Just because you didn't attend PAX this year doesn't mean you can't tell your friends and loved ones that you totally did. Just click through our gallery and memorize every nook and cranny of the expansive show floor. Then you'll be ready when your friends and family try to test your story. "Ricky, when you were at PAX, did you see a giant dinosaur statue, Phoenix Wright cosplayers and Jonathan Blow working on a laptop?" You bet your sweet ass I did, grandma.

But enough with the words, let the images commence!

Gallery: PAX 2010: A visual tour

PAX 2010: A visual tour originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 05 Sep 2010 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Just two days after revealing its stewardship of the Duke Nukem Forever title at PAX, Gearbox Software just revealed that it has actually purchased the Duke Nukem brand. Gearbox president Randy Pitchford told an audience at PAX this afternoon that they're not just making sure Duke Nukem Forever makes it to store shelves, but they've actually purchased the entire Duke Nukem IP. "We actually bought the brand," Pitchford told fans. "We bought Duke Nukem."

A press release timed to go out with the announcement has some more information. Here's the big picture quote: "Gearbox Software announced today that it has acquired the full intellectual property rights of the 'Duke Nukem' brand including Duke Nukem Forever and all future projects in a cooperative deal made with 3D Realms." Even more interesting: "The first product to be available under the Duke Nukem brand will be the long awaited Duke Nukem Forever." Naturally, if they're buying the brand you can imagine DNF won't be the last game to feature the Duke.

Pitchford made a point to say that Alan Blum, the creator of the Duke Nukem franchise, is now with Gearbox. "He's on the 10th floor with his team," he said. He also wanted to explain that this franchise couldn't simply have been purchased by anyone. "I didn't buy it from [3D Realms]," Pitchford said. "They sold it to me." In the press release, 3D Realms' Scott Miller said, "Gearbox was handpicked as the new home for Duke Nukem because of their continued passion, commitment and long-time heritage with the brand and 3D Realms."

So, Duke Begins then?

Continue reading 'We bought Duke Nukem.' Franchise rights transferred from 3D Realms to Gearbox

'We bought Duke Nukem.' Franchise rights transferred from 3D Realms to Gearbox originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 05 Sep 2010 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We've got bad news and good news. First, the bad news: The new Borderlands DLC pack - that's Claptrap's New Robot Revolution - won't include the two most requested features. Those would be a new level cap and a rebalancing of the main game to accomodate the new level cap. And neither of those will be included with the latest DLC.

Now the good news: They are being included in a free update for the game across all three platforms, Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford told a live PAX audience that his studio resisted making it a part of a DLC pack since, if they included those features, "you'd have to buy every previous DLC" to get access to said features. So, instead, Pitchford said they were going to release a "free update to Borderlands that will both rebalance the original game around the level cap and increase the level cap for everyone."

But Pitchford said the studio still struggled with how high to raise it. On the one hand, Gearbox didn't want to match the 11-point upgrade that many people paid for with the "General Knox" DLC, but on the other the devs didn't want it to be too low, like 5-points. Instead, they came up with another number. "With the current level cap at 61," Pitchford teased, "we realized if we added 8 levels ... "

The audience groans.

So the new level cap is 69 and it will be released sometime around the October 12th Borderlands Game of the Year Edition release.

Free Borderlands update will raise level cap, rebalance main game originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 05 Sep 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Thought this was interesting, Kaz Hirai is saying that Sony’s new console will still be sporting the physical media. Via Gadgetank

Quote: For all us thinking to ourselves that businesses such as GameStop or Best buy may be in trouble because of digital distribution era may want to think twice. Sony boss, Kax Hirai, shed some light in a recent interview with electronista, regarding digital distribution and Sony's next generation console, he noted that Sony will always require a physical medium and it didn't make sense for the company to limit themselves to digitally distributed content. Kaz also believes that the notion of digital media taking over anytime in the next ten years is. "taking it a little bit to the extreme." "We do business in parts of the world where network infrastructure isn’t as robust as one would hope," Hirai also said. Sony may have learned from their mistake of releasing the PSP Go portable console as a download-only machine, which had a devastating effect on the its sales. Sony also met resistance from retailers who did want to sell the PSP Go because they could not sell games for it.

Recent games mix with old favorites in this week's edition.

At the Gearbox panel at PAX Prime, Randy Pitchford told everyone that they would be raising the Borderlands level cap for everyone while adding an extra 8 levels. Yes, that means the level cap will now be 69 and will come free of charge.

