If your looking for a good reason to play the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen videogame, listen up. Composers Steve Jablonsky and Bobby Tahouri are collaborating with electronica artists Julien-K on the soundtrack. These musical masters have put the excitement in several familiar movie and videogame soundtracks.

You’ve probably heard Jablonski’s work on both the latest Transformers live action movies. If you haven’t seen them, you may have listened to his hard driving score while beating down the Locust Hordes in Gears of War 2. Tahouri worked on the Iron Man film soundtrack and Julien-K was featured on the 2007 Transformers movie with their track “Technical Difficulties.”

More details on these artists and the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen videogame follow the break.

Jablonsky is best known for contributing music to the original score for 2007’s live-action Transformers movie and, more recently, the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen movie. Jablonsky is also highly regarded for his work in the original score to the video game Gears of War 2.

Tahouri is best known for his contributions to the score for the 2008 blockbuster movie Iron Man. Julien-K’s “Technical Difficulties” was included on the soundtrack to the 2007 Transformers movie and was featured in the film’s closing credits. Their debut album, “Death to Analogue” was released on March 10, 2009 through Metropolis Records. The band was featured on the main stage of the 2007 Projekt Revolution tour and has toured as an opening act for rock band Evanescence.

The Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen video game, based on the upcoming live-action feature film from DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures in association with Hasbro, lets players take on the role of their favorite AUTOBOTS or DECEPTICONS, picking from the largest, most diverse range of playable Transformers – each with their own distinct abilities and weaponry. Set in unique environments across the globe such as Cairo and Shanghai, the game allows players to instantly switch between vehicle and robot modes as they drive, fly, fight and blast their way through intense, pressure-packed levels. After engaging in single player action, players for the first time ever will be able to go online and battle friends in all-new multiplayer modes.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen launches June 23, 2009 for all major platforms and handhelds. If you happened to have missed the latest Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen trailer, check it out on Gaming Today.

Just when gamers thought they had squeezed all the goodness from Gears of War 2, Epic Games targets players on All Fronts. This GW2 collection includes all previously released DLC; the Combustible, Flashback, and Snowblind map packs; and introduces the new Dark Corners map pack.

Dark Corners offers multi-player fans seven fresh battlegrounds to test their mettle. The bundle also includes a chapter cut from the original GW2 taking players back to Locust Hollow with Mutt and Dom. Throw in a poster, a custom Xbox Live theme, and a strategy guide and you’ve got a fairly good buy for your hard earned cash. One last enticement is a preview of “Road to Ruin,” the latest project from the man formerly known as “Cliffy B.” Seriously is there a symbol for that? Whatever you want to call him, Cliff Bleszinski rocks the gaming world.

Look for the Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection to hit retailers July 28th. You can lay out a cool $19.99 for the bundle or purchase just the Dark Corners map pack for 1,600 Microsoft Points on the Xbox Live marketplace.

Details on the new Dark Corners maps follow the break.

A few quick notes on the seven new multiplayer maps in the Dark Corners pack:

• Allfathers Garden: Don’t get caught up in the beauty—the sacred grounds of the Coalition founders can be a tremendously deadly place. Powerful weapons catalyze fast and furious action at this COG landmark.
• Memorial: It’s all about the heavy weaponry in Memorial, set near the Eternal Flame at the Tomb of the Unknowns. Take a moment to remember your fallen comrades before using your flanking and evasive skills to take control of the Boomshot and the battle.
• Sanctuary: Tight paths, blind corners, and an arsenal of weapons—the Locust-ravaged temple in Sanctuary is no longer the haven of reflection and remembrance it once was.
• War Machine: In this abandoned train station, players need to master the Longshot, Mulcher, and Boomshot to advance the fight while evading fire from the platforms above.
• Highway: Take the fight deep into the Locust Hollow in the complex passages of this underground highway system. Stick together, separate the enemy, and have an exit strategy ready, or it’ll be a one-way trip.
• Way Station: In the limbo between death and “processing,” you’ll find Locust way stations like this one, filled with COG soldiers. Tread lightly and practice patience—it’s best to sacrifice firepower for stealth while navigating this minefield of hidden grenades.
• Nowhere: Set in the middle of the desert, Nowhere is exactly how it sounds: barren and devoid of life. The open air and long lines of sight prove useful for Longshot devotees, but expect some fierce, close combat in the stairwell.

