Microsoft's former Entertainment and Devices leader has left the company to become the new CEO of Zynga, the social gaming company.  According to a press release, Mattrick will head to his new position effective Monday, July 8, 2013.

"I joined Zynga because I believe that Mark's pioneering vision and mission to connect the world through games is just getting started," said Mattrick. "Zynga is a great business that has yet to realize its full potential. I'm proud to partner with Mark to deliver high-quality, fun, social games wherever people want to play."

Zynga just recently laid off 520 employees (18% of its workforce) and founder, Mark Pincus, vowed to refocus on mobile gaming. Apparently, Mattrick shares that same vision.

Interestingly enough, there is no comment from Microsoft regarding the situation, nor is there a comment from Mattrick about leaving Microsoft. 

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Microsoft's Marc Whitten has confirmed to the Twitterverse that Xbox One will support the use of QR code scanning rather than punching in 25-digit codes.

According to Whitten, the Xbox One's Kinect will allow gamers to simply scan a QR code to redeem points and games, instead of having to tediously punch in a 25-digit code.

Thank god, because those 20 seconds it takes to type in the code were really interrupting my life.

Hopefully, with Microsoft's big push for a second screen/mobile app integration, Microsoft will find a way to allow QR scanning via smart phones instead of utilizing Kinect.

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Legendary Pictures head Thomas Tull was asked about the World of Warcraft movie over the weekend, and he made some interesting points about why it's difficult to make a good World of Warcraft film, as well as why video game movies have struggled in the past.

"A lot of times what has happened in the past is, studios have said, 'How many people play that game? Okay, than that means they'll probably all go out and buy tickets.' That is an incredibly poor way to make a movie," said Tull.

"How do you make a video game movie that doesn't suck? You start with that exact question," continued Tull.

Tull believes that the key to making a video game movie is to base the movie off of the world created by the video game, not the video game itself. Well, this will be difficult to achieve with a game like World of Warcraft, where the world IS the game.

However, Tull notes that the incredible stories contained in the lore of the Warcraft universe provides many opportunities for a movie.

"It's the incredible story, the war, and these races and everything these guys at Blizzard have come up with. They have 100 books, and just this incredibly rich world that they've created," said Tull.

And, he's right. There's no denying that the creatives behind World of Warcraft the movie are going to have a difficult time picking one of the thousands of stories within the Warcraft lore. But, even more difficult than picking a story, is picking it quickly.  World of Warcraft's subscribers are dropping rapidly, and Legendary Pictures is going to have to put this movie into gear before it's too late and people forget all about the game.

Hopefully, Duncan Jones, who was brought aboard to direct the movie a few months ago, can give the World of Warcraft movie some substance, and even create a full movie franchise out of the deal.  

Source: /Film

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Rockstar took to their official website to post a Q&A about the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto V which revealed that the game will require an install on both Xbox 360 and PS3.

On Xbox 360, the game will come on two discs.  The first disc will be an install disc, while the second disc will be required to play from.  You'll need 8GB of free space on your hard drive.  The PS3 install will be about the same size, and comes on only one disc.

Rockstar also delved into how character switching will work.  You can switch between characters at any point that you are not in a mission, as the character is going about their daily life.

"You might drop in on Michael in the middle of a family dispute, interrupt Franklin chatting up some ladies, or Trevor on the run from the law -- or whatever else these guys do in their free time," stated Rockstar. "How and when you switch between characters when you're not on a mission is completely up to you."

Rockstar also confirmed that Grand Theft Auto V will come with a pull-out map.

Source: Rockstar

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Thomas Tull, head of Legendary Pictures, stated that the biggest problem with making the World of Warcraft movie is choosing a story from the deep, rich lore of Warcraft to base the movie on. With numerous games and a plethora of books containing many different incredible stories, there are more than a handful of possibilities for quality movies.