After you download the DLC you'll also notice that they re-balanced the game a bit to accommodate the level changes. This DLC is different than the Robot $DLC that will be out in the coming months.

Quote: But Pitchford said the studio still struggled with how high to raise it. On the one hand, Gearbox didn't want to match the 11-point upgrade that many people paid for with the "General Knox" DLC, but on the other the devs didn't want it to be too low, like 5-points. Instead, they came up with another number. "With the current level cap at 61," Pitchford teased, "we realized if we added 8 levels ... " That a little more over at Joystiq.

Somewhere there's an alternate dimension where monster games like Rampage and War of the Monsters are not oddities but rather fine examples of a whole "monsters destroying crap" genre. Eat Them!, which I played recently at PAX 2010, is a game directly from that dimension.

In Fluffy Logic's (Savage Moon) upcoming PSN release, you play as a monster that you've customized every slimy, scaly inch of, from his shoulder rockets to his tentacle legs. Then ... well, you destroy shit.

Continue reading Eat Them! preview: War of the Rampage

Eat Them! preview: War of the Rampage originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 05 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

PAX 2010 is kicking, check out all the sights!

Get the full article at GameSpot

We break away from the PAX 2010 showfloor for a quick look at Windows Phone 7.

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

IGN has posted a hands-on preview of BioWare's Dragon Age: Origins $DLC pack, Witch Hunt.

Quote: Since your original team has disbanded, you'll meet a couple folks along the way to aid you on your journey. To start, everyone is given a Mabari war hound regardless of whether or not the original character had one. Your two humanoid companions are Ariane, a Dalish Elf and Finn, a human mage. Ariane is a no-nonsense kind of gal with a clear goal: find Morrigan and retrieve the book she stole. To contrast her personality, Finn is a book worm that leads a sheltered life in the safety of the Circle of Magi's library.

These three companions will help you fight against an all new enemy -- the Varterral. Massive and gruesome, the Varterral resembles a spider and I freaking hate spiders. This disgusting arthropod will also make an appearance in Dragon Age 2, but it won't sport the same Elvish name and will be known as a Strider instead.

An Ico-inspired adventure that plays with the duality of light and dark.

PAX demo shows three new ways to get your fisticuffs on.

Things are getting wet and wild at PAX 2010 in this interview for Hydrophobia on the XBox 360.

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

We get a sneek peek from the guys of Bungie for Halo: Reach at PAX 2010 panel.

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

Rare has been kicking around for about 25 years, and despite having a low or two recent years, it has had a great impact on gaming. Known for being a bit camera shy, Rare tends to hold its secrets close to its chest. That's not to say it hasn't let people take a peek behind closed doors every now and then -- I remember getting those awesome DKC and Diddy Kong Racing promo tapes in the mail and getting so pumped.

To celebrate the company's wild history, EDGE magazine interviewed a few Rare staff heads for a massive eight-page retrospective. Some of this info may have been revealed in the past, but a lot of it sounds new. For example, did you know that every single level in DKC was designed on Post-it notes and assembled like jigsaw puzzles? Or that Banjo was supposed to go solo before Kazooie was conceived in order to justify the magical wings and legs that popped out of Banjo's backpack? How about that former NOA boss Minoru Arakawa thought that Conker's pissing on anthropomorphic flames was downright hilarious but former NOA chairman Howard Lincoln did not?

When asked what he'd put on the tombstone if the company abruptly kicked the bucket, Rare head of design Gregg Mayles cleverly answered, "Two big eyes on the top." Sweet. Check out the article summary over on DK Vine or grab the latest issue of EDGE to discover other juicy nuggets.

EDGE gets a one-on-one Scribes with Rare [DK Vine]

Frictional Games, developers of the most fascinating cowering-helpless-in-the-dark-like-an-animal games in recent memory (the Penumbra series), has a new game coming out on the 8th, which is enough time to get through the demo.

Quote: We at Frictional Games are happy to announce that Amnesia: The Dark Descent has gone gold. We are extremely pleased with our creation and cannot wait to unleash our bundle of madness on the 8th of September. We feel that we have taken a giant leap forward compared to our previous games, the Penumbra series.

Amnesia: The Dark Descent is a first person horror game with a focus on immersion. It is a game where atmosphere and story comes first. We hope that the game will be a breeze of fresh air, in a genre otherwise populated by "one-man-army action hero" sagas. In Amnesia you are almost completely defenseless, something we believe not only makes the game a lot scarier, but also gives a vastly different experience.

