It now seems that Sonic will be enjoying more time at the house that Mario built because Sega of Europe has handed the publishing and distribution rights to the next three Sonic the Hedgehog titles exclusively to Nintendo.

“Sega have chosen to exclusively partner with Nintendo to distribute or publish the next three Sonic the Hedgehog titles throughout Europe and Australia,” Jurgen Post, COO of Sega Europe, confirmed to GamesIndustry International.

The deal includes Sonic Lost World, Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games and one other game to be revealed at a later date. Sega US will still publish Lost World in the region.

“This is a strategic partnership that does not affect our existing distribution network across these territories and with whom we are looking forward to working with on the upcoming releases of Total War: Rome II and Company of Heroes 2,” he added.

Source: Game Industry

FEATURE INTERVIEW:(Starts at 6:00)  We talk to Raphael Sbarge AKA the voice of Kaidan Alenko in the Mass Effect series all about the heights and pitfalls of voice acting and we go indepth into the Mass Effect franchise. Find out everything you wanted to know about Kaidan and Bioware.

Highlights

Hear the affect and tonal changes that Raphael Sbarge draws from to create the voice of Kaidan Alenko.

(Starts at 29:12)

Raphael has been an integral part of the Mass Effect franchise since the beginning. As the voice of Kaidan Alenko, Sbarge outlined what it was like to meet the facial model who depicts Kaidan in the series. (Starts at 24:99)

“I  had lunch with Luciano Costa (after meeting him though my non-profit worked) we sat and talked for a long time, just a lovely guy. We realized we  just had to get a picture, so I turned to the person next to me, guy with glasses hunched over his phone.

He was happy to do it… I mentioned that we are both in the same video game together. I play the voice and he’s the face. This is the first time we met.

He asked what game? Sort of an indie thing?

I said yeah well sort of, have you heard of the game, “Mass Effect”?

He said ….yeah

Do you know a character named Kaidan Alenko?

Yeah….

We’ll he’s the face of it and I’m the voice of it.

He began screaming OH MY GODD! The picture of it is out on my twitter feed, just Luciano and I out at a coffee shop.“

It wasn’t until Mass Effect 3 when Bioware offered same sex romances options for players that a measure of equality was reached. Sbarge goes into detail as to why this was important not only for the game, but for the industry in general. (Starts at 31:20)

 ”I was thrilled when they introduced the Homosexual romance options in Mass Effect 3 just because obviously there was a huge audience. I spoke to the developers about it, they said they provided so many different choices we were proud of, to be really honest it was just another piece of extra content that didn’t make the final cut in the other games.

What’s amazing about the game for people is that you can cross gender! You can play through in any capacity you want, imaginatively for any of us that’s a huge factor in the experience. All of the opportunities and complexities are fascinating, and that’s what games allow to go down the rabbit hole and explore it.

As far as relationships, the writing is so wonderful. Dealing with issues of rank, emotionality and a sense of separation in Mass Effect 2. As I understand it, more women began play video games as a results of Mass Effect, I think because of these romance elements.”

Finally Raphael does make comment on the ending of Mass Effect 3, how he believes fans received it and what lies ahead for Mass Effect 4. (Will he playing Kaidan’s Great Great Grandfather?(Starts at 18:10)

“It was done, and people flipped out.  What was so interesting about that is  Bioware responded, they took it really soulfully to heart and really addressed it. Speaking to the fans and created that other additional content to play through other areas of the game.

Even though on the one hand it was incredibly sad not just for the fans but the people who spent a decade working on this game, but there is something in the fact it’s over. That makes it very precious in a way. It almost makes it more special and remarkable, that folks were part of Mass Effect. That elite club of millions.

That’s not to say that there isn’t sadness but it’s being felt by gamers and developers but they said publicly there will be Mass Effect 4. “

Make sure you Follow us next week as we talk to Commander Shepard himself!

Nintendo issued a statement to Gamefront  that says it has no plans to block content, they just want to use the videos for advertising.

”For most fan videos this will not result in any changes, however, for those videos featuring Nintendo-owned content, such as images or audio of a certain length, adverts will now appear at the beginning, next to or at the end of the clips. We continually want our fans to enjoy sharing Nintendo content on YouTube, and that is why, unlike other entertainment companies, we have chosen not to block people using our intellectual property,” the statement read.

Zack Scott, a YouTube Lets Player, was issued a with a “content ID match” claim by Nintendo, which allows Nintendo all monetisation rights on the videos, as well as power to block the content. Zack Scott made a post on Facebook saying Nintendo’s stance is “backwards.”

“Video games aren’t like movies or TV. Each play-through is a unique audiovisual experience. When I see a film that someone else is also watching, I don’t need to see it again. When I see a game that someone else is playing, I want to play that game for myself.

