Welcome to Los Santos bizzatch! Or, if you’re anything like me, welcome BACK to Los Santos. Its been a whopping seven years since gamers first hopped on a BMX as Carl Johnson and tooled around The Grove. Moreover, its been a little over three years since Niko Bellic made land-fall and launched a whole new era of the Grand Theft Auto series.

This week, Rockstar rolled out the debut trailer for Grand Theft Auto V, marking the series’ return to the West Coast. But this ain’t no homecoming. Just as GTA 4, reinvented the series in a new incarnation of Liberty City, its very likely that “V” will continue down the same path with a fresh take on the city of saints.

But that’s just speculation, what we -know- is that Rockstar has a long running tradition of peppering their debut trailers with hints at what we can expect from the final game. If you’d like to review, here’s the video one more time:

Also, you might want to check Kotaku’s photo breakdown, showing off some of the gems featured in the trailer.

So, now that we know what Rockstar showed off in the first look at GTA V, that leads us to this week’s Member Battle Cry starter topic:

WHAT DID YOU SEE IN THE TRAILER THAT HAS YOU THE MOST EXCITED FOR GRAND THEFT AUTO V?

Let us know what your favorite tidbits were from the new trailer and also tell us what you’re hoping to see when the gaming masses flood once more into the great state of San Andreas!

-Viking Brent

As you’ve probably already heard, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception is just about set to hit streets. But why? Why would you have already heard that? Because Uncharted is a big deal; a high-profile, critically-acclaimed, and award winning franchise. How did that happen? When did it happen?

When Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune debuted in late 2007 it was probably the best excuse to own a PlayStation 3 and show off what Sony’s console could do. As ambitious as the game was, it wasn’t perfect and many hoped a sequel would take all the elements the first game got right and roll them into a sequel, sans its quirks.

What we got instead was Uncharted 2: Among Thieves; it was a modern-day masterpiece and was the first time the fledgling series started being referred to in the same breath as other triple-A titles.

So, with its naughty under-dog status officially traded in for a bonafide hit franchise, and its latest installment mere days away, we thought it was the perfect time to ask all of you mighty Warriors-of-the-Axe the same question we ourselves tackled on this week’s EpicBattleCry:

WHERE WOULD YOU RANK THE UNCHARTED FRANCHISE IN YOUR LIST OF ALL-TIME FAVORITES?

Is it a series you have a passing interest in? Not really into it at all? Or is it the franchise that pretty much encapsulates everything that is gaming for you? Whatever the reason, whatever the story, share it in this week’s Member Battle Cry as we discuss the meteoric rise of one of gaming’s most successful franchises!

We discuss the specific situation and the ramifications of going too far with an online pass in the latest edition of EpicBattleCry, but now, it’s with these things in mind that I’m posing the following Member BattleCry Topic Starter question to you:

HOW FAR IS TOO FAR WHEN IMPLEMENTING AN ONLINE PASS?

We’ve spoken about this topic quite a bit here on the ‘Axe, but it seems that now more than ever it’s important to gather feedback about what gamers DO and DO NOT see as acceptable when it comes to things of this nature. Prior to Batman: AC, it seemed that the Online Pass was mostly reserved for, well, and ONLINE portion of the game, but not that single-player content such as The Catwoman is being brought into the fray, a whole new can of worms is being opened up.

So, feel free to vent in the comments section below, but just be sure that your Member BattleCry is constructive and that you at least attempt to offer up some solutions to an industry that is undoubtedly at a crossroads. As always, I’m putting a new poll live on the site to help gauge your opinion on the topic, so please take a moment to cast your vote. Thanks in advance for your contributions to this week’s conversation right here on EpicBattleAxe.com and as always I’m look forward to your comments!

Cheers,
DK

HOW DO YOU HANDLE SPOILERS IN VIDEO GAMES?

Obviously, there are a lot of ways to go here and no right or wrong answers. So, feel free to open up and share your tactics on how to avoid spoilers (unless you WANT them…) in the comments section below! As always, an MBC of the Week will be selected to feature on the next Skirmish of EpicBattleCry so be sure and check back to see if your was chosen!

As always, I’ve got a new poll live on the site to help gauge your opinion on the topic, so please take a moment to cast your vote. Thanks in advance for your contributions to this week’s conversation right here on EpicBattleAxe.com and as always I’m look forward to your comments!

Cheers,
DK

TELL US THE BEST OR WORST THING THAT HAPPENED AT TGS AND WHY?

As usual, the point of these posts is to generate constructive conversation pertaining to the topic, so if you’re here simply just to bash a game/franchise or be disrespectful of other people’s opinions, we’d appreciate it if you’d keep your comments to yourself. Otherwise, we hope you can contribute to the conversation this week by letting us know which big headline(s) caught your eye and why you think they’ll have a significant impact either positively or negatively. As usual, we’ll be selecting a Member BattleCry of the Week to feature on the next Skirmish of EBC, so be on the lookout to see if YOUR MBC was selected!

Oh, and please take a moment to cast your vote in the EBA Poll of the Week where we provide a few choices to help gauge your opinion on TGS hype. As always, thank in advance for your input and enjoy this week’s Member BattleCries here on EpicBattleAxe.com!

