Everyone who follows gaming knows that developer Bioware is hard-at-work on the Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO, but according to a remarks made by Bioware's Greg Zeschuk at the European Develop Conference, the company is also working on a smaller-scale MMO.

Details are scarce on what that means, exactly, but here's the quote, from Eurogamer:

"We're obviously working on Star Wars: The Old Republic, a big MMO. But we're working on smaller MMO type game games across the group - things all over the space."

Zeschuk went on to say:

"We explored lots of different kinds of games. We did some Facebook stuff. We did an iPhone game for Mass Effect. It wasn’t the best one – people point that out to us. We learned the hard way. The learning there was you have to iterate. The team went back and made some more games that we never released that were way better. Large scale MMOs. Small scale MMOs. We're going to continue to do triple-A console, but we're also going to be exploring pretty aggressively."

When pressed for more concrete details, Zeschuk said  "It can be almost anything."

The gist of Zeschuk comments is that big console releases are becoming a thing of the past, and the gaming space is moving more and more to multiple formats. This opens up a host of new possibilities, but also means something will be left behind. There's still something special about slipping the DVD or Blu-Ray of a huge game into your system and living in another universe entirely. Hopefully, that "core" experience will translate to different platforms.

As for what Bioware is working on specifically, I would guess they're working on ways of extending the Old Republic experience to other devices, a definitely positive possibility.

Source: Eurogamer

Microsoft have announced their official lineup of events and panels for this year’s Comic-Con, and as you’d expect, Fable III, Gears of War 3, Halo: Reach, and Kinect will take center stage.

Fans eager to get their hands on Microsoft’s upcoming slate of games will be able to do so at the Xbox 360 booth; the booth will be open for the duration of Comic-Con. If Kinect has your interest piqued, then you’ll want to stop by Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Experience Room at the Hard Rock Hotel where you’ll be able to try out a number of Kinect titles including the E3 darling Dance Central and Kinect Sports.

Bungie will be on hand to discuss Halo: Reach, while Microsoft's 343 Industries will lead a discussion that will examine the overall Halo universe. Epic Games will host a Gears of War 3 panel, as well as a developer signing session with design director Cliff Bleszinski, executive producer Rod Fergusson, and lead writer Karen Traviss.

Microsoft will also be presenting a panel for the hit webseries "The Guild" featuring writer/producer Felicia Day, producer Kim Evey, director Sean Becker, and the cast. In addition to the Q&A,  the panel will reveal previously unreleased content from the show as well as other “surprises.”

Here ‘s the full rundown of the events for those brave souls attending Comic-Con:

Xbox 360 Booth

• Booth #5153
• Thursday, July 22 – Saturday, July 24, 9:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Sunday, July 25, 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• With multiple gameplay stations featuring the biggest blockbuster games of 2010 and 2011 exclusive to Xbox 360, attendees can experience Halo: Reach, Fable III, Gears of War 3 and Summer of Arcade on Xbox Live Arcade.

The Xbox 360 Experience Room at the Hard Rock Hotel

• Imagine Room – Hard Rock Hotel
• Friday, July 23 – Saturday, July 24, 9:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Sunday, July 25, 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• For fans looking for the hottest action off of the show floor, the Xbox 360 Experience Room will feature hands-on with some of the biggest Xbox Live Arcade titles from the upcoming Summer of Arcade lineup, as well as Dance Central (MTV Games), Kinect Sports and Joy Ride for Kinect for Xbox 360.

Halo: Reach Panel with Bungie Studios

• Room 6BCF
• Thursday, July 22, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
• Join the developers of the year’s biggest blockbuster, Halo: Reach, to find out what’s “outside the canyon.” Featuring Lars Bakken, Brian Jarrard and more of Bungie Studios, this panel is a can’t-miss opportunity that will feature exciting Halo news and a Q&A with the team. It is open to all show attendees on a first-come, first-served basis.

