Grab a hammer and nail the headphones to your ears, its time for Force Feedback! This is the show where we turn the spotlight over to you the mighty Axehead army. This week, we’re talking about the Xbox Live price increase, the rumors Brad Pitt will be playing John Marston, used games, BioWare and much more.

Prepare yourself for Force Feedback!
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By Lorin Baumgarten

On this week’s episode of EpicBatleCry, the hosts talked quite a bit about game delays. As you know this is a favorite topic of mine and, therefore, you might be expecting me to write about it this week. Well, I will not. Although – I will say that I still can’t figure out why an industry that makes more money than the music industry and is creeping up on film still cannot seem to manage what the other two forms of entertainment mastered long ago: schedules. I mean, didn’t we all learn about schedules and managing expectations and fulfilling commitments in some intro class in high school? I mean seriously, gaming industry, get your sh*# together when it comes to…wait a minute, wait a minute. I said that I am not going to write about this topic this week, didn’t I?. Sorry. I got a little caught up there. What I dowant to discuss this week is a topic DK brought up on the show in the context of Mass Effect 2, but is an even more interesting question when extrapolated out to the industry in general. That question is: are games being dumbed down and/or diluted in order to appeal to the masses and , if so, are they losing quality and merit because of it?

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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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A post on the official BioWare forums today delivers the details of the upcoming “Lair of the Shadowbroker” DLC for Mass Effect 2 which we now know will launch simultaneously on the PC and Xbox 360 on Tuesday, September 7 for 800 MS Points.

As described by BioWare’s Chris Priestly, the content not only is an excellent adventure through Illium and the shadowbroker’s secret lair, but the new DLC will add the Shadow Broker intel center, new research, and five new achievements – and give fans of the original Mass Effect the chance to continue a relationship with Liara…

WHOA! Somebody call FOX News…

You can see brand-spankin’ new in-game images from the DLC right here as you prepare for the content to drop in early September.

Source

When EA and BioWare recently announced that Mass Effect 2 would be landing on the PlayStation 3 in January 2011, it’s safe to say that the news was accompanied by mixed emotions on behalf of the veteran RPG-maker’s fan-base. Obviously, it’s great that PS3 owners will soon get their hands on one of the most highly-praised RPGs of this generation, but in the grand scheme of things, should BioWare fans feel the need to be concerned over the announcement?

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

It’s official, BioWare’s Mass Effect 2 will be coming to the PlayStation 3 in January 2011. This via an announcement teaser trailer that debuted during the EA Press Conference at GC 2010 in Germany. The teaser, which you can see right here, doesn’t give away anything in terms of enhancements or PS3-specific content, but we’ll expect to hear more pertaining to PlayStation 3 version soon.

Of course, one would now assume that the highly-anticipated Mass Effect 3 will now be a simultaneous multi-platform release, but we’ll just have to wait to get official word on that. Also, those hoping for the original Mass Effect to surface on Sony’s console should remember that it was published by Microsoft exclusively on the PC and 360.

That’s all for now, but feel free to comment on this exciting development in the comments section below.

Around here at the ‘Axe we enjoy cleaving the fat from the gaming news of the day and we also enjoy cleaving some cost from your gaming budget when the opportunity arises. Well, we’ve teamed up with GoGamer.com to ensure you’re “in the know” about some serious deals taking place during the online retailers “48-Hour Madness” sales. What is “48-Hour Madness” you ask? Well, aside from the phrase often used to describe my wedding, it’s a two day period where gamers logging on to GoGamer.com can score some serious savings on existing or forthcoming games.

This week, folks looking forward to Mafia II can pre-order the game on the PS3 for $49.90 while those that missed out on Alan Wake can snag the Xbox 360 thriller for only $29 bucks. Also, PC gamers can pick up BioWare’s Mass Effect 2 for the ridiculous low price of $16.90 while wanna-be spies can sneak into the world of Sam Fisher in Splinter Cell: Conviction for $27.90. Lastly, Madden fans will soon get their chance to square off on the virtual gridiron and GoGamer.com’s punching your sideline seat for Madden NFL 11 with about a $7 savings off the regular retails price.

So, check out all of this week’s 48-Hour Madness sales and pre-order pricing specials right here and see if there’s anything you like.

Happy shopping!

Mass Effect 2 fans looking for a bit more action will be happy to know that BioWare has today released the Firepower DLC pack for both PC and 360. Here’s a description from the game’s official website:

The Firepower Pack adds 3 new weapons to Commander Shepard’s armor locker. The Phalanx heavy pistol hits like a hand cannon but features increased precision with its integrated laser sight. Next is the Mattock semi-automatic rifle, a deadly and accurate weapon that can eliminate waves of enemies thanks to its reduced recoil. Lastly, turn Geth technology against them with the Geth Plasma Shotgun. This triple barreled monster allows users to charge up each shot for increased damage, or just blast away rapid-fire style.

The content runs 160 MS Points, or about $2. Anyone here plan on picking it up? Fire off some comments below.

Good news Mass Effect fans, the official Mass Effect 2 website has been updated with word of the game’s latest DLC, titled Lair of the Shadow Broker, although no specific release date or price point has been set.

Here’s a description:

Two years ago, Commander Shepard died and Liara T’Soni fought in a desperate struggle against the Shadow Broker to recover her former Commander. Now that Shepard is back, it’s time to even the score.

Team up with Liara and confront the mysterious and sinister Shadow Broker in the latest expansion to Mass Effect 2, coming soon!

You can check out some screens from the DLC here and we’ll of course keep you posted on release date info as it emerges.

Source

The mysterious history of master philanthropist and galactic wiseman, Mass Effect’s Illusive Man, will be revealed in a new graphic novel series from Dark Horse comics in January next year.

Following the game’s first comic run, Mass Effect: Redemption, the new series focuses in-depth on The Man himself and reunites the Redemption writing team with Mac Walters, John Jackson Miller and Omar Francia. For all you nerds with good taste, former Y: The Last Man cover artist Massimo Carnevale will also be part of the action.

For such an illusive man, Walters and Miller held no reservations detailing to IGN some of the deepest secrets they hope to make public in the new series.

“I look at the Illusive Man as a searcher, someone plumbing the mysteries of the galaxy – but with a specific mindset to his approach,” Miller said. “He’s sure there’s a darker side to some of the great things humanity’s discovered, and he’s rushing to find what that is before it’s too late. His adventures force him to be a jack-of-all-trades- part xenobiologist, part intelligence agent, part archaeologist.

“As to how he changes – and is changed – over the course of the series, well, that’s a big part of the story. Let’s just say it’s impossible to come into such close contact with the mysteries of the universe without being changed by them…”

Which mysteries do you want solved from the Illusive Man’s back story? Tell us in the comments!