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Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Character Wish List

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Rumblings from the Internet indicate that Marvel vs. Capcom 3 may finally be on the way. As a huge fan of the series, I'm really excited. Now, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 had one of the largest rosters of any fighting game, but many great Marvel and Capcom characters were sadly absent from that epic rumble. Do you feel a list coming on?

These are the characters that I feel need to be in Marvel vs. Capcom 3. The words "wish list" may be in the title of the article, but this is really more of an ultimatum. Include these characters, or I will whine on Twitter. A lot.


Phoenix Wright

He was once rumored to be in the running as a character in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, but it was not to be. This was a crime against gamers everywhere. Phoenix Wright has emerged as one of the great new gaming characters of the last decade, and his outlandish style would make him perfect for such an over-the-top fighting series.

I've heard some argue that it would be impossible to make a move-list for Phoenix Wright. Bull. Have you ever heard of a Sega Saturn game called Fighters Megamix? A Daytona race car was a playable character in it. If an automobile can mix it up, then why not a blue-suited lawyer?

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Bitmob Wants You: To Write About 2010's Most Anticipated Games

Andrewh

Bitmob prides itself on being more than the average game site. We are not beholden to the preview/review cycle. But we still love looking forward to games. And so do you.

We want to hear your thoughts about what's coming up in 2010. Are we going to see any surprises? Are we going to see any innovations? Will 2010 change the gaming landscape for years to come?

For our next callout, we want you to put on your prognostication hat and have a go at a game that is scheduled for release in 2010. You can take any angle you'd like in your article, but we want you to exercise some creative thinking.

The catch: After E3 and all the upcoming press events, we'll ask you to come back to your game and see whether your opinion has changed in any way.

Here's how you join in the fun:

1. Choose one (1) game that is scheduled for release in 2010.
2. Write an article about that game.
Try to keep it concise. About 200-400 words should do it, but you can go longer.
3. Tag it with "Anticipated Games."
4. Submit your article by April 28, 2010.

Cover as many games as you wish, but make sure you submit a new article for each game you want to write about.

Stumped for ideas? Check out my sample article, or peruse the following questions to spur those creative juices:

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Pixel Revolt: Episode 22 Community Question Reminder

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Pixel Revolt LogoIt's that time again, Bitmobbers! We need your answers to the upcoming Pixel Revolt community question.

This week's question asks you to think along the z-axis and predict of the future of gaming in 3D. With the announcement of the 3DS and the emergence of 3D gaming on consoles and PCs, we want to know:

What game series do you feel would benefit most from getting the 3D treatment? Why?

Send on over your email and audio responses by 6 p.m. PST on Thursday to be featured on Pixel Revolt!

How you can respond to the question:

1) Record a sound clip on your computer, then email it to us at PixelRevoltDL@gmail.com (Preferred)

2) Email your written answer to PixelRevoltDL@gmail.com

3) Leave a comment in this post!

Oh, and just a reminder: We've changed the way we present voice mails, which means we can now insert them in as we record for instant feedback. In other words, record away!

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Let's Play The Quiet Game!

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Remember when you were a kid and your parents would try to keep you silent on long car trips by suggesting you play "the quiet game?" Of course, this "game" wasn't a game at all. You "played" by shutting the hell up until you got where you were going. 

I can't believe it took so long, but someone has finally turned this "game" into an actual game. That's right, you can now purchase The Quiet Game from the iTunes store for $.99. It's a pretty simple concept -- pop colored balloons and avoid grey ones as they float across the screen.
 
What does this have to do with being quiet? Hit the jump to find out.
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Video Blips: Gears of War 3, Splinter Cell: Conviction, Dead to Rights: Retribution, and More

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In the future, humanity will adopt an en masse predilection toward gray-on-gray architecture and oversized weaponry.

Video Blips:

• This Gears of War 3 trailer features a band of brothers (and a sister) standing their ground against a Locust onslaught. I don't think the veins in Fenix's neck can bulge out any farther. [GameVideos]

Continue after the break for a character profile from Splinter Cell: Conviction, further gameplay footage of Dead to Rights: Retribution, and some clever banter from Sam & Max: The Penal Zone.

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Achievements: Fun Collectibles or Psychological Conditioning?

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Editor's note:I've never been much of an Achievement guy, but I've definitely seen many people fall prey to Microsoft's siren song. Paul analyzes what is arguably a very simple call-and-response formula for addiction. -James


Ding!

When I first heard the Achievement unlocked sound, I would look at the screen or occasionally check to see how many points I had unlocked. I hadn't heard the response enough times during those first months, but Microsoft had conditioned many others to yearn for that sound. Soon after the Xbox 360 hit the market, the great achievement race began.

As I migrated from the PlayStation 2 and the Wii to the Xbox 360, my compulsion to pause the game and open the Achievement menu began to grow. During these pauses, I started to scroll the menu and look for other Achievements that were ready to be unlocked. Like so many others, I had started to pine for that sound.

