Ready your earth and water to receive victims of sparta-ing, its time for another edition of EpicBattleCry! In this week’s Skirmish, we revel in the release date of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, snuggle with a companion cube for Portal 2 next February, check out the collectors edition of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, moan and groan on the pre-order madness for Hunted: The Demon’s Forge, and roll our eyes as F.E.A.R. 3 is delayed.

First up on the main course, we reflect on the recent news that Mass Effect 2 is headed to the PS3 and the announcement of Dragon Age 2. With all the talk of streamlined combat systems and selling games to the widest possible market, we ask the question: Is EA’s corporate influence beginning to sink BioWare? Next up, Sony had a strong showing at GamesCom 2010; with exclusives like Resistance 3 and Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One as well as the newly announced console bundles for PlayStation Move, we discuss what lies ahead for Sony.

The Battle Cry of the Week goes to Gran Turismo 5’s cart racing mode, Virtua Tennis 4, and Dead Space 2.
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Ride! Ride now; its time for another edition of EpicBattleCry! This week we welcome a new member of the EBA team in a debut appearance on EpicBattleCry. Please extend your most epic welcome to EpicBattleAxe features writer Lorin Baumgarten, filling in while Tony is on vacation.

In this week’s skirmish we ponder the Call of Duty: Black Ops prestige and hardened editions, run down the cast of voice talent for Fallout: New Vegas, marvel at the rumors of Duke Nukem Forever may be in active development, and discuss Quake Live’s subscription business model and what it might mean for other titles.

With the big event in NYC last week, the big news in gaming is undoubtedly BioShock Infinite. With that title consciously moving away from familiar territory, the Axe Crew talks sequels and the balance developers must find between forging new ground and alienating fans hunger for more of the same.

The Battle Cry of the Week goes to BioShock Infinite, Mafia II, and Little Big Planet.
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Shields forward and hold the line; its time for another edition of EpicBattleCry! In this week’s Skirmish we relish the announcement of Batman: Arkham City, revolt over the news Assassins Creed: Brotherhood is getting a PlayStation/GameStop exclusive multiplayer beta, fein surprise that Crysis 2 is being pushed back to 2011, sing a hearty song at word Torchlight 2 is coming our way, and bemoan the announcement that NBA Jam is coming to PS3 and 360 for free, but only, with NBA Elite 11.

We talk about gaming a lot round the Axe, but this week we take a step back to ponder the greater existential question our hobby/lifestyle raises: why do we game? Whether its for story, social interaction, the challenge, or just fun, we all have a reason (probably several) for doing what we do. So, this week, we, your humble Axe Lords, try to answer that question and we’re inviting all of you to do the same throughout the week here on EpicBattleAxe.com. Vote in the EBA poll over in the sidebar, hit up our Member Battle Cry post to share your thoughts, or leap in the discusion going on right now in the EBA forums. Whatever your course, be sure to Cry Havoc and Let Your Voice Be Heard!

The Battle Cry of the Week goes to Plunder, Vanquish (the game, not the tailer), and IGN’s decision to switch up their scoring system.
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Spears down and advance; its time for another edition of EpicBattleCry! This week, we revel in the announcement of Street Fighter X Tekken, ponder the new Dragon Age: Origins DLC headed our way, settle in to wait on SOCOM 4 in 2011, and discuss the newly emerged details for Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions.

In last week’s skirmish, we tackeld one of the most significant topics in gaming: reviews and review scores. During the conversation, one reviewer in particular drew our condemnation: Destructoid.com reviews editor, Jim Sterling. This week, Mr. Sterling boldly goes Under The Axe, to answer the criticism leveled against him and discuss his position on ratings, reviews, and ruffianism. Be sure to check back this week for the full, un-edited interview with Jim; only on EpicBattleAxe.com!

The Battle Cry of the Week hails Street Fighter IV on the 3DS, raises a glass to voice-acting legend Frank Welker, calls on BioWare to not let the accountants run the studio, and puts reviews in perspective.
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Ready your weapons and prepare for attack its time for another skirmish of EpicBattleCry! This week, we check out the Sly Cooper Collection, ponder the recently announced charity contest for Gears of War 3, team-up for some co-op Shank details, and try to make sense of the Halo: Reach 360 bundle.

With the price of Microsoft Kinect officially unveiled, we discuss the motion-sensing controller’s fate and whether its been priced too high for gamers to take a chance on. The release of StarCraft II is looming and with it comes the inevitable onslaught of reviews. How much weight do reviews carry with gamers and what could be done to improve them?