“Since I started my gaming channel, I’ve played a lot of games. I love Nintendo, so I’ve included their games in my line-up. But until their claims are straightened out, I won’t be playing their games. I won’t because it jeopardizes my channel’s copyright standing and the livelihood of all LPers.”

Source: Game Industry

“4A’s staff sat on folding wedding chairs, literally elbow to elbow at card tables in what looks more like a packed grade school cafeteria than a development studio”

4A Games creative director Andrew Prokhorov has told Polygon that Rubin’s story is completely true and the studio supports Rubin “100 percent.”

“Our working conditions are not five stars for sure, but [you] kind of get used to it,” said Prokhorov. “It’s kind [of like] a big garage band. We can state that 4A is fueled by talent and relentlessness rather than resources. We do what we can having what we’ve got. We have a fun and friendly atmosphere. It’s not a drama. We have discussed Jason’s article here, and he has the support of 100 percent of our team.”

“It is a fact that our work conditions are worse than those of other developers outside [of the] Ukraine,” he said. “I don’t think anyone can doubt that – yes, it’s true that American and most of European developers operate in a country far more comfortable than Ukraine. And yes, the publishers pay them more. This is clear: the more ‘reasonable’ the country, the less the risks. And we don’t want to be all dramatic about that – after all, better conditions are earned, and we strive to do this as soon as possible.”

Source:  Polygon

It’s been a long time since I have been truly hyped for anything game related. I’ve enjoyed a lot of games lately, but none have had me counting down the days on a calendar to a much-anticipated release date. Sure, there are a tonne of games I’ve enjoyed, and even ones I’ve bought on release day, but none that have raised the same levels of anticipation that the games of yesteryear have managed.

The last game I was truly inexplicably hyped for was Doom3 for the original Xbox. Having only recently delved fully into first-person shooters, Doom3 was to be a change of pace from Halo and its sequel. Halo 2 had me hunting down a copy on the day of launch, eventually securing one from Sainsbury’s (a UK supermarket chain) at a reduced cost from the specialist stores. “Ha” I had thought, “Not only have I managed to get my hands on the best video game OF ALL TIME, but I bought it cheaper than most people”. I was more naïve at the time. At only fifteen years old, my gaming life focused solely on one console at a time, and I was lucky if I could afford more than one game every two months. Purchases counted for more, as I was going to have to spend many hours on this game, and if it wasn’t the best one out at the time (or at least the second best if I already owned the best) then what was the point? Things seemed much simpler back then. I took what the gaming magazines said to heart. If they thought a game wasn’t worthy of a 90% or over rating, then it wasn’t good enough for my hard saved cash from my Saturday job. As you’d expect, being under exposed to what I would later learn of many PC and Sony exclusives, such games as Halo 2 were simply amazing. Each few months, something would come out that was just a little bit prettier, and that was enough for me. I had to own it. Magazine articles on upcoming games built up a little flutter in my chest as I eagerly read about a strange FPS/RPG hybrid called Deus Ex: Invisible War (which got a perfect 10 from my preferred publication) and the sequel to my favourite Dreamcast game ever; Soul Calibur II.

The last gaming purchase I ever ran home with.

But Doom3 was the last one to garner as much of my attention. I rushed to Gamestation (a now defunct chain of video game stores) and pre-ordered the limited edition steel case version, securing a small piece of gaming history for myself (this being at a time where Limited Editions were a new idea). Finally, that dark and scary game I’d watched my friend play on his PC a year ago was coming home, and I was going to savour every damn minute of it. It was around a month to go until it arrived. I’d put two crisp £20 notes in a jar on my windowsill, ready for the big day. April 8th, 2005. I spent much of that month replaying Jet Set Radio Future, the game that had made me so excited to buy an Xbox in the first place. I dipped back into Halo: Combat Evolved after watching videos of people dropping dozens of grenades under the warthog jeep and sending them skywards. Such sights were truly epic in my younger eyes, and the incoming horrors of iD’s port were sure to hold equal, if not better delights.

The day came. I walked briskly to the store after school, did the usual song and dance of finding a willing adult to buy it on my behalf, and rushed to the bus, eager to get my obligatory two hours of study out the way and fire up this monstrosity. It was amazing. Aside from Splinter Cell, no games I had played had used darkness as effectively at that time, and as I cautiously moved through the sprawling corridors of the UNSC base, I’m fairly sure my face was a mixture of pure delight and “Oh no! I’m far too old to piss myself in terror!”. I loved that game, and had no regrets about my purchase. I finished it twice before I picked up a magazine and started browsing for what I ought to pick up next. By this time, Deus Ex: Invisible War had received a price cut, so that was my favourite candidate. But whilst Deus Ex: Invisible War certainly didn’t disappoint me or put me off the medium, I found that my metaphorical calendar was no longer covered in little red X’s which led anywhere game related. This was about the time that the Xbox 360 and the Wii were starting to emerge, and screenshots of Perfect Dark Zero and Twilight Princess sure looked good, but failed to excite anything like what Master Chief and the Mars demons had.

