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Massive savings can be found at GameStop from now until August 2 both in store and online. A big group of games, including the console versions of Street Fighter IV, have been given a temporary price drop and are now only $19.99:

• Animal Crossing: City Folk (Game Only)
• Donkey Kong Jungle Beat
• Excitebots: Trick Racing (Game Only)
• F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin
• Lair
• MadWorld
• Mario & Sonic at Olympic Games
• Silent Hill: Homecoming
• Wanted: Weapons of Fate
• Wario Land: Shake It
• Wii Music

It's crazy to think that I haven't played most of these games, and I cannot tell you how hard it is not to give in and spend a hundred bucks right now. For now, the plan is to get MadWorld. What about the rest of you? Which of these games are all of a sudden worth playing now that they have become so inexpensive? [Thanks, SilverDragon1979!]   from destructoid

This Friday, GameStop revealed their preorder exclusive Scarecrow Challenge Maps for Batman: Arkham Asylum, and the villain's new look certainly coincides with his fear-inducing powers. Players who preorder Batman: Arkham Asylum from GameStop will gain access to the Dem Bones Scarecrow Challenge Maps for the game, which pit Batman against a horde of skeletal hallucinations courtesy of Jonathan Crane. And while skellingtons are indeed creepy, they've got nothing on the new design for Crane, who looks like he's just washed up on shore after a stint in BioShock's Rapture. See? A man in a scarecrow costume is scary. A man in a stylized scarecrow costume with hypodermic needles for fingers? Terrifying. If this is Rocksteady's Scarecrow, I'd hate to see their Mrs. King.

from kotaku

LucasArts has announced that the “Ultimate Sith Edition” of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed will hit this fall on PS3, Xbox 360, PC and Mac, bringing with it two new levels in the Star Wars Infinitycanon. One, set on Tatooine, will see Vader’s apprentice hunting down and battling Obi-Wan Kenobi, making a stop at Jabba the Hutt’s palace along the way. For the other, which takes place on Hoth, the apprentice has become the master, and — wearing the Vader-esque armor seen above — scraps with Luke Skywalker himself.

The Hoth mission will be exclusive to the Ultimate Sith Edition of the game; the Tatooine mission, however, will be offered as paid DLC on PS3 and 360 for owners of the less-than-ultimate original game. Additionally, the new edition will include all previously released DLC for The Force Unleashedon disc, including the Jedi Temple mission and various player skins.

It may seem strange to be launching a second edition of the title (and DLC) nearly a year after it was released, but The Force Unleashed remains the fastest-selling Star Wars game of all time (and has sold move than six million copies to date). Check out the gallery below for more first screens from the Ultimate Sith Edition.

 

from joysriq

 

