Betheseda has released more details on their November 11th release The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Skyrim will have more of a Norse flair to it. Art Director Matt Carafano said “A lot of that is a direct reaction to the previous game. Oblivion was more kind of standard European fantasy, and with Skyrim, we wanted to do something more. That same feel wouldn’t fit for this game. We wanted to do something that [if] you were living in Skyrim, it is different. It is the home of the Nords. Everything is based off them.”

The world is designed to be about the same size as Oblivion, with about 5 major cities and 130 dungeons.  The main story will be around 20 hours long, and the plot is supposedly less prominent to allow people to sidequest more. There will be no level cap, but when you first visit a dungeon a level lock will be put on that dungeon to prevent you from grinding to the point that it becomes effortless. The Dark Brotherhood, a popular sect from Oblivion, will also return.

The developers are striving for “Epic Reality,” which is what they call the ever changing sky line. The view is meant to look different depending on where you are at in the world, to give gamers a sense of realism and depth to the world.

Virtually all versions will be the same, as Kinect for the 360 will not be supported. The PC version will of course have the potential for better graphics if your system can handle it.

Skyrim is looking to expand upon the Elder Scrolls mythology while giving players a new, unique experience. It looks to be the best Elder Scrolls yet, and a very worthy successor to Oblivion.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim releases November 11, 2011 for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.

Sources:

gamrFeed article on graphics

gamrFeed article on the landscape

Tags: Bethesda, bethesda softworks, elder scrolls 5, elder scrolls 5 skyrim, Elder Scrolls V, elder scrolls V graphics, elder scrolls V setting, elder scrolls V skyrim, elder scrolls V world, matt carafano, Skyrim, world of skyrim

The hosts of The Retro League podcast did a very long episode 67 this week called “Massive Tangent.” Near the end they answer my email in which I submitted a link to them about the upcoming Mortal Kombat series.

You can subscribe to them in Itunes, or visit the episode post for #67 here. My email is read about 2 hours and 10 minutes in, and they posted the link to the Bloody Disgusting story I mentioned on the episodes news post as well.

If you want to hear about retro games, MAGfest, or classic games then check out the weekly The Retro League podcast. They do an excellent job of listening to their users and reading email on air, so it’s always a good idea to write them as well.

Tags: classic gaming, itunes, league, mortal kombat, mortal kombat web series, podcast, retro, retro league

Sony announced their successor to the PSP: The NGP, or Next Generation Portable. It already has a release date in Japan of sometime this upcoming 2011 holiday season.

Here’s the very extended breakdown:

• 5″ OLED screen, 960 x 544 resolution (4x more than PSP, with graphics similar to the PS3) with approx. 16 million colors, touchscreen
• Built in Wifi
• 3G
• Dual Analog Sticks (not nubs)
• Trophies
• GPS
• Electronic Compass
• Front and rear facing cameras
• Rear mounted touchpad (same size as the screen)
• Flash based new media for games (looks similar to a Nintendo DS cart)
• Built in stereo speakers and microphone
• Gyroscope and accelerometer
• Standard power, volume, select and start, left and right shoulder, and 4  Playstation buttons (circle, square, triangle, x

While no specific release date for Japan has been announced, and while no price point has been set yet, the NGP looks to be a monster in terms of raw power. How portable it will be will depend on it’s actual size and in how long the battery lasts. It’s an interesting concept, and it’s a definite rival to the 3DS, even if it will be launching much later.

Source:

gamrFeed specs

Engadget story and photos

Tags: next generation portable, next generation portable specifications, next generation portable specs, next generation portable stats, NGP, ngp specifications, ngp specs, ngp stats, PSP2, sony, sony next generation portable, sony next generation portable announcement, sony ngp, sony ngp announcement

In episode 66 of The Retro League podcast called “The Unintentional Chrono Trigger Episode,” the hosts take the time to answer another one of my emails. This time it’s a lengthy one, in which I back up last week’s guest Critical Failure of TigerClawTV and Radio in his recommendation of James Bond 007 for the original Nintendo Gameboy. It was one of my favorite games as a kid, and I played and replayed it many times when I was young.

I also un-recommend Earthworm Jim 3D for the N64, as I found that game incredibly disappointing as an N64 fan.

The best part was that one of the hosts mentioned my name and that I run a Christian gaming site. He didn’t mention the url specifically, but just the fact that he mentioned the site in some subtle way was pretty cool in my opinion.

They also announced that their regular host Hemrawc would be stepping down as a regular host, which is unfortunate as he was a terrific host. Hopefully we’ll see him back again soon.

Check out The Retro League and their forums if you haven’t already, in addition to subscribing to them in iTunes. If you want to listen to just my email it gets answered about 1 hour and 10 minutes into episode 66 (although I would encourage you to listen to the whole show, as it is fantastic as always).

Hope you enjoy episode 66.

Tags: 007, classic gaming, earthworm jim, earthworm jim 3D, earthworm jim 64, itunes, james bond, james bond 007 game, james bond gameboy, league, podcast, retro

2K Games said on Friday that Duke Nukem Forever will finally get a release date of May 3rd, 2011 in the U.S. The worldwide release date will be May 6th.

2K also released a new trailer for the game, roughly 2 and a half minutes long. I won’t post it here due to content, but it’s readily available online elsewhere. The game is rated M for everything-literally everything. The trailer states it is rated M for blood and gore, intense violence, strong language, mature humor, nudity, strong sexual content, and drugs and alcohol. You see censored nudity, violence and hear language (and see it spelled out in text) in the trailer.

