G4TV

With 2010 about to kick off, the G4tv.com and X-Play teams took a look at the games set to release (or are likely to) in the next year. What follows is a list of the top 5 most anticipated games for each editor. How will it compare to your personal list? Which games will live up to the hype? Which games are you looking forward to? Leave your list in the comments section.

Sterling McGarvey -- Senior Reviews Editor

God of War III <span class="tooltip-content"> <span class='tooltip-tab-container'> <span class='tooltip-tab-wrapper active' onclick='tooltiptab(this);'><span class='tooltip-tab PS3'></span></span> </span> <span class='tooltip-active tooltip2 PS3'><div class='tooltip-name'><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/44695/god-of-war-iii/index/" title="God+of+War+III">God of War III</a></div><hr /><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/44695/god-of-war-iii/news/" title="God+of+War+III news">News</a></h6> (49)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/44695/god-of-war-iii/news/" title="God+of+War+III news">Previews</a></h6> (16)</li> <li><h6>Review</h6></li> </ul></span><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/44695/god-of-war-iii/videos/" title="God+of+War+III videos">Videos</a></h6> (35)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/44695/god-of-war-iii/screenshots-and-images/" title="God+of+War+III screenshots &amp; images">Screenshots</a></h6> (14)</li> <li><h6>Cheats and Walkthroughs</h6></li> </ul> </span><div style='clear:both;'></div></span> </span><div class="arrow"></div>

So just how is Kratos going to destroy Mt. Olympus and reduce Greek mythology to rubble? I don’t think the Romans are going to have much to do with it. If he’s going down, he’s taking everyone with him.

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I'm sure you're an awesome guy and all, but rapper Ice-T is cooler than you. Here's a multi-media exploration of the many ways Ice outclasses you:

• He plays Modern Warfare 2, well. Check out the pic Ice posted:

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Welcome to Morning Hangover -- an excellent way to start your day with the crew at TheFeed...no matter what you're recovering from. Every morning you'll hear musings from our editors and have the chance to share your thoughts on what's going on in the gaming world.

So I've been playing Left 4 Dead 2 <span class="tooltip-content"> <span class='tooltip-tab-container'> <span class='tooltip-tab-wrapper active' onclick='tooltiptab(this);'><span class='tooltip-tab xbox-360'></span></span> <span class='tooltip-tab-wrapper' onclick='tooltiptab(this);'><span class='tooltip-tab PC'></span></span> </span> <span class='tooltip-active tooltip2 xbox-360'><div class='tooltip-name'><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/61952/left-4-dead-2/index/" title="Left+4+Dead+2">Left 4 Dead 2</a></div><hr /><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/61952/left-4-dead-2/news/" title="Left+4+Dead+2 news">News</a></h6> (56)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/61952/left-4-dead-2/news/" title="Left+4+Dead+2 news">Previews</a></h6> (20)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/61952/left-4-dead-2/review/" title="Left+4+Dead+2 review">Review</a></h6></li> </ul></span><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/61952/left-4-dead-2/videos/" title="Left+4+Dead+2 videos">Videos</a></h6> (62)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/61952/left-4-dead-2/screenshots-and-images/" title="Left+4+Dead+2 screenshots &amp; images">Screenshots</a></h6> (44)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/61952/left-4-dead-2/screenshots-and-images/" title="Left+4+Dead+2 cheats &amp; walkthroughs">Cheats and Walkthroughs</a></h6> (55)</li> </ul> </span><div style='clear:both;'></div></span> <span class='tooltip2 PC'><div class='tooltip-name'><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/pc/62550/left-4-dead-2/index/" title="Left+4+Dead+2">Left 4 Dead 2</a></div><hr /><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/pc/62550/left-4-dead-2/news/" title="Left+4+Dead+2 news">News</a></h6> (44)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/pc/62550/left-4-dead-2/news/" title="Left+4+Dead+2 news">Previews</a></h6> (18)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/pc/62550/left-4-dead-2/review/" title="Left+4+Dead+2 review">Review</a></h6></li> </ul></span><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/pc/62550/left-4-dead-2/videos/" title="Left+4+Dead+2 videos">Videos</a></h6> (50)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/pc/62550/left-4-dead-2/screenshots-and-images/" title="Left+4+Dead+2 screenshots &amp; images">Screenshots</a></h6> (8)</li> <li><h6>Cheats and Walkthroughs</h6></li> </ul> </span><div style='clear:both;'></div></span> </span><div class="arrow"></div> lately, and I am going to use this space to make a public apology to everyone I've ever played with: I'm sorry for waking up those witches.

