This BurgerTime experience evolves the arcade classic and enhances it with a unique 3D rotating environment. Platform Nation’s Rich Montalvo has reviewed the Xbox 360 version of the game and it looks like he really enjoyed it, even if the difficulty drove him insane. Check out his review here. Also another article to check out is this really interesting interview that Rich had with John Greiner, Head of the BurgerTime development studio, Monkeypaw Games.

BurgerTime World Tour hits WiiWare on February 9 and will cost 1000 Wii Points.

The original Sanctum game was a really fun game, it was a great tower defense game which featured a twist giving you the ability to jump down onto the map and actually take down the enemies yourself. With plenty of different enemy types including tank-like enemies and flying enemies, you have to place your turrets strategically, upgrade them and kick some alien butt.

Not much is known about what Sanctum 2 will be bringing, but you can assume it will be more of the insane tower defense fun that the original featured. I’m glad that it will be available on Xbox Live, PSN and PC as the original was only out on PC which obviously limited the amount of gamers that were exposed to it, which was a shame as the game has some great co-op gameplay too.

Keep your eye out for more Sanctum 2 info on Platform Nation as it comes out.

The game has been available for the price of 1200 Microsoft Points since the release of the game in September last year, but as of this moment the game is now available for the cheaper price of 800 Microsoft Points. Here’s a little run down of what the game is:

BloodRayne: Betrayal delivers over-the-top stylish action with a healthy dose of bloodshed. You are Rayne, the sexy dhampir with superhuman strength, speed, and agility, recruited by the vampire hunting Brimstone Society for one last mission. The target is a lavish, yet sinister ball in a secluded castle with plenty of dark surprises. With the help of a mysterious friend, and members of Brimstone, Rayne must infiltrate the manor, take out the fiendish horde, and stop an evil master plot once and for all.

Check out the trial game on the Marketplace and see if it looks like the kind of game that you would enjoy. If you do, then get it for the cheap price of 800 Microsoft Points.

Most gamers feel that DLC, at times, could have been implemented in the games without making them DLC. Others feel DLC are a blessing to continue the life cycle of a beloved game.  Personally, I have no reaction either way.

Notable games released so far with Season passes include:  Saints Row: The Third, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, and Gears of War 3 just to name a few.  Mass Effect 3, releasing in March this year, is rumored to include a season pass.

So as a community of gamers, what do you think?  Is it better to bundle DLC, prices ranging, and try to come off cheap or fight off huge DLC packages.  I’ve never actually purchased DLC that wasn’t included free for pre-ordering a game or some kind of promotion, but I can definitely see both sides of the argument.  Bundling allows me the option, if I choose, to not make a life altering decision between eating that day or buying Microsoft/PSN points.  I can just hop on and get to downloading.

On the other half, it does seem like an easy cop-out for developers at times to release huge DLC outside of additional maps or add-ons.  Characters that could have been included probably should have, so why pay for that. With that being said, we’re the consumers, those that will determine whether this will become a new industry standard. Let your voice be heard and chime in on this debate that is destined to be discussed. As gamers, we have a voice somewhere, so why not use it before we’re muted by “Well why didn’t you speak up?”

After a rough week for Game Group Plc the inevitable has happened and GAME has confirmed job losses at its Basingstoke headquarters.

A total of 46 roles roughly 10% of the workforce at the head office in Basingstoke have been cut. A spokesperon for GAME said:

“The proposed restructure will result in around 46 fewer roles at our central support centre in Basingstoke..Our proposed new structure will change the way that we operate and will enable us to be significantly more efficient in our relationships with suppliers and customers.

Amongst the layoffs,  there is a also a corporate restructure with several people taking new positions within the company. Former commercial strategy director Tricia Brennan became chief commercial officer, while the new channel director is the former managing director Tom Devine. The man who was in charge of the recent relaunch of www.game.co.uk Dave Hughes will leave the company in March.

