This week, the guys talk about Portal 2, the PSN outage, the new updates to Minecraft, and Unpleasant Horse!  The usual gang is all here, and they didn't even take super long this time!  Buckle your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy Gameshoe Podcast!

(Posted by: Harrison Milfeld)

As predicted, Nintendo has confirmed that they will be releasing a new game console sometime in 2012. The company also announced that their next-gen, which is speculated to be codenamed "Project Cafe," would make its debut at E3 this June.

"We will show a playable model of the new system and announce more specifications at the E3 Expo, which will be held June 7-9, 2011, in Los Angeles," the company said in a brief statement.

No additional details were announced from Nintendo, but the past week has led to many claims of what their next console will look like and how powerful it will be. Everything from a tablet-shaped controller that will stream game content to being "significantly more powerful" than the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 have been cited from various unknown sources.

According to Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, the company would like to propose "a new approach to home video game consoles" with the Wii's successor. Whether or not this means that Nintendo's next console will utilize downloadable-only content remains to be a mystery. With E3 2012 set for June 7-9, 2011, in Los Angeles, we could be seeing another great show in the making.

(Posted by: Eric Rees)

People were more than a little upset that the end of Valve's beautifully run ARG (Alternate Reality Game) ended in the users having to buy $40 worth of indie games and play them, a lot, to unlock Portal 2 early. I am here to ask: is anyone really surprised coming from Valve? This is the company and the game that started the whole indie game genre. 

Most people know, but some may not, that Portal wasn't always the game that it is today. It started as a little game called Narbacular Drop. An interesting "puzzle" game that had a Princess that couldn't jump escaping from an elemental creature through a series of dungeons. The game was made as a senior project for the group of guys attending DigiPen, a technology institute in Washington. The game went on to impress many people and won a fair amount of awards for a project and then Valve got wind of it. Thinking that this could be a big game, they acquired the creators and what we have now is now known as Portal. 

The video game industry as a whole isn't that old and before this point, around 2005, the "indie" genre that we've come to know barely existed, if even at all. Valve, the creator of Steam which is a giant in the industry today, was taking a unprecedented risk by picking up some game designers still in college and helping them to produce their game. Until this point games had been developed by professional developers but this acquisition marked a turning point in the industry and spawned a whole genre of games and opened the door for amateur developers around the world. 

Without Portal we wouldn't have gems such as Super Meat Boy, Limbo, Minecraft or Amnesia. A small company named Rovio Mobile might not have been picked up by EA based on the sales of their little game called Angry Birds. Valve extending a hand to a few guys who developed a game with some promise gave life to all of these games so I found it not surprising in the least that Valve turned around and gave the games in The Potato Sack the same shot that they gave the guys from Narbacular Drop. Indie games are a legitimate genre in video games today and Valve was doing just doing business as usual, helping other games to flourish and leading the industry forward. Don't be mad that they pointed you out to a few games that are awesome and fun and suggested that you play them while you were waiting for Portal 2 to drop. People didn't have to buy it but I guarantee you that there are plenty people out there that loved the games as they played them and I also guarantee that the developers from the games in The Potato Sack thank you for it.

(Posted by: Eric Rees)

I tried for a while to come up with some witty and funny intro to draw you into my review of Portal 2 but then I figured that I should just come out and tell you that Portal 2 is one of the best games that I’ve ever played in my life. Now let me explain.

For those who have been living under a mountain, this game is the sequel to 2007 Game of the Year, Portal. And that game was voted Game of the Year by 30 different publications and award shows. How does one come back and provide after such a big reception? Valve did, and then some. Hit the break to read the rest of the review!

