On this weeks episode of PauseThat Derrin and Ronnie discuss Portal 2, Gears of War 3 beta and Blur for what they have been playing. In news they talk about the PSN outage, Portal 2 first DLC, Minecraft 1.6 update and more.



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News:
Red Faction: Armageddon Demo coming on May 3rd
Sony: PSN User's Personal Information Compromised
Portal 2 DLC, This Cake is No Lie!
Valve Confirms: Portal 2 DLC #1 this Summer, Details
DRIVER San Francisco - Tanner returns on August 30
Minecraft Beta Update 1.6 Adds Maps
Video Games Coming to Redbox


Games:
Portal 2
Gears of War 3
Blur
Conduit 2


Twitters:
Ronnie: @RonyDean
Andreas: @RacingFreak
Derrin: @DernKuhn

Email us:
PauseThat@onPause.org

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Well, that didn't take long (thank god)!

Today Valve confirms the previous rumors of Portal 2 DLC. The awesome PR team at Valve just gave us word that the first DLC Pack 'first game add-o....is in development and targeted for this summer'.

Well, two good statements there, one, we get DLC and two, we will get more than one.

You can expect a bunch of cool new stuff for Portal 2's single and multiplayer modes:

Portal 2 DLC #1 will offer new test chambers for players, leaderboards, challenge mode for single and multiplayer modes, and more.

Good morning deal hunters!

On today's menu we serve a deal of the day' courtesy of Amazon Games and it is a goody!

If you are looking for a shot of pure asphalt based adrenaline and an audio visual experience that will twist your senses, along with a splash of realism, make sure to grab Shift 2 Unleashed.

The game is on Sale at Amazon today and will set you back 40 bucks on consoles and 30 on PC.

Okay, so Need for Speed: The Run was revealed and teased by a sweet trailer yesterday but we didn't get many details on the latest entry into EA's racing franchise. Today a press release shines some light on the mystery.

After Need for Speed Hot Pursuit and Shift 2 Unleashed, which both focused a lot on the racing aspects with no actual storyline, the Black Box developed title 'The Run' will be heavily focused on story and plot twists.

The Run is a game closer to the concept of the 'Underground' games as it will feature characters and urban city racing as well as open road type events where players run not only from the cops. In the new NFS, players will take on the challenge to race from San Francisco to New York City.

As players make their way from the Golden Gate to the Empire State Building, they will take part in high stakes street racing and 'snowy mountain pass'-type contests.

EA noted that The Run will 'take NFS to the next level'. The game is powered by DICE's Frostbite 2.0 to provide a high level of fidelity in the graphics and physics departments. Of course the excellent AutoLog system will be back to pull you into some serious competition!

Need for Speed The Run will be hitting shelves on November 15th, 2011 for the Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PC and 3DS.

REDWOOD SHORES, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Get ready to rip up the road! Adrenaline junkies and speed fiends will find themselves on the wrong side of the law this November when they race for their lives in Need for Speed™ The Run from Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS). The hottest blockbuster this holiday is a game that takes players on a heart-pounding cross-country race from San Francisco to New York. Launching on November 15, Need for Speed The Run lures players into an underground world of illicit, high-stakes racing. The heat is on — and it isn't just the fuzz who are after you. Entering the race is just the beginning as you blow across borders, weave through dense urban traffic, rocket down icy mountain passes and navigate narrow canyons at breakneck speeds. Powered by DICE's state-of-the-art Frostbite™ 2 engine, Need for Speed The Run takes the action racing genre to new heights with stunning visuals and car physics that hug the road even at top speeds all built around a gripping storyline. The cars are hot, the racing is intense and the story will have you at the edge of your seat… all the way from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Empire State building.

"This is the year that Need for Speed goes to the next level," said Jason DeLong, Executive Producer at EA. "We think that Need for Speed The Run is going to surprise people with its intense, thrilling story and big action feel. But the game would be nothing without hot cars and crazy-fast chases. So that is what we're delivering -- explosive racing that will have players flirting with disaster at 200-miles an hour."

Using the groundbreaking Frostbite 2 engine, Need for Speed The Run will set the bar with unparalleled visual quality and enhanced physics. Need for Speed The Run will also take immersive storytelling to a new level with cutting edge performances that will draw the player into a world with no speed limits, rules or allies. Autolog, the Need for Speed franchise's revolutionary social competition functionality, is back and better in Need for Speed The Run as it will continue to reinvent how people play games, track career progression and compare game stats.