Gears of War 3 Panel with Epic Games

• Room 25ABC
• Friday, July 23, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
• Looking ahead to the biggest game of 2011, join the team from Epic Games for an up close look at the Gears of War 3 four person co-op campaign, as the team also talks about the broader Gears of War universe and fields questions from the audience. Featuring design director Cliff Bleszinski, executive producer Rod Fergusson, and New York Times bestselling author Karen Traviss, this panel is open to all show attendees on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Gears of War Developer Signing

• Xbox booth (#5153)
• Saturday, July 24, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m.
• Join the team from Epic Games, including design director Cliff Bleszinski, executive producer Rod Fergusson, and lead writer Karen Traviss, as they meet fans and sign merchandise for show attendees.

"The Guild" Panel

• Indigo Ballroom, San Diego Hilton Bayfront
• Saturday, July 24, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
• Writer/producer and Comic-Con special guest Felicia Day, producer Kim Evey, director Sean Becker, and the cast of "The Guild" (including Wil Wheaton) are on hand for a discussion and Q&A, along with the debut of never-before-seen content and other surprises from the award winning webisodes available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace. This panel is open to all show attendees on a first-come, first-served basis.

Halo Universe Panel with 343 Industries

• Room 32AB
• Sunday, July 25, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
• Microsoft’s Halo studio, 343 Industries , is hosting a special Halo franchise panel. Halo Franchise Development Director Frank O’Connor and other renowned series creators, including partners at McFarlane Toys and Weta, will discuss the future of the broader Halo universe. This panel is open to all show attendees on a first come, first-served basis.

Be sure to check back all next week as G4 will be bringing you obscene amounts of coverage from Comic-Con 2010, including four hours of live coverage from the event on July 24. It'll be just like being there except minus an oil tanker full of nerd sweat.

Should the need arise, feel free to E-Mail me your tips, suggestions, and/or personal philosophies, or follow me on Twitter.

Staten Island mom Deborah Berardi is a casual gamer, but she's pretty hardcore. Berardi is accused of helping her twin sons clean up the scene of a beating they'd delivered, then going inside and playing Frontierville on Facebook.

The trouble started on July 5, when Berardi's twin sons reportedly beat down a neighborhood rival in front of her house. The attack  was severe enough that victim was left with with a broken nose, a broken eye socket and a cracked skull. He was convulsing on the sidewalk, and folks on the scene say 55 year-old Berardi pushed a witness who tried to help the victim and snarled "Let him choke." Then, they say she broke out a garden hose and began cleaning the blood-soaked concrete and the victim himself .

After the excitement of the alleged assault died down, Berardi went inside and fired up Frontierville, posting an update saying she "needs hammers in order to complete a general store."

Hardcore, right?

She was taken to jail and charged with second-degree gang assault, second- and third-degree assault, second-degree harassment and fourth-degree criminal facilitation. Shortly after her release from the poke, Berari was playing Cafe World on Facebook.

According to Berardi, the police have made a mistake. "The whole thing is wrong. Everything is wrong," she said. "It wasn’t that way, and that’s all I have to say. And we’ll straighten it out in front of a grand jury."

"I wasn't playing Frontierville on Facebook! I was one-shotting noobs in Halo: Reach!" Berardi did not tell reporters.

Source: SILive

You may have seen how the X-Play debut of the new League of Legends trailer gave me chills. I admit it, I'm easily made cold, one of the reasons I now reside in sunny Los Angeles. However, what's great about this trailer is that, even without knowing which champion could do wield power, it was still exciting. So much so it got me to play the game, which I suppose is the whole point of making a trailer like this.

If you missed it, check it out and be sure to watch it again after you've played the game, which if you haven't yet, you're foolish as it's free-to-play and available at the official site.

Daigo Umehara is the man. We imagine he's probably icing down his fingers today since he successfully defended his title as Super Street Fighter IV champion to win at EVO 2010 yesterday. A field of over 1700 competitors battled it out in multiple games from Friday through Sunday, and Daigo ultimately defeated EG Ricky Ortiz 3 to 1 in the finals. But enough of our yakkin'. Watch how he did it in the video below. 

