Kratos

You don’t really get manlier than the god of war himself do you? Kratos has shown gamers his brutality and visceral fighting techniques as he disembowels minotaurs and pulls other god’s heads off; but now if he only showed some class in his masculinity. While Kratos is rocking a pretty impressive goatee, a little mo would do him wonders. Not only would he look even manlier, but his enemies will see him as a more dignified and civilized opponent, rather than a blood thirsty savage (which we don’t really mind by the way).

Nathan Drake

Everyone’s favourite smooth-talking treasure hunter seems to have it all – good looks, witty lines, endless luck, globe spanning escapades and of course any girl he lays his eyes on. Well, you’re wrong. One thing Nate is oblivious to is his own facial hair. The man does not have a mo, and he should. A moustachioed Nathan Drake would add greater depth to his suave demeanour and leave the ladies chasing him, rather than the opposite. Maybe we’ll see a facial hair DLC pack for Uncharted 3.

Marcus Fenix

Similar to Kratos, Gears of War’s main protagonist seems to have the manly attitude down. Fenix takes a no-holds barred approach as he curb stomps and chainsaws his way through hordes of Locust without even blinking. His tough guy front still requires one thing though – the mo. A glorious moustache would be a perfect match for Fenix’s straight-faced grimace, and with Fenix’s right-hand man Dom showing off his beard in Gears 3, hopefully Marcus will be flashing the ‘stache sometime soon.

And a notable mention to some of gaming’s men already rocking the mo: Old Snake, Prince of Persia (on occasion), Mario, Luigi, Victor Sullivan,

(click to enlarge)

• Jumping straight into it, the Nintendo’s new console is officially named the Wii U. Silly name aside, the console is accompanied by the rumored touch control, which does in-fact feature a 6.2″ touchscreen, 6 buttons, D-pad, 2 analogue sticks, accelerometer and a gyroscope… and it looks a lot like a white Etch-a-Sketch.

• Arkham City, Assassin’s Creed, Tekken, Darksiders 2, Dirt, Aliens Colonial Marines, Metro: Last Light, Ninja Gaiden 3 and more will all be available on the Wii U.
• A new HD Zelda was hinted at for the Wii U.
• New Smash Bros. being developed for 3DS and Wii U.
• Luigi’s Mansion 2 announced.
• Some Kid Icarus, Super Mario 3DS, Starfox and other already announced 3DS games shown off.
• Third-party games, such as Resident Evil: Revelations and Tekken 3D shown.

2K Games:
BioShock: Infinite (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
The Darkness II (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Duke Nukem Forever (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
XCOM (Xbox 360, PC)
*Rumored* Spec Ops: The Line (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

2K Sports:
NBA 2K12 (PS3, Xbox 360)

505 Games:
*Rumored* Backbreaker: Vengeance (Xbox 360)
*Rumored* Sniper Elite 2 (PS3, Xbox 360)
*Rumored* Wrecked (PS3, Xbox 360)

Activision:
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Prototype 2 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC, 3DS)
Spider-Man: Edge of Time (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii)
X-Men: Destiny (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, DS)

Atlus:
Catherine (PS3, Xbox 360)
The Cursed Crusade (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

Bethesda:
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Prey 2 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Rage (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

Capcom:
Devil May Cry (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
*Rumored* Dead Rising 2: Off The Record (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
*Rumored* Dragon’s Dogma (PS3, Xbox 360)
*Rumored* Resident Evil 6 (PS3, 360)

City Interactive:
Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

Codemasters:
Bodycount (PS3, Xbox 360)
F1 2011 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

D3 Publisher:
Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon (PS3, Xbox 360)
White Knight Chronicles II (PS3)

Deep Silver:
Dead Island (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Risen 2: Dark Waters (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

Devolver Digital:
Serious Sam 3: BFE (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

Disney:
Cars 2 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Wii, DS)
Phineas And Ferb: Across The Second Dimension (Wii, DS)