Developed by Black Box, a studio of Electronic Arts, Need for Speed The Run will be available November 15, 2011 in North America and November 17, 2011 in Europe for the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, PC, Wii™ and Nintendo 3DS™.

The below clip is a snippet taken from Episode 88 of PauseThat were Andreas and I confess our love for how awesome Portal 2 is. Give it a listen, we didn't spoil everything. ; )



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Well if it isn't the highest frequency released franchise of all time... how are you doing today Need for Speed?

Today marks the day, that another Need for Speed title has been officially confirmed. After Need for Speed Hot Pursuit and Shift 2 Unleashed were released in quick succession at the tail end of 2010 and beginning of 2011, a new entry into the franchise was announced.

The game is called Need for Speed: The Run and seems to feature a full on story mode based on, you guessed it, running for your life! Check out the first teaser trailer. The game already has a release date and will 'shift into gear' (Yup, did that!) on November 15th, 2011.

I sincerely want to make it a point to announce the death of any video game that does not have a serious support and depth in community features and multiplayer offering in a post 'red box gaming rental service' world.

Today Red Box went public in revealing that the service will support full video game rentals starting June 17th, 2011. What does this mean?

You will be able to rent "Top Video Games" for 2 Dollars a day. If Red Box movies are any indication of how well the service can do it will mean serious trouble for publishers and retailers.

Gamers will now be able to head over to Stop and Shop and try out the latest Call of Duty, Forza or Uncharted game for 2 Dollars, beat the campaign and return it. This unprecedented access and ease of use beats (the remaining) Blockbusters and even Gamefly. Developers beware, make gamers 'marry your games' as CliffyB famously said.

Full Press Release Below:

GAME ON! REDBOX ANNOUNCES IT WILL OFFER VIDEO GAME RENTALS NATIONWIDE THIS JUNE

April 28, 2011 –Redbox, America's movie rental destination, today announced it will offer video game rentals at more than 21,000 redbox locations nationwide beginning June 17, 2011. Top video games will join new release movies for only $2 a day complementing $1 DVD and $1.50 Blu-ray™ daily rental prices. The announcement follows a test of video game rentals in select U.S. markets that began in August 2009.

"Redbox will increase consumers' access to video game rentals by leveraging our incredible technology and business model to keep rental prices low for consumers," said Mitch Lowe, president, redbox. "With more than 21,000 redbox locations slated to feature video game rentals alongside movies this June, redbox will be the one-stop shop for entertainment."

Redbox, a Coinstar, Inc. brand, has tested video game rentals alongside movies at 5,000 redbox locations. "Redbox has rented more than one million video games in less than two years at these locations, underscoring the popularity of video game play in America," added Lowe.

Today, nearly 64 percent* of people in the United States own a game console.
Upon launch, redbox will feature games across the three major console platforms: PLAYSTATION® 3, Nintendo Wii™ and Xbox 360®. Video game titles will range from top releases to popular family and kids titles.

"Redbox will make discovering the latest games as easy as a trip to the local grocery, convenience or drug store," said Joel Resnik, vice president, games, redbox.

About Redbox
Redbox Automated Retail, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Coinstar, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSTR), offers new release DVD and Blu-ray Disc rentals through its network of conveniently located, self-service kiosks. Redbox has rented more than one billion movies and is available at more than 27,000 locations nationwide, including select McDonald's restaurants, leading grocery, drug and convenience stores, select Walmart locations and Walgreens locations in select markets. For more information, visit www.redbox.com.

The creator of Minecraft revealed today that in the next beta update (1.6) you will be able to craft maps for your single player world. Where ever you craft that map it will set the center point of 'that map.' Each new area you go to you will have to craft a new map.

Right now Notch says the maps only work in the single player world, but he is working hard to make them available in the multiplayer.

Other than the craftable maps, just a bunch of bug fixes are coming to 1.6.


Source

When it comes to reviewing games, the writing part is usually my less preferred element of the equation, but when it comes to Portal 2 it has to be equal, at least. There aren’t many games that can make me use the phrase ‘Game of the Year contender’ this early on in a gaming year but Portal 2 has managed to do just that. The original Portal was an incredible breath of fresh air and had fans die for a proper sequel. Valve listened and did exactly that, except they went above and beyond.

GLaDOS is still at the heart of Aperture Science headquarters in the follow up title and, when she eventually ‘wakes up’, wants to kill you more than ever, with science. Players will again take over the silent protagonist Chell and go on to quickly realize that Aperture has gone to hell over the past ‘few’ years, well, we don’t really know just how long it’s been but let’s just say, long enough to appear as a few decades. Once Chell wakes from her ‘time off’ as an escaped and re-retrieved test subject, a new character is introduced. Wheatley is a friendly and slightly ‘less capable’ AI in charge of the hyper-sleeping test subjects. After the rather interrupted but hilarious introduction players are thrown right back into the mix of test chambers. While trying to sneak past a, previously defeated and lifeless GLaDOS, Chell and Wheatley realize that she is now alive and well and their escape attempt would probably fail. While Wheatley tries to help Chell escape the chase ends in the inevitable return to testing as GLaDOS regains the reins of Aperture and testing can commence.

Portal 2 is a full length retail release as opposed to the 3 or so hour adventure from Valve original outing. The game includes single player and coop campaigns of about even length, which is around 6 hours or so. As mentioned before, Chell is the playable character in the single player campaign, guided by the hilariously clumsy Wheatley, and battling GLaDOS, which is not the only other character in play at Aperture, but going any further would dive straight into spoiler territory. I will leave you to find out about the actual story.

Portal 2 is incredibly well written and had me laughing aloud during several points of the campaign. This witty excellence in style is met by well thought out level design and art direction. The fundamental portal gameplay is replicated and extended from what was known previously. In addition to ‘simply’ solving puzzles with cubes and portals, Chell will need to use light bridges, tractor beams and several gel types in order to solve the complex and extremely rewarding puzzles in Portal 2. I have never felt more like a mad genius in a game than after solving a mind bending puzzle in Portal 2. I felt like going outside and handing autographs to random passersby but I digress.

After getting used to the concept of portals once again it did not take me long to ‘get it’ and run with some of the new elements Valve introduced in this fantastic sequel. The first new thing involves using portals to shoot light bridges across rooms in order to get from point A to point B, catch a companion cube or block turrets from killing you, not with science but actual bullets. Another new puzzle tool was the occasionally reversible tractor beam which can be placed around different areas to move cubes, Chell or some of the new gels in order to put them into spots where they’re actually needed.

It is certainly worth diving into the gels a bit more since they are probably the coolest new addition to the Portal universe. There are three gels to be concerned with. The blue repulsion gel allows players to reach areas higher up as they create great bounce. The second gel is orange speed gel which allows players to run faster and boost themselves across a room using portals or a jump. The last gel is a white gel which allows players to create portal-able areas and create new possibilities for traversable where it wasn’t previously possible.

On their own these gels may not sound as wild of a game-changer as they really are but when tasked with combining all three in order to reach a top platform, your mind will truly be tested.

All of the new elements can also be used in the all new coop campaign mode which, at times, can be even more challenging than some of the single player puzzles since we are now talking about using 4 portals using light bridges, tractor beams and gel. Combining all of these tools while working with a partner is some of the coolest gaming you’ll do this year. The two characters in coop are a couple of robots which are adorable. The two walking bots can also communicate using timers and mark spots to apply a portal on. This system is very intuitive and along with voice chat made the coop campaign an incredible an equally fun experience as the single player was. Plus, who doesn’t like to high five a robot, right?

Portal 2 is one of those games that do not come around often, it creates a feeling that is reminiscent of when I was a younger and less jaded gamer. I think the word I am looking for is ‘magical’. The amount of effort put into this game is incredible as the detail and accuracy to the Portal universe are stunningly spot-on. Whether it’s the witty writing, voice acting or puzzle design, all of the elements to make a unique game are there and executed beautifully. GLaDOS and Wheatley as well as a third character, to be revealed later in the game, make the journey through Aperture Science’s labs entertaining and almost chilling at points as the story unfolds. Portal 2’s coop is equally well done and creates some of the best cooperative play we have seen in gaming to date. If you do not play Portal 2 you are making a giant mistake, so for science’s sake, don’t make that mistake.

Score: 10 / 10

Portal 2 was developed and published by Valve for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on April 19th. A copy of the game was provided to us by Valve for reviewing purposes.

If you owned a PS One you probably remember the Driver series with protagonist John Tanner at the wheel. After a few years of being absent, Tanner returns into the scene with a brand new story and a new gameplay feature called 'Shift'.

Shift allows Tanner to jump into different cars on the fly and opens up the experience. The game is slated for a August 30th release and will be available on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. Today Ubisoft delivered a new Story Trailer to us.

Enjoy!

May 3rd marks map pack DLC number 2 for TreyArch's Black Ops and it is called Escalation. There will be 5 new maps and some very special new characters to 'play with'.

