This new Zelda title, dubbed Legend of Zelda 3DS on the pre-order page, is set in the world of the SNES classic, A Link to the Past but isn’t a direct sequel. It finds Link with the new magical ability to flatten himself and turn into a drawing on the wall, giving developers a whole new dungeon mechanic to play with. The game will also feature multi level dungeons which should look incredible using the Nintendo handheld’s 3D capabilities. The graphics and art style look absolutely beautiful as well. Of course, that’s pretty much expected from a Zelda title -or any of Nintendo’s first party titles for that matter.

I’m sure we’ll be seeing much more of this title at E3, but the footage they’ve released already looks great. Still the page is slapped together with a working title and no other information. Also the aforementioned odd release date, so it might be worth waiting for more information to come from the big N. I’m excited for this title, but this pre-order seems mighty premature. What do you think?

[Via: Amazon]

Michael is a wealthy, middle-aged former bank robber with a family. Franklin works for a business that repossesses cars and is mixed up in shadier business on the side. Trevor comes off as a wild card, and someone without any self control or social graces.

Grand Theft Auto 5 takes place in Los Santos, the version of Los Angeles from 2004′s Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. According to Rockstar, it will be bigger than the areas from the all the former games combined. You’ll play all 3 protagonists as their intersecting narratives lead you through the missions of the games.

GTA V was delayed from its Spring 2013 release and pushed back to September 17th, so these trailers will have to tide you over for now. They show the level of polish and storytelling that we’ve come to expect from Rockstar titles, but there’s also a little something extra….

Blink and you’ll miss it, but around 3:30 it appears that Trevor (of course it’s Trevor) is hanging out with a Juggalo!

MMFWCL Family!

If you aren’t familiar, Juggalos are the fans and followers of horror core rappers, Insane Clown Posse. They’re known for their love of facepaint, Faygo soda and all things Psychopathic records. If you want any more background, this fascinating documentary (NSFW!!) shows them in the wild practicing their strange and confusing customs. You might want to hold off on the popcorn, though.

I have to admit, I’m a little bit obsessed with Juggalos. In recent years the Miracles video and all those strange Gathering of the Juggalos infomercials brought them back into a national consciousness that was happy to have forgotten them long ago. The inclusion of a Juggalo character in the latest GTA marks a major development in Juggalo culture. Juggalos have been down with the clown since day one, and it’s finally paying off. I really hope this character is more than just a one off joke, and he has a role in the story. Rockstar’s writers could do a lot with him!

[Via Gamespot, Kotaku]

“Any attempt to make the connection between Chechnya and Tsarnaevymi if they are guilty, in vain,” “They grew up in the United States, their attitudes and beliefs were formed there. It is necessary to seek the roots of evil in America.”

The FBI identified two brothers as suspected bombers in the Boston Marathon attack that left two dead and dozens injured. The two brothers Tamerlan Tsarnaev and Dzhokar Tsarnaev have Chechen roots, and some reports are claiming that the brothers lived in Chechnya for some time. The brothers had spent some time in the U.S., with the younger brother Dzhokhar graduating from public high school in Cambridge in 2011. Whether the brothers had connections to Chechen groups has yet to be determined.

Kadyrov has been using Instagram since April 2013 and uses it to comment on current events and post updates about his activities, and has over 116,000 followers.

Kadyrov’s full statement, as translated by Google Translate, below:

The tragic events took place in Boston. The blast killed people. We have previously expressed their condolences to the people of the city and the people of America. Today, as reported by the media, while trying to arrest a Tsarnaea was killed. It would be logical if he was detained and investigated, found all the circumstances and the degree of his guilt. Apparently, the special services needed by all means to calm the result of society. Any attempt to make the connection between Chechnya and Tsarnaevymi if they are guilty, in vain. They grew up in the United States, their attitudes and beliefs were formed there. It is necessary to seek the roots of evil in America. From terrorism to fight the whole world. We know better than anyone else. We wish recovery to all the victims and share the feelings of sorrow Americans. # # Boston # bombing investig

[Via: Mashable] [Image: @kadyrov_95]

“What we want to achieve with this new Zelda game is to reinvigorate the flat 2D world of A Link To The Past with the sense of height and volume using the three-dimensional display of Nintendo 3DS.

With it, it’s easier to differentiate levels in the environment and we can truly utilize height differences in dungeons as a puzzle-solving mechanic. While this game is set in the game world of A Link To The Past it features entirely new dungeons and an original story arc.”

