It’s interesting how the games industry is going in two very different directions at the moment. On the one hand you have Indie games, which often defy the boundaries of genre and move in very unexpected directions due to the lack of financial restriction and on the other hand we have mainstream, commercial games… the ones which you’re going to see on store shelves. Commercial games which move in a straight line… forwards.

These are the games which are instantly recognisable as you pick them up - your Call of Dutys, your Ridge Racers and your [insert generic MMORPG here]. These are the games which never stray far from the pre-defined genres of FPS or what have you. They move forwards through the means of technology and experience, meaning you’ll always have a recognisable gameplay experience which you can jump straight into, while acknowledging the differences brought in by aforementioned technology and experience.

On the binary opposite side of things, we have the Indie games. The games which bring you new experiences every time, the games which bring you beautiful and original artistic direction but, however the games which you won’t want to be playing all the time (an inaccessibility which will ensure that they will rarely make it into the mainstream). These games make use of experience taken from game development, but apply them to making something which, on paper may not even look like a game… they aren’t polished (and they never will be as few Indie games are like one another).

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Is it that time again already? What? It’s been that time more than once over the past couple of months? Whatever. Shut Up.

September is going to be another best month of the year, so you’d better secure lots of overtime at work, or you’re going to have to sacrifice eating on Tuesdays. There are that many great games coming out, I’m sorry but it’s true. I’m going to have to do it… again. That’s correct. This month gets another (much coveted) GoY Seal Of Approval™.

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If you thought Valve’s Pyro update was big then you’re in for a real treat. Not only is the Heavy receiving 3 new unlocks and 35 personalised achievements but valve has gone one better and will also be including cp_steel - a new map created by community member, Jamie ‘Fishbus’ Manson - and another new map based on the “Payload” game mode.

Oh, but don’t think Valve is stopping there - quite the contrary. In fact, above all of this new content, they will also be releasing a brand new game mode accompanied by 5 new maps designed specifically for the mode.

I don’t think anyone can say Valve isn’t good to us after this update. Head on over to the Team Fortress Developer blog and the Heavy update site for your daily updates on this upcoming patch!

Welcome back, after a short break, to another Video-Friday. There will be laughter, there will be tears, there will be buffering but most importantly there will be videos aplenty. Fasten your seatbelts as we throw every recommendation we’ve noted since, well, before the holiday season at you!

Video Gaiden is a Scottish TV show revolving around the world of video-games. It mixes comedic video-game related skits with reviews, features and angry rants on the modern-gaming industry.

Unlike the televised first and second series, Series 3 was released through their website and is available for all to see (except perhaps those who live outside the British Isles and even if you guys can access it, it’s encrypted through a system we like to call the Scottish accent).

As you may remember, we are fans of Escapist video-series De-Rez. As such, we feel the deontological obligation to recommend to you, one of the finest De-Rez episodes as of yet - just in case you missed our initial recommendation (or perhaps if you didn’t like it the first time you saw it).

Anyway… this new episode shows you the trailers which didn’t appear at E3 this year. There must be a reason though… mustn’t there?

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Being big fans of the Red Faction series since it’s beginning eight years ago, it’s latest installment for the next gen, Red Faction: Guerrilla, was some welcome news, albeit long overdue.

The beta consists of two maps and two game play modes, being the usual Team Death match and Territories.

Team Death match self explanatory, two teams, kill as many of the other team as possible etc. Territories however, has a new Red Faction spin on it, as you would expect there are various points on the map that can be controlled by either team, the more you control the more points you get, but, because it is Red Faction, these points must be constructed to be controlled, this is done by using a construction beam weapon carried by every member of the team, much like repairing vehicles in Unreal Tournament 3. Also if  the opposing team controls a point you want you must  smash it to little pieces using your trusty sledgehammer and then re-construct it.

Unfortunately, the weapons featured in the beta leave a lot of room for improvement, as they are unbalanced and feel very un-nessesary as everyone goes for the basic assault rifle or rocket launcher because they are the best for speed and damage while being effective at long range.

This is even more of an issue with the addition of power packs in the game, these are dotted around the map and are worn on the back of the players to enhance abilities and gain an advantage. These are great fun to use, especially the ”Rhino” which when activated will propel you forward and through any walls that are in your way, there are also packs to increase your speed and damage. The pack you see used the most though is the jet pack, with players often using it to reach high cliffs and ridges, which when carrying the assault rifle makes you near untouchable.

The biggest difference to the game is it’s look, being next gen it looks great as expected, but instead of being a FPS like the previous titles, it is now third person which looks like Mass Effect but plays like Lost Planet.

All in all, Red Faction: Guerrilla looks set to be another chart topper, bringing new and innovative ideas which the series was always known for, of course there are a few problems which need attention, but name a game that hasn’t got problems.

Check back for more news on this title as it happens in the coming months.

That’s right, on Thursday 21st of August, the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed demo will hit both the Xbox Live marketplace and the Playstation Network.

The demo will feature one of the earlier levels where, as “The Apprentice”, you must take on a Jedi General who is trying to destroy a TIE construction factory.

Along with this great news, we are also happy to announce that “The Force Unleashed” graphic novel will also be on sale this week.

Published by Dark Horse Comics, the graphic novel has been scripted by the game’s author, Hayden Blackman, in which he  reveals more about the origins of “The Apprentice”, the graphic novel will also act as a companion to the game rather than a direct adaptation.

Check back soon for our impressions of the demo.

Asus, the company that brought the Eee PC to the masses has unveiled their newest innovation in gaming technology - The Eee Stick; A Wiimote-like plug-and-play wireless controller which converts the physical hand movement of the user to on-screen movement.

Although there is currently no date given for release, the Eee Stick will be bundled with certain models of the Eee PC and the Eee Box. It will also be included with a variety of games designed or adapted specifically with the Eee Stick in mind.

That is correct, it is not a typo. Even though Call of Duty: World at War hasn’t been released or even given a release date, it didn’t stop Activision from announcing the next installment will arrive in 2009.

During an earnings conference call last week, Activision Blizzard’s CEO, Bobby Kotick confirmed that the sixth title in the Call of Duty series is planned to drop in 2009 with Infinity Ward back at the helm, whether this is due to a lack of confidence in Treyarch’s ability to deliver the kind of numbers Infinity Ward had with COD4 remains to be seen, but given that World at War hasn’t even generated half the amount of hype as COD4, I’d say it’s a safe bet.

More on this when we get it.

NFL Hall of Fame running back,  Jim Brown has filed a suit against Electronic Arts and Sony in Manhattan Supreme Court, claiming that his likeness is being used without his permission in the Madden games.

Although Brown isn’t actually named in the game, a muscular African American  player wearing Jim Brown’s famed 32 jersey, appears on the All Browns’ team in the games.

Jim Brown claims that because video games didn’t exist during his playing career, and because agents were banned during his career, that he never had the chance to decide if he wanted to sign away his rights or not.

If Brown’s lawsuit is successful, it is almost certain that the historical and all-time teams in sports games will come to an end, since it is impractical for EA to sign contracts with thousands of players, unless EA decide to be smart and sign a deal with retired player’s unions.  

More on this, as soon as we get it.