I know I'm supposed to creep around them and not shoot, but something always, like, happens, and the next thing I know there's a witch all up in my grill tearing me apart. Can't I feed them some Ambien or something? So sorry, everybody. I know how not cool I am. (I'm not sorry for jacking your health peels, though.)

Feel free to use the comment section to offer your own gaming confession and apology. Honesty is good for the soul.

Here's one from the rumor-mill: Word on the internet is EA is creating a new football game for the Wii, but it's not a Madden title. Instead, "NFL Trainer" aims to get players to participate in football exercises and workouts. It will give you advice on how to throw passes and, presumably, do other football-style actions. Rumor has it the game will come with a pigskin shaped attachment to add realism. Supposedly, the game will be officially announced in January.

I think this is a fantastic idea -- games that use the Wii to inspire people to exercise seem to appeal mostly to women, so using the Wii for male gamers who want to get a little exercise would actually work really well... That's assuming it's Wii Fit for football fans, but if it's just a collection of Wii-centric football mini-games, that's cool too. Football is good, and EA trying to expand their position as the home of video game comedy makes perfect sense.

Rumors that the Oakland Raiders are investing in this game for its entire offense are probably not true, as I made that up.

Source: Destructoid

While PlayStation 3 owners have had ample time to try out EA's Dante's Inferno <span class="tooltip-content"> <span class='tooltip-tab-container'> <span class='tooltip-tab-wrapper active' onclick='tooltiptab(this);'><span class='tooltip-tab xbox-360'></span></span> <span class='tooltip-tab-wrapper' onclick='tooltiptab(this);'><span class='tooltip-tab PS3'></span></span> <span class='tooltip-tab-wrapper' onclick='tooltiptab(this);'><span class='tooltip-tab PSP'></span></span> </span> <span class='tooltip-active tooltip2 xbox-360'><div class='tooltip-name'><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/57216/dantes-inferno/index/" title="Dante's+Inferno">Dante's Inferno</a></div><hr /><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/57216/dantes-inferno/news/" title="Dante's+Inferno news">News</a></h6> (28)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/57216/dantes-inferno/news/" title="Dante's+Inferno news">Previews</a></h6> (8)</li> <li><h6>Review</h6></li> </ul></span><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/57216/dantes-inferno/videos/" title="Dante's+Inferno videos">Videos</a></h6> (23)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/57216/dantes-inferno/screenshots-and-images/" title="Dante's+Inferno screenshots &amp; images">Screenshots</a></h6> (9)</li> <li><h6>Cheats and Walkthroughs</h6></li> </ul> </span><div style='clear:both;'></div></span> <span class='tooltip2 PS3'><div class='tooltip-name'><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/57212/dantes-inferno/index/" title="Dante's+Inferno">Dante's Inferno</a></div><hr /><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/57212/dantes-inferno/news/" title="Dante's+Inferno news">News</a></h6> (29)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/57212/dantes-inferno/news/" title="Dante's+Inferno news">Previews</a></h6> (8)</li> <li><h6>Review</h6></li> </ul></span><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/57212/dantes-inferno/videos/" title="Dante's+Inferno videos">Videos</a></h6> (23)</li> <li><h6>Screenshots</h6></li> <li><h6>Cheats and Walkthroughs</h6></li> </ul> </span><div style='clear:both;'></div></span> <span class='tooltip2 PSP'><div class='tooltip-name'><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/psp/61847/dantes-inferno/index/" title="Dante's+Inferno">Dante's Inferno</a></div><hr /><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/psp/61847/dantes-inferno/news/" title="Dante's+Inferno news">News</a></h6> (17)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/psp/61847/dantes-inferno/news/" title="Dante's+Inferno news">Previews</a></h6> (4)</li> <li><h6>Review</h6></li> </ul></span><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/psp/61847/dantes-inferno/videos/" title="Dante's+Inferno videos">Videos</a></h6> (11)</li> <li><h6>Screenshots</h6></li> <li><h6>Cheats and Walkthroughs</h6></li> </ul> </span><div style='clear:both;'></div></span> </span><div class="arrow"></div>  demo for most of December, Xbox 360 gamers had to wait till Christmas Eve to "Go to Hell". Feel free to drop your thoughts on what the Visceral Games project feels like to you. Is this a promising new series on the rise? Or just a phantom of God of War? Or perhaps something in between.

If you haven't had the time to take a stab at the game with the busy holiday weekend and/or massive glut of quality games already out, we've taken the liberty of capturing the 360-version of the demo for you below.

A couple weeks ago, we brought you a video in which myths about Modern Warfare 2 were busted or confirmed. It is time for part 2. Enjoy:

Leave a comment below if you have any other MW 2 myths you think need exploration.

Will the (surely upcoming) Avatar sequels leave the lush and dangerous forests of Pandora?

Now that Avatar is a certified hit, having been fully absorbed into the phalanx of popular culture, it may be time for it to take its proper place among hallowed halls that are the rumor mills of the Internet. In the lead-up months towards the film's release, we've heard numerous interviews with director, James Cameron concerning the possibility of a sequel. Besides some vague talk, we (understandably) have not gotten anything of substance out of the man. However, website MarketSaw is now reporting that they have confirmed (which is a big claim) the notion that there are plans for not one, but TWO Avatar sequels, which will take place outside the planet we've gotten to know in the first film. (And surprisingly enough, has yet to induce any 3-D-related seizures.)

The claim is backed by an initial report about said premise, which was supposedly confirmed by Cameron in a recent round-table interview hosted by Hero Complex and The Envelope. There, Cameron is asked if the multiple moons seen in the film will serve a role in potential sequels. Cameron would answer (while getting some bizarre stares from Sigourney Weaver):

"The planet in Pandora's sky, is called Polyphemus and it's the primary for the system of moons just like in our solar system." Adding, "We have some story ideas about how to branch out into other moons of the Polyphemus and the Alpha Centauri A solar system."

Is this a "confirmation" in the official sense? That is highly doubtful. The notion of Avatar sequels taking place outside Pandora was not exactly the "super breaking news" it might seem. In a film that depends highly on its visuals, the "been there, done that" syndrome would be fatal for any further efforts. Logically, the speculation would lead to such a conclusion, regardless of whether or not Cameron follows-through with the idea. (Which we may not know for years to come.)

