I’ve always wondered whatFalloutwould be like in the hands of a Japanese studio, and I’m surely not alone in pondering such a concept.This official demakeis a glimpse into what that could be like — just on a much smaller scale. Even if you are unable to read the text, it’s worth tinkering with for a few minutes.Fallout 3players will recognize some familiar locations and characters, and that alone is worth the precious link click....

A few days ago, Strange Loop Games cut a sharp new trailer for theirrecently-announcedpuzzle-platformer,Vessel. A few notes on the visuals: I love the lighting, the water effects, and the zoomed-out perspective, especially when it comes to solving large, multi-step puzzles. Which, as far as I can tell, is exactly what onedoesinVessel: nano-machines calledflurossuck up liquids — water, lava, oils — and retain their characteristics, which our unnamed engineer will use in a series of Rube Goldberg machines....

Final Fantasy XIVis shedding MMO progression conventions. According to producer Hiromichi Tanaka and director Nobuaki Komoto, the upcoming offering won’t have experience points or traditional leveling. Characters will progress through the game’s job system — an injection casual in what will undoubtedly be an MMO for theFinal Fantasyfaithful. Tanaka reveals the lack of traditional grinding in aDVD companion pieceto the September 2009 issue ofFamitsu(viaScrawl FX): “This time, there will be no experience points or level system,” he said....

I’ve always been academically fascinated byEVE Online— any game with an economy robust enough to have its own crises is worth noting — but its mechanics have always seemed remote, obtuse, and cold. Besides buying, selling, and trading, what is there todo, really? The answer to that is “playDust 514,”CCP’srecently-announced FPS-strategy hybrid. After the break, you can finda videoof not only the new trailer forDust 514, butCCPboss Hilmar Peturrson’s presentation. “Dustbattlefields will dictate who controls specific planets inside theEVEMMO,” explains Peturrson, offering the clearest and most concise description of the game I’ve heard yet....

THQ is on a rise right now. After years of relying on licensed titles and WWE wrestling games, the company is stepping it up to compete with the likes of Ubisoft, EA, and Activision. With a new studio in Montreal that will one day employ 400 staff members, a brand new franchise withHomefront, and a solid focus on hardcore titles likeRed Faction: Armageddon, de Blob, and more. There’s a lot more to like about this major publishing house, and part of that can be thanked to one Mr....

I was living in Japan at the time Nintendo’s Game & Watch units were hot. My friends had them, and I insisted that my dad get me a couple. I got them and they went everywhere with me: Show-and-Tell, grocery store, dinner table, bath room. I loved those things. And now some new reproductions cash in on the nostalgia I feel. Oh, and they add solar power. Takara Tomy is remaking these bad boys for release in Japan in March of this year....

It looks likethe rumorsof a “female Big Daddy” were true. The April issue ofGame Informeris set to reveal all of the hot new details on 2K Marin’s upcomingBioShock 2in a ten-page spread. The description onGame Informer‘s Web sitedoesn’t reveal too much (they want you to buy the issue, after all), but does mention a return to Rapture where “the Big Sister awaits you.” In today’s Take-Two investors conference call, 2K refused to specify which platformsBioShock 2would be released on, leading to rampant speculation and sending waves across the Internet....

We already had a hunch a new Spider-Man game was on its way, but here’s your confirmation — it’s calledSpider-Man: Shattered Dimensions. The serious-sounding title was revealed on the cover for the upcoming issue ofGamePro, and that’s about all we’ve got. What I do know is that Activision is the publisher, and that WonderCon (which is set to take place in San Francisco in the beginning of April) sounds like a great place to officially reveal the game to the public....

It’s 11.30pm as I write this and I am very tired, so I am phoning it in this week. Unfortunately, Destructoid was down for maintenance this weekend so I buggered off and went gallivanting around the countryside and now I’ve left it late to post this. I was alsomoonlighting for other Web sitesa bit, but don’t tell Niero! So, games happened this week, and you can hit the jump to find out what we’ve been playing....

GameTrailers, by way of video podcast “Invisible Walls,” has ripped the ESRB to shreds following the forced removal ofFallout 3content from the site. Using the kind of language that has killed elderly women, editor-in-chief Shane Satterfield and co-star “Grumpy” criticized the way in which the ESRB has handled the promotion for Bethesda’s latest game, likening their activities to those of the Mafia.GamePoliticshandily transcribed some of the show comments, which you’re able to read after the jump....

If you’ve got a 3D television, hordes of Locusts are gonna be coming right at ya’ this September whenGears of War 3ships. Epic Games has announced that the Xbox 360 exclusive will support stereoscopic 3D. “It’s still fledgling technology,” executive producer Rod Fergusson toldEurogamer. “It’s still a niche feature. But it was something we could support, so we felt, why not?” As Eurogamer also points out, the Xbox 360 isn’t capable of doing 3D in the same manner that Sony’s PlayStation 3 can....

Looking for some video game art to spice up your seriously lacking bachelor pad? Then take a look at this incredible 18” by 24” print. It’s the work ofVan Beaterand is entitled “Crappy Cat NES Tank.” Did you notice how the cannon is really a Light Gun in disguise? Total genius. So, if you’ve got $30 and desperately need to achieve some cool points, this artwork is a surefire way to impress your gamer pals....

Sadly, this article isn’t about aZorkremake (not that a text-only game would benefit from bump mapping or bloom lighting) — I just needed a catchy headline that would attract text adventure enthusiasts. If the phrase “You are likely to be eaten by a grue” doesn’t mean much to you, you should do a bit ofhomework(I would also suggest a personal favorite,Aisle). If youarea text adventure enthusiast (or even just a “Hey!...