With PAX East over, it’s now the time to countdown to the biggest show in the gaming world: E3. This 2012′s E3 has the potential to be one of the biggest in gaming history. As both the XBox 360 and PlayStation 3 have hit milestones in their lifecycles, could it be time for both Microsoft and Sony to reveal the latest entrants to the console market? Last year’s E3 revealed the Wii U to mixed feedback.

Nintendo appeared to be playing catch up to the power of both the 360 and PS3 by announcing power specs that are comparable to the current generation’s competitors with another gimmick controller. But what could this next generation of home consoles do to change the game and the way gaming is consumed? Truth be told, we don’t know and the rumor mill around the internet has only lead to widespread debate over possible problems caused by these new consoles as opposed to innovations brought on from them.

The next iteration of consoles will most likely not focus on simple graphic upgrades. Looking at games from the XBox 360′s and PlayStation 3′s launches and comparing them to the most recent releases has shown that these systems have not topped out yet in terms of their processing power and graphical capabilities. In the hands of the right developers, cutting edge visuals are still being developed for consoles and it is rare to see drastic differences between even the highest end PC games to their console counterparts. So while it is realistic that these new systems will have stronger processors with higher capabilities, the noticeable degree of improvement isn’t going to be as drastic as with previous generations.

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Talk to almost anyone you meet and they will probably admit to playing a game at some point in their life. Interestingly enough, many would never consider themselves gamers. Some would even scoff at the idea.

For the purposes of this article, let’s consider our definition of gamer as someone who spends a majority of their free time playing games, regardless of what format, board, video or whatever, said game is in. Being considered a gamer also requires active participation, so watching and betting on sports is not a part of the definition. Although, someone who is participating in games of chance like cards and casino gambling may fall into this category as well.

The world stepped into modern gaming as far back as 1947 with the first video game, Cathode Ray Tube Amusement Device. It wasn’t until Pong was released in 1972, and later the home version in 1975, that playing a video game began to work its way into everyday life. Because of the high cost of entry, the first to play Pong on their home tv were fairly well off and gaming took some time before making its way to the masses.

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Game Stop has always been an interesting force in the world of video game retailers. They are fabulous in the sense that they are major players in the used game market, really refining a trade-in infrastructure that allows people to get their hands on new games cheaper.

On the flip side of that coin is the seedy fact that they pay dirt cheap prices for games (I once got a quarter for a three year old Madden title!) and mark them up significantly. It is hard to truly be angry about this though, as they follow a pretty strait forward supply and demand model in their pricing.

Of course as Game Stop grew, so did the concept and popularity of used sales. Used sales is great for the gamer, but horrible for the game developers, as they don’t see a dime off of the used sale. In an effort to mitigate these losses, developers and publishers have begun supplying online pass codes into new games, effectively forcing those who buy used copies to shell out $15 bucks for the same content that would be free if purchased new.

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Almost two years since the first time we heard about Street Fighter X Tekken,  it has finally made its way home to consoles. Everyone wondered, how would the characters of Tekken mesh into the Street Fighter world and how the Tekken fanbase would feel about the gameplay mechanics they know and love so much for their favorite fighters being altered to match the fast paced, juggle and projectile based combat of Street Fighter. Because of the quality of the team working on the game, the answers didn’t come as a huge surprise but they were awesome to experience.

Gameplay:

Street Fighter X Tekken knew it needed to bring the best to the screen with this combination of two of the most beloved fighting franchises ever. The unique challenge of bringing the two worlds and not just their characters but their signature styles together was one of massive intrigue. Luckily, the Capcom team was able to piece together a unique tag system differing from past Capcom Vs. titles and using core Street Fighter mechanics to create a new but familiar fighting style.

While maintaining the basic three punches, three kicks and back to block control scheme, Capcom was able to put together new combinations using the tag and juggle system allowing players to not only swap characters on the fly but have multiple characters fighting at the same time on the same side. Signature special maneuver’s return in the form of Super Arts to allow for small cinematic beatdowns, giving Street Fighter’s cast their classic favorite moves while Tekken’s roster is introduced to them for the first time. In addition, the game introduces Pandora Mode, tying in to the game’s story, that allows players to sacrifice one of their characters to give their partner a limited boost (that will be fatal if they don’t win the match in time).

