Version 3.61 is available for download on the PS3 now, and the PSN and Qriocity services will be back up and running as early as tonight.  Sony tells  it’s customers to change their passwords for their accounts, and  offer their apologies, as well as detail the returning services

Returning services include:
The ability to sign into the PlayStation Network or Qriocity service
The ability to play online games on PS3 or PSP
The ability to playback videos rented from the PlayStation store if within rental period
The ability to listen to use Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity on PS3 or PC
The ability to use third party services like Netflix, Vudu, Hulu, and MLB.tv
The ability to access the “friends” category on the XMB menu
The ability to use PlayStation Home

If you’d like to monitor areas where services will be back up, Sony has provided a nice little map for their customers to use to continue watching progress.

UPDATE: Most of the world has said services returned, including the US, Europe, and Australia. Playstation Store will be returning by the end of the month with multiple updates to catch up from the down time.

With the announcement on Bungies web site that Bungie will not be showing their new game along side Activision at E3 2011 Bungie is denying reports that they will be attending this years E3 at all.

Be sure to check back here on www.theflowshow.com between June 7-9, 2011 to get the latest and up to date news for E3 2011!!

On Behalf of the 70+ million PSN users the Rothken law firm is filing a class action lawsuit against Sony. The lawsuit states that Sony failed to maintain a proper firewall and security system. Also a failure to properly encrypt its users information. Wow.. Just wow.. You heard it here first.. Sony is FUCKED!! It doesn’t end there either the suit also states that Sony had unauthorized storage and retention of data, and the most important one is the violation of Payment Card Industry Data Standard(s) and rules and regulations. In other words Sony is FUCKED!!!

If you have a PSN account and you want to be apart of this epic class action lawsuit go HERE

Official copy of the complaint.

More than 70 Million users of the Sony Playstation 3 had all of their information stolen. That information includes name, username, password. address, and credit card information. Sony is reporting that this incident could cast them billions of dollars. I personally think that this is the start if the end for Sony. I guess only time will tell.

CNN Video
CNN Video

The co-op doesn’t have as much dialogue as the single-player campaign, but it still has a beefy amount over the course of five testing facilities, all of which from GLaDOS or the turrets (also voiced by McLain).  Each testing facility has a series of eight to nine chambers, some of which being two parts. Though this is a co-op experience, it is not a short one. It can take a good four hours to complete, give or take, and the fun never lets up.

Unlike the single-player, the co-op starts out with the Calibration Course, which is a series of simple tests to get you and your partner in “sync” with one another. It’s a simple and yet effective tutorial and it’s a good way to introduce players to the co-op mechanics. Each player will get two portals each, Atlas with blue and purple, and P-Body with orange and red. It’s essential to learn how to use your portals as well as your partner’s to be able to complete these courses.

Cave Johnson (voiced by J.K. Simmons) giving a sample of just what might happen in your co-op playthrough.

Upon completion of the Calibration Course, you enter a hub world of sorts, which is unique to this mode and fits the game very well. It reminds me of some of the hub worlds in old N64 platformers where there was a slight challenge to getting to an area. As you start the first course, it becomes clear that these stages were designed for four portals. It’s true that some chambers can be solved using only one player’s portals, but those ones still require two people to do. The level design is completely different than the chambers in the single-player and there are even features unique to the co-op mode. Features such as diagonal light ramps, spiked crushers, and even a few puzzles that require timing from your partner. Thankfully, implemented a marking system where you can signal your partner with a marker that would show them where to stand, where to make portals, buttons to press or even a 3-second timer for counting down the timing exercises. Even if you are using voice chat, these markers are very useful and work very well with the game.

Like the single-player, the co-op is full of Easter eggs to discover, most of which give you achievements or trophies. These are pretty fun to discover and it creates a humorous sense of accomplishment when you find them, my personal favorite being the hidden companion cube in one of the test chambers.

Each course will have a series of test chambers, and then a final challenge that will have you and your partner outside of the test chambers and in the main facility, searching for the data disc. There is a slight story to the co-op, but it’s mostly explained through the fascinating developer commentary, and its great to watch this universe unfold through it. To summarize, you are doing test chambers that no human has done before, in a sense, testing for the real test. I won’t spoil too much, but the ending is a bit funny if you put all the dialogue together.

