We are doing a massive giveaway, as previously detailed. This involves 8 beta key giveaways from our Blizzcon Starcraft II Beta key stashes of our editors and correspondents themselves. In addition, 4 winners will receive a BioShock 2 Game Guide and we will upgrade select chosen ones to Limited Edition. If that is not enough, we are also providing a game giveaway with 4 winners and 1 grand prize winner (cannot be eligible for both contests). All of the contestants will be chosen from our e-mail pool and the only requirement is that the winners actively participate with us for over 4 years via e-mail, which will help to narrow down the millions of possible entries from our readers.

It is with proud pleasure that I announce WhatIfGaming has been confirmed for another 4 Seasons (one year). We are looking forward to many more coruscate reviews from the most brilliant critic minds.

To introduce us to the 2010 Year, we have gained permission to include the following song from the label to offer but a small glance back at all our happiness and joy with a step further.

“There was a dream that was Rome. It shall be realized.”

See you all in 2010.

WhatIfGaming - Game Of The Year 2009 Awards

It is with proud pleasure that we ask all of you to join us to celebrate the 11th year anniversary of our WhatIfGaming and read all about the video game industry’s most exceptional and gratified 2009 titles specially chosen by us here again this year. Similar to the previous year, WhatIfGaming is first to give out Game of the Year Awards this year. We just rolled out the red carpet and the winners for 2009 are here with us live!

Happy Holidays and Happy New Years to our beloved millions of WhatIfGaming readers (this means you)! See you all in 2010.

The Road is a terrible thing. The struggles and nuances of metaphors through dreaming of bad things are new and constant aches and pains. The film, however, is simply transient of all expectation in a category of its own.

Readers of McCarthy’s book know that it is the depictions of cannibalism in this lawless future-world which provide its deepest shocks. The man and his boy chance upon a secluded country home containing a locked basement horrifically packed with naked prisoners being “farmed” as food for their captors. Later, we find the remains of an infant’s corpse, apparently once ready to be eaten by its desperate parents. Hillcoat uses voiceovers, which has a calming, distancing function, no matter what revulsions are being described.

The Road is undoubtedly a serious, powerful, well-acted movie, and the fractional reluctance to confront the nightmare fully is daunting,. Joe Penhall’s adaptation arguably imports fear into the body of the movie with the premonition of the unexpectedly redemptive and gentle tone in McCarthy’s final pages. The Road is a must-see for anyone and that is all that can be said about a film such as this, where the end of a review corresponds to a quick end to the environment around it.

Talk about intense. E3 was packed this year with resellers, and less media —but it got bigger, better, and more selective. We were there to get every exciting moment: from Project Milo to Heavy Rain, and exclusive interviews. As always, it was certainly a great time, and now that time is over. It’s time to look forward, ahead to newer and better releases, and to ennoble titles in this year’s WhatIfGaming’s Best Of E3 Awards 2009.

Criteria: The Best of E3 Awards, a subcategory for the WhatIfGaming Prizes, are given solely to those video games that demonstrate a pure excellence in the field for which they are not only nominated but also chosen. These awards only apply to playable games at E3 given a few exceptional categories.

Nomination & Selection Process: Compared with other site awards, the WhatIfGaming Prize nomination and selection process is long and extremely rigorous. This is the sole reason why WhatIfGaming Prizes have grown in importance over the years to become the most important prizes in their field. Forms, which amount to a personal and exclusive invitation, are sent to about over 1,000 selected individuals to invite them to submit nominations months in advance from the latest builds per video game. Self-nominations are disqualified. For WhatIfGaming Prizes, inquiries are sent to such people as developers, industry experts, analysts, among others. After our deadline passes, the nominations are chosen by permanent committee of 5 selected individuals from staff and only the final stage of nominees remain per category. From all of these, a winner is chosen.

The names of the nominees are not publicly announced, and neither are they told that they have been considered for the WhatIfGaming Prize. Some are announced publicly by practice. Nomination records are revealed approximately 2 years after each respective award year.

Turn your mouse clickers and scroll wheel timers to WhatIfGaming this upcoming Saturday July 1st, 2009 for an exclusive presentation of our 9th year anniversary of the WhatIfGaming E3 Awards for 2009, with official public listing that celebrated from late 2001.

The WhatIfGaming E3 Prizes had their origins ever since the end of 1999’s E3 ceremony when we revealed to select publishers what our site cherished for their offerings during exclusive press meetings through an official sticker prize from yours truly. Very few gained them, and some were only notified. Over the years, the awards became public but remained even more strenuous in criteria, with no nominees ever being publicly listed until  a future predetermined date. 5 members of our staff in a permanent committee select the winners from a long line of industry related inquiries taken and personal consideration.

Also, feel free to log on Friday June 26th, 2009 for an Overlord II review (with over 46 hours played and timed only from us) and also an exclusive post-release interview with the creative minds behind Overlord II and their future plans!

Microsoft is absolutely confident in their technology according to Don Mattrick, IEB VP:

Don Mattrick: We have all the best franchises and titles on our console.  Splinter Cell: Conviction, Crysis 2, Assassins Creed 2, Metal Gear Solid: Rising, Final Fantasy XIII and an incredible amount of depth to our own first-party titles with Alan Wake, Crackdown 2, and now the introduction of Project Natal with titles already being produced for it such as Milo by Peter (Molyneux).

WhatIfGaming: Oh [Laughter], so should Sony be a little scared with just the PSEye with low quality feed, and well no facial recognition whatsoever?

DM: [Laughs] Well if we were looking at it from that  perspective, I will just say that Sony should worry. But on the other hand, the benefits of Project Natal will be good for the entire industry, so there is no need for anyone to be scared.

If anyone did not figure it out yet, our little timer above was for E3 this year (June 1st-3rd, 2009) at the Los Angeles Convention Center. E3 was centered around 3 places: West Hall, South Hall, and 2nd Structure above West Hall. The 2nd structure held private rooms with publishers like Sony, Bethesda Activsion, Take-Two, all showing special private stuff like God of War III, Uncharted 2, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and once again a look at Heavy Rain for Sony this year (with a heft agreement to not reveal anything). WhatIfGaming was there to cover all things related.

Most importantly are the bigger open venues that are at West Hall and South Hall (walk-in). Final Fantasy XIII was there but was not playable, same with Alan Wake.

Bethesda presented Fallout: New Vegas. As you guessed it, Fallout: New Vegas introduces our protagonist to a post-apocalyptic world set in New Vegas. Other details we cannot reveal, so sorry for that –but expect it as announced on all the consoles by developer Obsidian Entertainment.

SOE had an intense presentation of the Agency that went over more missions. The gameplay remains the same but the user interface was even more interesting. The developers announced that SOE’s plans were to release Agency in 2010. Here is to hoping!

Sony had God of War III gameplay, but it was not playable yet again for today anyways. Impression-wise for the short time we saw it – it looked fantastic. Long run: it does not seem amazing yet, but something tells us this will change.

Overall, we have seen almost a majority of publishers and can say that while E3 2009 is definitely bigger, utilizing South Hall and the entire West Hall lobbies (1st and 2nd level), there is not many big reveals from the publisher meeting rooms to this moment. Despite this, there is still more to be seen surely. With that, the WhatIfGaming E3 2009 team is off to see more. Thomas Parker, Jeanne Marie (France Correspondent), and James Willington are out of here!

We quickly mugged 2K Boston’s Ken Levine for a Q&A recently after an exclusive NYCC meet. He had much to say about the new anticipated title BioShock 2, which he is also helping to work on.  Okay, so maybe not the game itself but it’s worth the read.

WhatIfGaming: First question, and we’re going to grill you with it. So…how are them Lakers?

Ken Levine: (laughs) I wouldn’t know. It’s been a while since I was in Los Angeles, and I don’t like the Lakers anyways. How about asking me something else?

WhatIfGaming: Wow. That’s actually quite a great idea. Alright, so we won’t take up too much time. First question: BioShock 2. What can you tell us? Or is Markus Wilding going to come swooping in…

Ken Levine: Oh no, no. No one is going to slam the doors down and club us. But um, I definitely don’t want to talk about the real details to it for obvious reasons. Keeping the fans excited!

WhatIfGaming: Okay, big surprise. Now, tell us everything about the storyline (laughs).

BioShock 1 was a great success across North America and just worldwide in general. Do you think BioShock 2 will have the same impact in terms of game style and design? Considering it’s technically a whole new staff of people and what not.

Ken Levine: Even though it’s a new staff, it’s still the same general direction. Give or take I’m not involved with it either. We all know what they’re trying to aim for in BioShock 2, and they have you know, the concept boards and a lot of progress already done for the title to have even bothered announcing it at this point. For me personally, as a gamer, I’m never so impressed with the second game for any series as I am with the first one…if it’s that good as the case with BioShock. A lot of people found BioShock something they never played in terms of the direction it was given. The real solution is just for the entire team to focus on what aiming to make it which is just a great experience in the end and I’m sure a lot of people will want it to be that. They’re working to get there.

WhatIfGaming: Oh! Speaking of direction…Did Microsoft drop the load of cash to 2K Games yet for the exclusivity for it?

KL: (laughs).

WhatIfGaming: Tell us!

KL: (laughs) I’ll just say the platforms will be announced much much later.

WhatIfGaming: Platform- s?! Did you just do a secret confirmation?

KL: No (laugh). I just said platforms in the general sense. Next question!

WhatIfGaming: The details are so so little right now. We actually got a reliable tip off at 2K Games recently that BioShock is a ’sequel to a prequel.’ What’s that about?

KL:  Here’s what I’ll do instead of even responding to that. I’ll humor and tease your audience and say that it’s an interesting idea that can very well be developed since we left a lot of details out in BioShock 1. Whether what you said is true, for now I have to say it’s wrong or partly right. I just don’t know myself.

WhatIfGaming: Alright Ken, thanks for taking the time to answer our questions. We appreciate it.