The Battle Cry of the Week goes to Super Street Fighter IV, annoying gamers online, Rush being featured in Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, and Final Fantasy classic titles on PSN.
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Sound the horns and lay waste the city, its time for another edition of EpicBattleCry! In this week’s skirmish, we mull over the news that Zelda: Skyward Sword is on track for an early 2011 release, check out the trailer for James Bond 007: Blood Stone, discuss the 360 exclusive window for Lara Croft and The Guardian of Light, and the PS3-exclusive DLC for Mafia II.

First up in the main course this week, we go Under The Axe with Zombie Studios’ Jared Gerritzen, lead designer on Blacklight: Tango Down. We talk platform exclusives, milking gamers, and changing expectations for downloadable games. Be sure to check out the full interview with Jared only on EpicBattleAxe.com!

With the slew of Limited Editions, DLC goodies, and promotions that were announced this week, we take a moment to consider whether or not these premium priced goodies make sense and whether game publishers and marketers get gamers.

The Battle Cry of the Week goes to King of Fighters XIII, The teaser-announcment-trailer for Mega Man Universe, Breach, and Assassin’s Creed 2.
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Raise your axes, raise your glasses, its time for another edition of EpicBattleCry! In this week’s Skirmish we banter on Enslaved, which now has a release date, prepare for Red Dead Redemption’s own zombie apocalypse, reflect on the announcement of Dragon Age 2, and discuss the Blizzard Real ID fiasco from last week.

With the release late last week of Blacklight: Tango Down, and plenty of chatter in the EBA Forums on the subject, we sit down to talk about wether or not gamers are ready to give up discs in favor of Downloadable Games. Services like Steam are doing well on the PC, but are console gamers onboard with DLG?

The Battle Cry of the Week goes to the devs behind Super Stardust HD for making everything better (in 2d or 3d), Microsoft’s (and Valve’s) Summer Sales, the beginning of beta testing for Star Wars: The Old Republic, and John Marston, for being quite the character.
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Raise the pain-sticks and prepare for ascension! Its time for another edition of EpicBattleCry! In this week’s Skirmish, we run down the release date for Final Fantasy XIV, check out BioShock 2’s latest DLC, discuss the news Fable III is going episodic, and ponder whether Raiden has what it takes to carry the Metal Gear Series on his own.

With Shigeru Miyamoto’s recent comment that Nintendo “needs new characters,” we sit down to discuss what makes a great game character and why Nintendo’s mascots have stood the test of time. Will Marcus Fenix or Nathan Drake have the same longevity as Mario and Link?

The Battle Cry of the week goes to the remote deletion of content, an HD ICO/Shadow of the Colossus Collection from Sony, the prowess of three year old gamers, and calls on the gaming gods for fal tor pan of the Full Spectrum Warrior IP.
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Fell deeds awake! Now for wrath. Now for ruin. And the red dawn! Its time once more, for another Skirmish of EpicBattleCry! This week, we get a release date for DeathSpank, ponder the laundry list of new features announced for Gran Turismo 5, make some Ice-T in Gears of War 3 jokes, and discuss if Sony’s rumored move to prioritize the PlayStation Move over Heavy Rain’s next DLC is a portent of things to come.

With E3 2010 over, we look back and discuss our take-away moments and games from this year’s show. What inspired us; what infuriated us; what made us question the nature of the universe? We’ve got everything from Zelda: Skyward Sword, to Marvel vs. Capcom 3, XCOM, and even Onlive; five things each, in no particular order, that we had to share from this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo.
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Into the long boats and ready the battering ram, its time for another edition of EpicBattleCry! In this week’s Skirmish, we ponder the news the Lord of the Rings Online is going free this fall, rally around the news that His Airness, Michael Jordan will be the cover athlete for NBA 2K11, try to keep up with the plethora (Yes Jefe, a plethora) of PSP promotions falling out of the sky, and discuss the ‘unique’ approach Call of Duty: Black Ops has taken with its Co-Op mode.

First up in the main course, we take a bite out of the Big Three. With Sony having already announced a slew of titles pre-show, what will they have left to surprise us with? Will Microsoft and Nintendo deliver the goods with some big announcements they’ve kept close to the vest? Can some well-placed booth babes turn things around for OnLive?

Next up, EA, Activision, Ubisoft, THQ, and more are bringing down the thunder next week and we’re putting together a hit list for our picks from the third party devs. What are the must-sees, what might surprise us, and what are going to watch drown in a bathtub?

The Battle Cry of the Week goes to the possibility PSN might become a paid service, Star Wars: The Battle for Hoth, the downloadable games of E3 2010, and the need for motion controls and 3D gaming to get some backup from kick-ass games.
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