November 7 -- Eleven, Eleven, Eleven

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If I had a calendar -- which I do not -- and I circled things on that calendar -- which I would not -- then I would have circled this week. If you want to know what is coming out this week, the easiest, most accurate answer is probably just everything.

It's easy for me not to get excited about Call of Duty games anymore. It's even easier now that most of my nights are ending with some solid Battlefield 3 action on the GWJ Kill Zone server. From an academic standpoint however, I'm fascinated to see whether the success of Battlefield 3 makes any kind of dent in the Activision juggernaut franchise. After watching the live action, vaguely entertaining advertisement with Jonah Hill and the dude from Avatar, and then listening to the story this morning on the radio about Jeep's Call of Duty branded vehicle, I realize just how very much money Activision plans to print this month.

Electronic Arts has been brewing its counter-attack against Activision for a few years now, ever since it coughed up the big-dog role in the industry to its brilliantly sinister nemesis. Over the next 2 months, the results of Battlefield vs Call of Duty and The Old Republic vs World of Warcraft will tell you much about the shape of the gaming industry over the next 2 or 3 years.

But, I don't care about any of that this week. All I care about is getting to glorious Friday and killing dragons in Skyrim. Truth be told, I've scheduled Friday off so I can probably sit and be disappointed at the PC version of Bethesda's mega-title, or at least that's what I'm guessing based on previous Bethesda PC game launches. Still, it's worth the risk.

And, if none of that floats your depressingly choosy boat, then there's always Super Mario 3D Land on the 3DS, L.A. Noire on the PC, the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, the next LEGO Harry Potter game or even Chrono Cross on PSN. Seriously, is not our bounty grand this week?

PC
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
- Heavy Fire: Afghanistan
- L.A. Noire: The Complete Edition
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Xbox 360
- Big League Sports
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
- Deepak Chopra's Leela
- Happy Feet Two
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
- Let's Cheer
- Metal Gear Solid HD Collection
- Nickelodeon Dance
- Raving Rabbids: Alive & Kicking
- Rayman Origins
- Self-Defense Training Camp
- SpongeBob Surf and Skate Roadtrip
- The Black Eyed Peas Experience
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Winter Stars
- Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2012
- Fusion: Genesis (XBLA)

PS3
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
- Champion Jockey: G1 Jockey and Gallop Racer
- Happy Feet Two
- Heavy Fire: Afghanistan
- Heavy Rain Director's Cut
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
- Metal Gear Solid HD Collection
- Rayman Origins
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Winter Stars
- Chrono Cross (PSN)

Wii
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
- Champion Jockey: G1 Jockey and Gallop Racer
- Deepak Chopra's Leela
- Happy Feet Two
- Heavy Fire: Afghanistan
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
- Nickelodeon Dance
- Rayman Origins
- The Black Eyed Peas Experience
- The Kore Gang
- Winter Stars

Nintendo 3DS
- Cave Story 3D
- Happy Feet Two
- Heavy Fire: The Chosen Few
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
- Michael Jackson: The Experience
- Outdoors Unleashed: Africa
- Outdoors Unleashed: Alaska
- Pac-Man Party 3D
- Puppies 3D
- Super Mario 3D Land
- Bloons Tower Defense (eShop)
- Castle Conqueror: Heroes (eShop)
- Freakyforms: Your Creations, Alive! (eShop)

PSP
-Cars 2: The Video Game
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7

Nintendo DS
- Bakugan: Rise of the Resistance
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
- DaGeDar
- Happy Feet Two
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
- Wappy Dog
- Bloons Tower Defense (DSiWare)
- Castle Conqueror: Heroes (eShop)

Comments

Forget Skyrim, Wappy Dog looks like the true winner this week.

Honestly though, it's going to be a long week. Hurry up Friday!

I find it comforting that my fellow nerds around the world are making plans to binge on Skyrim this weekend. Now I just have to decide on the character I want to make so I don't stare at the character creation screen for 5 hours.