Movie-goers want mystique, discovery, action and a great story when it comes to this type of movie.  Pretty much any story you tell in the Warcraft universe will be action packed, but there are some great stories to tell as well that could create a well-rounded World of Warcraft movie.

Neltharion the Earth-Warder, aka Deathwing the Destroyer

One of the World of Warcraft stories that I most enjoyed comes from the Cataclysm expansion: the story of Neltharion the Earth-Warder, aka Deathwing the Destroyer. This molten black dragon is the head of the Black Dragonflight, and one of the five aspects the Titans empowered and then sent to guard ancient Kalimdor. While watching over Azeroth, Neltharion discovered a prison containing some of the Old Gods of Azeroth, whom convince him to destroy all of the other races on Azeroth so that he, along with his dragonflight, could rule the world.

Netltharion was also convinced to make the Dragon Soul, a large golden disc he put into the earth after putting his own blood and the essence of a demon into the disc. He also had the four other aspects donate some of their powers to the disc to create the great weapon, and then pulled a 180 on them in the middle of a battle by telling them that he didn't donate any of his powers to the Dragon Soul, so he is now more powerful than them. Ultimate face turn. Neltharion killed most of the Blue Dragonflight and then paralyzed all others except for one of the aspects, Alexstrasza, who Neltharion had a thing for (there's your love story, Hollywood). He was then reborn as Deathwing the Destroyer, growing into a fiery big black demon dragon.

The Dragon Soul, which was onwards known as the Demon Soul, was slowly killing Deathwing, so he had some adamantite armor forged. Meanwhile, Malfurion Stormrage, the first night elf druid, snuck into Deathwing's lair and stole the Demon Soul, which after a period of time, the other four aspects sealed up and Malfurion hid it away from Deathwing.

Malfurion's quest to steal away the Demon Soul would be a World of Warcraft epic worthy of the big screen, and the tale has so many sidelines that could be introduced in the movie that I can't even go into them all right now.

The Lich King's Last Stand

The Lich King goes by many names: Lord of the Dead, The Dark One, Prince of Darkness, etc, and was the leader of the Scourge, which he lead the group telepathically from the Frozen Throne on the top of Icecrown Glacier. There he earned himself the right to have his own World of Warcraft expansion pack: The Wrath of the Lich King.

The most popular Lich King took the form of Arthas Menethil, and was defeated at the climax of the war for Northrend by Highlord Trion Fordring, but the movie could tell another tale of the fall of the Lich King.  Instead, the World of Warcraft movie could follow a hero's quest to forge Shadowmourne, a legendary heavy axe that has the power to drain a Soul Fragment and increase the wielder's strength, helping him defeat The Lich King in battle to avenge the countless heroes lost in The Lich King's merciless campaign. The quest chain starts with Darion Mograine, the highlord of the Knights of the Ebon Blade, who sends the hero on a quest to recover Light's Vengeance, the discarded hammer of Prince Arthas Menethil, which will be needed to forge Shadowmourne. Once forged, director Duncan Jones can take the hero to the Icecrown Citadel to defeat the ruthless Lich King.

The Tale of Edwin VanCleef

Edwin VanCleef is the criminal leader of the Defias Brotherhood, and leads the threat against Stormwind City. Originally, VanCleef was one of the mastermind architects that helped to rebuild Stormwind City after the Second War. After the project was completed, the House of Nobles refused to pay the Stonemasons Guild, which VanCleef was a part of, for their work. VanCleef spat on the floor and stormed out of the halls that he had just built, cursing the city along his way out. VanCleef then staged a riot in Stormwind City, in which many people died. VanCleef was banished from Stormwind City, and while on his way out, created the Defias Brotherhood from the artisans and tinkers sitting outside of the city's gates.