These three maps; Flood, Gold Rush, and Fuel Station; are a hefty 800 MS points. The Combustible Map Pack Trailer featuring content highlights is free only as Gold exclusive offer. You can view the trailer below courtesy of FileFront before investing a chunk of change that big. Details on each of the Gears of War 2 Combustible Maps follow the break.

• Flood is a very tight map that’s made extra snug when the environmental hazard of Imulsion begins creeping up around the edges. As the playing field closes in, the firefight will intensify as combat is forced to the center of the map. Teams skilled at flanking their opponents will have a powerful edge.
• Gold Rush takes place in an old Imulsion refinery that now serves as a hotly contested battleground. Players must survive heavy crossfire as they infiltrate the factory and navigate multiple tiers. Breakable glass allows for a clean shot at those who make a dash for the Longshot rifle while bolder players make their run for the heavy weapon. In the right hands, the Mortar can be devastating on this map, so keep those smoke grenades armed as the concussive effect comes in very handy.
• Fuel Station is situated in a desolate area marked by an abandoned fossil fuel station. The team that secures and controls the station is likely to be the side that wins the match. An especially strategic location on this map is the rooftop, as there are only two points of entry – the main elevator and a staircase on the back side of the building. Heavy weaponry is situated right in front, which presents a high risk to reward ratio in this level. Lugging the Mulcher around, deploying it and revving it up can keep an entire team at bay, and unleashing hell from the rooftops is always an excellent tactic.

The NPD numbers are in for November, and as far as console sales go, Gears of War 2 dominated the chart with 1.5 million units sold and Call of Duty: World at War coming in a very close second with 1.4 million in sales (for the Xbox 360 version).

Shockingly enough, Nintendo’s Wii Music came in last in the top 10, and while that in itself does not surprise me, the fact that it is even in the top 10 is what I am curious over. I suppose that the company’s stellar ad campaign was what did it, along with unsuspecting parents rushing out to buy the game on Black Friday because all the stores in their area were out of Rock Band 2 and World Tour. They probably thought that their kids would like it just as well, by they will unfortunately find out the hard way come Christmas morning.

Top Ten Games

1. Gears of War 2 (Epic, Xbox 360) – 1.56 million
2. Call of Duty: World at War (Treyarch, Xbox 360) – 1.41 million
3. Wii Play (Nintendo, Wii) – 796,000
4. Wii Fit (Nintendo, Wii) – 697,000
5. Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo, Wii) – 637,000
6. Call of Duty: World at War (Treyarch, PS3) – 597,000
7. Guitar Hero World Tour (Vicarious Visions, Wii) – 475,000
8. Left 4 Dead (Valve, Xbox 360) – 410,000
9. Resistance 2 (Insomniac, PS3) – 385,000
10. Wii Music (Nintendo, Wii) – 297,000

(Thanks VG247)

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.” Well apparently this guy never did since he strapped a freakin’ chainsaw to the bottom of an assault rifle, effectively making a working Lancer like the ones in Gears of War. In fact, he even went one better, making the “full-auto bayonet” attachable to other guns, including a 12-gauge shotgun. Crazy? Maybe, but if there’s ever a zombie/Locust uprising, I’d want a guy like that with me. Be sure to check out the video below of this contraption wreaking havoc on some unsuspecting pumpkins.

Fans of the Colorado-based band DeVotchKa or just fans of their song “How it Ends” featured in the Gears of War 2 launch trailer can now download the song from iTunes come December 1.

Microsoft UK bigwig Stephen McGill stated that “Due to the incredible success of the game in the UK and the insatiable demand for all things GOW2 from fans of the franchise, we’re thrilled to be able to offer consumers the chance to enjoy the track from the new TV ad campaign “How It Ends” as a bona fide single release”.