It sounds like we can look forward to lots of multi level dungeons and 3D puzzles in this new Zelda and as much hacking and slashing as you can shake a Tri Force at! Of course, no new Zelda would be complete without a strange gameplay mechanic unique to the title.  Be it lycanthropy, railroad construction or ocarina mastery, each game tends to have a twist. This new Zelda is no different. Link is given the ability to turn into a flat drawing and slide along the walls. That may sound gimmicky, but if it’s used half as well as the 2D/3D switch in games like Fez and Super Paper Mario it has potential to be really fun and a little mind-boggling!

Here’s a video of Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime introducing the game.  Come for the Reggie, stay for the awesome gameplay footage!

[Via: Zelda Universe]

It’s also pretty noteworthy that the game is listed for the Playstation 3, not 4. In a revealing slip of the tongue last February, SCEE Worldwide senior vice-president Michael Denny dropped the bomb that GT 6 would be coming out for PS3, and this listing would appear to be another confirmation. I’m as excited as anyone for a new Gran Turismo but I find it a little surprising that the nearly 7 year old console could be getting the next installment in what traditionally has been one of Sony’s showcase series.

The potential for a new GT on the next gen PS4 is one of the things that’s so exciting about the system. The Gran Turismo series has always impressed with its visuals (as well as its realistic handling and huge car selection) and new installments have shown what the current Sony hardware can do. I’m sure a new PS3 GT would be lovely; the system has plenty of life in it as far as I’m concerned and Polyphony Digital would squeeze every drop of horsepower out of the old black box. But a next gen Gran Turismo with some of the mind blowing visuals coming out of Sony’s recent press conferences would be incredible.

Obviously, these kind of leaks create a lot of speculation but nothing verifiable, so let’s all hold our breath until Sony makes an announcement. If there is going to be another PS3 Gran Turismo coming out, I hope there’s a PS4 version as well.

[Via: PlaystationLifestyle]

“Citizens have a right to know that corporations will be held accountable – and not granted immunity – for failing to safeguard personal information adequately,” the memo states. “Moreover, the Administration is confident that such measures can be crafted in a way that is not overly onerous or cost prohibitive on the businesses sending the information.”

CISPA is reportedly up for a vote on the floor of the United States House this week, possibly as soon as tomorrow (Weds.).  The bill’s stated goal is to help the U.S government investigate cyber threats and ensure the security of networks against cyberattack.  To this end, CISPA would allow for the sharing of Internet traffic information between the U.S. government and certain technology and manufacturing companies.

But privacy activists such the Electronic Frontier Foundation have criticized the bill for having weak limits on how and when the government may monitor an individual’s Internet browsing information, and they fear that such new powers could be used to spy on the general public rather than to pursue hackers or cyber terrorists.

Apparently the Obama administration agrees with their fears, at least to an extent.  The memo is very clear that the White House wants change to CISPA, not do away with the bill and they ”stands ready” to work with the House Intelligence Committee and other lawmakers to “incorporate our core priorities” into the final bill.

Congressman Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) of the House Intelligence Committee  disagreed with the President saying, “You can’t get more oversight on making sure that people’s personally identifiable information is protected than the way we structured it in this bill.”

[Via: TheHill.com]

[Image: Jason Heuser]

The tone is bittersweet as the post hints at the next big project from the team:

“Skyrim has been a labor of love for us since we started designing it in 2006. We never imagined it would become the phenomenon it has. And that is because of you, the fans. It was all of you who made it a success. We can’t thank you enough for embracing the game, spreading the word, and making it your own.

For the last year and a half we’ve been working on new content for Skyrim; from the game updates, Creation Kit, Steam Workshop, Kinect support, to DLCs. Parts of our team have also been in pre-production on our next major project, and that game is at the point where it requires the studio’s full attention to make it our biggest and best work yet.”

I spent over 100 hours on this game and it’s still in rotation a year and a half later. But I feel like there’s still SO much left to do, especially with the addition of the DLC we  did get. So, while I’m certainly bummed out about this announcement, I know my time with the game is far from over and the prospect of  bigger and better game from the Bethesda team is really exciting. Let’s all hope for a big announcement soon!

Talos, hear my call.  Bestow unto us Fallout 4!!

Fus Roh Dah!

[Via: Bethesda Blog]