Hey gang, DK here with a quick update for those of you fresh off a date with the latest EBC that have come to the ‘Axe looking for the EpicBattleCry On Tap! Editions regarding Heavy Rain and all that crap about selling games for $5,000 or whatever. FYI, we’ll be getting those live REAL SOON (with the first going live in just a few hours!) and will most def tweet about them when we do. So, if you haven’t already, follow EBA on Twitter or just keep checking back to see when those get posted. The conversation gets A LOT more in-depth, but mostly consists of me trouncing both Brent and Tony with Uh-Mazing puns and points…Well, not really, but I’m writing this post so they really can’t do anything about it…

February 16, 2010 wasn’t exactly a Tuesday for the ages…it was more like a release date that will go down in gaming infamy. Topping the list was SEGA’s Aliens vs. Predator, a game that despite its level of potential seems to have delivered with all of the beauty and grace of a facehugger on Valentine’s Day. Then, there was a much lesser hyped game that, depending on your experience with the franchise, had the potential to become somewhat of it’s own classic..that game is Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce. Since it’s original release on the PlayStation console in 1997, the Dynasty Warriors franchise has slowly evolved over time (for better or worse depending on who you ask), and it is easily one of KOEI’s most successful ongoing series.

With that being said, I want to tell you a story. Although I’ve been somewhat disenchanted by the game over the past couple of releases, the PSP release of Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce wasn’t that bad, so when the demo was released on Xbox Live, I checked it out and thought the online co-op gameplay (for up to 4 players) and the weapons/ leveling system was pretty sweet, so my brother-in-law and I decided to pick up the game. We figured the inclusion of the 4 player co-op would be an awesome opportunity to share the gaming experience with some of our friends back home. Instead of reserving the game, we figured we would just go out the day of it’s release and pick it up. And so, the story of a Dying Dynasty begins…
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Yeah, so, as we all know Facebook is kind of a big deal these days and since we here at the ‘Axe are all about empowering the gaming masses to speak their mind, we thought we’d roll out our official Facebook fan page in an effort to showcase the Epicness of the ‘Axe throughout the net. Basically, we’re gonna tap into some FB action in order to spread the word about YOUR Member BattleCries, YOUR interaction in the forums, YOUR voting in the EBA Polls, and otherwise create this huge gathering of geeked out goodness within the Facebook community. We’ll be hosting FB-specific discussions, dropping props to users, and of course participating in all of the jack-assery that Facebook can handle (which is A LOT…trust me…)

Obviously, to do that, we’re gonna need you boys and girls to become fans of the ole’ EpicBattleAxe.com…Which is rather painless and one click away right here (assuming you have a FB account).

Also, we’re open to hear your suggestions about using Facebook. Have a great idea or wanna see EBA utilize a feature you’ve come to love? Let us know and we’ll be sure to give it a look!

Alright gang, tell your friends, tell your enemies, tell the world! EpicBattleAxe.com is getting ready to write a new chapter…and Facebook is only the beginning.

Those amongst you that have been around the ‘Axe for a while know that we like to have a little fun with the pictures we use in out posts. After all, gaming is supposed to be FUN, so having a good time with our stories has always helped keep things interesting around here. In fact, we used to run a dedicated weekly feature tasking our community with taking a photo from the EBA Image Galleries and inserting their very own caption. It was a blast and something we may bring back, but for now, I wanted to let you all know that we’ve launched the official EpicBattleAxe.com CAPTIONATE gallery right here. In it you’ll find over 300 images combining user-submitted and ‘Axe posted captions with one goal in mind: HAVE FUN!

So, pay the gallery a visit from time to time, check back as we add new images, and stay tuned to find out how YOU can get involved in the future!

Peace,
DK

Just and FYI for those of you chomping at the bit to check out Skirmish 062 of EpicBattleCry. As noted in EBC 061, we had to take the week off and as a result, EpicBattleCry Skirmish 062 will not be delivered unto thee until NEXT Monday, February 8.

I know, I know, it sucks, but Brent and Tony got caught in a sticky situation regarding a rented Bugatti Veyron Mouse, a flight attendant from Amsterdam, a few circus midgets from Vegas, and about 200 gallons worth of Brawndo – The Thirst Mutilator…I can’t get into detail, but let’s just say that I’m very happy everyone is alright and that they accept 16-bit era games as trade-in credit at the customs holding cell.

We’ll be back next week…more bad-ass and insightfully (not a word) than ever before. Until then, perhaps you can leave some ideas as to what you’d like to hear us chat about on the next EBC. Timely, relevant, and thought-provoking suggestions ONLY please! This isn’t like those OTHER gaming podcast…

(Damn…cheap shot).

Peace,
DK

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

The tragic earthquake in Haiti has claimed thousands and devastated the lives of countless more, but now an all-star lineup is coming together to make a difference. Hope for Haiti Now will air across numerous MTV Networks channels, including MTV, BET, VH1, CMT, Palladia, Comedy Central, and EPIX, as well as MTV Networks International and BET International, beginning tonight at 8pm ET/7 CT.

With scores of celebrities and public figures that span myriad industries, the benefit show will truly have something for everyone. The list of confirmed appearances includes President Bill Clinton, Ben Stiller, Brad Pitt, Chris Rock, Clint Eastwood, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Jon Stewart, Julia Roberts, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Meryl Streep, Morgan Freeman, Nicole Kidman, Robert Pattinson, Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Hanks, Will Smith, Muhammad Ali, and more than one hundred more, Hope For Haiti Now is truly a worldwide event befitting the scope of this tragedy.

