E3 2011: Need for Speed: The Run competes with itself for your attention

Need for Speed: The Run is a departure from the recent Need for Speed titles Hot Pursuit and Shift series. Being developed by Black Box, who also worked on Underground, Most Wanted, Carbon, and Undercover. It’s a return to a more story-driven form. "One of the things we knew we wanted to do for this game was to provide more a blockbuster, action/driving kind of experience – more than just a traditional racing experience," said executive producer Jason DeLong. In between those blockbuster driving experiences, you’ll spend time out of the car on your own two feet. For the first time in the Need for Speed franchise, you’ll feel the need for speed without using a steering wheel.

New Nintendo Console to be Unveiled at E3

GameInformer confirmed yesterday through its sources that Nintendo will be revealing a new console this year. The console will be unveiled at this year’s E3, or possibly sooner, and is expected to utilize full HD-capable graphics. In terms of processing power, it is unclear whether the console will rival the current generation’s frontrunners, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Speculation about a new console gained momentum when a rumor surfaced about a price drop for the Nintendo Wii. According to Joystiq, an inventory list from Kmart listed the console as $149.99 starting May 15th.

According to sources, Nintendo is already showing the console to developers and publisher, hoping to attract their interest for the new console’s software. At a press conference for the Nintendo 3DS, Satoru Iwata, President and CEO of Nintendo, stated, “We need to decrease the concern that only Nintendo software can sell well on Nintendo platforms and third-party software cannot sell in the same volume. We feel a need to have closer ties to our third-party developers from the beginning.” The console is expected to launch in late 2012.

No information about online support was revealed. However, IGN is reporting that the new console will feature backwards compatibility with current Wii titles. CVG is reporting that the console’s controllers won’t simply be an upgraded Wii remote, but may contain a built-in HD screen.

It is still unknown if the console will continue the branding of the Wii, or change the name in favor of something new. More information will become available over the coming months as we head towards E3.

PAX East 2011: The "Other" Us: If We're All Gamers, Does Our Gender Matter?

The topic of females and female characters in games has been a hotly debated topic for many years, but the subject was brought to the forefront last year when former G4 Senior Games Content Producer Abbie Heppe, now Community Manager for Respawn Entertainment, wrote her review of Ninja Theory’s Metroid: Other M. The review, which you can read here, points out the characterization flaws of Samus Aran, the main character, and her subservient attitude towards her former commanding officer, Adam Malkovich. Other M was the first game in the Metroid series to include a voice for Samus, and as Abbie put it, it sounds, “like a 12 year old girl scrawling in her Lisa Frank diary,” rather than a Bounty Hunter who saved the galaxy at least four times already.

New Call of Duty: Black Ops Singleplayer Trailer is Intense

When you think of the Call of Duty franchise the first thing that pops in many people's head is multiplayer. So much so that the same logic is being applied to the new Medal of Honor, which released today. Multiplayer has been a huge feature for the series since its inception and it shows no sign of stopping with the introduction of Call of Duty points and wager matches in Call of Duty: Black Ops. Singleplayer, on the other hand, has had more of a throw away feel to it. Many of the narratives told in Call of Duty games are derivative, short, and don’t have much impact on the game as a whole. However, with Call of Duty: Black Ops, this may change. Treyarch released a singleplayer trailer last night and it shows a heavy focus on secrecy, deception, and playing the lone wolf in missions that have been stricken from the record. Call of Duty: Black Ops will be available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, Nintendo Wii, and DS on November 9, 2010.