Prepare your frontal lobe for a frontal assault, its Force Feedback! This is the show where we give you the spotlight so you can Cry Havoc and Let Your Voice Be Heard! This week, the Axehead army sounds off on the playing-as-a-terrorist debate, Red Dead Cheaters, subscription-based multiplayer, Botox as a nuclear deterrent, and mucho more.

Hold on to your socks, its time for Force Feedback!
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Knives at the ready and make for the shore, its time for another edition of EpicBattleCry! In this week’s skirmish we take a look at the first (and free) DLC for MAG, Skate 3’s May release date, the St. Lucia DLC for Dante’s Inferno, the Need for Speed World beta, and the Splinter Cell: Conviction demo that snuck out recently.

On the main course this week, we examine the recent debacle with Ubisoft and their DRM scheme which cut off thousands of players from single-player titles like Assassin’s Creed 2 on PC. We ask the tough questions; who is DRM hurting more pirates or players? How much money did Ubisoft spend to prevent paying customers from playing their games? Can we somehow blame Bobby Kotick?

The Battle Cry of the Week goes to the rumor of an Xbox 360 Slim, Arcade Aid, the latest viral ad for Tron: Legacy, Lead and Gold, and trailers that give away the whole game before it even hits the streets.

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So we’ve know for a little while now about the “let’s mix this shit up!” DLC for Dante’s Inferno that allows for custom co-op and content creation along with the introduction of the bad-ass looking St. Lucia, but today we’re getting WAY more info on the content via several new vids and screens.

Recently, on behalf of GameTrailers, I had the chance to snag an in-depth interview about the content, get a walkthrough showcasing it in action, and deliver some raw gameplay for your viewing pleasure. Those vids, along with these screens, should be enough to get you fully up to speed on the Trials of St. Lucia DLC for Dante’s Inferno. Once you’re all caught up, let us know what you think about the content in the comments below. Personally, I think it’s pretty interesting that the devs went in this direction instead of just adding more single-player content which would seem like the easy way out. Not that that would be bad, it’s just that this seems sorta…risky! I like that!!! What about you?

The DLC is set to launch on April 29th in the US.

Empowering the EBA Community with a voice to collaboratively review the industry’s hottest titles, the EpicBattleAxe.com uREVIEW (about) delivers real insight from real gamers about The GOOD, The BAD, and The UGLY pertaining to the biggest games in the world. This is the EpicBattleAxe.com uREVIEW for Dante’s Inferno. Let’s get started:
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Dtoid delivers word this morning that even though Dante’s Inferno has JUST BEEN RELEASED, fans wanting more have plenty to look forward to. Info included on a slip within the retail game box reveals the following DLC content schedule for those looking to extend their vacation in Hell.

FEBRUARY
- Soul Pack
- Poet Costume
- Animated Feature Film Costume

MARCH
- Prequel Level

APRIL
- New In-Game Abilities
- Trials of St. Lucia

Beyond the costumes, the prequel level will apparently offer at least 30 minutes of additional play time (it will apparently be free for PS3 owners via redeemable code) while the Trials of St. Lucia DLC is really the big daddy, offering co-op multiplayer gameplay and custom content creation. Read more about that here.

So, there ya go…DLC is certainly a big part of the plans for Dante’s Inferno so stay tuned for more info as it emerges. Also, be on the look out for the Dante’s Inferno EpicBattleAxe.com uREVIEW to give your feedback on the game.

Source

Ready the spears and mount the horses, its time for another edition of EpicBattleCry! This week, we take a look at the debut trailer for Fallout: New Vegas, cross our fingers in hope that Splinter Cell: Conviction does indeed have a firm release date, say a brief ‘I told you so’ to the news that Episodes From Liberty City is headed to both the PS3 and PC in March, and bemoan the announcement that Microsoft will soon discontinue the original Xbox Live service.

First up in the main course this week, we talk about the recently unveiled Apple iPad. While Apple is certainly presenting their new mobile device as a superior outlet for games, will gamers buy into the new multi-touch platform? Next up, with BioShock 2 and Dante’s Inferno set to release this week, we discuss the literary influence on these two unique games. Will the source material of these titles inspire gamers to delve into the novels from which they sprang, or will everyone be too distracted by the kickassery?

The Battle Cry of the Week goes to Sonic the Hedgehog 4 and the hope it will be a return to form for the fleet-footed-franchise, Just Cause 2 and the hope that the actual gameplay lives up to the level of fun seen in the trailer, the recent BioShock 2 Special Edition Unboxing video and its tease for the forthcoming Über Edition, and Ninja Gaiden, one of the most epic, difficult, and influential titles on the NES.

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With a week to go until the release of EA’s Dante’s Inferno, it appears that at least one copy of the game has slipped under the radar and into the hands of an individual possessing both a love of DLC and internet movies. Uploaded earlier today, a featurette apparently contained on the game disc reveals the “Trials of St Lucia” DLC which, according to Senior Producer Hans ten Cate, is a “downloadable expansion that brings mutliplayer co-op and content creation to the game”.

At its core, it appears that the content will serve to allow co-op gameplay within custom-created “Trials” that will be uploaded then download and ranked by users via the game’s servers. The content will also feature exclusive baddies and the ability to play as St Lucia who is referred to as Dante’s “Guardian Angel” of sorts.

