Tag Archives: Fallout New Vegas

Train2Game news: Animation can be better than dialogue in games writing says Chris Avellone

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Game designers often make the mistake of using dialogue to in games writing, when animation can be better than words. That’s according to Obsidian Entertainment Creative Director Chris Avellone, whose credits include Fallout 2, Neverwinter Nights and Fallout: New Vegas.

Speaking to TheCriticalBit, Avellone said a common problem for game designers is “Lack of scriptwriting experience and brevity when doing a voiced game,” before adding  something a simple animation such as a shrug can have a better impact than dialogue.

“Not being aware that “tone” and emphasis on a word can help you edit out 2-3 extra sentences of foreshadowing – or not realizing that being able to call an “eye roll” or “shrug” animation is often better than any spoken response” he said, citing Uncharted writer Amy Hennig as a master of it.

Avellone is currently helping with InXile’s Kickstarter funded Wasteland 2. ‘The Godfather of post-apocalyptic RPGs’ raised almost $3 million in backing for the project.

You can get advice on getting into the games industry from the Obsidian Entertainment Creative Director here on The Train2Game Blog.

What are views on Avellone’s comments on the use of animation in games writing? Is it something that’s overlooked? What games do you think best use animation in story telling?

Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or here on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: Beefjack] 

Train2Game news: Obsidian Chief Writer on digital distribution and ‘stabbing the used game market in the heart’

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Fallout New Vegas DLCTrain2Game students will be highly aware of the rise of digital distribution, and Obsidian Chief Creative Officer Chris Avellone believes digital is good for game developers and good for the games industry, especially if it can help stop second hand game sales.

Avellone has over 20 years experience of writing and designing RPGs with titles under his belt including Fallout 2, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II, Neverwinter Nights 2 and most recently, Fallout: New Vegas.

“I love digital distribution. For one thing, being environmentally conscious, I really appreciate that we’re not making more boxes and shipping them and creating all that waste. It’s better just to download the game through Steam and not have to have all that packaging.” he told Industry Gamers.

However, it isn’t just the green factor that Avellone sees as a positive of digitial distribution, he also believes it allows game development studios to be more flexible thanks to not having to rush towards deadlines.

“One of the things I enjoyed with Fallout: New Vegas was that digital distribution of the DLC made things more flexible in terms of getting the content done. You didn’t have to worry about production times for discs, and so you could take an extra week if you needed that to get things right.” said Avellone.

The Fallout: New Vegas writer also added, with some aggression, that digital distribution can kill off second hand games.

“Of course, one of the greatest things about digital distribution is what it does to reduce the used game market. I hope digital distribution stabs the used game market in the heart.” he said.

The Train2Game blog has previously reported on the extensive advice the game design veteran has given on getting into the games industry.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on Avellone’s comments on digital distribution? Does it help game developers? And will it ‘stab’ the second hand games market?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: Industry Gamers]

Train2Game news: Portal 2 wins ‘Ultimate Game of the Year’ at Golden Joystick Awards

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Train2Game students will know Portal 2 as a great example of game design and may be pleased to hear that the puzzle title has been named Ultimate Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards.

The event took place at Park Plaza Westminster Bridge in London.

The Train2Game blog has previously reported that Valve regard Portal 2 as their best single player game, and it seems the general gaming public agree having voted it as Ultimate Game of the Year.  Portal 2 was UK No.1 for 2 weeks earlier this year.

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim walked away with the ‘One to Watch’ award, regarded by many as the second biggest award of the night, while Call of Duty: Black Ops took the award for Best Shooter.

FIFA 11 fought of PES 2011 to win the Best Sports Game Award, while Train2Game forum user favourite Minecraft took Downloadable Game of the Year. Sonic the Hedgehog won the Golden Joystick for Outstanding Contribution.

