New year, new batch of shirts — and the first Large giveaway since September. And thanks to The Hush Radar, there are a few pieces in this collection that I don’t think you’ve seen me give away before.

This awesome MW3 hoodie (with stitched-on lettering!) from The Hush Radar would have been mine were it in my size!

My last Large "Save Cybertron, Conserve Energon" shirt, plus one of The Hush Radar's MW3 logo tees and a Pro vs GI Joe shirt to show your support

Optimius Prime on the back of a Dark of the Moon shirt, plus two GoldenEyes!

I know secretly you want to show people your affinity for Wipeout's big balls.

Once person takes all eight Large shirts. As always, the contest FAQ applies, and you get one entry per person, but get your entry in by the end of the day on Wednesday, January 25 and I’ll’ll post the lucky person’s name right here on January 26. Good luck!

UPDATE 1/25: Congrats to Benicio Garcia of Wichita, Kansas — the shirts should reach you next week! (FWIW, he promised to wear, wash, and love them. That’s not why he won, but it’s nice to know.)

I’ve been enjoying a lot of Modern Warfare 3, but I feel like I’ve been neglecting other games for Playing With Swords sessions as a result. So let’s get one of those non-CoD titles in the rotation this week. I’ll let you choose the title and the platform, and whatever wins the poll is what we’ll play this Friday, January 6, from 6pm Pacific to 8pm Pacific. I’m going with recent titles as well as games that have had strong turnouts in earlier polls, successful events in the past, the one where we have a guild, and one game that has come to renewed light due to recent product announcements.

And please remember, this is not just a popularity contest. Vote for what you will actually show up to play. I got hosed by this last year when a fan community mobilized to vote for their title, then only three people actually showed up to play. Don’t do that.

Poll ends Friday at 3pm, so…vote!

What size does Santa Claus wear? I’m guessing 2XL. That’s all the excuse I need to do another shirt giveaway before the end of the year, this time with the double-XL gamer in mind. And I hope the winner likes Call of Duty games…

For the MW purist, here's two that should make perfect sense.

Courtesy of The Hush Radar (click the image to learn more), here's a keen MW3 shirt.

COD Zombie Labs, signed by Avenged Sevenfold singer M. Shadows (they recorded a track for Call of the Dead)

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (that's the back), Guitar Hero World Tour, and Tony Hawk: Shred

For those chillier months, a lightweight punk-flavored GH zip hoodie.

Still not warm enough? Try a Prototype 2 military sweater.

Once person takes all nine 2XL shirts and has a happy holiday in the process. (This is not an option — as the winner, you must swear that you will have a happy holiday.). As always, the contest FAQ applies, and you get one entry per person, but get your entry in by the end of the day on Tuesday, December 20 and I’ll pick winners December 21 — and I’ll post the lucky person’s name right here. Good luck!

UPDATE 12/21: Congrats to Stephen Nettles of Romeoville, Illinois. (He promised to have a happy holiday, too.) Watch for your box shortly after Christmas, Stephen!

You’ve seen the first trailer for Transformers: Fall of Cybertron — now see what the team at High Moon Studios was thinking when they put it together in this behind-the-scenes look:

Click here to view the embedded video.

“We wanted to do something that made you look twice.” Mission accomplished, guys.

Wow. Wow wow wow. If you missed the VGAs tonight, you missed the debut trailer for Transformers: Fall of Cybertron. Thankfully, the game’s official YouTube channel has it posted now:

Click here to view the embedded video.

And for those asking, the song used is “The Humbling River” by Puscifer.

Fall seems like a long way away.

Twas the weeks before Christmas, and Dan had some shirts
And then he could not find a good rhyme for “shirts.”

Well, that didn’t last very long, but this prize package will. It’s time to make some space in my t-shirt closet, and I have an appropriate 12 shirts of Christmas (or whatever holiday you choose to celebrate, but this is one that has a song with the number 12 in it). Some of these shirts are the last of their kind – the only one left in the prize stash. But all of them are going to one lucky XL-wearing winner. Take a look: 

Clockwise: COD Black Ops Zombies, Transformers, Survival: Shadows of Katmai, DJ Hero 2

Black is the new black! Clockwise: Tony Hawk Shred, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, Guitar Hero, GoldenEye 007

Feeling gray? DJ Hero 2 alternate design, plus a COD Zombie Labs shirt signed by M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold

Classy Black Ops golf shirt is classy.