Before the screening of the Director’s Cut of Watchmen with Director Zach Snyder, Warner Bros. brought-out some big fan favorites to talk about the upcoming Batman: Arkham Asylum game Saturday Night at Comic-Con International: San Diego. Moderator Ricardo Torres from Gamespy first ran a Silent Hill-esque teaser trailer for the game, composed of a series of macabre pans across the night-shrouded grounds of Arkham Asylum while a scratchy voice recording of the Asylum’s founder lamented his fate and chosen calling, finally questioning his own sanity and the seemingly intrinsic madness that embodied Gotham. Earlier Arkham Asylum Trailer After the applause died down, he called the panel out, first Rocksteady games producer Sefton Hill, the voice of Batman Kevin Conroy, whose ovation could only have been topped by the next man: Joker’s voice and sci-fi legend Mark Hamill who brought the crowd in the large panel room to their feet. Finally writer Paul Dini (Batman: Streets of Gotham, Gotham City Sirens) joined the group on stage. Hill announced that he was happy to be in San Diego and to have so much of Batman’s history to build of off to make this game. He praised the game’s depth of characterization for Batman, with its focus on not only his fighting skills but his predator skills, his use of psychology and his relationship with the Joker. Torres then asked Paul Dini about his involvement, and he realized that when he first flew to London to see the game in progress he was blown away at how much development studio Rocksteady “got” Batman. Torres asked Hill how they chose the subject of the game. Hill replied that they took the general Batman license and went though the 70 years of his history and were immediately attached to the idea of Arkham. They thought "wouldn’t it be cool if Batman was trapped there with all his enemies, along with innocents he had to rescue," and that it would even be a good idea for a movie. Torress asked about tweaks to characters, and Hill answered that Killer Croc, for example, in development he mutated away form just a big guy with a skin condition, and now he’s Godzilla in pants, lurking in Arkham’s sewer, eating the unwary. Harley Quinn is the Joker’s inside woman at the Asylum, so her outfit is a nurse’s that she’s messed up in her special way, and her mask is just dirt from around the grounds. On the topic of how they decided on the voices, Hill said to the crowds delight that there wasn’t even a choice; it was Conroy and Hamill or nothing. Hamill then welcomed the crowd in the Joker’s voice and how he’s is glad that the Joker can really cut loose now that he’s out from under the standards and practices rules of TV animation. He also said his son can’t wait to play as the Joker on the PS3 version (a feature exclusive to that system). Dini added that it could be the first step to a mayhem filled Joker game. Hamill then remarked that this might be his last shot at the Joker after 17 years, and Conroy praised him for his consistency with the character. Dini added that they couldn’t get enough Joker in the game and mentioned an in-game collectable: a series of audio tapes of Joker’s psychoanalysis sessions where he and Quinn discuss his relationship with Batman that players are really going to want to find. Hamill, who at that point had taken charge of the festivities, after noting how easy it was for he and Conroy to slip back into their rhythm for the recording session, changed the subject briefly and mentioned that he’d finished recoding an episode of Batman: The Brave and the Bold with some classic Batman talent: Adam West and Julie Newmar as Thomas and Martha Wayne, Conroy as the Phantom Stranger and himself as the Specter. He then, to applause, praised almost all other performances of the Joker by name with special attention to Heath Ledger’s performance in The Dark Knight. He then speculated about doing a book on tape of The Killing Joke, describing that as a dark take on the Joker like the new game. There wasn’t time for questions, but after Hamill called out to all the Harley cosplayers in the audience, he and Dini told the story of her origins in the animated series, how the character grew organically and how proud he was that she made the leap to the comics. The panel ended with a Joker laugh and a warning form Conroy that: “I am terror, I am the night, I am Batman!” http://www.newsarama.com/games/070925-sdcc-ArkhamAsylum.html

The sad situation that is Xbox Live Indie Games has been a topic I've addressed before, and its marginalized position as the red-headed stepchild of Xbox Live has been frustrating for creators and consumers alike. It looks like Microsoft is in a festive mood, considering there is a rather large update to NXE around the corner, and it looks like it has thrown a bone to all the indie kids in the XNA Creator's Club. Yeah, that's right, Indie Games is receiving a prett major update. While these changes are somewhat different from what I would expect, some of these changes could really go far to improving the service. The most important update is a modification the the pricing structure of Indie Games. Whereas XNA developers could formerly price their games at 200, 400 or 800 points, any new games released will be priced at either 80, 240, or 400 points, with only games under 50 MB priced at 80 points. This price change is effective now, however current games will retain their original prices unless they are updated or changed during a price change event. Games can be priced to 800 points until October 22, and current 200 point games will drop automatically to 80 points then as well. October 22 is also the day that Microsoft forces all Indie Games to be developed on XNA Game Studio 3.1. For those wondering, the October 22 date, which is the same day as the release of Windows 7, is purely coincidental, as confirmed by an XNA rep. Other major changes include the admission of Japanese and German XNA developers to the marketplace, with Japan receiving Indie Games for the first time on August 11. There is also a creator reputation system that might prove helpful in weeding out poorly developed games, and an auto-reminder for customers of Indie Games to be notified when a game has been updated. Finally, creators will be given 50 free Tokens to use for hyping their game or sending copies out to reviewers. It's a little early to see if this is going to make a major change to the success of Indie Games. A much cheaper price, streamlined update system, and a reputation-system to make finding better developers easier is certainly helpful. Is this enough for you to pay attention to Indie Games? [Thanks, power-glove!]   from destructoid

