This week we watch our panelists scores drop even more while discussing the worlds of Lara Croft and Mad Max.

Current score

Andrew Passafiume: +300

Graham Russell: +109

Eric Schabel: +65

Shawn Vermette: +165

 

Results

3DS to be released in November

Yet another 3DS rumor is off the books, as our hypothesizing led us to two different release periods, neither of which were accurate. Unfortunately for gamers, this time it means a longer wait.

Andrew 80% = -30

Graham 75% = -25

Shawn 70% = -20

 

Nintendo readying ‘DS2’ for mid-2011 release

While we don’t have a definite release date for the 3DS in the US yet, we do have a time frame-March 2011. This is definitely earlier than June 2011, which we had theorized upon before the 3DS was even announced. Unfortunately for our panelists, and fortunately for all gamers, we don’t have to wait that long anymore.

Andrew 75% = -25

Graham 50% = +0

Shawn 75% = -25

 

Medal of Honor to sell more copies than Call of Duty: Black Ops in 2010

For the first time in a few years, Call of Duty will have an equally funded competitor to contend with for the money of FPS fans. With the release of an open Medal of Honor multiplayer beta Monday, and the huge questions surrounding the Call of Duty franchise after the Infinity Ward fiasco earlier this year, it seems that EA has the edge going into the critical holiday months in terms of publicity. The question is, will that make a difference at all in how gamers spend their money?

Andrew: Considering the fan base that Call of Duty has, I really just don’t see this happening. I’m sure Medal of Honor will sell well (it has a month head start as well), but I can honestly see Black Ops selling more copies in one month than Medal of Honor will sell in two.  5%

Graham: Critical acclaim and sales numbers just don’t go together. Call of Duty will sell like hotcakes even if Medal of Honor is Game of the Year. It’s really that simple. That said, it may change over time…but Bad Company 2 was supposedly amazing and that didn’t have a chance of unseating Call of Duty either. I’d say 0%, but there’s always a chance of a big Black Ops delay or…I don’t know, a major environmental catastrophe at the disc production plant.  1%

Shawn: Honestly, as much as I wish Medal of Honor would beat the evil empire’s (imagine that, EA is no longer the evil empire of publishers) Call of Duty this year, I just don’t find it likely. Call of Duty’s fanbase is just too big, even if you do count out those who have actually heard of the combustion of Infinity Ward. 10%

 

Game adaptation of Mad Max 4 being developed

The Mad Max series has had its fourth film pushed back yet again, this time to 2013. However, this time it seems like there may be other, possibly more important news afoot with the film. The producer from God of War II has been linked, via a couple of tweets he made in the last couple weeks, to a possible big-budget game adaptation of said movie. These tweets specifically mentioned Mad Max as the subject of the game. Was that just an attempt to figure out the level of interest in such a game? Or a serious mention of an actual big-budget movie tie-in?

Andrew: Video game tie-ins continue to be common these days, and I could see the world of Mad Max lending itself well to a game. If the movie continues to get delayed, then I don’t see the game coming out anytime soon either. It’s kind of a toss-up at this point. 50%

Graham: If it’s a big-budget franchise action flick, it is likely to have a game tie-in. We won’t see the game before the film, but it’s almost unavoidable. (I have no idea whether it’ll be a good one, but since when has that mattered with movie games?) 70% 

Shawn: You know, I’ve honestly never seen a Mad Max movie? Despite that, what I’ve heard about it makes it sound like a video game movie that is missing the originating video game. Due to that, I think that a Mad Max video game is inevitable, assuming Mad Max 4 actually ever gets made. Because of that uncertainty, I’m gonna have to go with an I have no idea vote here. 55% 

Next Tomb Raider to be an open world reboot of the series

After being rebooted just four years ago, the Tomb Raider franchise is in trouble again, as the well-reviewed Tomb Raider: Underworld was underwhelming at retail. Now there are rumors that new owners Square-Enix will try to reboot the franchise again, this time by making an open world origin story of Lara Croft. No word on whether the game would be developed by the usual studio, Crystal Dynamics, but it would reportedly be made for the PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3.

Andrew: I think the Tomb Raider series still has a lot of fans, as does Lara Croft as a character. It’s probably Eidos’ biggest franchise in fact, so seeing a new full retail Tomb Raider game would definitely seem likely. I think another reboot, although a little unnecessary, might just be what the franchise needs to bring back old fans and to bring in new ones. 70%

Graham: Are we talking Tomb Raider meets Assassin’s Creed? Tomb Raider meets Just Cause? Tomb Raider meets Fable? Really all combinations of Tomb Raider and an open-world game sound more appealing than another vanilla title, right? If they’re not making this, they should. 70% 

Shawn: The Tomb Raider series still has a lot of weight, it’s the primary reason Square Enix bought Eidos in the first place, I would imagine. I’m not sure it really needs another reboot this soon, to be honest, but I definitely think it could use a reimagining. With the current love of open world games, that could definitely be the direction that Square Enix takes it in. After all, they specialize in making vast worlds for their games. 75%