Cheers,
DK

WHAT HAS DEFINED HALO AND WHERE DO YOU THINK THE FRANCHISE STANDS IN GAMING HISTORY?

Of course, you might want to play Reach a bit before answering if you intend to do so or, if you already think you have an opinion on the topic, go ahead and fire away in the comments below. This is about defining Halo‘s place in gaming history, so keep the conversation constructive and avoid comparisons if they’re only meant to serve as flame bait. We’re not here to argue whether or not Halo is better or worse than anything else, this topic is simply meant to gauge your thoughts on the popular franchise’s place in gaming lore and the reasons why it got there.

Lastly, please take a moment to cast your vote in the EBA Poll of the Week pertaining to all things Halo as we collectively Cry Havoc and Let Our Voices Be Heard!!! As always, thank in advance for your input and enjoy this week’s Member BattleCries here on EpicBattleAxe.com!

Cheers,
DK

On this week’s edition of EpicBattleCry we try to make sense of it all by discussing whether or not the BioWare many fans have come to know and love is fading away under the outstretched arm of new publisher Electronic Arts. After all, does the simple fact that the renowned “quality over quantity” developer is going to release a second installment of a franchise to an entire audience with no way of playing the first say anything meaningful about its core values? Now that we can almost guarantee a simultaneous PS3, PC, and 360 launch of Mass Effect 3, should we be worried that the game itself will suffer from “going mainstream”?

Obviously, there are A LOT of questions and very few answers, but the point of this week’s Member BattleCry topic is to evaluate the state of BioWare from YOUR perspective and productively discuss the scenario we gamers are faced with. This is NOT a conversation about PS3 vs 360, so check your inner fanboy at the door…This is about discussing a talented studio coming from humble beginnings and evolving into a much larger company that took a boat load of cash to become a part of a much bigger corporation. Does BioWare’s position within EA simply mean that more gamers will have the chance to experience their great games? Has joining EA made BioWare a slave to the “bottom line” where games are less about quality and more about units sold? What should long-time fans of the developer feel about their current objectives and the quality of the experiences they put forth? So, It’s with these thoughts in mind that we post the following Member BattleCry Topic Starter question to you:

DO YOU THINK BIOWARE IS HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION?

Again, this topic is in NO WAY meant to be a battle about PS3 vs. 360, PC, or any other platform…It is simply about BioWare becoming one of the big boys for EA and the ramifications that will have (if any) on their ability to create the types of experiences fans have come to enjoy so much. If you need a refresher before speaking your mind, you can check out the most recent BioWare news on EBA right here. Bring any angle to the discussion you like, but please stay on point and do your best to contribute to a quality discussion this week on the ‘Axe. Of course, we’ll be selecting the Member BattleCry of the Week to be featured on the next Skirmish of EpicBattleCry, so be on the lookout for that!

Also, take a moment to vote in the poll about BioWare this week as we collectively Cry Havoc and Let Our Voices Be Heard!!! Thank in advance for your input and enjoy this week’s Member BattleCries here on EpicBattleAxe.com!

Cheers,
DK

WHEN IT COMES TO SEQUELS, DO YOU PREFER ORIGINALITY OR STICKING WITH WHAT WORKS?

Sure, it’s a tough question, but we want you to think about games/franchises that you love and evaluate those that have mostly remained the same (like Zelda for instance) or those that have mixed it up…With BioShock Infinite‘s setting and characters vastly different from its predecessors, do you think Irrational is making a decision fans will be excited about or are they risking too much in reinventing Rapture? As always, we hope you participate in a constructive conversation on the topic this week. Don’t bash anyone else’s opinions and please feel free to make your own known. We’ll be selecting the Member BattleCry of the Week to be featured on the next skirmish of EpicBattleCry so be on the lookout for that!

Also, we’ve set up a poll for to gather your feedback on the the BioShock Infinite announcement, so be sure and take a moment to cast your vote as we collectively Cry Havoc and Let Our Voices Be Heard!!!

Cheers,
DK

You see, unlike other mediums, gaming is vastly different at what it offers depending on what you’re seeking to get out of it. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at learning how diverse the medium can be once you start seeing some responses rolling in here. I know discussing this very topic on Skirmish 085 of EpicBattleCry opened my eyes to a lot of things about the medium, which is why we’re proud to use EBA as a platform to discuss the topic this week. So, It’s with these thoughts in mind that we post the following Member BattleCry Topic Starter question to you:

WHY DO YOU GAME?

Obviously, this is an open-ended question, but that’s kind of the point. Why? Well, because there is no right or wrong answer…there can only your thoughts on what the experience of gaming means to you! We hope this insightful look at our community sparks an interest in seeing the medium from multiple angles and we thank all of the Axe heads in advance for constructively commenting below! We’ll be picking the best BattleCry as the Member BattleCry of the Week which will be featured on Skirmish 085 of EBC.

Also, we’ve set up a poll for to address the question from a top-line perspective, so be sure and take a moment to cast your vote as we collectively Cry Havoc and Let Our Voices Be Heard!!! Enjoy!

Cheers,
DK