Rage is Big and Has John Goodman, Diablo 3 DRM, Team Bondi Sells Assets, and Tomb Raider QTEs

Well, Metroid tribute coming later but for now some news.

Rage is big, and I mean BIG. According to reports that I've read, if you install the game on your 360, it will take up 22 GB. It also comes with two discs, whereas on the PS3 due to Blu-Ray it only comes on one. To put in perspective the size of that, I've got Mass Effect 2, both discs, installed on my 360 hard-drive and that with ALL of downloadable content mixed in plus a lot of playthroughs STILL only takes up 17 GB. We have a game with no DLC yet released that takes up 22. It looks really fun though I'm still holding back with Dark Souls and Batman: Arkham City coming out that month.

Also a trailer was released recently that had a familiar voice: John Goodman. Yes, John Goodman. Checking the internet, I found a forum post that listed this as a rumor back in March, though like Talia in Arkham City, journalists are talking like this is new. For all I know maybe it is, as I haven't kept as close of a watch on Rage as Arkham City. Maybe that was just a rumor that's been confirmed. It has for me at least.

I still have yet to see if it's going to be jolly Goodman or "Coen Brothers'" Goodman aka psychopath Goodman. It appears that it might be some kind of combination as he's voicing the leader of a village yet blows off of a mutant in the trailer, though to be fair who wouldn't be at that point. Oh and I also hear Paul Eiding aka Colonel Campbell in Metal Gear Solid and Steve Blum who I've mentioned a lot. I could swear I know the voice actress who says "Our group is small but dedicated" but I can't put my finger on it.

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Diablo III is going to be a big release. It's an entry in well-respected franchise and is of course developed by Blizzard, one of the greatest developers in the industry. However, a recent DRM announcement has caused some controversy. The absolutely despised DRM that Blizzard announced was also used for the PC version of Assassin's Creed II, which is why many PC players hated the game, and it takes something very special to hate Assassin's Creed II.

What the DRM does is that it makes it impossible to play the game without being connected to the internet. This means that if you're not connected to internet, you can't play. If your internet cuts, the game will stop. Ubisoft did it for Assassin's Creed II to prevent the piracy that afflicted the original. I'm assuming that Blizzard has similar reasons behind this but I think there are better ways of doing this. Some people just don't have strong internet connections which could make for some VERY annoyed and pissed off people.

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My lord, what a fall from grace Team Bondi has gone through. The developer was behind one of the biggest games of 2011, it was really hyped, sold well, and received critical acclaim. Then accusations of harsh treatment of employees came out, not giving credit to no-longer present workers, Rockstar refused to work with them again, and now they're selling their assets.

Cole Phelps opens the trunk to find Team Bondi

It's really been shocking to see just how big of a nosedive the company took. A mere three months ago, they were practically on top of the world with a game that had been in development hell for over a half a decade finally getting released and positively received. Now, they're practically in the gutter. They've sold all of their assets and IPs to KMM, who apparently bought them out. Rockstar still owns to rights to LA Noire so the PC version will still be coming unaffected.

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Many critics praised the E3 demo of Tomb Raider. I was not one of them. I praised the trailer but not the demo which is what counted. I was highly turned off by the plethora of quick-time events I saw. Don't get me wrong, limited QTEs are fine and done right, they can be downright badass or emotional without taking away your immersions (Mass Effect 2's interrupts are a perfect example).

Crystal Dynamics must have seen more complaints like mine and have responded by saying that they are not the "primary tool" in the gameplay department. The game will, according to them, rely on traditional Tomb Raider-style gameplay while at the same time, stay true to the concept of this being a reboot.

I like to hear that, but I have to see it and that's the problem. Obviously there's still a lot of time before the game comes out but that E3 was a big time to show me revamped gameplay that still stayed true to the Tomb Raider fashion. I didn't see it. Storywise, I really like where it's going and that's a big thing for me. But I need more before I turn my opinion around on this. Show me Crystal Dynamics, don't just tell me.