Bioshock Infinite gets delayed again

Irrational Games announced today that their highly anticipated title, Bioshock Infinite, was being delayed yet again, but not by much.  The game is now scheduled to release on March 26^th, exactly one month after the game’s previous release date of February 26^th.  According to a report on IGN, Creative Director Ken Levine said the game required some additional polishing and bug fixing to deliver an experience worthy of our hard earned money (thanks Ken).  This delay is the second one to beset Bioshock Infinite as I am sure most of you remember its original release date of October 2012.

I don’t believe this delay will diminish anyone’s excitement for the upcoming game, but Bioshock Infinite has now entered a fairly crowded month for games including Tomb Raider, Gears of War Judgment, God of War Ascension and a little game called Grand Theft Auto V amongst many other high profile titles.  So while excitement may not be in jeopardy, time and money may become an issue for gamers deciding which titles to commit to come March.

What say you reader?  Will this delay affect your gaming in the month of March or will you not skip a beat?  Let us know in the comments and for everything Bioshock Infinite and gaming keep it tuned to The Gamer’s Abstract.

May 15th and Threes

If you haven’t heard already, May 15^th is shaping up to be a pretty happening day for video games, but in particular third entries.  Max Payne 3 was pushed back from its original release date of March 6^th to May 15^th and some semi popular Blizzard PC game called Diablo 3 was announced to be released the same day.  Both games are very different, but lets hope one doesn’t derail the other.

Don't do me dirty Diablo 3

While both games are sure to crush it at retail I can only hope that because of Diablo 3’s newly announced release date Max Payne 3 does not get pushed back again.  I know Rockstar pushed back Max Payne 3 to polish it further, but its previous release date coincided with the release of Mass Effect 3, which wasn’t an opponent you wanted to battle at the checkout counter.  Mass Effect 3 is an RPG by genre, but I think its action mechanics made it too close of a contender with Max Payne 3 for Rockstar to roll the dice.  Diablo 3 however is a RPG with action elements, but I think there is ample separation between the two titles to make them both appealing day one purchases.

Fingers have been crossed, deep breath has been taken

Diablo 3 is only being released on PC currently so I don’t think it will affect the console sales of Max Payne 3, but let’s hope Rockstar feels the same way or we might not see Max Payne 3 for another couple of months.  For those who have been waiting for this game as long as I have would be devastated by another delay so I hope Rockstar remains confident in their product and gets it on store shelves May 15^th.  Stay tuned for any changes to these release schedules and as always you can follow us on Twitter @GamersAbstract and like us on Facebook for more content.

Gamecube trade-ins ending soon at GameStop

Do you have extra Gamecube games, systems or accessories laying around that you want to get rid of?  Well if you do you might want to boogie on down to your local GameStop and dispose of them sooner than later.  Starting April 2^nd GameStop will be adding the Nintendo Gamecube to the long list of systems they will not be accepting trades for.  Just like other systems before the Gamecube this is done to free up inventory space for newer merchandise which is understandable.  Also when a system is proverbially black listed GameStop has been known to run a sale on the platform’s games, accessories and hardware.  So there might be some good to come of this, but until then I can only speculate.  So like I said earlier, sell them while you can and as always you can follow us on Twitter @GamersAbstract and like us on Facebook for more content.

Assassin’s Creed 3 box art is revealed

Soon after Assassin’s Creed 3 was announced earlier this week, details about the narrative, release date and the game’s box art were also revealed.  The game looks to take place during the American Revolution and our character may or may not be of Native American descent (leaning towards is).  This is a welcomed departure from the previous settings of past titles and it will be interesting to see how this new assassin is integrated into the overall narrative of the AC franchise (and his connection to Desmond).  Also depending on what locales are featured in the game could potentially alter the verticality gameplay the series is so well known for, but I have faith in Ubisoft to dazzle us with something amazing.

The game has a release date of October 30^th for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.  Also Ubisoft has a major announcement regarding the game coming up in a few days and will more than likely offer more information in addition to what everyone knows and has speculated about (AC3 site).  If you want more information regarding the historical implications of AC3 ride this link to an awesome video done by Colin Moriarty and Andrew Goldfarb over at IGN.  They break down the box art and Game Informer’s latest cover featuring art from AC3 (lots of interesting info).  As always you can follow us on Twitter @GamersAbstract and like us on Facebook for more content.  Happy Friday everyone and have an awesome weekend.

PAX East schedule is live

PAX East news you say?  The PAX East schedule is now live on the PAX East website.  It gives the run down of all the events and panels that will be happening over the 3 days of awesomeness that is PAX.  If you want to see the schedule just follow this link over to the site and see if anything piques your interest.  You can also still register for individual day passes so if you are interested in going I wouldn’t wait much longer.  As always you can follow us on Twitter @GamersAbstract and like us on Facebook for more content.

Jet Grind Radio HD confirmed

JET SET RADIO!!!!  That’s right folks Jet Grind Radio and all the funk that accompanies it will be rolling out to XBLA and PSN this summer in glorious HD.  Sega had announced this last week and confirmed it this week so all JGR fans can rejoice.  JGR is one of my favorite games of all time so I am really excited for this game to hit both marketplaces (HD+Trophies/Achievements+Already Awesome= More Awesome).  The game is said to have the same amazing soundtrack and will have new graffiti for players to perform all over Neo-Tokyo in this HD release.  If you missed this game on the Dreamcast definitely check it out for your system of choice.  Also if you were part of the majority that didn’t like or wanted something different from Sega’s last Dreamcast effort this generation (the DC Collection) support this game when it releases and get Sega to bring more of our favorite titles to the current gen systems (or completely new iterations).  Keep your eyes out for Jet Grind Radio come summer time and as always you can follow us on Twitter @GamersAbstract and like us on Facebook for more content.

XBL Dashboard Update makes finding games easier

When I turned my Xbox 360 on this morning I was prompted for an update.  Unless something huge is being rolled out updates usually don’t make headlines, so I really didn’t think anything of it.  This update almost went under the radar until I went to search for some new indie games and noticed the layout had changed.  This kind of threw me for a loop and for a moment I thought I was searching in the wrong area of the dashboard.  After careful examination I realized that the infamous “Game Type” button had been removed and that Arcade, Indie, and Games on Demand each had their own dedicated buttons within the Games Marketplace.

Say goodbye to this and the Game Type button that preceded it

A celebration is in order because that was one of my biggest beefs with last fall’s dashboard update.  Finding downloadable games became so layered that prior to today it made finding new games a bit cumbersome, but not impossible.  I also remember a slight uproar in the Indie developing community because the search ability for indie games was buried a few levels deep.  Well worry no more you unsung heroes of video game development because your games are now easily accessible within the games marketplace.  I think that everyone will be pleased by this slight adjustment to the games marketplace and it will make future browsing much more accessible.  We think this update works well, but maybe you might have already gotten used to the previous build.  If so sound off in the comments section and let us know what you think and as always you can follow us on Twitter @GamersAbstract and like us on Facebook for more content.

Resident Evil Revelaitons…a Collector’s item?

While I’ll be the first to admit that my grammar isn’t infallible, Capcom’s recent grammatical flop on the box art for Resident Evil Revelations is a massive screw up and who knows how much it is costing the company, but I digress.  For those of you who are unaware of this error, Capcom sent out their entire first run of RE Revelations with the subtitle misprinted on the spine of the case (Revelaitons instead of Revelations).

Kind of dropped the ball on this one

It wasn’t misspelled by accident in the jacket or somewhere in the fine print on the back, it was done on the f—king spine.  While this is most unfortunate for Capcom and they said they would issue out corrected box art for those who purchased it at launch, early purchasers might have a collector’s item on their hands.

Maybe it got lost in translation

After having heard about this mistake and having received my copy of Revelations with misprinted box art and all I took to the interwebs to see if there was a demand for this flawed version.  Surprisingly enough Amazon doesn’t have it in stock for immediate purchase (2-5 week backorder) and it has been listed on Ebay anywhere from the MSRP of $39.99 in to lofty prices exceeding $100.

Even though early purchasers got a misprint on their case’s box art, they inadvertently received a collector’s item.  I am personally unaware of how many of these misprinted versions are floating around, but regardless it is something collectors or fans of the franchise can hold as something unique (for better or worse).  If any of you hear any buzz about this version or come across any cool stats feel free to share them in the comments section.  As always you can follow us on Twitter @GamersAbstract and like us on Facebook for more content.

Mass Effect 3 Demo coming February 14th

Mass Effect 3 is less than one month ago, but for those of us (which is all of us, let’s be honest) who can’t wait until then we will have a demo to hold us over.  The Mass Effect 3 demo drops on all platforms February 14^th and the Xbox 360 version will have Kinect integration.  The Mass Effect 3 demo will also have unlockable content for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (just like Reckoning had for ME3 and itself).  If you are among the super impatient ME fans (which again is most of us) there is also an option for you to access the demo even earlier.  On the Mass Effect 3 Facebook page there is a mini game that offers you the user a chance to win early access to the demo and will grant you access to ME3 avatar items (unfortunately Xbox 360 only).  The game is pretty ambiguous as to how it is supposed to be played and if you are unsuccessful in completing this puzzle game after three attempts you will be locked out from it for 2 hours; then you will have the option of trying it again (Big ups to IGN for the link).  That is all folks for Mass Effect 3 demo news.  You can either wait until Tuesday or try and beat the mini game on Facebook, but either way Mass Effect 3 goodness is not that far out.  As always you can follow us on Twitter @GamersAbstract and like us on Facebook for more content.

3DS Circle Pad Pro only available at GameStop in North America

Do you own a Nintendo 3DS?  Do you plan on getting the Circle Pad Pro when it launches early next year?  Lastly, do you live in North America?  If you answered yes to all of three questions you will need to know this in order to purchase it (if no then I’ll allow you to stop reading).  The Circle Pad Pro is an attachment for the Nintendo 3DS that adds an extra thumb stick and shoulder buttons to the console and will reportedly have limited support working with only select 3DS titles (Resident Evil: Revelations and Monster Hunter 3G are confirmed).  That is its main function, but in order to buy this attachment you will have to shell the $20 asking price over to GameStop.  According to a Gamasutra article I read, the Circle Pad Pro will be sold exclusively through GameStop in North America and is being done so as an initiative to reduce the amount of potential extraneous units floating around at other retailers.  That same article also mentioned about how this isn’t Nintendo’s first rodeo with doing something of this sort.  Nintendo also did this with Electroplankton and Chibi Robo!Park Patrol for the DS.

I think that anything Nintendo can do to reduce the risk of over manufacturing these attachments is an excellent idea.  Having them at one retailer will almost guarantee that they will only produce what is either pre-ordered or requested from the retailer.  I think this is a win-win for everyone and will surely keep Nintendo from dipping further into the red.  What do you think of this act on behalf of Nintendo?  Do you think it is a good/bad idea?  Do you wish you could purchase it at your choice of retailer?  Sound off in the comments section and let us know what you think.  As always you can follow us on Twitter @GamersAbstract and like us on Facebook for more content.