So be sure to tune in tonight! The people of Haiti are counting on you.

Give to aid the earthquake relief efforts in Haiti with the following methods:

Online: HopeForHaitiNow.org

Phone: 877-99-HAITI 

Text: Text “GIVE” to 50555

For more information, please check out the press release (PDF) and visit HopeForHaiti.org.

OK, promo time! The season 3 premiere of GameTrailers TV takes place tonight and while the official DK Money Shizzle fanclub (which currently consists of my mother, wife, and an imprisoned waiter over in Amsterdam) will be sorely disappointed by the utter lack of DK action (I only do some voice over in this episode), fans of Battlefield: Bad Company will be foaming at the mouth as we reveal brand new in-game footage, single-player details, an exclusive new trailer and SO MUCH MORE!

Seriously, it’s a good EP and aside from the sweet-ass Battlefield: Bad Company 2 stuff, there’s other goodies like new footage from Halo Legends and the bad-ass racer that is Split/Second.

I blogged about it over on GameTrailers if you’re interested. You can also see the promo for tonight’s show there as well.

GTTV=DO IT!!!

Hey everyone, DK here to chat about the, uh, “healthy discussion” going on regarding a few tidbits from EpicBattleCry Skirmish 060. For those that haven’t see the show (WTF?!), here’s the deal…

Our Member BattleCry of the Week came from TalonoftheSilverHawk who, in a nutshell, was rather unpleased with SCEE for not brining Atlus’ Demon’s Souls, one of the best PS3 RPGs in recent memory, to his neck of the woods over in the UK. We gave Talon the platform to raise the issue which was “Please don’t withhold such a great game from me by not making it available in my region.”

Next up was Tony’s BattleCry, which went out to region locking on consoles. He pointed out that most handhelds and some consoles are not locked, but that there’s really no point to any of it in the first place no matter what the console was. Because we failed to separate the two topics and transition between them (easy to see how we slipped up now that we look back), there was some confusion about what Tony was saying…and rightly so. The good news? The topic has spawned a great discussion on the matter over in the EBA forums which you can access here. In it, Viking Brent points out exactly what went down:
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Anticipation/hype for BioWare’s Mass Effect 2 is hitting an all-time high right now as we near the game’s release in just a few short weeks. Counting myself among the pumped, I noticed an interesting story over on Joystiq (via IGN) where Mass Effect Project Manager Casey Hudson went on the record stating that work on Mass Effect 3 is already underway and that the storied RPG developer is looking to make a “fairly short turnaround” in terms of the third installment’s release.

Obviously, it’s no surprise that work on ME3 has already commenced and the “short turnaround” thing s can mean pretty much anything, especially when you consider that it’s been over two years between the original Mass Effect and the soon-to-be-released sequel, but here’s my question; Is BioWare rushing this franchise along now that it’s gained notoriety and backing from EA? Is one of gaming’s most valuable IPs being treated more like a “Film” than a “Game”? Honestly, I don’t know, but there’s two ways of looking at this…

First, if you think of Mass Effect like a feature film from the BioWare/EA perspective, then you would certainly WANT to get the third and final installment out relatively quick to capitalize on the hype and generate as much interest/sales as possible. It’s like the Lord of the Rings flicks or something…keep em’ coming…keep milking that IP…Secondly, you can think of this from a different perspective…The Mass Effect franchise as what it is…a GAMING franchise. Unlike films, Mass Effect 2 could be heavily supported by DLC and a consistent stream of content to enhance/grow the world, characters, and story while seeing what gamers respond well to. After all, BioWare has already adopted this model with it’s recently-released Dragon Age franchise. Capitalizing on the opportunity to maintain steady interest while also gathering player feedback, a year or two of DLC could help shape the story/characters for the third and final installment (the plot of which is no doubt already written, but whose extraneous factors could still be refined). This is something you can’t really accomplish in the realm of films and an aspect of the ever important creator/player relationship that makes gaming so unique. The DLC support for the original Mass Effect was pitiful and I’d really like to see fans get what they crave/deserve with the sequel. Hell, new races, worlds, etc. can be introduced and through steady feedback, BioWare can offer some “fan service” by letting its community shape some of the content in the climactic conclusion.

So, there’s no real “news” here, but it’s interesting to discuss. Should BioWare focus on treating the Mass Effect IP like a “film” or a “game”. Obviously, I’m hoping that BioWare will attempt to conjure up new and innovative ways of progressing a valuable franchise like Mass Effect while taking into account the options afforded by the medium itself. I certainly don’t want Mass Effect 3 rushed along simply to get it out within the “hype” window, but I also don’t want to wait 3 full years for a true sequel. What do you all think? What would you like to see from BioWare/Mass Effect. Let us know in the comments below.

Welcome to 2010 everyone! On behalf the entire EpicBattleAxe.com staff, I’d like to wish everyone a happy and healthy new year and take a second to thank all of our visitors for making 2009 a huge success! Last year was a great one for gamers in general and it’s certainly looking like the next 12 months will deliver the goods as well. With the recent relaunch and other big plans, we hope the year ahead proves to make EpicBattleAxe.com your daily destination as we embark on another great year in gaming and an entirely new frickin’ decade.

So, here’s to all of you out there in gamer land and to all of the awesome Axe Heads/EBA Staff that make covering this industry each day so much fun! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!