preGame 59: Rage; Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection

Today on preGame we've got an early look at Rage, hitting consoles and PC on October 4. Then we'll battle a giant colossus in our demo of the PS2 HD reboot for PlayStation 3, Shadow of the Colossus. Shadow makes up one half of the highly anticipated rerelease, the Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection. For CNET's full take on the game, check out our review here.

Today's demo of Rage includes strong language and violence. Viewer discretion is advised.

Want to be a part of our live taping? Make sure you head to http://cnet.com/live/pregame … Read more

Crave in Comments: Tree huggers and mind readers

Welcome to the 20th installment of Crave in Comments. It just seems like yesterday when I was begging Crave's head honcho, Leslie Katz, for a chance to write a weekly article featuring comments from the community. This is surely a time to celebrate. Did you know that traditional gifts for a 20th anniversary include fine china or platinum? I'll be keeping an eye on my mailbox.

In regard to Star Wars: The Old Republic release date revealed:

"How will this not be awesome. It will eat lives." --by gargamel360

In regard to Bose intros $2,500 sound bar system:

"No highs, no lows, must be Bose." --by Ricardo2001

In regard to Coffee-powered car buzzes past speed record:

"Rumours that the coffee is pre-percolated are groundless." --by Postulative

… Read more

EA says improvements en route for Madden 12 iOS

An update is on the way to repair serious shortcomings with the iOS version of Madden 12, EA Sports says.

Earlier this week, we reported that reviews in the iTunes store were brutal for the iPod, iPad, and iPhone versions of the massively popular National Football League game. Our hands-on play only verified the problems.

Initially, our attempts to get an explanation from EA were met with silence. But, according to EA Mobile representative Michelle Jacob, the Madden 12 iOS team gathered its details together and wanted to update fans with the latest news.

"The Madden development team closely monitors customer feedback in the App Store and is focusing on these concerns," Jacob told CNET yesterday. "We are currently working on an update that is due out shortly and will address the following..." … Read more

How did Madden 12 for iOS escape EA's lab?

Madden NFL 12 from EA Sports has been one of the most eagerly awaited and top-selling games of the year thus far--as it always is for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and other platforms.

But it looks like something went terribly wrong with the iOS versions for Apple's iPhone/iPod Touch and iPad.

A visit to the iTunes Store reveals a series of frustrated reviews from Madden 12 buyers calling for refunds. Words like "horrible," "awful, "junk," "dreadful," "disappointed," "poor," and "sluggish" crop up.

According to those consumer evaluations, the game crashes and multiple bugs make the electronic recreation of the National Football League practically "unplayable." The $6.99 iPhone version garnered 74 1-star vs. 42 5-star ratings. The $9.99 iPad version had more unhappy customers, with 50 1-star vs. 15 5-star ratings.

I couldn't take online complaints as gospel truth, so I downloaded the game for both iPhone 4 and iPad 2 and took some time to replay the Super Bowl on both platforms. I can't tell you if the Green Bay Packers or Pittsburgh Steelers won my video game rematches because I wasn't able to complete either game. … Read more

Apple Thunderbolt Display review: More features, less compatibility

Iteration is something Apple is good at. Its 24-inch Cinema Display was good, but it appealed to an extremely small number of users. In 2010, Apple released a new version with an improved screen and by that time there were many more Mini-DisplayPort-compatible Macs in the wild, thus widening its appeal.

With its Thunderbolt Display, Apple adds a superfast connection, as well as Ethernet, FireWire, and Thunderbolt. Note that the display is only compatible with Thunderbolt-compatible Macs, so in effect, we're kind of right where we started with the 24-inch Cinema Display: a powerful monitor that only a small … Read more

Crave in Comments: From BigDogs to texting mania

Another week means another gallery of reader comments for you to gaze upon. These words are like works of art that we get to reprint, for free! It's like taking a picture of the "The Creation of Adam" inside the Vatican even though a ton of signs indicate that if you do, an additional layer of hell may await you. I did it anyways, and the picture came out blurry. That's just my luck, I suppose.

In regard to Pew: One-third surveyed prefer texting to talking:

"Could you text me the poll results? I don't have time to read the whole rtkl." --by koviea

In regard to Angry Birds Halloween getups so cool it's spooky:

"Do any of them come with a giant working slingshot?" --by solitare_pax

In regard to Nikon reveals svelte mirrorless ILCs:

"Even without looking at its weak specs, it simply looks awful. It fact, it looks like something they used to make in USSR forty years ago. I am a very disappointed Nikon user." --by sevort

… Read more

preGame 58: Gears of War 3; Burnout CRASH!

This week on preGame, we're sitting down with one of the year's most anticipated games, Gears of War 3. Tune in for a chunk of live gameplay from early on in the game. Then, we'll put the pedal to the metal in Burnout CRASH!, the latest downloadable title from EA's Criterion Games.

But before we hit the demos, we'll run through this week's news including new details on the Battlefield 3 beta, the PS Vita's battery life, and hands-on impressions with Batman: Arkham City.

Finally, make sure to listen carefully this week as we're giving away free digital copies of one of Mark and Jeff's favorite games of all time, Resident Evil 4, for Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network!… Read more

Questioning Sony's new class-action waiver

The Sony Network Entertainment has added a controversial change to its Terms of Service and User Agreement (PDF) for users of the PlayStation Network and the Sony Entertainment Network (Music Unlimited, Video Unlimited). In the revised terms, consumers must waive the right to participate in any class-action lawsuit filed after August 20 against the gaming and content delivery portion of Sony.

If you don't agree, then your PS3 can't get online or purchase media content from Sony. Future disputes between consumers and SNE must occur individually in court or through an arbitration procedure.

Licensing agreements with restrictions like this are actually more common than you might think. In fact, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of class-action waivers last April in AT&T Mobility LLC v. Concepcion. In that case, the court held that federal law pre-empted state rules against class-action waivers. Sony will have difficulty enforcing this policy outside of the U.S., as some other countries make agreements like this impossible.… Read more

Crave in Comments: From Star Wars to :(

Did you miss me? I was on vacation in Mexico last week so my colleague Tim Hornyak filled in with Crave in Comments. I know it was probably scary to have someone else behind the wheel, but don't worry; I have returned. Are you ready for some cunning comments from our Crave community? Buckle up!

In regard to Glowing kittens may advance AIDS research:

"Great! Instead of buying glowsticks, I'll just bring my cat!" --by Notjub

In regard to Sony officially details Android Walkman:

"Nice! I like a curvy rear ..." --by brickcityboy

In regard to Sony adds two new colors to PS3 Slim lineup:

"Crip or blood." --by Jay Two

… Read more