VanCleef taught the Defias Brotherhood the way of thieves and how to properly ambush merchants and raid farmsteads. He set up a laboratory in the Deadmines, deep under the Alliance town of Moonbrook in Westfall. Deadmines is where VanCleef would take his final breath, as heroes of the Alliance assaulted VanCleef on his ship. Now, the Defias Brotherhood is led by Edwin's daughter, Vanessa, who witnessed the assassination of her father. While it wouldn't sport the magic that World of Warcraft is known for, it is a two-fold tale of revenge, honor and a villainous lair deep underground that creates the perfect opportunity for an on-the-edge-of-your-seat cinematic adventure.

A Journey Through Maraudon

I know a lot of people actually didn't like Maraudon, mostly because of how long it took to complete it. There are 3 wings to this one dungeon: The Wicked Grotto, Foulspore Cavern, and Earth Song Falls. The “dungeon” is a combination of ancient centaur burial grounds and temple dedicated to the elemental earth. But the real appeal of this cavern is Crown Princess Theradras; a very shapely, un-sexy elemental force of earth that hides in the depths of Maraudon, guarding the tomb of her dead lover's body from Cenarius, the man's father. Why does she fear Cenarius? Well, she had centaur offspring with his son, Zaetar, who killed him shortly after their creation. This is no ordinary, fairy tale princess.

The journey through Maraudon would create a magical yet fearful experience for movie-goers. There's a lot to see in the depths of the caverns, including large earth elementals, centaurs, a giant crocodile, a giant ice elemental, fantastical environments and underwater beasts. Having these elements come into fruition on the big screen would create the opportunity for great special effects, while keeping viewers on their toes about what will pop up next within the depths.

On The Hunt in Stranglethorn Vale

Ah yes, a skinner's paradise: Stranglethorn Vale. Stranglethorn Vale is a vast jungle south of Duskwood on Azeroth that contains more than just a few large cats. No, you won't only find tigers and panthers here, but you'll find an abundance of trolls, ogres, humanoid sea serpents known as naga, some dinosaurs, and even swashbuckling pirates. What makes this jungle so appealing for film is that it is a wild place filled with danger and discoveries aplenty. Not only will you come across the aforementioned monsters, but you'll come across a wide variety of things to see, such as a giant whirlpool in the center of it all, ancient ruins surrounding the jungle, an ancient magical stone, and tribes of trolls at war with each other; a war you don't want to get stuck in the middle of.

Duncan Jones could take viewers on a quest to recover the Stone of the Tides, a stone that gives its user control over water, such as tide manipulation and summoning water beings, but at a price: the bearer of the stone would fade over time until he/she disappeared from the physical world completely. Or, Jones can take the viewers on a hunt for Bhag'thera, a panther, or a large white tiger named King Bangalash. Any way you slice it, Stranglethorn would be a great setting for a World of Warcraft movie.

Is there a bit of Warcraft lore you'd like to see in the World of Warcraft movie? Sound off in the comments below!

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NetherRealm and DC Comics has continued their new tradition of releasing a "history of" video for their newest DLC character for Injustice: Gods Among Us.

First, we had Lobo, then Batgirl, then Mortal Kombat's Scorpion.  Now, General Zod will be joining the line-up for Injustice: Gods Among Us.

Check out the History of General Zod trailer for Injustice, below, and head to Xbox Live or PSN to pick up your General Zod DLC, which drops today!

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A disheartened Undead Labs took to their Twitter after a live-stream to admit that they're once-planned multiplayer DLC for State of Decay likely won't happen now.

It sounds like the multiplayer DLC might be out of the picture now.  See below.

Originally, State of Decay was supposed to contain a multiplayer element, but Undead Labs had to scrap it due to time constraints.  Hopefully, the situation can be rectified, but it doesn't sound promising.

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Release Date: August 20, 2013

Developer: Volition

Publisher: Deep Silver

Genre: Action Adventure/Sandbox

There's a certain set of typical ideas people think about when they hear the word president. Leadership, charisma, honesty, and law-abiding are a few characteristics that most people believe a president should have. However, Deep Silver and Volition aren't most people, as you'll soon learn when you pick up their newest title, Saints Row IV.

