Frankly, we don't get Nier. In Japan there are two different Nier games with different names and slightly different plots coming exclusively to the 360 and PS3, but in the US, we're just getting one of those, but it's coming to both the 360 and PS3! And if it wasn't bad enough we're expelling all this energy keeping Nier straight, we already sort of hate it.

At least one thing -- the release window -- is now clear: Square emailed this morning to let us know that the game would arrive in spring this year. Square also haughtily informed us that the game is an action RPG rather than a pure action game, and should be classified as such. Hey, isn't it enough if we remember how many of them exist?

Fiction: Wow, so, we were totally on the back of this ATV, bullets going everywhere and then jumped this ramp. Oh yeah, and then when we landed I went right up to this tank's butt and blew it up with an RPG, it was awesome! Then we ran into this factory, and we were like "woah," cause there were all these bullets whizzing by. Then we captured the zone, ran down some stairs and were staring down the barrel of another tank, but we were lucky 'cause our chopper blew it up from the sky. I totally didn't get hit by any bullets, it was like playing with nOObs!

Reality: F*ck, man! I bet you it's some 12-year-old who keeps sniping us every time we get on these vehicles. Gawd, hold on, waiting to respawn. Oh, there's a tank over there, let me run up to it with this RPG. DAMN! Got too close, stupid proximity from blast killed me. Yup, I'll respawn with you guys in a sec. WHOA, whoa, whoa, what's with all the shooting, where'd those ... dead. Wait up, one sec. OK, let's get this other tank. Why isn't that helicopter helping us? Down here, helicopter! Come on, down -- dead.

Rebuttal: Perhaps Battlefield: Bad Company 2 won't be like the "reality" described and it'll be more like the video. Or, just maybe, we're being shown in the video what the game will look like once the Modern Warfare 2 hacking community starts playing it.

We were unbelievers at the beginning of this new Bayonetta ad (after the break), in which Mega64's Rocco Botte insisted that he could emulate -- nay -- top any of the titular action star's moves. But he's definitely shooting bullets with his feet and he promises repeatedly that his hair is a demon, so now whose face has got egg on it? That's right: Ours.

... Hey, he wouldn't lie about his hair being a demon, would he? No, of course not. Who would lie about that? We're probably just being paranoid.

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Capcom's brought its A game to CES 2010, unloading everything but the proverbial kitchen sink (and the full roster list) for Super Street Fighter IV. There's some new fight sticks to look forward to, new screens and two new gameplay trailers -- which have oddly low volume, for some reason -- showing off those sweet new Ultra Combos.

You can check out the new screens in our gallery below, but you'll have to jump past the break for the conclusion of this two-part combo of fresh gameplay clips. It's totally worth it, we assure you.

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Peripheral manufacturer Razer is dipping its shaved toes in the console market, announcing "preliminary approval" from Microsoft to produce an Xbox 360 controller and headset. The $50 wired Onza -- that's the controller -- will have Razer Hyperesponse technology that'll "give faster actuation and a crisp, tactile feel." What's that now? Oh, oh, we pressy the buttons and they make the things happen? Gotcha! Why not just say that? That's what we want from a controller.

The Razer Chimaera headset, which will retail for $130, features 5.1 channel virtual surround sound. The headset also allows "multiple Razer base stations to be connected to create a direct, private communication channel for in-game team conversations" -- or the rest of us can just start a party chat? Best part, though, the "circumaural design of the headset allows for optimum noise isolation for long-hours of comfortable gameplay." Thus allowing gamers to totally tune out their parents, spouse, or crying and hungry child.

[Via GX]

The first thing you should know about Bayonetta is that the story is entirely unimportant. It makes no sense. At all. Period. There's something about two warring clans, one of witches and one of sages (Light vs. Dark -- yada yada yada). There's a "journalist" who inexplicably carries a grappling hook; an ancient god that's being resurrected; and, at one point, there's even a dance-off.