Let's get right to the point: Borderlands is sh*t-hot. More and more, I'm beginning to think that the game's surprise makeover was really just a clever ploy to get people to pay attention. If so, I'll be Goddarned if it didn't work. While Cliffy B and BioWare's Ray Muzyka are busy pontificating about whether or not the RPG and FPS genres are blurring together, Randy Pitchford and Gearbox are making it happen -- check out GameSpot's exclusive new trailer after the break. To be honest, I really want this game because I can play it with my girlfriend. In an interesting role reversal, I'm the RPG buff, but she's a fragging machine (although I've finally convinced her to play Final Fantasy IX). Since the game has local and online co-op, the two of us (and two friends) can get together and have the best of both worlds. I can only hope that it will be as blissful as my imagination makes it out to be.  If you haven't been paying attention to Borderlands, here's the quick-and-dirty: it's a sci-fi steam-western that  takes place on a desolate planet, but the hook is that all of the areas to explore on Pandora are randomly generated (like Diablo), as are the guns. If the final product is anything like I hope it is, you'll get great twitch shooting with the strategy and resource management of an RPG, as well as access to "87 bazillion guns," as the trailer proudly exclaims. Speaking of the trailer: it's badass. It simply oozes style, and it makes me more excited than ever. Does anybody know what the music is? It doesn't show a lot of gameplay, but, in an interview with Nick, Gearbox chief Pitchford made it clear that it would be top-notch: "When I move right or move left or rotate my view or pull down the trigger and look down my sights, it’s just totally natural. And this is because it’s our lineage, you know, that’s what we do." In any case, the game hits U.S. shelves on October 20th, and will storm Europe three days later. If that awesome dancing robot from the trailer is anywhere in the game, it'll be worth the $60.     from destructoid

Not only do we get to see new character Hope Estheim wield his boomerang, we also get new images of Szah, too. The dying wish of Hope's mother was for motorcycle dude Snow Villiers to protect her son. She died while trying to fend of PSICOM troops. Famitsu scans reveal new FFXIII screenshots [Final Fantasy-XIII.net]

from kotaku

Sports simulations, ostensibly, are about recreating the on-field experience in videogame form as well as possible. But as time went on, gamers wanted more out of their sports games; they wanted to try running a team as opposed to just playing for one, which is why most sports sims have some sort of franchise mode. However, aside from 2K Sports’ MLB Front Office Manager, we haven’t really seen any games (or game modes) that focus solely on the general manager, whose job it is to maintain a team’s roster. Last year, EA Canada innovated in the playing-on-a-team space with the introduction of the vaunted Be A Pro mode, and in NHL 10 this year, they’re debuting a Be A GM mode. In the video after the jump, you can watch NHL 10 producer Andy Agostini explain how Be A GM works. It appears to be a separate setup from the regular Dynasty mode, and quite a deep one, at that. The GM Tracker gives you a wealth of information about your team and your situation as a general manager, and as you complete tasks (such as winning the Stanley Cup or making a two-for-two trade), you’ll be able to upgrade your staff and improve your team. Agostini explains that the dev team looked at real-life GMs and found that they’re judged on three things each year: the NHL Entry Draft, the trade deadline, and free agency. So those are the main areas you’ll concentrate on in the Be A GM mode. The video also mentions an all-new prospects game, so you’ll be drafting on real in-game experience, and it announces the return of the fantasy draft as well. Can you perform well enough to be honored as a legendary GM? Hit up the Inside EA Sports blog for more info on Be A GM mode. NHL 10, with over 200 gameplay improvements and refinements, will be out for PS3 and 360 on September 15th.     from destructoid

Microsoft’s latest Deal of the Week is stellar. People who missed the first batch of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed downloadable content can now download the “Jedi Temple Mission Pack” for 400 Microsoft Banana Dollars instead of the usual 800 Microsoft Banana Dollars price. According to Major Nelson’s math, that’s a fifty percent savings on the fictional space content. See? Stellar. The “Jedi Temple Mission Pack” features the mysterious Sith apprentice. The dashing lad is looking for information about his father in the destroyed Jedi temple. According to the official blurb, the secret apprentice is forced to confront “his inner demons.” Oh, Star Wars. This DLC debuted in December 2008 and we’re guessing if you enjoyed the The Force Unleashed, you probably already purchased this thing. If you did, give us the low-down. Is it worth the reduced price?     from destructoid