In Saints Row IV, the top dog of the Saints has been elected as the U.S. President, and if that isn't crazy enough for you, prepare for a catastrophic alien invasion that will completely change the way we look at the Saints Row franchise, courtesy of an alien patriarch named Zinyak. Zinyak has transported the Saints into a strange simulation, littered with the alien presence, hyper-active police officers, unique enemies, and alien technology for your use.

Players can utilize a number of alien powers that they unlock along the way, beginning soon after a few "fluff" introductory missions.  Characters can use powers such as blasts that freeze your enemies, super speed and super jump. The powers make the game feel similar to Prototype, but with an element of Crackdown mixed in. You won't be collecting orbs, but instead will be collecting data clusters that you'll use to upgrade your super abilities.  Saints Row IV will definitely fill the void left by Crackdown, and you'll easily get at least 30 hours of gameplay. There's always something to do, and the city is pretty large.

Character customization is surprisingly deep, and there are a number of options to use that will undoubtedly make your character stand out, even in the strange world created by Zinyak. The character I made felt like a fat, well-dressed version of Mr. T, but with an almost luminescent green skin.  You can make your character as normal and socially acceptable as you'd like, though, but what is the fun in that?

There are also a wide variety of weapons contained in Saint's Row IV, ranging from a simple hand pistol to a dub step gun that makes your enemies dance (it's actually a lot funnier than it sounds).  Whether you're looking for guns containing cool alien technology or just a powerful gun you've seen before, SRIV has it, and will allow you to customize it.

Also noteworthy is the amount of different types of cars at your disposal.  There's everything from motorcycles, sports cars and trucks to alien tanks and flying alien aircrafts (which is a lot of fun, by the way).

After playing for more than five hours, it's undeniable that the game is certainly “out there”, but in a good way.  Saint's Row IV is at its best when you're causing mayhem in the streets, and at its worst in the first half hour of the game.  If you can muscle through the first bit of missions, there's an awesome sandbox superhero game in hiding for you to dive into.  It's unlike any other Saints Row title to date (a good thing, in my opinion), and this is the best iteration in the franchise so far.  Saints Row IV took me completely by surprise, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the full game when it releases.

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Blizzard made the announcement today via their official forums that they are investigating the possibility of having microtransactions in World of Warcraft.

Community manager Zarhym (not his real name) explained that there hasn't been any official decisions made just yet, but that the new system would only be available in "certain regions."

[Related Article: Potential Plots for the World of Warcraft Movie]

"We are currently exploring the possibility of adding a way for players in certain regions to make purchases directly within the game," wrote Zarhym. "As part of this process, elements related to this will be appearing on the PTR. We’ll provide additional updates on our plans as development progresses."

Zarhym's note of only "certain regions" having microtransactions is important, as it means we might not even see it here in North America.

Would you want to see microtransactions in World of Warcraft? Sound off in the comments below!

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In case you haven’t heard all the fireworks going off around the clock lately, this week happened to house the Fourth of July, and as such, we were all busy having barbeques and celebrating this grand old place we call America. However, it seems that EVERYONE was out celebrating this week, and as a result, the amount of actual new games on the App Store was at a shocking new low. But never fear, because we here at Den of Geek still managed to put together a full list of all the new games you’ll want to be checking out this weekend, in between all those fireworks and barbeques of course! God bless the U.S.A., because here are Den of Geek’s Top 5 picks in mobile gaming for the week of June 28 to July 4:

5. Angry Birds: Red’s Mighty Feathers Update

Developer: Rovio | Platform: iOS and Android | Price: $0.99

Okay, now I know what you’re thinking: this isn’t exactly a NEW mobile game in the sense of the word. In fact, Red’s Mighty Feathers is part of a very old mobile game called Angry Birds, that has since gone on to see some moderate success. I don’t know, maybe you’ve heard of it. But the reason I decided to include the Red’s Mighty Feathers level update in this week’s Top 5 mobile games list is because (1) there REALLY wasn’t all that much that was released this week, and (2) because the new level pack actually brings some completely new mechanics to the table that Angry Birds fans have never encountered before. All of the new levels in Red’s Mighty Feathers are sort of like a cross between traditional Angry Birds gameplay and Rovio’s other smash hit, Bad Piggies: the primary difference being now you’ll have MOVING pig targets to hit with your birds! That’s right, every pig in the Red’s Mighty Feathers update will be horsing around on one of the wacky contraptions made famous in Bad Piggies, and so now you’ll not only need to worry about physics, but timing as well. Luckily, you’ll have a new powerful version of the classic red bird to help you out, as he can stop flight in mid-air and completely change directions for a line-drive homing attack.

Download Angry Birds on the iOS App Store | Download Angry Birds on the Google Play Marketplace

4. Gears

Developer: Unity Games | Platform: Android | Price: $1.99

Have you ever heard the phrase, “it’s an oldie but a goodie”? Well I’d say those words couldn’t apply more to Gears, the 3D physics-based platforming game by the newly christened Unity Games. Gears was actually released a while back on iOS devices, but now that the game has FINALLY rolled its way into Android territory, I think it’s only fair to reintroduce everyone to one of the most quality mobile games that money can buy. At its core, Gears is sort of like a more serious, abstract version of Super Monkey Ball, where players will need to guide a rolling sphere through all sorts of obstacle-laden levels, and make use of the many titular gears to open up new pathways. All in all, Gears features 27 challenging levels set across three distinct environments, including The Brass Menagerie and the Rivers of Magma, and everything is controlled by an intuitive one-touch control scheme. And if you’re REALLY up for a challenge, you can always test yourself in trying to snag every last hidden cog collectable in each of the levels, as well as roll your way to the finish line under blisteringly fast par times.

Download Gears on the Google Play Marketplace

3. Pocket League Story 2

Developer: Kairosoft | Platform: Android| Price: Free

In a time when Android exclusive games seem to be going the way of the buffalo, it’s nice to know that Kairosoft is still almost single-handedly guiding the reins of high-quality RPG experiences on Google’s mobile platform. Whether it’s racing horses, developing video games, or serving as a big tycoon in the adult entertainment industry (okay, maybe I made that last one up, but if we wind up seeing something like that one day in the future, it certainly wouldn’t surprise me), Kairosoft seems to have done it all, and lets us experience these little slices of life in their signature, pixelated art style. Pocket League Story 2 builds off of everything that made the first game so great, as players will be able to recruit and manage their very own little soccer team and work their way to the championship cup! Like all good sequels, Pocket League Story 2 throws some interesting new mechanics into the mix, such as random weather elements that affect the outcomes of your soccer games, as well as a full-fledged multiplayer mode that lets you challenge all your pixelated friends to a match! Better yet, Pocket League Story 2 is completely free to play, with an optional in-app purchase to remove those pesky banner ads. But really, what’s a soccer game without all sorts of ads plastered around the stadium?

Download Pocket League Story 2 on the Google Play Marketplace

2. Greedy Dwarf

Developer: Crescent Moon Games | Platform: iOS | Price: $0.99

 What do you think it is that makes dwarves so darn greedy all the time? Well I can’t say I really know the answer to that, but what I DO know, is that after playing Crescent Moon Games’ new level-based runner Greedy Dwarf, I’m going to become very greedy now myself in only wanting to play mobile games that match its sheer awesomeness. If I had to choose, I’d say that Greedy Dwarf probably reminds me most of the incredible Rayman Jungle Run: in that the game can loosely pass off as an endless runner, but puts so much emphasis on collection and precise platforming and jumping mechanics, that it could be more fully viewed as a console platforming experience instead. Perhaps taking things one step further than Rayman Jungle Run, Greedy Dwarf offers completely rich 3D visuals, and an ever-changing visual perspective, that takes you from a sidescrolling view, to an exhilarating behind-the-back approach all in an instant, without missing a beat. The primary setting of the game takes place in a fiery inferno, where you’ll need to help your greedy dwarf navigate through the flames, and use everything at your disposal, from boulders to mine carts, so he can make it out unscathed. Man, the kinds of things those little guys will do for gold!

