BioShock 2‘s last installment of DLC, “Minerva’s Den,” will officially hit PSN and Xbox LIVE August 31 for $9.99, or 800 Microsoft Points, while Games for Windows LIVE will get it at “a later date.”

“Minerva’s Den” introduces a new cast of characters in an independent narrative following Sigma,...]]>

BioShock 2‘s last installment of DLC, “Minerva’s Den,” will officially hit PSN and Xbox LIVE August 31 for $9.99, or 800 Microsoft Points, while Games for Windows LIVE will get it at “a later date.”

“Minerva’s Den” introduces a new cast of characters in an independent narrative following Sigma, another Alpha-series Big Daddy working with Brigid Tenenbaum to stop the villainous Reed Wahl’s dictatorship over a key district in Rapture. To thwart Wahl, Sigma must access Minerva’s Den, a kingdom which holds The Thinker, a giant supercomputer controlling the Rapture Central Computing District.

BioShock 2‘s final DLC is “single-player focused” and features new weaponry, an epic new plasmid, more dangerous Splicers, Security Bots that shoot lightning bolts and rockets, and The Lancer, a new model of Big Daddy. Also, those who downloaded the previous “Protector Trials” will have an added advantage with the Master Protector tonic, which increases the harvest times for your hungry Little Sisters.

This is DLC worth paying for, in my humble opinion – will you guys be picking it up at the end of the month? Sound off below!

Via Joystiq

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...]]>

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.

If you’ve got a comment on the show, sound off below, if you’ve got a Battle Cry you want to share, click here and sound off on the latest topic-started post! Stay sharp.

-iPod compatible mp4 download-

-Audio only download-

Bioshock 2 has harvested its first singleplayer DLC, the Protector Trials, due out August 3 for Xbox 360 and PS3.

The Protector Trials is an expansion on the harvesting portions of Bioshock 2, placing “players back into the boots of the Big Daddy as he defends his Little Sister against swarms of corrupt Splicers...]]>

Bioshock 2 has harvested its first singleplayer DLC, the Protector Trials, due out August 3 for Xbox 360 and PS3.

The Protector Trials is an expansion on the harvesting portions of Bioshock 2, placing “players back into the boots of the Big Daddy as he defends his Little Sister against swarms of corrupt Splicers who are hell-bent on stealing the precious ADAM that she gathers from corpses,” publisher 2K Marin described in its press release.

The Protector Trials will include six new maps with three difficulty settings, seven new achievements/trophies and a fresh batch of unlockable concept art and videos.

This is the first installment in a coming wave of singleplayer DLC for Bioshock 2, according to 2K president Christoph Hartmann.

“The team at 2K Marin has been working hard ever since the launch of BioShock 2 to develop ways for gamers to extend their time in the single-player world of Rapture,” Hartmann said. “I’m proud to announce the first of these experiences, the Protector Trials, which takes players back to some of their favorite places from the original game and features some of the biggest challenges that fans of this series have ever experienced. This is just the beginning. More single-player content is on the way that will deliver more of the intense action and story-driven gameplay that fans have been craving.”

The Protector Trials will sell for 400 Microsoft Points on Xbox 360 and $4.99 on PS3 when it drops August 3rd. 2K has yet to announce an official release date for the Protector Trials on PC, though the previous DLC was released for PC two weeks after hitting consoles.

Will the Protector Trials keep you playing Bioshock 2? What about the promise of more singleplayer content? Splice into the comments below!

Via Shacknews

The PlayStation blog recently received a post by 2K Marin Creative Director Jordan Thomas detailing the BioShock 2 Rapture Metro downloadable pack and Kill ‘em Kindly mode which are being released today via both PSN and XBL.

The $10 Metro pack adds six maps to the game’s multiplayer while the free Kill ‘em Kindly...]]>

The PlayStation blog recently received a post by 2K Marin Creative Director Jordan Thomas detailing the BioShock 2 Rapture Metro downloadable pack and Kill ‘em Kindly mode which are being released today via both PSN and XBL.

The $10 Metro pack adds six maps to the game’s multiplayer while the free Kill ‘em Kindly content is a new mode where players “fight to the death with golf clubs”…Interesting…

The post talks about the multiplayer-focused nature of the content while detailing the Rebirth mode, Golden Bucket, and various locations featured in the goodies.

You can read the post here or just check out the (somewhat odd and rather bloody) Kill ‘em Kindly trailer above. So, who plans on checking this stuff out???

BioShock 2 is set to get another round of DLC and we’ve got a trailer for you to check out the goodies. The Rapture Metro was originally set to come out tomorrow but has been delayed. While we don’t have an exact release date yet, here’s what we do know: There will be...]]>

BioShock 2 is set to get another round of DLC and we’ve got a trailer for you to check out the goodies. The Rapture Metro was originally set to come out tomorrow but has been delayed. While we don’t have an exact release date yet, here’s what we do know: There will be six new maps (Pauper’s Drop, Dionysus Park, Fighting McDonagh’s, Fontaine Fisheries, Siren Alley, and Smuggler’s Hideout), 2 new masks, and three new trophies.

