RAGE Comic Con 2009 Trailer
A teaser video for RAGE has been released, showcasing this shooter developed by id Software and built on id Software’s newest game engine, id Tech5.

Freaky Creatures Game Client
Freaky Creatures lets you create your own creature using billions of possibilities. Once you are done you can battle and raise your creature continually improving and customizing it.

BorderLands Comic Con 2009 Trailer
Straight from the San Diego Comic Con, this trailer gives a glimpse of Borderlands, the upcoming action title from Gearbox and Take Two.

Gran Turismo PSP TV Ad Trailer
This trailer shows off a TV advertisement for the upcoming PSP version of the simulation racer from Polyphony Digital.

Spore Hero Wii Trailer
Check out the Wii version of Spore in this trailer, and head back into the world of creating your own creatures in a massive 3D world.

Brutal Legend Brutal Thoughts with Jack Black Episode 5 Video
Jack Black returns in his fifth Brutal Thoughts video. This episode features Black trying to create a viral video sensation with a guitar playing cat.

Uncharted 2 Gold Rush Mode Trailer
Get a glimpse of Uncharted 2’s Gold Rush mode in this trailer for the upcoming adventure / action title.

Gearbox president Randy Pitchford confirmed via an interview with Shacknews that Battlestar Galactica writers Bradley Thompson and David Weddle wrote the script for the upcoming FPS Aliens: Colonial Marines.

“They’re amazing guys. They gave us a lot, too. We could make a whole season of TV with the stuff they gave us.”

Pitchford also mentioned that Syd Mead would be be concept artist for the game. Mead designed the Sulaco spaceship from the Aliens movies and did a lot of work on one of my favorite movies of all time, Bladerunner. Mead will also be designing areas inside the Sulaco that were not shown in the movies.

Aliens: Colonial Marines is expected to be released for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 during the beginning of 2009. Of course, we have also been told the last part of 2008, but 2009 looks more likely.

Via: CVG

SEGA today revealed details of the latest foray into the Alien franchise, this time a squad-based first-person shooter titled Aliens: Colonial Marines. Given the thumbs-up from 20th Century Fox, SEGA and Gearbox Software plan on releasing the game for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 in late 2008.

In Aliens: Colonial Marines, players are part of a United States Colonial Marine squad and must prepare to face an Aliens assault with an original story penned by renowned writers Bradley Thompson and David Weddle. The game promises to retain the atmospheric look and feel of the original films while leveraging next-generation technology to create a new interactive Aliens experience – sansSigourney Weaver.

Classic Aliens weaponry such as pulse rifles and flamethrowers will be at your disposal as well as brand-new equipment and skills within a squad-based combat system. Featuring claustrophobic environments, a brooding soundtrack, and a surprises, players must battle against the alien hordes in different levels, some of which include the familiar and stark interiors of the abandoned Sulaco along with environments created specifically for the game.

Aliens: Colonial Marines will feature a story driven single-player mode and an all-new four player co-op mode allowing players to share the experience with three friends. In co-op mode, each player will assume the persona of a United States Colonial Marine and have a distinct role to play in the completion of every mission. Additionally, more multiplayer modes will be revealed later in the year.

Check back often for screenshots and more information regarding Aliens: Colonial Marines along with a concrete release date when one becomes available.

Via: Press Release

Randy Pitchford is looking for a few good men, or women for that matter. Over on the Gearbox forums, he has posted a butterfly inducing announcement regarding the fact that he is hiring for a huge new project. Here is an excerpt:

“I’ve started a new project. It’s big. It’s, like, look-at-our-line-up-and-imagine-something-even-bigger kind of big. I’m Directing it myself. I can’t mention it publicly yet. When you find out what this is, you’ll likely agree that I can’t oversell this one………I’m looking for some talent from outside of Gearbox to join us for this one. Specifically, we need a super senior artist – lead artist or art director level. “

He also mentions the fact that he will be at DICE and GDC in Feb, so if you are indeed serious about applying for any of the job listings, email him and let him know you plan on going so he can meet with you personally.

Not only is this good news for people in the industry looking for a job, but for gamers as well because it just adds to the speculation of what this BIG project might be. We can pretty much expect that whatever this mystery project is, we will not get our grubby paws on it until close to 2010 because Brothers in Arms Hell’s Highway and Borderlands have yet to ship; plus they have the Aliens project still going on. However, if it is anything like other games they have touched, it is indeed something to get excited about.

For more information on this grand opportunity or just to be nosy, click here.

Those of you who own a PlayStation Eye (are there any of you out there?) will find two new Eye games on the PlayStation Store today, each for $1.99. Mesmerize: Trace and Tori-Emaki both support 1080p and offer rather bizarre gaming expereices – absorbing visual and aural effects? An interactive art experience? Don’t dare file these two under “hardcore games.”