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According to website TorrentFreak, the most pirated game of 2009 was Modern Warfare 2 <span class="tooltip-content"> <span class='tooltip-tab-container'> <span class='tooltip-tab-wrapper active' onclick='tooltiptab(this);'><span class='tooltip-tab xbox-360'></span></span> <span class='tooltip-tab-wrapper' onclick='tooltiptab(this);'><span class='tooltip-tab PS3'></span></span> <span class='tooltip-tab-wrapper' onclick='tooltiptab(this);'><span class='tooltip-tab PC'></span></span> </span> <span class='tooltip-active tooltip2 xbox-360'><div class='tooltip-name'><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/61715/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2/index/" title="Call+of+Duty%3a+Modern+Warfare+2">Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2</a></div><hr /><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/61715/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2/news/" title="Call+of+Duty%3a+Modern+Warfare+2 news">News</a></h6> (99)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/61715/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2/news/" title="Call+of+Duty%3a+Modern+Warfare+2 news">Previews</a></h6> (16)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/61715/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2/review/" title="Call+of+Duty%3a+Modern+Warfare+2 review">Review</a></h6></li> </ul></span><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/61715/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2/videos/" title="Call+of+Duty%3a+Modern+Warfare+2 videos">Videos</a></h6> (83)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/61715/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2/screenshots-and-images/" title="Call+of+Duty%3a+Modern+Warfare+2 screenshots &amp; images">Screenshots</a></h6> (88)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/61715/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2/screenshots-and-images/" title="Call+of+Duty%3a+Modern+Warfare+2 cheats &amp; walkthroughs">Cheats and Walkthroughs</a></h6> (112)</li> </ul> </span><div style='clear:both;'></div></span> <span class='tooltip2 PS3'><div class='tooltip-name'><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/61714/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2/index/" title="Call+of+Duty%3a+Modern+Warfare+2">Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2</a></div><hr /><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/61714/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2/news/" title="Call+of+Duty%3a+Modern+Warfare+2 news">News</a></h6> (95)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/61714/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2/news/" title="Call+of+Duty%3a+Modern+Warfare+2 news">Previews</a></h6> (17)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/61714/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2/review/" title="Call+of+Duty%3a+Modern+Warfare+2 review">Review</a></h6></li> </ul></span><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/61714/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2/videos/" title="Call+of+Duty%3a+Modern+Warfare+2 videos">Videos</a></h6> (82)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/61714/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2/screenshots-and-images/" title="Call+of+Duty%3a+Modern+Warfare+2 screenshots &amp; images">Screenshots</a></h6> (88)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/61714/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2/screenshots-and-images/" title="Call+of+Duty%3a+Modern+Warfare+2 cheats &amp; walkthroughs">Cheats and Walkthroughs</a></h6> (118)</li> </ul> </span><div style='clear:both;'></div></span> <span class='tooltip2 PC'><div class='tooltip-name'><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/pc/61913/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2/index/" title="Call+of+Duty%3a+Modern+Warfare+2">Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2</a></div><hr /><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/pc/61913/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2/news/" title="Call+of+Duty%3a+Modern+Warfare+2 news">News</a></h6> (99)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/pc/61913/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2/news/" title="Call+of+Duty%3a+Modern+Warfare+2 news">Previews</a></h6> (17)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/pc/61913/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2/review/" title="Call+of+Duty%3a+Modern+Warfare+2 review">Review</a></h6></li> </ul></span><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/pc/61913/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2/videos/" title="Call+of+Duty%3a+Modern+Warfare+2 videos">Videos</a></h6> (82)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/pc/61913/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2/screenshots-and-images/" title="Call+of+Duty%3a+Modern+Warfare+2 screenshots &amp; images">Screenshots</a></h6> (88)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/pc/61913/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2/screenshots-and-images/" title="Call+of+Duty%3a+Modern+Warfare+2 cheats &amp; walkthroughs">Cheats and Walkthroughs</a></h6> (112)</li> </ul> </span><div style='clear:both;'></div></span> </span><div class="arrow"></div> , crushing all the competition. The game was reportedly downloaded 4,100,000 times for the PC and 907,000 times for the 360. As for the Wii, the most downloaded title of 2009, by far, was Super Mario Bros. Wii <span class="tooltip-content"> <span class='tooltip-tab-container'> <span class='tooltip-tab-wrapper active' onclick='tooltiptab(this);'><span class='tooltip-tab Wii'></span></span> </span> <span class='tooltip-active tooltip2 Wii'><div class='tooltip-name'><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/wii/61993/new-super-mario-bros-wii/index/" title="New+Super+Mario+Bros.+Wii">New Super Mario Bros. Wii</a></div><hr /><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/wii/61993/new-super-mario-bros-wii/news/" title="New+Super+Mario+Bros.+Wii news">News</a></h6> (22)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/wii/61993/new-super-mario-bros-wii/news/" title="New+Super+Mario+Bros.+Wii news">Previews</a></h6> (2)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/wii/61993/new-super-mario-bros-wii/review/" title="New+Super+Mario+Bros.+Wii review">Review</a></h6></li> </ul></span><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/wii/61993/new-super-mario-bros-wii/videos/" title="New+Super+Mario+Bros.+Wii videos">Videos</a></h6> (25)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/wii/61993/new-super-mario-bros-wii/screenshots-and-images/" title="New+Super+Mario+Bros.+Wii screenshots &amp; images">Screenshots</a></h6> (14)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/wii/61993/new-super-mario-bros-wii/screenshots-and-images/" title="New+Super+Mario+Bros.+Wii cheats &amp; walkthroughs">Cheats and Walkthroughs</a></h6> (23)</li> </ul> </span><div style='clear:both;'></div></span> </span><div class="arrow"></div> which was downloaded 1,150,000 times.