Listen to this while you read the thread

Hopefully the launch bug for Skyrim will be as annoying and retrospectively hilarious as the cowboy hat bug in New Vegas.

"Until we get a hotfix prepared, we advise all players to either run from random flying sheep encounters, or be prepared to fight a farm animal with the stats of a scale-coated, flame-breathing killing machine."

Truth be told, I've scheduled Friday off

As much as I'm looking forward to Skyrim, it is Saints Row: The Third that has captured my fascination and antipication. That's why I've also sheduled off work, but on the 15th.

I can't be bothered to care about a single game on this week's release list. I might care about Mario Land 3D if I had a 3DS, but I don't. Get back to me on the 20th and I'll change my tune. If a certain Nintendo game doesn't get next weeks TWA due to it's Sunday release, I'll be a sad, sad tomayt- er... panda.

As much as I'm looking forward to Skyrim, it is Saints Row: The Third that has captured my fascination and antipication. That's why I've also sheduled off work, but on the 15th.

I genuinely can find no fault with this. Saints Row just looks like amazing fun.

If a certain Nintendo game doesn't get next weeks TWA due to it's Sunday release, I'll be a sad, sad tomayt- er... panda.

And so you should gird yourself for possible disappointment.

(Actually, I usually count Sunday releases for the week after it releases, so look for Zelda as GOW in 2 weeks)

Keep yourself busy betwixt now and Friday with Rayman Origins and MGS HD Collection. That's what I intend to do.

That, and that pesky job-thing, that is.

I barely have time for games anymore, but my girlfriend is leaving for vacation for a week tomorrow morning, which should give me time to finish Uncharted 3 just in time for Skyrim on Friday.

I also have off, but for Veteran's Day. I usually work, but might skip it this year.

Just throwing my love for Rayman Origins out there. It looks so amazing and if the level design and platforming is anywhere near as good as the game looks, then I'll be one happy gamer.

BNice wrote:

I find it comforting that my fellow nerds around the world are making plans to binge on Skyrim this weekend. Now I just have to decide on the character I want to make so I don't stare at the character creation screen for 5 hours.

Listen to this while you read the thread

I will listen to that all week while I wait for it to appear on my doorstep. Friday will be a glorious day in the village!

Nothing planned this week for me as of right now. I made the decision to put Mario 3D Land on the Xmas wishlist although I might bite on that in a moment of weakness.

Pile ho!

I bought a 3DS for Super Mario 3D Land. While there were games I was looking forward to this year, none has me as excited as that one. Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 are some of the best games ever made, and I will buy anything that team makes. That it's another Mario platformer is just icing on the cake.

Skimming the list a little too quickly, my first thought was "Heavy Rain: Afghanistan!? ...oh wait".

Still... that'd make for an interesting game, no?

I thought this one was well done.

And yeah, I'll be busy this weekend.

I've been looking forward to Skyrim since finally exhausting myself on Oblivion some 4 years ago. I'm glad I'll be playing on PC this time around for the eventual mods that fix the annoyances all Elder Scrolls games are inevitably privy to.

I'll also be picking up Cave Story and SM3D Land at some point, though the weekend (and likely most of them for the rest of the year) will be spent exclusively back in Tamriel.

Oh, sweet Jeebus. Seriously, I've looked forward to Skyrim, to the next Elder Scrolls game, for years. I've spent easily 300+ hours playing each of Morrowind and Oblivion, and can't wait to do the same again. Friday is a stat here in Canada (Remembrance Day), and I've booked the Monday off as well.

I'm sure there are other great games being released, but I'm oblivious to all of them. I'll get caught up next year.

I was planning on taking Friday off for Skyrim but apparently it's a Federal holiday so I get the day off anyways. What luck! Though to be honest I might just end up playing BF3 to quench my stat-wh*re proclivity.

I play COD these days solely so I can have a game to play online with my brother.

But I am sooooooo pumped for Skyrim. I've almost got my Friday workout planned to the second so I can get of the shower at the gym in time to make it to Best Buy when the store opens.

And now that I've read what I typed I feel very very sad.