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Assassin’s Creed III has proven itself a huge point of interest for many gamers since it’s reveal. With the drastic change of scenery from three games set in Renaissance Italy and Constantinople, the idea of a new proper sequel to the series with a completely new continent to adventure upon is one people can’t seem to resist talking about.

Yesterday, Machinima.com got access to an exclusive teaser trailer of Connor, the game’s new protagonist. In it, Connor’s character model is presented in stunning detail, though no gameplay is shown. Instead, the trailer focuses on the tools of the trade Connor will be using, confirming the items originally hinted at in the game’s XBox.com description like the dual pistols and the much anticipated tomahawk.

Interestingly enough, Connor is fairly new to the Assassin brotherhood. The trailer reveals he only joined in 1770 with the game taking place during the American Revolution only a few years later. Many who played the original games will remember that Altair was raised in the Assassins while Ezio was destined to become a part of the order since birth as well. Connor may end up being most like Desmond, the series’ modern day protagonist who has been thrust into his current role.

Take a peek at the teaser after the break. Keep your eyes peeled to The Flickcast for more on Assassin’s Creed III and its new protagonist Connor.

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Though one of our contenders for Game of the Year, even The Flickcast has to admit there have been a share of problems in the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (mostly if you were one of the poor souls who chose to play it on the PlayStation 3 though). As expected, another patch is coming out soon to hopefully finally fix the frame rate issues that have afflicted players the further they progress in the PS3 version as well as other quest improvements that had become minor inconveniences.

There will also be new features added to the game. Some of these are minor and only affect the PC like the option for high end rigs to add shadow effects to the grass in the world. Others are awesome visual upgrades like new cinematic kill cameras for projectiles, spells and melee weapons. Take a look below at the kill cam trailer which shows some fantastic new visuals like a full on suplex and an arrow shot high into the air and taking an opponent out with a shot to the head (not the knee unfortunately).

NEW FEATURES

• New cinematic kill cameras for projectile weapons and spells
• New kill moves and animations for melee weapons
• Shadows on grass available (PC)
• Smithing skill increases now factor in the created item’s value
• Improved visual transition when going underwater
• Improved distance LOD transition for snowy landscapes

Check out the new Kill Cam animations trailer after the jump for the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’s 1.5 Patch now in Beta on Steam and coming soon to PlayStation 3 and XBox 360.

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When I first downloaded Journey off the PlayStation Network, I intended on giving it a traditional review. I had been mostly in the dark about the game itself other than hearing it mentioned after E3 last year. Quickly as I began playing, I realized this is not an ordinary game. In fact, it’s hard to even call it a game in the first place. So many conventions, not just of video games but of what people think of any kind of game be they sport, board, card or video game, don’t exist within the confines of Journey.

The name Journey, not to be trite, actually does say it all. Ralph Waldo Emerson is credited with the quote, “Life is a journey, not a destination.” In Journey, this statement rings true throughout as the player takes on the role of a faceless robed creature as they make their way towards a mythical mountain top location. Other than a three very brief “tutorial” instructions at the start, there is no instruction during the game. Journey is designed to give the player an indication of where to go and motivation to get there but never explicitly tells them why they are headed there. They don’t know what the ultimate goal is other than the location itself or even what the significance is.

In addition to being faceless, the player is also voiceless. While this has been used throughout gaming and worked well with specific examples such as Gordon Freeman of Half-Life or the boy from Limbo, it becomes even more interesting as the game has a built in multiplayer component to it. Much like the rest of the game compares itself to real life, players will find themselves crossing paths with others as they go through Journey. Through body language and the game’s brief musical tone abilities alone, players can determine how they interact with each other. Since Journey can be crossed from start to finish in about two hours, it is realistic that a pair can work alongside each other for the entire time. Others may intersect briefly with one deciding to hang back in hopes of new discoveries while the other pushes forward, a direct corollary of real life relationships. There is an added layer as players have no way of voice chatting over the PlayStation network as their identities remain hidden to each other so not to impair the game’s message by allowing players to chat over the network.

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When Activision and Beenox announced the Rhino would be one of Spider-Man’s foes in The Amazing Spider-Man, it didn’t really shock or surprise anyone. It was almost a no brainer. The Rhino has been around since Spider-Man’s earliest days and has appeared in thirteen separate Spider-Man games. The Iguana on the other hand. That choice is a whole other story.