North Americans who use iTunes have been able to dowload the song for quite some time now, and considering the fact that the album How it Ends was released back in 2004, it’s safe to say that a resurgence in popularity for the band is happening. Not that DeVotchKa really needs a resurgence, because they are a damn good band and always have been. They are not very mainstream, nor can you really pigeonhole them into any sort of musical genre other than the (in my opinion) generic term of “alternative”, they are a very talented band regardless although not something everyone would like.

However, congrats to them on their newest success, and hooray for UK iTunes customers and gamers finally being able to digitally download the tune.

(Thanks Gaming Angels)

‘VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM’ is the noise my Lancer makes.
‘BOOM’ is the noise my grenades make.
‘OMFG! DIE LOCUST SCUM! WE’RE BEING FLANKED! WHERE’S THE BLOODY AMMO? COVER ME! GRENADE! ARGGGHHH! HELL YEAH!!’ is the noise my mouth makes.
These are all happy noises. I like this game.

via ChannelFlip

BringIt is setting up a service with a secure site where gamers can compete for cash online 24/7. Any game platform with Internet connectivity can get in on the action.

“BringIt is going to transform the videogame landscape by allowing individuals to compete online for bragging rights and real money through skill-based gaming,” said BringIt CEO and founder Woody Levin. “Gamers have shown great interest and support for competitive gaming, so we are pleased to offer BringIt as a player-driven service that quickly connects gamers, allowing them to play legally for cash while getting a more intense competitive rush.”

Some of the titles in the service during the beta period are Madden NFL 2009, Gears of War 2, FIFA 2009, Halo 3, Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock, Rock Band 2, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Mario Kart. BringIt will accept PayPal and major credit cards for bets between $1 and $100,000. Read more about the terms and conditions from the press release after the break.

I should think that mixing videogames and betting will seriously up the danger factor for gamers with addictive personalities. It should also make BringIt a lot of money.

BringIt makes competitive console gaming easy, adding only one step to secure online game play. Registration is free and available to gamers 18 years and older. Players can fund their BringIt account via PayPal or major credit card and access their secure account at their convenience. As a special welcome, BringIt will match initial deposits up to $20 for those individuals who register and use the service during the open beta period. Accounts are limited to one per person, insuring player identities are verified.

Players can ‘BringIt’ for as little as $1 or up to as much as $100,000, so both casual players and those who crave the adrenaline of high stakes can engage at their own pace and be assured their BringIt
challenge experience is safe and secure. During gameplay, the collective entry fees are held in an escrow account until the winner is declared and verified, at which point the funds are released to the
winner’s secure account, minus the BringIt service fee. BringIt provides neutral arbitration as well as a self-regulating player feedback system that lets members know an opponent’s standing in advance of initiating a challenge or accepting a match.

World of Warcraft players certainly don’t mind that 7-Eleven has been dabbling in the field of selling videogames. Thanks to the apparent disregard for street dates, WoW players were able to secure early copies (albeit not early access) of Wrath of the Lich King. The retail chain has announced that its recent sales of games like WoW, Halo, and Madden isn’t a temporary holiday cash-in — they’re planning on permanently adding videogames to their inventory (via Joystiq).

“This is not just a holiday promotion for us,” explained 7-Eleven category manager for gaming and electronics, “but a brand new product line-up that will be available year-round. We may not be a total entertainment destination … yet, but we’re hoping to expand our selection beyond the high-dollar, hot-selling games to include options for all budgets, like value-priced video games as well as DVD movies. For consumers wanting convenient one-stop shopping for at-home entertainment along with groceries and gas or who just want to avoid big-store shopping inconveniences, their local 7-Eleven store is open and ready.”

In addition to Wrath of the Lich King, 7-Eleven is planning on selling the Guitar Hero World Tour band kit, Fallout 3, Quantum of Solace, Gears of War 2, WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009, and Call of Duty: World at War. They’ll also begin selling subscription cards for around 20 games and services ranging from Xbox Live to City of Heroes to Runescape.

Picking up a game at 7-Eleven seems to be more of a convenience rather than an alternative, at least at this point. Unless you’ve got one closer to home than any other retailer, will gamers really opt to go there instead of GameStop, Best Buy, or Walmart? But if they decided to throw in a free Slurpee with the purchase of any full-priced game, that might just give them the edge that makes it the premiere destination for picking up big-name games. It would for me, at least.

