's a sampling of the deals.

App Store from February 11 - 14 include:

Sonic CD for $2.99 (was $4.99)
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I (iPhone) for $1.99 (was $3.99)
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I (iPad) for $2.99 (was $4.99)
Super Monkey Ball 2: Sakura Edition for $0.99 (was $2.99)

Android devices from February 11 - 14:

Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I for $1.99 (was $3.99)
Sonic CD for $2.99 (was $4.99)
Super Monkey Ball 2: Sakura Edition for $0.99 (was $2.99)

They're also teasing deals for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable happening later this month.

From February 21 through March 6, you'll be able to find discounts on the "Drive Me Crazy" bundle (Crazy Taxi and SEGA Rally Online Arcade) and the "Sega Genesis Bundle" (Altered Beast, Comix Zone, Golden Axe, Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and Streets of Rage 2). PlayStation Plus members can grab that second bundle for free.

Namco Bandai is founding a 1000-person dev studio

2012-02-10T13:00:00Z

Yes, a thousand people. More than that, actually. The teams behind Soul Calibur, Ace Combat, Tekken, Pac-Man, Tales, Naruto, Gundam and countless other Namco and Bandai videogames will be merged together to form the imaginatively named “Namco Bandai Studio”. Starting in April, this new entity will be in charge of managing all game development responsibilities, including for current franchises and the creation of new IPs. What does this mean for you, the average gamer? Probably not much, since consolidations like this are common, like when Tales Studio got fully absorbed last year.

HOWEVER, if you take into account Namco Bandai’s love of crossover-based collaboration, and the possibilities are infinite...and terrifying. Imagine a hypothetical Soul Calibur sequel, featuring guest fighters from the next Tales RPG, plus Tekken dudes, Pac-Man, Klonoa, Ridge Racer race queen Reiko Nagase, and Missile the Pomeranian from Ghost Trick "because them Capcom guys is good people". Premium download content turns Nightmare's Soul Edge sword into an Ace Combat fighter jet with an Idolm@ster-themed paint job. And it all uses the Ace Combat Assault Horizon slogan, "Make Metal BLEED."

Best. Game. Ever.

Podtoid 188: The Cat Pimp of Baltimore

2012-02-10T12:30:00Z

On this week's Podtoid, special sports person Samit Sarkar joins the usual crew for another carnival of stupid garbage. Why is Jonathan Holmes wearing a blanket of cats and why is he suddenly so rich? Is Max Scoville paying his child support? How many Ron Pauls does it take to change a lightbulb? Every single one of those questions is answered this week.

As far as games go, we chat about Double Fine's Kickstarter plan (and present a special Kickstarter deal of our own), some people played with a PS Vita at a preview showing, and there's some boring Mass Effect talk that ruins everybody's day. All this and more on Podtoid!

As ever, you can subscribe to us on iTunes and RSS, buy our Android App or download directly!

Safe House director thinks games need immersive sound

2012-02-10T12:00:00Z

Videogame developers and filmmakers have always had sort of an odd relationship, with some developers like David Cage pretending they're actually filmmakers and some filmmakers like Stephen Spielberg trying their hands at game development and production. When it comes to honest, useful dialogue about what the mediums can take from each other, however, there's not a lot of it. There are exceptions, though, such as Daniel Espinosa, the director of the just-released action film Safe House. At a press event for games bloggers following a screening of his film, he told the group where he thinks videogames should be heading:

I think [it’s] the sound and how things get destroyed. I think that’s always something that draws me, you know? I thought I could use the sound also [in Safe House], because then you can put a hole close to the camera, and you can hear as a duct tears apart and goes over you. That gives depth into the image, so you have the character here and then the sound is very close. It’s something that they don’t use so much in videogames, which they should. Have that close impact on the side. You hear them go by, but if something ripped over you and heard it splinter and it covered the frame, that would be a cool experience. I got some Swedish friends who did Battlefield at DICE, and they’ve been working a lot towards that too. You can have opinions about it, it’s not perfect, but I think that’s the path that we’re going down.

