Siren

Not sure how many of you will pop some excitement in your pants for this news, but Square Enix has announced that two somewhat dismal characters from Final Fantasy XIII will be making a return in the upcoming second part of the story, Final Fantasy XIII-2. Snow and Hope were shown briefly in a trailer at the Tokyo Game Show marking their return to your flat screen. Hope appears to have matured physically and Snow is barely recognizable when he reappears towards the end with Lightning's younger sister, Serah. http://youtu.be/vGXurqAKE0I Not sure about you, but I would take Fang and Vanille over those two clowns anyday. via G4TV and

Looks like Santa is going to be delivering a special gift to gamers who want to dump their expensive cable or satellite provider. Microsoft has announced during a financial meeting that their Xbox Live TV service is on track to launch this coming holiday season. According to CNN, Microsoft's demonstration of the tv service showcased voice and motion control technology through Kinect and a sleek interface where Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said that gamers will be able to access their favorite channels, live tv shows, news, sports, videos on demand and more. Many financial analysists and executives from all across the board are reporting that Microsoft is in a unique place and have the opportunity to succeed where many others have failed. One thing that Microsoft failed to do throughout their meeting was mention a price, what their lineup will be, and who they have parterned with. That hasn't stopped rumors though. Some rumors have been circulating that Microsoft will allow cable and satellite providers to stream their tv schedules through Xbox Live TV so that gamers do not miss a single episode of their favorite show. via CNN and Eurogamer

What happens when Valve's ever so popular Team Fortress 2 and the highly anticipated fifth installement of the Elder Scrolls series, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim collide? You get this creative and hilarious fanmade trailer showcasing the perils of the gang from TF2 living in a world where evil is brewing in the horizon. http://youtu.be/4hD-KZsmBl4 via Bethesda Blog

Fans of Final Fantasy might have said, "oh no" when Final Fantasy XIII-2 was announced last year, but that didn't stop Square Enix from continuing on with the followup to 2010's Final Fantasy XIII that found gamers following the story of Lightning as her life intertwined with other characters through the game. Recently at this year's Tokyo Game Show, Square announced a release date for Final Fantasy XIII-2 as January 31, 2012 here in the states, but also a Japan only Playstation 3 bundle that features Lightning herself on the console. So far fans of the series have not been to accepting of Final Fantasy XIII-2 considering the huge flop that was Final Fantasy X-2, so Square will have to wait and see what numbers are in their future for this part two continuation of Final Fantasy XIII. via Digital Trends

Throw those hands in the air and move those legs dancers, because seven new dance tracks were announced for the already 40 plus list of hit songs that you will be dancing to when Harmonix's followup to the mega hit Dance Central, Dance Central 2 releases this October. Mary J. Blige - Real Love Chingy - Right Thurr Missy Elliot - Get Ur Freak On Kevin Lyttle - Turn Me On New Boyz - You're A Jerk Atlantic Connection and Armanni Reign - Reach Remy Ma - Conceited (There's Something About Remy) If the thought of moving those hips to those songs doesn't get you in the mood to break out Dance Central while you wait for Dance Central 2 to release, then maybe this preview trailer from E3 2011 will do the trick. http://youtu.be/uVZCyuw5yYcvia Major Nelson

The previous 2011 release date for the upcoming Kinect enabled Project Draco apparently was just a tease. The Xbox Live Arcade game which is "inspired" by 1995's widely successful dragon rail shooter, Panzer Dragoon now has a new release date that has been listed by Joystiq as sometime in 2012. Project Draco is being developed by the Ground Inc. and will follow a human trying to train a dragon to aid them in combat. Sound a tab bit familiar? via Joystiq

One of the main competitors in the fighting game market, Dead or Alive, will be adding another sequel to its roster, Dead or Alive 5. To make the game's presence known, a short demo featuring a fight between Ryu Hayabusa and an original DoA ninja character, Hayate. http://youtu.be/2ebYsCOp2G0 The gameplay demo seems to emphasize the use of counter-attacks to break the enemy's concentration, and to utilize the surrounding environments, as was demonstrated by the exploding barrels and Ryu dangling off the edge of the skyscraper. via Game Informer and Gamingeverything Written By: Cru Hunter