GAME recently dodged a bullet after it was able to renegotiate credit agreements with major lenders and publishers allowing for it to get stock of the newest titles. However as rumoured it is selling it’s overseas business as has set a deadline of this Friday for companies to make an offer.

Source: DigitalSpy, MCV

Game Group Plc has been in the news everyday this week. For those not keeping track click here and here to get up to speed.

Today Game Group Plc released a press statement:

Having received support from its stakeholders and lenders, the Board now believes that GAME will meet its covenant tests for the period to 31 January 2012 when tested on 27 February 2012. The Board now expects that the loss before tax and non recurring items will be around £18m for the year to 31 January 2012.

Financing update:

Further to the announcement earlier today, the Board of GAME is pleased to announce that it has now concluded discussions with its lending syndicate and agreed revised terms for its facilities.

Under the terms of the revised facilities, the Group has agreed to operate within lower limits of its existing facilities than was previously available. These revised facilities will allow the company to continue to trade. The Group has also agreed to provide an updated strategic plan for review, and approval in part, by the lenders. This plan will cover all aspects of the business’s activities and strategy, including its overseas operations.

Ian Shepherd, CEO of GAME said “We’re pleased to reach agreement with our lenders, but should be under no illusions about the challenges in our market or the hard work that is required to deliver our strategic plan.”

So the saga of Game Group Plc hasn’t ended yet, but its future is far from secure. In the short-term for people (like me) who have an existing order with GAME for the Mass Effect 3 Collectors Edition, BioWare’s Community Coordinator Chris Priestly offers some reassurances:

Nothing is going to happen to Game before March.

They also now have the ME3 DLC listed on their site, so take that as a good sign.

While it’s hardly a ringing endorsement for the future of GAME, it is at least something.

Source: Game Group Plc, Bioware

This next piece of DLC for the game seems to take what you can do on a pinball table to the next level. Coming this month at some point, the Epic Quest pinball table will be available for download to play in Pinball FX2 on XBLA and PSN. You will also be able to play the DLC within Zen Pinball on Android and iOS. You can expect to be taken on a.. well.. an epic quest of course.

An RPG themed table will involve you grabbing extra armor, getting loot, rescuing the princess and defeating evil monsters. I am not an avid virtual pinball player, but I think it’s pretty impressive that all this can be placed onto a pinball table. Check out the full description of the DLC below and keep your eye out for the DLC at some point this month.

Zen Studios, the definitive leader in videogame pinball, today announced Epic Quest, a brand new, original pinball experience for Pinball FX2 on Xbox LIVE® Arcade and Zen Pinballon PlayStation®Network, Android Marketplace™ and the Apple App®Store. The table will be available for download in February 2012.

It is the sworn duty of every knight to seek out evil, defeat it, and take its stuff. One such knight is Max, whose enthusiasm for combat is surpassed only by his love of rare and valuable loot. Join Max as he battles hordes of evil (or just evil-looking) monsters, rescues a wealthy princess, and accumulates the loot and XP that make good worth doing.   If Max suffers a defeat, never fear! He will return in the next game with all of his hard-won loot and experience levels intact.

“It is our quest to deliver the most entertaining and original pinball tables, and Epic Quest delivers on both fronts,” said Mel Kirk, Zen Studios Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations. “With a wink and a nudge towards classic RPG tropes, Epic Quest blends frantic pinball action, obsessive character building, and liberally applied tongue-in-cheek humor.”

As players complete missions and table objectives, Max earns loot, which is essential for defeating monsters and impressing n00bs.  Put together a set of “epic” gear and become the envy of all your frenemies! Supposedly, it helps you fight better, too.  And if a game ends, experience and loot carry over to the next game.

Epic Quest will seamlessly integrate into Zen Pinball on PlayStation®Network, the Apple App®Store and Android Marketplace™, and the Pinball FX2 platform on Xbox LIVE® Arcade. Epic Quest will feature new Achievements and Trophies.