I absolutely agree with him. Sound design is about much more than just soundtrack, and the true creation of 3D sound would do a lot to help create a sense of immersion in games. Unfortunately, it requires engines that can create the destruction to fuel the sounds, and there aren't a lot of those out there. However, companies like DICE, Crytek, Epic, and Volition need to get their asses into gear and show the world why sound is so important and what it can do to really give gamers a heightened sense of their environment.

Preview: Mass Effect iOS app Datapad and game Infiltrator

2012-02-10T11:30:00Z

Mass Effect 3 is arguably the most anticipated game of the first half of 2012, and EA is readying a couple of mobile "companion experiences" to maintain Mass Effect mindshare on as many platforms as possible. One is a free iPad-exclusive app, Mass Effect Datapad, and the other is a full game, Mass Effect Infiltrator, that will launch initially on iOS and make its way to Android later.

EA provided hands-off demos to press at an event in Manhattan earlier this week. From what I saw, it appears that die-hard Mass Effect fans will want to try them both, especially if they want to increase their chances in ME3's final battle against the Reapers. (As for ME3 itself, I played through most of an early mission at the event. Look for a full preview next week.)

Mass Effect Datapad (iPad)
Developer: Electronic Arts
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release date: TBD (near ME3 launch on March 6, 2012)
MSRP: Free

Datapad is a digital compendium of Mass Effect lore -- in effect, it puts Commander Shepard's Codex in your hands for perusal at your leisure. It's free of Mass Effect 3 spoilers, but it provides details on the series so far. Whether you're new to the franchise, or you need a refresher on the differences between Salarians and Quarians, Datapad is your one-stop shop for background information on the Mass Effect universe. You can even go through important decision points to see how things might've turned out differently, like whether Anderson or Udina was placed on the Council at the end of the original Mass Effect.

It'll be nice to enjoy Mass Effect 3 with Datapad open on your iPad as a quick reference, but the fun doesn't have to end there. EA wants to keep you engaged with Mass Effect even when you're not playing, and to that end, the app includes a Mail tab that will be updated with messages from characters as you play through ME3. (Datapad is tied to your Origin account, which is how it keeps track of your progress in the game.) There's also a Galaxy At War tab: yes, Datapad will affect Shepard's "Galactic Readiness" rating through the ME3 metagame, along with the main game's co-op mode and the iOS game, Infiltrator. EA wasn't showing off exactly how that will play out in the app, so I can't provide further details.

Mass Effect Infiltrator (iOS [previewed], Android)
Developer: IronMonkey Studios
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release date: TBD (near ME3 launch on March 6, 2012)
MSRP: TBD

Infiltrator is a cover-based third-person shooter from IronMonkey Studios, the folks behind the excellent Dead Space iOS game. It plays just like that title, with touch "zones" on the screen instead of virtual analog sticks. I saw the game on an iPad, where swiping on the left half of the screen controls movement and moving a finger on the right half aims your weapon.

You play as Randall Ezno, an infiltrator (obviously) who's working for Cerberus -- for now. Ezno "specializes in snatch-and-grab operations: taking alien species and bringing them back to Cerberus for testing," but he eventually uncovers unsavory details about the organization that force him to reconsider his position. In the ten-minute demo I saw, Ezno is sent to an ice planet to hunt down a Turian. Unfortunately, though, some Geth troopers get in the way.

Once you slide behind cover, taking enemies down is as simple as tapping on them, which causes Ezno to pop up and start firing. He has a variety of attacks at his disposal, including ordinary weapons like shotguns and sniper rifles as well as biotic powers such as Pull and Leash. A slow-motion effect that briefly ensues after a successful kill encourages you to chain them together, which awards you with style points. Levels consist of a series of skirmishes, and the game assesses your performance (time, health, style) after each battle. In addition to grades, you receive credits with which you can upgrade Ezno's abilities.

You also pick up Intel, which random defeated foes leave behind. Intel is Infiltrator's contribution to Shepard's "Galactic Readiness" through Galaxy At War; Ezno himself does not appear in ME3. (Note that none of the Galaxy At War stuff -- whether through ME3 co-op, Datapad, or Infiltrator -- is necessary. You can still achieve the best ending in ME3 without ever touching any of it.)