Sometimes I like to fantasize about being John F. Kennedy. Except that I'd be smarter than to sic my brother on the Mafia after they helped ensure my presidential victory. And I wouldn't have abandoned those Cuban refugees. I'd still totally be tapping Marilyn, though. Some things just shouldn't change. Some strong deals this week. GameStop is doing their annual "Buy 2 Get 1 Free" sale on used titles, so it might be a good time to swing by your local store and see what's on the table. Game Crazy has some serious savings on their used handheld units. And Target is offering gift cards when you buy some Xbox 360 stuff, including MS points! Hit the jump for all the week's bargains. And, if you're in the UK, you should head over to Gemsi's cblog and check out what's on sale in your neighborhood. Software Discounts

• Killzone 2 [PS3] - $49.99 ($10 savings) 
• The Bourne Conspiracy [PS3] - $34.99 ($25 savings)
• The Bourne Conspiracy [360] - $26.80 ($33 savings)
• Armored Core 4 [PS3] - $25.57 ($24 savings)
• Blacksite: Area 51 [PS3] - $27.92 ($12 savings)
• Halo Wars [360] - $41.99 ($18 savings)
• Destroy All Humans: Path of the Furon [360] - $28.58 ($11 savings)
• We Love Golf! [Wii] - $7.96 ($12 savings)

Software Discounts

• Gears of War 2 [360] - $29.99 ($30 combined savings and price drop)
• Guitar Hero: On Tour Modern Hits [DS] - $39.99 ($10 savings)
• HAWX [360] - $39.99 ($20 savings)
• Terminator Salvation [360] - $39.99 ($20 combined savings and price drop)
• Halo Wars [360] - $49.99 ($10 savings)
• Prototype [360] - $49.99 ($10 savings)

BUY TWO GET ONE FREE ON ALL USED PS2, XBOX AND GAMECUBE GAMES Hardware Discounts

• Nintendo DS handheld - $59.99 (USED) 
• Nintendo DS Lite handheld - $79.99 (USED)
• PSP handheld - starting at $69.99 (USED)

  HUGE SUMMER SALE: BUY 2 GET 1 FREE ON ALL USED TITLES Software Discounts

• Guitar Hero: Smash Hits [360/PS3] - $49.99 ($10 savings)
• Guitar Hero: Smash Hits [Wii] - $39.99 ($10 savings)
• Guitar Hero: Smash Hits [PS2] - $29.99 ($10 savings)
• Prototype [360/PS3] - $49.99 ($10 savings)
• Classic Word Games [DS] - $24.99 ($5 savings)
• My Healthy Cooking Coach [DS] - $24.99 ($5 savings)
• Grand Theft Auto Trilogy [PC] - 19.99 ($10 savings)
• Bioshock/Oblivion Bundle [360/PS3] - $29.99 ($10 savings)
• Bioshock/Oblivion Bundle [PC] - $19.99 ($10 savings)
• Wii Play [Wii] - $9.99 ($5 savings, USED)
• Metroid Prime 3 Corruption [Wii] - $19.99 ($10 savings, USED)

Software Discounts

• UP [DS/PSP] - $19.99 ($10 savings)
• UP [360/PS3/Wii] - $29.99 ($10 savings)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince [360/PS3/Wii] - $39.99 ($10 savings)

Other Promotions and Discounts

• 1600 MS Points Card - $19.99 ($5 gift card with purchase) 
• Wireless Controller for Xbox 360 - $49.99 ($10 gift card with purchase)
• Xbox 360 console w/ 60 Gb Hard Drive - $299.99 ($50 gift card with purchase)

Software Discounts

• Red Faction Guerilla [360] - $44.99 ($15 savings) 
• inFAMOUS [PS3] - $44.99 ($10 savings)
• Guitar Hero World Tour Band Kit [360/Wii] - $99.99 ($90 savings + $10 gift card w/ purchase)
• Guitar Hero World Tour Guitar Kit [Wii] - $49.99 ($50 savings + $10 gift card w/ purchase)

  from destructoid