Let the battle begin! EA goes head to head with the Modern Warfare franchise in hopes of making it to the top of the leaderboard. We provide our insights into the game by analyzing both trailers, what do you think?

The next installment of SOCOM 4 which is set to be released on April 19th will come with a code to access the Resistance 3 demo. Of course you can only get this code if you have pre-ordered SOCOM 4 from a participating retailer.

The multiplayer beta for SOCOM 4 is coming to an end with the new game rapidly approaching the release date. StartGamer intends on creating a comprehensive walk through as well a trophy and achievement guides.

SOCOM 4 is set to take place in Asia as you take control of the main character Cullen Gray, the “Ops Commander”. This third person tactical shooter will utilize the Playstation Move technology which has received praise from many players who claim the system works perfectly with the game.

SOCOM 4 gives the player access to many commands which can be used to control your squad as you progress through the game. Set way points and control the behavior of your group to complete the mission objectives.

On to the other title. We recently published a short review based on the detail we already know about the game Resistance 3. The new addition to the resistance series offers a new plot which shakes up the past two installments of this game. Focused more on the struggle for humanity you are thrown more into character story lines. Read the full story here: Resistance 3 Review / Release Date.

Two great titles, which ones will you pick up?

The new game is set to have Evil Ryu, Oni, Yun, and Yang as playable characters. In addition to the new characters players will also have the ability to send replay video to friends.

A lot of speculation is focused around the new character Oni, may believe this will be a version of Akuma or Panthro.

Additional costumes will be revealed and one great new feature for multiplayer battles. Those who do not have the new game will still be able to play with those who do, this is a great feature and Capcom should praised for it, I wish other publishers would follow suit. Not only does this allow people to continue playing without purchasing the DLC, it gives them a taste of what they are missing. A great sales pitch for the franchise.

No price point or release date has yet to be set by the publisher. We can expect to hear on the official release next week as to when the new Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition will be available.

Below is a list of the confirmed characters making an appearance in MK9:

Baraka
Cyrax
Ermac
Jade
Jax
Johnny Cage
Kabal
Kano
Kitana
Kung Lao
Liu Kang
Mileena
NightwolfNoob Saibot
Quan Chi
Raiden
Reptile
Scorpion
Sektor
Shang Tsung
Sheeva
Sindel
Smoke
Sonya
Stryker
Sub-Zero

Mortal Kombat 9 characters will now be more unique than ever, each character will have their own stance and pose while standing and fighting. Previous versions of the game had all characters poised in the same positions.  Not only will every character have fatalities, they have been slated to receive two per character making a total of 50-60 different fatalities right out of the box. Kenshi is already confirmed to be available as part of a future DLC as well as a mystery character for now called “The Lady in Red”.

As far as bosses Goro, Kintaro, and Shao Kahn have been confirmed but it is still unknown if they will be playable.

There will be at least 25 arenas, all of which are available from the initial game release, no news on DLC additions yet.

The five new maps are set to include a zoo, hotel, convoy, stockpile, and a new zombie map. It would appear the convoy takes place on a highway as we can see exit signs prevalent in the flyers background. The next release in the series has been highly anticipated, the actual map names may not be what is depicted here. Activision has refused to comment so far.

No price point has been set but we can all assume it will be the same as the “First Strike”, around 14.99.

Insomniac Games is currently developing the next Resistance. The next highly anticipated first person shooter exclusive to the Playstation 3.

From Imsomniac Games Website:

August, 1957. America is lost. Four years after the end of the critically-acclaimed Resistance 2, dishonorably discharged Sentinel Joseph Capelli has given up fighting the Chimeran menace. Now he’s in hiding with other survivors, including his wife and young son. But when Dr. Fyodor Malikov arrives with the opportunity to deliver a blow to the occupying Chimeran force, Capelli must leave his family and journey the harrowing road from Oklahoma to New York City. Along the way, he’ll encounter the remnants of humanity left in the aftermath of the brutal Chimeran invasion.
Powered by InsomniacGames’ fifth-generation PlayStation 3 technology, Resistance 3 portrays Capelli’s heroic survival inside the brutal Resistance world. Featuring new upgradeable weapons, the return of the weapon wheel, two-player online or split-screen campaign co-op and a progression-based multiplayer experience, Resistance 3 delivers a heroic-yet savage first-person shooter experience for PlayStation 3.

Chimeran forces are at it again, this time it is a struggle for humanity. Focus has shifted according to Imsomniac, from an all out war to a more personal level of involvement leaving man fighting for more than just a cause. The new release is set to place the player into an environment which draws the user in, questioning the survival of human race and captivating us with stories on the struggle.

Capeli, the main character starts the game out by being discovered by the Chimeran forces. He must then protect the local citizens and try to lead them to safety. With a year of games failing to achieve a strong story line, lets hope that Insomniac can get it right.

One of the big advances (hopefully) is the change in multiplayer. No longer will we have massive battles but a maximum of 8v8. This design is meant to bring players together to cooperate as a team to secure objectives and eliminate the enemy. More strategy will be involved as the run and gun mentality is likely to get you killed much faster.

Let’s take a look at the gameplay, a video from IGN:

From the video I can tell you that I am impressed, the cinematic clips are great and it would look like they are really trying to tug at your morality by portraying characters in cut-scenes using actual actors rather than 3d models. The graphics definitely looked more polished off than any of the predecessors, it will be interesting to see how the game engine stacks up to others such as the Crytec engine which powers Crysis 2.