Train2Game students can see the full list of winners below:

Action/Adventure Game of the Year:  Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (Ubisoft)

Mobile Game of the Year: Angry Birds Rio (Rovio)

Roleplay Game of the Year: Fallout: New Vegas (Bethesda Softworks)

MMO  Game of the Year: World of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment)

Fighting Game of the Year: Mortal Kombat  (Warner Bros. Interactive)

Racing Game of the Year: Gran Turismo 5 (Sony)

Sports Game of the Year: FIFA 11 (EA Sports)

Strategy Game of the Year: Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty (Blizzard Entertainment)

Music Game of the Year: Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock (Activision)

Free-to-play Game of the Year: League of Legends (Riot Games)

Downloadable Game of the Year: Minecraft (Mojang)

Shooter Game of the Year: Call of Duty: Black Ops (Activision)

One To Watch: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda)

Innovation of the Year: Nintendo 3DS

Outstanding Contribution: Sonic the Hedgehog (SEGA)

Ultimate Game of the Year:  Portal 2 (Valve)

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the Golden Joystick Awards? Is Portal 2 a worthy winner? Who did you vote for?

Leave your thoughts here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

UK Charts: Gran Turismo 5 races past Call of Duty: Black Ops to take No. 1

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Gran Turismo 5

It may have been years in the making, but Gran Turismo 5 has made an immediate impact on the UKIE GfK Chart-Track All Formats Top 40 by taking top spot.

After a long wait, Gran Turismo 5 was finally released last Wednesday to generally positive reviews. The icing on the cake for Sony and Polyphony Digital is that the racer has reached number one in its debut week by knocking the mighty behemoth that is Call of Duty: Black Ops from the top spot.

Activision’s first person shooter was number one for two weeks following its record breaking release. The arrival of Gran Turismo 5 also pushes Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood down one spot to third place in this weeks chart.  FIFA 11 is still selling strongly almost two months after its chart topping debut, and holds onto fourth place. Just Dance 2 is also a non-mover and remains in fifth.

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit has moved down three places from third to sixth in its second week on sale, while Nintendo Wii Party has also moved down the top ten, dropping one place to seventh spot.  Art Academy for the Nintendo DS is the big winner in this weeks Top 40, jumping almost 20 places from 27th to eighth place. It overtakes another Nintendo Title, Wii Sports Resort which has dropped two to ninth.

Former number one Fallout: New Vegas, rounds out the top ten, having clawed its way back in after dropping to 13th place last week.

Elsewhere, Red Dead Redemption expansion pack Undead Nightmare enters the UK Chart in 14th place, while Ubisoft’s Michael Jackson: The Experience is a new entry in 32nd.

Disney’s brand new – and heavily advertised – Epic Mickey has failed to even reach the Top 40 and only managed to reach 11th in the Nintendo Wii chart.

The full UKIE GfK Chart-Track All Formats Top Ten for the week ending November 27th is as follows:

1. Gran Turismo 5 (Sony)
2. Call of Duty: Black Ops (Activision)
3. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (Ubisoft)
4. FIFA 11 (EA)
5. Just Dance 2 (Ubisoft)
6. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (EA)
7. Wii Party (Nintendo)
8. Art Academy (Nintendo)
9. Wii Sports Resort (Nintendo)
10. Fallout: New Vegas (Bethesda)

So Train2Game, do you think Gran Turismo 5 deserves the honour of number 1? Can it go on to be ‘the biggest selling PS3 game of the year’ or will sales drop next week? And are you surprised to see Epic Mickey fail to even make the Top 40?

You can leave your thoughts about Gran Turismo 5, Epic Mickey or any other game in the UK Top 40 here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Fallout: New Vegas Dead Money DLC details revealed

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Fallout: New Vegas Dead Money

Bethesda has released more details about their upcoming DLC for Fallout: New Vegas, Dead Money. The new information about the Fallout: New Vegas DLC, and the screenshot above, comes from the Bethesda Softworks newsletter.