After much speculation yesterday about GAME and their current financial troubles, Game Group Plc - The Owners of GAME and Gamestation issued a statement this morning:

In response to press speculation the GAME Group plc confirms that it is in ongoing dialogue with its lending syndicate to reach agreement on revised terms for its facilities. As part of these discussions, the lending syndicate is reviewing a strategic plan of the company which includes a review of its overseas operations.

A further announcement will be provided once discussions with its lending syndicate have concluded.

It’s also worth noting that yesterday EA boss John Riccitiello told investors,

“We are concerned with the financial condition of one of our major European retail partners, which could lead to both increased bad debt and lost sales.”

John Riccitiello isn’t the only concerned person at EA with CFO Eric Brown stating,

“We are focused on some isolated European retailer issues that have recently been announced. A negative outcome could adversely affect our Q4 results.”

On a personal note, I have had my up and downs with GAME but they are the exclusive retailer of the Mass Effect 3 collectors edition here in the UK, and I wouldn’t be happy if my pre-order which is about 6 months old was cancelled.

Source: GAME, MCV, CVG

The origins of Scarygirl began with a line of stories and illustrations by Nathan Jurevicius and it is on its way to a wider audience with help from Square Enix with Tik Games’ new downloadable game. Scarygirl is a platformer that brings Jurevicius’ lush cartoon world to life with graphics that are vivid and work as a fantastic backdrop to the game. Couple that with the large cast of characters that Jurevicius created with and you have a fully realized world that is a joy to explore.

Scarygirl plays is a lot like other action platformers out there but its art-style is what that sets Scarygirl apart from the competition. The game is split up into 7 worlds with about 3 separate levels for each one that houses a variety of environments and enemies to overcome. Between the levels you’re treated to barebones story beats that are sometimes animated using Nathan’s artwork. Each of the enemies has its own movement pattern that mixes up the gameplay as well as unique attacks that are tricky to avoid and counter. Along with regular enemies, Scarygirl also has screen filling bosses that are challenging and frustrating all at once.

To fight off the menagerie of baddies, Scarygirl is equipped with her octopus arm that acts like a whip as well as a way to extend jumps through gliding as you twirl it like a propeller. You’re also given a rage based frenzy attack that the player can activate once their meter is filled. You’ll also able to upgrade your attacks by utilizing the stores which are strewn throughout the worlds. Along with upgrading your attacks you’ll also be able to unlock new combos that use that combine light and heavy attacks to create brand new attack patterns to utilize against the bad guys.

One major plus for Scarygirl is just how fun it is to explore the world that Nathan Jurevicius and Tik Games worked together to create.  Add to that, the ability to share in co-op sessions with friends through local drop in/drop out multiplayer, and you have a fun little experience for only $10. Playing through the game also offers a challenging adventure that can reward players that have the patience with an experience that constantly strives to keep players on their toes through its ever-changing gameplay.

That difficulty is one of Scarygirl’s greatest strengths but it can also be one of its biggest weaknesses as the difficulty curve can ramp up suddenly and be quite unforgiving. I’m fine with taking up a challenge but Scarygirl’s controls can sometimes be unresponsive and be the major source of the game’s difficulty. I found myself repeatedly dying due to situations that were created by that unresponsiveness and it took every fiber of my gaming being to get me back on that controller and try again. Add to that, the poor checkpoint system, and you have a game that will consistently have you back tracking through areas you’ve already gone through in an effort to avoid a cheap attack that occurred seconds prior.

I can honestly say that I started off really liking Scarygirl, but that like quickly led to a frustrating love/hate relationship that was difficult to maintain. Without a doubt, Scarygirl is oozing with cuteness, ingenuity, and gorgeous art but its difficulty and unresponsive controls are a blemish on what is a beautiful foundation. Scarygirl definitely provides an experience that can be enjoyable if you give it a chance but make sure you’re prepared for a challenge before taking a dive into this game’s waters.

+Adorable art style
+Huge variety of enemies and environments
-Unresponsive controls
-Awkward difficulty curve

Final Score: 6 out of 10