And finally, a really keen military-style Prototype 2 sweater

Everything is size XL, though some of them are “athletic cut” (read: “skinny hipster”) so they may run a little smaller. Either way, one person’s getting a TON of shirts and I hope the winner thoroughly enjoys them. That winner could be you if you fill out the form below before the end of Tuesday, December 13 and I’ll pick a winner the following day. The usual questions are answered in the usual FAQ, but a reminder that it’s one entry per person, please. Good luck and happy holidays!

UPDATE 12/14: Chris Poirier of Greenfield, Massachusetts is getting seven pounds of shirts next week. If he asks you for help doing laundry, now you’ll know why.

The team at High Moon Studios is promising something big for the 2011 VGA awards, which will be broadcast December 10 on Spike. Specifically, they say on Twitter that they’re prepping an “epic cinematic trailer” for Transformers: Fall of Cybertron. Okay — expectations set!

As for the awards themselves, MW3 is up for Best Shooter and Best Multi-Player. You can call me a biased fanboy, but I can’t believe Treyarch’s Call of the Dead didn’t get a nod for Best DLC. That was very special and deserved recognition.

Don’t forget that you can vote for Trailer of the Year and the Most Anticipated Game now. For me, it’s a tough call between Diablo III and BioShock: Infinite.

The gang at High Moon Studios has released a short Transformers: Fall of Cybertron teaser trailer to coincide with New York Comic Con. Check it out:

Click here to view the embedded video.

That's good eats!

New York Comic Con gets underway this weekend. I am extremely happy to be able to attend because I am extremely nostalgic for the years I lived in Brooklyn and worked in Manhattan (back when I was covering Sony’s soon-to-be-released PlayStation console, which would challenge Sega’s Saturn for market dominance). New York still feels like home to me so it will be great to get back to where I once belonged.

Activision has its own area on the show floor — Booth 738, directly across from our friends at Marvel, so you will not be able to miss us. Please note that Nintendo, Capcom, Microsoft, Bioware, Ubisoft, Rockstar, THQ, IGN, Turtle Beach, and other gaming industry folks will be there as well, so for gamers, it’s worth the trip to Javits.

Among the cool things you can find if you drop by the Activision booth:

• The first hands-on playable version of Prototype 2 — different from what you’ve seen at PAX or Gamescom!
• The first trailer for Transformers: Fall of Cybertron
• Hands-on time with GoldenEye 007: Reloaded
• And of course, hands-on time with X-Men Destiny and Spider-Man: Edge of Time
  
  

UPDATE: There is a Marvel games panel on Saturday, and Activision will be a part of it:

MARVEL INTERACTIVE: Marvel Video Games
Saturday, October 15
1:15 pm – 2:15 pm
Location: 1A22
Learn all about an amazing newly announced Marvel game for 2012 from Activision, plus Spider-Man: Edge of Time, X-Men Destiny, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, the Marvel Universe MMO, Marvel Pinball, Super Hero Squad Online, Super Hero Squad: Comic Combat (using THQ’s uDraw peripheral), and Super Hero Squad: The Infinity Gauntlet for Nintendo 3DS. This includes exciting new details about the future of other Marvel games via exclusive trailers, surprise reveals, and Q&A with the game creators from some of the industry’s top publishers.

UPDATE 2: There is also a Prototype 2 giveaway this weekend for folks who cannot attend the show.

I would have brought One of Swords buttons but it appears I gave them all out at SDCC. Sorry. See you at Javits this weekend!

Fans asked for a sequel to Transformers: War for Cybertron, and now you’re gonna get it! Game Informer announced today that Transformers: Fall of Cybertron is on track for next year, and it is the cover story for its November issue. And yes…that’s Grimlock!

There is also a dramatic alternate cover, but as for screens and more info, you’ll need to track down the issue. But…from the early concept stuff I’ve seen so far, I think fans are going to like what they see. Once again, High Moon Studios is developing, and that studio is full of superfans. Game Informer will apparently be posting a lot more information online as the month rolls on.

Good news, I hope? I also hope I might get to see Optimus Prime swing an axe again. A robot with an AXE, people.