The game is also going to support 3D and Playstation Move. The combination of these two will make for some intense game play for those who can afford the technology. Playstation Move has begun picking up speed as more games are offering support for it, titles such as SOCOM 4 have already been receiving great reviews while using Move.

This game is on my list as a title I am sure to buy. Fans of this franchise should be excited for this release as it is sure to bring a new style of play and with any luck a great storyline. The game is set to be released in September of 2011 (the 6th), two months ahead of the next Modern Warfare, a great strategy in my opinion. Releasing the game ahead of the Modern Warfare release will help ensure sales and give players enough time to sink their teeth into the game and possibly purchase any DLC that may be offered.

Will you be buying the game? Wait for the demo? Pre-order now!?

Randy Pitchford

So the release date has changed and we have no one else to blame except Jace Hall. With his “I play W.o.W.” song he thinks he owns the industry, I mean who would beg Randy Pitchford for a release date on Duke Nukem Forever just so they could get 3 seconds of new footage?

We thought the release date change was an April fools joke, a bad one, but a joke. So far it appears as though it is sticking. In regards to Jace Hall, we know it is all a joke and a well played one. Jace and Randy get into it on the last episode of the Jace Hall show. Randy promised Jace an exclusive peak into the game if he was able to get behind the scenes at Crystal Dynamics. In order for Jace to get behind the scenes at Crystal Dynamics he had to have a release date for Duke Nukem Forever. Randy hooked Jace up and told him May 3rd, in this episode Randy admits to making the date up so Jace could get his exclusive footage.

For those of you who do not know who Jace Hall is yet you should check out his site www.jacehall.com. Jace is very accomplished within the industry and has many notable achievements. Not only does he own “HD Films” which produces the television show “V”, he also has had involvement in some of the largest games such as the “Matrix Online” (hahaha). All kidding aside, Jace is multi-talented and entertaining, make sure to check him out.

Jace Hall

Back to the game…

Gearbox Software has released several clips of the game along with video of the demo which should be released soon to all those who have access to the First Access Club. With the release date now set for June, when will we be able to expect the demo? While there has been no official date for release yet we can look at the trend at which demos are released.

Most new games release a demo 15-30 days before the launch date. Sometimes earlier depending on the game. With Duke it is hard to know what to expect. With never ending delays, false release dates, and snips of game play we can only assume the demo will be announced and delayed.

With the current release date set for June, I think we can expect the demo to be released mid-April. This has got to be one of the most highly anticipated games that I can think of. Fans of Duke are biting their nails and cursing the names Randy and Jace. Let’s get the demo released and provide some sort of satisfaction to the true fans and followers of the franchise.

Below you can find the episode of Jace Hall with Randy, look around 9:00 to hear the discussion.

Let us know what you think, well played Joke? Pissed off? When will the demo be released?

Sony took a leap when releasing the PS3 years ago by packing it with all of the high tech features available. It was released with large hard drives, WiFi capability, and a HDMI connection. The XBox had a more economical approach by releasing the console with limited technology resulting in a reduced cost. During a time of an economic shift the lower price point made it the console of choice.

Over time Microsoft is adding technology to enhance their system making it possible to have a more advanced system without the upfront cost that Sony has. The Kinect has been taking over the gaming industry since its release and has created a rather large following. Sony on the other hand had a huge advantage in the 3D market, they knew the technology would be coming and had this ready to go on their consoles pending a hardware update.

Overall taking a look at the numbers, it would appear XBox has the upper hand. Unfortunately this is not completely true. While XBox has sold more units it has also had many units fail and many of those sales are from people purchasing replacement units. In addition to this many XBox owners have bought the newer consoles which come with WiFi and the HDMI compatibility. Sony has had console failures as well but most of the original units are still in use today.

I still see this market as anyone’s game. I look forward to seeing how the industry will shift over the next few years as the next generation consoles are released.

The success of the “First Strike” map pack has been nothing but great. Many players are chomping at the bit for the next highly anticipated release dubbed “second strike” for now. While no official statement has been made to the release date nor to the maps that will be included, we can at least speculate for now.

ThisIsXBox.com speculates that the “River Nile” may be one of the new maps. There have been many fanatics researching clues within the game that believe the new maps may be called “Quarantine” or “Echeleon”, both names taken from clues within multiplayer and the campaign.

With any luck we will have new DLC for Black Ops available sometime in May. Anyone getting bored of Ascension yet?

Warner Brothers is set to join the growing trend of requiring gamers to pay a fee if they purchase a used game. EA has already implemented the online pass system requiring users to pay a fee after their “trial” period expires. The impact that this system could have on the industry could be devastating and on the other hand it could have several benefits. Mortal Kombat 9 is set to receive this system making buying the game used at any sort of discount almost impossible within the first couple months of release.

With piracy of all media types, games are among the top type of stolen media. Companies which shell out millions of dollars developing games end up losing many times due to theft. The online pass system will put a minor speed bump in the prevention of stealing games but will also allow the companies to compensate for their losses. This has a military appeal to it, everyone is punished for what others do wrong. While this added fee may not be mainly due to piracy, we hope that it is. If it was corporate greed then it is a very sad day for the gaming industry.

If the online pass system was to evolve, it could knock out video game rentals all together. Who would rent a game only to pay a fee to activate it? Several major game rental companies would have to find ways to adapt or be forced to close their doors. Buying used games could result in a higher cost, look for game re-sellers to offer less money on your traded in games.

So what do you think? Bad or good?