[E3] For The Emperor!

I like Warhammer 40,000, I have many miniatures and armies (mostly un-painted). With this in mind, any gaming news relating to Warhammer brings a smile to my face!

So as I follow the latest news via the Internet for the latest trailers and information from the biggest gaming event of the year, E3 2010...and as I began to type up a roundup of the big 3s conferences (Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo) I came across trailers of not one...but two new trailers for two very different games coming out from THQ.

The first is a new trailer for THQ's Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine. Announced a little while ago, from what I've previously read and seen, Space Marine is best described as Gears of War with Warhammer elements. It's being developed by Relic, which is the studio behind the impressive Dawn of War games. The new trailer shows that the game is coming along very nicely indeed. Hit this link for the trailer, along with a couple of new screenshots.

The second trailer is for a rather different approach to Warhammer 40k, and for me, this one could finally be the MMO replacement I've been looking for (damn you World of Warcraft!). That's right folks, it's a trailer for the 40k MMO, which has been officially named as Warhammer 40,000 Dark Millennium Online. Details are slim on the ground, with the game's developers stating that more information will be released later on in the year, however the demo clearly shows plenty of mounted combat! Click this link for the trailer and to see a few screenshots.

I'll be posting more information/thoughts on the latest news and announcements from E3 over the course of the week on here, as well as over on BlastProcess.com.

Thanks to Kotaku for the information/trailers.

[Events] 15 Hours is Nothing...

...compared to how long 2 guys waited for Super Mario Galaxy 2 outside the Nintendo Store in New York. I think 15 hours was long enough for me outside HMV. Nearly 50 hours? Yikkkesssss!!

Legends, and they got signed goodies too!

Check out the Kotaku link here.

[News] Returning to a Previous World

Recently, I found myself doing something I ultimately knew I'd end up doing. I didn't think it would happen so soon, I thought I could resist...until at least the new expansion. But no...

What is it I speak of? I have returned to Azeroth, I've re-subscribed...to World of Warcraft.

I'll pre warn you now, some of what I'm about to type may not make much sense to those of you who haven't played Warcraft before, and for that I apologise. I do however mention other gaming related thoughts after my WoW mass of text, so feel free to skip down to the dotted line!

Re-stepping into the boots of my former main character felt somewhat bizarre and foreign at first. My screen resembled a mess of action bars with various abilities and equipment binded to them that at one stage I used to understand.

As with any MMO, abilities come and go, talents/abilities change over time. With this information in hand, for the first half an hour or so I found myself fighting creatures below my level, trying out various abilities, some new, some old...to re-configure myself on how to play my character.

He's currently at time of writing a level 71 Dwarf Paladin. He's showing his age, sporting equipment that's very out dated. He's currently a Retribution 'specced paladin, with the current left over talent points being used in the Holy talent tree. It's probably a terrible combination of talents, however I seem to be healing quite well, and currently find myself OK when battling solo.

I've not re-entered Warcraft on my own however. A druid called Fle, of whom my paladin has leveled all the way to 71 with has also returned, controlled by my best friend J. Again, although he'd admit he knew he'd be tempted to return to Warcraft when the newest expansion comes out (which is Cataclysm, due out September-ish time), he was equally surprised by how easily he'd returned.

When we logged out all those months ago we had done only a few quests in Northrend, the home of the game's current main villain, the Lich King. Before the launch of Wraith of the Lich King (WoTLK), we'd already 'quit', but had returned a week or so ready for WoTLK. Sadly our re-visit to Warcraft, even with the new continent to explore, felt like it was missing that 'spark'. So why, after all this time do I feel like I'm yet again enjoying playing Warcraft?

The timing of my return is also quite baffling really. I work practically full time wanting to progress in the managerial hierarchy while also finding myself sitting on top of new release titles of which I've only played a handful (or less of, in some cases) of which I do generally want to play to completion, such as Final Fantasy XIII. Their is also this blog site, of which I wish to update on a more regular basis, as well as working alongside my friends Tom and Mike over @ BlastProcess.com. And yet, all said and done, I'm enjoying setting out on quests with Fle the Druid, all be it on a much more casual basis than in the past.