If you are of the female variety, love the color pink, or just want to get in touch with your feminine side, then the new "Misty Pink" 3DS is just for you. Before you start applying makeup and curling your hair, there is one more tiny piece of info. The cotton candy colored 3DS will only be available in Japan. Nintendo made the announcement yesterday along with a handful of other announcements regarding their 3D handheld. Monster Hunter 4 will be releasing on the 3DS Briefly mentioned system updates Mario Tennis slated for a 2012 release Animal Crossing was announced for the 3DS More young girl friendly games will be releasing on the 3DS A new Fatal Frame is on the way along with Fire Emblem, an RPG Do you think all of the announced 3DS love will save the failing handheld? via Wired

It appears that Xbox 360 owners will also be able to get their hands on the Devil May Cry HD Collection. While Capcom has yet to confirm anything, the ESRB appears to have beaten them to the punch. Ratings for the collection that includes Devil May Cry 1, 2, and 3 have surfaced online and those ESRB ratings clearly include both the PS3 and 360. The collection has been rumored to be a PS3 exclusive since June after it was spotted on a Spanish shop list. via Eurogamer

Ding ding! Today's Fail of the Day is being brought to you by a war of words between two video game titans, Sony and Microsoft. Last week, Sony's Sony's Senior VP of Publisher Relations Rob Dyer went on the defensive by taking a shot at Microsoft's right to deny downloadable arcade games that appear on the Playstation Network first after Microsoft admitted that they are "biased". "We're a little biased, so obviously we're going to look to protect our own space..." ~European Xbox Boss, Chris Lewis in an interview to Eurogamer. " Whilst I can't be specific about the terms and conditions, you can be very confident we seek to maximise our own advantage to ensure the playing field is even, and certainly plays to our advantage wherever possible. As you can also imagine, our partners have to be mindful of the relationship they have with all platform holders, and they need to be equitable. But there are contractual situations where we get agreement with different people to do different things, and through what we have available on Xbox Live, we are able to offer things other people can't offer, that allows that exclusivity and unique elements to it that might not otherwise be available elsewhere." Sony fired back at their competitor, accused them of trying to "protect" an inferior and outdated technology. "I think what [Xbox Europe boss] Chris [Lewis] and the other representatives at Microsoft are doing is protecting an inferior technology. I think they want to dumb it down and keep it as pedestrian as possible so that if you want to do anything for Blu-ray, or you have extra content above 9GB, or you want to do anything of that nature, you'd better sure as heck remember that Microsoft can't handle that." ~ Sony's Senior VP of Publisher Relations Rob Dyer in an interview with IndustryGamers Dyer further ranted, "And that’s a huge problem with them. It first started on the smaller pubs, and we can talk about what’s happened on XBL and the policy they have there that requires publishers to have a whole litany of things in order to get onto their network or they have to go through and be published by Xbox, by Microsoft, which essentially lets them dictate how long they’ll be exclusive and whether or not they own the IP, etc, etc. They - for instance, if you want to be able to do something on XBL, you need to have an office, there’s all kinds of restrictions. We don’t do that. We don’t have any kind of policy like that. We’re not pushing that. In fact, we’ve gone the other way to try and encourage publishers through our Pub Fund... We want to welcome the indies and we've seen that become a very big part of our business because indies are recognizing that we aren’t demanding a pound of flesh in order for them to get a game published on our network." Sony taking advantage of Microsoft's strict content submission and release policy a surprise? No. Microsoft revealing that they are biased towards protecting exclusive content? No. Nintendo not making a peep about this ordeal? No. That is why all of these companies are receiving The Fail of the Day.