As far as illicit downloading itself: It's going strong, sadly. This year, the most downloaded titles more than doubled last year's numbers, equaling the growth in uTorrent users.

Please understand, pirates, if you continue stealing content in this way, eventually, the budgets of games will have to be cut, honest consumers will be forced to put up with more Draconian anti-piracy measures, and game companies will lose money. No one wants that, do they?

When you've finished contemplating the moral implications of your hobbies, click the "Source" link for the full list of most torrented games of the year.

Source: TorrentFreak

Evan Wells is co-president of Naughty Dog, and right now he's got to be feeling pretty good about life. His studio has been racking up awards for their stellar Uncharted 2: Among Thieves <span class="tooltip-content"> <span class='tooltip-tab-container'> <span class='tooltip-tab-wrapper active' onclick='tooltiptab(this);'><span class='tooltip-tab PS3'></span></span> </span> <span class='tooltip-active tooltip2 PS3'><div class='tooltip-name'><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/57025/uncharted-2-among-thieves/index/" title="Uncharted+2%3a+Among+Thieves">Uncharted 2: Among Thieves</a></div><hr /><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/57025/uncharted-2-among-thieves/news/" title="Uncharted+2%3a+Among+Thieves news">News</a></h6> (55)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/57025/uncharted-2-among-thieves/news/" title="Uncharted+2%3a+Among+Thieves news">Previews</a></h6> (21)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/57025/uncharted-2-among-thieves/review/" title="Uncharted+2%3a+Among+Thieves review">Review</a></h6></li> </ul></span><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/57025/uncharted-2-among-thieves/videos/" title="Uncharted+2%3a+Among+Thieves videos">Videos</a></h6> (69)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/57025/uncharted-2-among-thieves/screenshots-and-images/" title="Uncharted+2%3a+Among+Thieves screenshots &amp; images">Screenshots</a></h6> (46)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/57025/uncharted-2-among-thieves/screenshots-and-images/" title="Uncharted+2%3a+Among+Thieves cheats &amp; walkthroughs">Cheats and Walkthroughs</a></h6> (102)</li> </ul> </span><div style='clear:both;'></div></span> </span><div class="arrow"></div> , the follow-up to their PlayStation 3 debut Uncharted: Drake's Fortune <span class="tooltip-content"> <span class='tooltip-tab-container'> <span class='tooltip-tab-wrapper active' onclick='tooltiptab(this);'><span class='tooltip-tab PS3'></span></span> </span> <span class='tooltip-active tooltip2 PS3'><div class='tooltip-name'><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/36246/uncharted-drakes-fortune/index/" title="Uncharted%3a+Drake's+Fortune">Uncharted: Drake's Fortune</a></div><hr /><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/36246/uncharted-drakes-fortune/news/" title="Uncharted%3a+Drake's+Fortune news">News</a></h6> (16)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/36246/uncharted-drakes-fortune/news/" title="Uncharted%3a+Drake's+Fortune news">Previews</a></h6> (1)</li> <li><h6>Review</h6></li> </ul></span><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/36246/uncharted-drakes-fortune/videos/" title="Uncharted%3a+Drake's+Fortune videos">Videos</a></h6> (9)</li> <li><h6>Screenshots</h6></li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/36246/uncharted-drakes-fortune/screenshots-and-images/" title="Uncharted%3a+Drake's+Fortune cheats &amp; walkthroughs">Cheats and Walkthroughs</a></h6> (5)</li> </ul> </span><div style='clear:both;'></div></span> </span><div class="arrow"></div> . On the day that they received X-Play's award for 2009 Game of the Year, he made some extra time to talk with us about Uncharted 2's development cycle, including what they were (and weren't) happy with, how difficult it is to design a game's ending, the decision to include multiplayer, and the inherent coolness of trains.