We'll have more championship video for you from EVO 2010 very soon, so keep checking back. A huge congratulations go out to the expert thumbstickers listed below, because each one of them has secured a space not only in eternal EVO fame, but they have also been placed on a list of people you will fear to come across when playing online. These gamers have the right stuff, and are the best of the best. Give 'em a virtual round of applause.

Tekken 6

• Nin

Super Street Fighter II HD Remix

• Snake Eyes

Super Street Fighter IV Women’s Invitational

• AAA Kayane

Tatsunoko vs. Capcom

• EG Marn

Marvel vs. Capcom 2

• EG Justin Wong

Melty Blood

• Yoichiro “Garu” Aruga

Filed under "Bizarre Yet Fun" video games comes SimTower from the early 90s. It was a game that let you simulate the exciting world of constructiing a skyscaper! Thrill to the enjoyment of building a skylobby! Marvel at the way the trash is removed daily! And watch teeny people turn red with anger as they wait forever for an elevator. Gripping gameplay.

Admittedly, I played this game obsessively. A bunch of people must have done the same thing, because it spawned a sequel called Yoot Tower (after designer Yoot Saito who later went on to develop Seaman for the Dreamcast) a few years later, and that game had a sequel of its own. Besides Mac and PC, It was also on the Game Boy Advance as The Tower SP, and even the Nintendo DS as The Tower DS.

According to TouchArcade, it looks like the game is heading to the iPad as well. Which is one more reason to buy Apple's addictive little fingerprint magnet. This game is highly enjoyable, if strange, and a touch version makes a lot of sense. Not to Yoot his own horn, but try this out of it gets released. You'll curse me later.

Dear Cleveland,

First of all, I'd like to say that we feel some of your pain. Not all of it, of course, because we just brought home an NBA Championship. That might be a bad way to start out this letter, but we thought we might as well get rid of the elephant in the room right away. Sorry about that. But we do have some sports pain that you aren't suffering from: the complete lack of an NFL team. I know you guys played musical Browns in the past when they went and set up the Ravens and all that, but we've had two teams leave us in the dust, so forget about LeBron.

But you're right, it's not comparable to the fact that your city hasn't won a sports championship since 1964. In fact, ESPN went as far as to call you the "Most Tortured Sports City" back in 2004. Ouch. But keep your head up. Cleveland is a proud city. It survived Art Modell, and it will survive the loss of LeBron James. Check out our list of our favorite pop-culture reasons to love The Cleve, and you'll be saying "LeBron Who?" Just like Michael Jordan did.

Ghoulardi

From 1963 to 1966, Cleveland brought forth Ghoulardi onto unsuspecting viewers everywhere. As the host of "Shock Theater" on WJW-TV, Channel 8, Ernie Anderson dressed up in a lab coat, wore wacky wigs, stuck on a fake bears, and endeared himself to viewers everywhere. In the process, he inspired shows like Mystery Science Theater, and father Paul Thomas Anderson, who would go on to write and direct amazing films like Boogie Nights and There Will Be Blood.

Alan Freed

Known to many as "The Father of Rock and Roll," Freed was a Cleveland disc jockey who was one of the first people to use the phrase "rock and roll" to describe the emerging genre of music. In 1951, he hosted the "Moondog Coronation Ball" which is considered to be one of the first rock and roll concerts. He was among one of the first inductees into the Rock and Roll Half of Fame, and the Cleveland Cavaliers' mascot Moondog is named in tribute to him. Speaking of which...

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Cleveland beat out frontrunner Memphis, Tennessee to become the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame back in the 1980s. It's now been open since 1995, and strives to archive the history of rock music, while showcasing some of its legendary performers. Designed by Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei, the museum shares some design elements with the Louvre pyramid, which he also designed, and sits on Cleveland's North Coast Harbor.

Superman

Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster met while they were attending Glenville High School in Cleveland, and the two became fast friends while working together on a science fiction fanzine. Later, they collaborated to create the legendary Man of Steel, who is one of the most iconic characters on the planet. Had the two of them never met, who knows what sort of comic books we'd be reading today, or what Christopher Reeve would be most famous for. And speaking of comic books...

Harvey Pekar

Sadly, the world of graphic novels lost a great when Harvey Pekar was found dead earlier today. His series of American Splendor comics proved that you didn't need to write about superpowered do-gooders or secret detective vigilantes in order to tell good stories. He was a frequent guest on David Letterman, and his irascible, grumpy behavior will be missed. Be sure and check out the film adaptation of American Splendor which starred Paul Giamatti as Harvey.

Howard the Duck

Cleveland has a long history with the entertainment, with some famous films and television shows having been filmed or set in the city. Movies like Air Force One, Happy Gilmore, and Spider-Man 3 were shot here, but it's really Howard the Duck that holds the geek badge of honor. George Lucas himself stepped down as president of Lucasfilm to focus on making movies, like this one. It's become a movie so bad that you have to see it in order to qualify as a true nerd, and being able to quote from it makes you a legend.

Video Games

Cleveland has a rich history with video games that ... well, actually there isn't much of a rich video game tapestry in Cleveland. Can we fix that? Let's set a huge game in Cleveland, or establish a giant video game company there. Respawn? We know you're tied to the San Fernando Valley in California, but why not Cleveland? According to The Economist, it's a great place to live, hold business meetings, and it's known for the great cuisine, so why not build your new offices there? After all, the city doesn't want one of its lasting video game images to be Pimpin' LeBron in a fedora from NBA Ballers.

In closing, we love you, Cleveland. You've got a lot going on, and you deserve the very best. And you can take that to the bank. Just don't try and cash it, please. G4 is not currently legal tender.

All the best,

Kevin

Debuting late last year during a flood of holiday game releases, League of Legends unfortunately flew under my radar. To rectify that problem, I dove in recently and found myself quickly hooked on this quality free-to-play action/strategy game. What got me interested in the game was the CG trailer showcasing the in-game champions, which is debuting on X-Play as we speak (look for it online tomorrow morning). It gave me the chills, but I'm a dork.

In the meantime, the president of Riot Games and executive producer on the game, Marc Merrill, dropped by to chat about the origins of the game, the ongoing community support and the future for season one. Up till now, it's been merely pre-season and now the competitive play is really about to begin, with a worthy $100,000 prize on the line as well.  Want some more insight into the game? Here you go:

For more on League of Legends or play it for free right now, head on over to the official site. And watch out for anyone playing Taric; it just might be me owning your team!

I don’t mean to tease your excitement region, but PopCap are pointing an undead finger at August 2 for what looks to be a Plants vs. Zombies-related announcement of some kind.

The teaser image, compliments of PC Gamer, offers little by way of info other than a the aforementioned date and a reference to San Francisco. An Xbox Live Arcade version of the fiercely addictive title is expected to be released sometime before the end of year, so perhaps next month will bring some more details about that and maybe future PvZ games as well.

Source: PC Gamer

Should the need arise, feel free to E-Mail me your tips, suggestions, and/or personal philosophies, or follow me on Twitter.

The awaited return of the Driver series with Driver: San Francisco will have to wait a bit longer.

Ubisoft announced today Driver: San Francisco is now scheduled for release in early 2011.

"Due to the competitive market at Christmas," said the company in a statement, released alongside sales estimates for the upcoming fiscal quarter, "Driver, previously scheduled for release during the third quarter, will now launch during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year."

Driver: San Francisco isn't the only game to be hit with delays. Ghost Recon: Future Soldier was also delayed into next year. Ubisoft again cited the competitive nature of the holiday season.

Have something to share? Sitting on a news tip? E-mail me. You can also follow me on Twitter.

The buzz so far on Call of Duty: Black Ops is surprisingly strong. I didn't get around to playing Call of Duty: World at War, but I won't be missing out on Treyarch's return to the franchise. Following news that Black Ops pre-orders may be outpacing Modern Warfare 2's, a number of readers -- the very people who are helping determine these numbers -- chimed in about their thoughts on Black Ops so far. NetNapoleon wasn't as convinced about the game as some others.

This will be a wait and see for me. After being disappointed by the last couple of Call of Duty's made by Treyarch they will have to prove themselves before I lay down the $60 that could go to another good game.