Ezno makes quick work of the standard-issue Geth, but the snowy environs soon reveal some Geth Juggernauts. After tapping on the upper-right corner to switch weapons, Ezno waits for the red-armored attackers to get within range of his shotgun before blowing them away. Later on, he whips out a long-range rifle to give a Turian sniper a dose of his own medicine. I'd tell you about what happens once the infiltrator finds his target, but sadly, the EA rep playing through the level died before making it to the end. He explained that the level presents you with a Paragon/Renegade prompt: Ezno can capture the Turian gently, or show the alien who's in charge with a smack.

As you can see from the screenshots, Infiltrator features impressive visuals for an iOS title, even more so than Dead Space. While I didn't get to see the game in action on an iPad in my hands -- for demonstration purposes, it was hooked up to a TV via HDMI -- I can say that its graphics are about on par with early games from the current console generation. EA wasn't talking about the price, but for comparison's sake, Dead Space on iOS costs $6.99. Look for it on the App Store near the launch of ME3 on March 6.

Zero Suit Samus enjoys her downtime in upcoming art book

2012-02-10T10:30:00Z

Last summer, artist Chris Furniss posted a piece of Samus art a day for a whole month, depicting ol' Sammy out of her armor and enjoying her day-to-day activities when she's not out patrolling the galaxy. It's a candid glimpse into the life of just an ordinary gal -- she surfs the Web, visits the laundromat, hangs out with friends, and enjoys the great outdoors. Very sweet indeed!

Since finishing "31 Days of Zero Suit Samus," Chris has wanted to gather all the days into a compilation book. Plans are finally underway, and he's even going to include some extra pieces. In addition, a few other web artists will be contributing to the book as well, such as the always jubilant Ashley Davis, Maré Odomo, Zac Gorman, and Ted Martens. They're showing a lot love for our favorite bounty hunter, even if some aren't following the "Zero Suit Samus" theme (for shame!).

In the gallery, I've posted the current contributions as well as a selection of Chris' originals. Hit up his site to check out the remainders.

LittleBigPlanet Karting is a real game that's happening

2012-02-10T10:00:00Z

LittleBigPlanet is going to become a kart racer, creatively titled LittleBigPlanet Karting. It seems odd that a series built around making what you want and creating many types of games has been restricted to a single genre, but if Sony still wants to make Sackboy some sort of mascot, then a kart racer is obligatory.

There had been rumors of this game circulating for the past week, and Sony responded to the gossip with an uncharacteristic confirmation, rather than a flat denial: "We can confirm that LittleBigPlanet Karting is in fact in development and we look forward to sharing more on the game soon!"

So there you go. Out there, somewhere, the Modnation Racers team is crying softly and wondering what it did to make Sony so upset.

[Via @PlayStation]

Blizzard is suing Valve over DOTA trademark

2012-02-10T09:20:00Z

MMO leader Blizzard has filed against Valve in an attempt to stop it trademarking DOTA, claiming the name has been used in exclusive association with the Warcraft series for more than seven years. It was filed late last year but just recently came to light.

DOTA -- Defense of the Ancients -- started life as a mod of Warcraft III. The mod's creator, going by the name of Icefrog, was picked up by Valve to create a full-fledged sequel, and Blizzard isn't too happy about it.

"Valve seeks to appropriate the more than seven years of goodwill that Blizzard has developed in the mark DOTA and in its Warcraft III computer game," claims the suit, "and take for itself a name that has come to signify the product of years of time and energy expended by Blizzard and by fans of Warcraft III.

"Valve has no right to the registration it seeks. If such registration is issued, it not only will damage Blizzard, but also the legions of Blizzard fans that have worked for years with Blizzard and its products, including by causing consumers to falsely believe that Valve's products are affiliated, sponsored or endorsed by Blizzard and are related or connected to Warcraft III."

This isn't the first time DOTA has been seen in a courtroom. Last year, Riot Games' Steve Mescon tried to counter-file the Defense of the Ancients name in order to "protect the work that dozens of authors have done to create the game."

It is quite the knotty situation. On the one hand, Blizzard has played no active role in the success of DOTA, outside of incidentally providing someone with the tools. On the other, DOTA has been intrinsically linked to Warcraft for a long time and Valve's move to swipe the mod away for its own publishing purposes was audacious at the very least.