G4:  In the first official meeting to discuss the sequel to Uncharted, what did you guys sit down and talk about? What decisions were made?

Evan Wells:  One of the first things we did was we generated a list of the touchstones of what we thought the Uncharted franchise was, and the things that we wanted to make sure to honor while we were trying to expand and grow and bring a new experience to the players. So we hit on the fact that we were an action/adventure game that was inspired by the pulp novels and TV shows and movies of the 20th century. That we wanted to maintain a sense of humor -- we didn't want it to get too dark. And that Drake was fallible and relatable, and because of the humanness to his character. So we made a big, long list of maybe 8 or 10 things that we wanted to make sure we didn't deviate from as we were trying to expand the game.

And then we started talking about exactly how we wanted to expand it. We wanted to deliver on a lot of things that we were hoping to be able to include in the first game, which was to create that feeling of playing a summer blockbuster movie by delivering those really over-the-top cinematic set pieces. We knew it was going to take a lot of technology to support that stuff that we weren't able to get developed for the first game. We quickly wanted to get to the point where we knew at least the part of the world we were in, and the explorer...I guess that was another one of the touchstones, is that we were always going to be following an explorer, and it was going to be some sort of historical mystery that was going to be unraveled. So we settled on Marco Polo and Asia because we didn't want to be pigeon-holed as "the jungle game," so we wanted to do something that was very different than the environments in the first game. And to do something different, just to change up the experience, we wanted to do a little bit of globe-trotting -- we didn't want to have the entire game play out in just the one environment, which most of the first game played out. Again, to create that contrast.

G4:  Is that how you picked Shambhala and the Cintimani Stone?

EW:  Yeah, we knew that we wanted to do snow and mountains and caves and places that were very different from the first game, and we wanted to attach ourselves to a historical figure that people would know from fourth-grade social studies, so Marco Polo was a quick answer, and so then we knew that we could go into Asia and the Himalayas. The mystery tied into Shambhala pretty quickly.

G4:  Was there anything else that you strongly considered, or was that it?

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The movie business in general received a pretty amazing gift for the Christmas weekend: The highest-grossing weekend EVER. Yes, you read that correctly; with an overall number of $273 million, the December 25-27, 2009 weekend has now bested the previous record-holder, which was the July 18-20, 2008 weekend, in which the combo of The Dark Knight and Mamma Mia! helped in taking the record with $260 million.

Despite its enormous $77 million gross last weekend, the staying power of James Cameron's hugely expensive intergalactic epic, Avatar was still a bit in question. Typically, any second week drop safely snuggled below the 50% percent mark is considered reasonable. Avatar, on the other hand, experienced a minuscule 3% drop with its holiday weekend $75 million take. It's a phenomenal second week number, bested slightly only by The Dark Knight's second week gross of approximately $75.2 million. The foreign numbers for the film also tell an impressive tale with $145 million, with an also meager 12% drop from last weekend.

To break down the raw numbers, Avatar has currently grossed $212,268,000 in the US, $402,900,000 in foreign markets, with a combined total of $615,168,000...in its second week alone. Where the film goes from here is probably inconsequential. The film has already made back more than double its $300+ million budget back and the final tally (including Blu ray/DVD sales) will undoubtedly be exponentially larger.