Electronic Arts
Battlefield 3 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
FIFA 12 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Madden NFL 12 (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii)
Mass Effect 3 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
NCAA Football 12 (PS3, Xbox 360)
Need For Speed: The Run (PS3, Xbox 360, PC, 3DS)
NHL 12 (PS3, Xbox 360)
The Sims 3: Generations (PC)SSX (PS3, Xbox 360)
Star Wars: The Old Republic (PC)
*Rumored* Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Wii, DS)
*Rumored* Insomniac Games/EA Partners Title (PS3, 360)

Ignition:
El Shaddai: Ascension Of The Metatron (PS3, Xbox 360)

Konami:
Silent Hill: Downpour (PS3, Xbox 360)
*Rumored* Doctor Lautrec And The Forgotten Knights (3DS)
*Rumored* Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D (3DS)
*Rumored* Metal Gear Solid: Rising (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

LucasArts:
Star Wars Kinect (Xbox 360)

Microsoft:
Forza 4 (Xbox 360)
Gears Of War 3 (Xbox 360)
*Rumored* Codename Kingdoms (Xbox 360)
*Rumored* Dance Central 2 (Xbox 360)
*Rumored* Kinect Sports 2 (Xbox 360)

Namco Bandai:
Soul Calibur V (PS3, Xbox 360)
*Rumored* Ace Combat: Assault Horizon (PS3, Xbox 360)
*Rumored* Armored Core V (PS3, Xbox 360)
*Rumored* Inversion (PS3, Xbox 360)
*Rumored* Ridge Racer Unbounded (PS3, Xbox 360)
*Rumored* Tekken X Street Fighter (PS3, Xbox 360)

Natsume:
*Rumored* Harvest Moon: The Tale Of Two Towns (DS, 3DS)
*Rumored* Rune Factory: Tides Of Destiny (PS3, Wii)

Nintendo:
The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii, *Rumored* Project Cafe)
Super Mario 3DS (3DS)
*Rumored* Animal Crossing 3DS (3DS)
*Rumored* Kid Icarus: Uprising (3DS)
*Rumored* Mario Kart 3DS (3DS)
*Rumored* Super Mario for Project Cafe

Sega:
Binary Domain (PS3, Xbox 360)
*Rumored* Mario & Sonic At The London 2012 Olympics Games (Wii, 3DS)
*Rumored* Sonic Generations (PS3, Xbox 360)
*Rumored* Captain America: Super Soldier (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, 3DS, DS)

Sony:
Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One (PS3)
Resistance 3 (PS3)
Starhawk (PS3)
Twisted Metal (PS3)
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (PS3)

Square Enix:
Hitman Absolution: (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Kingdom Hearts 3D (3DS)
Tomb Raider (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
*Rumored* Deus Ex: Human Revolution (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
*Rumored* Final Fantasy XIII-2 (PS3, Xbox 360)

Tecmo:
Ninja Gaiden III (PS3, Xbox 360)

Telltale Games:
Back To The Future: The Game Episode 5 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Jurassic Park: The Game (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Puzzle Agent (PS3, PC)
*Rumored* The Walking Dead (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

THQ:
Metro 2033: Last Light (Xbox 360, PC)
Saints Row: The Third (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
uDraw Studio (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
UFC Personal Trainer (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii)
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
*Rumored* Devil’s Third (PS3, Xbox 360)

Ubisoft:
Assassin’s Creed Revelations (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Call Of Juarez: The Cartel (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Driver: San Francisco (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
From Dust (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (PS3, Xbox 360, PC, DS)
Rayman Origins (PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Wii)
Rocksmith (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
*Rumored* Far Cry 3 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

Warner Bros:
Bastion (Xbox 360, PC)
Batman: Arkham City (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Gotham City Imposters (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Green Lantern: Rise Of The Manhunters (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, 3DS, DS)
The Lord Of The Rings: War In The North (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Sesame Street: Once Upon A Monster (Xbox 360)

First thing we know is that the console will not be releaseing until after March 2012, as Nintendo stated that the system’s potential earnings are not forcasted for this fiscal year.

Speculations suggest the console will look something like this prototype

Regarding whether it is going to be the “Wii 2″ is still speculative. ‘Stream’ is another term that has been linked to the console and is a possible retail name – time will tell.