I began to notice that my friends who are avid gamers were spending less time with their other systems and more time plugged into Xbox Live on their 360. I've started to question why this happened. The Trophy system on PlayStation 3 sucked me in, but it didn't have the same effect as the Achievement system.

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Comic Quickie: Your Black Pokéfriend

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This Week in Video Game History: April 11-17, 2010

Andrewh

Jack ThompsonWelcome to This Week in Video Game History, your guide to the anniversaries of note for the coming week. As this is a new feature, it's coming in a day late. Going forward you'll see it every Sunday. Let's go back to yesteryear (and in one instance, the future) and get started on this week's anniversaries, including exclusivity deals, Animal Crossing, and a not-so-happy first for Jack Thompson.

April 11

2005 -- EA and the NCAA sign an exclusive six-year deal that will see EA be the sole developer of college football video games. This move put a stranglehold on the football video game market, as EA had previously signed an exclusive contract with the NFL. The good: fewer sports games on shelves. The bad: fewer sports games on shelves.

April 12

2005 -- Jade Empire is released for the Xbox. Bioware takes its Knights of the Old Republic-style RPG to ancient China (or at least a fictional world inspired by the culture). While it certainly has a following, it may have been the least talked-about game developed by Bioware, a company known for making a huge splash for each release.

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Mobcast Episode 49

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Raychul.com's Raychul Moore joins Bitmob's Dan Hsu, Jason Wilson, and Aaron Thomas on the 49th episode of the Mobcast.

The gang talks about the Nintendo 3DS, similar sequels, terrible controls, the future of open-world games, and games that had "soul."

Shoe and Jason were pretty chill throughout the show, but Aaron and Raychul butt heads on a number of topics. Does Aaron hate too many games, or does Raychul just like everything? Feel free to choose sides and share your thoughts in the comments below.

Have a community topic that you want to hear us discuss? E-mail the crew at letters@bitmob.com, subject: Mobcast.

 

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News Blips: Respawn Entertainment, Blockbuster Online Games, Microsoft Points, and More

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Well this isn't terribly surprising....

News Blips:

Former heads of Infinity Ward (Modern Warfare 2) Vince Zampella and Jason West create a new game studio, cleverly titled Respawn Entertainment. The duo's distribution deal with Electronic Arts (the rival of their previous employer Activision Blizzard) gives them control over the intellectual properties that they create. Zampella and West refused to give details on their next game, but they described it as a "huge, summer blockbuster." That kind of goes against my theory that it would be a Phoenix Wright-type of court game about their impending trial with Activision. [LA Times]

Blockbuster sheds light on their Games By Mail service. The company plans to allow customers who subscribe to their Netflix-style, movies-by-mail service the option of paying an extra $7.99 a month to rent one video game at a time. If the member decides not to rent a game that month, the company won't charge them the eight bucks. Currently they're testing the service out in Cleveland, Ohio, but the rental chain hopes to expand nationwide by the end of the year. How long before I can add overpriced candy and popcorn to my subscription package? [Joystiq]
 
Microsoft restructures the increments customers can buy Xbox Live points in. As a result of feedback from the Xbox Live community, the company reduced the minimum point purchase amount from 500 ($6.25) to 400 ($5.00), which multiplies more evenly into the usual 400, 800, 1600 point prices of online content. A company putting customer satisfaction over their bottom line? What a novel concept. [GamePro]
 
Sony names the PlayStation Move nunchuck-esque device the Navigation Controller. Engadget found the listing in the FCC database and points out that Sony has updated their website to reflect the name change. They couldn't think of a more exciting name? At least consumers shouldn't be too confused as to what the thing is used for.

Got any hot news tips? Send 'em over to tips@bitmob.com.
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Bitmob Community Jukebox No. 35 -- Girl Tower! Edition

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In this edition of the Jukebox, the community-submitted songs range from the melancholy to the hilarious.

We've got two tunes from Mega Man X and Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse that are a bit bittersweet. And to offset those, community member Alex Cronk-Young starts at  the pole position with an awesome number from Rad Racer. Make sure to check out the suggestions submitted by contributors Michael Pangelina and Bryan Glynn from Tekken 5 and World of Goo -- definitely top-tier stuff. Also, don't miss the special, guest-star appearance by the late King of Pop.

Last -- and most certainly least -- special honors go to Bitmobber Jake Jensen and the song he offered up. It comes from King's Quest 6; it's called Girl in the Tower; and it is one of the worst, most hilarious power ballads I've ever heard.

Do you like video game music? If you do, all you have to do is hit the jump to share a song with the community.

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Hit or Miss Weekend Recap - April 11, 2010

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This week on Hit or Miss: Microsoft's Gears of War 3 rollout suffers more catastrophic road bumps than the Large Hadron Collider; a U.K. school uses Grand Theft Auto 4 to teach children (presumably about how not to do every single thing in Grand Theft Auto 4); Microsoft makes their ridiculously deceitful points system only kind of deceitful; and Hideo Kojima explains how Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker's product placements totally aren't product placements.
 
Note that I'm getting absolutely no payments whatsoever for the 15 different brands I mention in this article. Life just isn't fair, I tells ya.
 
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