However, if you were following the numbers during the weekend, you'd know that there were some other films that needed to be thanked for the ginormous numbers.

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We're looking backwards over 2009, and pulling up some of the funniest videos X-Play ever brought to you. You're welcome!Please enjoy part one of "Sess Rider," in which X-Play host Adam Sessler finally gets out of the studio and into a talkative car.

Three live Paul McCartney tracks will be arriving as Rock Band <span class="tooltip-content"> <span class='tooltip-tab-container'> <span class='tooltip-tab-wrapper active' onclick='tooltiptab(this);'><span class='tooltip-tab xbox-360'></span></span> <span class='tooltip-tab-wrapper' onclick='tooltiptab(this);'><span class='tooltip-tab PS3'></span></span> <span class='tooltip-tab-wrapper' onclick='tooltiptab(this);'><span class='tooltip-tab Wii'></span></span> </span> <span class='tooltip-active tooltip2 xbox-360'><div class='tooltip-name'><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/55871/rock-band/index/" title="Rock+Band">Rock Band</a></div><hr /><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/55871/rock-band/news/" title="Rock+Band news">News</a></h6> (91)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/55871/rock-band/news/" title="Rock+Band news">Previews</a></h6> (1)</li> <li><h6>Review</h6></li> </ul></span><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/55871/rock-band/videos/" title="Rock+Band videos">Videos</a></h6> (10)</li> <li><h6>Screenshots</h6></li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/55871/rock-band/screenshots-and-images/" title="Rock+Band cheats &amp; walkthroughs">Cheats and Walkthroughs</a></h6> (59)</li> </ul> </span><div style='clear:both;'></div></span> <span class='tooltip2 PS3'><div class='tooltip-name'><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/55872/rock-band/index/" title="Rock+Band">Rock Band</a></div><hr /><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/55872/rock-band/news/" title="Rock+Band news">News</a></h6> (88)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/55872/rock-band/news/" title="Rock+Band news">Previews</a></h6> (1)</li> <li><h6>Review</h6></li> </ul></span><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/55872/rock-band/videos/" title="Rock+Band videos">Videos</a></h6> (10)</li> <li><h6>Screenshots</h6></li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/ps3/55872/rock-band/screenshots-and-images/" title="Rock+Band cheats &amp; walkthroughs">Cheats and Walkthroughs</a></h6> (2)</li> </ul> </span><div style='clear:both;'></div></span> <span class='tooltip2 Wii'><div class='tooltip-name'><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/wii/55810/rock-band/index/" title="Rock+Band">Rock Band</a></div><hr /><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/wii/55810/rock-band/news/" title="Rock+Band news">News</a></h6> (80)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/wii/55810/rock-band/news/" title="Rock+Band news">Previews</a></h6> (1)</li> <li><h6>Review</h6></li> </ul></span><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/wii/55810/rock-band/videos/" title="Rock+Band videos">Videos</a></h6> (10)</li> <li><h6>Screenshots</h6></li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/wii/55810/rock-band/screenshots-and-images/" title="Rock+Band cheats &amp; walkthroughs">Cheats and Walkthroughs</a></h6> (4)</li> </ul> </span><div style='clear:both;'></div></span> </span><div class="arrow"></div> and Rock Band 2 DLC on Jan. 5th.

The “New York City Pack 01” in the Rock Band Music Store contains a trio of tracks recorded during the former Beatles' historic three-night musical christening of New York's Citi Field. This is McCartney’s solo debut on the Rock Band platform.

Here are the tracks:

• Band on the Run (live)
• Jet (live)
• Sing the Changes (live)

These tracks will be available Jan. 5 for the Xbox 360 and Wii and Jan. 7 for PlayStation3. They will cost the usual price of $3.99 for the whole pack and $1.99 if you buy 'em one song at a time.

What do you think? Are you excited for these tracks, or is this more like music your grandparents listen to?