The Iguana is at best a footnote in the Spider-Man lore. Only ever appearing in Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #32 back in July of 1979, the Iguana was an experiment gone wrong by Doctor Curt Connors (a.k.a. The Lizard and the main antagonist of the upcoming summer blockbuster film which this game ties in to). The Iguana would only make a singular appearance in comics before returning to his original, non-super powered iguana form.

Though incredibly obscure, the character choice does actually make sense. There are few, if any, characters with a more direct tie to the Lizard in Spider-Man’s rogue gallery. Instead of shoehorning in other purely “evil” villains, the concept behind the Iguana is one that makes sense for him to be intertwined in the events of the movie game.

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After breaking the 10 million sold mark, it was inevitable that LEGO Batman would receive a sequel. The original was so popular, it became a part of the package deal for the XBox 360 for a time. Back in November of 2011, a few months after LEGO revealed initial designs for their LEGO DC Super Heroes line, Traveller’s Tales and Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment announced that the latest LEGO Batman title would encompass some of the most well known heroes and villains of the DC Universe. Now more than a full three months later, we get a first glimpse of it in action in LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes.

In the trailer below, we see LEGO Batman and his ward LEGO Robin once again, but this time joined by the Man of Steel (or in this case also LEGO) Superman. He makes his way over to Gotham as the Joker is released from Arkham Asylum by Supe’s own nemesis, Lex Luthor (voiced by none other than Clancy Brown).

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There is no denying the popularity of the Call of Duty series. Generally finishing the year as one of the top sellers, Call of Duty games are big business. So the concept of packaging it’s planned DLC as apart of a ‘content season’ is a great way to keep the popular series fresh year round.

This latest round of DLC content contains two spec ops missions. The first taking place in snowy Russia and sees you and a partner on snowmobile’s before storming an enemy diamond mine. Mission two takes you to the streets in India as you work to liberate hostages in a city.

The last bit in the drop is a new multiplayer map called Black Box. The map is focused on an affluent neighborhood that Air Force One crash landed in. You take your battles through the wreckage of the President’s downed plane and the surrounding homes.

We have been giving you a heads up to new content drops since the program was announced, and today is no difference. For your viewing pleasure we bring to you Rob Riggle and the March content drop trailer, after the jump.

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Even though things are ramping up for Skylanders: Giants which is expected this fall, things aren’t slowing down for the Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure releases. This new wave features two new individual characters Lightning Rod and Zook and a new Adventure Pack called the Dragon’s Peek and featuring the Skylander Sunburn.

Lightning Rod looks to be a play off of Zeus, with a burly beard and the ability to shoot lighting at enemies. Zook looks like some sort of mutant vegetable tree hybrid with quite possibly the coolest weapon to be added to the game yet with a rocket launcher along with his ability to drop cover to hid behind as well. The Dragon’s Peek Adventure pack adds an additional level to the game as well as the Sunburn character which is half dragon and half phoenix.

Check out the profiles and videos below of all three new Skylanders in action coming to Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure and stay tuned for more on Skylanders: Giants as it becomes available.

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For those finally catching up with all their late 2011 gaming, Assassins’ Creed: Revalations marked the end of Ezio’s story (for now at least). Now, from the look of the new trailer for Assassins’ Creed III, we are going to be fast forwarding a little over two hundred and fifty years and crossing the Atlantic to the new world as the founding fathers waged a revolution.

As originally reported the other day by the Flickcast, Assassins’ Creed III will feature a half English, half Mohawk man named Connor, and also referred to by his birth name of Ratohnhaké:ton. The game will also feature historical figures like George Washington and Charles Lee alongside Benjamin Franklin who may play a role similar to that of Leonardo da Vinci from the Assassins’ Creed II timeline. As revealed by the description on the Microsoft website (see below), the game will feature the weapons of the time including bows, pistols and a tomahawk.

Also worth noting is the mention of “abundant wildlife” which is yet to be seen other than the eagles and pigeons flying around in the previous games. This leaves potential for instances like that of Red Dead Redemption where players can have encounters with wildlife and have to have a knife fight with a bear. Though Connor must have a better set of skills for taking on grizzlies than John Marsten did.

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