It looks as though U.K. fans are just as crazy about the Call of Duty franchise as those in the U.S. because according to the All Formats charts from Chart Track, the week one sales of Call of Duty: World at War are higher than sales for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare when it debuted. Outselling CoD4 by more than 2 to 1, World at War is expected to be the most popular game during the Holiday Shopping Extravaganza across the pond.

If you look at the rest of the chart, you will notice that games published by Activision Blizzard dominate the chart by having 25 percent of all sales for the one publisher. Of course, World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King is on the chart as well, taking spot number two while Guitar Hero: World Tour coming in at number six (full kits for this game were just released recently released).

Last week’s number one best-selling game was Epic’s Xbox 360 exclusive Gears of War 2, which dropped 64 percent and down to position number four.

To give you an idea what our British brethren are playing, here are the top selling games for week ending November 15:

1. Call of Duty: World at War
2. World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King
3. Football Manager 2009
4. Gears of War 2
5. FIFA 09
6. Guitar Hero: World Tour
7. Professor Layton and the Curious Village
8. Mario Kart Wii
9. Pro Evolution Soccer 2009
10. WWE Smackdown Vs RAW 2009

Thanks: GamesIndustry.biz

Anyone who’s bought a new copy of Gears of War 2 was lucky enough to receive a code that unlocks five maps from the original Gears of War’s multiplayer mode. Epic did more than simply copy and paste them into the game; they’ve redone any number of aspects of the levels including the color palette and various parts of the environment, like changing Canals’ water to ice.

As the video above demonstrates, the theme in Gears 2 — so far as multiplayer level design goes — seems to be clarity (and possibly better weather). The rain from several of the levels has cleared up and it’s now much easier to both navigate and find enemies in these redone levels.

Aside from that, don’t expect the levels to play much differently. The overall geometry is largely the same, so chances are that most viable strategies for these maps in the first Gears is still going to work here. It’s surprising how Epic managed to find a middle ground between completely remaking these levels and porting exact copies. Regardless, the lovers and haters will no doubt be swarming in flocks to tell us how awesome/broken/worse/better these versions are. There’s never any pleasing everyone, but do let us know what you think of the remakes and if Epic did too little or too much.

Epic Games president Michael Capps’ complaints about the rental and used game markets cutting into company profits sound a bit hollow today considering a recent report from Microsoft stating that the Xbox 360 exclusive Gears of War 2, had opening weekend sales of over 2 million units worldwide.

To top that off, over 1.5 million people logged into Xbox Live during the weekend, racking up 15 million gameplay hours in Gears of War 2, which set a record for concurrent Live players. Gamers who joined in the fray collectively unlocked over 19 million Achievements.

These huge numbers on both sides of the spectrum are thanks to Cliff Bleszinski’s wish to launch the game on the same day worldwide so that everyone around the globe could log in and share the experience simultaneously:

“We were so excited to launch ‘Gears of War 2’ on the same day all around the world, something virtually unheard of in the games business. We wanted our fans, no matter where they live, to have a shared experience on day one, and that’s exactly what’s happened.”

If those figures were just actual sales in America, you would be looking at over $120 million dollars–and that is not taking into consideration the limited edition version of the game. If you incorporate the current exchange rate of non-U.S. dollars, the numbers get even higher because Gears of War 2 costs $59.99 (£44.99) and the limited edition costs $69.99 (£49.99)–so the British Pound to U.S. Dollar exchange rate is a benefit, meaning it will convert to more money for Epic.

Considering that the Holiday Shopping Extravaganza is only a scant couple weeks away, you can only expect these sales numbers to skyrocket across the globe. Kind of makes Capps’ complaints sound a bit like a child’s temper tantrum now, doesn’t it?

Epic Games is a major player in the videogame industry, not only because they produce mega hits like Gears of War and Unreal Tournament, but because their game development engine, Unreal Engine, is being adopted by more and more developers. Any acquisition would be a tremendously big deal, which made the news we reported on earlier — that Legendary Pictures was looking to acquire Epic — was so significant.

