There’s another thing that pretty much everybody loves, too: stories told from the villain’s perspective. Whether it’s the musical Wicked or the The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs or Disney’s upcoming Maleficent, we love to see the bad guy’s side of the story (unless the bad guy in question is Darth Vader, but let’s not go down that road).

Well, if you’re someone who loves Angry Birds and loves hearing the bad guy’s side of the story, then it looks like Rovio, the the company behind Angry Birds, is getting ready to make your day. According to a recent report from Pocket Lint, Rovio is working on a new game in the Angry Birds franchise. The premise of this new game is pretty straightforward: this time around you get to play as the pigs and defend your hard-won eggs from those greedy birds who refuse to share.

According to Pocket Lint the gameplay will involve firing pigs at incoming birds via catapult. Much like Angry Birds, there are a number of pigs each with their own special abilities and characteristics. Beyond that, not a lot is known about the game. The title is still unknown, as is the release date, though they say it’s coming later this year.

If they’re right on the release date this will be the second Angry Birds sequel to hit this year. The first, Angry Birds Space came out in March and was a huge success. Some – namely me – wondered how Rovio would be able to produce a game that felt like an honest-to-goodness sequel instead of just more of the same. With Angry Birds Space they accomplished that admirably. It will be interesting to see if they can strike gold again by switching things up a bit.

The game is developed by Other Ocean Interactive, in collaboration with South Park Digital Studios and XBox Live Productions, and is expected to be released some time this spring.

Scott Tenorman’s Revenge will feature multiplayer action with all of the four main South Park characters. Players will battle a mechanized Scott Tenorman and his army of Gingers, along with other notable South Park bad guys, Satan and Man-Bear-Pig.

This will be the final XBOX Live exclusive game for the franchise under it’s current agreement. It follows South Park Let’s Go Tower Defense Play!

A full RPG release, South Park: The Game, is currently in production by Obsidian. Though it may be delayed due to recent developer lay-offs at the company.

The new game trailer is released along with a plethora of TV trailers for the upcoming new season. South Park spoofs the anticipation of the new Mad Men season, with Eric Cartman and Kenny as Don Draper.

In an interview with Joystiq, a source close to Obsidian said the team working on the new South Park RPG was affected, and an unnamed project has been cancelled.

Few other details exist about the mystery project or exactly how the lay-offs will affect production of the South Park game.

20 to 30 people were laid-off, including someone who was just hired the day before.

Members of the Obsidian forum are confirming the lay-offs, citing changes in former team members Linked-In resumes indicating they no longer work for the company.

One Obsidian team member took to Twitter, expressing his sympathy for his former comrades.

Others are offering their condolences…

It was less than a month ago that Obsidian posted this Tweet, inviting job seekers to apply.

Just don’t expect to keep your job for more than a day.

Although the official announcement included more of a “Q&A” session with the actors than anything else, fans didn’t seem to mind, keeping the actors talking for over 45 minutes, as reported on TheVerge.com today. Details of the game are still a little sketchy, but it has been confirmed that main characters Connor and Murphy MacManus and Rocco will be voiced by the original actors–Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, and David Della Rocco. They will also have a hand in the development of the game, much to the appreciation of SXSW fans.

Although the film was something of a sleeper hit after it was released in 1999, it has garnered so much of a cult following since that a sequel was made a full ten years later, and a rumor of a third film–as well as a television show– is circulating around the web.

Below is a short clip from SXSW and the video announcement released to attendees.

As a fan of the films myself, I’m fairly excited about the idea of a game. Early views of it look pretty good, which makes me hopeful that the cheesy element that creeps into a lot of movie-turned-game graphics will be absent.

Twitter users had this to say about the game:

The game is available today on Facebook. NASA hopes to use the game as a too to introduce NASA to a “wide new audience of people accustomed to using social media,” according to David Weaver, NASA’s associate administrator for communications.

Players are presented with multiple choice questions. Correct answers earn 100 points, with a 20 point bonus for answering first. At the end of ten questions, the winner moves on to a bonus round where a correct answer to the final bonus question earns a badge.

The game looks like all kinds of fun for NASA fans and space buffs of all ages. Check it out here and let us know what you think in the comments.