Also new this week is the Blast Factor Bundle, which includes both the full game, multiplayer pack, and Advanced Research pack. The new MotorStorm track pack I posted about earlier is available, along with the weekly dosage of Rock Band tracks.

Demos of FIFA Street 3 and Turok can both be downloaded for free, along with a ton of videos and themes.

Check out the full list after the break.
Read the full article

Want to go to college and learn the ins and outs of software programming, but don’t have the funds? Well, thanks to Gearbox, some lucky students will get to learn this valuable skill thanks to a new scholarship program. Gearbox Software (Brothers in Arms) is pledging $50,000 in scholarships and support to the Fellows Scholars program at The Guildhall at Southern Methodist University. Not only will Gearbox be offering much needed financial support for art creation, level design and software programming graduate students, they will also be providing ans audio and lab professional mentors for students during their study.

“The only thing growing faster than our industry is the critical need for new and creative talent,” said Randy Pitchford, CEO and president of Gearbox. “I think it is clear that the videogame industry has the vast financial support and consumer demand it needs to continue its global growth. But what I and many industry leaders are very worried about is hiring and retaining world class talent. That’s why programs like The Guildhall at SMU need our support.”

Since SMU began The Guildhall program in 2004, 15 of their graduates have become employed by Gearbox, and several of these graduates have a major role in the development of Borderlands which is scheduled to hit the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 sometime around Christmas 2008. The Guildhall has a 95% placement rate and more than 180 graduates are currently working at 70 different videogame studios around the globe. Offering both a Master’s degree and a graduate Professional Certificate of Interactive Technology in Digital Game Development, with specializations in art creation, level design and software development – this definitely sounds like an integral step for anyone who is interested in these fields to take.

For more information, please visit: GamesIndustry.biz, for the full article and SMU for more information on this exciting program.

The 1up team caught up with Gearbox president Randy Pitchford after the Games Conference demo. Pitchford has confirmed that Xbox 360 owners will need to have a hard drive to play Borderlands.

Gaming Today first reported the details of Borderlands last week. It’s a futuristic sci-fi FPS with four player co-op. To get at the root of the problem, the game features a “content generation system” that procedurally generates everything including weapons and armor, allowing for almost unlimited variations in missions, environments, enemies, weapons, item drops and character customization. It also uses huge amounts of data.

“If it weren’t for where the 360 and the PS3 have gone, with big hard drives, and lots of memory, and powerful processors, there’s no way you can conceive of this as a console game,” Pitchford said.

Pitchford doesn’t seem concerned about Microsoft’s ambivalent attitude about games requiring hard drives on its console.

“I don’t know if [Microsoft is] gonna complain about that, and I don’t want to be in the middle of a controversy there, but you need space,” he said.

Borderlands is set for release on the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC late 2008.

via 1up 

2K Games announced today that it will publish Borderlands, the latest project from developer Gearbox Software, for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360. The first title in an all-new sci-fi action franchise, Borderlands plans to combine first-person action with player customization and vehicular combat. Gearbox Software has developed new technology to create Borderlands gameplay, featuring a “content generation system” allowing for near-endless variety in missions, environments, enemies, weapons, item drops and character customization. Borderlands is a co-op, and will allow players to freely join or leave each other’s games at anytime, or choose to play in the full single-player mode. The game will also feature life-like character animations, real-time physics, and customizable vehicles.

“Borderlands represents an important evolutionary leap in game design and technology,” said Christoph Hartmann, President of 2K. “By utilizing revolutionary new technology to create thousands of unique, randomly generated missions, weapons and situations, Borderlands will raise the bar for next gen action games.”

“Borderlands creates a universe of gameplay that goes far beyond anything anyone would expect. We’re tapping into every bit of Gearbox Software’s experience with the biggest science fiction video game franchises, then taking everything way past the next level,” said Randy Pitchford, President of Gearbox Software. “The team at 2K Games shares our passion for pushing boundaries in gameplay and storytelling and are absolutely perfect partners for Borderlands.”

To be made available during the holiday 2008 season, Borderlands will be the cover story for the September issue of Game Informer, so check back to get our thoughts on this new title as well.

The press blackout on the Gearbox Software forums has ended. Randy Pritchard of Gearbox broke the long silence with a post last night.

You can expect to see much more coverage from all your favorite sites, as Pritchard says, “We’re ready to start talking again. We’re ready to start showing the game.” Apparently this forced silence has been good for the team, and hopefully, good for the game. Plenty of information to follow, as Pritchard says, “By the end of May, news and information should start trickling out. Then, the trickle will turn into a stream. I’m going to be on the road pretty much non-stop until the last week of May.”

Here’s hoping the game lives up to the hype this is sure to generate.