As you would expect, Epic VP Mark Rein has dismissed the notion, telling Develop it’s simply “just another rumor.” This isn’t the first time Epic has been involved in acquisition rumors; Microsoft was reported to be looking to buy Epic earlier this year for $1 billion. Rein famously asked that people start predictions at $2 billion “because we don’t want anyone thinking that we’re cheap.”

Even with Rein’s dismissal, we’ll be sure to continue watching the situation. The number of implications that an acquisition would have are far too numerous to be counted, so stay tuned for the latest.

When it comes to film adaptations of videogames, big name actors are usually never attached to it. Now, this is not to say that famous actors do not star in them, just not great actors — at least in the big shoot em ups that involve some sort of lab or alien created menace. Mark Wahlberg starring in the Max Payne movie is a bit of an exception to the rule considering most action movies based on games star a wrestler or a massive hulk of an actor flexing his oiled muscles.

This is the type of actor that Cliff Bleszinski does not wish to play his hero Marcus Fenix in the film version of Gears of War.

Speaking in Australia recently with IGN, when asked who he would prefer to play the savior of the planet Sera, Cliff once again mentioned the need for a charismatic actor, but this time gave a slightly surprising example:

“Definitely not a wrestler. I think just go with a real actor. You know… like a Clive Owen type; somebody who can actually act and is incredibly charismatic. And they can put him on a workout plan for six months so he can build the muscle mass he needs.”

If an Academy Award Nominated actor like Clive Owen were actually persuaded to play the hulking protagonist it is doubtful that he would ever be able to bulk up enough to resemble Fenix unless he had some help from a doctor laden with a few syringes filled with roid juice. It is understandable that Cliff would want someone with better acting chops and a decent resume to star in his movie, but you won’t get a “great” actor without a decent script.

Hopefully with big names like Legendary Films and New Line Cinema behind the Gears of War movie coupled with the directing talent of Len Wiseman; Chris Morgan’s (Wanted) script might just be enough to entice a good actor to play Fenix. However, at this point, I think someone like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is about the best we can hope for.

Microsoft has actually managed to accumulate some semblance of success in Japan recently with the Xbox 360, thanks to titles like Tales of Vesperia. Early in September, Microsoft held a media briefing in Tokyo where they outlined goals for the 360 in Japan, announcing price cuts and showing off a number of games. From what we’re piecing together, however, it seems like Gears of War 2 won’t be one of those games releasing in Japan — which is utterly bizarre considering that even Madden NFL 09 was released over there.

A recent entry on a user blog at unofficial Gears of War website Gearheads of War by Michael “3Suns” Guenter claims that a local retailer in Japan didn’t have the game listed in its computer and an employee managed to only find the game on Xbox.com with no announced release date. But that’s not all:

“The story isn’t over. As I am walking out of the store, I notice the Xbox 360 2008 Autumn Catalog (Take Me I’m Free). So, I thought, this is great! At least maybe I can get some info out of the promotional literature. Guess what? Gears of War 2 is not listed ANYWHERE in the book. NOWHERE! Not even in the back index. They have games ranging from Too Human (old), Infinite Undiscovery (released a couple of weeks ago), to Star Ocean (2009). Even Gears of War the original is listed in there, but no Gears of War 2.”

It’s a peculiar omission, regardless of the location we’re talking about. We contacted Microsoft regarding this issue, but they didn’t have much to say: “We have no announcements to make about Gears of War 2 releasing in Japan at this time.” Depending on how you look at that, you could simply get the impression of your typical ‘no comment,’ or or you could read it as a suggestion that there are no plans to release Gears of War 2 in Japan.

You’re free to draw your own conclusion, but based upon what we currently know, Guenter probably summed it up best: “I guess Japan is just SOL.”

Cliff Bleszinski and his team don’t feel threatened by casual gamers. The Gears of War creator is confident in the success of Gears of War 2 despite Microsoft courting casual gamers and pushing family-oriented games.

Bleszinski told GamesIndustry.biz in a recent interview that Gears of War 2 has appeal for casual gamers as well as hardcore fans.

“Microsoft currently has to walk that line right now where they’re selling a game that’s a bit more hardcore like a Gears while trying to expand the installed base in regards to casual gamers,” he said.