Whoever's in the right, it's a shame to see them fighting. Give it another few years, and there won't be one game company that's not sued another one.

[Via @DevinConnors]

More Fire Emblem 3DS details emerge

2012-02-10T08:51:00Z

We already know that Fire Emblem 3DS will be ushering Nintendo into the paid DLC world, but it looks like we're about to get a bit more information on the latest series entry. It seems as if the upcoming 3DS iteration of Fire Emblem will bring back a free-roaming map system, which will allow you to venture the countryside in search of gear, and potentially quests.

In addition to free-roaming, there are a number of other details emerging such as attack bonuses for adjacent characters (similar to the Disgaea series, or Jeanne D'Arc), and custom character creation for direct story related purposes.

I don't think I've ever been more excited for a Fire Emblem game than I am now. Is anyone else looking forward to the new entry?

Jump Magazine Forges More Fire Emblem 3DS Details [Nintendo Life via andriasang]

Skyrim wins big at Annual Interactive Achievement Awards

2012-02-10T08:00:00Z

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) handed out the Annual Interactive Achievement Awards (IAAs) at D.I.C.E. last night, and saw The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim as the big winner. It took home the IAA for Game of the Year, as well as being awarded for outstanding achievements in Story, Game Direction, Game Play Engineering, and Role-Playing Game.

Among the other winners are few surprises. Uncharted 3 dominated in the art and animation departments, Forza 4 won Racing Game of the Year, Bastion won Downloadable Game of the Year, and Infinity Blade II received the award for Mobile Game of the Year. Oh, and Mortal Kombat beat Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 in the fight for Fighting Game of the Year.

Check out the full list of winners and nominees below.

[Credits are in a (Developer, Publisher) format.]

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition

Winner:

Portal 2 (Valve Corporation, Valve Corporation)

Nominees:

L.A. Noire (Team Bondi, Rockstar Games)
LittleBigPlanet 2 (Media Molecule LLC, Sony Computer Entertainment America)
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Naughty Dog, Sony Computer Entertainment America)
inFamous 2 (Sucker Punch Productions, Sony Computer Entertainment America)

Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design

Winner:

Battlefield 3 (DICE, Electronic Arts)

Nominees:

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Infinity Ward/Sledgehammer Games, Activision)
L.A. Noire (Team Bondi, Rockstar Games)
Need For Speed: The Run (EAC BlackBox, Electronic Arts, Inc.)
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Naughty Dog, Sony Computer Entertainment America)

Outstanding Achievement in Story

Winner:

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios, Bethesda Softworks)

Nominees:

Bastion (Supergiant Games, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)
L.A. Noire (Team Bondi, Rockstar Games)
Portal 2 (Valve Corporation, Valve Corporation)
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Naughty Dog, Sony Computer Entertainment America)

Outstanding Character Performance

Winner:

Portal 2 - Wheatley (Valve Corporation, Valve Corporation)

Nominees:

Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Adam Jensen (Eidos Montréal, Square Enix)
L.A. Noire - Cole Phelps (Team Bondi, Rockstar Games)
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception - Nathan Drake (Naughty Dog, SCEA
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception - Victor Sullivan (Naughty Dog, SCEA)

Downloadable Game of the Year

Winner:

Bastion (Supergiant Games, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)

Nominees:

Drawn: Trail of Shadows (Big Fish Games, Big Fish Games)
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet (Shadow Planet Productions, Microsoft Games)
Ms. Splosion Man (Twisted Pixel Games, Microsoft Games)
Orcs Must Die! (Robot Entertainment, Microsoft Games)

Casual Game of the Year

Winner:

Fruit Ninja Kinect (Halfbrick Studios, Microsoft Games)

Nominees:

Tiny Wings (Andreas Illiger, Andreas Illiger)
Jetpack Joyride (Halfbrick Studios, Halfbrick Studios)
Monsters Ate My Condo (Adult Swim/PikPok, Adult Swim)
Where's My Water? (Creature Feep, Disney Mobile)

Social Networking Game of the Year

Winner:

The Sims Social (Playfish, Electronic Arts, Inc.)