SoulCalibur was originally released in 1998 as an arcade game. It was ported to the Sega Dreamcast the following year, and has since spawned six sequels, including the planned SoulCalibur V, which is due to release later this year. The iOS version is getting pretty good reviews in the App Store, though some are complaining about the lack of multiplayer. If you feel like ponying up twelve bucks for it, check it out and let us know what you think in the comments (iTunes link).

The game will follow its own independent storyline, which involves a universe threatening event called “The Pulse”. This makes Marvel’s stable of villains even more powerful, and they are targeting New York City. The player’s role is that of a S.H.I.E.L.D agent, tasked with putting together a team of heroes to stop the threat.

Based upon what has been shown so far, all of the Marvel staples looks to be represented: Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and The Hulk. On the villain side of things we have: Green Goblin, Loki, Dr. Doom, and Whiplash somehow made the cut.

Being a Facebook game, the gameplay looks to be a mix of RPG and click based action. You will level your heroes up, and unlock special abilities as you progress. It is being developed by a Facebook savvy company, Playdom, who’s released titles such as: Gardens of Time, Deep Realms, Sorority Life, and Wild Ones. Quite an eclectic portfolio.

The game is slated for a Q1 2012 release, and there’s an official Marvel: Avengers Alliance Facebook page you can follow. Marvel has a teaser trailer which you can watch below. Enjoy.

So, is the MMORPG people have been branding as the “WoW-Killer“, “Next step in the MMO evolutionary ladder“, and “fanboy wet dream“, living up to the hype? Up to this point, the answer is mostly yes.

I should note that this is an “early review“. For those who have played a MMO, it takes a long time to give a complete review as there are a plethora of features, updates, and fixes which will come in the weeks and months ahead. I simply wanted to share my first impressions, and provide potential players a glimpse into the world they’ll be adventuring through.

Now, on to the review!

Your first task upon selecting a server to play on is creating your character; which is probably the most disappointing aspect of the game I’ve experienced. There’s very few options and sliders to adjust when trying to create your unique character compared to what a lot of other RPG’s, MMO’s or otherwise have provided. There’s really no detail adjustment as you have 4 or 5 body types to choose from, with no individual sliders for separate body parts. If you wanted a character with a huge shoulder line, but a small waist, you’ll be left in the cold unless BioWare enhances the character creation in the future.

When creating your character, you can decide whether to join the Republic or the Empire. Your choice will then open up your class selection, and each side has different races as well.

Republic (Races) – Human, Zabraks, Miraluka, Mirialan, Twi’lek, Cyborg

Republic (Classes) – Trooper, Smuggler, Jedi Knight, Jedi Consular

Empire (Races) – Human, Zabraks, Sith, Chiss, Rattaki, Twi’lek, Cyborg

Empire (Classes) – Imperial Agent, Bounty Hunter, Sith Inquisitor, Sith Warrior

Each class has two specializations you unlock later, so the system gets deeper than what’s initially presented during character creation. There’s quite a few less selections when comparing this game to other MMO’s, however, once you load up the game you begin to understand why.

While character creation is a letdown, the beginner’s area and first world within the game is quite possibly one of the best first impressions I’ve seen in a MMO. Generally, you’re just trying to get through prologue and tutorial areas when you play a game of this type; not so with SWTOR. The moment your game loads, you’re provided with a story and a reason to enjoy this initial area. I should probably go ahead and mention that even during the first portion of the game, each individual class has their own personal story to play through. So, you could theoretically play through the starter area with each class and have a unique experience each time. Doing so would already provide you up to 16-20 hours of gameplay time depending on how much you explore each storyline and world.

There’s no soulless NPC handing you a “Kill 10 rats, and bring me their hides” quest, to which you go complete the task and simply move on. Each quest has its own insular story, which you communicate with the NPC and your character reacts to him/her as you see fit. The dialogue in this game is astounding, as having everything voice-acted really gives the experience a level of presentation I’ve never seen in a game of this type, or even most single-player RPG’s.

One major problem with most MMO’s is that they have very little emotional depth, and characters you use generally have no personality. This problem is fixed in SWTOR, where even in the beginning of the game you start to shape your character and make decisions which will have an impact as you continue playing. If you want to use a Han Solo like character who’s simply in it for the credits, you can do so. Coincidentally, this is the type of character I’m using. His name’s Aranas; a level 24 Smuggler Scoundrel who’s just wanting to make money and will generally take the easy way out when fixing a problem.