Master Chief's big return to your living room has hit a minor snag. The creative director behind Halo 4 has announced that he has left the buidling. Ryan Payton made the shocking announcement and broke news that he formed his own studio, Camouflaj. People were wondering why he would leave Microsoft and 343 Industries when he was working on one of the series that made the Xbox what it is today. "Some people say I'm crazy, but I want to make a game that one billion people play at once, and it's something that hits them harder than a great book or film." Payton furthered added that the Halo 4 he envisioned was not what Microsoft wanted. "The Halo I wanted to build was fundamentally different and I don't think I had built enough credibility to see such a crazy endeavor through." via Joystiq

The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 console was officially announced at the Call of Duty XP weekend event going on in Los Angeles. The $399 console comes with a custom Modern Warfare 3 design, sound effects for the on/off button and disc tray, 320 GB hard drive, two matching wireless controllers, exclusive avatar items, one month subscription to Xbox Live, and of course a copy of Modern Warfare 3. Also announced at the start of the event was a $69.99 Modern Warfare 3 Wireless Headset with Bluetooth that is good to use on other Bluetooth enabled devices. With the purchase of the headset you will also receive an exclusive download. Lastly, the Modern Warfare 3 Wireless Controller will be available for separate purchase at the price of $59.99. The controller's D-Pad rotates to adjust to the gamer's play style. Gamers who purchase the controller will also get an exclusive download. via Major Nelson

Get your hands (or feet in this case) on the brand spanking new licensed Portal socks from Jinx. Not only are they gamer friendly, but they are surprisingly sexy. A pair of these Portal themed knee highs will cost you $9.99. via Jinx

We here at Gamercide are looking for writers of all skill sets to join our News Team. If you enjoy video games and writing then this is opportunity might be for you! Basic Requirements Play Video Games Enjoy Writing Can Turn In At Least One News Story a Day Have Knowledge of What News Story You Write About Be Able To Take Minor Criticism and Grow From It If you are interested in joining the News Team, please send an email to siren@gamercide.org for more details or send me a PM. Be aware that there is a trial period that you will be under until you pass my "final test" and can be a full fledged member of the News Team here at Gamercide.

In an effort to prove that GameStop is sorry for their recent tampering with new PC copies of Deus Ex: HR, the gaming retail giant is offering a $50 gift card and a "Buy Two Get 1 Free" used game offer. Keep in mind gamers that this tear jerker offer requires you to spend money for a 1 free used game and the paltry gift card is not enough to buy a new game at the usual $59.99 asking price. via Ars Technica

For all of the Gears heads out in there, be prepared to dig deep into those pockets if you want an 33% off of all game add ons for one of the most highly anticipated releases slated come out this September, Gears of War 3. Epic Games announced that you will be able to purchase a "season pass" for the bloody awesome shooter that will "guarantee a 33 percent discount on the game add-ons". The newly announced "season pass" will cost you an extra $30. Fans of Gears better choose wisely, because the first round of DLC for Gears of War 3 will be releasing this November. via Joystiq

That is at least in the form of the Call of Duty fan convention that is being held next month in LA. Activision made the announcement today regarding the controversial rapper closing out the Call of Duty XP event at 8 pm on the final day on September 3rd. "We promised our attendees and fans around the world a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the first Call of Duty XP, so we're thrilled to have Kanye on board," Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing Call of Duty XP begins on September 2nd and lasts until September 3rd. 100% of the proceeds from the fan event will go towards the Call of Duty Endowment fund veterans of the armed forces who are returning home and need help adjusting back into their role from soldier to civilian. via IGN and Call of Duty XP

Gamers who purchased the PC version of Deus Ex: Human Revolution from GameStop found out the hard way that they did not receive the promised OnLive code that was suppose to be included with each new copy of the PC game. It's being reported that once customers got home, cracked open their "new" game, the code was not there, and GameSpy has uncovered an email that circulated to GameStop employees telling them to open each new copy of the PC version of Dues Ex and remove the OnLive code without telling potential buyers. Why do you ask? The following statement from GameStop public relations representative, Beth Sharum sums it up pretty well. For those of you that do not know, GameStop gained rival company Spawn Labs and Impulse which is a similar digital download service as OnLive this past July. Does this give GameStop the right to tamper with new games and remove competitor coupons? If you ask me, hell no and I agree with GameSpy who claims that GameStop may have set themselves up for an impending legal battle for tampering with purchases of new games without consent and knowledge of the buyer and then selling them as new. via GameSpy

UFC Undisputed 3 is bringing the pain back to a living room near you in January 2012. For fans of the octagon who cannot get enough of their favorite fighters in video game format, THQ and the UFC has released the debut trailer for the newest addition into the ass kicking series. http://youtu.be/6bQvlJn8IHk via