Nominees:

Army Attack (Digital Chocolate, Digital Chocolate)
CastleVille (Zynga Dallas, Zynga)
Gardens of Time (Playdom, Disney Interactive Media Group)
Triple Town (Spry Fox, Spry Fox)

Role-Playing/Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year

Winner:

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios, Bethesda Softworks)

Nominees:

Dark Souls (From Software, Namco Bandai Games
Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Eidos Montréal, Square Enix)
Star Wars: The Old Republic (BioWare Austin, Electronic Arts, Inc.)
The Witcher 2: Assassin's of Kings (CD Projekt RED, Atari)

Outstanding Innovation in Gaming

Winner:

Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure (Toys for Bob, Activision)

Nominees:

Bastion (Supergiant Games, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)
L.A. Noire (Team Bondi, Rockstar Games)
Portal 2 (Valve Corporation, Valve Corporation)
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios, Bethesda Softworks)

Sports Game of the Year

Winner:

FIFA 12 (EA Canada, Electronic Arts, Inc.)

Nominees:

Madden NFL 12 (Tiburon, Electronic Arts, Inc.)
MLB 11 The Show (SCE San Diego Studio, Sony Computer Entertainment America)
NBA 2K12 (Visual Concepts, 2K Sports)
NBA Jam: On Fire Edition (EA Canada, Electronic Arts, Inc.)

Racing Game of the Year

Winner:

Forza Motorsport 4 (Turn 10 Studios, Microsoft Studios)

Nominees:

Mario Kart 7 (Nintendo, Nintendo)
Real Racing 2 HD (Firemint, Electronic Arts, Inc.)

Fighting Game of the Year

Winner:

Mortal Kombat (NetherRealm Studios, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)

Nominees:

Fight Night Champion (EAC, Electronic Arts, Inc.)
King of Fighters XIII (SNK Playmore, Atlus)
Super Street Fighter 4: 3D Edition (Capcom Co., Ltd., Capcom U.S.A.)
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (Capcom Co., Ltd., Capcom U.S.A.)

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year

Winner:

Orcs Must Die! (Robot Entertainment, Microsfot Studios)

Nominees:

Iron Brigade [a.k.a. Trenched] (Double Fine, Microsoft Studios)
Total War: SHOGUN 2 (The Creative Assembly, SEGA of America, Inc.)
Toy Soldiers: Cold War (Signal Studios, Microsoft Studios)
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II - Retribution (Relic Entertainment, THQ, Inc.)

Family Game of the Year

Winner:

LittleBigPlanet 2 (Media Molecule LLC, Sony Computer Entertainment America)

Nominees:

Dance Central 2 (Harmonix Music Systems, Microsoft Studios)
Just Dance 3 (Ubisoft Paris, Ubisoft)
Kinect Disneyland Adventure (Frontier Developments, Ltd., Microsoft Studios)
Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure (Toys for Bob, Activision)

Mobile Game of the Year

Winner:

Infinity Blade II (Chair Entertainment, Epic Games)

Nominees:

Contre Jour (Chillingo, Electronic Arts, Inc.)
Dead Space (EA Mobile, Electronic Arts, Inc.)
Tentacles (Press Play, Microsoft Studios)
The Dark Meadow (Phosphor Games Studio, Phosphor Games Studio)

Handheld Game of the Year

Winner:

Super Mario 3D Land (Nintendo, Nintendo)

Nominees:

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (Capcom, Capcom U.S.A.)
Kirby Mass Attack (Hal Laboratory, Nintendo)
Mario Kart 7 (Nintendo, Nintendo)
Professor Layton and the Last Specter (Level 5, Nintendo)

Adventure Game of the Year

Winner:

Batman: Arkham City (Rocksteady Studios, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)

Nominees:

L.A. Noire (Team Bondi, Rockstar Games)
Portal 2 (Valve Corporation, Valve Corporation)
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Nintendo, Nintendo)
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Naughty Dog, Sony Computer Entertainment America)

Outstanding Achievement in Online Game Play

Winner:

Star Wars: The Old Republic (BioWare Austin, Electronic Arts, LLC)

Nominees:

Battlefield 3 (DICE, Electronic Arts, Inc.)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Infinity Ward/Sledgehammer Games, Activision)
Gears of War 3 (Epic Games, Microsoft Games)
LittleBigPlanet 2 (Media Molecule LLC, Sony Computer Entertainment America)

Outstanding Achievement in Connectivity

Winner:

Portal 2 (Valve Corporation, Valve Corporation)

Nominees:

Battlefield 3 (DICE, Electronic Arts, Inc.)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Infinity Ward/Sledgehammer Games, Activision)
Dragon Age II (BioWare Edmonton, Electronic Arts, Inc.)
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Naughty Dog, Sony Computer Entertainment America)

Action Game of the Year

Winner:

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Infinity Ward/Sledgehammer Games, Activision)

Nominees:

Battlefield 3 (DICE, Electronic Arts, Inc.)
Dead Space 2 (Visceral, Electronic Arts, Inc.)
Gears of War 3 (Epic Games, Microsoft Games)
Saints Row: The Third (Volition Inc., THQ Inc.)

Outstanding Achievement in Animation

Winner:

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Naughty Dog, Sony Computer Entertainment America)

Nominees:

Assassin's Creed: Revelations (Ubisoft Montréal, Ubisoft)
Batman: Arkham City (Rocksteady Studios, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)
L.A. Noire (Team Bondi, Rockstar Games)
Rayman Origins (UbiArt Montpellier, Ubisoft)

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction

Winner:

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Naughty Dog, Sony Computer Entertainment America)

Nominees:

Batman: Arkham City (Rocksteady Studios, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)
Battlefield 3 (DICE, Electronic Arts, Inc.)
Portal 2 (Valve Corporation, Valve Corporation)
Rayman Origins (UbiArt Montpellier, Ubisoft)

Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering

Winner:

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Naughty Dog, Sony Computer Entertainment America)

Nominees:

Battlefield 3 (DICE, Electronic Arts, Inc.)
Crysis 2 (Crytek GmbH, Electronic Arts, Inc.)
L.A. Noire (Team Bondi, Rockstar Games)
RAGE (id Software, Bethesda Softworks)

Outstanding Achievement in Game Play Engineering

Winner:

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios, Bethesda Softworks)

Nominees:

Batman: Arkham City (Rocksteady Studios, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)
Portal 2 (Valve Corporation, Valve Corporation)
Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure (Toys for Bob, Activision)
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Nintendo, Nintendo)

Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction

Winner:

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios, Bethesda Softworks)

Nominees:

Batman: Arkham City (Rocksteady Studios, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)
L.A. Noire (Team Bondi, Rockstar Games)
Portal 2 (Valve Corporation, Valve Corporation)
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Naughty Dog, Sony Computer Entertainment America)

Game of the Year

Winner:

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios, Bethesda Softworks)

Nominees:

Batman: Arkham City (Rocksteady Studios, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)
Portal 2 (Valve Corporation, Valve Corporation)
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Nintendo, Nintendo)
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Naughty Dog, Sony Computer Entertainment America)

MLB 2K12 gets an 'official' trailer

2012-02-10T07:00:00Z

There's been no shortage of trailers hyping up this year's model of 2K Sports' MLB series. Last week we were lucky enough to get the teaser trailer, but now we've got the "Official" trailer and man... it's something special. I mean... just watch it. It's worth it.

MLB 2K12 is set for release on March 6, so I'm sure we'll be blessed with more trailery goodness in the coming weeks (fingers crossed). Also, don't forget about their Million Dollar Game contest; get your pitching thumb warmed up, folks.

Firefall dev's 'fireside' chat

2012-02-10T04:00:00Z

So... I dunno if you brodudes have been following Firefall, if not, you definitely should be. It's pretty cool. Earlier today, Red 5, the studio behind the project released a new developer diary to explain what it is, their launch strategy, and some other nifty bits. It's a solid primer for those that haven't been following our previous coverage.

As I've said before, I've been thoroughly impressed with everything so far. It looks way better than any free-to-play game has a right to and the gameplay behind it all is really solid, like a fusion of Team Fortress 2, Borderlands and Unreal Tournament 2004. In other words, pretty freaking badass. Keep it on your radar.