“Thankfully I’m in a position where I’m just trying to make the best game possible, but at the same time make sure that Casual [difficulty] is truly, truly easy, as well as having a little bit of heart in the story with a game that, yes, it’s about monsters, yes, it’s about chainsaws and blood, but it’s also about a guy who’s looking for his wife.

“There’s still a fair amount of jock, fratboy, macho bullshit in the game – I’m not going to lie. But at the same time, there’s a little bit more personal elements in there, and some of the themes in the game with loss, retribution and the sadness of war, I think they’re coming through a lot more in this game.”

Blezinski goes to say that although many developers specializing in hardcore games are uncomfortable or even feel threatened by the rising numbers of casual gamers, Epic isn’t one of them. He adds,”We say anybody playing videogames in our opinion is a very, very good thing.”

I’ve got to say I feel the same way. The more people exposed to gaming, the less alien and misunderstood gamers and videogames become. If you introduce people new to gaming gradually they may eventually work up the courage to try more hardcore games as they gain confidence in their skills.

Epic has released a new trailer for their highly anticipated sequel to Gears of War, which basically gives an overview of the new plot and character details in the game. This video has design director Cliff Bleszinski, senior producer Rod Fergusson, and Epic president Mike Capps all discussing the trials and tribulations of Delta Squad this time around. Of course, besides all that, it’s just going to be fun to start slicing through Locust with a chainsaw in a fresh new setting. Just another in a long list of reasons that November release date just can’t get here soon enough.

We’ve seen quite a bit from Epic about Gears of War 2’s new weapons, levels, story, and such, but we haven’t seen all that much in the way of really different enemies. Now that’s changed with this new batch of screenshots that show off a few of the new baddies that you’ll be chainsawing your way through in November. They include the guy above with a wicked-looking mace, some bulldog-like creatures, and one guy sporting a flamethrower and a bucket for a head. Right now though, I just hope I’ve finished with Fallout 3 by the time this game hits release.

You can check out the rest of the screenshots here.

Here are some of the most memorable Oh. My. God!!! gaming moments gathered together by the Edge staff. The selections include the latest games back to videogames from the media’s infancy. Their picks include Final Fantasy VII Aeris’ death, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion The Dark Brotherhood beckons quest line, BioShock “Would you kindly” sequence and from Portal, The “Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device.”

I have to fully agree with most their choices; all ten pages of wow gaming moments. My own personal favorite is The Secret of Monkey Island training sequence when Guybrush Threepwood learns the art of Insult Sword Fighting. I have to warn gamers that some of these OMG moments are spoilers and there’s no warning as to which entries qualify.

It’s a well know fact that videogames are a recent favorite scapegoat for the media and politics. Videogames are the latest bad influence on today’s youth like comic books, rock and roll and so many other controversial forms of media and art that have been targeted over the years. Unfortunately, it seems these talking heads are doing their job well.

According to a recent survey by parental advisory website What They Play, parents are more worried about their kids being exposed to Grand Theft Auto than beer or pornography.

The poll, which ran August 1-6, 2008, queried parents on what they’d be most concerned about their 17-year-old child indulging in while at a sleepover. More than 1,600 respondents revealed they’re more apprehensive about their child smoking marijuana (49 percent) and playing the video game Grand Theft Auto (19 percent), than watching pornography (16 percent) and drinking beer (14 percent).

The poll is a follow up to a survey seeking to find out whether sex or violence triggers parents’ anxieties more:

The results of the initial What They Play online poll, conducted April 4-10, 2008, found that the 1,266 participants were most offended by the following in a video game: a man and woman having sex (37 percent); two men kissing (27 percent); a graphically severed head (25 percent); and multiple use of the F-word (9 percent).

No one should really be surprised at these results. It’s pretty obvious that games including adult sexual situations will earn a mature rating more often than one featuring graphic violence. While we’ve become placidly inured to gore and violence, our nation holds true to its Puritan roots remaining squeamish over sex and nudity.

The latest Question of the Day survey in progress is based on Gears of War 2 which will offer parental controls to turn off blood and foul language. Personally I don’t understand why a mature rated game should offer these features at all. The Gears of War series and many others like it were never intended for children.