Peoww News

LA Noire (Rockstar’s upcoming GTA-from-the-other-side-of-the-thin-blue-line-’em-up) is continuing the precedent set by Red Dead Redemption, by offering multiple retailer-specific preorder bonuses. Those who preorder through Play.com will receive a traffic desk case (sounds fun), while GAME customers will gain access to a vice case, along with ability enhancing suits from other outlets.

Now, I’m already of the opinion that preordering a game before you’ve had chance to read a review is generally a bad idea, and ransoming singleplayer content from a narrative-heavy game to entice such behaviour is pretty sleazy. What makes it worse, though, is dividing the content between competing retailers, making it practically impossible for collectors (exactly the kind of people who do preorder) to own the complete product.  Adam

Peoww News

Yes it is. It’s a magic number; at least, that’s what the producers of newly announced threequels for the Serious Sam and Ninja Gaiden series are hoping.

The trailer for NG3 is short and vague, as is the fashion these days, and features world’s least stealthy ninja Ryu Hyabusa noisily stabbing a man in broad daylight (tut) and getting blood all over his gammy arms. With half-man, half-biscuit, all-awesome series creator Tomonobu Itagaki having long-since left Team Ninja, I fear the series will falter without his self-assured direction. But then you could argue that already happened with NG2, so whatever.

Meanwhile in Croatia, Croteam confirmed Serious Sam 3: BFE (Bright Friendly Environments?) for release on consoles and PC this summer. The game is apparently a prequel set in 22nd century Egypt and looks bloody gorgeous. Along with Bulletstorm, Bodycount, Duke Nukem Forever and (potentially) Postal 3, SS3 could be the hightlight of 2011’s resurgence of more lighthearted first-person shooters. God knows the genre could use a bit of levity.  Adam