As popular as the Wii was, it was underwhelming in the technical department, as Nintendo’s best selling console just couldn’t stand up to the power of the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. While specs aren’t official, we do know Nintendo is teaming up with AMD to create a custom graphics processor for the new console which will be a modification of the R700 architecture. The CPU is coming from IBM and this time it’s a custom-built triple-core IBM PowerPC chip.

What this basically means is that Nintendo’s new console is going to surpass the power capabilities of both the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. 1080p HD graphics and stereoscopic 3D is on the cards, which is something that is definately going to please fans.

Nintendo have always been innovators when it comes to controllers, and while Project Cafe’s current controllers may sound conventional, they have a trick up their sleeves. The controllers will feature two analogue sticks, a d-pad, shoulder and face buttons, but most importantly, a 6-inch touch screen in the centre. This will not only be for viewing menus and information, but also for interacting with the game, similar to ideas that have been implemented on the DS. Project Cafe’s prototype controllers are already looking really appealing and seem to fill all the criteria already given from Nintendo.

While there are no games annonced as of yet, we can expect to see some big reveals come E3 this year. It’s expected that big Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong and other first-party Nintendo titles will make a grand return on the new system. But don’t be worried if nothing huge is announced off the bat, as the console is fully backwards compatible to not only Wii titles, but also GameCube games. This means the system will sport ports or connectivity for GameCube controls, Wii-motes and sensor bars.

Nintendo’s showing at E3 2011 is going to be a very interesting presentation, and with Project Cafe expected to be playable on the floor, we sure a lot of Nintendo media is going to be heading our way very soon. We’ll keep you up to date on the developments of Project Cafe.

Well, Battlefield 3 has officially been announced and a few details have surfaced on DICE’s upcoming title.

Battlefield 3 is set to run on the Frostbite 2.0 engine, giving more ‘real as hell’ combat than ever seen before. Most notably, this will be an improved version of the engine seen in Bad Company 2, which will deliver even greater destruction and physics in both single and multiplayer modes.

The game is also set to feature deferred rendering, real-time radiosity and a new animation system borrowed from the EA Sports label.

So what we know so far is that Battlefield 3 is probably going to be the best and most advanced title in the genre. Check out the teaser below and keep checking with GamesCastLive.com for the latest updates on Battlefield 3.

Test Drive: Unlimited 2 (Feb 11)

Another one of the big customizable racers returns this month with Test Drive: Unlimited 2. TDU2 encapsulates all that other racers these days seemed to have diverted from – open hub-world and co-op play. Players are also not only going to get to drive some of the most beautiful and fast exotic cars the world has ever seen, but also purchase real-estate and build your collection as one of the highlights of the city.

Bulletstorm (Feb 28)

The combination of People Can Fly and Epic Games seems like a match made in heaven. With Cliffy B as a designer and some really interesting ‘kill with skill’ mechanics, Bulletstorm is looking to be one of those standout games of 2011. As mentioned in our Bulletstorm preview, the heavy gun-play along with the maneuverability is really something rarely seen in FPS’s today – so prepare for the storm.

Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (Feb 28)

The fan favourite Marvel vs. Capcom series is making its eventual debut on the PS3 and Xbox 360 with a bigger roster and bigger combos than ever before. Whether it’s playing as Dante, Nathan Spencer and Iron Man, or just pitting Wolverine up against Spider-man for another epic duel, Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is sure to satisfy when it hits shelves this month.

Killzone 3 (Feb 28)

Guerilla’s epic PS3 powerhouse Killzone is making its return this month with the most exciting chapter. Players will once again take control of Sev as he, along with his comrades; attempt to make the final strike right in the heart of the Helghan forces. With Co-op play, improved multiplayer and a compelling campaign, Killzone 3 is going to bring the noise this February.

Other February releases: Bionic Commando: Rearmed 2, Knights Contract, Mario Sports Mix, Gun Loco

We gave our writing monkeys some time off during the last few weeks but now it’s time to get down to work.It’s officially 2011 and GamesCastLive is going to start looking a little different within the coming weeks, as well as some layout changes to reviews and other articles.

Don’t worry, this is all for the better as we’ll be providing you guys with more exclusive, informative and entertaining content than ever before. We got some cool stuff heading your way this year, so keep checking out GamesCastLive.com for the most non-sensical yet itriguing gaming content around.

We also want to give a shoutout to all our readers who’ve helped transformed GamesCastLive into what it is throughout 2010, and we want to give a big thanks to all our beloved distributors and people behind the scenes who help us out with what we may need. You guys are the cat’s pajamas.

Get ready.

• Game That Made You Say ‘Oh My Balls!’

Bayonetta

Bayonetta was not only one of the biggest and most appreciated suprises of 2010, but it also managed to make jaws drop and eyes widen with it’s incredible action sequences. Bayonetta’s over-the-top antics, such as turning her hair into a giant demon or throwing a church at a boss, were not only visually amazing but also were absolutely bizzare, giving many gamers there biggest ‘Oh my balls!’ moments of 2010.

Runner up: Vanquish

• Best Game You Probably Missed

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West

Enslaved definatley came out at the wrong time as an onslaught of games were hitting store shelves around the fourth quarter of the year, overshadowing one of the best and underplayed games in 2010. Ninja Theory’s epic platorming adventure threw players into the role of Monkey as he had to protect a heroine named Trip, for her death would result in his. Enslaved delivered solid gameplay, great visuals and possibly the best told story of the year. Shame it didn’t get more attention.

Runner up: Singularity

• Most Suprising Game

Singularity

While even this winner may come as a shock, this year was filled with great suprises from many big-name titles, however Raven Software’s Singularity came out of nowhere and delivered unbelievably exciting gameplay, a great story and one of the best guns in video game history. If you’re looking for some ‘wow’ moments, check out Singularity.

Runner up: Split/Second

• Game That We Heard Way To Much About

Gran Turismo 5

They say any news is good news, but hearing how Gran Turismo 5 was delayed 400 times over the last 12 months did become a little taxing no matter how much of a GT fan you are. It doesn’t help that the veteran racing sim has also received less than ecstatic reviews, making GT5′s hype deflate faster than a balloon in a needle factory.

Runner up: Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty

• Best Game With A Story You Actually Cared About

Mass Effect 2

Mass Effect raised the bar in terms of story depth and complexity when it originally hit the Xbox 360; Mass Effect 2 blew the bar into outer space. Not only was ME2′s story cohesive and intricate, but it also managed to convey backgrounds and sub-plots of supporting characters with the utmost detail. Giving players Paragon and Renegade actions thorughout the game which influenced what happened, also placed ME2′s narrative structure in a league of its own.

Runner up: Red Dead Redemption

• Most Eye-Popping Game

God of War 3

For sure Kratos literally popped some eyeballs (and a whole bunch of other organs) of his enemies throughout his ascendacy to Mount Olympus, but the game itself was also eye-popping to say the least. GoW3′s visuals took a giant leap from it’s PS2 predecessor and showed off what the Playstation 3 was really capable of. Ripping an ancient Greek gods head off in glorious HD has never been so great.

Runner Up: Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit

• Game That Rocked Your Ears

Shaun White Skateboarding

While Shaun White Snowboarding was slightly lacklustre, it was innevitable that the duel-sported redhead would release a skateboarding game. The game itself didn’t break any ground, but it did have an incredibly rad soundtrack. With the likes of Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Armor For Sleep and funk legends Kool & The Gang, Shaun White had one rocking soundtrack for his terrain deforming skating title.

Runner up: Halo: Reach

• Best Movie Game That Didn’t Suck

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

An typical Scott Pilgrim fashion, the video game for the big-budget movie wasn’t a sketchy tie-in, but rather a retro beat-em up with heavy influence and features of te original comic book. Avaialble on the PSN and Xbox Live, the downloadable game featured old-school game mechanics and an original look that stands out amongst today’s titles. And most of all, it didn’t suck.

Runner up: Iron Man 2 (Ok, this is a lie, but we didn’t have the biggest selection to choose from did we?)

Thanks for checking out the GCL Thumbs Up Awards 2010. We look forward to seeing these prestigeous categories being filled with nominees throughout the whole of 2011.