All in all, the co-op experience is something truly unique and is a lot of fun to go through with a friend, either through Steam (PC, Mac, or PS3), Playstation Network (still down as of this writing), Xbox Live, or split screen (PS3 and Xbox 360). A nice feature is that the versions running Steam are all cross-platform, so PC users can play with Mac users, or PS3 users with PC or Mac users. If you buy this game, there are a lot of options to be able to play with your friends. If I were to rate the co-op experience, it gets a solid 9 out of 10. Very well thought out, and fun to play, even when replaying the chambers.

Two great experiences in one package, I can see Portal 2 being up for game of the year easily, at least for PC. When single-player and co-op are combined, I can give my final verdict of the game, and Portal 2 receives a 10 out of 10. Great gameplay, entertaining dialogue and sound, fantastic art direction, amazing presentation, and a game that deserves a spot in everyone’s library.

Back in 2007, Valve released a little bundle pack called The Orange Box, which held 5 amazing titles. To everyone’s surprise, one of those titles happened to be an amazing (albeit short) experience called Portal. The way Valve marketed the Orange Box, Portal was considered a type of bonus game, and ended up being the talk of the gaming community, thanks to some clever writing and some great puzzle gameplay. It’s now 2011, and Portal 2 is now available, and is also the first time Valve’s Steam support has come to a console, the Playstation 3 in this case. Is it as amazing as the first one? Or will it fizzle out of memory?

The story of the sequel puts you back in the role of silent protagonist Chell, who had defeated the passive-aggressive super computer, GLaDOS in the previous game. You’ll start in a pretty amusing scenario where you practice getting ready for a day of testing, and it is here that we are introduced to one of the new characters of the game, Wheatley, voiced by Stephen Merchant (of the Ricky Gervais show). Immediately, the games witty and clever dialogue becomes apparent, and you get quite a few laughs. The voice acting is performed with such personality that you forget you’re talking to a robot, but are then reminded by the big glowing blue light staring at your face.

After an interesting opening sequence where you are lifted through the underground facility in a small bedroom, you finally get your hands on the Portal gun. This is where the game really begins, as you learn how to use the basic functions of portals. As you continue on, you find out that GLaDOS is “still alive”, and that she is just sleeping, but of course, that is short lived, and you reunite with your sworn enemy, who then tosses you back into the testing facility like the garbage she deems you to be.

I’ll try not to spoil too much of the plot, but if you played the first game and enjoyed the puzzles, there’s a lot more to figure out here, and new puzzle features add to the variety. Walkways or walls made of light, laser reflector cubes, the different types of gels, there’s a lot more in this game aside from your typical blue and orange portals. I for one found the blue repulsion gel and the orange propulsion gel to be some personal favorites. The repulsion gel would basically be a liquid that you could spread around a room using portals, and upon landing or jumping from a surface with this gel, you would bounce up higher than normal. The higher you fall from, the higher you’ll bounce back up. It works well in quite a few puzzles, though there are some tricky areas where portal placement and timing make the difference. The propulsion gel is very similar to the repulsion gel, except that what this gel does is allow you to increase your maximum speed. Large distances and even great heights can be within reach easily if you run across this gel and through well placed portals. Many other obstacles and items are at your disposal in Portal 2, and it definitely extends the experience that seemed so simple in the first game.

The game’s single-player campaign takes about 8 hours to beat, but you may end up taking longer just wanting to hear the dialogue from the characters. There are many moments where characters will speak, and then continue saying things until that awkward moment where you realize you’ve been standing in the same spot for 3 minutes waiting to see if that robotic eye staring back at you has anything else to say. There are even moments where your actions will get them to say something new. The amount of dialogue in this game is astonishing and it definitely helps that it’s humorous and clever. Other great performances come from J.K. Simmons (Spider-Man’s J. Jonah Jameson) and Ellen McLain returns as GLaDOS, both of which give outstanding performances and gives an emotional impact that’s incredibly rare in games these days. The music is also fitting to the game’s soundtrack and is appropriately quiet in the right areas. One nice feature I liked was the music that played when you realize you were doing something correctly, like if you were “flinging” yourself in the right direction, or you were placing a weighted companion cube in the excursion funnels. It adds a really nice touch to the presentation of the game and really rewards you for solving each puzzle.