Download Greedy Dwarf on the iOS App Store

1. Limbo

Developer: Playdead | Platform: iOS | Price: $4.99

If you’ve even been REMOTELY a fan of indie games over the last couple years, then I hope I don’t need to tell you what an awesome game Limbo is. The incredibly dark and shadowy puzzle-platform adventure from Playdead helped define the world of indie games and really put them on the map, and it still stands the test of time even today as one of the best indie experiences you’ll likely to ever have played. But now that Limbo has seen a surprise release on iOS platforms this week, complete with invisible touchscreen controls that keep up that sheer awesome minimalist veneer of the game’s interface, this one easily skyrockets into that category of “the best games available on iOS.” In the game, players are put in control of a silent little boy who is cast entirely in shadows, as he wakes up in a strange and foreign place with only the image of a fleeing shadow girl to urge him onwards. Along your journey, you’ll encounter deadly hazards, a terrifying spider, and countless other ways to die gruesome and horrible, horrible deaths. Now that I mention it, if we’re supposed to be caught in this place between Heaven and Hell, is it actually even POSSIBLE for us to die so many times like that?

Download Limbo on the iOS App Store

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If you are a film student, you should have probably seen Citizen Kane at some point. If you are studying literature, you should have leafed through Ulysses years ago. Where video games are concerned, if you want to be taken seriously, it seems that you should have played the Half-Life games. I, Daniel Hill, of sound mind and body, do declare that I have not played any of the Half-Life games to completion.

I’m just horrible, aren’t I? Valve’s classic Half-Life is credited with being one of the most if not the most influential first person shooter of all time, and is said to have revolutionized storytelling across all videogame genres. Right alongside The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the Half-Life games are some of the most important, influential games of the 3D era of video games.

It should seem strange, then, that a supposed “video game journalist” hasn’t played these games, then, doesn’t it? Well, I can explain why this is a thing that has occurred. Half-Life blew up the PC gaming world back in 1998. I was eight years old, sitting somewhere around the third or fourth grade. Would you like to know what I was playing? Pokemon, Goldeneye, and Wave Race. I stopped playing PC games after Doom (yep, I started playing that at age five), when I got an N64 for Christmas one year, and have been with consoles ever since.

Sure, I could have played Half-Life: Decay on the Playstation 2 and the rest of the Half-Life series on the Xbox 360, but there were so many other shooters out there that I have simply not gotten around to it. The original came out 15 years ago, and the sequel around a decade ago. There have been hundred of competent shooters released since then.

Should I play this game? Probably. I mean, I did go out of my way two years ago to play Ocarina of Time on the 3DS to say I played it, but that’s slathered in nostalgia, with me recalling vivid memories of reading the guide for my sister as she played through the game when we were kids. So, there was an emotional reason for me to play that.

With all of the character-driven shooters out nowadays, is there a reason to step into the boots of a mute Gordon Freeman and play games with shooter mechanics that are 10+ years old? I don’t get it, but I should probably try to. And hey, there are probably things you haven’t played that I have! So screw you anyways! GOSH.

Should I drop what I’m doing right now and go play all of the Half-Life games, or are these games that I can live without playing? Verbally abuse me in the comments below!

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This year's Xbox Live Summer of Arcade lineup will kick off beginning in August.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons will drop to the Xbox Live Arcade on August 7 for 1,200 Microsoft Points (so glad they're getting rid of those).  Then, Charlie Murder will launch on August 21 for 800 MSP, Flashback on August 21, and finally, and most importantly, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows has finally gotten its release date, which will be on August 28 for 1,200 MSP ($15).

