Today, the sequel to one of the most creative, unique, and simply adorable games I’ve ever played was “formally” announced, alongside the trailer above.

So what makes this announcement momentous?

Little Big Planet 2 will feature full integration with all 2 million player created levels from LittleBigPlanet 2. This news is HUGE, especially from a developer who has gone on the record in the past to dismiss a sequel as “counterproductive” to building and improving upon the player run community. The added features: namely player created AI, are really just icing on the cake.

LittleBigPlanet wasn’t a perfect game. I had a few issues with several aspects of the game that I am excited to see resolved in the sequel. These include:

• Multiplayer support without sharing the screen. This would allow for greater flexibility, especially in large levels, and help eliminate some of the frustration when one player getting stuck offscreen.
• A better level/user search engine. Sometimes I’d play a great level, but forget to favorite it, and would never be able to find it again.
• Better navigation and interface. sometimes the sheer number of items and tools available to the user were daunting, especially within the simplistic GUI that they were forced to fit in.
• Better precision with the creation tools. The amount of time required to achieve the level of precision necessary in building mechanical devices or large set pieces was often overwhelming. The snap-to grids were helpful in the first game, but they didn’t always suit the need of the situation.

What new features/fixes would you like to see in LittleBigPlanet 2?

If you bought Mass Effect 2 new, then you are already familiar with the slew of free DLC via the Cerberus Network that has been released in the relatively short time the game has been out. Most games that even see DLC only get one  or two installments at most, and rarely are they ever free. While the ME2 Cerberus Network DLC has been a little hit or miss, lets be honest: its free. Being such a huge fan of Mass Effect 2, and the first game as well, I was more than happy to shell out a few bucks for the Kasumi DLC pack. Read the full story

God of War III has a lot of things going for it. An enhanced combat engine, some of the best looking visuals in next gen console gaming, and most importantly, it is a part of one of the most beloved game series…ever. Historical and mythological inaccuracy aside, the God of War series is just good hack and slash fun. Impressive set pieces, memorable boss fights, and (at times) frustrating difficulty all personify the series. The third installment certainly has its fair share of each of factors, but its something about the sum of the parts where I started to notice that things don’t quite work the way they were intended to.
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In lieu of the metric ton of great singleplayer games so far in 2010, we wanted to host a friendly multiplayer game night for all our northwest and not so northwest gamers. Because lets face it: games are more fun when played together! We are hoping to make this a regular event, so show up and tell your friends!

April’s theme: destructible environments and YOU!

Join us from 6-9pm Pacific on Xbox live for Battlefield Bad Company 2, and with any luck we will capture a few flags, thwart a few bombings, and level a few buildings in the process.

RSVP on Facebook, or comment on this post. Send us your gamertag and we will friend/invite you. Or, just show up and message either Decksathron or AbsentAmpersand.

Hope to see you there!

Suggestions for future game nights? Leave a comment here, or bug us on twitter.

Yesterday at a GDC press conference, Sony revealed the official name for their motion controller, the Playstation Move. While its been no secret that Sony was developing this peripheral, there haven’t been many details as of yet. All of this changed with the official name, pricing, and initial supported games announced today. In my observations of the various gaming news sites, and the community itself, Sony’s motion controller offering has had a tepid reception.  With the Wii already entrenched into motion controller technology, and Microsoft’s Project Natal on the horizon, Sony’s answer to this technology seemed well…uninspired. Read the full story

BioWare is one of those special developers that makes waves with every release. So it should be no surprise that Mass Effect 2, the sequel to one of the most successful new IPs of 2007, saw more hype than ever. Given how much I enjoyed the first game, I tried to avoid whenever possible any videos, photos, news, or spoilers of Mass Effect 2 until I had that green plastic box in my hands. First impressions? Creepy box art straight out of a SciFi Channel original movie. Read the full story

Earlier today, Director of Programming for Xbox Live, Larry “Major Nelson” Hyrb asked his sizable twitter audience the following:

What new features would you like to see in the Xbox LIVE Twitter or Facebook applications? I think we know…but tell us

Months ago, Microsoft was first to take a step into the social networking space, adding apps for Facebook, Twitter, and Last.fm to Xbox Live, the pay-to-play online network of the Xbox 360 gaming console. The Twitter app was essentially a simplified client to view and send tweets, with support for twitter search and trending topics as well. Though it worked just fine, there was hardly any value to tweet on the Xbox, for without a keyboard, the process of posting and responding to tweets proved to be quite laborious.

The Facebook app took the integration further, allowing users to post status updates along with the ability to edit their profile, and view photo albums. Arguably the most useful feature though was the ability to find facebook friends that also have Xbox Live. This Facebook app was a refreshing step in the right direction of integrating social media with gaming platforms in a truly useful way,

While I gave each app a fair shake, there wasn’t much substance to them, and little incentive to use them again (with the one exception noted above). I had all but forgotten about the whole affair until I saw Major Nelson’s tweet this afternoon, and that got me thinking. Read the full story

Thank you for checking us out today, the final day of our Countdown of 2009′s Best Games. Today we reveal our Number 1. First, let us just say that 2009 was a great year for games, and it was very difficult for both of us to pick our Number 2-5 on our GOTY lists. But, in all honestly, it was not a struggle at all for us to pick our Number 1 Game of 2009. Both us of knew the instant we started playing this game that it was destined for greatness, and destined for the coveted Northwest Gamer #1 Game of 2009 spot. So, without further adieu, our Number 1 Game of 2009. Read the full story

Thanks for checking us out today! Today’s the day we reveal our Number 2 spots in our 2009 Game of the Year Countdown. Make sure to read our other GOTY picks, and check back tomorrow for the big reveal of our Number 1 Game of 2009!

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