Wonder what Will Wright’s evolution simulator Spore would look like as a sci-fi action-RPG? Well, all you have to do to find out is attend the Maxis Studio panel during Comic-Con next week.

Nothing concrete is known about the mysterious title at this point, except that it’s “based on the DNA of Spore” and that Maxis developers will make the reveal next Saturday. Luckily for you, G4 will be onsite to bring you all of the latest news from the Comic-Con 2010, so as soon as Spore Effect is announced, you’ll know about it. 

And remember that on July 24, G4 will be running four hours of live coverage from the convention, which should make up somewhat for the fact that you aren’t able to be there in person (plus, it will smell a whole lot better).

What do you think this Spore-inspired creation might end up looking like?

Source: Big Download

Should the need arise, feel free to E-Mail me your tips, suggestions, and/or personal philosophies, or follow me on Twitter.

Suffering...from...orb...addiction. Something tells me at least a few of you are, too. The Feedback crew will talk about their withdrawl symptomps from Crackdown 2 this week, but we also need some help from you guys. Comic-Con is coming up (where X-Play will even have a panel!) and the rest of the year's events -- PAX, Tokyo Game Show -- aren't far off, either. What should we talk about?

Have something to share? Sitting on a news tip? E-mail me. You can also follow me on Twitter.

As word broke over the weekend about the creative relationship between Edward Norton and Marvel Films getting curb-stomped, it seemed that 2012's crossover extravaganza The Avengers had taken a hit in its loss of the Bruce Banner/Hulk that we had been set up to see in the film. The working history between Norton and Marvel had been legendarily contentious right from the 2008 release of The Incredible Hulk and has been a series of dramatic back-and-forth stories illustrating a supposedly difficult Norton versus a low-balling, intrusive Marvel. That, however, is unimportant and not worth exploring, as the deed is already done. What we're now left with, is an important question: Does The Avengers need Edward Norton?

While we may never know the full story behind Marvel's axing of Norton, it was clear that with ambitious plans and a cast that's already full of huge names, Marvel may not have been willing to pay top dollar for his return in The Avengers. Norton himself seemed to be on the fence at any given time, from expressing an unwillingness to return to recently asking the fan community if they wanted him to return. It also could be that the scope of the role did not warrant what Norton was asking. In fact, based on some speculation on the film's storyline, it would merely have been a cameo. While some rumors pointed to the film featuring Marvel's signature shape-shifting aliens, Skrulls as the primary villains, it was also strongly believed that they would emulate the early Avengers comic storyline in which the team had to battle a rampaging Hulk, who was being controlled as a weapon by Thor's villainous half-brother Loki (played by Tom Hiddleston in the Thor movie and presumably returning for this film.)

The film would have benefited greatly from an appearance by Norton, which could have preserved some of the fledgling continuity in these new batch of Marvel-produced films. However, whether it was a matter of them not being able to work with Norton or simple financial reasons, his presence seemed to be a luxury they believed to be not worth its weight. The key word here, is "luxury." In a scenario with the "rampaging Hulk" storyline, the film may not even require the appearance of Hulk's Bruce Banner persona. In fact, they could easily get away with making it such that the Hulk would be stuck in his monstrous form without reverting back to Banner, as some of the comic's storylines have reflected in the past.

Therefore, in my opinion, given the choice, I would have preferred Norton's inclusion, but the film didn't necessarily "need" him. In fact, the way I see it, the bigger tragedy here is that a potential sequel to The Incredible Hulk has gone from "not very likely" to "NEVER." While it was hardly perfect, it did right most of the wrongs of the previous incarnation of 2003's slow and overly-dramatic Hulk and seemed to be a franchise that might have been worth getting behind. **sigh** Oh, well...

How do you feel about Edward Norton not returning as The Hulk? Does this diminish The Avengers? Or is it an opportunity to cast someone even better?

