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Crysis 2: If you can make it there...

The original Crysis was a PC game so graphically demanding that it became, in its day, a benchmark for the highest-end computers. While Crysis 2 still hits high graphic standards on the PC, we gave the console version a whirl--it's the first Crysis game available on the Xbox 360 and PS3.

So, can Crytek still work its magic using 5-year-old consoles?

Scott: Moving through a post-apocalyptic landscape--with a gun in hand, no less--is hardly a novel experience in gaming. The fact that Crysis 2 adds even more gaming cliches to its checklist--battle-destroyed New York City, crippling virus outbreak, alien … Read more

EA free-to-play exec: $60 games are 'exploitative'

All the consumers who complain about paying $60 for a video game have an important ally in their corner.

Ben Cousins, general manager of Electronic Arts' Easy Studios, told Rock, Paper, Shotgun it's simply awful that consumers must shell out $60 for a game they may or may not like.

"I can't think of anything more exploitative than gating all of your content behind having to pay someone $60," Cousins told the U.K.-based gaming blog in an interview posted yesterday. "That's a really harsh business model if you think about it objectively.&… Read more

Free mobile services to contact Japan

Links from Tuesday's episode of Loaded:

Microsoft is said to be scrapping the Zune player, but not the Zune brand.

Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile follow AT&T's lead and drop some or all charges for calls and texts to Japanese, or connected to earthquake relief.

AT&T is about to set broadband data caps for U-verse customers.

Yahoo adds Facebook chat to its Yahoo Mail client.

AOL and T-Mobile launch Play by AOL Music for Android to stream music to your mobile phone.

T-Mobile announces a 10GB per month data plan that does not come cheap.… Read more

For EA, Fox News and controversy are good things

When it comes to controversy and Fox News, Electronic Arts is glowing in its praise.

Speaking to IndustryGamers in an interview published yesterday, EA Games Label President Frank Gibeau said that drumming up some controversy around a game isn't "a bad thing." In fact, Gibeau told the gaming publication that he believes developers trying to build an audience around a new title "should court controversy."

Controversy is nothing new in the gaming space, especially when it comes to shooters. Activision's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, once the most popular game ever released, allowed gamers to participate in a massacre … Read more

Blasts from the past: iPhone apps of the week

I grew up playing video games and was part of the era of going to arcades and dropping quarter after quarter into my favorite games. Back then, if you would have told me that one day I could play the same games on a mobile phone I would probably have said, "I doubt it, and who would want to lug one of those giant things around anyway?" In the '80s, mobile phones were huge. In other words, I would never have believed it.

Now, there are hundreds of games in the iTunes App Store that bring old classics to your touch screen. Not all of them are perfect, certainly. Sometimes the controls don't translate well to the touch screen, for example. But even with mediocre controls, it's still fun to be able to play a game you loved as a kid while you're commuting to work or in between classes.

This week, two games were released that were favorites of mine in the arcades, and both work relatively well on the touch screen. My question to you is, What games from the old days should be made for iOS? What games should not? Let's talk about it in the comments.

This week's apps are a classic gory fighting game and an arcade basketball remake that might already be one of my favorite games of 2011.… Read more

The 404 754: Where we're laughing our butts off (podcast)

Valentine's Day is around the corner, so we're sure a lot of you are scrambling to schedule dates so you won't be alone with your toy pet Lulu on February 14. The problem is that first dates are almost always awkward, especially if you met on a dating Web site.

To help, OkCupid analyzed user survey data to glean the best questions to ask on a first date that actually correlate to sexier issues you won't get to until the fifth or sixth outing.

According to the site, if you want to get a clue into whether the first date will end in the bedroom, you should ask if your date likes the taste of beer! Or if you want to determine the long-term potential of your future relationship, you inquire about the person's taste in horror movies. And lastly, if you're curious about your partner's political affiliation, the best question to ask is his or her preference for simplicity or complexity.

The Catholic Church just approved an iPhone app that invites followers to run down a sinful check list prior to ease the process of confession.

The Church hopes that wayward souls will be inspired by the app to seek out the church for redemption for the bargain price of $1.99. To our Catholic listeners: don't worry, our resident skeptic Jeff Mubakalar deliberately says very little in this segment.

Finally, we wait until the second half to unleash Jeff on John Brandon, a Fox News reporter who penned an article titled "Is Bulletstorm the worst video game in the world?"

That's unquestionably, absolutely, and without a doubt the most bombastic link bait headline IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD, and Brandon starts off the conversation with a quote from a psychologist that claims "the increase in rapes can be attributed in large part to the playing out of (sexual) scenes in video games." Let the twilight's last reaming begin.

The author also stumbles on the issue of ESRB warnings on the back of games not containing the full reason for the rating; instead, parents only see a truncated version of the objectionable content and are encouraged to go online to get the full justification.

I'll let the hosts speak for themselves, because I know it won't be the last time we get into a fiery debate about who is responsible for video games and the adverse effects they may or may not have on kids. Tune in for the full discussion!

Episode 754 Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

Nintendo: First-party titles still reign supreme

Nintendo's own games continue to dominate Wii software sales, much to the chagrin of third-party developers.

Speaking during his company's earnings call on Friday, Nintendo chief Satoru Iwata unveiled the top 20 best-selling games of 2010 in the U.S. market, compiled by research firm NPD. Out of that listing, 11 of the games were available on either the Wii or the Nintendo DS. Nine out of that list were published by Nintendo. The remaining two games--Just Dance and Just Dance 2--were published by Ubisoft. No other third-party developer was able to break into the top 20 with … Read more

Dead Space 2: Real space, real terror

Two years after the original Dead Space exploded onto the gaming scene, we're treated to a proper sequel. Critics and gamers alike praised the original for its unique atmosphere and resurrection of the flailing survivor-horror genre.

Dead Space 2 continues the story of Isaac Clarke and his seemingly endless run-ins with the once-human Necromorphs that have taken over a space station on one of Saturn's moons, Titan. Does Dead Space 2 deliver the screams of its predecessor?

Jeff: Like any hardened survivor-horror fan, the original Dead Space convinced me that the genre still had legs. I found the atmosphere in the game truly terrifying for its ability to believably insert the player in the scariest environment imaginable: outer space.

Dead Space 2's atmosphere is familiar, but instead of a vast planet-cracking spaceship, Isaac Clarke must battle demons--both real and internal--while trekking through the space station Titan. I got to sit down with Dead Space 2's executive producer Steve Papoutsis for some more insight on the sequel.

When asked about keeping Dead Space 2 true to its survival-horror roots, Papoutsis delivered a memorable slogan the team at Visceral Games used as inspiration: "Real space, real terror." And though we think Dead Space 2 takes things to a more fast-paced level, the ominous feeling of impending doom and jump-out-of-your-seat moments are sure to win over those loyal fans of the original.

Papoutsis went on to explain how important it was for Dead Space 2 to remain somewhat grounded in reality, exploiting its uncanny ability to appear believable. We can't disagree, as Dead Space 2 seems to be in a unique category of games that can convince the player of some sense of realism. Our hero Isaac Clarke also is much more fleshed out and humanized in Dead Space 2 as well, something that was lacking in the first game.… Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1374: Zuckerberg pokes China (podcast)

On today's show, we get a brief appearance of Brian After Dentist, but it's not as fun as we hoped, because the poor guy was actually in pain. So, Donald and I soldier on, discussing how Google TV is probably just plain done for, Net neutrality is under attack from all sides, and how college may be useless for entrepreneurs but it's a crucial nerd breeding ground. Plus, in the future, we'll pay for everything in Jobses. Depressing. --Molly

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