Sample of J.K. Simmon’s portrayal of Aperture Laboratories founder Cave Johnson

The game’s visuals are not going to blow you away; this isn’t Crysis, though that doesn’t mean they’re bad. It has a very laboratory-like feeling, which is the point. Lots of black and white with different shades of gray and brown, and the occasional use of color that contrast well with the scientific environment. Valve managed to get a lot out of the aging Source engine, and it easily surpasses the original game in visuals. The gels have a very distinctive fluid quality to them, and the environments move and fall apart very naturally. The animation in the game is impressive as well, from the way Wheatley blinks his one eye to the way the robotic arms of the environment move into place when setting up a new testing chamber. The whole environment, despite being mostly inorganic, feels very much alive.

The game’s single-player campaign is worth the price tag alone, but it also has a co-op campaign that is completely different than the single-player. Unfortunately, due to an error on the Playstation Network, I was unable to play the co-op campaign as of this time. I also unfortunately didn’t have someone handy to come over and play split screen, nor did I install my free PC copy that came with the PS3 version in time. I will say this, the single player campaign is jam packed with content. Even if you play it just once, there is still the possibility that you missed some dialogue, or a few hidden Easter eggs. Lots of achievements and trophies to collect and many of them actually add to the experience of the game.

Despite the fact I couldn’t play the co-op, I will save that part of the review for another time and give my verdict on this game’s single-player campaign as it is. Now before I do that, there is one area I would like to note, and that’s the middle section of the game, where you are not in any test chambers, but actually in the corporate areas of Aperture Science. This area was a neat place, but it does move quite slow and is less about puzzles and more about finding where you shoot your portal to continue forward. If there wasn’t any dialogue in this section, it would be considerably boring and feels a bit dragged out, though you do get a nice history about the fictional company. It’s not too long but it is noticeable, and could push players away from a very rewarding finish.

Portal 2 may require more of a commitment in it’s longer campaign, but there is plenty of variety to keep things interesting and the voice acting is entertaining enough to keep you moving. The single-player campaign is fun and inviting and is a definite must play experience that I would deem a bit better than the original. I give Portal 2’s single-player campaign a very well deserved 9.5 out of 10.

“It’s one of my tricks. Get an axe.”

If you are a fan of zombies and/or First Person Views then you should keep tabs on a little known game called DEAD ISLAND.

Set on a tropical island resort, overrun by undead guests, you are one of only a few survivers - four survivers to be exact. Does it sound like LEFT 4 DEAD? Yes. Does it play like it? Can’t say since no gameplay footage is currently available. What is available is a cinematic trailer that shows everything I have just detailed about the game.

From the trailer you can see that unlike LEFT 4 DEAD’s enraged mutants, these are actually zombies. You can also see that the tone is pretty dark and depressing.

What is known for sure about DEAD ISLAND?
-focus on melee combat and customization
-4 player co-op with RPG elements
-set in a beautiful yet gruesome open world

It’s shaping up to be a combination of LEFT 4 DEAD and BORDERLANDS on a vacation getaway. Let’s just hope it turns out to be at least half as good as those awesome titles.

In a world full of choices, people may or may not be so decisive.  What external hard drive should I get?  Which restaurant should I try?  What’s a video game I should check out?  During times like these, a recommendation would really help.  Thankfully, there’s Hunch.

Hunch.com is a recommendation site that eliminates the need of going around the web and putting in time-consuming research.  The site aims to personalize the internet by getting to know you and making smart and concrete recommendations about what you might like.  There are thousands of topics to get suggestions on from email service providers to bucket list ideas.

Begin by signing in with your facebook or twitter account and answering 20 (or more, if you’re into that) questions about yourself.  Hunch then creates a taste profile that maps your unique preferences based on the collective knowledge of people similar to you.  The company’s mission, taken straight from their website, is to “build a taste graph connecting every person on the web with their affinity for every entitiy (camera, car, book, anything!) on the web.”

Of course Hunch doesn’t gaurantee the acuracy of the recomendations. And it seems doubtful that reliable suggestions can be generated for some of the topics through a few seemingly random questions.  It’s almost akin to those Facebook quizzes people love to use, but much more accurate.  If anything, its fun to see how wrong, or very right, Hunch is in their knowledge of you.  There’s also fun in comparing your recommendations with a friend.  Remember they’re only suggestions.  Don’t believe that these recommendations define you in anyway, but you should check it out for yourself to decide if these hunches are helpful enough.

