terminator-salvation-the-videogame posts

On Tuesday we reported that people who had bought the retail PC copy of Terminator: Salvation had their enjoyment terminated when the game would not install from the CD-Rom. Today the game's official message board has posted up word that because of this error all PC retail copies are being recalled and new copies (without the error) are being made to ship to stores.

According to the post, "The new copies will be on store shelves in a few days. A replacement plan for all end users that purchased the defective units is currently being set up. Details to get a replacement copy will be announced shortly. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused the end users that purchased the defective copy." This apparently does not affect any PC version that was downloaded via services like Steam.

The Terminator: Salvation game is due to ship to stores today and will also be made available via digital download. However the game is also being used to create a new six part machinima series. The series tells a prequel story to the game and movie as it reveals how one of its characters Blair Williams (voiced by its movie and game voice actor Moon Bloodgood) met up with John Connor's resistance movement against Skynet.

The machinima series used the assets of the game, developed by GRIN, to create the original story. You can download the first part of the series from several locations including iTunes and Amazon Video On Demand. A new episode will be released every week until its conclusion. Individual episodes cost $1.99 each or $2.99 for the high def version. You can get a season pass for all six parts for $9.99 in standard definition and $14.99 for the high definition version.

Two third-person shooters debut this week in stores and via download; one is a "steampunk" game with lots of vertical environments while the other is the latest movie-to-game adaptation.

Damnation: Codemasters brings this third person "steampunk" game to stores and via download this week from newcomer developer Blue Omega Entertainment. Based on a free Unreal Tournament 2004 mod that was released several years ago, this title is obviously much expanded with lots of vertical levels, drivable vehicles and full multiplayer support.

We have to admit that Terminator Salvation as a movie is sounding like it will be pretty cool, even with Christian "screaming for very little reason" Bale in the lead of John Connor. But how will the game adaptation turn out? The third person action game from highly visible developer GRIN is due out around the same time the movie is planned for its Memorial Day weekend release to theaters.

Recently released screenshots from the game look much like we expected; a war-torn world fill of dark and muted colors and Terminator exoskeletons that seem just as determined as the previous Terminator models. It certainly looks a ton better than those god-awful Atari Terminator games from a few years ago.

If you have been waiting on the edge of your seat to find out who will be hosting this year's Spike TV Video Game Awards...well, you need to get out more. However, we can tell you that actor-funny musician-panda voice guy Jack Black will be taking on the hosting duties for this year's event which the cable TV network will broadcast live on Dec. 14.

Black's appearance as host is almost certainly timed to work with some world premiere game footage of the long delayed Double Fine title Brutal Legend (Black is one of the voices in the game). Other games that will have new footage shown at the event include the game adaptations of the movies Terminator Salvation and Watchmen. New footage will also be shown of Mafia II, the Illusion Softworks open world crime action game that we haven't seen in a long time in any form. More surprise announcements are supposedly in the works. As we have previously reported, Sims and Spore creator Will Wright will receive the first ever "Gamer God" award from Spike TV at the event.