While I’d like to play the game I’ll never be able to touch it with all that content. It’s unfortunate that after so long that 2K and Gearbox Software felt the need to put content like this in. Maybe it was in there originally, as I’ve never played the original games., or maybe they felt the need to add or up the ante to make up for the games 12 year development.

What about you, will you be played Duke Nukem Forever when it is released? Or is the content too much? Where do we as Christians draw the line?

Tags: 2K, 2K games, Duke Nukem, Duke Nukem Forever, Duke Nukem Forever release date, Duke Nukem Forever trailer, Duke Nukem release date, Duke Nukem trailer, gearbox, Gearbox Software, M rated games, mature content, mature content video games, mature games, rated M for mature

While I normally don’t highlight releases for an individual console each week, Sony’s PSP and PS3 have some interesting games coming out this week.

PS3

The first is Dead Space 2, which will feature the return of Isaac Clarke as he awakens from a coma on board a giant floating space city. Isaac will have new weapons to fight the alien Necromorphs.

Two Worlds II is a sprawling open world rpg with emphasis on character customization when it comes to skill sets and spells. Also included is a PvP online mode with up to 8 player duels. If you liked the Elder Scrolls series you might want to look into Two Worlds II.

PSP

On the PSP and PSN is Lord of Arcana, a Square Enix action-rpg with up to 4 player co-op. Players battle for the Arcana stones, which are said to be the source of all order in the world of Horodyn. Players assume the roles of “slayers,” which are customizable in terms of equipment, and must battle monsters. It reminds me a little bit of Phantasy Star.

Also available as demos from the Playstation Network are Dead Space: Extraction and Bulletstorm.

Tags: Dead Space, dead space 2, dead space II, january 2011 ps3, januray playstation release, lord of arcana, playstation, ps3, PSN, psp, square enix, two worlds, two worlds 2, two worlds II

If you’re a fan of retro gaming I would encourage you to check out www.racketboy.com.

Specifically I found them through an article they have on a list of the best NES games under $10. Games like Super Mario Bros. 3, Tetris, and Blaster Master make the list, among others.

If you’re into retro gaming check them out.

If you’re looking specifically for a list of the best cheap NES games check out their list here.

Tags: cheap NES games, classic gaming, NES, NES games, racketboy, retro, retro games, www.racketboy.com

Nintendo announced today that their 3DS will be hitting the U.S. for $249.99 on March 27th.

Also announced were built in software (including some for browsing the internet,  a built in motion and gyro sensor, some built in DSi software, backwards compatibility with the DS, a built in pedometer, a Mii maker (similar to the Wii), an analog circle button in addition to the directional pad, the ability to log into Nintendo’s e-shop where game trailers and Gameboy and Gameboy color games can be bought, and the ability to take 3D pictures (in addition to the standard 3D games and movies).

The system will launch in Aqua Blue or Cosmo Black.

By June Nintendo wants over 30 games to hit the system. So far Pilotwings Resort, Nintendogs + Cats, Ocarina of Time 3D, Dead or Alive Dimensions, Kid Icarus: Uprising, Super Street Fighter IV 3D, Madden, Resident Evil 3D, Ridge Racer 3D, Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars, Asphalt 3D, and more have been announced.

Gamers such as myself are especially excited about the port of Ocarina of Time. I was also a big fan of Pilotwings 64, so a sequel for it on the 3DS could turn out very well (especially if they use the motion sensors at all). A Street Fighter IV game would be welcome to fans of the fighting genre.

I will say though that the battery life and price tag concerns me. No doubt in the next hardware upgrade Nintendo will fix this, as well as adding new colors. So as excited as I am for this system’s upcoming titles, I’m going to have to wait until the revision.

What about you? Is the 3DS a must buy at launch?

Tags: 3ds backwards compatible, 3ds cost, 3ds cost launch, 3ds launch date, 3ds launch titles, 3ds price, 3ds titles, cost, launch date, nintendo, nintendo 3d titles, nintendo 3ds, nintendo 3ds cost, nintendo 3ds details, nintendo 3ds launch date, nintendo 3ds price, price

Warner Bros. revealed to the website Bloody Disgusting that they will be creating a series of short films for online distribution based on the Mortal Kombat franchise.

Kevin Tancharoe, director of a short film trailer made in 2010 will be directing the series. Originally the trailer called Mortal Kombat: Rebirth was made to show the WB what he could do with the MK franchise and their blessing.

While no movie has been announced the WB apparently noticed the fan approval of the trailer, and hired the director to create the series. No release date has been announced yet, nor length of the episodes, but it will supposedly run for 10 episodes. If each episode is 6-10 minutes long then it would match the length of a feature film.

Reprising his role as Jax or Major Jackson Briggs will be Michael Jai White. No word yet on who else will be cast, but shooting is supposed to start sometime in February in Vancouver, so no doubt we will have the rest of the details soon. As for the plot all we know so far is that two warring gods named Shao Kahn and Shang Tsung from parallel universes will be fighting to take over Earth, while our protagonists try to stop them.

Will you be watching the new MK series? Why or why not?

Source:

Bloody Disgusting MK announcement

Tags: kevin tancharoen, mortal kombat, mortal kombat movie, mortal kombat online, mortal kombat rebirth, mortal kombat series, mortal kombat webisode, warner bros.