DJ Sonic in tha Mix

Hot on the white-striped heels of SEGA’s Sonic the Hedgehog 4, a couple of independent, die-hard hedgehogs have done what so many big-name producers have failed to: They’ve made a playable, dare I say “fun?” Sonic the Hedgehog game! Of course, to be fair, this game is a “remix” of SEGA’s classic Sonic so Kings of the Crash are due some credit. Still, one must wonder why they seem unable to make something like this now?

Sonic Fan Remix is free to play, right now, and you should.

After that, you might like to come back here n’ read Game Informer’s interview with the blue-souled bandits who are responsible for all that fun you just had:

Game Informer’s Dan Ryckert vs. Pelikan (artist) and Mercury (programmer)

One of the most striking elements of Sonic Fan Remix is the fact that it’s visually superior to the Sega-made Sonic 4. How was a team of two able to make a better-looking game than a major game studio?
Pelikan: In the past, game engines like Unity and UDK have not been available to the public for free, and those engines can produce high quality results and they are really easy to use. Sonic 4 and SFR have very different art styles and many people have complained about SFR’s “busy” look, so comparing them is not simple.
Mercury: I think that SFR succeeds where Sonic 4 fails because it’s more surprising. There are so many details that you’re just not expecting to see, and that’s what makes it so exciting.

Did you start development on Sonic Fan Remix before or after the announcement of Sonic 4?
Pelikan: I started working on the game around 10 days prior to Sega’s announcement. When I heard they were working on a 2D Sonic I felt both excited as a Sonic fan and a bit disappointed. I did consider stopping work on SFR at that point as I felt there might be no place for it.

Has Sega contacted you in any way in regards to the game (praise, legal threats, etc.)?
Pelikan: No.

What’s the plan going forward? Are you going to release a full version at some point, and will it remain freeware?
Pelikan: Yes, it can only be freeware as it’s a fan game, and I will release each zone as soon as it’s done, along with updates to the previous zones.

Do you guys have aspirations of breaking into the industry full-time, or is this something you just enjoy doing as a hobby?
Pelikan: I have been working in games for the past few years as a freelance artist, but my big goal would be to make my own games.
Mercury: For me it’s purely a hobby. I wouldn’t want to work in the industry, mainly because the type of project I like to work on isn’t something that’s commercially viable.

What is the team’s favorite Sonic title?
Pelikan: Sonic 2.
Mercury: Sonic CD.

When do you think Sega started to lose its way with the Sonic series?
Mercury: Sonic Adventure. It took pretty much everything I loved about the series and threw it out.
Pelikan: I have to agree with Mercury, although I really enjoyed the game at the time. Sega made some choices for Sonic from gameplay to visuals to voice acting that never clicked with me and seem to have stayed with Sonic ever since.

Sonic’s movement physics have changed over the years. What do you think about some of those changes?
Mercury: Keeping strictly to the 2D games, I think some changes make sense. Sonic Advance - being on a hand-held system with a small screen - reduced Sonic’s jump height so that the player wouldn’t lose sight of the ground when he jumps. In Sonic Rush, the rolling physics were changed to make rolling up less useful, because they wanted to emphasize the boost move. Other changes like Sonic’s newfound ability to destroy breakable walls by just walking through them at any speed, I find to be outrageous. They seem more like mistakes or lazy design than intentional modifications.

So far, these stages are remade versions of existing Sonic levels. Have you ever considered making an entirely original Sonic game?
Pelikan: For the time being, the only Sonic game I plan to work on is SFR. I intend to create original zones for it though.
Mercury: I have. In fact, after SFR, that’s exactly what I’m going to be working on.

Have you considered remaking any non-Sonic games?
Pelikan: Well, I have some original game ideas that I would love to create. As far as remakes go, I would love to see Streets of Rage make a comeback.
Mercury: Yes, actually. My other favorite game series besides Sonic is Phantasy Star, and I’d love to remake Phantasy Star I and II in the future.

Personally, I look forward to whatever these guys come up with next - be it a remix, or one of Pelikan’s originals.

Lastly, I hope SEGA’s watching and learning.

E3 2010 was full of eye candy, but one of the sweetest demos was Square Enix’s DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION, the 3rd part in the popular franchise (even though the 2nd part was a let down).

Here’s the official cinematic trailer:

The year is 2027 (25 years before the first DEUS EX), a time of great innovation in neuroprosthetics, but also a time of chaos and conspiracy and a new social divide. The “haves” and “have-nots” are defined by those who can afford augmentations and those who cannot. Adam Jensen, a private security specialist hired to protect the interests of one of the largest bio-tech corporations, is undecided on the ethics of neuroprosthetics but becomes injured in an attack on the facility and must be augmented. Having this very important decision taken away from him, he now is driven to encounter the truth and discover who attacked the facility and why. In his search, a vast global conspiracy is revealed and Adam’s decisions will decide the fate of humankind.

While I couldn’t actually play the demo, I watched (with my own eyes) a developer play a portion of the game on a large screen that displayed no HUD (the final version will have a HUD display, even though I’d prefer that it wouldn’t) and was demonstrated in pre-alpha (a.k.a. incomplete version), yet the visual graphics were already mind-blowingly beautiful. It can only get better from here.

As Jensen walked through the incredibly detailed futuristic city, every NPC interacted and reacted to him in various ways that did not seem scripted. The player can talk with anyone or even overhear NPCs conversations from a distance. When Jensen approached a bar and was stopped by a bouncer, not only was the dialog and movement realistic but it also incorporated a type of conversation game play that allowed the player to make different choices to complete his objectives. Jensen “chose” to pay his way into the bar, but he could have killed the bouncer or found another way in, by sneaking under the building or listening to NPCs as they discussed the password. Inside elements of the story were revealed and more of the conversation gameplay took place as the demo continued.

The demo skipped ahead to an action/infiltration portion of the game. Up to this point the game had mostly been 1st-person perspective (except for the cinematic scenes), but the viewpoint changes to 3rd-person when you use the cover system. As Jensen snuck around a heavily-guarded warehouse area, take downs were demonstrated, ranging from non-lethal (knock-outs), stealth (neck snaps), double kills (instant and simultaneous), environmental (breaking through walls to get to an enemy on the other side), and when surrounded, cinematic-like finishers that clear the entire room - in style. These take downs are made easier to execute with the help of the BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM style X-ray vision, but even that cannot be executed without the help of augmentations (abilities chosen, earned, purchased) that help effect and strategize the way you play.

By the end of the demo I was left speechless, so I had no choice but to write this pre-alpha review. All I have left to “not” say is watch the trailer, and while it may not be gameplay it pretty much demonstrates what you can actually do in the game. For once, a game that does not falsely advertise with it’s cinematic scenes. I can’t wait to try the demo for myself.

Acrobatic maneuvers in flip-flops made possible by SMART - check below for details…

If you think about it, First Person Shooters still control the same way they have since DOOM, DUKE NUKEM and GOLDENEYE. But now change has arrived in the form of BRINK, Splash Damage and Bethesda’s new free-flowing, team-based shooter.

BRINK’s story is about the world nose-diving into an apocalypse (as always). The Ark, a modern safe haven, is the place to be. Now all the stranded and desperate clans living in the slums want in. The rEvolution begins.

As I stepped up to the E3 demo I learned that BRINK’s Evolved F.P.S. comes in the form of a single button: a SMART button, which is the Left Trigger (360). I tried this newness out and I’m glad to report that it works. The Smooth Movement Across Random Terrain is both easy and fun to execute.

With the button held down I was able to sprint, climb and slide under mostly anything that was in my path, as long as it was within a normal human’s ability. I found out on my own how to slide out of cover (side ways) to another cover while shooting, and even how to slide into an enemy and knock them down.

The online experience is very exciting with this one too, due to the fact that mission objectives can only be accomplished by certain “classes”. For example: You must disable a bomb. Someone in your squad must be an engineer (1 of the 4 classes) to disable it. This encourages players to work together by strategically choosing what classes their team should consist of. It’s fun to be a lone wolf, and you can be, but encouraging teamwork opens up more satisfying moments of accomplishments in a match. I believe that a big part of social gaming is the opportunity to be an active part of a group, and BRINK delivers on that.

The acrobatics mixed with action is satisfying, despite the “simple fix” problem of not being able to melee while reloading. Customization is a nice addition for both your clothes and weapons too.

Here’s a cinematic trailer, for your viewing pleasure:

I am excited about BRINK. It is evolutionary and enjoyable, definitely one of the highlights of my miserable life…….and E3.

BRINK is due out September 7th, 2010 for PS3, PC and Xbox 360.

Written By Quinn Aguirre for ‘the Flow’ www.theflowshow.tv

This past week has been a total blur. E3 is upon us and we here at ‘the flow’ have been swamped. From booking hotel accommodations, to getting car rentals and airfare to packing and getting cards and everything else, we’ve also been writing to keep you, the flowriders in the loop.

I thought in retrospect since we arent going to be able to write individual articles for each thing that we are expecting and excited to see at E3 this week until after we get back, I instead figured it would benefit us as well as yall to make a ‘hopefuls’ list of what was expected, what we are excited for, and what rumors we think might be substantiated at the show. SO without further ado here is the hopefully list compiled by yours truely:

Zelda 2
Project Natal
Brink
Naruto Ninja Storm 2
Playstation Move
Socom 4
3d gaming
Gran Turismo 5
3-DS
Social Gaming
Star Craft 2
Farm Ville
Crackdown 2
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Gears of War 3
Dead Space 2
Metroid: Other M
Call of Duty: Black Ops
Assassins Creed: Brotherhood
Killzone 3
Little Big Planet 2
Halo: Reach
The Last Guardian (Project Trico)
Dead or Alive 5
Crysis 2
Metal Gear Solid: Rising
Castlevania: Lords of Shadows
Portal 2
Infamous 2
Half Life Episode 3
Civilization 5
Vitality Sensor
Golden Eye 2
XCOM
Mortal Kombat
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
Bulletstorm
bodycount
Rock Band 3
Madden 11
Duke Nukem Forever
Sin and Punishment 2
Monster Hunter Frontier
Super Scribblenauts
PSP 2?
Persona 3 Portable
malicious
Mafia 2
Patapon 3? teaser site up~!
Comic Jumper
Mad Catz to have a crap load of new RB3 peripherals~!
Risk: Factions
APB: beta and lack of servers in Aussie
Spare parts
M vs C 3 Dante vs Deadpool
Kmart to have heavy deals
E3 week
Splatterhouse
tales of monkey island 2
sam and max episode 3
spec ops: the line
Drake in GOW3
La times has broken more info about natal
red man and method man
to hype crowd for
def jam rapstar at E3
conduit 2
lego HP years 1-4
Mortal Kombat
rabbids 3ds
xenoblade
Wii HD
Wii online modernized
mario clash from virtual boy 3ds port
Pikin 3
wii pulse / vitality
true wii fit sequel
DSi price drop
Wii party
new super mario bros 2
metroid returns to 2d
kindom hearts re: coded
F-zero wii
fifa soccer 11
jelly car 2
FF the 4 heroes of light
dragon quest ix
3DS digital distribution service
trine 2
rock of ages
etrian odyssey III
knights in the nightmare
PS2 to retire finally
mmo push
uncharted 3
sony discussing the 3d future
sly cooper 4
jaffe to reveil a new title (possible IP)
ac: brotherhood beta exclusive (possible ps3 only)
another agent tease
psp on ps3 demos
premium PSN unveiled
Fallout: Vegas
Magic: The Gathering - Duel of Planeswalkers (PC)
Max Payne 3
Castlevania Puzzle
hulu to XBOX / ipad
apple iphone 4
Parappa creator and OneBigGame make music game for charity
Fable 3
D.J. Hero 2
star wars the force unleashed 2
Devil’s Third

We hope that this list has you already salivating and we hope to bring you at least this much and MUCH more according to what we can all cover this week. So until then Flowriders, keep it tuned.., keep it exciting, and keep playing~!

~Q~

Telltale Games, developers of Tales of Monkey Island and Wallace and Gromit’s Grand Adventures, have officially announced a partnership with Universal Pictures to produce a new series of episodic games based on the uber-popular Back to the Future and Jurassic Park movies.

Behold the official video announcement from the company:

Of course, these movies have had games based on them before, back in the ’80s and ’90s, but those didn’t turn out too well. Heed the warnings of your friendly neighborhood Angry Video Game Nerd:

Ugh. Pretty horrendous. Still, I’m gonna keep the hope alive that these new games will be better.

Telltale Games CEO Dan Connors reassures us:

= Dan Connors, Telltale Games CEO =
“I think it’s a prime time to reintroduce these properties in the digital world. Telltale Games has always set out to be a great storytelling company. We’ve been honing our chops over the past six years, and we’re ready to take on these two iconic properties and continue to advance storytelling in games.”

Telltale’s first Back to the Future and Jurassic Park titles are set to be released for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC and Mac this winter.