(Bounty Hunter dialogue, *spoilers)

The game keeps track of your moral decisions with a light/dark side meter, which will fluctuate as you decide to do the right or wrong thing. I haven’t really unlocked the full use of this meter, though later in the game you unlock exclusive equipment depending on your alignment.

Once you leave the first world, the game begins to really open up and it can be a bit intimidating at first. One of the first options presented to you is an instanced “Flashpoint“. These are self-contained areas which require you to group up with others to utilize teamwork. One of the concerns many people had, myself included is whether or not BioWare would be able to provide the ‘multi-player’ aspect which is required for MMO’s. My journey through level 24 has already had me pair up with many groups as you’ll come across standard quests which require 4-man groups to complete. There are already three flashpoints to play through as well, so there’s plenty of group content to enjoy.

While BioWare has provided a level of presentation that pushes the MMO-envelope, they really took the safe route when designing the gameplay. If you’ve played MMO’s before, you’ll be right at home with SWTOR. You have an insane amount of skills at your disposal, and I was surprised by the amount in the early levels. I don’t want to know how many skills I’ll have once I reach 50. If I had to describe the gameplay, it’s a mix between World of Warcraft and DC: Universe Online. The timing, animations, and strategies have a very WoW-like feel to them. Unlike WoW, however, combat feels much more engaging as there’s no auto-attack so battles require a bit more investment, which feels a lot like DCUO.

If I had to grade the gameplay, I’d give it a solid ‘B‘. While the system is solid, and the animations really have a great Star Wars feel to them, it just seems like BioWare didn’t really go above and beyond like they did in so many other areas of the game.

While on-the-ground combat isn’t amazing, I was pleasantly surprised with space combat. If you’ve ever played any of the Star Fox games, then you’ll instantly fall in love with space combat. It’s on-rails, the controls are tight, and the aiming is precise. The battles have an epic feel to them much like what you’ve seen in the movies. BioWare has said they plan to really expand on space combat, and has made general references to the X-Wing/Tie-Fighter space sims. If they open up the space combat, and add in more features, then they’ll really have something.

Another key area for MMO games is PvP, which I haven’t fully unlocked yet. Open-world PvP doesn’t occur until much later into the game, so if you’re someone who was looking forward to it early on, then you’ll be disappointed. However, there are PvP Warzones which are instanced scenarios pitting Republic and Empire players against each other. There’s Alderaan, Huttball, and Voidstar. All of which unlock at level 10.

All of which are PvP systems you’ve more than likely played through before. Alderaan is all about capturing nodes and protecting them from advancements, Voidstar is a offense/defense scenario based area, and Huttball is a capture-the-flag like map. Huttball has been my favorite map so far, as BioWare added elements which give a fresh lift to the traditional CTF setup. You can pass the ball, and there are obstacles in the way which require teams to really focus on layout and strategy.

I should note that my experience with PvP has been met with some technical problems. My PC rig is a behemoth, and I’ve been running Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and the PvE areas of SWTOR on full settings without a hitch. The second I’m drop in a PvP Warzone, my FPS falls through the floor. If I turn everything off, and lower my resolution then it fixes it a bit. I’ve been researching the problem and many other players seem to be experiencing this as well. Hopefully, BioWare can get to the root of the problem soon.

Since I’ve mentioned all the major features so far, I should mention you obtain XP for everything I’ve listed so far. If you want to do nothing but play PvP, you can level up that way. Space Combat provides experience points, and you actually get more XP for initial space combat quests than you do for most on-the-ground quests.

Finally, if you’re someone who enjoys crafting and profession based work when they play a MMO then I think you’ll be happy with the system BioWare has implemented. Theoretically, you can always be crafting no matter where you’re at, because all of your profession work is handled by your companion character. These companion characters have a wide variety of functions; helping you in combat, crafting, and adding an occasional quip or two while adventuring. To be honest, I wish companions were a bit more involved as I found myself forgetting they were there unless they died or I was sending them off to complete a crafting task.

The crafting/professions system provides you with three different options; two gathering professions and a crafting option. I’ve never been much of a crafter, but I’ve found myself in the crafting menus and sending my companion out on jobs at a steady rate. BioWare definitely deserves an applause for their accomplishments here.

Verdict: Within the total package of SWTOR, BioWare has crafted one of the most ambitious and impressive MMO games I’ve played; judging from initial impressions. The minute you step into the universe, you get swept up in all the presentation and character building. If you’re a Star Wars fan then this game is a must, if you like RPG’s then I highly recommend the game as well.

