Hey folks! Just wanted to drop a quick news update and say that this week’s episode of the TalkGames podcast will be delayed or canceled. Due to prior arrangements and unusual circumstances I (Artie) was not able to record Saturday night. And today (Sunday) I’ll be getting on a plane to Los Angeles so today ain’t gonna be a recording day either. So if you want your fix of gaming-talk from three incompetent narcissists check the site around Tuesday morning or late night on Monday. Sorry for the inconvenience! We’ll see you soon.

This week’s “dude what” moment goes to F.E.A.R. 3’s new screenshots. For those unaware of the franchise, the universe has always had paranormal tendencies but overall the game had a strong foundation in the real world. You used tactics and strategy to take out your foes not magic abilities and enormous mech suits. There was a good balance between the two, and with F.E.A.R. 3 it seems obvious which design strand they went with (hint: THE RIDICULOUS ONE). Screenshots are at the bottom of this page.

News hit today relating to how the NFL is running their exclusive deals with 3rd party companies. The official news story is about clothing/hat companies and who gets to make the official NFL hats. American Needle Inc. claimed they were being excluded from buisness with the NFL due to an exclusive agreement between Reebok and the NFL. American Needle Inc. explained that the NFL is not one company, but a culmination of 32 different ones. The court agreed, effectively ending all exclusive agreements the NFL has, here’s where EA ties in:

Edge is saying that according to a reliable source (who spilled the Gears of War 3 details a few months ago) is going for back-to-back accurate rumors. This time the latest word is that Project Natal will not only be out this October, but will be sold at a $149 dollar price point. It will also be packaged in with new Xbox 360s for $299, and there are a few other tid bits of information that should be noted.

A few of you may have seen our Two Worlds 2 coverage back during PAX East 2010, and if you recall we actually thought the game was looking alright. However, if you’re still a little skeptical and not sure if you want to buy the game… why not win it for free!!! The guys at Topware Interactive are running a little contest for Two Worlds II. Whoever makes the “best” user-made cape for the game will have the design included in the game, and get a free autographed copy of the retail release. Here are the official details:

Our official Red Dead Redemption Review is still in the works– thanks to the lengthiness of the package. However in the mean time you can enjoy the numerous glitches that are being exploited and uploaded to YouTube. These are my favorite types of glitches, ones that don’t really effect the game in any meaningful or harmful way, but allow a hilarious video to be made. If you want to experience people flying like birds, or see a donkey’s nose on a woman’s face, check out these two videos:

Is that Ludacris? It can’t be Cole Train, cause he looks totally different. Either way, there’s a huge boatload of screenshots for Gears of War 3 that were just released. If you want to take a look see at how Marcus, Dom, Anya, Baird, and Cole(?)’s character models look or just see what type of environments will be in the new game– check out the screenshots. I like how the whole aesthetic looks a lot more stripped down the more games they release. Before there was so much armor you couldn’t even turn your neck in it, here Marcus isn’t even wearing a shirt:

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Our podcast this week covers the four major releases of last Tuesday and a little more after that. We’ve got Split/Second, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands to talk about a bit, and extensive discussion on Alan Wake and Red Dead Redemption. If you want more detailed information on what we talked about and when, check out this week’s show notes below:

Can someone explain to me the industry’s disregard for Fable III? This email has been sitting in my inbox for twelve hours and I haven’t seen another website report it before us. Anyway, Fable III has been given a release date, and it’ll be releasing simultaneously for the Xbox360 and PC this Christmas. There have also been some details revealed on what the special limited edition will include. Those items are:

Everyone is aware of the declining relevancy of the Japanese market. Since the new millennium, the far east just hasn’t been cranking out as many classics as they used too. According to Lost Planet 2’s producer, Jun Takeuchi, Japan seriously needs to evolve their gaming mechanics if they want a chance competing with the west.  Speaking with Xbox World 360, Takeuchi stated:

Cliff Bleszinski has recently admitted that in some scenarios, Gears of War 2 ‘played itself.’ Responding to criticisms about the game, Cliffy publicly appreciated complaints of the game ‘finishing itself for you.’ Bleszinski has announced regret for these sections, and is embarrassed that it took so long to realise it.

Guess what boys and girls? Red Dead Redemption comes out next Tuesday! The long awaited sequel to Red Dead Revolver is finally hitting store shelves this May 18th. Developer Rockstar wants to get the word out by releasing this spiffy launch trailer for the game. There’s not much more to learn about what Red Dead is all about, just have to play the thing for yourself. If you’re excited about the game as I am, then this launch trailer should wet your appetite a little bit:

For whatever reason, despite Lionhead’s attempts to get people involved with the on-going development of the highly anticipated Fable III, no one ever pays attention to the numerous developer diaries released by the company. Today Lionhead has released their second developer diary on the progress of Fable III. In this five minute clip you can see what the guys over in the UK are hard at work on as they continue to dedicate countless hours to what the next Molyneux game will be. Here’s the video:

As with anything in life, opinions are wholly subjective based on the point of view of the individual.  In terms of video games, there are categories to help fans and players clearly define a specific classification of any given genre.  But there’s always someone with an opinion even when it comes to those defined categories, case and point?  BioWare’s Daniel Erickson, who during a interview with Strategy Informer, offered up his feelings on Final Fantasy XIII, stating, “You can put a ‘J’ in front of it, but it’s not an RPG. You don’t make any choices, you don’t create a character, you don’t live your character… I don’t know what those are – adventure games maybe? But they’re not RPG’s.”

If you’re the type of person who likes bullets in their storm than you’re going to love Epic Games, People Can Fly and Electronic Arts’ new game Bulletstorm. This game was announced a few months back but now for the first time ever we have actual footage of the game thanks to this wonderful trailer. The game itself looks like an interesting mix of high octane action and a nutty point system that reminds me of The Club. The most important part of this trailer though? It has Nine Inch Nails, see for yourself: