Busy Gamer Nation

Part of the challenge of being a busy gamer is finding the energy to interact with a game rather than simply kicking back with less engaging fare such as movies and TV. Games take a certain mindset that you may have a difficult time easing into after a busy, stressful day. Watching a movie, particularly one that you know well and quote often, can relax you and help get you ready to get your game on.

If you're like me, you also find it soothing to listen and half-watch a favorite flick while performing a repetitive work task. The challenge there is portability and the ability to get in and out of your movie collection quickly.

You could watch a DVD or Blu-ray, but those take so long to load. You could sacrifice a second screen and some of your computer's processing power to stream a movie, but I find this slows me down too much and blocks me from my second screen, which I use constantly.

So I prefer using my iPad, much in the same way people will listen to music in the workplace. Then, in the evening, I'll frequently pipe a favorite flick to a small TV in our kitchen while I cook or clean dishes. Then, after dinner and some light TV, most nights I'm ready to play.

Digital Misconceptions

It required a lengthy adjustment for me to appreciate the value of keeping movies in the cloud. Years ago, when digital download codes were first being bundled with DVDs, I resisted redeeming them due to what I imagine was a common misconception. The codes were generally only good for a year, but I thought this meant that the digital downloads themselves were time-bombed and would stop working after the date had passed. When I realized my mistake, I redeemed all of the codes I could find that still worked. Some studios are more forgiving than others. Disney codes routinely work after the expiration date, while I've found that Warner Bros movies consistently fail.

The nice thing about iTunes Digital Copy downloads is that there is, in fact, a feeling of permanence. Once redeemed, you "own" the downloaded files and can easily transfer them to digital devices on demand (well, as long as they're iOS-based). Also, there's no need for an Internet connection to access them. Downsides? They take up a fair amount of space, so you must pick and choose. And they're not quick to sync over USB, so if you're in a rush you're out of luck.

Another point of confusion: Some Blu-Rays now come with codes for BOTH UltraViolet and iTunes Digital Copy, though the boxes don't always list both on the front. When I first started seeing these, I thought that you had to choose one service or the other. Perhaps it's the way the code slips are designed, with one code in the middle of the page and the directions for the two different redemption methods listed above and below it. I'm a reasonably smart person, so if I believed this there are bound to be others with the same mistaken belief. Unfortunately, I seem to have recycled a few of these slips including the code for one of our favorite films, Cabin in the Woods. I desperately want to add this to our UltraViolet library (despite the movie being on Netflix Instant at the moment).

Best practice: Keep your codes, even the ones you've already redeemed, in a shoebox or something until you're sure you won't ever need them again.

We understand if you have a sudden need to dash off and rummage through your movie collection in search of lost treasure: any digital download codes you might have missed. We're still finding them! Just in the past few weeks while working on this story, I found unredeemed codes still nestled in Blu-Ray cases for Kick-Ass, Slumdog Millionaire, and The Fantastic Mr. Fox. All of them worked!

UltraViolet Invasion

UltraViolet came onto my radar about a year ago. There was a code included with our Blu-Ray copy of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I put off redeeming it, but eventually took the plunge. The hassles surfaced almost immediately. First, I needed to create a UV account. Then I needed a Flixster or Vudu account to access my digital stash. Each studio and/or service you sign up with usually needs its own login name and password. Some movies can only be redeemed on one service (Sony, for instance, is both studio and service provider), so you can't just select one and always stick with it. On top of that, I accidentally created multiple Flixster accounts, presumably when I clicked an offer for a free movie one day and it registered a new account using my Facebook credentials without my knowledge. I only noticed when the UV copy of Life of Pi was mistakenly added to the wrong account. It is possible to merge multiple UV accounts, though it's incredibly confusing. Flixster really should verify your login before crediting a code redemption, but I encountered a similar problem with Cloud Atlas just this past week.

Oh, and when I first tried to download a movie to my PC for local playback from the Sony site, it failed. To this day, I'm still not sure why. But I've come to terms with the fact that UltraViolet is probably best as a streaming service - though it has been possible for me to download movies to tablets, which is great for mobile viewing when you don't have an Internet connection. More on that below.

Anyway, for the first year after Holy Grail, I only collected UltraViolet movies from movies we bought on Blu-Ray that contained codes, such as Lawrence of Arabia, Magic Mike, Looper, and The Dark Knight Rises. Just a handful, really, so I didn't really see the value. We also picked up a few bonus titles here and there from promos designed to get us to opt into to communications from various studios and services. Signing up for Vudu right now gets you 10 standard definition (SD) movies, while Flixster lets you collect 5 SD movies when you join their Disc to Digital beta (you do need to have eligible DVDs). And, yes, you can do both and link them to the same UltraViolet account.

Suddenly, I hit critical mass. This is when I started to see the value of UltraViolet. It's like your own private Netflix filled with mostly movies you love! (Though some freebies you could live without. And lots of movies, at least for us at this early stage, that aren't available anywhere to stream. Pass the Ammo, anyone? Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy? C'mon, there's no Pink Floyd: The Wall?!)

We've been collecting movies for decades, starting with laserdiscs in the early '90s, which then led to us amass around a thousand DVDs and now hundreds of Blu-Rays. (Laserdiscs typically ran $40+, so it's hard to pass up a good movie on disc when it's less than half the price.) So now we have an extensive DVD library, which can be difficult to tap on demand. First, we have to find the disc. Then pop it into whatever player is handy and get past all of the promotional crap they nearly always bundle before the film (and which may or may not be skippable). Digitizing our disc collection is an option, but that takes a lot of time and storage, so we reserve this for obscure favorites that are not found anywhere in the cloud.

Digital copies can be loaded in a matter of seconds and (generally) save your place when you quit. Perfect for busy folks like ourselves.

Cheap and peppy

To use the UltraViolet Disc to Digital program, offered in slightly different forms by both Flixster and Vudu, you pop a disc into your PC. If the disc is eligible and recognized, you get the option to add an SD copy to your UV library for $2 to $3 (Flixster tends to be more expensive at $2.50 to $3 per SD conversion, so the point goes to Vudu), or an HD upgrade for $5. Vudu has Blu-Ray support, so if you have a Blu-Ray drive in your computer, you may be able to get HD for just $2 per title (another point to Vudu).

None of these services are without their... quirks. That's a nice way of saying that there are all sorts of bugs and gotchas:

• Discs are frequently not recognized. If this happens with Vudu, you can take then into a Walmart store where they'll validate the discs and add them to your account. They'll also stamp the center ring of the discs to ensure they aren't ever redeemed again. Cabin in the Woods was just added to Vudu's Disc to Digital program recently (full title list and updates), but when I tried to redeem it, it wasn't recognized. So I've decided to continue looking for my missing code, though I would totally buy it again for $2.
• Titles that are supposed to be in the Disc to Digital program may come back as ineligible, or come up incorrectly. Flixster (full title list) misidentified our DVD copy of Vanilla Sky as The Firm (which I do NOT want), while Vudu told me that most of my Star Trek Blu-Rays were Star Trek IV, so no Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan for us. Also, Vudu won't recognize my Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Blu-Ray, but the DVD from the same package would work (for a $3 upcharge). Again, if this happens on Vudu, you can take them to Walmart. Charlie's Angels, Eye of the Beholder, and Battle for Terra were all supposed to be included in the program, but repeatedly came back as ineligible. So I took them in to a store and they were added as soon as I could get the attention of a trained Entertainment department salesperson and she was able to look up the steps required (they apparently don't get a lot of UV business). I'd rather this worked at home, so I'm not planning to repeat the experience.
• · Some titles are not available on all services. Our Vudu titles Fandango and The Ninth Configuration can't be played or downloaded on Flixster.
• · Flixster misidentifies some movies (John Sayles' Lone Star has a poster for an older movie of the same name starring Clark Gable) and offers placeholder text and images for others. In some cases, these movies will still play correctly, and in others they're not offered at all - despite being listed as available.
• · Almost all of the UltraViolet players we've tried have some issues; more on that in a sec.

Now, the plus side is that you can often pick up inexpensive used copies of DVDs and get cheap digital versions, while holding on to the disc as a backup should the service ever expire or become undesirable to use. (If you're unscrupulous, I guess you could resell the discs. Or donate them to a library or something.)

The Pros and Cons of UV-ing

Once you have a decent collection of movies (and, I have to warn you, once you get to a certain point it can be difficult to stop adding!), you'll need a method or two to play it.

UltraViolet players are all over the map, and they don’t always do a great job of keeping your place when you quit. But when they work, they range from acceptable to awesome.

On iOS, your choices are:

Vudu: This is an embarrassingly low frills client but tends to play best overall, at least in my experience. You have to sign in once a day, which is a nuisance. (I can’t recall the last time I was prompted to sign in to my HBO Go or Netflix apps.) Once you do sign in, I find it almost always comes up blank. I then have to quit and relaunch the app to see my movies. There’s no quick 15- or 30-second rewind button, for those times when you’re distracted and want to go back just a little bit, so you’re stuck scanning. The popup interface drops off at inopportune times, so you’ll spend a lot of time tapping the screen trying to pause or find your place. And there’s no way to remove the clock/status bar from the top of the screen. And if you get a notification, the movie will quit and you’ll need to restart it. But: Vudu reliably plays where Flixster does not.

Flixster: This app has proven to be really choppy, and the recent update seems to have done little to address this. But Flixster is the only app on iOS so far that lets you download movies for offline playback, so you’ll want to have it for travel at least. It also lists the movies you’ve started but not finished first, making it easy to keep track of what you’re watching. Until recently, it played the correct Lone Star movie despite the incorrect listing – but the recent update seems to have nuked that. And my copy of Chances Are sticks in a specific place every time I play it on Flixster, though it is smooth on Vudu.

PlayStation 3 only has Vudu, and it is the best UltraViolet player we’ve used to date. Seriously, this is your app of choice for the TV if you own a PS3. If only the other Vudu players were this full featured, we’d never load Flixster again.

On Xbox 360, you can choose between:

Vudu: This isn’t quite as good as the PS3 app, but the differences are negligible. We do sometimes notice dropped frames on the highest setting (HDX), making playback seem jerky, even though we have a pretty fast Internet connection that should be up to the task. You can either drop the quality down to standard HD or SD, or use the Flixster app.

Flixster: This app is actually pretty good. Right after it launched, we noticed some buggy descriptions and missing images, but these seem to have been addressed. Playback is generally smooth, though many movies that should be in HD are only offered in SD and, again, some movies (like my misclassified copy of Lone Star) won’t play back at all.

Android has Flixster available in the Amazon App Store (I tested it with a 1st generation Kindle Fire). Since it’s the only game in town, at least on my flavor of Android, you may be stuck with it. It’s pretty good, but suffers from some of the same flaws as it’s brethren on other platforms: some movies (like my misclassified copy of Lone Star) won’t play at all, and it’s not glitch proof (that SD version of Chances Are still sticks and then skips in the same place).

Despite many flaws, there's something compelling about creating your own cloud-based movie service where you can collect many (but probably not all) of your all-time favorite flicks. We just hit 120 titles and we're planning to add more in coming weeks, both with retail codes (Warm Bodies) and Disc to Digital conversion (Galaxy Quest was just added to Vudu!). And we're hopeful that someday not too far off, the major bugs will be worked out, nearly all of the movies we want will be added, and we'll be able to access our film collection almost anywhere and anytime we want.

We’re hopeful that as UV continues to grow, we'll see many improvements:

• Services such as Flixster and Vudu should continue to improve and correct the copious errors in their Disc to Digital programs, and improve the quality of their library (the SD transfer of The Ninth Configuration on Vudu is embarrassingly bad, while many other SD movies are near HD quality). We'd also love the option to upgrade our SD purchases to HD for a few dollars instead of the full $5, particularly if they're added later. Or if you purchase an SD version of a movie from a Blu-Ray when there's no HD available, offer an automatic HD upgrade if it’s ever added.
• Players should become more reliable, full featured, and allow better management of libraries. Notably absent are personalization features like advanced sorting and categorization. Right now, movies default to the order added and don’t offer to let you to create your own lists such as Family Movies, All Time Faves, and Classics.
• Studios should begin including digital copies for larger collections such as the Hitchcock and James Bond boxsets we picked up last year. "Instant" collections like these would drive UV adoption faster and improve the value proposition for retail purchase. The closest thing we've seen is the Warner Bros 50 Film Collection, but this will run you $400-600.
• Similar programs should be added for TV shows, including retail codes and Disc to Digital cloud conversion.

Too busy to devote 12+ hours a day to your gaming habit? Here's a review that's sensitive to your needs: Short and focused on just the things that a busy gamer like you really needs to know.

Reviewed On: iPhone 4 and iPad 3.

In a Nutshell: A colorful, amusing sequel to the popular Mr. Runner. The basic mechanics are the same: Mr. Runner jogs across a set course collecting coins, collectibles, and power-ups while the threat of danger hovers above. The player presses the right side of the screen to speed him up, or the left side to slow him down.

Various dangers await Mr. Runner in each set of levels. Players must time their runs just right to reach safe zones before getting crushed, drowned, or caught in some other nefarious trap.

The game is rife with sly references to pop culture and other games. Familiar characters appear in the wild throughout the levels. Mr. Runner himself briefly transforms into some familiar people/characters when he successfully ducks death. Movie fans will also recognize many of his celebratory catch-phrases.

Successful runs unlock special masks that players can use to customize their experience. Older gamers will get more of the references, including the "Unknown Comic" from The Gong Show. Younger gamers will recognize many of the Nintendo-esque characters and loving nods favorite games, including a plant-hating zombie and one really mad bird.

Learning Curve: Easy to learn, hard to master. There is no stopping in this game; just speeding up or slowing down. The challenge is timing. Keys, treasure chests, money-attracting magnets and other goodies bounce around the screen like Olympic gymnasts. Move too fast and you may fly right by an airborne reward. Move too slow and you might get catch a coveted revival potion, only to get crushed a few moments later. Fans of rhythm games may find it easier to learn the beats and advance.

The gameplay has the potential to be very frustrating, particularly for left handed people. (Yes, here we go again.) In this case, I found it very difficult to play on the iPhone. My right hand was controlling the speed, and my thumb simply couldn't keep up with it. (Perhaps someday devs will offer a "lefty mode" that switches the power switch to the "sinister" side.) I also kept accidentally hitting things on screen with my hand, interrupting my flow and creating a less than stellar experience.

My iPad experience was much, much better. After experimenting with a few different approaches, I settled on using my left hand exclusively (Index and Ring finger), and began flying through levels with little problem. The iPad also offered the advantage of a bigger screen – and in this case, the design deserves to be seen on a large display. Too bad it's only pixel-doubled, and not a universal app optimized for iPad.

The Save Game: Progress is saved at the end of a level (typically about 1-2 minutes of play time), whether you succeed or not.

Family Factor: Very family friendly, although very small children might be freaked out by some of the bosses who chase Mr. Runner. Older kids will enjoy it just as much as you will.

Buy or Skip? Buy – especially if you have an iPad (even though it's not optimized for it). It's only $1, and a wonderful addition to your mobile and/or tablet gaming library. While you're at it, pick up the original Mr. Runner, the black-and-white predecessor. The "Yo Mama" jokes are almost worth getting crushed. (You can also turn them off, if they're not your thing.)

On a Personal Note: I wasn't initially sold on the game, but it has quickly become a favorite, largely on the iPad. I love the Katamari Damacy-like environment, and the little unexpected moments that have made me laugh time and again.

What's great is that Mr. Runner 2 is a game you can pick up and put down in short increments, whether you're waiting in the grocery line or just want to kill a little time during the television commercials.

I'd like to give the developers a shout-out for their handling of the in-game currency system. The game regularly offers the opportunity to make in-game purchases such as magnets, keys, and revival potions to help the player get through particularly tough levels. Players willing to part with cash may also buy special power up masks that will grant a permanent in-game advantage. But you don't really need any of these unless you're a busy and impatient gamer. There are ample opportunities to score extra coins if you don't mind, say, following the company on Twitter or Facebook. Later, players have the option to watch brief marketing videos to score cash. My all-time favorite was the simplest: Buy a chance to spin the wheel. (Unfortunately, I lost money on this one, which led me to buy more spins... Just like in Vegas.)

More Busy Gamer Reviews:

• Portal 2 [GOTY 2011]
• Fallout New Vegas [GOTY 2010]
• Dead Island
• Resident Evil 4
• Jetpack Joyride
• Ugly Americans: Apocalypsegeddon
• Bastion
• Alice: Madness Returns
• Bejeweled 3
• L.A. Noire
• You Don't Know Jack
• Kinectimals
• Fable III
• Dead Rising 2
• Guide to kids and adult games

Busy Gamer Audio Reviews and Features (MP3):

• Dead Island
• Resident Evil 4
• Portal 2
• Fallout New Vegas
• Alice: Madness Returns
• Dead Rising 2
• Bastion
• L.A. Noire
• You Don't Know Jack
• Kinectimals
• Costume Quest
• Pinball FX 2
• Comic Jumper
• Alan Wake
• More audio reviews and features from the Busy Gamer Nation Radio

YouTube has become a mecca for young content producers with a camera, very little money, and friends with varying degrees of talent. The best rise up and create channels. Do well, and YouTube may even throw some cash your way!

Over the years, I've seen some pretty amazing stuff done with a maxed out credit card and a dream. So I had very high hopes for the new Penny Arcade reality show, Strip Search. For the uninitiated, Penny Arcade is the videogame web cartoon that launched an empire, including three major gaming conventions and a multi-million dollar charity (and now a grossly overfunded podcast). These people aren't worried about maxing out their Amex – they have a black card. And they decided to use some of that cash to fund an online reality television competition.

The name Strip Search itself screams Penny Arcade: part juvenile joke, part clever play on words. The goal of the competition is to find a great web comic artist who will move to Seattle and spend a year in the Penny Arcade offices, presumably under the mentorship of Gabe (Mike) and Tycho (Jerry) themselves. 12 very different artists were chosen from more than 1,000 applicants. All of them seem deserving, based on what we get to see onscreen. Some more than others, but still – it's a solid group.

The general rules of reality television are followed religiously while also being parodied in rather half-assed ways. This is not The Joe Schmo Show. (But then, The Joe Schmo Show wasn't legitimately seeking to hire someone when all was said and done.) Cheesy reality show staples are introduced but then not really explored. The artists share a home on a lake, but generally get along. Other than the occasional light dig, no one seems to openly loathe anyone else. There are no hair pulling fights, no "I will always wave my finger in your face" moments. Just some decent people who share a passion and a dream.

The format of the series treads some familiar territory as well. First third: Hanging out and building the show's characters. Second third: The players battle in thematically relevant competition with a fabulous prize. Final third: The bottom people are tortured by our hosts until one is finally, mercifully, told to get the hell out.

Here's where Penny Arcade has turned the format on its ear. First, each of these show acts are broken out as a separate "episode" on YouTube, allowing the viewer to pick and choose how much time to invest in the show. First, we have the adventure phase. Penny Arcade has done a nice job of getting the artists out of the house and into the world. Yes, many of the groaner moments are in there (please, no more throwing fish at the market - it's been done!) but the producers have picked some esoteric escapades as well. Although frankly, I don't know if riding The Duck is going to convince anyone to move to Seattle.

The second phase, which is a separate episode, is the art/comic business challenge. The most relevant of these challenges have also been the most difficult to sit through. Yes, the contestants should be able to draw something if they want to be America's Next Top Comic Stripper™. But watching several people draw from far away simply isn't all that interesting. Fortunately, the producers have expanded the challenge base to include some tasks that are both relevant and, frankly, more interesting to watch. Of the episodes aired to date, the "faux convention" stands out by far.

The winners usually receive some nifty prize that's actually relevant to their world. Keep your jet skis, Amazing Race. These folks are taking home bad-ass digital drawing tablets that many of them could not afford on their own. The winners also have the dubious task of selecting two people to send to the elimination round. The two "disgraced" comic artists are sent to meet Gabe and Tycho for the first and, sometimes, only time.

I guess you could argue this is no different than Survivor's voting each other off the island. Except the task falls to a single contestant. And the reward here isn't a million dollars – it's a job. This ill-conceived approach quickly led to a controversial elimination that had one of the hosts melting down over having to send an extremely talented person home when he knew there were less deserving people back at the house. To the producers' credit, they left in a statement to that effect in the episode. Top that, Mark Burnett.

For the elimination challenge, each artist is asked to pull a rejected story idea from a pair of wastebaskets filled with rejected scribbles, most of which are risqué or just ridiculous. They then have very little time to build a comic that contains both ideas. As they work, Gabe and Tycho carry on conversations, ask questions, and generally screw with the contestants. Some get rattled; others show remarkable focus.

I won't give away how they announce the winner and loser; suffice it to say that it's the most over-the-top thing since, well, The Joe Schmo Show. We end the trio of episodes with the winner posting his/her winning cartoon to a wall, followed by the disgraced artist giving the traditional exit interview... but again, with a twist I won't give away. I've really said too much already.

Strip Search has all the components of a fascinating reality show: a cool concept, some decent characters you can root for (I'm on Team Abby!), and a sense of humor. What it lacks is good writing and editing.

Strip Search is on YouTube, so it can be as long or short as it needs to be. Unfortunately, it often feels much longer than it really is, because there just isn't much going on. Broadcast TV shows generally fill less than a full hour due to commercial breaks (typical show time is about 40 minutes), while a full cycle of Strip Search challenges and elimination averages a time budget-busting 66 minutes (longer than Game of Thrones) with some running almost 75 minutes. We try to watch these in batches of three using our YouTube app on Xbox or PS3 (sometimes iPad), but often it drags a bit too much to sustain our interest for that long.

On top of that, the shows are hosted by Penny Arcade staffers and friends who just aren't experienced at hosting, inherently interesting to watch, or very curious about their contestants. Malign Survivor all you want: You have to admit that host Jeff Probst knows how to fill dead air. And their editors know how to build drama and story through meticulous editing.

The best moments of the show tend to happen in the elimination arena. Gabe and Tycho seem to genuinely enjoy hanging out and messing with the artists. When they're having fun, we're having fun. Plus it's the one time the artists get to do what they actually do: Make a comic, albeit with ridiculous topics. And the final moments in the car have a heart and soul you won't find in any other reality show.

The Penny Arcade crew hasn't announced if they will be repeating this experiment. Don't be surprised if they do. It's been well received within the community and provides a way to grow their brand on YouTube: a win-win. I just hope they hire a real editor before diving back in.

Good luck, Abby!

We spend a fair amount of time discussing "the save game" here at Busy Gamer Nation, and with good reason. The save system has the biggest impact on whether a busy gamer can enjoy and ultimately complete a game. It determines how easily you can put your game down when family, work, and other aspects of real life interrupt your venture into a virtual world of play.

Games that cause too much suffering and loss are more likely to be tossed aside than those that let you easily preserve your hard-won progress. That's pretty obvious, but it goes deeper than that.

Checkpoint systems aren't inherently busy gamer friendly, but they can be fairly tolerable when they're frequent enough - particularly if they allow the gamer some degree of control. In the Halo games, for instance, if you're observant and remember where the game last saved you can double back to cross an invisible checkpoint whenever you want. Many titles autosave like this - when you enter or exit a room or new area - so if you can remember where the nearest save trigger is, you can generally get out of a game within a few minutes when the baby awakens from nap or you need to end your lunch break and get back to work.

But did you realize that the save system can greatly impact your overall attitude toward a game? I didn't understand the degree of this until I had a little epiphany recently while playing BioShock Infinite. I believe it's a valuable insight worth sharing and, hopefully, game developers will consider it when deciding on how to implement save systems in future titles.

BioShock: The game I couldn't put down for long

If you read my Busy Gamer Review of the original BioShock, you'd know that I played the game through faster than most despite my intention to take it slow and draw out the experience:

"I went into a sort of fugue state where all I could do for about 8 hours was play. I'd save and shutdown only to reboot 10 minutes later. Normally I'd try to savor a game of this caliber, like I have with the Elder Scrolls and Halo series. I found that impossible here. No matter how hard I tried, I just had to soldier on."

BioShock lets you save your game anywhere, except in a couple of places such as right before the finale. So while quitting was easy, letting go was not.

BioShock Infiite: The game I couldn't wait to quit

BioShock Infinite gives you only one save slot. It uses an autosave system that you can't consistently influence by simply crossing a threshold or backtracking to a previously explored area. Sometimes entering a door conveniently triggers a save, and other times you can go MORE THAN AN HOUR without a save opportunity.

This happened to me while I was revisiting an area of Columbia that you explore early on, but the place has changed quite a bit. No, it was not a final boss battle by any stretch, just lots of exploration and some smaller goals building up to help me achieve a larger one.

Normally I like to take my time, explore and find secrets, take down waves of enemies, and move the story forward only when I'm good and ready. But I had more than exhausted my lunch break when I realized that it had been nearly an hour since my prior save. It took me an additional 20 minutes to find a place to activate the autosave so that my extensive game progress would be preserved.

This is a dangerous practice for lots of reasons, but it my case it made me feel like I could not wait to save and quit the game. When I finally did, I was excessively relieved. I had worried that the place that triggered the save was going to lock me in to moving irrevocably forward (leaving behind exploration I still wanted to complete), but I had been fooled and could have saved considerably sooner if I hadn't been so intent on exploration. At that point, I no longer cared either way. I was just thrilled that I could finally put the damn controller down.

This is the opposite feeling I had with the original BioShock, where I would quit with the intent of saving some gameplay for later and then come back far more often than I intended. Here, I resented that the game was holding my progress hostage and was ecstatic when I could finally stop.

I did complete BioShock Infinite but, unlike with the original BioShock, I am not in any rush to revisit that world.

The lesson? Let your players decide when and where they stop and start. If your game is compelling enough, they won't be able to put it down for long. And when they do walk away, they will be entranced.

Take away control, and gamers may resent you for it, and those feelings carry over to your game and whether they feel inclined to ever pick it back up again. This happens all of the time with lesser games than BioShock Infinite.

Can you guess what happens? I bet you can, but let's not leave any room for doubt: We busy gamers toss those aside, often without a second thought.

I have been dying to play Dead Island: Riptide ever since I saw it at PAX Prime last year. I am a huge fan of the original Dead Island (Busy Gamer Review), bugs and all. So it was great trepidation and excitement that I cracked my Rigor Mortis Edition suitcase (nice touch!) and tore into the first few levels of the game.

Once again, you get to pick a character based on your personal preferences. Each is balanced differently, so take a moment to review and consider your favored style of play. I have a special place in my heart for Xian, a bad-ass melee girl. As a bonus, I was able to import my leveled-up Xian from Dead Island into Riptide.

The game opens with a very spoilery recap of the original (in case you didn't finish it), dovetailing nicely into the opening events of the adventure at hand.

Just to be clear: This game spells out exactly how the first one ended. You have been warned. The combined events make for a rather long opening cinematic, but it sets up the game nicely.

The first (training) level is aboard a ship, complete with enough rocking back and forth to make even the heartiest of sailors feel a bit seasick. Note: If shaky-cams make you run for the bathroom, you will not make it through this level! But if you can keep your sea legs long enough to make it 20 minutes into the game, you'll be rewarded with a trip to a lush jungle filled with undead.

What's good about it:

• Ability to import leveled-up characters from the previous game. Don't expect to turn into Superman, however. The game will be balanced based on your level, meaning my Level 39 Xian was fighting Level 38/39/higher bad guys right off the bat. But at least you don't need to start in the kiddie pool.
• Frequent autosave points. Games that don't allow you to "save anywhere" can be a major roadblock for busy gamers. If you do force us to use autosave points, we ask that you're at least generous with them. Riptide meets that requirement.
• Play the way you want. I love melee and tend to do poorly with firearms. Riptide gives you level credit based on your fighting style, and doesn't penalize you for not being a strong shooter (or hand-to-hand person, for that matter).
• Respawn. If you die, a short countdown clock starts and then the game revives you. Anyone else in combat can still be eaten while you're gone though.
• Beautiful graphics. The game designers have taken what was an already beautiful world and made it stunning. I found myself stopping at quiet points to take in the waterfalls and fauna. Even the zombies are pretty damn good-looking, in an undead kind of way.

What's not so good:

• Stilly buggy! I encountered a few notable bugs in just the first hour of play. My sound went out completely mid-combat on the boat, putting me at a disadvantage. Rebooting brought it back. I also received a "survivor died" message during a cut-scene that forced me to finally quit the game and start over to clear it.
• Movement can be odd at times. I don't know how else to describe it. In addition to the aforementioned seasickness moments, there were points where Xian seemed to be... well, drunk! I expect a bit of clumsiness from a new character, but by Level 39 I should be able to walk and wield a machete without too much difficulty.
• Sealing off my game remains difficult. The default mode is cooperative play. Essentially, you are offered up to any nearby players who happen to be around the same level and in the same mission period. I prefer to play alone. Finding a way to shut out others from my game should be simple, and turned off by default. It's not.

Should you play it?

Hard-core Dead Island fans will appreciate the new weapons, defense systems, and locales. Newcomers to the series may be better off tracking down the much less expensive original game and giving it a whirl. Level up a character or two, get to know the combat, and explore the story. If you join the ranks who adore the series, Riptide will be waiting for you when you're done.

It's true, this site has lost focus and momentum in the past year. It's largely because we've been busy gamers - in every sense of the term - balancing projects that pay the bills and our desire to play great games such as BioShock Infinite, Dead Island, and Skyrim - against the time and resources needed to maintain this site daily. We also realized that we no longer add much value as a news site, so our name no longer reflects the core that our site has become.

So, as we prepare to enter our 10th year (really! our first post was about Ninja Gaiden on September 22, 2003), we are relaunching as BusyGamerNation.com around the concept of a virtual alliance of busy gamers. Consider this a place where you can share your passions, your experiences, and the things you wish for in your gaming life.

If you want to help, we do need some assistance to help this site realize its potential as a resource and advocate for the busy gamer community.

We need a new logo, so if you're artistically inclined, please contact us. We can't afford to pay, but the person who creates the artwork we choose will get swag-bombed with some very cool stuff we've collected!

Likewise, if you want to contribute stories, we'll consider reviews, opinion articles, and feature stories that help feed or promote the busy gamer community. For reviews, just follow the basic template of our Busy Gamer Reviews. For anything else, almost anything goes. Just pitch us a draft or an idea.

And if you're a web jockey who knows Movable Type (or Wordpress - we'll consider a moving over to another platform if it makes sense), and you want to help us whip our site into shape, we're glad to hear from you too.

Let's build something new, that's never been done, that helps elevate the voice of our commonly overlooked but significant and growing gaming niche. We still want to make a difference - how about you?

In the meantime...

We are not going dark.

• We have some great new content in the works that we plan to start posting later this week!
• We'll soon throw up a temporary new logo and start upgrading and moving the mechanics of the site to BusyGamerNation.com.
• We want to resurrect the podcast with new focus on short reviews and features, much like you can find now in our Best of Busy Gamer Podcast feed.
• We hope to make it easier than ever for you to join and participate in the community.

If you're in, please read our Busy Gamer Manifesto and contact us at icanhelp at busygamernation.com.

Here is the complete list of games due to release this week for PC/Mac, portables and consoles (plus some recent releases that slipped out in the past week or so):

• Android: Corn Quest, Elves Quest, Epic Pirate Story, ePSXe update, Grudger update, Hitman: Absolution Companion App, Nightsky HD, Puzzle Craft, Repulze, Shadowgun: Deadzone update, and Tekken Card Tournament
• 3DS: Castlevania (eShop), Colors! 3D update (eShop), Dillon's Rolling Western: The Last Ranger (eShop), Gabrielle's Ghostly Groove 3D (eShop), and Real Heroes: Firefighter 3D (eShop), and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity additional dungeons (DLC)
• DS: None
• Facebook: Here Be Monsters
• iPhone/iPad: Badland, Battle Dungeon: Risen, Colosseum Defense, Dragon Blast!, Dream Chaser, Duke Nukem 2, Eyes, Fester Mudd: Curse of the Gold Episode 1, Gemini Rue, Hitman: Absolution Companion App, Injustice: Gods Among Us, Middle Manager of Justice update, Might & Magic: Duel of Champions, Mittens, Nameless, The Other Brothers, Run Sheldon!, The Seed, Slayin, Sushi Spinnery, Tamagotchi L.i.f.e., Tekken Card Tournament, Trauma, Unmechanical, and Zen Pinball update
• Mac: None
• PC: Age of Empires 2: HD Edition (Steam), Age of Wushu, and ShootMania Storm
• PS3: Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk New Exploration Site (DLC), Capcom Arcade Cabinet 1985-2 Pack with Commando, The Speed Rumbler, and Savage Bees plus Legendary Wings, Side Arms, and Trojan (DLC), Dynasty Warriors 7 Empires various add-ons (DLC), Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage various add-ons (DLC), Guacamelee! (Store), John Daly’s Prostroke Golf (Store), and Mass Effect 3: Genesis 2 (DLC)
• PS2: None
• PSP: None
• Vita: Guacamelee! (Store)
• Wii: NAM-1975 (Virtual Console)
• Wii U: None
• Windows Phone: Amazing Alex, Ms. Splosion Man, Storm in a Teacup, Temple Run, and Vampire Rush
• Xbox 360: Borderlands 2: Ultimate Upgrade Pack with level cap increase to 61 (DLC), Capcom Arcade Cabinet 1985-2 Pack with Commando, The Speed Rumbler, and Savage Bees plus Legendary Wings, Side Arms, and Trojan (DLC), Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage various add-ons (DLC), Forza Horizon: April TopGear Car Pack (DLC), Halo 4: Castle Map Pack (DLC), Mass Effect 3: Genesis 2 (DLC), Minecraft update (Arcade), Motocross Madness (Arcade), Tomb Raider: 1939 Multiplayer Map Pack (DLC), and WWE (App)

Here is the complete list of games due to release this week for PC/Mac, portables and consoles (plus some recent releases that slipped out in the past week or so):

• Android: After Burner Climax, Angry Birds Star Wars update, Boardtastic Skateboarding 2, Epoch, Flatout Stuntman, Frontline Commando: D-Day, Magicka: Wizards of the Square Tablet, Ninja Village, Puk, Reign of Amir: The Lost Kingdom, Spawn Wars 2, Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor, Strategy & Tactics: World War II, Super Monkey Run update, and Zen Pinball HD Marvel tables
• 3DS: System Update (adds eShop background downloading) plus HarmoKnight (eShop), Legend of the River King (eShop), and Super Black Bass 3D
• DS: None
• Facebook: Gladiators, The Hobbit: Armies of The Third Age, Insanity, and Taptiles Saga
• iPhone/iPad: Dungeon Hearts, Final Fantasy V, Magicka: Wizards of the Square Tablet, Ms. Splosion Man, Multiplayer for Minecraft PE, Nimble Quest, Repulze update, Runaway: A Twist of Fate Part 1, Secret Castle, and Tiny Troopers 2: Special Ops
• Mac: Cities in Motion II
• PC: Cities in Motion II, Defiance, and Mystery Masters: Lighter Side of Adventure
• PS3: Big Sky Infinity: Retro Mode (DLC), Darkstalkers Resurrection HD various cabinets (DLC), Defiance, Dust 514: Armored Assault Pack (DLC), Ion Assault HD (Store), MUD FIM Motocross World Championship: Trickin’ Demons Pack (DLC), Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge, Pinball Arcade Attack From Mars and Genie Pro tables (DLC), Tomb Raider various add-ons (DLC), and WRC 3 FIA World Rally Championship: East African Safari Rally (DLC)
• PS2: None
• PSP: None
• Vita: Big Sky Infinity: Retro Mode (DLC), Pinball Arcade Attack From Mars and Genie Pro tables (DLC), and WRC 3 FIA World Rally Championship tracks (DLC)
• Wii: None
• Wii U: Toki Tori 2 (eShop)
• Windows Phone: Chaos Rings, Dream Track Nation, Gravity Guy 2, The Sims Medieval, and Tiny Plane
• Xbox 360: BattleBlock Theater (Arcade), Battlefield 3: End Game (DLC), Darkstalkers Resurrection HD various cabinets (DLC), Defiance (Kinect optional), Double Dragon II (Arcade), Full House Poker: Texas Heat Spring 2013 Season (DLC), Gears of War: Judgment Haven (DLC), Halo 4: Forge Island (DLC), IndieFlix (App), MUD FIM Motocross World Championship: Trickin’ Demons Pack (DLC), Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge, Revision 3 (App), PopcornFlix (App), Redbox Instant (App), Tiger Woods PGA Tour '14 various add-ons (DLC), and Toys 'R Us Movies (App)

Here is the complete list of games due to release this week for PC/Mac, portables and consoles (plus some recent releases that slipped out in the past week or so):

• Android: Archos Gamepad and Ouya plus Alpine Trail, Avabel Online beta, Captain Thumb, Doodle Jump update, GameFront Walkthroughs, The Jump: Escape The City, Life of Pixel update, Oil Rush 3D, Order & Chaos update, Order & Chaos Duels, Pac-Man + Tournaments, Plasma Sky, Raft Pirates, Ragnarok Online: Valkyrie Uprising, Ravensword: Shadowlands, Sci-Fi Heroes, Shoot Many Robots, and Trainz Trouble
• 3DS: 50 Classic Games 3D, Lola's Math Train, and Pokédex 3D Pro
• DS: None
• Facebook: Kingdom of Thrones and Relic Quest
• iPhone/iPad: Abalone, Chopper Mike, Cook Serve Delicious!, Dream Tim, Fetch, Galactic Conflict RTS, Kingpin Lanes, Ms. 'Splosion Man, NimbleQuest, Order & Chaos Duels, Pixel People update, PWN: Competitive Hacking, Smash the Office, Snoopy Coaster, Star Wars Pinball, and The Wizard of Oz
• Mac: None
• PC: 16 Bit Arena, BioShock Infinite, Final Fantasy XI: Seekers of Adoulin, Hunter's Trophy 2: America, Hunter's Trophy 2: Australia, Sacra Terra: Kiss of Death Collector's Edition, Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 Siberian Strike (DLC), and Veil of Mystery: Seven Little Gnomes
• PS3: Aliens: Colonial Marines Bug Hunt (DLC), A-Men (Store), Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel, Assassin's Creed III: The Betrayal (DLC), Battlefield 3: End Game (DLC), BioShock Infinite, Capcom Arcade Cabinet: 1986 Pack (Commando, Savage Bees, and The Speed Rumbler), Dynasty Warriors 7 Empires scenarios, weapons, and costumes (DLC), Guardians of Middle Earth: Unglob (DLC), Magic: The Gathering – Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013 various bundles (DLC), Mass Effect 3: Multiplayer Collection (DLC), Pinball Arcade Star Trek: The Next Generation table (DLC), PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale level and characters (DLC), PlayStation Move Fitness (Store), Resident Evil 6: Siege, Onslaught, Survivors, and Predator Mode Pack (DLC), Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 Siberian Strike (DLC), Tales of Graces F (Store), Terraria (Store), Tiger Woods PGA Tour '14: Standard and Masters Historic Edition (Move optional), Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception various add-ons (DLC), WRC 3: FIA World Rally Championship 2012, and Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Decade Duels Plus card and deck packs (DLC)
• PS2: None
• PSP: None
• Vita: Dead or Alive 5 Plus various add-ons (DLC), Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational courses and characters (DLC), Machinarium (Store), Pinball Arcade Star Trek: The Next Generation table (DLC), PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale level and characters (DLC), Silent Hill: Book of Memories expansion pack (DLC), and WRC 3: FIA World Rally Championship 2012
• Wii: The Path of the Warrior: Art of Fighting 3 (Virtual Console)
• Wii U: Zen Pinball 2 (eShop) including Marvel and Plants vs. Zombies tables
• Windows Phone: Archer, The Dark Knight Rises, and Shark Dash
• Xbox 360: Aliens: Colonial Marines Bug Hunt (DLC), Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel, Assassin's Creed III: The Betrayal (DLC), BioShock Infinite, Capcom Arcade Cabinet: 1986 Pack (Commando, Savage Bees, and The Speed Rumbler), Final Fantasy XI: Seekers of Adoulin, Gears of War: Judgment various add-ons (DLC), Guardians of Middle Earth: Unglob (DLC), Port Royale 3: Dawn of Pirates (DLC), Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 Siberian Strike (DLC), Terraria (Arcade), Tiger Woods PGA Tour '14: Standard and Masters Historic Edition (Kinect optional), and Tomb Raider Caves and Cliffs Multiplayer Map Pack (DLC), and Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Decade Duels Plus card and deck packs (DLC)

Here is the complete list of games due to release this week for PC/Mac, portables and consoles (plus some recent releases that slipped out in the past week or so):

• Android: 10000000, Angry Birds Seasons update, Arcane Legends update, Blacksmith Story, Chaos Rings II, The Conduit HD, Cracking Sands update, Crime City update, The Croods, Electric City: The Revolt, Heroes of Destiny, Ingress update, Jewel Poker, Magicka: Wizards of the Square Tablet, Master of Alchemy: Vengeance Front, Mini Ninja, Plague Inc update, Puzzle & Dragons update, Real Boxing, The Sims update, Space Sports, Super Stickman Golf 2, and Vex Blocks
• 3DS: The Croods: Prehistoric Party!, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, Mega Man 3 (Virtual Console), Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity, and Reel Fishing Paradise 3D (eShop) + DSiWare
• DS: The Croods: Prehistoric Party! and Goony (DSiWare)
• Facebook: Marvel: Avengers Alliance update and Words of Wonder
• iPhone/iPad: The Blockheads update, Bobbing, Castle Champions, Clowns in the Face, Crazy Monster Whack: Blood Edition, The Croods, Danger Boat, Deepworld update, Dungeon Plunder, Le Vamp, Magicka: Wizards of the Square Tablet, Mayday! Emergency Landing, NightSky, Rock Bandits, Rolling Hero, Stargate SG1: Unleashed Episode 1, Super Stickman Golf 2, and Towelfight 2: The Monocle of Destiny update
• Mac: None
• PC: Galactic Reign (Windows 8 App Store), Resident Evil 6 (Steam), and Shadows: Price for Our Sins Deluxe Edition
• PS3: Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist Of Dusk music pack (DLC), Dead Space 3: Awakened, First Contact, Witness The Truth, and new weapons (DLC), Dollar Dash (Store), Fist of the North Star 2: Ken's Rage costumes (DLC), Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance VR Missions (DLC), Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: Online Multiplayer and Wallace Pack (DLC), Sleeping Dogs: Chinese New Year (DLC), The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct, and Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Decade Duels Plus card and deck packs (DLC)
• PS2: None
• PSP: Carnage Heart EXA (Store)
• Vita: Carnage Heart EXA (Store), Dead or Alive 5 Plus, Ragnarok Odyssey music (DLC), and SoundShapes Mini-Album and Entity Pack (DLC)
• Wii: The Croods: Prehistoric Party!
• Wii U: Lego City Undercover, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, and The Croods: Prehistoric Party!
• Windows Phone: Drift Mania Championship 2, Galactic Reign, and Second Chance
• Xbox 360: Alien Spidy (Arcade), Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 various packs (DLC), Dead Space 3: Awakened, First Contact, Witness The Truth, and new weapons (DLC), Fist of the North Star 2: Ken's Rage various add-ons (DLC), Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams (Arcade), Nike+ Kinect Training: Lower Body and Core Workout (DLC), Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: Online Multiplayer and Wallace Pack (DLC), Sleeping Dogs: The Year of the Snake (DLC), The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct, WWE '13, and Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Decade Duels Plus card and deck packs (DLC)

Here is the complete list of games due to release this week for PC/Mac, portables and consoles (plus some recent releases that slipped out in the past week or so):

• Android: Green Throttle app and controllers for Kindle Fire HD to HDMI TV plus Angry Birds Space update, Bionfly, Bladeslinger, Book of Heroes, City Conquest, Cut the Rope: Experiments update, Gun Bros 2, Humble Bundle for Android 5 (Beat Hazard Ultra, Dungeon Defenders, Dynamite Jack, NightSky HD, Solar 2, and Super Hexagon), Pixel Dungeon, Rage of the Gladiator, Rivals at War update, Samurai vs Zombies Defense 2, Super Hexagon update, Temple of the Spider God, and Temple Run: Oz
• 3DS: ATV Wild Ride 3D (eShop), Kersploosh! (eShop), Monster High: Skultimate Roller Maze, Nano Assault EX (eShop), and Wrecking Crew (eShop)
• DS: None
• Facebook: Half the Sky Movement, KingsRoad, and Pearl's Peril
• iPhone/iPad: Angle Isle, Angry Birds Space update, Astro Shark HD, Block Fortress, Danmaku Unlimited 2: Bullet Hell Shmup, The Final Hours of Tomb Raider, Fury of the Gods, Gun Bros 2, Hungry Gows, Infect Them All 2 : Zombies, Infinity Space, Jones on Fire, Journey to Hell, Knitted Deer, Liberation Maiden, Master of Alchemy Vengeance Front, Melodive, Metal Slug X, Monster Meltdown, Outland Games, Ridiculous Fishing, Sneezies Match, Sonic Dash, SpikeDislike2, Temple Run: Oz, and Word Up Dog
• Mac: StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
• PC: Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2, Motor Town: Soul of the Machine Deluxe Edition, Sniper Elite V2, and StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
• PS3: Angry Birds Trilogy: Fowl Tempered Pack (DLC), Battlefield 3: End Game (DLC), Capcom Arcade Cabinet: 1943: The Battle of Midway, Avengers, Ghosts 'n Goblins, Gun.Smoke, and Section Z (DLC), Darkstalkers: Resurrection (Store), Devil May Cry: Vergil's Downfall (DLC), Dynasty Warriors 7 Empires: Fantasy Castle Set and Winds of the Wuzhang Plains Scenario Set (DLC), God of War: Ascension, Guardians of Middle Earth: Survival Mode and other add-ons (DLC), Heavy Fire: Shattered Spear (Store), Mass Effect 3: Citadel (DLC), MLB: The Show 13 add-ons (DLC), Psych Yourself (Store), Puzzle By Nikoli V: Sudoku (Store), Quantum Theory (Store), Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault add-ons (DLC), Resident Evil 6: Siege Mode and Map Pack Bundle (DLC), Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2, Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 add-ons (DLC), and Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Decade Duels Plus add-ons (DLC)
• PS2: None
• PSP: None
• Vita: None
• Wii: The King of Fighters '98 (Virtual Console)
• Wii U: None
• Windows Phone: The Amazing Spider-Man and Real Soccer 2013
• Xbox 360: Angry Birds Trilogy: Fowl Tempered Pack (DLC), Battlefield 3: End Game (DLC), Darkstalkers: Resurrection (Arcade), Capcom Arcade Cabinet: Ghosts 'n Goblins, Gun.Smoke, and Section Z (DLC), Devil May Cry: Vergil's Downfall (DLC), Forza Horizon cars (DLC), Guardians of Middle Earth: Survival Mode and other add-ons (DLC), Resident Evil 6: Map Pack Bundle (DLC), Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2, Tomb Raider add-ons (DLC), WRC Powerslide (Arcade), and Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Decade Duels Plus add-ons (DLC)

Here is the complete list of games due to release this week for PC/Mac, portables and consoles (plus some recent releases that slipped out in the past week or so):

• Android: Aliens vs Predator: Evolution, Ark of the Ages, Bad Piggies update, Death Race, DeProfundis, Dracula's Castle, Dragon Summoner, Dynamite Jack, Era's Adventure, Furfur & Nublo, King's Empire, Postman Adventures, Raft Pirates, Real Racing 3, Robo5, Slingshot Racing, Super Bunny Show, Super Sync Sports, Toy Story: Smash It!, Where's My Perry? update, and Zen Training
• 3DS: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror Fate, Coaster Creator 3D (eShop), Mahjong Mysteries: Ancient Athena (eShop), Naruto Powerful Shippuden + DSiWare
• DS: Easter Eggztravaganza (DSiWare)
• Facebook: GameHouse Casino, Invincible Armada, and The Wizard of Oz
• iPhone/iPad: 1001 Attempts, 4 Pics 1 Word, Aliens, Cognition: Episode 1, Crazy Bill, Gravity Duck, iStriker 2: Air Assault, King Cashing 2, Penumbear, Plague Inc. update, PokerTower, Real Racing 3, Spunk and Moxie, Star Hound, Towelfight 2: The Monacle of Destiny, Toy Story: Smash It!, Trenches II, True Skate update, Up In Flames, and Where's My Perry? update
• Mac: The Sims 3: University Life
• PC: SimCity, The Sims 3: University Life, Tomb Raider
• PS3: Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk, Clan of Champions various add-ons (DLC), Dogfight 1942: Fire Over Africa and Russia Under Siege (DLC), The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dawnguard (DLC), Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage scenarios and costume (DLC), Fuel Overdose (Store), Germinator (Store), Mass Effect 3: Reckoning (DLC), MLB '13: The Show (Move optional), MLB 2K13, MUD: FIM Motocross World Championship add-ons (DLC), Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3, Need For Speed: Most Wanted various packs and unlocks (DLC), PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Minion packs and various add-ons (DLC), Port Royale 3: Pirates & Merchants (Store), Runner 2 (Store), Sleeping Dogs: Wheels of Fury (DLC), Tomb Raider, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Decade Duels Plus packs (DLC), and 2K Sports Combo Pack (MLB 2K13 and NBA 2K13)
• PS2: None
• PSP: None
• Vita: Germinator (Store), MLB '13: The Show, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Minion packs and various add-ons (DLC), and Ragnarok Odyssey various music and clothing (DLC)
• Wii: Retro City Rampage (Wii Shop)
• Wii U: Runner 2 (eShop)
• Windows Phone: Asphalt 7: Heat (WP8 only)
• Xbox 360: Dollar Dash (Arcade), Guardians of Middle Earth Survival Mode and Goblin Town (DLC), Mass Effect 3: The Citadel and Reckoning (DLC), MLB 2K13, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3, Runner 2 (Arcade), Slacker (App), Tomb Raider, Zona Latina (App), and 2K Sports Combo Pack (MLB 2K13 and NBA 2K13)

Here is the complete list of games due to release this week for PC/Mac, portables and consoles (plus some recent releases that slipped out in the past week or so):

• Android: Alien vs Predator: Evolution, Arcane Legends: Kraken Isles expansion, Bobbing, Crystal Defenders Lite, The Elements: Sand Game, Flashout 3D, Garfield Zombie Defense, Gunslugs update, Heroes of Order and Chaos update, Jetpack Jinx, MLB Full Deck, Pocket Stables, Raccoon Rising, The Sandbox, Star Wars Pinball (Standalone Version), Towelfight 2: The Monocle of Destiny, Zen Pinball HD: Star Wars Pinball (DLC), and Zombies & Trains
• 3DS: Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan, Picdun 2: Witch's Curse (eShop), Viking Invasion 2: Tower Defense (eShop), and Yoshi (eShop)
• DS: None
• Facebook: Game of Thrones: Ascent
• iPhone/iPad: Apocalypse Max update, Backflip Madness, Bunny Hill, Civilization Revolution update, Color Sheep, Crazy Monster Whack, Crystal Defenders Plus, Cyto, DDR Dance Wars, Fallon's Fury, The Gods: Rebellion, Gravity Duck, Grudger, Hell Yeah! Pocket Inferno, House of the Lost Mini, Jack The Giant Slayer, Midgard Rising, Minigore 2: Zombies update, Star Wars Pinball (Standalone Version), Turbolab Pursuit, Worm Run, and Zen Pinball: Star Wars Pinball (DLC)
• Mac: Star Wars Pinball (Standalone Version) and Zen Pinball 2: Star Wars Pinball (DLC)
• PC: Call of Duty Black Ops II Season Pass, and Might & Magic Heroes VI: Shades of Darkness
• PS3: Assassin's Creed 3: The Tyranny of King Washington - The Infamy (DLC), Borderlands 2: Add-on Content Pack (retail pack includes Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate's Booty, Mr. Torgue's Campaign of Carnage, Creature Slaughter Dome battle arena, and Gaige the Mechromancer), Dead or Alive 5: Fighter Pack (DLC), Devil May Cry various add-ons (DLC), Dust 514: Starter Pack (DLC), The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Hearthfire (DLC), Guardians of Middle Earth: Snaga (DLC), Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance - MGS4 Raiden (DLC), MUD: FIM Motocross World Championship, Pinball Arcade: Add-on Pack 1 with Medieval Madness and The Machine: Bride of PinBot (DLC), Resident Evil 6: Onslaught, Predator, and Survivors game modes (DLC), Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception Multiplayer (Store; Free to Play), Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Decade Duels Plus various packs (DLC), Zen Pinball 2: Star Wars Pinball (DLC), Zombie Driver HD: Apocalypse Pack (DLC)
• PS2: None
• PSP: None
• Vita: Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus, Pinball Arcade: Add-on Pack 1 with Medieval Madness and The Machine: Bride of PinBot (DLC), Ragnarok Odyssey various add-ons (DLC), and Zen Pinball 2: Star Wars Pinball (DLC)
• Wii: None
• Wii U: F-Zero (eShop)
• Windows Phone: Angry Birds Seasons (Windows Phone 8 only), Bejeweled Live + (Nokia onlu), Yahtzee (Nokia only), and Zuma's Revenge (Nokia only)
• Xbox 360: Borderlands 2: Add-on Content Pack (retail pack includes Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate's Booty, Mr. Torgue's Campaign of Carnage, Creature Slaughter Dome battle arena, and Gaige the Mechromancer), Halo 4: Majestic Map Pack (DLC), MUD: FIM Motocross World Championship, Neon Alley (App), Phantom Breaker Battlegrounds (Arcade), Pinball FX 2: Star Wars Pinball (DLC), Telemundo (App), and Top Hand Rodeo Tour (Kinect)

Here is the complete list of games due to release this week for PC/Mac, portables and consoles (plus some recent releases that slipped out in the past week or so):

• Android: Alien Breed, Celtic Tribes, Clear Vision 2, Die Hard, Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions, Flying Boy update, Forever Lost Episode 1, Grudger, Littlest Pet Shop update, Parallel Kingdom update, Tamagotchi, Wipeout, and Wordsplosion
• 3DS: Dig Dug (eShop) and Petz Fantasy 3D (eShop) + all DSiWare
• DS: Moke Moke (DSiWare)
• Facebook: Farkle Blitz, Universal Film Mogul, and Wizard of Oz update
• iPhone/iPad: Crazy Ox, Die Hard, DrawQuest, Finding Teddy, Flick Champions Winter Sports, HackyCat, Help Volty, I Gladiator, Jool, Lego Galaxy Squad Bug Battle, Little Luna, Puzzle Restorer, QuestLord, Relic Rush, Rock Runners, Selena the Space Pirate, and Year Walk
• Mac: None
• PC: Crysis 3, Curse of the Werewolves Deluxe Edition, Deadly Voltage: Rise of the Invincible Deluxe Edition, Ghost Encounters: Deadwood Deluxe Edition, and Heavy Fire: Shattered Spear
• PS3: Aliens: Colonial Marines Season Pass (DLC), Capcom Arcade Cabinet (Store), Crysis 3, Dragon's Dogma: A Boon for Wanderers (DLC), The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dragonborn (DLC), Fist of the North Star 2: Ken's Rage various add-ons (DLC), Guardians of Middle Earth various characters (DLC), Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, Ni No Kuni: Draggle Familiar Ticket (DLC), Pinball Arcade Scared Stiff table (DLC), PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale various add-ons (DLC), Sleeping Dogs: The Law Enforcer Pack (DLC), Urban Trial Freestyle (Store), and Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Decade Duels Plus (Store) and various add-ons (DLC)
• PS2: None
• PSP: Generation of Chaos 3: Pandora’s Reflection (Store) and Hakuoki: Warriors of the Shinsengumi (Store)
• Vita: Ecolibrium various add-ons (DLC), Pinball Arcade Scared Stiff table (DLC), PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale various add-ons (DLC), Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken various add-ons (DLC, and Urban Trial Freestyle (Store)
• Wii: World Heroes 2 Jet (Virtual Console)
• Wii U: Wii Street U (App)
• Windows Phone: None
• Xbox 360: Aliens: Colonial Marines Season Pass (DLC), Assassin's Creed 3: The Tyranny of King Washington (DLC), Capcom Arcade Cabinet (Arcade), Crysis 3, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, Serious Sam Double D XXL (Arcade), and Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Decade Duels Plus (Arcade)

Here is the complete list of games due to release this week for PC/Mac, portables and consoles (plus some recent releases that slipped out in the past week or so):

• Android: Aralon: Sword and Shadow, Arrow Defense, Cartoon Wars: Blade, Cordy 2, Covenant of Solitude, Cut The Rope update, Cypress Inheritance, Guns 4 Hire, Love Gears, Marbelous!, Metal Slug 2, Monster Rivals, Robo No. 5, The Simpsons: Tapped Out, Vector, Where's My Valentine?, The Wild Kingdoms, and Zeus Defense
• 3DS: Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 3D and Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed Bonus Edition + all DSiWare
• DS: Ah! Heaven (DSiWare)
• Facebook: Royal Story, Sky Pirates of Neo Terra, and Worms
• iPhone/iPad: After Burner Climax, Archipelagos, Beastie Bay, Be Together, Clash of Clans update, Die for Metal, Krashlander, Metal Slug 2, Pinwar, Repulze update, Rise of the Blobs, Roar Rampage, Sela the Space Pirate, Where's My Valentine?, and Zombie Road Trip
• Mac: None
• PC: Aliens: Colonial Marines, Curse of the Werewolve Deluxe Edition, Omerta: City of Gangsters, and WindowsAndroid
• PS3: Alien Breed (Store), Aliens: Colonial Marines, Dead Space 3 various add-ons (DLC), Everybody Dance (Move; Store), Persona 4 Arena (Store), Pinball Arcade Twilight Zone table (DLC), Port Royale 3: Pirates & Merchants Harbor Master (DLC), Sleeping Dogs: The Monkey King Pack (DLC), Sniper Elite v2: Saint Pierre Mission (DLC), and When Vikings Attack! Relax game pack (DLC)
• PS2: None
• PSP: None
• Vita: Alien Breed (Store), Earth Defense Force 2017 Portable various add-ons (DLC), Ecolibrium (Store), Pinball Arcade Twilight Zone table (DLC), PlayStation Home Arcade (App - launched with Asteroids, Astro Smash, Centipede, Frogger, Mad Blocker, Scribble Shooter, Shark Shark, and Time Pilot), Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken (Store), When Vikings Attack! Relax game pack (DLC), and Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Decade Duels Plus (Store)
• Wii: None
• Wii U: None
• Windows Phone: KooZac
• Xbox 360: Aliens: Colonial Marines, Dead Space 3 various add-ons (DLC), Forza Horizon: February Jalopnik Pack (DLC), Guardians of Middle-Earth: Gloin (DLC), Omerta: City of Gangsters, and The Undergarden: Ludwig Pack (DLC)

Here is the complete list of games due to release this week for PC/Mac, portables and consoles (plus some recent releases that slipped out in the past week or so):

• Android: Angry Birds: Star Wars update, Call of Mini: Brawlers, Catch the Candy, Cute Kill, Dream House Days, Dungeon Quest, Elder Sign: Omens, Epic Citadel, Epic Swords, Galaga: Special Edition, Jail Run, Kite Fever, Minecraft: Pocket Edition update, Solar Forge update, Star Trek App, Super Grid Run, Zenonia 5 update, and Zombie Road Trip
• 3DS: Bloody Vampire (eShop), Brain Age: Concentration Training, Fire Emblem: Awakening, Ice Climber (eShop), Ikachan (eShop), Mega Man 2 (Virtual Console), and Witch's Cat (eShop) + all DSiWare
• DS: 99Moves (DSiWare)
• Facebook: Marvel: Avengers Alliance update, QwizShow, and Stratego
• iPhone/iPad: iPad (4th generation with 128GB storage) plus Angry Birds Star Wars update, Baseball Superstars 2013, The Blockheads update, Heroes and Castles update, Into the Dead update, Little Inferno, Minecraft: Pocket Edition update, Pixel People, Slotz Racer 2 HD, Sortee, Stratego, Sunny Hillride, and Table Top Racing
• Mac: None
• PC: Dead Space 3 and Weird Park: Scary Tales
• PS3: Bentley's Hackpack (Store), Crysis 3 (Open Beta), Dead Space 3, Devil May Cry: Costume Pack (DLC), DC Universe Online: Home Turf Pack (DLC), Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage 2, Ghost Recon Future Soldier: DLC Bundle (DLC), Mensa: Academy (Store), NHL GameCenter (App), Resident Evil 6: Stage Map Pack B (DLC), Rock Band: Aerosmith's Greatest Dimension Pack (DLC), Sleeping Dogs: The Movie Masters Pack (DLC), and Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time
• PS2: None
• PSP: None
• Vita: Bentley's Hackpack (Store) and Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time
• Wii: Metal Slug 4 (Virtual Console)
• Wii U: Puddle (eShop)
• Windows Phone: None
• Xbox 360: Call of Duty: Black Ops II: Revolution (DLC), Crysis 3 (Open Beta), Dead Space 3 (Kinect optional), Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage 2, Kinect Party various (DLC), Port Royale 3: Harbour Master (DLC), Resident Evil 6: Stage Map Pack B (DLC), Rock Band: Aerosmith's Greatest Dimension Pack (DLC), Sleeping Dogs: The Monkey King Pack and The Movie Masters Pack (DLC), Special Forces: Team X (Arcade), and Wreckateer: Callonburg Level Pack (DLC)

Here is the complete list of games due for release this week and next for PC/Mac, portables and consoles (plus some recent releases that slipped out in the past week or so):

