It's been a long time since I last posted an update on my blog. It's been so long, in fact, that the last time I updated was just after our exclusive trip to Dice in Stockholm to see Battlefield 1943. Well, it's just a coincidence that I've decided to pick up the blogging while on another trip to Sweden's capital, this time to see...well, you'll have to wait to find out out. All will be revealed soon enough.
So, what's happening with me? I was recently lucky enough to finally realise a long-held dream of mine--to own a kick-ass home cinema system. My parents and in-laws were kind enough to buy me an Onkyo amplifier, while I saved up the pennies to buy the accompanying KEF speakers. It's an expensive hobby--I forgot how much the little extras cost, but it was totally worth it. It's something me and Mark discuss on this week's GameSpot UK Podcast, so check it out to find out more.
This week, the 2010 edition of the Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition is also released, and after pleading with the guys behind the book for the last three years, they've finally allowed me to become one of their experts. My specialist subject is fighting games--an area very close to my heart. So, if you want to find out which is the best fighting game of all time, or which character was the first to feature jiggling bosoms, check out the book in stores now. And to win a copy of the book, make sure you listen out for Gaz Deaves' appearance on the GameSpot UK Podcast this Thursday.
One of my most-anticipated games for 2010 has already been released, and that game is Bayonetta. I pre-ordered it from Game as it was offering a limited edition Scarborough Fair gun, as wielded by the titular witch herself. Anyone who listens to the podcast will know that I'm not a huge fan of deluxe limited edition game items--I simply don't have the space at home, but I have to say that the gun is a nifty little bonus that takes new pride of place on my desk. It's plastic, sure, but it has a nice weight to it, and it's the best of all the UK pre-order bonuses. Lark Anderson, who works in GameSpot's US office, has been looking on enviously as we got the better end of the pre-order deal here in the UK--a trend that looks set to continue with Heavy Rain and God of War III.
That's all for this week's update--my full report on Sweden will follow shortly. In the meantime, check out our Dice studio tour from last year. See you soon!
The GameSpot UK Podcast has gone weekly in 2009, and we're constantly trying to think of new things we can add to the show. To this end, we'll now be uploading our show notes to the site alongside the podcast itself every Thursday.
As always, let us know what you think and whether you'd like to see anything else on the show! Here are the notes for this week's show.
This week, I wrote about Battlefield 1943, hosted a Start/Select special with developer DICE, invited the Guinness World Records onto the GameSpot UK Podcast and made a guest appearance on the CNET UK Podcast.
Battlefield 1943 is the next game in the acclaimed multiplayer shooter series, and I travelled to Sweden to be the first person in the world to play it. It will be downloadable-only on Xbox Live, PlayStation Network and PC.
Start/Select this week focusses on DICE, the development team behind the incredibly successful Battlefield series and the recent Mirror's Edge. The offices is one of the most lavishly-designed development centres in the world, and we were given full access.
For the GameSpot UK Podcast, we invited the writers behind The Guinness Book of World Records Gamer's Edition onto the show They tell us about writing their second annual compendium, while CNET UK's Nate Lanxon joins us to talk about completing Gears of War 2 on insane.
Returning the favour, I also appeared on the CNET UK Podcast to talk to the team about taxing the internet, Gears of War PC problems, and all the other big news from the tech world. The CNET UK Podcast is well worth listening to anyway, so subscribe in iTunes to get it delivered to you every Friday.
On the preview side, I also attended a Sega event to speak to Sonic creator Yuki Naka and see his new game Let's Tap, as well as Hearts of Iron 3 from Paradox. This week, I'll be talking to the composer behind Killzone 2 in central London, and reviewing PlayStation Network title Flower.