Ubisoft brought to the gaming community a brand new vision, "From Dust" that released on July 27 for the Xbox Live Arcade and it also released on August 17 for the PC. PC gamers who have been waiting for the game to release since it was announced at E3 in 2010 are now utterly outraged over what appears to be downright lying on behalf of Ubisoft. Unfortunately that statement is far the from the truth. PC gamers everywhere are reporting that instead of being able to play From Dust offline without the need of an internet connection, they are receiving error messages that tell them that they do in fact need a constant internet connection. To make matters worse there are plenty of bugs throughout the game such as the menu screen not loading, poorly designed mouse controls, and the simple fact that the graphics are way below a PC standard for output. Ubisoft has not said anything directly regarding the ported PC version other than they are offering refunds. via Rock, Paper, Shotgun and Platform Nation

Epic Games has announced that Gear of War 3 will support 3D and as a result the highly anticipated shooter has to run at a lower resolution but insists that the graphics difference is not a big deal. "It's a little bit jaggier in certain areas. Instead of 720p you're at five something," said Executive Gears Producer Rob Fergusson. He further explained that the idea to make Gears of War 3 3D friendly came a bit late in the development stage. "It was something that came in really late in our process. It wasn't something where we said, OK, we're going to design the game from the ground up for 3D. It was more of a post-process 3D, where we're like, OK, certain things need to be adjusted, but for the most part it generally works." Fergusson was also loose lipped about the next Xbox technology and confirmed that the next console from Microsoft will support 3D technology like it's rival, the Playstation 3. "As you look forward, in the next XDKs [Xbox Development Kit] coming out of the Xbox, it'll have more support for 3D or more higher quality for native support for 3D. We're supporting the current state of the art for Xbox. Moving forward, the Xbox will be able to take it further." via Eurogamer

Hello Gamercide, As the title implies we here at Gamercide are looking for more talented writers to join the Gamercide News Team. We have a few spots open and if you think you can write about gaming news, then prove it! Choose a current news story that is going on in the gaming industry and write a small, but to the point news article that shows your creative and unique writing style. All submissions must be received by Sunday, August 21. Anything received after that will be deleted. Please send all submissions to siren@gamercide.org. Please include in the subject line, "Gamercide News Entry". Include all links where you found the information for your news article. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Remember writers, we are looking for creative and fresh, not some cookie cutter writer that you can find on every website. Once the submission period is over all entries will be judged and those that are chosen will notified by email. Keep in mind that if you are chosen, you are not a full fledged staff member...yet. There will be a probationary period where your writing skills will be throughly examined and critiqued. Only after the probationary period and with approval from all of the Gamercide Staff will you then be welcomed aboard the news writing team. xOxO, Chastity "Siren" Gamercide's Senior Writer

How much would you be willing to pay for the collector's edition of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim? How about $149.99? The collector's edition comes with a PVC model of The World Eater, Alduin which was crafted by using in game 3D files. Also included with the 30.5 cm tall statue of Alduin is a 200 page art book and a DVD that shows behind the scene footage, interviews, and how the RPG was made from start to finish. via Press Release

Is one of the industry's leading developers picking on the developer behind the ever so addicting, Minecraft? Bethesda has made contact with Minecraft developer Mojang, claiming that Mojang's next game which happens to be titled "Scrolls" is an infringement against Bethesda's popular Elder Scrolls series. Bethesda is citing that gamers will confuse their Elder Scrolls games including the yet to be released Skyrim with Mojang's Scrolls. Mojang's Markus Persson responded over Twitter, posted a picture of the letter, and took to his blog to explain the letter and how he felt. Persson also said that he hopes this is only lawyers being lawyers and not Bethesda itself "pulling a Tim Langdell". Bethesda has asked that Mojang stop using the word, "Scrolls" or else they will face a lawsuit. via Gamasutra and The World of Notch

Yes, you read that correctly. Besides Modern Warfare 3 releasing on the graphically superior Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and PC, it will also be appearing on the Nintendo Wii. [insert sound of crickets here] Modern Warfare 3 releases to the masses on November 8th, 2011. via GameSpot