Senior Designer Chris Avellone provided the details about Dead Money in a short but revealing interview:

Can you discuss the setting for Dead Money?
Dead Money is set in the Sierra Madre, an opulent and extravagant resort that was supposed to be the greatest casino in the west – except that it never opened. Bombs fell before the gala opening, and the Sierra Madre froze in time, its state of the art security system locking the place up tight. Nothing could get in, and none of the guests could escape. Years passed. The climate control and air conditioning system within the facility began to spit toxins into the surrounding city, causing a slow cloud and haze to form over the area – which proved lethal to anyone who tried to explore the city. Only a mysterious group called the Ghost People survived to call the city home, trapped inside what appeared to be hazmat suits and never speaking to their victims… only capturing them alive and dragging them away to the depths of the city deep within the Cloud.

And so the Sierra Madre faded from the history books, only occasionally being seen in posters across the wastes, until it took on mythic ghost story status… a supposed “City of Gold” in the Mojave Wasteland where all the treasures of the Old World were rumoured to be held. It was kept alive as a late-night saloon story by prospectors who’d claimed to have found maps leading there… and were willing to part with the “map” for a few caps. Or a drink. Or a warm place to sleep.

How will the player reach this area?
The Sierra Madre is a mythical place in the wastes, with travellers all risking their lives to find it. Only one man truly “found” it – and lived. After the fall of HELIOS One, Father Elijah of the Brotherhood of Steel set out to find new weapons to eradicate NCR. And in the process he found the Sierra Madre. The Courier is lured to the Sierra Madre by a faint radio broadcast advertising the gala grand opening.

From a gameplay standpoint, Dead Money is accessed by loading a save file from any point in Fallout: New Vegas prior to the endgame sequence, in the same way as Operation Anchorage, Point Lookout, The Pitt or Mothership Zeta were triggered in Fallout 3.

Can you share details on some of the new creatures/enemies players will encounter?
This being an extension of Fallout: New Vegas, players will encounter several unique characters, each with their own motivations, all of whom will have to work together if any of them are going to survive. Aside from just struggling with their would-be companions, the courier will also have to deal with the mysterious Ghost People as well as the casino’s substantial defence systems.

Sounds interesting, right?

Chris Avellone has previously given advice about breaking into the games industry in an interview with Planet Fallout. You can check out his tips here.

Dead Money is going to be the first in a number of DLC packs for Fallout New Vegas. Bethesda have previously announced that all DLC will be Xbox 360 exclusive, but then the DLC for Fallout 3 was originally exclusive to Microsoft so it could eventually come to the PlayStation 3 and PC.

Fallout: New Vegas has sold rather successfully, and topped the UK Charts when it was released at the end of October. It only dropped out of the top ten today following the entry of other big hitters including Call of Duty: Black Ops and Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood.

Bethesda hopes that the DLC will increase the shelf life of Fallout: New Vegas.

The Dead Money DLC will be available on Xbox Live from December 21st for 800 Microsoft points

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the new details about the Dead Money DLC for Fallout: New Vegas? Do you think you’ll part with your cash for extra content? Or are you happy to finish Fallout: New Vegas without paying for DLC?

And does anyone else think that Ghost Person looks like one of the Combine Overwatch from Half Life 2?

You can leave your thoughts on the Dead Money DLC for Fallout: New Vegas here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

First Fallout: New Vegas DLC revealed

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Bethesda has announced the first DLC pack for Fallout: New Vegas, and bad news PlayStation 3 and PC gamers, its Xbox 360 exclusive as the company announced previously.

The new content, titled Dead Money, has the following back-story:

“As the victim of a raw deal you must work alongside three other captured wastelanders to recover the legendary treasure of the Sierra Madre Casino. In Dead Money, your life hangs in the balance as you face new terrain, foes, and choices. It is up to you how you play your cards in the quest to survive.”

Given the open nature of Fallout: New Vegas ‘how you play your cards right’ could even mean ‘shoot those other wastelanders in the face.’

Of course, VP of PR and Marketing for Bethesda Softworks Peter Hines has spoken positively of the upcoming DLC for Fallout: New Vegas.