• Android: Bounce, Colosseum Defense, Cracking Sands, Death Track, Epic Evil Twins, Goblin Rush, Gunner Free Space Defender, Komodo Crunchtime: Ultimate Superstars, Mars of Legends, Moonlight Runner, Old School Defense, PlagueZ, RetroArch, Super Hexagon, Super Knights, Team Dragon (Qualcomm), Threedot, and Undead Slayer
• 3DS: Super C (eShop), Cocoto Alien Brick Breaker (eShop), and Ghost Recon Shadow Wars (eShop)
• DS: None
• Facebook: AtlanticaS and Bips!
• iPhone/iPad: Banana Kong, Cracking Sands, Dingle Dangle, Ghostbusters, Gridlee, Half Inch Heist, Happy Sheep, Headshot Alley, Kairo, Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes, Old Clockmaker's Riddle, Organ Trail: Director's Cut update, Pixel Defenders Puzzle update, Tennis in the Face, Traal, Wave Trip, and Zombie Gunship update
• Mac: None
• PC: Airline Tycoon 2 Aviator Edition, Call of Duty Black Ops II Season Pass (DLC), Company of Heroes 2, Dungeonland, Lake House: Children of Silence Collector's Edition, Omerta: City of Gangster, Skulls of the Shogun (Windows 8/Surface), and Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
• PS3: Air Conflicts: Secret Wars (Store), Heavy Fire: Shattered Spear (Move optional), and Hitman Trilogy HD Premium Edition
• PS2: None
• PSP: None
• Vita: Let’s Fish: Hooked On (Store)
• Wii: None
• Wii U: The Cave (eShop) and Funky Barn (eShop)
• Windows Phone: Skulls of the Shogun
• Xbox 360: Borderlands 2 various packs (DLC), Heavy Fire: Shattered Spear, Hitman Trilogy HD Premium Edition, Max Payne 3: Deathmatch Made in Heaven (DLC), and Skulls of the Shogun (Arcade)

• Android: Angry Birds Space update, Arcane Legends update, Asura Cross, Corneil & Bernie: Mayday!, Dark Summoner, D.O.T. Defender of Texel, Gene Effect, Gunslugs, Ikaruga, In Darkness, Kingdom Conquest II, King's Bounty: Legions, Lode Runner, Life is Magic, Oasis: The Last Hope, Realms of Fotune, Rise of the Blobs, SnapShot Ninja, Temple Run 2, Universe Pandemic, and Wild Blood update
• 3DS: Deer Drive Legends (eShop), Finding Nemo: Escape to the Big Blue (eShop), Kirby's Star Stacker (eShop), and Tokyo Crash Mobs (eShop)
• DS: None
• Facebook: Disney City Girl and The Last One
• iPhone/iPad: The Battle of the Bulge, Brooklyn Ninja, Busy Bags, Crash Cam, Dungelot, Final Fantasy: All the Bravest, Gunslugs, Heroes and Castles,Infestor, Keep Moving by Dopame, Kingdom Conquest II, Lode Runner, Momonga Pinball Adventures,  Punch Quest update, Riven, Temple Run 2, Terminal Escape, Tin Man Can, Undead Soccer, Wave Trip, Wipeout, and Zen Training
• Mac: The Sims 3: '70s, '80s and '90s Stuff
• PC: The Cave, Deadly Voltage: Rise of the Invincible, Devil May Cry, Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams, Shootmania Storm, and The Sims 3: '70s, '80s and '90s Stuff
• PS3: The Cave (Store), Dust 514 (Beta), Mad Dog McCree (Move; Store), Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, and Racquet Sports (Move; Store)
• PS2: None
• PSP: Pro Evolution Soccer (Store)
• Vita: Escapevektor (Store)
• Wii: Amazon Instant Video (App)
• Wii U: None
• Windows Phone: Flight Control Rocket, The Path of Kara, Robotek, and ThinkInvisible
• Xbox 360: The Cave (Arcade), Halo 4 Spartan Ops: Season One Episode 6-10 (DLC; weekly episodes resume), Just Dance 4: Dance Pack 4 (DLC), and NHL GameCenter (App)

Here is the complete list of games due for release this week and next for PC/Mac, portables and consoles (plus some recent releases that slipped out in the past week or so):

• Android: Ancient Engine: Labyrinth, Beat the Beast, Chocohero, Crazy Oogles, Drag Racing: Bike Edition, Fish Heroes, Garfield's Escape, Noah's Ark, ShaqDown, Spirit Walkers: Curse of the Cypress Witch, and Symphony of the Origin
• 3DS: 101 DinoPets 3D (eShop), Hello Kitty Picnic with Sanrio Friends (eShop), Reel Fishing 3D Paradise Mini (eShop), and Wild Adventures: Ultimate Deer Hunt 3D (eShop) + all DSiWare
• DS: Biorhythm (DSiWare)
• Facebook: Bake Shop Drop, Dominator, and Village Life
• iPhone/iPad: Angry Birds Space update, The Blockheads, Clash of Clans update, Death Golf, Far Cry: The Outpost, Growtopia, I Am Vegend: Zombiegeddon, The Journey Down: Chapter 1, Little Amazon, Run 'N' Gun, ShaqDown, Take My Machete, Time Surfer, and Zenonia 5
• Mac: None
• PC: Borderlands 2: Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt (DLC), and Weird Park: Scary Tales
• PS3: BioShock: Ultimate Rapture Edition, Borderlands 2: Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt (DLC), and Devil May Cry
• PS2: None
• PSP: Corpse Party: Book of Shadows (Store)
• Vita: Corpse Party: Book of Shadows (Store)
• Wii: We Sing: Microphone Pack and World Heroes 2 (Virtual Console)
• Wii U: NBA 2K13 demo and ZombiU demo
• Windows Phone: JumpWheel, Picnic Wars, and Spy Mouse
• Xbox 360: Assassin’s Creed III: The Battle Hardened Pack (DLC), BioShock: Ultimate Rapture Edition, Borderlands 2: Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt (DLC), Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2013: Maneater (DLC), Devil May Cry, F1 Race Stars: Canada, China, and India tracks (DLC), NBA 2K13 All Star Add-on (DLC), and Wheel of Fortune: The '80s Pack (DLC)

• Android: Angry Birds Rio update, Ant Raid, Arcane Legends update, Chasing Yello, Chocobos Live Wallpaper, Cubles, Demons' Score THD, Djorick's Curse, Doggie Blues 3D, Dungelot, Dungeon Fighter Gunner, Eufloria HD, ExZeus 2, Final Fantasy Dimensions, Final Fantasy II, Growtopia, Guns n' Glory, Killer Escape, Lego Hero Factory: Brain Attack, Metal Slug, Naught, Nex, Order & Chaos update, Pitfall!, Pixel Quest RPG, Pocket Legends update, Pudding Monsters, Pumped: BMX, Quiver, RU Golf THD, Sacred Guns, Shadowgun: Deadzone update, Sonic Jump, Soulcraft, Space Ace, Subway Surfers update, Superbrothers: Swords & Sworcery EP, Survivalcraft, Tap Campus Life, Tap Paradise Cove, Tiny City, Toy Defense update, Trial Xtreme 3, UberStrike, Vritra, Warfare & Havoc, Words 'n' Blox, and Zen Pinball HD
• 3DS: Air Battle Hockey 3D (eShop), Code of Princess (eShop), Fluidity: Spin Cycle (eShop), Gunman Clive (eShop), Johnny Impossible (eShop), Mahjong 3D: Warriors of the Emperor (eShop), Mega Man (eShop), New Super Mario Bros 2 Impossible and Mystery Adventures packs (in-game DLC), Secret Flirts, Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels (eShop), and Unchained Blades (eShop) + all DSiWare
• DS: Galaxy Saver (DSiWare), Goooooal América (DSiWare), Jump Trials Extreme (DSiWare), Snowboard Xtreme (DSiWare), and Wizard Defenders (DSiWare)
• Facebook: Bubble Safari Ocean, Cities of Legend, Crazy Fairies, Gemmings Rush, Magical Ride, Megapolis, and Offensive Combat
• iPhone/iPad: Anomaly Korea, Car Jack Streets: Director's Cut, Catch the Ark, Choice of Kung Fu; Cook, Serve, Delicious; Deepworld, Fieldrunners 2 update, Final Fantasy IV, Flight Unlimited Las Vegas, Fruit Ninja update, The Grading Game, Hundreds, Into the Dead, Joe Danger Touch, Karateka, Last Knight HD, Lego Legends of Chima: Speedzorz, Letterpress update, The Lords of Midnight, Lost Treasures of Infocom, Mister Frog!, Need for Speed: Most Wanted update, Parashoot Stan, Penny Arcade: Gamers vs. Evil, Pixel Defenders Puzzle, Pudding Monsters, Punch Quest update, Rad Soldiers, Ravensword: Shadowlands, Reckless Racing update, Repulze, Ronin, Sacred Guns, Shadow Warrior, Sleigher, Super Mega Worm vs Santa 2, Sushi Hero, Swing King, True Skate update, and Wordament
• Mac: The Sims 3: Monte Vista
• PC: The Sims 3: Monte Vista and Sniper Elite V2
• PS3: Anarchy Reigns, Dance Magic (store), Rise of the Guardians (Store), and WRC FIA World Rally Championship
• PS2: None
• PSP: None
• Vita: Earth Defense Force 2017 Portable (Store)
• Wii: Shock Troopers: 2nd Squad (Virtual Console)
• Wii U: None
• Windows Phone: Guns 4 Hire and KenKen
• Xbox 360: Anarchy Reigns, Kinect National Geographic TV: Season Two, Kinect Sesame Street TV: Season Two, and Retro City Rampage (Arcade)