Sadly, I'm no psychologist, perhaps I'm just crazy...

Once I've settled down a little more back into Warcraft (or perhaps I may once again lose the spark of wanting to play it) I'll go on to posting about how different the game now feels and plays compared to the past. I've already noticed differences such as quests being a lot more fun/interactive, and how finding groups for instances has been over hauled.

Time will ultimately tell if I'm still playing when the world of Azeroth is transformed (see this link for information on some of the upcoming changes planned for Warcraft come expansion time).

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If you've read this far, you deserve a brew, so stick the kettle on. For those who chose to skip the randomness of a Warcrafter, then welcome back!

I've made it quite clear on both here and over on Blast Process that I couldn't wait for the new Rocket Knight arcade game, and finally, after months of waiting, it's finally been unleashed online! And it's ace!

OK, OK, my view is slightly bias, and it isn't the perfect game. But it is colourful, full of character and nods its head at Sparkster's previous outings where possible. I highly recommend downloading the demo if you're a PS3 or 360 user.

It won't be long until I start crossing my fingers for a Zone of the Enders sequel to be announced, as it'll yet again soon be time for E3. Rocket Knight and Z.O.E 3 in one year? Yes please! Make it so Kojima!

And with that, I've realized the time, so I'll have to call time on this post. Don't forget folks, Red Dead Redemption is out on Friday this week, and its looking pretty epic.

[News] Information Overload!

I'm trying to not post generic game news/announcements on here, but in the last half an hour I've just seen a few articles I feel are more than worthy enough to warrant your attention.

The fact I've come across all of this in such a short amount of time is pretty awesome. Anyway, I'll crack on:

Item Number One: Gran Turismo to include Top Gears Test Track
That line above pretty much needs no explanation. The creator of the fabled 'will-we-ever-see-it' Gran Turismo 5 has confirmed that the test track from the BBC's popular driving programme Top Gear is set to appear in the game. This had been rumoured at for some time now, with GT5 already having a service which will allow you to view archived Top Gear episodes. Linked from Kotaku here.

No word yet if The Stig will appear in game...

Item Number Two: HMV trialing Games Insurance

Again, do I really need to explain? HMV have rolled out to selected stores the ability to 'insure' your game purchases. From as little as a £1 your game will be insured for a year against being damaged or even stolen. Quite on how they plan on this being implemented is a little beyond me. GAME, Gamestation and HMV already have ways of protecting Hardware against damage, although not from theft. For a £1, it could well be worth it! Linked from MCV here.

Item Number Three: Halo Reach up for Preorder online. Comes in 3 flavours.
That's right. Although it hasn't got an official confirmed release date at time of writing, you can now preorder your copy of Halo Reach online. Hold on, their is more...

You've got your normal, everday copy of the game. You've got your Limited Edition version of the game. And then you've got the Legendary Edition, which includes all this:

Pretty neat huh? I know which version I'm preordering (more money than sense...I know I know, but it is pretty schweeettt). Linked from GAME's online shop, however spotted it also on sites like Play.com and so on.

Item Number Four: 8-Bit Linkin Park Game incoming

Point number 4 is a little more along the lines of BlastProcess.com. Linkin Park have teamed up with mobile video game developers Artifical Life to create a new iPhone/Touch/Pad game which doesn't look too bad! Dubbed Linkin Park: 8-Bit Rebellion, it plays like your standard side scrolling beat-em up of old, like say Streets of Rage. Featuring customizable characters, 8 bit covers of LP's biggest tracks and the reward of an exclusive Linkin track for finishing the game, this one could be one to watch!

Article I originally spotted on (yet again) Kotaku.com is here, with an another article including trailer here.

[Video] Night Trap!!

Over on BlastProcess.com, you'll get to see me in my first YouTube games review/acting debut...broken down into 2 videos. The video is based on the classic video game Night Trap.

Slightly confused? Check out this post out for both videos, and see for yourself...

Excuse the excessive use of the word ermmmm...., especially in the first video! Practice shall make perfect!

Big round of applause should go to Mike and Tom, as it was all based on their original idea. Tom's done another epic job in editing this video.

Enjoy!