If you purchase any two of these sure-to-be arcade hits, you'll earn a Souls Pack for Ascend: Hand of Kul.

You can check out more about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, including gameplay videos for Leo, Donnie, and Raph Here.

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Today marks the 66th anniversary of the Roswell UFO incident, and City Interactive has taken the opportunity to join in on the alien-themed fun by releasing a cinematic trailer for their upcoming shooter, Alien Rage.

And, let me tell you, you WILL feel rage when playing it, as Alien Rage is one of the most difficult shooters I've ever had the chance to play.  I only played the E3 build at this year's E3 after checking out City Interactive's Lords of the Fallen, but if that demo is any indication of just how hard Alien Rage will be, then I've got some sweaty and out-of-breath gaming sessions ahead of me when it releases.

Alien Rage will hit XBLA, PSN and PC on September 24th.

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Rockstar has made the announcement that Grand Theft Auto V will see its first gameplay video tomorrow, July 9.  And, you know the gaming community is excited, since Rockstar has announced that they will show the video tomorrow, instead of just simply showing the video tomorrow without announcing it first.

Rockstar has stated that they'll be releasing the video at 10AM Eastern Time, and you can see the video right here, below!

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Release Date: June 21, 2013

Platform: PC

Developer: Team2Bit

Publisher: Adult Swim Games

Category: Action, Beat-em-up

Fist Puncher is a new 2D sidescrolling beat-em-up arcade adventure from Adult Swim Games, and it plays just like the hysterically awesome, incredibly violent romp through pixel town that I wish we’d had back when we were kids. Perhaps a bit TOO pixelated in certain areas (if that’s even really a thing), the game evokes all sorts of nostalgic gaming feelings, while wrapping it all up in that sick and twisted sense of absurdist humor that we’ve only come to expect from something associated with the Adult Swim name. But unlike most games these days that are primarily focused on letting us relive the past, Fist Puncher easily proves that it can stand on its own as a quality game of the present. If I had played games like this down at the arcade when I was growing up, then I can’t even imagine what kind of gamer, let alone person, that would have made me become today.

The story of Fist Puncher is mostly what you’d expect from a game of this sort: an evil villain named the Milkman has stolen a handful of beautiful girls, and so it’s up to you and your ridiculous ragtag band of misfit heroes to punch your way through the world to get them all back. While nothing special in of itself, it’s the completely random sense of humor that lets the game really shine, and you only need to take a glimpse at the generous cast of characters to see what you’re going to be in for: Dr. Karate, The Beekeeper, and Lady Chop Chop being a few of the many standouts. If you were smart enough to pre-order the game on Steam before its release, then you’ll have unlocked the option to play as Adult Swim’s own Robot Unicorn! For this review playthrough, I decided to put my trust in Dr. Karate, the neurosurgeon and black belt leader of the group, to take down everyone before me with the utmost of surgical precision (and deadly knuckles).

Variety, variety, variety. It’s one of the many things we gamers always look for in prospective new titles, and I’m happy to say that Fist Puncher brings in the variety in spades. One minute, you’ll go from beating the crap out of nudist beach goers with pixelated and strategically-placed censor bars, to beating the crap out of Star Trek fans in swivel chairs in a meat house the next, and pretty much everything else in between. What’s also great about Fist Puncher (which is something I can’t say I’ve ever really seen in a 2D beat-em-up game before) is the game’s nonlinear progression, which lets you branch off down several different paths on the world map at any one time, and tackling different quests if you get too hung up on one.