For the more hardcore MMO crowd, I believe your tastes will be satiated as well. As I mentioned this is an early review, so many of the more important MMO elements are still off in the horizon. Such as end-game content, and open-world PvP. BioWare could have tried and changed up the traditional MMO gameplay recipe, but instead kept things a tad formulaic. When judging a game, this is the most important area and while everything is solid, nothing feels completely new either. So if you’ve been debating whether to drop the $60 and $15/month fee, this is something to consider.

Overall, I’ve been completely happy with my experience so far. This game really hit the trifecta with me, as I’m a huge Star Wars, BioWare, and RPG fan. So far, every fanboy bone has been tickled. Let’s just hope they can keep it up, and my full review sounds even more positive than this one.

Her parents have been trying to rally support, setting up a page for her on JustGiving.com. Big Ideas Digital, an iOS game developer came to the call for help given by Grace’s parents. Their game, Say What You See, is a brain teaser which is available for the iPhone and iPad.

Here’s the official description for the game: “Say What You See is a hidden object game in the style of Where’s Waldo?/Where’s Wally? and Dingbats/Whatzit? but with a cryptic twist. Once you’ve scoured each oil painting (or iCanvas) for objects, you’ll have to unravel their meaning too. Each iCanvas is themed around a different subject, from Scary Movies to Books, TV programmes and beyond.”

The game itself is free, however, they release canvases as separate downloads. Some are free while others are paid. To help raise money for Grace, they released a special canvas themed around her, called “Grace’s Toons”. All proceeds going to help Grace’s parents raise funds. Due to the recent popularity for the game, the developer was able to raise £21,000 towards the fundraiser. This, along with the donations gathered by the parents, is going to be enough to send Grace to the US for her surgery.

The announcement of the good news was made by Big Ideas. If you’d like to learn more about the game, here’s the official page.

A feel good story to get the week started off with.

Kiip, an advertising network, plans to implement such a system. Their website tagline explains how it works – “Real rewards for virtual achievements“. Here’s a video going into a bit more detail about how Kiip works:

Kiip isn’t the first to offer real world rewards for playing a video game. However, their network has the potential to bring the idea of real world rewards for gameplay achievements to the mainstream.

If you’ve played free games on your mobile devices, chances are they are plagued with in-game advertising, which allows them to remain free. More often than not this really brings down a gaming experience, especially if the ads ruin your concentration. However, Kiip works like an achievement system so a pop-up wouldn’t occur until you actually complete a stage or objective.

According to Wired.com, the system simply requires a user to submit their email address to have their reward sent to them. Players aren’t required to sign up for a Kiip account, so the emails are only used to send them their branded reward. The network is based on HTML5 coding, so any system is compatible with the service. The only requirement is that it’s connected to the internet.

Though Kiip sounds interesting in theory, will it translate to success in real life? According to limited trials, players signed up for the achievement deals over 50 percent of the time. When’s the last time an advertising campaign saw those kinds of click-through rates?

At the head of Kiip is an internet prodigy, Brian Wong. If you’ve heard of Wong, it’s because at 18 years old he was able to land a job working for Digg. Upon leaving the company, he came up with the idea for Kiip.

To help keep a balance of how often rewards can be utilized, developers are provided a set amount of opportunities to utilize Kiip. Also, the system is set on a rotating variable so users aren’t going to be presented with a reward every time the same achievement is earned.

Upon reading about Kiip, I sent them a question in regards to how detailed developers could get in terms of which advertisers would be presented in their game. I presented a scenario where Coca-Cola released a game, and wouldn’t want a Pepsi reward popping up.

Here’s Wong’s response, “Users don’t choose what rewards they’ll see. The brands are able to set criteria for their target market. With verticals, through frequency capping, we’re able to guarantee that no competing products in the same space will appear in the same session.”

I think Kiip has a an interesting idea which could not only evolve in-game advertising, but mobile advertising as a whole. Imagine if such a system were utilized for check-in services as well, where surprise rewards would pop-up for checking in certain places.

The only roadblock keeping them back would be heavy saturation of their system on the market. There’s no set list of games where Kiip is being featured; they want their network to integrate naturally into the market. Coupled with their limiting algorithms and allowing developers a set amount of rewards to provide, they look to have all their ducks in a row.