Are you a fan of the CBS hit show 'Criminal Minds'? I know I am. Ever wonder what it would feel like to work for the BAU (Behavioral Analysis Unit)? To work along side with JJ? Hell yeah! Well wonder no more as CBS Consumer Products has teamed up with casual games developer, Legacy Interactive, to launch 'Criminal Minds' the video game. Ariella Lehrer, President and CEO of Legacy Interactive has come out to say, “Legacy Interactive is thrilled to be collaborating with CBS Consumer Products to expand our Hollywood Hits. Criminal Minds is an intelligent and sophisticated television series that will translate wonderfully into an interactive gaming experience. Read More...

Since the Wii has come to market and the need for keeping those WiiMotes charged and useable has been a concern for hardcore gamers. So then the rechargeable AA batteries got pulled back out and WiiMote specific chargers began to get pumped onto the scene. Some were good. Some just horrid. But they all kept things working as long as it was just the WiiMote you had and nothing else. Not even the gel jacket to protect TV's around the world. These chargers were workable as long as you didn't care taking the extra time to slide out and disassemble everything to charge the batteries or swap in new ones. Read More...

Infinity Ward recently announced that their upcoming Modern Warfare 2 won't be supporting dedicated servers, something that PC gamers have 99% of the time, replacing it with something called IWNet, a proprietary server system ran by Infinity Ward themselves. Before we get ahead of ourselves, let's make a list of pro's and con's. Pros: Less Cheaters Less Lag Better Matchmaking No Clan Servers No Custom Configs Cons: No Mod Support Chance that IW could disconnect and end servers at anytime for any reason No Clan Servers No Custom Configs Unable to play on “favorite” servers, only way to play with same group of people is to be in the same party or clan While console gamers have never had their own dedicated servers (save a few games like Section 8, Evolution 4x4, and a few others), it's rare for a PC game to do away with it (and yes, COD4 had dedicated servers). Why this move was made is beyond anybody's idea however it seems that Infinity Ward would like to either Nazi their PC players Pave the way for a pay-for service Get rid of Modders Genuinely want to get rid of hackers Announce that they are taking it away, to drive some gamers away, then announce that they will include it, and gain even more gamers to it due to the news (IE: New Coke) Kill the ability for pirated copies of MW2 to be played online. Read More...

Social Networking strikes again! On the Civilization Fanatics' Forums Sid Meier, legendary creator all thing Civilization, has just announced that they will be creating a Civilization project called Civilization® Network™ via Facebook. Thats right, one of your favorite social networking sites will now encompass the engrossing game of Civilization. The game will be Free-to-play, which is a change from all the "mini-transaction" games we see all over Facebook currently. According to Sid, the game is slated for a 2010 full release: I wanted to let you know we’ll soon be looking for beta testers to help us develop a unique new way to play Civilization. Read More...

Ahhh, the soothing sounds of a hype train pulling into the station. With two weeks remaining until the release of Band Hero, Activision has now finally released the final set list for the game. On top of that, they divulged methods and pricing for importing the tracks from Band Hero to Guitar Hero 5 and vice versa. As far as the song listing goes, you will utter "Sweet Song!" as many times as you say "Huh? Read More...

So what is this game then if it isn't the next IP for the Jurassic Park franchise? Pretty much another dinosaur shooter style game with one major twist that others do not have. What would this twist be? Not that you are another space marine traveled through time and space and ends up in a jurassic era, but that you are a "normalish" adventurer and weapons master. That and you have been transported back in time with loads of ammo and weapons to hunt and kill the monstrous and angry dinosaurs of the jurassic era, via the Bermuda Triangle. Yep, that's right. Read More...