(Posted By: Alex Deckard)

Well, we're getting some information on the multiplayer for upcoming inevitable mega-hit Uncharted 3.  There is some exciting news.  Firstly, splitscreen multiplayer.  Yes, I hate splitscreen.  But Uncharted is the sort of game where it makes sense.  Being able to play with someone in the same room will make the game about ten times as much fun.  Cooperative play in this style just works better that way.  Plus, we'll be seeing MASSIVE amounts of customization, at least in the multiplayer.  Here's hoping it pops up in the campaign.  Anyway, they're replacing the previous games' method of customization (hey look, a new costume) with a more in depth version (hey look, a new hat/shirt/pair of golden trousers).  You'll be able to mix and match and make your character distinctly you.  Plus, there's now free-for-all matches, sudden-death overtimes and high-fives.  Yes, that's right.  You can high-five teammates now.  Game.  Changed.

(Posted By: Ryan Clark)

 There is currently in Open Beta a new version of Battlefield known as Battlefield4Free, an online game that uses many of the same mechanics as the well known Battlefield Series. The game is free, and allows you to customize your character via earning in game currency, in much the same way that Black Ops uses its money. Money is earned by playing the game it would normally be played, and the money allows you to "rent" different guns for your classes. However, the best guns can only be purchased with real money (BattleFunds), and many of the customization options are also limited to Battlefunds as well. 

However, all previous complaints have been overshadowed monumentally by the next two: you can't switch classes during a game; only during the interim between matches, and you can only have two different classes out of the four ( Medic, Engineer, Assault, Scout). The only way to purchase new slots is with real money. The real kicker? You can't delete character slots. Once you pick a character you are stuck with that class. While the concept is promising, the current implementation for this new twist on an old franchise leaves much to be desired.

(Posted by: Eric Rees)

Here it is ladies and gentlemen. The countdown on Aperture Science's website lead to this. A page where GLaDOS asks you to play games produced through a bundle on Steam to help launch Portal 2 early. Random? I think so

The Potato Sack is a bundle of games, which Valve is so good at doing through Steam, that costs about 40 dollars and includes 13 "hit indie games" for you to get your hands on. Before this announcement there were rumors that Portal 2 had some things scattered around inside of the games in this bundle but nothing of this magnitude. The bundle includes indie gems such as Super Meat Boy, Amnesia and Killing Floor. These are not bad games but knowing Valve's and Portal's rabid fan base, This sale is about to shoot profits for the company through the roof. I anticipate sales of this bundle to shoot up and then if Portal 2 launches early then that will sell like crazy as well.

Well played Valve, well played.

(Posted by: Eric Rees)

You'd be hard pressed to find a franchise that is over 12 years old and is still selling as well as the juggernaut Pokemon series is. With the release of Black and White, Gamefreak and Nintendo really sought to bring something new back to the series after cries that it was getting too repetitive for it's own good. Luckily for the franchise, and the gamers who love it, they have achieved just that.

Hit the break to "catch" the rest of the review!

(Posted by: Harrison Milfeld) 

No, this is not a joke. What you see above is indeed a portable Super Nintendo (dubbed the “SupaBoy”) that is currently slated for release in North America this summer.

The company Hyperkin is responsible for the creation of this device and it will be compatible with both North American and Japanese SNES cartridges. That feature alone may be a big selling point for collectors who want to play their imported titles on the go. The SupaBoy will also have a rechargeable battery that lasts up to 5.5 hours.

In addition, the SupaBoy might include a multiplayer option (notice the SNES controller outputs below the d-pad and face buttons) that will allow you to plug the handheld into your TV. Also, according to Kotaku, they estimate the price could be in the $60-70 range. Not bad for a handheld Super Nintendo that allows me to play the more obscure import titles that I own. Time to dust and blow off some old cartridges. Makes you miss those days, doesn’t it. 

(Posted by: Eric Rees)

First things first, Halo turns 10 this year so get ready for lots and lots of stuff to be happening in the universe of everyone's favorite space marine. This is just the first taste of what's to come this year.

April 14, Microsoft will start selling even more Halo inspired avatar gear and stuff in case you want to spend real money for non-real clothes. Halo helmets, shirts and probably even shoes for your blinged out avatar will be available soon enough. They are even putting out an avatar pet, of the Flood! An adorable little flood form will follow you around when people see you on their friends list, no news on if it will attack you and graphically turn you into a monster.

Hit the break to read the rest of the goods!