Take a look. The DLC will be a timed exclusive on Xbox LIVE.

Lucy Lawless and the team at inXile Entertainment go behind the scenes in the latest Hunted video entitled 'Descent Into Mystery'. The latest trailer for the coop action game from Bethesda, which releases on June 3rd, dives into the game's storyline and characters.

Kalypso Media's The First Templar is a cooperative action game which is "set in a dark and gritty portrayal of the late 13th Century during the Crusade where old friends become enemies, corruption spreads throughout the Church and once noble knights oppress the weak and renounce their oaths."

Today we get to see a new character in action. Take a look at the new trailer below which focuses on Marie. Yes, that's a girl folks.

Hang on to your rockers people. Well, if you have an active PSN account, hang on to your identity.

After days of confusion and rumors it has finally been officially confirmed that the PlayStation Network has been hacked - and it's bad!

Sony made an official statement letting its users know that their personal information such as address, name, login information as well as billing address and possibly credit card information has been compromised.

Sony does not know which accounts are affected nor if credit card info has been compromised 'for sure'.

This is a giant blow for Sony's reputation, not only because of the hack but for the reason that they took almost a week to let its users know that the information, vital to identity theft, may be in hackser's hands.

If you want to be sure you're okay, you may want to monitor your credit card, credit reports and other personal information as this thing blows over.

Sony noted that PSN will be rebuild and improved. Expect the network to be back up within a week.

Here are the full details.

If you did not like Red Faction: Guerrilla, I may need you to log off the internet permanently. If you did (and you better!) like it I have some cool news.

Today THQ announced that the sequel to Guerrilla, Red Faction: Armageddon, will receive a demo on May 3rd. The first taste of underground demolition will be available on Xbox LIVE and PSN while PC users get shafted. Sorry.

The demo will be composed of players taking charge of the lead character, Darius Mason, and "fight their way through Martian sewers and an oncoming alien infestation. Meanwhile, Darius must clear his name as the colonists have blamed him for unleashing the alien threat that has ravaged the underground cities of Mars".

Players will have at their disposal the Nano Forge as they combat alien invaders with concussive blasts and core-shattering tremblers. Rebuild all that you destroy with the Nano Forge’s incredible Reconstruction ability. Finally, throw entire buildings at your enemies with Red Faction’s signature weapon, the Magnet Gun.

Today EA Sports revealed that it will hold a character voting poll on the game's facebook page for 3 weeks.

Fans can for for, and therefore decide, which of the mega awesome boarders will make it into the game.

Here is the schedule:

Week of April 25 - Kaori, JP, Moby, Viggo

Week of May 2 – Zoe, Mac, Nate, Allegra

Week of May 9 - Psymon, Eddie, Griff, Tyson

SSX is in development at EA Canada and will release in January 2012.

Last year's Xbox LIVE Arcade release Hydrophobia was a decent game but met with some less than stellar critical acclaim from most outlets, we thought it was okay.

Today it was confirmed that a Steam and PSN release are actually coming under the title Hydrophobia Prophecy. The Steam version will hit on May 9th while the PSN edition has no date yet.

The game is not a new entry or port, it is a reworked version of Hydrophobia 'Pure' and has some additions and changes incorporated.

This comprehensive reinvention of the title includes upgraded graphics, brand new gameplay mechanics, exclusive new levels, a reworked back story, a dramatic new ending, recast voice acting and much, much more. The long list of new features and enhancements is also augmented by changes Dark Energy have made in response to data gathered from the Hydrophobia Listening Post where players voted and commented on the features of Hydrophobia Pure.

Hydrophobia Prophecy will release on Steam for $10.19 / £7.64 (including 15% pre-purchase discount).

Crysis 2 needs no big introduction, it's a great game.

If you have missed out on it so far or were looking for a sale, look no longer or further than Amazon.

Crysis 2 is on sale for 39.99 USD on all platforms. Right HERE!

Is it May 10th yet?

I am anxiously awaiting Bethesda and Splash Damage's BRINK which hits shelves that day. BRINK uses a new movement system called SMART. 'Smooth Movement Across Random Terrain'.

With only two weeks to go before release, Bethesda is rolling out a series of videos to educate future BRINKers about the game.

This has to be one of the darkest days over at the Sony Headquarters. The 'external intrusions' that occurred over the past few days keeps down Sony's Playstation Network and Qriocity services.

Today Sony updated its users via a blog post on the Playstation Blog.