On the 8th of September, an interactive nightmare where reality is a fragile concept awaits.

Do you have what it takes to survive? The 20%-off promotion ($15.99USD) is good until launch day and, for a couple of bucks more, you can get it straight from the developers and get a Steam unlock to go with it. It'll also be available at 10% off at Direct2Drive and GamersGate. Impulse will supposedly carry the game soon.

The Steam license supports Steam Play, which means you get access to the Windows and Mac versions. GamersGate also has a Mac/Windows bundle, but the Direct2Drive version is Windows-only. If you want a Linux version, you'll have to get it directly from Frictional Games for now, although Steam Play and perhaps other outlets may eventually support Linux.

I loved the demo. Frictional Games makes horror games the right way: like actual nightmares. :D I'm playing through Penumbra Overture (courtesy of the Humble Indie Bundle) and their reins on literate, credible presentation/immersion have been taut from the outset. Their games are much more compelling than I'd thought they would be.

Hothead's next game involves killing cute little blue dudes. Unleash your inner Gargamel!

Exciting news day, ain't it?

Every August, a sandcastle and sculpture contest is held at Clam Harbour Beach in Nova Scotia, Canada. This year, one team decided to mold the entire range of Nintendo's home console controllers, super-sized. Chill on this Sunday afternoon with these summer gallery photos.

Kumdan Konsollar [Nintendo Günlüğünüz]

Twisted Pixel is a development studio on the move. Less than two years ago, no-one knew who the hell they were. Then came The Maw in January of '09, and many people immediately took notice of the charm and clever design at play. Fast forward to July of '09, and the release of the widely popular 'Splosion Man during Summer of Arcade pushed their thumbtack of relevance squarely into the map.

The studio is looking to capitalize on the momentum that the success of their last two titles has generated. They've recently moved from the middle of nowhere Indiana to Austin, they continue to draw high-quality talent onto their team, and they're making plans to expand into a two team operation. It's just like they say in Vegas -- you never leave the table when you're on a heater.

After spending some time talking with Twisted Pixel's Mike Wilford at PAX and getting my hands on the full build of their latest, Comic Jumper: The Adventures of Captain Smiley, it doesn't look like their luck's running cold anytime soon. I cannot wait to play this game in October.

Captain Smiley is a comic-book hero without a home. People hate his comic so much that it gets cancelled (and used as toilet paper). So, the once proud do-gooder is forced to moonlight by jumping into other comics (in multiple styles like modern, fantasy, silver age, and manga) to earn money to bring his franchise back. It's an inventive premise that walks the talk by backing up the great art direction with solid gameplay mechanics and a healthy dose of humor.

Comic Jumper uses the comic panel conceit to dabble in both 2D side-scrolling twin stick gunplay/brawling and reticle based 3D shoot 'em up. Wilford wasn't shy about sharing that the team was influenced by games like Gunstar Heroes and Sin & Punishment in the design process, and trust me, that's a good thing. The controls are responsive, the animations are slick, and shooting up the different comic book worlds is a great deal of fun.

What put this game over the top for me, however, was the humor and the way the game is constantly playing with the fourth wall. The Twisted Pixel guys themselves are actually a part of the game, but they exist outside of the comics. They show up in a live-action video to fund Captain Smiley's operation and get him back on his feet, for one. This even bleeds into the gameplay; you can earn tokens that allow you to call for help from Twisted Pixel, and when you trigger them the developers unleash a flurry of actual punches and kicks on the screen, culminating in one of them headbutting the comic panel and destroying all the enemies.

The game is chock full of goodies, including the ability to play both 'Splosion Man and The Maw directly from the HQ in-game if you have them or buy them if you don't. The game will offer challenge missions in addition to the story content, so you can grind those for cash to get upgrades if you have trouble beating a section. There's even two new 'Splosion Man levels you can unlock as you earn cash, giving fans of previous titles even more reason to pick this one up.

Comic Jumper will release on Oct. 6th in a line up with Hydrophobia and Super Meat Boy as part of Microsoft's recently announced Game Feast. Based on my time with the game, I think gamers are going to find it both challenging and genuinely funny. Did I mention that there's a massive nod to Jean Claude Van Damme's Timecop in Captain Smiley's HQ? I rest my case. Gimme, gimme, gimme.

PAX Prime 2010 starts this Friday! This will be the fourth year in a row that Destructoid has attended the nerd mecca and in Seattle, Washington and we have some awesome things in store for you during the entire weekend!