“We’re pleased to give fans a chance to expand their experience in Fallout: New Vegas this December with Dead Money.”

“The release of Dead Money illustrates our commitment to creating entertaining add-on content for players to enjoy in already massive games like Fallout: New Vegas.”

The Dead Money DLC will be available on Xbox Live from December 21st for 800 Microsoft points. It’s not yet know whether this Fallout: New Vegas DLC is purely exclusive to the Xbox 360, or will become available to other systems at a later date.

Fallout: New Vegas was released in October, received generally positive reviews and topped the UK games chart.  It’s still selling strongly, and remains inside the top ten this week. Fallout: New Vegas has also seen a large number of bugs and has been patched since release.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the Dead Money DLC? If you played Fallout: New Vegas on an Xbox 360, will you buy it? Or are you content to explore the Mojave wastes without paying extra money? Maybe you’re already done with New Vegas? And  PlayStation 3 and PC owners, how do you feel about Bethesda’s decision to make Fallout: New Vegas DLC Xbox 360 exclusive?

You can leave your thoughts about the Dead Money DLC for Fallout: New Vegas here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

UK Charts – Call of Duty: Black Ops is Number 1

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Call of Duty: Black Ops Number 1

In perhaps the least surprising gaming news of the year, Call of Duty: Black Ops has stormed to the top of the UK games chart. In other news, The Pope is a Catholic, and bears do indeed do their business in the woods.

The latest edition of the Call of Duty franchise has predictably taken top spot, after smashing all previous day one sales records. A combined 5.6 million copies of Call of Duty: Black Ops were sold on day one in the USA and UK, with 1.4 million gamers here handing their hard earned cash over to Activision. Some special deals by retailers are also likely to have played a part in the success of Call of Duty: Black Ops. More copies of the game were sold on the Xbox 360 than the PlayStation 3, with 56% of Black Ops sales on the Microsoft console.

The launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops has been even bigger than that of its predecessor, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

Of course, Call of Duty: Black Ops wasn’t the only huge launch this week, with Kinect for the Microsoft 360 also getting a star studded welcome to the UK market. Eight Kinect games entered the top 40 this week, with Kinect Sports the highest placed in fourth spot.

Kinect sports fourth place means it’s behind the rising Just Dance 2 in third place, and previous chart topper FIFA 11 which remains in second after continuing strong sales.  Meanwhile, Last week’s number one, Football Manager 2011, drops down to fifth spot.

Elsewhere in the top ten, Professor Layton and the Lost Future drops one place from fifth to sixth,  while Fallout: New Vegas – itself a previous number one – remains in seventh spot. New Super Mario Bros Wii from Nintendo slips down two places to eighth.  The Sims 3 and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II round out the top ten in ninth and tenth respectively, having swapped positions with each other since last week.

Fable III was King of the charts only two weeks ago, but this week sees the Xbox 360 title drop out of the top ten all together. Sonic Colours has had a disappointing debut week, entering the charts in only 36th place.

The full UKIE ELSPA GfK Chart-Track All Formats Top Ten for the week ending November 13th is as follows:

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops (Activision)
2. FIFA 11 (EA)
3. Just Dance 2 (Ubisoft)
4. Kinect Sports (Microsoft)
5. Football Manager 2011 (Sega)
6. Professor Layton and the Lost Future (Nintendo)
7. Fallout: New Vegas (Bethesda)
8. New Super Mario Bros (Wii)
9. The Sims 3 (EA)
10. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II (LucasArts)

So Train2Game, it was always obvious that Call of Duty: Black Ops was going to be dominant number one this week, right? Do you think it’ll stay there for many weeks to come? Could it be the Christmas number one? Or do you think Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood or Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit could take the top spot next week?

As usual, you can leave your thoughts about Call of Duty: Black Ops, or any other game in the charts, here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

UK Chart: Football Manager 2011 takes top spot

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Football Manager 2011

Football Manager 2011 is champion of the UK Charts, entering in top spot in its debut week.  Football Manager 2011 is only the second PC exclusive game to claim the top spot this year, with the other being Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty which reached number one in August. The success of Football Manager 2011 also provides SEGA with their second chart topper this year, with the other being Aliens vs. Predator.

You can see the Football Manager 2011 reveal announcement and read about some of the games new features here in the Train2Game blog.

Activision’s new James Bond games both failed to enter the top ten. The GoldenEye 007 remake for Nintendo Wii entered in 13th spot, while Blood Stone 007 only managed 18th place. However, with Call of Duty: Black Ops launching this week, it’s likely that Activision aren’t going to be too concerned about the Bond games not making the top ten.

Fable III was number one last week, but has dropped down to third spot in its second week on sale. Previous chart topper FIFA 11 proves that football games are extremely popular by holding on to second place, behind Football Manger 2011 in first.

Just Dance 2 is a non-mover in fourth spot, while Professor Layton and the Lost Future climbs three places to fifth. It’s the Nintendo DS title’s second highest position in the chart, since initially arriving in fourth place two weeks ago. New Super Mario Brothers Wii also moves up the charts, rising seven places to sixth thanks to the release of the 25th Anniversary Red Nintendo Wii Bundle.

Fallout: New Vegas looks like it may be running out of luck, having dropped from third to seventh, while Medal of Honor also moves down the charts falling two places from sixth to eighth.  Stores could end up full with second hand copies of Medal of Honor this week, as HMV are offering Call of Duty: Black Ops for £7.99 if EA’s game is traded in.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II drops from fifth to ninth in its second week on sale, while The Sims 3 rounds off the top ten. WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 and PES 2011 both leave the top ten, falling to 11th and 14th respectively.

You can check out the Train2Game review of WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 here.

The full UKIE GfK Chart-Track Top Ten for the week ending November 6th is as follows:

1. Football Manager 2011 (SEGA)
2. FIFA 11 (EA)
3. Fable III (Microsoft)
4. Just Dance 2 (Ubisoft)
5. Professor Layton and the Lost Future (Nintendo)
6. New Super Mario Bros Wii (Nintendo)
7. Fallout: New Vegas (Bethesda)
8. Medal of Honor (EA)
9. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II (LucasArts)
10. The Sims 3 (EA)

So Train2Game, have you played Football Manager 2011? If so is it deserving of its Number 1 spot? Call of Duty: Black Ops is released tomorrow, so that’s going to be Number 1 next week right? And do you think we’ll see many Kinect games in next weeks top ten?

You can leave your thoughts on Football Manager 11, or any other game in the UK Charts, here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Fable III crowned King of the charts

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Fable III

Fable III has risen straight to the top of the UKIE GfK Chart-Track All Formats Top 40 in its first week of release.  The Xbox 360 exclusive Fable III gives Microsoft its third Number 1 of the year, following on from the chart topping success of Halo: Reach and Crackdown 2. You can see the TV trailer for Fable III here.

FIFA 11 is still selling successfully, with the EA title gaining one position and moving up to second place in the chart. FIFA 11 had previously topped the charts after breaking the series previous sales records. FIFA 11’s move up the table means that last weeks Number One, Fallout: New Vegas, has slipped down to third place.

Just Dance 2 has gained one position and moved into fourth place, while Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II debuts in the chart in fifth place. Medal of Honor goes from second to sixth place, dropping to its lowest position since topping the chart just two weeks ago.

There’s another new entry in the top ten, with WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 debuting in a respectable seventh place. You can see the Train2Game review of Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 here on the Train2Game blog.

Nintendo DS exclusive Professor Layton and the Lost Future drops down four places from fourth to eighth while the console release of The Sims 3 sees the game technically re-enter the top ten in ninth place. Some high street discounting sees Pro Evo 2011 just about remain in the top ten in tenth position. It’s probably safe to say that FIFA 11 has one the annual battle of the football games this year. Dead Rising 2, previous chart topper F1 2010, Halo: Reach and Wii Party all slip out of the top ten this week.

