Earlier this week, (9/28/11) in a small, dark room I was invited to a Q/A session with a couple of the people behind NBA 2K12. Those people being Erick Boenisch, producer of NBA 2K12, and Mike Wang, senior game play designer. The small, dark room being my office since this was over a conference call. None the less though it was a fun filled experience that will give all of you sports fans out there a bit more about the game. There is really too much to go into here without having a multipage article here so I will allow most of the answers come from the below recording. Read More...

Almost a month ago, Valve's Steam Service launched an open beta trading feature which allowed players to trade Gifts/in-game items among other Steam members. Well that service has officially gone live, and you are now free to trade your TF2 hats to all your Steam friends! That was a quick beta test! Steam members can now trade items from Spiral Knights, and Team Fortress 2 as well as gifts purchased (but unopened). Although these are the only games supported for item trading, Valve has said that "Portal 2 should be reasonably soon and we hope to have several third-party games in the next few months. Read More...

With the previous announcement of the unveiling of a new console at E3 this year, it was really only a matter of time before the Nintendo Wii had an announcement of a price break. Today (5/4/11) Nintendo revealed the new packaging and price structures of the Nintendo Wii. Available in white or black, Nintendo plans on implementing the $149.99 price point on May 15th. Included will be the console, one wiimote, one nunchuk, a copy of Mario Kart Wii and a Wii Wheel. Read More...

So here we are again, apparently only a few months after the events of Portal (assumed from in-game interactions). Still trapped in Aperture Science. Still being tested. But importantly, Still Alive. Alive and needing a final escape from the insane AI running the facility that is now hell-bent on enacting revenge for what Chell did in the first game. Along the way making a few surprising friends to help your escape and mastery of all the Science that was going on. There is really no way to simplify the story without giving spoilers here. Read More...

Doesn't it bug you in games when non-supernatural heroes or villains can fall from hundreds of feet and survive without rhyme or reason? Or for that matter, falling 20 feet almost kills them out right. It is a mix between realism and game play that designers have to take into account. Do you forgo realism in a major way for game play sake or do you try to fake it? Mix in the ability to portal hundreds of feet into the air, sometimes on accident, and now you have a real issue. But it looks like minds behind Portal 2 have the solution. Read More...

Am I right or am I right? With April seeming so far off, at least for me, I know I will take every little bit I can get for Portal 2 as it comes out. Even though they don't show all that much for the game that we haven't already been able to extrapolate. I mean this just shows some of the "tests" left for Chell to get through and nothing all that much more. I am digging the shot of Chell running from some kind of bot, doesn't look totally like GLaDOS to me, and the interesting concept of what looks like an underground water cooling system. I've heard that it is a hint at something for a new Half Life, but that is just speculation last I searched. Read More...

What better way to celebrate VD* than to have a fun little advertisement for Portal 2? I learned quite a few things from this little clip for Valentine's Day as well. Like that 54% of women are allergic to chocolate, flowers are filled with bees and that four out of five people are crushed to death by giant diamonds every day. That is insane and I never knew. All kidding aside, once again Valve shows their great sense of humor whilst celebrating a holiday that is just another excuse to have a holiday. Read More...

Earlier today (1/24/2011) one of the outlets that give out a lot of PlaySation news slipped out an image of what could easily be the PSP 2 through a yfrog account. It has since been pulled down with the image being replaced with a nice "Removed Due To Violation of ToS" image so no one can see it any more. Well you lucked out that I was on the case and was able to snag not only the image but a screen shot of the page which you can see below. Now it is rumored that there will be an announcement for this later in the week, I'd say that this all but confirms it is on the plate for announcement. Read More...

Well here's an interesting little tidbit of news. Any gamer that purchases Portal 2 on the PlayStation 3 will get FREE access to play the game from their Steam client. Think like a digital copy that comes with most BluRay films nowadays. Oh, but wait, there is more. Not only do you get a "free" copy of the game for PC, and technically Mac, but the two systems will be able to communicate with each other to allow for co-op play between the PS3 and PC/Mac. By communicate I am not only talking for play, but you will be able to actually chat with the other player and I'm not talking by screaming really loud. In game chat for those who still didn't get it. Read More...

At last year's CES we were introduced to a product called Sixense. It was a motion controller being made by one of the smaller companies Razor had under its wing. Sixense was a really cool device with A LOT of potential, but nothing seems to have happened over the last year. Well at least nothing all too public. While wandering the booths of CES the AggroGamer team happened upon the new design and updated controller in the wild. Something we almost missed out on as it has been give then new name of Hydra and an extremely different design. Read More...

I am sure we have seen the multitude of videos and screen shots of Portal 2 in the last few weeks. Yesterday Valve released the extended trailer for the co-op mode of Portal 2. Something that was shown at PAX Prime this past week at Seattle. It is worth a watch as it showcases that teamwork that is the only way to get pass certain levels. I'm not sure if they will include the high-five feature but it would be funny if you were able to self high-five yourself. My Take: I seriously cannot wait for Portal 2 to come out as I am a huge fan of the first one. Read More...

With a very unimpressive first episode, you may be wondering why am I even continuing with reporting on the proceedings. Well, plain and simple for two reasons: first, in hopes that it will get better and second, in hopes that I can save others' time with a recap if it isn't all that good. Ten minutes of reading seems better than an hour of watching an ad bombardment. So let's get right into it. "Disclaimer" I will make it no secret that I tried out for this season and was not selected due to XBox Live issues during game analysis. Read More...

I remember way back when I first cracked open my copy of Portal on my PC. Yes I cracked open a copy of a digital download, because it fits my nostalgia. I remember enjoying each level of the game that lead up to the big showdown with GLaDOS and finding out that the cake was indeed not a lie. I got a piece when I was done and it was delicious and easy to wash down. I also remember how much fun it was that the whole game was kept simple and each level was pretty much a tutorial leading up to the final showdown. If you disagree, then you have not truly played Portal. Read More...

Today Nintendo and the American Heart Association announced a partnership to get you off your couch and be active. Throwing around various statistics and knowing gamers, the two powerhouses look to empower gamers to become active, make time for exercise and enjoy getting fit. Along with the announcement comes the unveiling of a new website to inform users of how they can get involved at home using Nintendo products and across the country with AHA's Start! Heart Walks. As much as I want to be cynical and sarcastic about how this is simply a business move to sell more Wii's or how the AHA is just piggybacking on the success of Nintendo's console or how it is only a vehicle to sell the Wii Vitality Sensor, I'm going to restrain myself, be positive and optimistic. Read More...

In celebration of the delayed release of Valve's popular digital distribution platform on the Mac, it has been announced that until May 24th you can download the 2007 cult hit Portal for free on either PC or Mac. If you're like me and refused to buy the Orange Box when it came out because it forced you to buy two games you already bought, but STILL love the brilliant blend of flawless mechanics, dark humor, and perfect pacing of Portal, this is great news. If you are one of the three people reading this who haven't played through arguably the best three-plus hours of gaming ever, now you have no excuse. Also posted is this hilarious ad (seen below) to promote the free release. Read More...