General gaming

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• Now You Can Write for 1UP's Editorial Blogs
• Free Red Dead Redemption DLC Bolsters Multiplayer in September
• Madden 12 Demo Features Packers vs. Bears
• Resident Evil 4 and Code Veronica HD Will Cost $20 Each
• Red Faction's Future at THQ Doesn't Sound Promising
• Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3DS Port Delayed
• Disney Looks to Take Over El Shaddai, Deadly Premonition Publisher Ignition's Parent Company, UTV
• Revamped 360 ESPN App Might be Better Than Watching Sports on TV
• Ubisoft's "Always On" DRM Brought Back for Driver: San Francisco on PC
• 1UP's GelaSkins Console Customization Giveaway

Now You Can Write for 1UP's Editorial Blogs Posted: 27 Jul 2011 10:30 PM PDT Maybe I'm a little biased, since they were my pet project, but 1UP's editorial blogs -- Retronauts, Freeloader, The Tilt, The Grind, Chiptuned, and the rest -- have always felt to me like one of the site's strongest features. They're a way for writers to move away from the more objective, analytical tone of the "traditional" sections like news and reviews, a place where we can speak more from the heart. The blogs are specialized and editorialized, and often bring out the best in their contributors.

Free Red Dead Redemption DLC Bolsters Multiplayer in September Posted: 27 Jul 2011 05:34 PM PDT As was promised early last month, a batch of free downloadable content is on the way for Red Dead Redemption. It's intended to be a sign of appreciation for the fans who have supported the game since it came out last May -- hence the reason it's free. The Myths and Mavericks bonus pack isn't as hefty as the premium DLC packs that were released last year, though it should breathe some new life into multiplayer. It'll include new multiplayer characters, including Landon Ricketts (pictured above), and new multiplayer levels for Deathmatch, Grab the Bag, and Gang matches, among other modes. A patch is planned to come out prior to the the DLC which will bring back the original settings for the Undead Overrun mode that was added with the Undead Nightmare expansion. The DLC is currently on schedule to be available on the Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Network in September. Sadly, there is still no sign of a PC release.

Madden 12 Demo Features Packers vs. Bears Posted: 27 Jul 2011 04:29 PM PDT Madden may be coming out a bit later than usual this year, though there will still be a way to get some new Madden action in during early August. EA Sports today announced that the Madden NFL 12 demo will be available for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on Tuesday, August 9. Whereas last year's demo featured the two teams from the AFC Championship Game (the New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts), this year will feature the NFC side. That means players will get to play out a full-length game (by default settings, at least) between the Chicago Bears and Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers on the Bears' Soldier Field. Quarters will last five minutes each, so there should be a chance to actually get more than a single possession or two. The NFL lockout lifted earlier this week, ensuring that the upcoming NFL season will proceed as planned. Madden's Franchise mode won't reflect the changes to the new collective bargaining agreement, which are too complex to be patched in later, according to the game's official Twitter (via Kotaku). Thankfully, a roster update will be available at launch that includes any roster moves that happen in the coming weeks. (An update I hope includes Nnamdi Asomugha going to the Jets.)

Resident Evil 4 and Code Veronica HD Will Cost $20 Each Posted: 27 Jul 2011 03:55 PM PDT The downloadable HD versions of Resident Evil Code: Veronica X and Resident Evil 4 will carry fairly hefty price tags for games that were release ten and six years ago, respectively. Each game will cost $19.99 (1600 Microsoft Points) to download when they're released later this year. As previously announced, RE4, despite coming out later in the series, will be the first of the two out of the gate. It'll be available from the Games on Demand service and PlayStation Network on September 20, followed a week later by Code: Veronica X on September 27. RE4 is the more highly regarded of the two, though it is already available on PlayStation 2, GameCube, PC, and Wii, along with several mobile versions. Code Veronica X was originally a Dreamcast game and was subsequently ported to PS2 and GameCube. Both games are being remastered with HD graphics, though they'll hardly look like modern releases. They will also support Achievements and Trophies, something that will make them more than worth the price of admission for many. For others, the lack of new content or major improvements to the graphics may make $40 total too steep a price.