Yesterday, Activision released the track listing for the bonus 2-CD pack of Jay-Z and Eminem for the DJ Hero Renegade Edition. As a person who is readily suspicious of special editions and collector's edition, I had my doubts about DJ Hero's special pack-in when I saw that the jump in price from the regular edition was 80 US Dollars. With Wednesday's track listing release for the big addition to the original product and what exactly it will be, it really begs the question if what you're getting is worth the price of admission. Looking at Gamestop's web listing for DJ Hero Renegade Edition, you get: DJ Hero Renegade Edition Includes the following items: DJ Hero Game Renegade Turntable Controller featuring premium metal controls and finish Hardshell Turntable Carrying Case that converts to performance-ready DJ stand Exclusive JAY-Z and EMINEM 2-CD pack featuring unreleased tracks and collectible case designed by artist Shepard Fairey Looking at the track listing of the 2-CD set and being a fan, albeit not a huge stalker-level fan, I was really impressed at what is being included especially a brand new track. Read More...

While just under a month out, Activision is already thinking about keeping people playing their new action rpg, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2. Maybe you've heard of it, maybe not. My bet is that you have. But that isn't what this article is about here, at least not totally. This is about the fact they are adding in one of the best characters to join the good fight. That character is Carnage. That's right! Read More...

A Call of Duty movie?!? There's a laundry list of great games turned into horrible movies (many of them belonging to Uwe Boll) and it looks like Call of Duty may be added to that list. While it may not be for certain, a trademark filing followed by a mysterious tweet certainly make it look like it could be “in the works” at the minimum. Activision is known for trademarking far more things than necessary, however it would make sense with all the other video game movies that have been announced. The tweet is here: http://twitter. Read More...

It all started just a little under a year ago. The exploration of terror in space in a nice little title called Dead Space. A game that I reviewed as my game of the year last year. A game that I deemed brought back those feelings of the first time you cracked open Resident Evil on the PlayStation. Just like RE you were left with loads of questions and left wanting more. Now along comes Dead Space: Extraction. Dead Space: Extraction lets players roll through all the events that lead up to Isaac and crew rolling through the USG Ishimura in fear of getting back off with their lives physically and mentally stable. Read More...

Pst... Hey... Achievement and Trophy whores. Look what we got here. We have the list of achievements, and somewhat the trophies, for Dragon Age: Origins A nice long list of 50 Achievements 46 Achievements with point values and what you will have to do to get them added to your Gamecard. Most of which are story based, or at least they seem that way. Well outside of the kill X number of darkspawn and bone monkey style "experienced the thrill of romance" with person X. Yep, you will be boning your way to another 40 points or 4 trophies. Read More...

There comes a time when you realize there are certain products are just not for your demographic anymore. Maybe it was when you were hitting puberty and realized that while you may still like Saturday morning cartoons, the commercials annoyed you rather than interested. Or perhaps you tried to watch The Tonight Show before Jay Leno was replaced and realized every joke was for the geriatric crowd. Reading today's press release from Activision really demonstrated to me that while I may enjoy rhythm games, Band Hero is not being marketed to me. Band Hero is the long lost love child of Guitar Hero: World Tour and High School Musical. Read More...

Dead Space: Extraction comes out this week on the Wii. This Tuesday to be exact. On a system that the core game was never on, only rumored about being on. But at least it is on a system that is made perfectly for a rail-shooter style of game. As the Resident Evil franchise has shown in the past and in the not too far off future. But that is not to say that the visuals are not going to be geared up to shock and instill horror in the minds of its players. In fact, here are a bunch of shots from the game and concepts to prove that point. Read More...

The Civil War saga in the Marvel universe has been one of the best stories to grace comic books in quite some time. It's a great story that is an allegorical commentary in the wake of 9/11 and The Patriot Act. In the storyline, a Superhuman, Nitro, goes nuclear in Stamford, Connecticut, killing hundreds during a reality TV show. A TV show that was like COPS but following the New Warriors. Once this happens, the US public demands that Superhumans answer for their actions and the Superhuman Registration Act is put in place forcing heroes to come out and show who they are. Read More...

Nier,or Nier Gestalt as it goes by these days, is one of those titles that I really feel could go either way. It could be a really compelling experience with a narrative that draws you in with some really deep action elements, or it could be a largely forgettable title with little to allow it to stand out among other similar entries in the genre. The design of the game is decidedly Square Enix and if we have learned anything from their protagonists, there will be a rich melencholy right below the surface of the gruff devil may care attitude. Will the style of the game be enough? Read More...