As said before, The Last of Us is a 2013 title. For the person who said Watch Dogs, that is going to be a next-gen title so the earliest you’ll see it is fall 2013 as a new system launch title but more likely you’ll see it in 2014. PhillyMantis has pretty much the big list of what we know of in 2013, only additions I would note are the new Splinter Cell game and the new Tomb Raider. The Tomb Raider is a reboot (take 20-year old Lara that’s never adventured, shipwreck her on a weird island with insane people trying to kill her, and grow with her as she learns to survive by forreging for supplies and having to learn to kill) that plays and looks like Uncharted.

Bioware is taking their time (and EA is letting them) with DA 3 as 2 sold less than 1/2 of what Origins did. That is very rare in the game industry for a sequel to sell less than the original. With new consoles coming next fall, DA 3 would probably be a 2014 game also.

For the guy who had both sealed, definately play Origins first. 2 has some great VO work, but the game falls apart when an event in the third act done by a follower, Anders, who was possessed by a spirit of Justice (both of these guys were seperate characters in Awakening, was an expansion released for Origins and is either pay DLC or included on the Ultimate version of Origins) and is corrupted to think his actions on the behalf of Mages against the Templars and the Chantry (the group that keeps Mages in line in DA’s world) are justified.

Other than that, the only other major problem with DA 2 is the entire game takes place in the same region across a 10-year period so you’ll see the same enviroments over and over. Also EA rushed Bioware so much all the dungeons in the main game have the same 5 basic layouts, just some areas and closed off in different spots.

You’ll love the rest of the cast though (Varric is my favorite dwarf ever, Isabella from Origins returns but is reskinned and has her role expanded, Aveline is awesome for being the female warrior no one messes with but then she doesn’t know how to court someone which turns into the funniest sidequest in the game, Merrill is the Tali type of shy girl if you’re into that but she dabbles in blood magic, and Fenris is my least favorite but his special move in cutscenes is to magically go Kano/Shadowcat on people and crush their hearts from the inside.)

If you do play DA 2, definately play the 2 paid quest expansions for it (Legacy and Mark of the Assassin.) Those quests are better than most of the main game and got fans like me upset when a full-sized expansion called Exalted March for DA 2 was canned by EA due to DA 2′s lack of sales.

If you have tens of hours to kill this summer, you can get both DA titles this week at BB for $30. DA: Origins Ultimate Collection should be in the $20 X360 section of your local Best Buy (Origins, Awakening, and all the DLC for during and post Origins story) and Dragon Age 2 is on sale for $10. I put over 100 hours into those two games and for $30 you can’t beat it.

Now in terms of KoA: Reckoning, it’s a really good game. I’d say it’s one of the 2 best RPG’s released this year along with Witcher 2: Enhanced Edition. Mass Effect 3 would be in 3rd place, although it’s not as far back now with the Extended Cut ending but I still didn’t like it but I don’t hate it anymore. Amalur has incredible combat, and let’s you use two weapons at once without have to resort to swapping weapons via a menu (Skyrim) or putting side weapons on a radial menu (Witcher 2.) Primary weapon is X, secondary is Y, combos are timing based. \

The game encourages you to go multi-class, there’s warrior, rogue, and mage skill trees. Each tree has 3 different weapons types for 9 total weapons: longswords, greatswords (2-handed), hammers, daggers, bows, faeblades (claws), staffs, scepters (staffs are magic melee, scepters shoot magic out,) and chakrams (remember Xena?) Also all classes have shields available, just hit LT to bring you’re shield up to block, it’s also how you parry attacks. I’m a rogue/mage hybrid using daggers and chakrams (which are the highest damage weapons outside the swords and hammers) with some points in the bow skills but the majority of the non-weapon skills I use are in the sorcery tree.

I’ve put about 35 hours in and I’m 1/2 through the main story. Only thing to beware of is the game, especially as you get into the 2nd half of it and you start exploring new areas, dumps a TON of side quests on you so if you’re a completionist you’ll feel overwealmed. This game is also available for $10 at BB but requires more work.

You must first either subscribe to BB’s game magazine ($15 a year) or buy an issue ($5), go before Sept. 1 and use the included $30 off coupon to take Amalur from $40 to $10. Only issue is as reported in the deal threads on cheapassgamer, most BB locations are down to 0-2 copies of the game in stock so you can’t do pick up in store orders and since the game is discontinued, no restock. Some have had luck ordering from the website to have it be shipped to their local store, canceling the order in store and then rebuying in store with the coupon (the magazine coupons only work on in-store purchases.)

In terms of 2012, the games I’m most anticipating (and are either already paid off or close to it at GS) are: Borderlands 2, Street Fighter 25th Anniversary Collection, Resident Evil 6, Assassin’s Creed 3, and Black Ops 2. The games I will get either on sale on Black Friday or with Christmas gift cards are Hitman: Absolution and Need For Speed: Most Wanted (done by Criterion, the guys who did the Burnout games and Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit in 2010.)

I thought he was a big, bad no government help type of guy.

Well, it was a loan — to be paid back, presumably, with interest. And then of course this little caveat.

in exchange for receiving that loan, the company had to move to Rhode Island and actually meet job creation milestones. Thus, the company continued to bring on employees and add titles.

And this is why there will be food riots this summer. Right guys?

Excellent…

Try also the Terra beta if you like Guild Wars 2. It’s like South Korean anime — complete with questionable girl clothing.

It’s not a bad game. It’s just not as immense or as compelling as the first one. The fighting is improved but the story is weak — and for these kind of games, story is everything.

An RPG with a terrible story is the worst, see FF12. I am considering picking up the Last Story. I barely play my Wii, but I’ve heard really good things about it.

speaking of video games, what’s everyone looking forward to this year?

AC3 without a doubt. Just to be able to ambush a company of Red Coats, I don’t care if the rest of the game sucks. Guild Wars 2 has been getting a lot of pub recently, including some ads running on this site. My friend has played the beta and it looks legit.

I didn’t pick up DA2 after it kind of fell flat according to critics and comments. Will get it eventually.

It’s not a bad game. It’s just not as immense or as compelling as the first one. The fighting is improved but the story is weak — and for these kind of games, story is everything.

Haven’t heard anything…think Bioware might take a little time before releasing another. I still have DA 1 & 2 sitting in their boxex, unplayed.

I didn’t pick up DA2 after it kind of fell flat according to critics and comments. Will get it eventually.

Assassin’s Creed 3, Dishonored, Darksiders 2. Will rent Black Ops 2.

As for Schilling, a small amount of research would have told him that it was better to start off small, get a few hits under his belt and then go for the big “pie in the sky” move. Look at companies like Bioware or Ubisoft. They’re 2 of the biggest right now and they took decades to get here.

And this is why there will be food riots this summer. Right guys?

AC3 for sure. Anybody know if anymore Dragon Age is coming around? I’ve gotten back into that recently.

Haven’t heard anything…think Bioware might take a little time before releasing another. I still have DA 1 & 2 sitting in their boxex, unplayed.

AC3 for sure this year. I might pick up the Ratchet Clank collection for nostalgia sake. Next year – the Last of Us, new God of War, Beyond, South Park game, new Bioshock and rumors of the new Arkham/Batman game (prequel)

Far, far more talented business people and software developers would never have access to the capital that Schilling had.

rich and famous guy receives perks common man can’t get. video at 11.

Hopefully, in that video, they’ll show Schilling’s credentials to run a software business.

/they don’t exist