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Panzer Dragoon – Sequel, Spin Off, Start Over or Stay Dead?

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 13:13:41 GMT

Welcome to this week's, "Sequel, Spin Off, Start Over or Stay Dead?" Each week Diehard GameFAN is going to look at a dormant franchise that was once pretty popular, but for some reason has disappeared into the sands of time. Diehard GameFAN staffers will have four options for what they want to have happen to the series and you can see them in the title of this piece.

Today's franchise is arguably the best of the 32 bit generation. All three games released during this time were considered system sellers in regards to the Sega Saturn. The third game in the series is almost always listed as one of the best role playing games ever made and the eventual fourth game in the series won our 2003 XBOX Exclusive Game of the Year Award. It's been nearly seven years since a Panzer Dragoon game has graced a system, unless you count the Sega Ages game for the Playstation 2. Panzer Dragoon Saga is one of the most expensive and sought after games on the used game market and the series is nearly universally loved by gamers and critics alike. However, since purchasing Sega, Sammy has allowed the series to go dormant for nearly a decade. Is there still life in one of Sega's biggest IP's? Eight members of the Diehard GameFAN staff discusses their thoughts on what should be done with the franchise.

Gamestop Buy 2, Get 1 Free Used Games Sale Kicks Off Today

Fri, 25 Dec 2009 21:04:07 GMT

GamerDeals.net:

"Gamestop has just notified us that they have kicked off one of their anticipated Buy 2 Used Games, Get 1 Free sales.

This offer is for three days only, Friday, December 25, 2009 - Sunday, December 27, 2009.

The Buy 2, Get 1 Free Used Game Sale is available both in store and online!"

GameZone: Top 25 Games of the Decade (2000-2009) - #2 Grand Theft Auto III

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 21:55:23 GMT

GameZone writes: "The end of the decade is upon us and it's time to revisit the landscape of gaming that began in 2000 with the launching of the PlayStation 2 and is now ending in 2009 with three viable console platforms in the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii.

Over the next 25 days, GameZone will be bringing our readers the "Top 25 Games of the Decade." Considering how many games released in the past ten years, it was an exhausting process to narrow down our initial list of more than 200 games to the top 25."

Best 30 Games of the Decade

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 17:01:23 GMT

As 2009 winds down, the aughties, double zeros, or whatever you like to refer this decade as, heads towards its end as well. Its incredible to think that it has been a whole ten years since Y2K, but it has. The 2000s will be remembered in the gaming industry as the decade where gaming went mainstream. No longer is gaming a fad or a niche. Instead, video gaming has become a culture, and a part of everyday entertainment. The DAMNLAG Team has decided to take you down memory lane, and rank the best thirty gaming experience to come from this great gaming decade. Commentary and rankings were all done by Jaleel Boone, Chris Holmes, Connor Beaton, Zack Rovinsky, and myself. Enjoy guys, we worked pretty hard on this one. We promise you it will be epic.

Kotaku- BioWare On The Decline Of The JRPG

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:07:27 GMT

Kotaku- Final Fantasy aside, Japanese role-playing games simply don't command the respect (or sales) they once did in the West. You may have an opinion on this! That's great. So do BioWare.

With Mass Effect and Dragon Age both leading the way as far as Western RPGs are concerned, they're a company well-placed to know what's good, and what's not so good, about the Japanese entries in the field.

'Natal lag issues will hurt game development'

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:55:48 GMT

Microsoft has invested significant money and time to ensure its upcoming motion controller Natal is as accomplished as its host console, yet suspected "lag issues" may curb the peripheral's chances of success.

That was the view offered by Traveller's Tales company director Jon Burton, who told Develop that his own experience with the hands-free controller raised doubts.

"I was actually more impressed with Sony's motion capture solution than Microsoft's Natal," he said.

"[Natal is] exceedingly clever, but the lag on the input and lack of physical buttons is really going to restrict the kind of games that can be done with it," he added, before going on to praise Sony's (currently nameless) alternative.

Top 25 Games of the Decade - #10 Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:12:52 GMT

"Running across walls and performing acrobatic flips to new heights was the reason why gamers were instantly hooked. From beginning till the end, The Sands of Time was a gorgeous game to see in motion. The character art stood out above the rest of the sequels due to the personality that Mechner and the development team provided for The Sands of Time.

Add in the wonderful time-manipulation and breathtaking environments, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was a 'Tour de France' of gaming excellence."