You'll be in for one helluva fight in the upcoming Mass Effect 2 <span class="tooltip-content"> <span class='tooltip-tab-container'> <span class='tooltip-tab-wrapper active' onclick='tooltiptab(this);'><span class='tooltip-tab xbox-360'></span></span> <span class='tooltip-tab-wrapper' onclick='tooltiptab(this);'><span class='tooltip-tab PC'></span></span> </span> <span class='tooltip-active tooltip2 xbox-360'><div class='tooltip-name'><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/50298/mass-effect-2/index/" title="Mass+Effect+2">Mass Effect 2</a></div><hr /><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/50298/mass-effect-2/news/" title="Mass+Effect+2 news">News</a></h6> (43)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/50298/mass-effect-2/news/" title="Mass+Effect+2 news">Previews</a></h6> (9)</li> <li><h6>Review</h6></li> </ul></span><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/50298/mass-effect-2/videos/" title="Mass+Effect+2 videos">Videos</a></h6> (41)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/50298/mass-effect-2/screenshots-and-images/" title="Mass+Effect+2 screenshots &amp; images">Screenshots</a></h6> (40)</li> <li><h6>Cheats and Walkthroughs</h6></li> </ul> </span><div style='clear:both;'></div></span> <span class='tooltip2 PC'><div class='tooltip-name'><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/pc/50303/mass-effect-2/index/" title="Mass+Effect+2">Mass Effect 2</a></div><hr /><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/pc/50303/mass-effect-2/news/" title="Mass+Effect+2 news">News</a></h6> (42)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/pc/50303/mass-effect-2/news/" title="Mass+Effect+2 news">Previews</a></h6> (9)</li> <li><h6>Review</h6></li> </ul></span><span class='tooltip-column'><ul> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/pc/50303/mass-effect-2/videos/" title="Mass+Effect+2 videos">Videos</a></h6> (41)</li> <li><h6><a href="http://g4tv.com/games/pc/50303/mass-effect-2/screenshots-and-images/" title="Mass+Effect+2 screenshots &amp; images">Screenshots</a></h6> (40)</li> <li><h6>Cheats and Walkthroughs</h6></li> </ul> </span><div style='clear:both;'></div></span> </span><div class="arrow"></div> . The latest trailers out of EA and BioWare offer visually-detailed (full cinematic trailer below) views with a close-up the assassin Thane and savage Grunt on the finer points of why they're joining Commander Shepard's latest sortie.

Click through for the Grunt and Thane "Why They Fight" videos.

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The PlayStation 3 might be only about halfway through its 10 year cycle, but that isn't stopping some from making predictions about the inside of the PlayStation 4. Technology writer Hiroshige Goto thinks Sony will be dropping the Cell processor from the PlayStation 3 in favor of a "PC-like multicore setup."

Goto's guess is based on some inter-industry conversations between Sony and game developers in which Sony asked what they wanted to see in the next-gen Sony system. After, I assume, careful consideration, Toshiba and IBM teamed with Sony to address the wants and needs of publishers. The result, according to Goto, may be a PS4 without a cell processor.

As for when we might see this Cell-less PlayStation 4, Goto predicts it could come as early as 2012. He says that because Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo, are looking into architecture solutions now, the next generation will come in two years because it takes 24 months to take a system from concept to production.

Source: Andria Sang

Duke Nukem is like the worst girlfriend you ever had: The short time you spent together was amazing -- maybe the best time of your life -- but then she's gone. Every time you start to get over her, an email, phone message or Facebook update brings her memory back into focus, and you miss her all over again. Today's Duke Nuke message: According to 3D Realms' CEO Scott Miller, there is more Duke on the way.

"The next few years should see a strong resurgence in Duke," Miller says in the first issue of Gamesauce. "There are numerous other Duke games in various stages of development, several due out this year. We are definitely looking to bring Duke into casual gaming spaces, plus there are other major Duke games in production... Almost all of these [projects] are unannounced," Miller said.

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