Now, forget about all of that. You'll be skipping through it on your second playthrough anyway. And that's really the point. If you like action games in the vein of Devil May Cry or Ninja Gaiden, you'll probably start your second playthrough of Bayonetta exactly when I did: immediately after the first.

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You'd think some screen tearing was only natural in the aftermath of ... the Apocalypse -- but apparently it's an unintended hiccup in the Xbox 360 version of Vigil Games' Darksiders. Speaking to IGN, studio head Joe Madureira confirmed that Vigil is aware of the issue and is planning a title update to address it. "It's something that's really not a difficult fix for us, and so we're going to implement a patch to resolve the problem," Madureira assured. "We're fairly certain it'll happen really soon, so look out for it."

Phew! It's good to know that the end of the world will be running a little smoother in no time.

After teasing us with half an image last night, Mad Catz and Capcom have announced a new "Tournament Edition" arcade stick is in development, branded with new art featuring Super Street Fighter IV. The stick will be made available in two flavors (check them out below!) for the Xbox 360 and PS3. Alongside the "Tournament Edition S" sticks, Mad Catz "anticipates" releasing four new FightPads for consoles, branded with new art. Considering the supply and demand issues the original batch of controllers saw, we "anticipate" Mad Catz will flood the market with the new batch of peripherals.

Unfortunately, Capcom recently pulled Super Street Fighter IV from its Q1 release window; however, we can only presume the controllers will be made available within the same time frame as the game itself. When we pried a Mad Catz rep for a release window on the new controllers they would only confirm it's slated for a release this spring. Hopefully that means we'll get our hands on both items in time to shield us from the April showers.

We don't have to tell you who Glen Schofield is. The guy's been cementing his name in the industry for years now, and considering his recent realignment from EA's banner to Activision's, starting a new studio in Sledgehammer Games, we all have a lot of questions. Let's get to it:

You were one of the individuals most responsible for bringing Dead Space to fruition -- one of Joystiq's best games of 2008. How difficult an endeavor was conceptualizing that game, and how willing -- in the way of providing resources -- was EA to create the game?

Dead Space was an idea I wanted to pursue for quite a few years while at EA. I brought the idea to the previous president when I believed the window was right for the game to fit within EA's portfolio. At the time, EA was largely leveraging licensed IPs, and getting support for a new IP concept was tough. I really appreciated the opportunity he gave us. Fortunately, we had a passionate team of developers who poured a ton of energy into converting our skeptics into believers. In the end, the critical response by fans and the press is something myself and the entire team are very proud of.

Visceral Games (formerly EA Redwood Shores) is still an EA studio, currently wrapping up Dante's Inferno. When you began Dead Space, Game Informer #174 -- the official unveiling -- called you guys a "renegade team." Who was on that team, and how did you earn that "renegade" status?

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A new Xbox Live Indie Game from Safari Studios, a dev comprised of two brothers from Australia, placess gladiators in a semi-futuristic arena, vying for the adoration of a bloodthirsty mob. It's like they plucked the design document from our own horrifying dreams. Creed Arena launched on Microsoft's Indie platform on January 1, 2010, after ranking among the Top 20 titles in the 2009 Dream Build Play competition.

Looking to bathe in blood in front of millions of virtual fans? Creed Arena is available on the Xbox Live Marketplace for 400 ($5). Make sure to follow Joystiq on Twitter, where we will give away a download code for a free copy of the game later today. Footage of frantic action can be watched after the break.

Queue the free trial of Creed Arena on your Xbox 360

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As far as we know, the kind of laziness which prevents you from visiting the nearest Blockbuster Video is a worldwide phenomenon. According to a press release (.doc link) dropped just in time for CES, Microsoft is catering to this global lethargy by opening up the Xbox Live Video Marketplace to ten more countries this fall: Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Australia and New Zealand.

Basically, if the Xbox Live Video Marketplace was playing Risk, it'd have a kickass lock on the Eastern Hemisphere.