We're doing another panel on Saturday at 10:30AM in the Unicorn Theatre! Niero, Chad Concelmo, Jonathan Holmes, and Jim Sterling will be hosting Destructoid LIVE! where we will be discussing all sorts of things, giving out fabulous prizes, and we'll even have a world-exclusive game reveal at the panel!

Of course, we'll have our nightly plans for our huge community to keep themselves occupied with during the weekend all detailed below. Everyone is welcome to join in on the fun times!

Thursday:

Meetup at Game Works @ 9PM. Game Works is located on 1511 7th Avenue, near the Convention Center.

Facebook page.

Friday:

Former Features Editor, Anthony Burch, and current editor of all things cute, Ashley Davis, will be guests on the GameTrailers.com Presents: Entertaining the Gamer: What Does it Take? panel in the Pegasus Theatre at 5:30PM.

Reviews Editor, Jim Sterling, will be a guest on the Do You Have A Chance Against IGN, 1UP, & GameSpot? panel in the Raven Theatre at 6:00PM.

Meetup at The Elephant & Castle Pub @ 8PM. Located right underneath the Red Lion Hotel on 1415 5th Avenue.

Facebook page.

Saturday:

Destructoid LIVE! panel in the Unicorn Theatre at 10:30AM. Make sure you wear a Destructoid shirt as we'll be taking the annual big group photo immediately after the panel.

Meetup at The Chapel @ 8PM on 1600 Melrose Avenue. Wear a fancy outfit for Suiterday!

Facebook page.

Sunday:

Meetup at Rock Bottom @ 8PM on 1333 5th Avenue.

Facebook page.

Monday:

Everyone cries, says their goodbyes and starts planning for next PAX in Boston and Seattle next year. 

Plans can change at any moment so it would be a good idea to follow some of the staff and community of Destructoid on Twitter as we'll be updating everyone if plans change: Hamza CTZ Aziz, Niero, Samit Sarkar, Dale North, Jordan Devore, Conrad Zimmerman, Jonathan Ross, Jim Sterling, Hollie Bennett, Tactix and power-glove. Also, be sure to check out this app for phones called Conventionist, which is a perfect pocket guide to the expo!

New FAQs, cheats and walkthroughs added

Latest RHEM installment gets a playable sample

0:42 of in-game footage

Various improvements and bugfixes included

Rhem 4: The Golden Fragments sets you into a huge, fantastic world full of strange vehicles and buildings, unknown mechanisms and machines, secret passages and doorways. Adventuresomeness, logic, attentivness and the ability to solve engimas will help the player to slowly but surely unveil the mystery of this new adventure on Rhem. Everywhere on Rhem you can find hints and solutions that will help you to unveil some of the strange enigmas and puzzles in Rhem 4. http://www.rhem-game.com/en/rhem4/index.htm

- Edition Austria content now available as a free update, with four new Austrian cities and scenic roads through the Alps - support for playing MP3 format songs in the game's "radio" - including ability to tune-in to Internet streaming radios playing in MP3 format - graphics engine tweaks for improved compatibility with older graphics drivers http://www.germantrucksimulator.com/

Eschalon: Book I is a game which will take you across massive outdoor environments and deep into dozens of sprawling dungeons as you seek to uncover the mystery of who - or what - you are. Eschalon: Book I features hundreds of items and dozens of creatures, randomly generated treasure and carefully hidden goodies, 24 unique skills, a non-linear storyline and more. http://basiliskgames.com/eschalon-book-i

Eschalon: Book I is a game which will take you across massive outdoor environments and deep into dozens of sprawling dungeons as you seek to uncover the mystery of who - or what - you are. Eschalon: Book I features hundreds of items and dozens of creatures, randomly generated treasure and carefully hidden goodies, 24 unique skills, a non-linear storyline and more. http://basiliskgames.com/eschalon-book-i

Publisher JoWood confirms that a playable demo for Arcania: Gothic 4 is gonna be available for Xbox 360 and PC platforms on September 24, 2010. Check out more info and media from Gothic 4 right this way.

According to a report over at VG247, the PS3-only shooter sequel Killzone 3 is now scheduled to arrive to stores on February 22, 2011. The only thing left for me to do in this instance is to buy a PS3.

Ah crap, my vacation is coming to an end. Waving goodbye to the lovely seashores of Greece, hopefully not for the last time. Gonna be back in the office on Monday to continue the usual work (looks like I have a tremendous amount of reviews to do).