Given the huge success of indie smash hit Bastion and its eclectic and charming soundtrack, it’s no surprise that Supergiant’s audio director Darren Korb will be there with his discussion “Build That Wall: Creating the Audio for Bastion.” If you thought Bastion‘s audio track was created on a huge budget, you’d be wrong. During the talk, Korb will show just how he made the soundtrack on a limited budget.

Joining Bastion will be Crytek’s Crysis II with their panel “Crysis of Audio II.” Four years ago, Crytek took to the stage for a focus on the audio work for the original Crysis title. Now, R&D audio engineer Thomas Wollenzin and co-audio director Florian Fuesslin will take a little time to analyze the technology and implementation process of Crysis 2‘s audio production.

Headed down to sunny California for GDC 2012? There’s going to be a lot of panels, discussions, and a nightmare of a schedule. Knowing is half the battle, so you better keep an eye (or two, if you can spare them) on the official GDC blog for updates, news, and more. There is also a Twitter feed and Facebook page for the event.

Via Gamasutra.

The workout will be available at the GYMBOX in Westfield, London, running every Tuesday night at 7pm throughout February. There’s no need to worry about signing up for membership, either, as it’ll be open to members and non-members alike, giving participants the chance to learn the moves of Mitsurugi and Pyrrha, among other fighters from the game, whilst also getting a cardio and muscle workout.

Furthermore if you want to continue your workout beyond these classes, anyone that shows a copy of Soulcalibur V – released 3rd February – will be able to get membership for GYMBOX without paying a joining fee, saving £99 if you sign up during February, making it the perfect time to pick up a copy of the game and get into shape. More details can be found on the GYMBOX website.

And if that all seems like a bit too much effort … well, remember that Namco Bandai will also be hosting a launch event for the game on 4th February.

From Wolfenstein 3D to RAGE, id has been know for making great first person shooters, and Quakecon allows people to come from around the world and participate in all sorts of events, including the largest Bring Your Own Computer LAN Party you will find anywhere. You also get the chance to shake hands and get up close and personal with those that have made all of these great titles, like John Carmack, Tom Willits and more.

As with every year, Quakecon is completely free for anyone to attend, and this year, they have partnered with the hosting location, The Hilton Anatole in Dallas, TX to give a preferential rate for those attending. You can get a room for a reduced rate of $154 per night at the Hilton Anatole. Quakecon 2012 will be going on from August 2nd to August 5th, 2012 at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, TX.

Quakecon 2012 is hosted by id Software and Bethesda Softworks and will include all sorts of industry players like Nvidia, AMD, inWin and many others.

Well, my wish came true. Published by Nintendo, The Last Story will be released in the UK on 24 February 2012.

The game’s creator, Hironobu Sakaguchi, will be at Midlands Comic Con to talk about the game, although most people will recgonise him as the father of the Final Fantasy series and producer of other great titles such as Vagrant Story, Xenogears, Chrono Trigger and Kingdom Hearts.

To buy tickets to the MCM Midlands Comic Con at Telford International Centre on 18 February 2012 visit: https://www.mcmexpostore.com/store/ – and you can submit questions to Hironobu Sakaguchi in advance to david@mcmexpo.net.

According to an interview with Japan’s top video game magazine Famitsu (via Kotaku), Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima confirmed that yes, we’ll be seeing that demo of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.

After some tug-o-war between team members at Kojima Productions, Kojima had been planning a secret canning of the entire project despite strong anticipation after the initial reveal. Platinum Games then stepped in, and Kojima happily handed the reins over to them. The project hasn’t looked back since. While fans are still heavily divided over Platinum’s development of the title, some of us are plenty excited about chopping things up and kicking ass.

Can’t wait until E3 to see how the demo pans out? We can’t either. No release date has been discussed for the title yet.

Via Eurogamer.

If you dig Soul Calibur and like cool stuff like free beer and good times, you should listen closely. And by listen closely, I mean write-this-down-and-start-making-plans-now-closely.

In celebration of next month’s pending release, Namco Bandai are going all out. And instead of having one of those press-only events where we just tell you about the free bar and goodies, this time the door’s open to you. Well. If you’re one of the first 200 bodies through the door, that is.

Fancy it? Of course you do. So pop along nice and early to The Chapel Bar, Islington (London, UK, The World). Doors open at 12 noon and will offer casual and exhibition matches right through until six. If you thoroughly rock, you might even see your mug on TV, too, playing the likes of gaming wizards Ryan Hart and Marie-Laurie Norindr.

Need the rest of the details? Head on over to the Facebook page. Let us know if you’re planning on going along!

Most noted for his work on the Gears of War series, Bleszinski didn’t get his start right in the FPS genre. Remember that little green rabbit, Jazz Jackrabbit? Yeah, that was his first title, released while he was still in high school. Bet you can’t say you made a platform-shooter game while you were in your teens, right?

The GDCA will take place on March 7th at 6:30PM PDT.

Via Gamespot.

A non-profit organization, the AIAS celebrated creativity in video games on a global scale, and the ceremony this year will take place on February 9th during the 2012 D.I.C.E. Summit.

Other fan-favorite contenders include Batman: Arkham City and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

“These games exemplify the highest standard of excellence and quality, from the breathtaking cinematics, to the bold storytellling and the innovative technology,” said Martin Rae, President of the AIAS. “Our industry has really outdone itself this year and continues to exceed expectations with its creativity and craftsmanship.”

Want to know who was nominated for what? Here’s the full list, and it’s a pretty damn long list:

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition
L.A. Noire
LittleBigPlanet 2
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
InFamous 2
Portal 2

Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design
Battlefield 3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
L.A. Noire
Need For Speed: The Run
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Outstanding Achievement in Story
Bastion
L.A. Noire
Portal 2
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Outstanding Character Performance
Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Adam Jensen)
L.A. Noire (Cole Phelps)
Portal 2 (Wheatley)
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (Nathan Drake)
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (Victor Sullivan)

Downloadable Game of the Year
Bastion
Drawn: Trail of Shadows
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet
Ms. Splosion Man
Orcs Must Die!

Casual Game of the Year
Fruit Ninja Kinect
Tiny Wings
Jetpack Joyride
Monsters Ate My Condo
Where’s My Water?

Social Networking Game of the Year
Army Attack
CastleVille
Gardens of Time
The Sims Social
Triple Town

Role-Playing/Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year
Dark Souls
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Star Wars: The Old Republic
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

Outstanding Innovation in Gaming
Bastion
L.A. Noire
Portal 2
Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Sports Game of the Year
FIFA 12
Madden NFL 12
MLB 11 The Show
NBA 2K12
NBA Jam: On Fire Edition

Racing Game of the Year
Forza Motorsport 4
Mario Kart 7
Real Racing 2 HD

Fighting Game of the Year
Fight Night Champion
King of Fighters XIII
Mortal Kombat
Super Street Fighter 4: 3D Edition
Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year
Iron Brigade
Orcs Must Die!
Total War: Shogun II
Toy Soldiers: Cold War
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II – Retribution

Family Game of the Year
Dance Central 2
Just Dance 3
Kinect Disneyland Adventure
LittleBigPlanet 2
Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure

Mobile Game of the Year
Contre Jour
Dead Space
Infinity Blade II
Tentacles
The Dark Meadow

Handheld Game of the Year
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Kirby Mass Attack
Mario Kart 7
Professor Layton and the Last Specter
Super Mario 3D Land

Adventure Game of the Year
Batman: Arkham City
L.A. Noire
Portal 2
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Outstanding Achievement in Online Game Play
Battlefield 3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Gears of War 3
LittleBigPlanet 2
Star Wars: The Old Republic

Outstanding Achievement in Connectivity
Battlefield 3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Dragon Age II
Portal 2
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Action Game of the Year
Battlefield 3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Dead Space 2
Gears of War 3
Saints Row: The Third

Outstanding Achievement in Animation
Assassin’s Creed: Revelations
Batman: Arkham City
L.A. Noire
Rayman Origins
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction
Batman: Arkham City
Battlefield 3
Portal 2
Rayman Origins
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering
Battlefield 3
Crysis 2
L.A. Noire
RAGE
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Outstanding Achievement in Game Play Engineering
Batman: Arkham City
Portal 2
Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction
Batman: Arkham City
L.A. Noire
Portal 2
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Game of the Year
Batman: Arkham City
Portal 2
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

For more information on the AIAS, visit their Official Website.

Via Gamasutra.

One of the biggest men for Sony, Kaz Hirai, has said at CES that there won’t be a PlayStation 4 at E3 according to the Wall Street Journal. Comments made by Andrew House, the head of Sony’s videogame division, also indicate that there won’t be a big announcement at all. “Andy [House] is absolutely right in that we are not making any announcements at E3,” said Hirai during a media roundtable at CES. “I’ve always said a 10-year life cycle for PS3, and there is no reason to go away from that.”

Perhaps the project is so secretive that not even Mr. Hirai knows about it? Some might say yes, let it be so. Others say to wait a little longer until the lifespan of the current-gen has run its course. Would you want to see a PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720 at this year’s E3?

Via Game Informer.

Supergiant Games thoroughly impressed with its charming, quirky, and beautiful game, garnering 5 nominations. Portal 2 and Skyrim meet in the ring again to fight for Game of the Year. Batman: Arkham City is also jumping into the fray, and the surprise party-goer is From Software’s hardcore RPG Dark Souls. Eidos Montreal’s Deus Ex: Human Revolution also received a nod for Game of the Year contender.

The list of triple-A and surprise titles don’t stop there. Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, L.A. Noire, Tiny Tower, and Johann Sebastion Joust all received nods.

There’s a literal pantheon of gaming gods and goddesses (not really) helping to choose finalists for this year’s huge list. Winners will then be selected by an invitation-only group of 500 leading creators from all over the world within the video game industry.

Curious to know who’s on the list? Here’s the complete list of nominees for the 12th Annual GDCA:

Best Game Design
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios)
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Nintendo)
Portal 2 (Valve)
Batman: Arkham City (Rocksteady Studios)
Dark Souls (From Software)

Innovation
Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure (Toys for Bob)
Portal 2 (Valve)
Bastion (Supergiant Games)
Johann Sebastian Joust (Die Gute Fabrik)
L.A. Noire (Team Bondi)

Best Technology
Battlefield 3 (DICE)
L.A. Noire (Team Bondi)
Crysis 2 (Crytek Frankfurt/UK)
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios)
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (Naughty Dog)

Best Handheld/Mobile Game
Tiny Tower (NimbleBit)
Super Mario 3D Land (Nintendo)
Jetpack Joyride (Halfbrick)
Infinity Blade II (Chair Entertainment)
Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP (Capy Games/Superbrothers)

Best Audio
Bastion (Supergiant Games)
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios)
Dead Space 2 (Visceral Games)
Portal 2 (Valve)

Best Downloadable Game
Stacking (Double Fine)
From Dust (Ubisoft Montpelier)
Bastion (Supergiant Games)
Outland (Housemarque)
Frozen Synapse (Mode 7)

Best Narrative
Portal 2 (Valve)
The Witcher 2 (CD Projekt RED)
Bastion (Supergiant Games)
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (Naughty Dog)
Saints Row: The Third (Volition)

Best Debut
Supergiant Games (Bastion)
Team Bondi (L.A. Noire)
Re-Logic (Terraria)
BioWare Austin (Star Wars: The Old Republic)
Eidos Montreal (Deus Ex: Human Revolution)

Best Visual Arts
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (Naughty Dog)
Rayman Origins (Ubisoft Montpelier)
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios)
El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron (Ignition Japan)
Battlefield 3 (DICE)

Game of the Year
batman: Arkham City (Rocksteady Studio)
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios)
Portal 2 (Valve)
Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Eidos Montreal)
Dark Souls (From Software)

For more information on the awards, visit the official GDCA website.

Via Gamasutra.