Your Mom Sells Dead Space 2

EA/Visceral Games' recent viral ad campaign for Dead Space 2 has been popping up on various video game news outlets since its debut over the weekend. For those of you who are not familiar, it's essentially an attempt to make Dead Space appealing solely based on the idea that middle-aged (conservative) mothers think it's gory and violent. Take a look at some of the videos here.

Apparently, everyone (excluding their mothers) thinks this is "brilliant". I'm not sure that I'd call it that, but I see what they might be going for with this campaign. The argument for why it's "brilliant" is because it uses the idea of the disapproving mom to sell video games. But if your target audience is over 18, how does parental disapproval have anything to do with making them want to buy the game? If it really is trying to sell mature game to minors, then is reducing your industry to the child-corrupting stereotypes really the way to help your bottom line?

To Infinity and Beyond [the Sea]

Ken Levine has finally revealed his super-secret project with Irrational Games.  It's going to be another Bioshock game!  You may be saying to yourself, "didn't they just make a Bioshock game?"  You, sir or madame, would be correct... technically.  Yes, Bioshock 2 was released recently, but it wasn't made by Ken and his team at Irrational.  And see what happened to it?  A mediocre sequel to an amazing game.

Thankfully, Levine is back at it with a new take on the series with Bioshock: Infinite.  Yes, the "Infinite" is supposed to have some significance, but we don't know why just yet.  While Bioshock first took place under the water, this one will be set in a sort of city in the sky during 1912 (post Civil War America).  A cinematic trailer, much like the one for the first game, was released.

Built for Combat

The impressive LEGO recreation of the Halo Zanzibar multiplayer map, made by Alex Kobbs, is getting ready for a 25-minute long video. The video will feature a battle between the forces of Red and Blue done entirely with LEGO bricks. Well, that and some custom Halo accessories made by BrickArms and BrickForge.

Plenty of Left 4 Dead Goodness Abound

First up, Valve's pre-rendered introduction to Left 4 Dead 2 has been "leaked", as usual. The video is a good 3 minutes and provides a full overview of the character, infected, locals, guns, and basic plot. By the looks of the trailer, L4D2 will actually have a plot to provide continuity to the five campaigns.

Five Minutes of Video Game WTF

Quite possibly the most bizarre yet impressive video game montages that I've ever seen. I would attempt to explain it, but I can't... and you have to see it for yourself. Enjoy (or don't).

[Possibly NSFW]

Project Natal

Ladies and gentlemen, Project Natal:

Bioshock 2 "Hunting the Big Sister"

It seems like this time around the whole "moral" choices will actually have some depth to them with new adoption route. I'm really pleased to see the Incinerate! plasmid work like a flamethrower; something I've always wanted in Bioshock.
Hopefully they come up with a satisfactory explanation as to where this "first ever" Big Daddy was during the first game.