Per the video, the content is expected to be released on April 29.

Now, while this is still unofficial, we DID get a few new OFFICIAL screens from Dante’s Inferno today which you can check out inside the game’s gallery here on EBA.

Check out the video for the ‘Trials of St Lucia’ DLC after the jump and stay tuned for any more info on the content as it emerges.
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Hey everybody, DK here getting another week of Member BattleCries rolling on EpicBattleAxe.com and after last week’s great conversation about the Role Playing Genre (here), I’m really stoked to check out what you all have to say about this week’s topic. Now, with the upcoming release of Dante’s Inferno and ensuing marketing blitz that will no doubt put the game on EVERYONE’s radar, it got me thinking about the action/adventure genre and what TRULY makes for a great experience within that realm. So, I’m opening the floor to you, the EBA Community, to speak your mind and let us know which action/adventure titles you think have set the bar. Here’s this week’s MBC topic:

WHICH ACTION/ADVENTURE GAMES DO YOU CONSIDER AS GENRE DEFINING AND WHY?

As always, there’s really no limit as to what you can submit. Any game, any genre, it’s all good. We want to know your thoughts on the topic as we prepare for Dante’s Inferno and of course God of War III. We’ll be featuring a new Member BattleCry each day here on the ‘Axe and then highlighting the Member BattleCry of the week on the next skirmish of the EpicBattleCry video podcast. Hey, speaking of Dante’s Inferno, be sure to cast your vote in this week’s EBA poll to let us know your level of expectation regarding the game.

Alright gang, let’s hear what you have to say! Check back daily to see if your MBC has been featured and to see what all of the other ‘Axe Heads are saying.

Cheers!
DK

After a rather successful showing for Mass Effect 2 during the fourth quarter of the NFL’s NFC Championship Game, EA has announced that Dante’s Inferno will get superior treatment when a new ad for the game debuts during this weekend’s Super Bowl. The ad spot, entitled “Hell Awaits”, will premiere during the fourth quarter of the CBS broadcast happening Sunday, February 7…just two days before the game hits store shelves.

“Even within the spectrum of live sports events, the Super Bowl stands apart, almost as a national holiday,” said Frank Gibeau, president at EA. “The Super Bowl is a bull’s-eye in terms of cross-over to our core demographic and the reach is outstanding. Not only does it draw 100 million viewers, but most people watch the Super Bowl live, a rarity in the world of DVRs. While digital outreach to Facebook, Twitter, and online bloggers is a core part of our marketing strategy, we felt that advertising during the Super Bowl is an excellent way to introduce this new IP to a massive cross-section of people who are likely already familiar with the dark and twisted “Divine Comedy.”

So, how much will the ad serve to benefit the game? More importantly perhaps, how will a video game ad during the Super Bowl serve to benefit the medium of interactive entertainment? Let us know your thoughts below.

We’re getting fairly close to the release of EA’s Dante’s Inferno, and as a result, the game is making some headlines around the webz…GameTrailers has posted a video interview with Visceral Games in anticipation for the Dante’s Inferno demo release. In it, Jonathan Knight from Visceral Games and Executive Producer for Dante’s Inferno, fills us in on more of the game’s story and gameplay aspects. He goes into great detail on these subjects and also reveals a ton of cool clips from the game. It’s pretty insightful, so check out the video links below to get the full scoop.

As for the demo, Visceral Games is ready to let you open the gates of hell…on the PS3 at least…The “Gates of Hell” demo is now available via PSN and allows you to:

Discover an epic adventure based on the first part of Dante Alighieri’s masterpiece, “The Divine Comedy”. Playing as Dante, you must defeat Death and arm yourself with his scythe as you prepare to descend into the nine circles of Hell and rescue the soul of your beloved Beatrice from Lucifer himself.

Lovely. The demo is available today to play for Playstation 3 owners and will be available in two weeks for those of you that prefer to rock the Xbox 360. And speaking of PS3-exclusive goodness surrounding the game, today we get word of the newly revealed Divine Edition of Dante’s Infernro.

According to Kotaku:

The Divine Edition of Dante’s Inferno comes with developer commentaries, a Wayne Barlow digital art book, the game’s soundtrack, and a digital copy of the complete Longfellow translation of Dante Alighieri’s Inferno.

Even though it’s divine, it won’t cost you any extra dime…The Divine Edition will be the only copy you get if you buy it for PS3 for no additional price ($59.99). Pretty nice grab for PS3 owners looking to get the ultimate version of the game and a nice “screw you” to 360 owners out there…

“We are thrilled to offer an exclusive game pack for PlayStation 3 gamers,” said Jonathan Knight, Executive Producer for Dante’s Inferno. “The PlayStation platform has a long history of delivering AAA action/adventure games. Adding Dante’s Inferno to that rich catalogue is very exciting for the team. And with the demo now available on the PlayStation Network, players can finally get a taste of what awaits them in the full game on Feb 9th.”

As noted by Mr. Knight, you can get your hands on the hellacious Dante’s Inferno when it is released in North America on February 9th for both the 360 and PS3.

Dante’s Inferno Legacy Interview Video – GameTrailers.com

Demo From Hell Gameplay – Gametrailers.com