Brinkdeveloper Splash Damage has added its two cents to the ongoing “crunch period” debate, stating that prolonged overtime periods are inevitable, but that studios ought not to take them for granted. Respect is key, according to the Bromley studio. “We constantly strive to improve production so that [crunch] isn’t a demand that we take for granted, that we assume we’re going to be able to make, and I think that’s absolutely critical,” said CEO Paul Wedgewood....

Ever heard of theMicrosoft Store? Now would be a good time to get acquainted, as it is running a promotion where you getThe Mawfor free if buyBastionthrough their site. It’s the same price but with a free game to boot. I hope you haven’t had time to buyBastionthrough your Xbox 360 or through Xbox.com yet. AsJoystiqpoints out, the Microsoft Store website mentions that you getThe Mawfor free with any Summer of Arcade game, but with a footnote that it’s actually only valid forBastion....

To quote the folks at Capcom, “Lost Planet: Colonieshas been one of the worst kept secrets.” It’s true;just look at last weekwhen the achievements list was briefly revealed. Well, Capcom finally revealed the game earlier this week and we can finally share everything you’ve been dying to know aboutLost Planet: Colonies.To start, the most important thing to get out of the way is thatLost Planet: Coloniesis not a sequel. It’s the Platinum Hits re-release of the original game but with a ton more added content....

We love golf. You love golf. Capcom loves golf. So why was it that their Wii exclusive titleWe Love Golf!was tucked up away upstairs away from the main action at CAPTIVATE? And why was no one playing? Oh right — there were fourStreet Fighter IVcabinets downstairs. But like I said … we love golf! Despite the fact that it seemed like it was overlooked at CAPTIVATE, that doesn’t mean I’m not looking forward toWe Love Golf!...

OneCommand & Conquer Red Alert 3isn’t enough. At least, according to EA it isn’t. The publisher is whipping out a standalone, digital-only download this March namedCommand & Conquer Red Alert 3: Uprising. Uprisingwas hatched from fan response. The game is based after the events ofRed Alert 3and prominently features each faction’s role in the aftermath. It will have five mini-campaigns and 50 “unique challenges with their own special rules and conditions....

It looks like the mysterious “Commander” Wii-exclusive isn’tStarcraft: Ghost,Duke Nukem: Forever, orZone of Enders 3. It is a WiiWare title namedBit.Trip: Beat. At face value, none of the viral stuff we have seen thus far has been misleading. We were just caught up in the heat of the moment. Aksys Games’sBit.Tripis described by aNintendo Powersnippet (viaGoNintendo) as a rhythm-based game, influenced by the aesthetic and gameplay of Pong. The object of the game is to “deflect incoming pixel-like blocks with your paddle....

We now knowthatGod of War: Chains of Olympusis a big bunch of badass crammed into a little tiny package. Visually, the PlayStation Portable game is a stunner, much like its PS2 predecessors. Those with ear holes also know that the series has also always been a pleasure to listen to, and much of the credit for that goes to series composer Gerard Marino. Music 4 Games met with this award winning composer during the 2008 Game Developers Conference to chat about theChains of Olympus’score....

PETA is deranged, scary and weird. Knowing all this, I still had to facepalm when we were told that PETA released its ownCooking Mamaspoof. Personally, I had expected (and wanted) publisher Taito to sue PETA’s parrot f*cking asses off, but it seems they’ve brought out thebig gunsinstead. That’s right. Mama herself has entered the fray. Developer Majesco approached gaming’s most eligible MILF to ask for a response to PETA’s clumsy attempt at proving a point....

Last week, Brad NicholsonreviewedMass Effect 2. Awarding the game a ten out of ten, Nicholson called the game “one of the best real-time action RPGs I’ve ever played.” This is a counterpoint to that review, and focuses more on the narrative aspects of the game. Two of my crew are dead. I knew that lives would be lost on this mission, but it still came as a surprise to see two of my crew members — one of whom I especially cared for — die right in front of me....

Earlier today, Creat Studios — the guys behind PlayStation Network titlesCuboidandMagic Ball— announced two more PSN titles,DiggerandMushroom Wars. Said to be “true” to the 1983 classic’s roots,Diggerwill have you controlling a mini-bulldozer through a variety of subterranean mazes. The fun can be found with the digging — each of the underground levels require you to dig horizontally and vertically on a surely epic quest for loot. Mushroom Warsis a family friendly real-time strategy title featuring, uh, mushrooms … warring....

Well, Electronic Arts seems committed to producing original game ideas, and you don’t get more unique than a videogame based onThe Divine Comedy. Coming from Redwood Shores, the guys that brought usDead Space,Dante’s Infernois an action game that will take you to Hell itself. The Pope is going tolovethis.As well as the official announcement,Dante’s Infernohasan official Web siteand, of course, the above video. As you can see, it doesn’t reveal too much, but I am really digging the style and the fact thata crucifix gets rammed in some guy’s head....

CVGhas its preview up of hack n’ slasherDarksiders: Wrath of Warwhich includes an interview with art directorHan Randhawa. If one thing can be gleaned from the article, it’s that Randhawa isn’t very good at making his games sounds interesting. “There are going to be lots of twists and turns; it’s a revenge story and War isn’t really a good guy or a bad guy, he’s more of an anti-hero,”he explained, already setting us up for the generic premise to come....

Last week, Grim told you about Microsoft’s plan todelist underperforming titlesfrom XBLA. Since then, there’s been some confusion over what exactly delisting really means here. Aaron Greenberg,Director of Product Managementfor Xbox 360 and Live,went on Major Nelson’sPodcast yesterdayand clarified what exactly Microsoft is doing. First up, whatever games that are going to be delisted based on all three of Microsoft’s requirements (older than six months, less than65% on Metacritic and less than a 6% conversion rate), will still be available on XBLA....