Aside from the sheer amount of awesomeness that we’ve seen in the design department, one of the most welcomed surprises about Fist Puncher is the game’s impressive sense of depth as far as the combat is concerned. Remember the old days when you could simply hop in on a game of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and just sort of punch and jump your way to victory? Well that’s not the case here with Fist Puncher! You’re going to need to own a high command over all of your possible skillsets in the game, and keep charge of a refill meter that lets you show off some of your more powerful special attacks. There is an immense amount of strategy required to proceed in the game, and merely punching with your fists is sure to lead to a quick and timely defeat. Luckily, the game features a neat character leveling system that will strengthen up those pixelated fists in no time! After each new level milestone is reached, players will have the option to improve several base traits like strength, defense, and speed, while additional, character-specific perks and special moves can also be unlocked at a more gradual pace.

But Fist Puncher’s difficulty is mostly felt in the game’s many diverse and challenging boss fights, which force to maneuver around playing field with the utmost of care, and to always keep a close eye on the quickly-draining health bar. I found this out the hard way during the very first boss fight of the game, against a larger-than-life street thug who bore a striking resemblance to “Yeezus” himself, and beat me down more times than I could possibly count. The second boss I encountered didn’t help with my confidence much either, as the park goon enlisted an irritating little brat to constantly barrage me with a slingshot the entire time that we were fighting. Thankfully, you’ll be able to find a number of funny food collectables to always keep you in the fight, and the whole experience just feels that much more rewarding once you’ve played it cool and finally managed to best one of these difficult foes.

But of course, while Fist Puncher epitomizes all of the things we know and love about those retro beat-em-up sidescrollers, a few questionable design choices still manage to leave the final package feeling far from perfect. For starters, a conflict of interest begins to arise pretty early on between the unique character leveling system and the 15 total characters that you can eventually choose to play as. The big problem here is that, as you play through the game and gain experience and more advanced moves, it becomes almost impossible to switch to another character without having to start over completely from scratch: as the enemies become so formidable towards the middle of the game, that your new Level 1 character will be pummeled in a mere instant. While Fist Puncher is certainly a good enough game to warrant multiple playthroughs, I’m not confidant enough that everyone will want to complete 15 of them to experience everything the beat-em-up has to offer.

Another big issue manifests in the game’s online co-op capabilities: of which there are currently none. Games like Fist Puncher are practically MADE to play with three of your friends, and so it’s more than a little odd that this seemingly essential feature is nowhere to be found. The game certainly positions itself as a multiplayer bout as well, with the option of toggling on friendly fire (or friendly punching) to stir things up, but unless you’ve got four Xbox 360 controllers and a big enough PC screen for you and all your friends to huddle around, then Fist Puncher is going to be a largely solo affair. And speaking of controllers, it becomes abundantly clear as soon as the opening tutorial segments that the game has been optimized (and fully intended) to be played with one. , where the on-screen button prompts are defaulted to an Xbox 360 controller, with the familiar red “B” and green “A” buttons providing a bit of unneeded confusion for keyboard-based players.

But in the end, even if you’re forced to go it alone, and even if you only get to play as one of the ridiculous characters without starting over, Fist Puncher surmounts these minor grievances with stellar gameplay, tons of variety, and challenging boss fights. It’s just another reason why Adult Swim Games is seriously becoming a force to be reckoned with in the world of indie gaming, and they’ve nailed that perfect ratio between pixelated nostalgia and 2013 depth of gameplay and nonlinear progression. So whatever you do, make sure that you have Dr. Karate on speed dial before you get started, because something tells me that things are about to get bloody!

Story– 8/10

Gameplay– 9/10

Graphics– 9/10

Soundtrack– 9/10

Multiplayer– 6/10

Replayability – 8/10

Overall -8.1/10

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Well, we rarely do this sort of thing, but we had to share this with our readers. Sony has tweeted a very mysterious image on their official PlayStation twitter page.  And, to be honest, we have no idea what it means.

But, it's from Sony, and has something to do with Playstation (probably PS4), so here it is.

But, what does it mean? Anyone have any ideas? We can assume it has something to do with a new alien-based game? Hopefully it's not just another, run-of-the-mill alien-based FPS.  Maybe it is an aliens versus the world fighter? Or aliens versus Earth MMORPG?  Yeah, I'd take that...

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