CoD Elite is on its way to 2.0 this fall

2012-02-10T01:00:00Z

I know it feels like the beast that is CoD Elite is still getting up on its feet, but the folks behind the subscription service are already planning for a relaunch in sync with this falls annual Call of Duty release.

"We're already hard at work on Elite 2.0, with several innovative features being developed to work hand-in-hand with our new Call of Duty release"

This fall's new Call of Duty just may prove to be the true test of Activision's Elite service. How they handle the transfer from an established community to the next iteration should be interesting. I'd like to see them travel further into digital territory, preferably with some sort of à la carte pricing model. One can dream.

For the time being, they've promised "additional features in the next 60 days" so keep those peepers open for some meaty new content to help you kick more ass.

'Call of Duty Elite 2.0' in development for new CoD [CVG]

The Daily Hotness: Incoming Enemy Fighters

2012-02-09T23:59:00Z

As I'm sure you have all heard, the big story of today is how Tim Schafer and the dudes at Double Fine got a full adventure game project and documentary funded in just a few hours. The Kickstarter then raised over $1 million and IT'S STILL GOING. I put my change in. You probably should too, because it's Tim F'ing Schafer. Anyway...

We have a review and a preview and a bunch of news that is nowhere near as cool as that. And if you don't get how that opening clip of Star Fox is related... then I really don't care. It's an awesome game.

Destructoid Original:
Dream games we'd like to see Kickstarted into reality

Community:
Community Blogs of 2/9
Forum Thread of the day: Sexy Ass Nerd Valentines that will get you laid

Reviews:
Review: PixelJunk Eden (PC)

Previews:
Preview: Play with yourself in Blades of Time

News:
It's a big deal: Indie Game Music Bundle 2 announced
Double Fine gets game fully funded in a matter of hours
Asura's Wrath delayed in UK by two weeks
Namco details upcoming Vita game add-ons
Ghost Recon Online closed beta starting in March
Sony details PSP to Vita game transfer process
Nintendo DLC: BurgerTime World Tour, Maru's Mission
Toki Tori added to Humble Indie Bundle for Android
Blizzard Entertainment schedules Diablo III for Q2 2012
How Aerosmith and Armageddon changed Itagaki's life
Double Fine reaps over $1 million in under 24 hours!
Super Mario Crossover version 2.0 finally available

Offbeat:
Uncharted fan film has Stormtrooper Academy graduates
In the Archie comic, Mega Man really can't beat Air Man
Unholy horrors! 1000+ Skyrim warriors go to war
Low-poly Mass Effect CG models are massively adorable

Media:
Aliens: Colonial Marines box art has an alien on it!
Bethesda 'Game Jam' results in a better, odder Skyrim
DiRT 3 Complete Edition announced, adds $30 of content
This new trailer for The Splatters makes it look so easy
Ridge Racer Unbounded wants you to 'deal with it'

Two Tribes wants to bring Toki Tori 2 to Wii U

2012-02-09T23:00:00Z

Indie developer Two Tribes has decided to try and get the sequel to their rather clever action/puzzle game, Toki Tori, on to Nintendo's next console through WiiWare. In a post on the Toki Tori 2 development blog, Two Tribes states that recent information released by Nintendo regarding their online strategy has given the developer the confidence to pursue publishing on the platform.

They also seem to have some great ideas for execution, offering up a potential control scheme which should work quite nicely on the Wii U controller. Even more enticing is the possibility of a level editor using the controller's touchscreen for real-time changes. Here's to hoping they can get it out there.

Update 18: Wii U Plans! [Two Tribes]

Protests and petitions: Help bury ACTA and TPP

2012-02-09T22:00:00Z

Despite the victory over SOPA, ACTA and TPP are still around and threatening internet freedom. Anti-ACTA protests have broken out in the EU and so far the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia have all pulled support from ACTA. To keep up this momentum protests have been organized across 200 cities and will occur tomorrow.

Fight For The Future is supporting tomorrow's protests by making a global petition and they have provided a map with all the protests, so if you want to attend one you'll know where to find it. ACTA has been around for a wee while, so I've already had a chance to make my views known to my representative, but I don't see the harm in me doing it again.