Elsewhere in the chart, EA’s Rock Band 3 enters in a disappointing 26th place, while Activision’s DJ Hero 2 slips from 25th to 39th in only its second week on release. Meanwhile, Vanquish drops from 16th to 28th while Enslaved: Odyssey to the West drops to 34th.

The full UKIE GfK Chart-Track All Formats Top Ten for the week ending October 30th is as follows:
1. Fable III (Microsoft)
2. FIFA 11 (EA)
3. Fallout: New Vegas (Bethesda)
4. Just Dance 2 (Ubisoft)
5. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II (LucasArts)
6. Medal of Honor (EA)
7. WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011 (THQ)
8. Professor Layton and the Lost Future (Nintendo)
9. The Sims 3 (EA)
10. PES 2011 (Konami)

New releases this week that will be looking to be in the top ten next Monday include GoldenEye 007 for Nintendo Wii, James Bond 007: Blood Stone and Football Manager 2011.

So Train2Game, have you played Fable III, if so do you think it’s deserving of its Number 1 spot? Do you think it’ll remain at the top next week, or will one of the new releases dethrone it? Have you played Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II or WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011? If so, what do you think about them?

You can leave your thoughts about Fable III, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II, WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011, or any other game in the charts here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

UK Chart: Fallout: New Vegas goes top

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Fallout: New Vegas

Fallout: New Vegas has won big in its first week on release and topped the GFK Chart-Track All Formats Chart. It seems the gaming public haven’t been dissuaded by reports of Fallout: New Vegas being rather on the buggy side. In fact, Fallout: New Vegas has sold more in its first week than previous title Fallout 3 did, thus giving publisher Bethesda a new most successful debut week game.

The success of Fallout: New Vegas means that Medal of Honor is pushed down to second after claiming first place last week. FIFA 11 also drops down one to third place, after previously holding top spot before being kicked into touch by Medal of Honor last week.

There’s another new entry in the top ten, with Nintendo DS puzzler Professor Layton and the Lost Future selling strongly and taking fourth place, while Just Dance 2 drops from third to fifth spot.  Nintendo titles claim sixth and seventh spots, with Wii Party having dropped two places from fourth, while Wii Sports Resort jumps seven places up the chart and re-enters the top ten.

Former pole sitter F1 2010 continues to stay in the points paying positions, despite dropping two places to eighth. Ninth and tenth spots are occupied by Pro Evolution Soccer and Dead Rising 2 which dropped from fifth and seventh respectively.  Halo: Reach drops out of the top ten into 11th spot.

In disappointing news for SEGA, their shooter Vanquish failed to break the top ten, entering the UK software chart in 12th place. However, Vanquish fared better than EA Sports MMA and DJ Hero 2 which both failed to make the top twenty in their first weeks. EA Sports MMA entered the chart in 23rd while DJ Hero 2 took 25th position.

The full UKIE GfK Chart-Track All Formats Top Ten for the week ending October 23rd is as follows:

1. Fallout: New Vegas (Bethesda)
2. Medal of Honor (EA)
3. FIFA 11 (EA)
4. Professor Layton and the Lost Future (Nintendo)
5. Just Dance 2 (Ubisoft)
6. Wii Party (Nintendo)
7. Wii Sports Resort (Nintendo)
8. F1 2010 (Codemasters)
9. PES 2011 (Konami)
10. Dead Rising 2 (Capcom)

So Train2Game, have you bought any of this weeks new entries? If so, what are your thoughts on Fallout: New Vegas, Professor Layton and the Lost Future, EA Sports MMA or DJ Hero 2?

Will Fallout: New Vegas hold onto top spot next week? Or could Fable III, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II or WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011 knock Fallout: New Vegas down?

Expect a full review of WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011 here on the Train2Game blog this Wednesday!

As usual, leave your thoughts here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.