Red Faction's Future at THQ Doesn't Sound Promising Posted: 27 Jul 2011 03:19 PM PDT Red Faction: Armageddon didn't really manage to stand out after being released last month. THQ shared its first quarter fiscal results today, and Armageddon's sales came in below expectations. As a result of its lack of success, the franchise doesn't sound like it has much of a future. CEO Brian Farrell talked about how the game didn't resonate with a "sufficiently broad console audience." THQ as a whole didn't do as well as it expected during its first quarter, with Farrell saying he was "disappointed." Unlike Homefront, which was considered "moderately successful" and will be seeing a sequel, THQ doesn't have much in the way of plans to move forward with Red Faction. "Given that that title now in two successive versions has just found a niche, we do not intend to carry forward with that franchise in any meaningful way," said Paul J. Pucino, THQ's chief financial officer. He said that developer Volition is a "very talented team" and has moved on to develop Guillermo del Toro's game, Insane.

Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3DS Port Delayed Posted: 27 Jul 2011 01:55 PM PDT Update: As the news of a Snake Eater 3D delay originally came from Kotaku Australia, we checked with Konami to see if the delay also applies for North America and were told a release date has yet to be announced for the region. That's hardly a reassurance that it's coming later this year as previously believed, and it also gives Konami the ability to slide into 2012, if it so chooses. We'll report back as we learn more. Original Story: Yet another 3DS game won't be coming as soon as expected. Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D has been pushed back until 2012, Kotaku reports. There's no precise new date for the game's release next year; it'll just be coming sometime in 2012. It's especially disappointing in light of Mega Man Legends 3 being canceled and both Shinobi and Crush3D getting delayed, though this may turn out to be for the best.

Disney Looks to Take Over El Shaddai, Deadly Premonition Publisher Ignition's Parent Company, UTV Posted: 27 Jul 2011 01:00 PM PDT The largest shareholder of UTV Software Communications, the Walt Disney Company, is looking to buy up the rest of the company and pull it from the stock market, according to Reuters. It already owns 50.4% of the India-based media conglomerate, which is the parent company of game publisher Ignition Entertainment. UTV is comprised of four different branches, in addition to its gaming operations: television, film, broadcasting, and digital content. According to an anonymous analyst Reuters spoke with, "Walt Disney has always been interested in most of UTV's business, especially the gaming part." Ignition rebranded itself as UTV Ignition Entertainment last year as it looked to focus increasingly on digital platforms like Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, Facebook, and so on. Following that, a pair of projects -- WarDevil and Reich -- were canceled.

Revamped 360 ESPN App Might be Better Than Watching Sports on TV Posted: 27 Jul 2011 11:57 AM PDT Last year's Xbox 360 fall dashboard update brought with it ESPN3 support, allowing for a selection of sports content to be streamed to the console. All that's required is an Xbox Live Gold subscription and an Internet service provider that delivers ESPN3. It's hardly perfect, but it did allow for sports fans to take in 32 college football bowl games this past December and January. While the app has gotten some minor upgrades since launch, it'll be getting a big revamp next month with ESPN 2.0. According to Gizmodo, the updated app will still deliver the same ESPN3 content as before, which will immediately cause some to lose interest. For those who do care about what it has on tap -- college football, in particular -- there will be a wealth of new features available beginning on August 25, including the ability to simultaneously watch two streams in 720p that can be independently paused and rewinded with a controller or Kinect voice commands. Besides the obvious benefits of watching two different games, it opens the door for other possibilities: you could have highlights or stats on one side while watching a game on the other, or you could watch a game on both sides and rewind through one of them to see something a second time. One example that was given saw a soccer game playing on one side while rewinding through the other to show someone a goal they missed.

Ubisoft's "Always On" DRM Brought Back for Driver: San Francisco on PC Posted: 27 Jul 2011 11:08 AM PDT PC gamers planning to pick up Driver: San Francisco will want to ensure they have a reliable Internet connection before doing so. Ubisoft has revealed the game will require a constant connection in order to play. The news was made official on the Driver Twitter account (via Eurogamer) yesterday. The console versions, meanwhile, will be the first Ubisoft games to be saddled with the new Uplay Passport, meaning a one-use code will be included with new copies that must be redeemed in order to access online multiplayer and other bonus features. The Passport can be purchased separately for $9.99. Driver isn't the first game Ubisoft has forced gamers to be online to play. It did the same with Assassin's Creed 2 and Splinter Cell: Conviction, causing players to risk losing their progress if their Internet connection dropped out. A Namco Bandai executive approved of the decision last year, calling it "a good strategy."

1UP's GelaSkins Console Customization Giveaway Posted: 27 Jul 2011 09:15 AM PDT 1UP's GelaSkins Console Customization Giveaway How To Play GelaSkins make EVERYTHING cooler. Case closed. Today's prize allows you to put any picture you want on any awesome device you may have. iPhone? Customize it. Xbox 360? Customize it. PS3? DSi? Laptops? Customize it! What's not to like? YOUR device, YOUR style. 'Nuff said.

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