That PC giveaway turned out pretty well, so I decided to go on a hunt for DS titles to give away as a bundle…and wow, I found a lot. For instance, if you like Marvel superheroes, I have four games for your handheld library — including the brand-spankin’-new X-Men Destiny and Spider-Man: Edge of Time:

Did you miss X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions on DS? Not any more you didn't.

If you like Transformers, here’s the recent Dark of the Moon Autobots campaign, the Decepticon version of Revenge of the Fallen, and both halves of the War for Cybertron saga:

One shall stand, and four shall fall into your collection.

And if you like…um, games that have the Activision logo on them but no other relation to each other, I have an awkward segue and four more games:

Soliders, spies, gamblers and ogres...nice company to keep.

Want them? Sure you do. Fill out the form below no later than Monday October 10th, and I’ll pick one winner at random from all the entries on Tuesday the 11th. Then you just wait for 12 games to arrive on your doorstep. A few extra details are here, but otherwise, good luck!

UPDATE 10/11: Congrats to Aaron Staebell of O’Fallon, Missouri — a dozen DS games are headed your way!

The PC is host to every kind of game I can think of: strategy, action, shooter, driving, role-playing, you name it. Hey, I have no idea what you like. Maybe you’re the kind of person who likes playing as your favorite comic book and movie heroes:

Perhaps you fancy yourself a suave spy…or a bloodsucking freak:

Could be that you’re looking for the kind of games that your kids can enjoy as much (if not more) than you will:

Maybe you’re more the exact opposite, looking for an M-rated gorefest:

Well, I don’t care. And by “I don’t care,” I mean, whatever you are into, the odds are good that you will like something shown above, because all 12 of those games are going to one lucky winner next week. Just get your entry form in by the end of Monday, September 26, and I will pick the winner Tuesday the 27th. And then you just have to make some room on our hard drive! The usual info in the FAQ applies so give it a peek. Best of luck!

UPDATE 9/27: Congratulations to Bradley Brock of Gainesville Florida, who says he is a mutant superhero robot. Of course he is.

No, wait, don’t go! I know there are a lot of websites out there, and they can offer you things I can’t. I’m just a humble community manager, and I do the best I can. But you mean the world to me — I want to keep you, baby. I keep trying to give you what I think will make you happy. Remember when I gave you six shirts? Then I gave you eight shirts. So now, if giving away ten shirts is what it takes, then ten shirts is what I will give away. Please, just give me a chance.

Look at what I’ve got for you. They’re all size Large, just the way you like them. There’s a a classic Guitar Hero III shirt, one of those cool Singularity shirts with the TMD blueprints on the back and the logo on the front, and two Transformers shirts — the Dark of the Moon one has Optimus Prime on the back and the logo on the front, and the Save Cybertron shirt doesn’t even say Transformers on it — nice and subtle, just the way you like your tees. See? I remember.

And here, I’ve got a mix of the old and the new — classic 2600 shirts based on Grand Prix and River Raid, plus two GoldenEye 007 shirts, which sort of span your love of 90s nostalgia with the modern reinventions of one of the greatest console shooters ever made. You appreciate the finer things, and I know that. This is all for you.

And to top it all off, I’ve got the biggest franchise in gaming for you — a Call of Duty Elite shirt and a Jinx Black Ops shirt. They’re sure to look good on you. I mean, look at you — how could they not?

Look, I’m begging — I’m on my knees here. Please, just take these ten shirts — all of them, just for you! — and give me another chance.

I don’t want to pressure you. I can give you time to think about it. Just let me know if you want them by the end of Thursday, September 15, and if luck smiles on both of us, I’ll send them out the next day and I’ll tell the world that they’re yours. I think you already know all about the Contest FAQ – but I just want to remind you that I mean every word.

I think we can make this work. You just have to let me know if this makes you happy. Write your thoughts below. I’ll be waiting.

WINNER: Jumay Hipolito of Salinas, California, decided to give me one more chance. So I decided to give her 10 t-shirts.

Oh Medium, my Medium, you are so maligned;
In gamer t-shirts, you’re harder to find.
For gamers, at least goes the stereotype,
Are huge — and this is the Medium’s gripe!
“Just because I play games doesn’t mean I’m 2X!
I’m a moderate person in many respects.
Yet all the good game shirts are often enormous –
You would think they’d make Medium, expressly for us!”
Well, never you fear, my average-sized friend
I’ve got six gaming t-shirts that I hope won’t offend:

Tony, Transformers, GH and James Bond -- just think what they'll look like when you put them on!

These two shirts have something the other four lack...

...both designs on the front AND designs on the back!

Each will fit you exactly, though your build may be slight
Not swimmy, but also not tight — they’re just right!
Just enter the drawing by Thursday of this week;
All six of these shirts go to one lucky geek.
If you’re heading to PAX or perhaps to XP
You’ll have these in time for the nerdfests. Trust me!
If you have any questions, please check out the FAQ
I’ll announce the big winner on Friday — check back.

UPDATE 8/19:
Hundreds of entrants all wanted the shirts
But if you’re not Jason Kulczycki, this update might hurt.
In Sterling Heights, Michigan, he’s a well-dressed geek
Or he will be, when his prizes arrive next week.

You’ve probably heard that the Nintendo 3DS got a price drop this week — from $250 to $170. Early adopters get several free downloadable games from Nintendo as a thank-you, and everybody else…gets a cheaper system. I’m one of those people in the second group. I was intrigued by the 3DS, but frankly, the price wasn’t right for how often I thought I’d use it, and the 3D effect is lost on my wonky eyes anyway.

Vroom vroom, bang bang

Still, I was curious to try Transformers: Dark of the Moon for 3DS, because it’s a straight-up car combat game, and that’s my favorite genre. So the price drop combined with some of the games I know are in development and a free copy of TF: DotM was enough to get me to preorder. Also, Kat says the metallic teal 3DS is shiny and pretty. It arrives next week.

Maybe the lure of free games will work on you too? I’ve got five copies of Transformers: Dark of the Moon Stealth Force Edition for Nintendo 3DS to give away, so if you are getting in on the price drop, I’ll send you a free game to go with your new toy. Just fill out the bits below no later than Thursday, August 18th and I’ll pick five winners on or after Friday, August 19th. (I will post the winners right here, as always.) Details on exactly how the giveaway will go down, including my full methodology for how I pick winners, can be found in the giveaway FAQ. Good luck!

UPDATE 8/19: Winners! Congrats, look for packages next week and say thanks to the delivery person!
Harrison Lee, Baltimore MD
Shawn Kirkham, Graham NC
Rodney Jenkins, Ocala FL
Matt Butler, Livonia MI
Ian Grimes, Vancouver WA

Hey, I want to run a quick poll to help my collect my thoughts. There are a lot of games coming out from Activision this year, and I am planning to cover…well, all of them. However, I want to make sure I’m offering up the most detail on the games that you, the visitors to this site, care the most about. I am leaving off the kid-focused, often-successful niche titles that you probably don’t care about, but listing the stuff that I think is most appealing to people who self-identify as “gamers.”

You can choose as many as you like from this alphabetical list:

Prototype 2 is in the mix because we know it’s coming out in April, but I have not included things like the Bungie project or whatever may show up next year for Transformers or Tony Hawk, or whatever, because they have not been announced or nailed down yet. When info becomes available, I’ll cover them, no problem — but I don’t expect news on anything that isn’t listed here before the end of the year. I’m really just trying to get a picture of how I should handle my editorial coverage through December. Thanks for the insight.

Remember a few months ago when Guitar Hero and Tony Hawk were iced for 2011 and True Crime Hong Kong went away and the internet said “Activision is screwed, all they have is Call of Duty and nothing else?” I look at this post and think, yeah, that was funny.

Kat and I drove down to San Diego yesterday for Activision’s pre-Comic-Con press party, then checked out the floor itself. As always, San Diego Comic-Con is filled with lots of interesting sights, amazingly talented artists, tempting merchandise, and people in spandex — some of whom you don’t mind seeing in skin-tight clothing, and some of whom probably should just come as Harry Potter next year or something. Now, as my feet and wallet cry for mercy, I have a little time to upload some of the shots she took over the last two days. Enjoy!

You know it's a big deal when they make a special carpet for the event.

Naturally, the carpet matches the drapes. (G'night, everybody!)

Since this was the first apperance of GoldenEye 007: Reloaded, the glasses containing all the evening's libations were branded in its honor.

Radical Entertainment's Dave Fracchia and I really appreciated the branding.

Attendees got hands-on time with GoldenEye, Spider-Man: Edge of Time, and X-Men Destiny. Clearly, some people took it very seriously.

Xbox Live's Major Nelson hung out with me for a little bit, as he arrived early for his interview with Stan "The Man" Lee. We then decided to interview you.

I got my own share of interviews -- including a nice one with Beenox's Gerard Lehainy, creative director of Spider-Man: Edge of Time. Watch for that soon.

On the way out, attendees were given goodie bags, which included this super-awesome Prototype 2 foam blade arm. They're giving them out at the booth, too.

Yes, the booth! Spot 5445 belongs to Activision and includes lots of kiosks for hands-on play, and a private theater for the decidedly M-rated Prototype 2.

Activision producers took turns giving presentations on each game, which stopped traffic.

Here's one of those crowds now, checking out X-Men Destiny.

The customized Shattered Dimensions consoles were a huge hit last year, so this year, they expanded to cover all the games. These are being raffled off at the show.

I love this kid's really intense consideration of Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Clearly, a discerning customer, listening intently..

Transformers fans had plenty more to see. The official Hasbro booth had a mix or fans and pros dressing up. Check out female Shockwave!

Hasbro also showed off what you can do with their Kre-O building block toys. Gorgeous monochrome mosaic.

With the trailer just debuting, there were a few bits of The Amazing Spider-Man on display, including this cool life-size diorama.

Mattel scored the Back to the Future license for Hot Wheels, and appropriately had the most movie-accurate DeLorean I've ever seen -- and you know I have seen a lot. This one included the remote control, the JVC camcorder, the box of plutonium pellets, and Marty's 1985 skateboard, Oh, and the stereo played Huey Lewis on a loop.

Sideshow Collectibles' Jessica Rabbit Premium. Ships Q1 2012. Saving my pennies now.

By contrast, the OneOfSwords figure can be had for a lot less.

Kat shot more on later days, so check out the second and third galleries.

Play the devs on XBL tonight

Transformers fans should jump on Xbox Live tonight — the developers from High Moon Studios will be playing Dark of the Moon with Xbox 360 fans for three hours, starting at 8pm ET/5pm PT. Details are here!

To celebrate the release of Transformers: Dark of the Moon (in stores now, plus the movie opened this week), the team at High Moon Studios just sent me this epic image to post in full res, for any Transformers fans that would like it as a desktop wallpaper.

ZOMG, right?!

Download it here in all your favorite desktop resolutions (1024×768 up through 2560×1600 are represented). Thanks, High Moon Studios!

There’s a huge summer sale going on at Steam, and that includes lots of Activision & Sierra PC games at reduced prices — some of which I’ve talked about before. The games on sale are at least 25% off, with most items up at 33%. Games on sale include:

33% off:

• Call of Duty: Black Ops
• Call of Duty: Black Ops First Strike DLC
• Call of Duty: Black Ops Escalation DLC
• Prototype
• Singularity
• Transformers: War for Cybertron
• Wolfenstein
• Blur
• James Bond 007: Blood Stone
• James Bond 007: Quantum of Solace
• Call of Duty
• Call of Duty: United Offensive
• Shrek: Forever After
• Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines
• Space Quest Collection
• King’s Quest Collection
• Aces of the Galaxy
• TimeShift
• GUN
• 3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures
• Monster Jam
• Cabela’s Big Game Hunter: Trophy Bucks
• Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
• Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved

25% off:

• Call of Duty: World at War
• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus DLC
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Resurgence DLC

Let me put this one up there again: Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved is $2.67. TWO BUCKS AND CHANGE. If nothing else, get that.

Are you 5xperienced?

Wow — just spotted this on the official Facebook page for Transformers games — and it made me so happy.

In response to strong feedback from you our loyal players, we will be changing the multi-player XP settings to earn 5 times faster than normal – forever! This effects War for Cybertron only on Xbox 360, PS3, & PC. New players this is a great chance to get in and level FAST! The change takes place Monday.

So this weekend, join me for some Dark of the Moon. And starting Monday, help yourself to a whopping 5x XP in War for Cybertron…for the rest of your life! What a nice reward for players!

July 4th is coming up fast — the annual celebration of American independence. It’s time for flag-wavin’, burger-grillin’, and firework-splodin’. And in the spirit of ’76, I support your right to bared arms. That’s why I’m giving away a big melting pot of different Activision game t-shirts, all size Large.

Optimus Prime graces the back of the Transformers: Dark of the Moon shirt (the logo is on the front)...and he looks like he's got it in for Johnny Napalm.

The reverse side of the Singularity shirt (logo on front) features a cool breakdown of the TMD. The two GoldenEye shirts tell the world that you like gold but you don't play fair.

Old school meets new school. Grand Prix box art is on black, while that Activision rainbow logo is on a navy shirt. The Call of Duty: Black Ops logo is actually off to the lower right on that gray shirt.

Yes, that’s eight Large t-shirts, in honor of the eight original colonies. And just like the Revolutionary War itself, there can be only one winner. That winner will be chosen at random from all the people who fill out the form below and submit it before the end of Thursday, June 30. I’ll announce the lucky duck and ship a box full o’ shirts on Friday, July 1. The patriotic trivia quiz is just for fun, but you should read the Contest FAQ — it’s your civil duty. Good luck and [deity of your choice] bless America!

UPDATE 7/1: Jonathan Glidden of Ontario CA is a sharp-dressed man — or will be when he gets his box full of shirts. Thanks to all who entered!

If there’s one thing that will always throw me off, it’s preparation. I shouldn’t do it. I’m a free spirit, yo. I gotta move with the groove, go with the flow, live in the now. But when the uptight, organized sliver of my brain said, “Hey, you have some Transformers toys in your prize closet — save them for the release of the High Moon Studios game based on Transformers: Dark of the Moon and do a giveaway then.” I listened. I obeyed. And then I forgot all about them until just now.

I have ten Transformers Classic Deluxe toys to give away — still pretty desired by collectors, if the internets are anything to go by. I have a mix — Rodimus, Cliffjumper, Mirage, Ramjet, and I think I’ve got a Grimlock. They would look attractive on your desk at work, in the disturbingly large Cybertron diorama in your basement, or on the dealer’s table at a comic convention — what you choose to do with your winnings is up to you. I will randomly grab one, put it in a box, and send it to you if you win.

All you need to do is fill out the form below and swear your eternal allegiance to either the Autobots or the Decepticons. Simple, really. And do that before the end of Thursday, June 23rd at 11:59 Pacific time. I will pick the four winners at random on Friday the 24th. Full details about how this works, who is eligible, and all that stuff are in my Contest FAQ, so please give it a look. Good luck!

Take that, brain!

UPDATE 6/24: Just in time for tonight’s gameplay session, we have our ten winners, with a strong showing from The Buckeye State:

Scott Bishop, Pearland, TX
Stuart Yerdon, Lexington, KY
Tony Wissler, Harrisburg, PA
Gregory Moore, Altoona, PA
Brock Ridder, Marysville, OH
Kevin Cook, Dayton, OH
Earl Engle, Cincinnati, OH
Travis Czerna, Twin Falls, ID
Steven Lipps, West Warwick, RI
Gary Ball, Ballyfermot, Ireland

Almost everybody got a character from their preferred faction, but a few Decepticon fans wound up with Cliffjumper or Mirage, though. I assume you will use them to create scenes of humiliating Autobot defeat.

I like me some robot carnage

Transformers: Dark of the Moon comes out this week, and after the fine job High Moon Studios did on multiplayer in War for Cybertron, I’d like to give their latest effort a spin with you guys this Friday, June 17 at 6pm Pacific on Xbox Live. I’ll be online for about two hours, and we’ll mix it up. Get the game and join in!

Questions? Answers.

The Transformers: Dark of the Moon games ship tomorrow, and GameTrailers has the launch trailer exclusively today:

The game will be out Tuesday, June 14 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, 3DS, and DS. High Moon Studios handled the first two, and Behaviour Interactive created all the Nintendo platform versions. If you missed my cheat sheet on the game and what it offers, check it out here.

What’s Activision showing at E3 2011? Here’s your need-to-know basics that will make you sound smart at your next cocktail party.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Website: http://transformersgame.com
Release Date: June 14, 2011
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, 3DS, DS
Developer: High Moon Studios (360, PS3); Behaviour Interactive (Wii, 3DS, DS)

What You Need To Know:

1. Whereas Transformers have generally appeared either in robot or vehicle mode, this game introduces a hybrid mode, dubbed Stealth Force. It offers the firepower of robot mode and the speed of vehicle mode, and you can pop in and out of it at any time.
2. The game fills in the gaps between the second film, Revenge of the Fallen, and the third film, Dark of the Moon. Second movie spoiler alert: Megatron was pretty thrashed when we saw him last, so how does he get his groove back? And how does Soundwave, who plays a bigger role in the third film, change from a satellite to his new Earth form? You’ll see both.
3. Each character stars in their own level — Ironhide (above) in Detroit, Megatron in Siberia, and Bumblebee in Central America, to name a few.
4. Multiplayer is here in full force, this time using the franchise characters.
5. There will be two DS games (as there have been with past Transformers releases — one Autobot, one Decepticon) and a 3DS game — Activision’s first release for the platform. The 3DS game feels a bit like a car combat game.

What It Doesn’t Have: Ammo pickups! Thankfully, all the health is regenerative.

What You Might Not Have Heard Yet: Megatron takes on a new form in the third film, which is still a big secret — but since the game comes out two weeks before the movie, if you play it, you’ll learn that secret before you set foot in the theater.

Follow all the OneOfSwords E3 coverage by clicking below:

That screeching sound of metal against metal (with a subwoofer full of explosions) was the signal that a new Transformers movie, Dark of the Moon, is not far away. High Moon Studios, the team behind Transformers: War for Cybertron, is also tackling the Dark of the Moon game. Today the team released a trailer showing some glimpses of multiplayer gameplay.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The big difference, you’ve probably spotted, is that this time you’ll be playing as the franchise characters in multiplayer — Bumblebee, Megatron, Optimus, and the gang.

I am getting a demo of the title shortly, so I’ll have some more information on Dark of the Moon very soon.

T-shirt giveaways have been pretty popular here at OneOfSwords. I always get a lot of positive feedback and plenty of entries when I put together a bundle or geeky threads. Well, I’m back with some more XL shirts for three lucky winners — and thanks to a friend, I’ve got a shirt I’ve never seen before…and will likely never see again.

It’s a nice mix this time. I have some recent hits — Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, GoldenEye 007, DJ Hero 2 — as well as some earlier titles — Guitar Hero III, and the 2600 classic Grand Prix. And I found a stash of the white “Save Cybertron” Transformers shirts that I thought were all gone, so I’m happy to include those as well.

The wrinkles will fade. The designs will not.

The Grand Prix shirt is for when you want to kick it VERY old-school.

But the coup de grace is this shirt, which was donated by a friend who works in the Activision Minnesota office:

Front

Back

I feel pretty confident saying that you will be the only gamer on your block with one of those.

I have three collections of these XL shirts to give away, so if you want to skip laundry for a week or so, fill out the form below before the end of Wednesday, April 20th at 11:59 Pacific time. I will pick the winners at random on Thursday the 21st. Full details about how this works, who is eligible, and all that stuff are in my Contest FAQ, so please give it a look. Now drop and give me twenty.

UPDATE 4/20: Our winners are Justin Kelly of Merriam, KS; [name redacted] TX; and Derek Prim of Saint James, MO. I’ll do more giveaways soon so keep an eye out.

I know if everybody could go to PAX East, they would, but you can’t for any number of reasons. That’s why, with some help from the staffers at PAX East, I was able to record the panel I moderated this morning. Here’s the audio straight off the sound board, and since there were no visual aids, you really are not missing anything — it was just a deep conversation with a great cross-section of leaders from three different studios. We talked about how Singularity was pitched to Activision, Star Wars geeks, how Activision works with the studios without cramping their style, a really bad fishing pun, zebras on fire, what Vicarious Visions is working on now, and the warm loving arms of Bobby Kotick. Here’s the official description of the panel:

Owned but Independent: Running a Studio at Activision

How do you make gamers happy, make your development team happy, AND make your corporate parent company happy all at the same time? Somehow, the people on this panel have found a way. Join our panelists as they explain what life is really like working with the world’s biggest gaming software publisher. Dan “One of Swords” Amrich moderates.

Panelists include: Peter Della Penna [Studio Head, High Moon Studios], Eric Biessman [Senior Project Lead, Raven Software], Jennifer O’Neal [Executive Producer, Vicarious Visions], Dan Amrich [Social Media Manager, Activision]

No music, nothin’ fancy on the production this time — this is just what was heard by the attendees. Hope you enjoy hearing it — wish you were here!

Get the podcast on iTunes
Get the podcast on Zune Marketplace
Get the podcast on your own with RSS Feedburner
Or use the links below to listen in the browser or download direct.