We already know what you're going to say. While DC's upcoming Mass Effect 2 figure series includes decent likenesses of Thane, Grunt and Tali, the company is way off on its version of Shepard. In DC's defense, however, the company has no idea what your Shepard looks like, so it was stuck with a mold for Default Shepard instead of the real Shepard -- who everyone knows is vaguely Asian and female.

According to the scans of DC's solicitation book, posted by Gamervision, the figures are still pending approval, but are due for release August 25 of this year. By then, you may be done with Mass Effect 2, so you can use these action figures to stage your own adventures on Planet Your Shelf.

This March, fans of Bioware's epic RPG, Dragon Age: Origins, will be able to extend the experience through 'Awakening,' the hefty retail expansion bearing an equally hefty $40 price tag. While the new trailer coinciding with the announcement was gripping in its own right, many gamers are likely wondering what is deserving of so much coin. Sure, we know it takes place after Origins, we know players will be fighting new Darkspawn baddies and we know there's new items and a raised level cap, but what else should gamers look forward to spending another gazillion hours on?

Well, in a recent interview with IGN, Bioware's Fernando Melo put it all on the line. Basically, the Darkspawn haven't retreated underground after Origins' Blight -- as was the case following previous Blights -- and in the land of Amaranthine, one Darkspawn in particular has evolved to the point where it can talk and reason: the Architect. And if you haven't played through Origins at all and have no character to import, you'll have the option to create a new one that will automatically be placed somewhere between level 17 and 20, around the toughness of Awakening's roster of bad guys.

Then there's the raised level cap. Melo couldn't confirm where it would be when Awakening releases in March, but said it will "probably end up in the mid to high 30s." Also, you'll gain access to a bunch of new followers, complete with all-new banter and micro-managing. This will have a greater affect on imported characters, as Melo says a lot of the choices you've made in Origins carry over and, depending on what point you're currently at in the main game, characters will act accordingly. And if you choose to play Awakening first, decisions there will transfer back to Origins in the same way.

Melo even detailed a bit of the "re-spec" ability you'll have in Awakening. You'll be able to force a reboot of your character's skill points through a tome, allowing you to retain whatever level your Origins character is at, but have a fresh start in terms of where you want to place your points. Obviously, if you choose not to import a character, this feature is moot because you'd be spending all of the points you'll get from starting at the high level Awakening begins.

It's a lot to process and IGN's interview is three very lengthy pages, so if you want to read the rest, head on over and check it out. Just beware of spoilers.

With little explanation offered (alright, so, basically no explanation whatsoever), the United Arab Emirate states have reportedly banned the distribution and sale of THQ and Vigil's Darksiders: Wrath of War. According to UAE-based GamesLatest, the game was deemed to "contradict with the UAE's customs and traditions" -- a standard phrase used to near-universally describe banned games in the Middle Eastern states.

Unfortunately, that task of enforcing such a ban can be a mighty difficult one. Many retailers in the UAE simply order from wholesalers, bypassing importing laws altogether, and sell their games under the table (and untaxed, might we add). And then, of course, there's always the internet -- we hear you can buy stuff through it.

[Via GamePolitics]

If you've been jonesing to play along to a song performed by a fictional, cartoon heavy metal band, then look no further: Activision has announced a downloadable Dethklok song coming this month to the Guitar Hero line, as part of a metal track pack.

On the opposite extreme, January will see a Vampire Weekend collection released for Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero to coincide with the band's new album, as well as a three-track Creedence Clearwater Revival set and a collection of songs from "up-and-coming blues masters." (We assume that these so-called masters are real people and not cartoon characters.)

All tracks packs will be available for $5.49 on PS3, 550 Wii Points, or 440 on Xbox 360. In addition, all songs will be available a la carte for $1.99, 200 Wii Points, or 160. Head past the break for the complete January DLC lineup.

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