SquareEnix

A few months ago, Eidos hosted a contest for stunts in the Just Cause 2 Demo. Now they're hosting a very similar contest with a much greater prize. For your 2 minute stunt video, you could win 10 thousand dollars! Not bad for playing a video game. Head over here to read the official contest rules and submit your entry, but slow down fellow foreigners. Sadly, this contest is only open to U.S. residents.

Apparently, Mondays aren’t the best time to do this, so I’m going to start doing this on Wednesday and see where it takes me.  I really enjoy seeing the state of MMOs because it’s so much more important than on other games.  Whereas a game can be produced and patched for a time, if it’s not being constantly monitored, an MMO becomes lost or not even really a game anymore.  So let’s see how long I can keep this up.

This week we hit APB, Aion, Champions Online, City of Heroes, Everquest 1 and 2, FFXI, Fallen Earth, Global Agenda, Warhammer Online and World of Warcraft.

Since its origin as a last ditch effort to save a failing Squaresoft, the Final Fantasy series has always been, first and foremost, about telling a story. The advent of 3d graphics and advancements in game sound technologies led to an emphasis on aesthetics to complement that story-telling approach, bringing a beautiful presentation even when the writing begins to disappoint. Final Fantasy 13 represents the latest in the premiere game series for story-telling. More importantly, it represents the first time I have felt that Square really understood the opportunities provided by the console medium. When you look a little deeper, FF13 represents a significant step forward in narrative technique. Want to know more of what I mean? Check it out after the jump.

Warning: ahead thar be spoilers. In order to properly explore plot and character progression, I will have to refer directly to that progression. In many ways, I will assume that you have knowledge of the parts of the game to which I am referring. If you don't want to hear it, I would advise against reading on.

Yet another piece of news concerning Just Cause 2. Starting April 29th, you can help fill your black market order with new items, vehicles and weapons, just in case there wasn't enough shooting, flying and exploding in Panau already. Hit the jump for details.

UPDATE: it has been brought to my attention that ModMyWhat.com has nothing to do with this multiplayer mod, and is in fact the work of those at www.JC2-MP.com. It has also been clarified that this is not over lan, but rather between 2 cities in Australia, and one in New Zealand. Impressive! I apologize for any errors, and the corrections have been made.

I briefly mentioned that www.JC2-MP.com was working on a multiplayer patch in my first Mod Madness article, and they haven't disappointed. This is actually the second preview they've released of the mod, but this is far more impressive than the first. It's still not released as a public beta, but you can be certain I'll cover it in Mod Madness as soon as they do. For now, hit the jump to see a video of how far along they've come already.

A few voice actors for the upcoming sequel to Batman: Arkham Asylum have revealed the characters they have been working on recently, including the great Maurice LaMarche. Hit the jump to find out who's after the Caped Crusader this time around.

One of the best things about PC gaming is the ability to customize several aspects of your favorite games. This article is dedicated to that very practice. Each week, I'll feature mods from a specific game, and you can rest easy knowing that each one of them was tested thoroughly by yours truly. Want to see mods for a particular game? Can't get enough of a mod I haven't featured? Let me know in the comments section.

Just Cause 2 has immense modding potential; the sheer size of the island, different vehicles you can operate, and the hilarious physics just beg for it. The obvious, although extremely difficult project, would be to add multiplayer support to the game.  Luckily, www.JC2-MP.com is currently working on it, but in the meantime, hit the jump for 3 wicked mods that you can download today.

Final Fantasy has been a long standing series that has captured the hearts of gamers around the world. From the ground-breaking 3D introduction of Final Fantasy VII on the Playstation to the tragic tale being told in Final Fantasy X on the Playstation 2, the transitions to next-gen consoles have always been huge milestones in the series. Does its new installation, Final Fantasy XIII live up to such expectations? Find out after the break.

I've been following LOST for the last 5 seasons and still look forward to every new episode of the 6th. If you're like me, then you will love the easter egg in Just Cause 2. And it's not just the famous hatch pictured above that's featured. Hit the jump for more info and a video.

Did you enjoy Final Fantasy 11 online?  I personally found it to be one of the most boring games I've ever been convinced of buying and paying monthly for.  That's just me, though. It's still going strong today and we even have a few community members still playing it on and off.  Apparently they addressed the boring parts, but I won't believe it until I see it.  What about the new Final Fantasy MMORPG you ask?  Hit the jump to read more about it and sign up.