I know you are waiting for additional information on when PlayStation Network and Qriocity services will be online. Unfortunately, I don’t have an update or timeframe to share at this point in time.

As we previously noted, this is a time intensive process and we’re working to get them back online quickly. We’ll keep you updated with information as it becomes available. We once again thank you for your patience.

I am really saddened by this and curse the ones who mess with everyone elses pleasure of using the online service.

On this weeks episode of PauseThat Andreas and Ronnie talk about Portal 2, Section 8 and the InFamous 2 beta. In the news section they discuss first Uncharted 3 multiplayer details, Minecraft 1.5 beta, Alice release date and SHIFT 2 first DLC.



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News:
Uncharted 3 Beta Details and Date Revealed - Multiplayer Trailer Released
Sonic the Fatty Returns!
Go play Minecraft. It's 1.5 Beta today!
Alice: Madness Returns scares us on June 14
First SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED DLC Pack Announced
Section 8: Prejudice Available now on XBLA


Games:
Portal 2
Uncharted 2
InFamous 2 beta
Halo: Reach
Section 8


Other
‪Mafia 2 - Nolan North Talks to Nolan North‬
onPause Media Youtube Channel


Twitters:
Ronnie: @RonyDean
Andreas: @RacingFreak
Derrin: @DernKuhn

Email us:
PauseThat@onPause.org

Remember to subscribe and review us on iTunes!

For all of you that is still up at 1 AM in the morning, DICE has just released a video commentary of the 12 minutes Fault Line gameplay that was released last week for Battlefield 3. The commentary is by Patrick Bach Producer at DICE. Give this video a watch, gives a good insight to BF3 and some things you may have missed.

In case your Friday is a bit too hectic and you need to get you mood right, here is a brand new Child of Eden trailer to do just that.

Child of Eden will release on June 14th for PS3 and Xbox 360 and is being developed by the legendary Tetsuya Mizuguchi.

It has been a few years since the original F.E.A.R. was released and followed up by and expansion as well as a full on sequel. A lot has happened in the twisted world of Alma and her 'family'.

Today Warner Brothers released a story arc trailer to refresh us on the convoluted plot of the FEAR universe.

F.E.A.R. 3 is set to release on May 24th for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

Do you like Sega? Check. Do you have an Xbox? Check. Do you like Sales? CHECK!

Today Sega announced that it has put their entire Xbox LIVE Arcade offering on sale from now until April 25th. Most of their titles are between 40% and 50% OFF.

Here is part of the offering to wet your whistle on.

* After Burner Climax™: 400 Microsoft Points (50% off)
* Crazy Taxi™: 400 Microsoft Points (50% off)
* Cyber Troopers Virtual On™: 400 Microsoft Points (50% off)
* Sonic Adventure™: 400 Microsoft Points (50% off)
* Streets of Rage 2™: 240 Microsoft Points (40% off)
* Phantasy Star II™: 240 Microsoft Points (40% off)
* Gunstar Heroes™: 240 Microsoft Points (40% off)
* Altered Beast: 240 Microsoft Points (40% off)
* Golden Axe™: 240 Microsoft Points (40% off)
* Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I: 800 Microsoft Points (33% off)

Full List here.

The Duke is back. We established that. The game will be out in a few weeks (hopefully) for everyone to enjoy. For now you can check out this Uncensored 'Come Get Some' Trailer.

Duke Nukem Forever is scheduled for release on June 14th in North America and June 10th worldwide on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

Game Informer had a cover story on the upcoming Mass Effect 3 which had plenty of coverage but today the magazine has added 2 new images to their website.

The new screens show Shepard battling a new enemy in what appears to be demolished facility of sorts.

It was only a few months ago that Bethesda went into the publishing business and has since crept up to become a AAA publisher. There are several games on the horizon and and of them is the coop action game 'Hunted'.

Today Bethesda released a Behind the Scenes video called 'Call of the Forge'. "Go behind the scenes with the team at inXile Entertainment as they discuss the world of Hunted and the secrets the Demon’s Forge holds."

Hunted is set for release on May 31st for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

In Prototype Alex Mercer was a bit of an anti hero but not really evil. This changes in the sequel. In Prototype 2 Alex Mercer has become the the antagonist and Heller has to step up.

Why has Mercer turned on the world and who is Heller? What can he do? The latest video looks into those subjects.

Along with the Escalation reveal trailer, Activision has also released twelve new screenshots that show off the action and amazing detail in these new levels. Check them all out below.