Microsoft Xbox 360 Wireless N Networking Adapter review (GamePro)

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:37:51 GMT

GamePro: "Xbox 360 owners who are yet to own a compatible wireless adapter or are having troubles with their existing one will find the Wireless N networking adapter a useful purchase. The dongle provides wire-free gaming and media streaming on the Xbox 360, albeit at an expensive outlay."

Pricewars: Walmart vs. Gamestop

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 22:55:57 GMT

When Gamestop started it's subsequent monopoly of the retail video games market by a slew of mergers and acquisitions of other names in the retail space their objective was simple. Saturation. Now, with a Gamestop in nearly every American neighborhood, this objective is complete. But what happens when the a bigger and badder corporation wants to steal market share from you? Well the answer is nothing. You inevitably lose....

GameZone: Top 25 Games of the Decade (2000-2009) - #24

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:01:00 GMT

Gamestop Offers Peripherals Discount

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 03:42:51 GMT

Want to buy a new controller but don't feel like getting trampled to death at stores today? GameStop has a solution to your dilemma.

Gearbox: Bond producer didn't want shooting in Nightfire

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 17:59:34 GMT

OXM UK: Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford has revealed that the company's 007 shooter, 2002's James Bond 007: Nightfire, nearly had the shooting elements removed by guardians of the Bond licence.

Red Dead Redemption Trailer

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 12:36:49 GMT

Lewis from TheSixthAxis finds a way to view next week's Red Dead Redemption trailer. Then it gets removed so he found another...

Newegg.com Black Friday Sale LIVE Now

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 02:21:48 GMT

Gamerdeals.net:

"The Newegg Black Friday deals are LIVE Now!

Sale Ends 11/29!"

Stubbs the Zombie: Rebel Without a Pulse Now Available For Free

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:36:36 GMT

Originally released for the Xbox in 2005, Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse made news because it was a creative action game from the same minds that originally worked on Halo. In case you missed it back then, GameAgent is currently running a promotion on the downloadable PC version of the game – they're giving it away completely FREE of charge.

Dino Crisis – Sequel, Spin Off, Start Over or Stay Dead?

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:56:32 GMT

Welcome to this week's, "Sequel, Spin Off, Start Over or Stay Dead?" Each week they're going to look at a dormant franchise that was once pretty popular, but for some reason has disappeared into the sands of time. Diehard GameFAN staffers will have four options for what they want to have happen to the series and you can see them in the title of this piece.

This week they're looking at a series that Capcom has let sit undisturbed for five years after one of the most spectacular failures in survival-horror history. You know something had to be bad when Capcom of all publishers stopped milking, rehashing, or spinning-off a series. Still the stigma of "Dinosaurs in Spaaaaaace" is still well known throughout the gaming community and so the Diehard GameFAN staff discusses whether or not the Dino Crisis series still has some life in it or if it should be as extinct as its antagonists.

The Lifecycle of a Gaming Console

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:52:24 GMT

The original Xbox console had a lifespan of about four years, launching in 2001 and then being retired in 2005 following the launch of the Xbox 360. It had a great run, birthing such franchises as Halo, Forza Motorsport and Fable, and it introduced the almighty Xbox Live in 2002. Fast-forward to the present day and we have the Xbox 360 with a whole slew of hit games and the upgraded Xbox Live experience. On the flipside, there's the PlayStation 2 followed by the PlayStation 3, each with their own major titles and online services. The PS2 ran its course in nearly six years. With that in mind, is it still too early to start thinking about the next generation? After all, it's been four years since the release of the Xbox 360. Is an upgrade really necessary? The fact of the matter is, this generation will outlast any previous one, and by a good margin.

Gamestop Rumored Black Friday Ad Leaked

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:51:47 GMT

Gamerdeals.net:

"GameStop opens 6am Friday, November 27th. Doorbuster deals valid 6am to 11am only. All other deals (unless noted) run all week.

Here is a quick summary of GameStop Black Friday gaming deals:"

10 sequels that are much worse than the original

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:14:42 GMT

Harry Slater writes:

Sometimes, videogame sequels fail to capitalise on the excellent work begun by their elder brethren, be it a change of developer, a shift in focus or a bizarre and not required change of style. Here are some that failed to match their predecessors.

Microsoft co-founder, Paul Allen, has cancer

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:33:55 GMT

Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, his sister has said.

Jody Allen, the chief executive of Mr Allen's investment firm Vulcan Inc, told staff in a memo that her brother had begun chemotherapy.

Mr Allen, 56, founded Microsoft in 1975 with Bill Gates but left in 1983, when he was diagnosed with another form of cancer - Hodgkin's disease.