Whoa there, GameTap; I think I need a minute. You’re telling me that you’ve partnered up with THQ to bring some of their games to your subscription service? And what’s more, these are actually some of their best titles? I need to sit down…preferably in front of my gaming rig. Yes, GameTap has indeed confirmed a number of cool titles will be making their way to their service this summer, games such as:

• Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War
• Company of Heroes
• Red Faction
• Supreme Commander
• Saints Row 2
• Titan Quest
• Puzzle Quest
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl

There’s enough games there to keep you occupied for quite awhile (Puzzle Quest alone may steal a couple weeks off your life). The only out-of-place one on the list seems to be Saints Row 2, since that makes me wonder if the game will hit GameTap the same day it hits retail — like Codemasters did with Jericho.

Via Press Release

Clive Barker fans take note of this – Codemasters have launched a competition where you can win a signed Clive Barker faceplate for your Xbox 360. There are also numerous other prizes such as:

• Prima Official Guide for Clive Barker’s Jericho
• A Clive Barker’s Jericho Special Edition (choice of PS3 or Xbox 360 formats)
• A Clive Barker’s Jericho T-shirt

For the full details of the competition, visit the Codemasters website.

Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy was a gem when it came out in 2004 for the PS2, Xbox, and PC. Sure, the graphics weren’t that great, the story was ridiculous, and the subtitle sounded more like the name of an indie rock band; but that didn’t matter because you could throw things around with your mind. The game seriously did “Force powers” better than any Star Wars game (take note, Force Unleashed). I have a strong appreciation for shooters that allow you to take out enemies without even firing a shot, and Psi-Ops did this better than most. Read the full article

National Institute on Media and the Family (NIMF) has released its 12th annual video game report card, a resource designed to help parents decide which games are appropriate for their children.

The ten video games NIMF Flags this year are:

• Assassin’s Creed
• Call of Duty 4
• Conan
• The Darkness
•  Jericho
• Kane & Lynch: Dead Men
• Manhunt 2
• Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles
• Stranglehold
• Time Shift

NIMF has taken an alarmist attitude claiming  the video game industry, retailers and parents themselves have become lax about game ratings. It claims half of children ages 8 – 12 have played M-rated video games.

“There’s an endless stream of new games that will never be suitable for children,” said Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minnesota, who joined institute officials and other lawmakers at a news conference.

“Unfortunately, we’re seeing some steps backwards,” said institute president David Walsh.

The industry’s Entertainment Software Rating Board defends the current ratings system while criticizing the NIMF report.

“At a time of year when parents are looking for helpful guidance about video games, this year’s report card does little more than sow unwarranted doubt about effective tools like ESRB ratings,” said ESRB president Patricia Vance.

I get the distinct impression from reading the report that the NIMF believes all video games should be suitable for children.  At least the games they flagged are actually relevant to this year unlike Detroit Prosecutor Kym Worthy’s hopelessly outdated list.

via CNN

Popular Mechnaics has chosen Mass Effect as its number one pick for game gear to buy for the holidays. The game heads up the top 5 picks of must buy game gifts. Other titles in order are Rock Band, Call of Duty 4,Super Mario Galaxy and GameFly.

There are games you show your nongaming friends—like a few minutes of Halo 3, or a few hours of Rock Band. But when you’ve happily shunned fresh air, sunlight, and nondeliverable food for a week straight, you’re playing the gamer’s equivalent of heroin—a long, dorky role-playing game. And this month, you’ll be sprawled in unwashed darkness because of Mass Effect, the best RPG to ever hit a console.

The magazine also has 5 recommendations on what not to get for the holidays. Heading up the list of infamous titles to pass on is Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock followed by Assassin’s Creed, Clive Barker’s Jericho, Ghost Squad and the Wii Zapper.

via Popular Mechanics

Are you looking for a new ringtone for your cell phone? Hoping for one of those interesting quotes from the members of the Jericho squad in Clive Barker’s Jericho?

If so, you’re in luck. FileFront has 5 exclusive Jericho ringtones for your enjoyment, free of charge. These ringtones include quotes from Delgado and Ross, as well as a couple of taunts from the twisted creatures in the recently released horror-based squad shooter.

If you’d like to download these ringtones for your phone, just click the badge below!

It’s Wednesday, and that means one thing to game fans — well, aside from releases of Assassin’s Creed and Crysis — today’s the day for another game review from The Escapist’s resident Brit-with-a-stick-up-his-arse, Yahtzee Croshaw. After a string of reviews for games that he didn’t completely hate, he now delves into a game that he absolutely despised with Clive Barker’s Jericho. Bad for Croshaw, hilarious for us. As you can imagine, he pulls no punches as he describes everything that made him hate the game in great detail. And as usual, it’s a laugh riot.

Via The Escapist

We’ve all been watching as Clive Barker’s Jericho hit stores recently (It’s on Gametap as well). After all, there’s never anything wrong with a quality, horror-based shooter, especially one that bears the legendary name of Clive Barker. But what makes a horror story great? It’s the monsters, of course!

Now, courtesy of the folks over at Codemasters, we’re going to bring you some exclusive artwork showing off the monsters you’ll encounter in Jericho. Not only that, but we’ve included a short Q&A session with Lead Designer Joe Falke. Find out what it’s like working with the visions of Clive Barker firsthand.

You can find more images, and the complete interview after the break.

Read the full article

Halloween is here, and what better way to celebrate than by paying homage to some of the most notorious ghouls and monsters to grace our PCs and consoles? Without such cannon fodder as spiders, vampires and zombies we would be condemned to just shooting our fellow man, which although fun, would get old after a while. In compiling this list, I came across some notables worthy of an honorable mention, but who have yet to become mainstream enough to cross over into different genres, and instead continue to be pigeon holed within their niche. While this list is in no way a complete list of video game baddies, it is instead a list of some of the most common miscreants to get within our pistol sites or in the vicinity of our broadsword.

These distractions on our way to victory in our gaming universe are also not listed in order of importance or occurrence rate – because face it – one is just as annoying and evil as the other. Unfortunately, these monsters never get the glory that their bosses do, because they are nothing more than expendable minions set upon our paths to deplete our life force so that the main antagonist may continue with more important matters – World Domination. In truth, they become nothing more than something for you to enjoy chopping to bits or a vessel for extra health, magic, or cash, the poor, misguided fools. So without further ado, let me introduce you to the stars of this post.

Read the full article

The biggest game to hit GameTap recently is undoubtedly Clive Barker’s Jericho, although after seeing the reviews, you might not be quite so excited to play it. If that’s the case, then maybe new additions Clans or Abomination will tickle your fancy. That’s assuming you’re a subscriber, of course, but there’s plenty of love for the freeloaders out there, too. 46 games are available to play for free, including a Sam & Max episode and Tomb Raider: Legend. Check after the break for the full list.

To celebrate Halloween, GameTap will also be home to an exclusive Clive Barker Jericho interview (which, for some reason, I doubt will discuss why the game isn’t any good) and some Castlevania games. Can’t go wrong there.

Read the full article