We’ll also see a new game mode (Kill’em Kindly) which goes something like ‘death-match by golf club.’ Additionally, there’s a rank increase to level 50 and a Rebirth feature. which will give players a special mask if they reach level 50 and rank back down to level 1. Rapture Metro will set you back $10 (800 points) and will be hitting the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 later this year. Hit the jump to check out the trailer.

BioShock 2 is set to get another round of DLC and we’ve got a trailer for you to check out the goodies. The Rapture Metro was originally set to come out tomorrow but has been delayed. While we don’t have an exact release date yet, here’s what we do know: There will be...]]>

BioShock 2 is set to get another round of DLC and we’ve got a trailer for you to check out the goodies. The Rapture Metro was originally set to come out tomorrow but has been delayed. While we don’t have an exact release date yet, here’s what we do know: There will be six new maps (Pauper’s Drop, Dionysus Park, Fighting McDonagh’s, Fontaine Fisheries, Siren Alley, and Smuggler’s Hideout), 2 new masks, and three new trophies.

We’ll also see a new game mode (Kill’em Kindly) which goes something like ‘death-match by golf club.’ Additionally, there’s a rank increase to level 50 and a Rebirth feature. which will give players a special mask if they reach level 50 and rank back down to level 1. Rapture Metro will set you back $10 (800 points) and will be hitting the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 later this year. Hit the jump to check out the trailer.

Holla me amigos and welcome to another week of back-fence news as brought to you by Epicbattleaxe.com’s The Rumor KILL.  Now I know all you Axeheads are full of gaming news and knowledge courtesy of GDC and to be honest I was a little nervous this week.  Gaming conventions such as GDC tend...]]>

Holla me amigos and welcome to another week of back-fence news as brought to you by Epicbattleaxe.com’s The Rumor KILL.  Now I know all you Axeheads are full of gaming news and knowledge courtesy of GDC and to be honest I was a little nervous this week.  Gaming conventions such as GDC tend to solve rumors instead of creating them and even if some rumors are started most gaming journalists don’t report them because they have their hands full with the festivities.  For such an occasion I have a great rant planned out about the subliminal messages in Disney films and video games!!!  Just kidding……fortunately my fears did not become reality and we still have many rumors to dissect and discuss so take out the pruning shears it’s time to get whacking!

THE RUMOR: Robin will be in Batman: Arkham Asylum 2

THE SOURCE: Kotaku

MY TAKE: This is news that will have Batman fans pretty much divided equally.  After seeing Batman Begins and The Dark Knight it pretty much solidified in most people’s minds that a solo Batman is a better Batman.  Even before that the four Robins (Stephanie Brown does NOT count) have mixed reactions.  For the most part Robin’s reputation was forever tainted when the absolute atrocity known as Batman & Robin hit the big screen.  Anyway back on topic……including Robin in the next Batman game will be a gamble.  First off it has to be explained why Robin was absent from the entire game with no bio, no audio tape and only a couple mentions by Joker and Clayface to even hint at The Boy Wonder’s existence.  Still if they can pull it off and perhaps throw in some co-op into the sequel it would make for an interesting addition to the game.

THE VERDICT: SPARE IT!!!

Warner Bros. has already shutdown the IMDB listing which had Vincent Martella as the voice of Robin but they didn’t directly acknowledge the rumor of a Robin appearance.  Therefore it’s hard to say is we will see Robin in Batman: Arkham Asylum 2.  It would make sense though because if the “Asylum” is actually a huge piece of Gotham City then it would be quite a bit of ground for the Caped Crusader to cover.  Therefore it’s possible a little help could be needed to clean out the Asylum.  Or maybe he’s included in a co-op mode like in Spinter Cell: Conviction that is completely separate from the main story.  If Robin does find his way into the sequel in a way that doesn’t interfere with what the first Arkham Asylum accomplished.  My only condition is that Robin’s suit CANNOT have anything that looks like nipples on it.  If it does I’m calling a boycott!

THE RUMOR: The PS3 will be compatible with 3D TVs in June

THE SOURCE: IGN

MY TAKE: Here’s a quick question: does anyone really care if the PS3 gets magical firmware to make all the games look like cheap Avatar knockoffs?  Odds are you don’t and you shouldn’t because this probably won’t affect the average gamer for a few years.  It’s not like the PS3 is only going to be playable in 3D it’s only for people with 3D TVs which won’t be many for a while.  However, since the first 3D TV will be released in Japan in June the timing of the firmware with the release of the TV makes a strong case.   Though this won’t do anything graphically for non 3D users it’s interesting to imagine Kratos ripping of Helios’s head in 3D.  Actually sounds kind of cool, though I don’t know if I would buy a $4000 TV for the new experience.  Still, there’s no harm in releasing it for those who really want to jump onto the 3D bandwagon I suppose.

THE VERDICT: BELIEVE IT!!!

To be honest I wasn’t expecting this to happen so soon but the evidence is compelling.  Releasing the Firmware right when the 3D TV is released means that the Playstation 3 will be compatible immediately, which will probably be a good selling point for the TVs themselves.  Also the marketing campaigns can immediately be pushing a feature that no other console has, 3D compatibility.  Now that may not seem like a big deal right now since the 3D TVs are not widespread but remember when the PS3 was the only system to support 1080p output before 1080p TVs were in wide circulation?  Now almost four years later that’s definitely paid off hasn’t it?  You can also say the same thing with most of the cutting edge technology inside the PS3 from wireless compatibility to using Blu Ray technology.  Getting their hands into the 3D technology could be just another edge that the PS3 has on its competition.

THE RUMOR: Dragon Age sequel coming “02.01.2011″?

THE SOURCE: Neoseeker

MY TAKE: You’ve got to love a good mystery.  A mystifying pamphlet arrives in your new copy of Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening points to a seemingly unimportant date which will be a “big day” for the Dragon Age franchise.  Could this be the date for the release of the sequel to Dragon Age: Origins?  The timing seems to suggest a sequel which BioWare has already confirmed is coming at some point so the possibility is there.   They also mentioned that they want new technology in the sequel so this could mean the technology is ready and the sequel is well on its way.  The question becomes is it possible for the date to already be set in stone enough to tell everyone almost a year beforehand?  I mean you don’t have to look hard to see clear example of release dates gone wrong (Alpha Protocol, Red Dead Redemption, so on and so on).

THE VERDICT: KILL IT!!!

I want to say believe I really do but when it comes to release dates, especially release dates called a year in advance I get REALLY sceptical.  Too much can happen in this industry over the course of a year;  anything from delays to layoffs to issues as big as the Infinity Ward debacle can happen and cause a game to be pushed back.  So then what is the magical date on the pamphlet referring to?  It is probably the day BioWare will officially announce the sequel, showing off whatever they have and at that point giving a release date, whether it is an exact day or a ballpark date.  BioWare promised that February 1, 2011 will be a big day, what would be bigger than the debut of the sequel to Dragon Age: Origins along with showing off that tech.  I know I’ll be bringing out my elf ears on that day.

THE RUMOR: The latest Bioshock 2 DLC is already on the disk

THE SOURCE: Destructoid

MY TAKE: Do you know what gamers hate more than DLC that cost money?  DLC that costs money when it’s already on the disk and all you’re downloading is a key to unlock it.  Now to state my position I’m all for DLC.  I think it’s great when developers continue to create new content for their game after the review copies have been finalized and the disks are being made.  However when the “DLC” is on the disk already then it’s not really DLC.  It’s paying to get access to content you technically already own and that is a load of bullcrap!  I paid $60 for the damn disk I shouldn’t need to put down an extra $5 to access content that is already on the DAMN DISK!  It’s the equivalent of buying a house and finding out after that you need to pay the owner an extra $100 to access the master bedroom.   It’s damn criminal and there’s no way it should be allowed!

THE VERDICT: BELEIVE IT!!!

Just look at the size of the DLC for Christ sake!  It’s 108 KB on the Xbox 360 and the PC download is only 24 KB.  There is no way that 2 new characters, 20 new trials, a third attachment for every gun, 5 new masks and increasing the level cap to 50 only takes 24-108 KB of data to put into a game.  It’s freakin’ impossible!  Even the Versus Mode for Resident Evil 5 was 2 MB and that was the same thing, locked content that was on the disk.  Now 2k Marin can lay down any excuse they want but the bottom line is we are paying for data we already own and I will say it again, that’s not right.

THE FINAL SAY

So the Playstation Motion Controller has finally been named and after what I can only assume was countless hours of discussion, debate and brainstorming the creative minds at Sony finally decided on the one name that defined the ground breaking technology they had created and that name ladies and gentlemen is The Playstation……………..MOVE!  Now I want to know how BAD the other ideas were for the Move to be the best idea they had?????  Like seriously we had the “Arc” which I talked about before (good thing I SPARED it eh?) and even though I bashed that name it’s still better then the MOVE.  I’m just waiting for Microsoft to name Project Natal the “Microsoft Flail”.

So here we are again another week has come and gone and another week of rumors has been dissected and analyzed so now the ball is in your court Axeheads.  Give your input on these rumors and tell everyone if you think that the rumors I talked about should be BELEIVED, SPARED OR KILLED.  Also bonus points as always goes to anyone who can confirm any of these stories.  As always I am Lucas Archer and I will see all ye Axeheads next week for more of Epicbattleaxe.com’s The Rumor KILL!

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