You shouldn't feel sad, Superscope. I've got the midnight launch already scheduled for Thursday night. (you might want to check and see if your Best Buy is planning something, if it will fit in your schedule)

11/11/11 is included? Don't forget Nitronic Rush...

momgamer wrote:

You shouldn't feel sad, Superscope. I've got the midnight launch already scheduled for Thursday night. (you might want to check and see if your Best Buy is planning something, if it will fit in your schedule)

I'm not really sad. More joking that I had put more effort into planning when I would pickup a game than I have in years. Sorry inside joke for me only

I work nights (including this Thursday so no midnight release for me) so my normal routine is to hit the gym right after work then go home and do whatever. Best Buy opens at ten and is an extra 30 minutes away from me (I live a rural area) so I have to be careful how I manage my time. If I want to get there at opening and maximize my time with Skyrim I have to watch that clock at the gym and shower quickly too (I carry a powerful post workout funk so this step cannot be skipped). I could order through Amazon but UPS usually doesn't get to my house until around 5pm AND THAT JUST WON'T DO!

I had a crazy dream this morning about Skyrim. And I'm not even buying it (not by choice, just by budget).

Obviously Skyrim is the 2-ton dragon in the room, but this is the first I've heard of Fusion: Genesis. It looks great, like the modern Armada I've been looking for.

I'm gonna be the hater that says all the goodwill Bethesda built with Daggerfall and Morrowind were completely destroyed by Oblivion and Fallout 3. I'll get Skyrim when it's $20 on steam with all the DLC. I'd give it, eh, 16 months, unless someone can convince me they suddenly remembered how to write a cohesive narrative that doesn't suck.

The Black Eyed Peas Experience, on the other hand...I am all over that.

I didnt bother looking, but is this the last big release week of the year? Can we all hunker down with our piles until February (ME3)? I guess there's The Old Republic, but I'm not an MMO player.

I have no time this week or next, and I have a terrible record finishing elder scrolls games, but I still feel compelled to pre-load Skyrim just to finally be wandering around in that world. I'll probably end up playing 2% of the way through, get bogged down on a side quest and drop it. Yet there it sits in my shopping cart...

Still to release this year:

  • The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii)
  • Assassin's Creed: Revelations (PS3/360/PC)
  • Halo Anniversary (360)
  • Mario Kart 7 (3DS)
  • Saint's Row the Third (PS3/360/PC)

Lesser lights that are still significant:

  • Need for Speed: The Run (PS3/360/PC)
  • The King of Fighters XIII (PS3/360)
  • Shinobi (3DS)
  • Sonic Generations (3DS)
  • Doctor Lautrec and the Forgotten Knights (3DS)
Minarchist wrote:

I'm gonna be the hater that says all the goodwill Bethesda built with Daggerfall and Morrowind were completely destroyed by Oblivion and Fallout 3. I'll get Skyrim when it's $20 on steam with all the DLC. I'd give it, eh, 16 months, unless someone can convince me they suddenly remembered how to write a cohesive narrative that doesn't suck.

The Black Eyed Peas Experience, on the other hand...I am all over that.

You're far from alone, though I did like Fallout 3.

garion333 wrote:
Minarchist wrote:

I'm gonna be the hater that says all the goodwill Bethesda built with Daggerfall and Morrowind were completely destroyed by Oblivion and Fallout 3. I'll get Skyrim when it's $20 on steam with all the DLC. I'd give it, eh, 16 months, unless someone can convince me they suddenly remembered how to write a cohesive narrative that doesn't suck.

The Black Eyed Peas Experience, on the other hand...I am all over that.

You're far from alone, though I did like Fallout 3.

Clockers gonna clock, y'all.

So many games, so little time, such a small budget. Skyrim would be my go-to game were I in the market for the new hotness... but I'm not. So I'll just watch from a very envious distance.

Skyrim seems awesome, but as I was immensely disappointed by Oblivion I'll hold out for a while and try to figure out if I might actually like it or not.

Nothing else this week.

Always room for more self-inflicted pain in another Dark Souls playthrough at least.