Creative Director Daniel Neuberger  gives us the lowdown on Lara Croft and the Guardian of the Light, which features Ms. Croft's first foray into co-op, and tells us about the puzzles and challenges packed within.
Watch Larger Version | Watch HD Version

Can’t get enough of the cyberpunk-ish stylings of the Deus Ex universe, and/or video game tie-in novels? Then get this: Del Rey Books has announced Deus Ex: The Icarus Effect, a new novel written by James Swallow and set for release in 2011.

“We’re really pleased to be able to announce this new Deux Ex novel with Del Rey books,” Deus Ex marketing game manager Andre Vu said in a press release. “The novel is set in the Deus Ex universe and there will be characters and story elements in it that will overlap with our next videogame Deus Ex: Human Revolution, which we hope fans will be very excited about.”

Given the buzz surrounding Human Revolution coming out of E3 2010, and the well-established fandom surrounding the series, I would say that Vu is right on with all the excitement talk. And just to help things along, here is the official synopsis of novel:

“Deus Ex: The Icarus Effect is set in the complex and enthralling world of Deus Ex, a cyberpunk-style technological dystopia where all is not what it seems. In the not-so-distant future, the world is a place of great innovation and technological advancement... but also a place of chaos and conspiracy. New technologies push the limits of human potential, even while they threaten the very future of the world. And from the shadows, dark and secret powers are coming together to take control, intent on designs so large, so intricate, they will take decades to come to fruition. But when two unlikely heroes—Anna Kelso, a Secret Service agent, and Ben Saxon, a special-ops soldier—draw uncomfortably close to the truth, the choices they make here and now will alter the course of history... or usher in an age of darkness.”

Sound like a worthy edition to the "game novels" section of your bookshelf?

Should the need arise, feel free to E-Mail me your tips, suggestions, and/or personal philosophies, or follow me on Twitter.

iBuyPower takes gaming PC to a whole new level with the Level 10, which features an eye-catching, unique design. Kevin Pereira and Alison Haislip will review this gaming PC on today's Gadget Pr0n, which boasts a vertical exposed heatsink, LED light effects, and an Open Compartment Architecture that allows users to easily add and remove components.

Dule Hill also sits down with Kevin Pereira to talk about the new season of Psych, while Blair Butler visits the Hasbro headquarters in Rhode Island for a sneak peek at their new toys exclusively debuting at this year's Comic-Con. Tune in tnoight at 7pm for an all new episode of Attack of the Show!

PlayStation 3

• Little League World Series Baseball 2010
• NCAA Football 11

Wii

• Little League World Series Double Play 

Xbox 360

• Little League World Series Baseball 2010
• NCAA Football 11

Click through to see new releases for Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, and PC.

Nintendo DS

• Cats & Dogs: Revenge of Kitty Galore
• Little League World Series Double Play
• Paws & Claws: Regal Resort
• The Sorcerer's Apprentice

PlayStation Portable

No new releases

PC

• Disciples III: Renaissance

Treyarch's traditionally been perceived as the "B" development team for the Call of Duty franchise, but impressive showings for Call of Duty: Black Ops have suggested their latest could be a coming out party of sorts for the studio, a culmination of their work on the series. Besides industry buzz, it seems to be translating to potential sales, as GameSpot reports a Pacific Crest Securities analyst is currently estimating that Black Ops pre-orders are outpacing those for Modern Warfare 2.

Pacific Crest Securities analyst Evan Wilson made the claim in a report released to various outlets. Wilson increased his sales estimate for Black Ops' holiday sales from 10 million to 12 million.

In the past, the Treyarch-developed Call of Duty games have performed extremely well but failed to achieve a similar blockbuster status to the Infinity Ward-produced installments. Growing evidence suggests that could change with Black Ops, scheduled for a release on November 9.

Source: GameSpot

Have something to share? Sitting on a news tip? E-mail me. You can also follow me on Twitter.

Summer might be in full swing, but for many people that means one thing: football season is right around the corner. It's hard to imagine the Jets slugging it out in the snow against Miami right now, especially with New York experiencing some record high temperatures, but these videos make it a lot easier. Check out all four compass points of the AFC in these brand new preview videos from Madden NFL 11.

AFC North

AFC South

AFC East

AFC West