Have games changed? Considering Call of Duty has an annual queuing party at every game store I come across on late nights coming home from work, I’m tempted to think they haven’t. Kids today still get excited about Halo 4 and must already be writing Christmas lists with just “Playstation 4 plz” in big letters with a smiley face and an offer to wash one thousand cars if it sweetens the deal. Games still have the power to bring excitement and anticipation, just like they always did.

Perhaps it’s the journalistic aspect of the industry. Now we have an uncountable number of sources of information and opinion about upcoming releases. On one side, you have the big names like IGN which report every aspect of news that comes their way. Peter Molyneux has a haircut, Phil Fish hurt someone’s feelings, EA hates you and wants your money and hates you and sees you as nothing more than goldfish with wallets etc. Meanwhile, bloggers and other gaming personalities weigh in on topics and paint whole new canvasses portraying aspects of the gaming world we as consumers and gamers wouldn’t have worried about before. When I think of gaming now, do I think of my excitement for The Last of Us, GRID 2 or Assassin’s Creed IV? Or do I instead worry about whether I’m a bad person for not quite caring as much as some people about the portrayal of women in video games (more through my lack of ability to do anything about it than anything), whether smartphones are going to see off portable gaming as we know it, and whether Microsoft and Sony are going to kill off Nintendo’s home console and our wallets in one fell swoop of over-competitiveness and dirty tricks (On-disc DLC and anti-used methods being examples) .We’re now bombarded with so much information, its hard to stay focused on games themselves. Every upcoming game release is hindered by news that some bastard in the company said something evil or mean.

I don’t mean to suggest that we should have less gaming news outlets, less attention to detail from them, or that we should stick our fingers in our ears and ignore it. Gaming today has a lot more issues than it did before, and as devoted hobbyists, we probably ought to know what we’re in for. All I’m saying is that perhaps such an influx of information kills a lot of the magic of a date circled on a calendar, and I miss eagerly turning the pages of a single magazine, becoming increasingly hyped for some game or another. This is partly the reason why, as someone who writes about video games as a hobby more than anything else, I will always likely avoid any massive controversies, sticking to what I like to talk about most in the gaming industry; the games themselves.

Rest assured, I’ll find an excuse to talk about Dead Space 2 again soon.

But perhaps the biggest reason I’m not skipping around in circles waiting for Grand Theft Auto V is me. I’ve changed. My world has got a lot bigger and more complex as time has gone on. Yes, games remain an integral part of my personal time, and has influences and benefits to my social and family life, just like it did for the socially awkward fifteen year old me with bad hair who loved to go round friends houses and slaughter them in one-on-one Halo matches. Games are still, and for the far foreseeable future, will remain as my primary entertainment form. But now I’m twenty-four; still kind of young I know. I may not have kids and mortgages to worry about just yet, but the world is a bigger, scarier place. Instead of counting down the days to a video game, I find myself worried about my lack of financial safety nets, the shaky future of my career in the public sector, but looking forward to weekends off with friends, day trips in my car, which itself has opened all kinds of doors. Nights out, music, further education and a wealth of other activities are now viable options for my weekend or my year. Games will always be a part of that, but now, I take them as they come. Maybe it’s that each purchase is no longer an agonising decision which will affect me for weeks to come. Much higher levels of disposable income mean game or console purchases are no longer something to dwell on too long. If I don’t like a game I buy, I buy something else. If I really like something, I finish it and move on to something else. I’m no longer stuck with one game for extended periods of time, for better or worse, and perhaps that takes that preciousness away from each individual experience.

My heart doesn’t give an extra beat of excitement until I’m putting the disc in the tray. Dead Space 2 was one rare exception, with its advertisement with “Bullet with Butterfly Wings” playing over some scenes of pure “epic-osity” (I always loved that song, and the idea of jetpacks in my legs). Aside from this, games just don’t have the same pull on my upper spinal column they once did. But they didn’t change, the industry did, and more importantly, I did.

The Online Pass system was much-reviled for the restrictions it placed on game content. Buyers of new games would face fees beyond the retail price, with online features – such as multiplayer – unlock able only through the purchase of an online pass. Buying second-hand was no escape; the passes wee player-specific, and as a result each new game user would be forced to make a unique purchase of a pass in order to access the restricted features.

The news will come as a relief to critics of the system, but it does not spell a comprehensive end to online passes just yet. Games that already require Passes will continue to do so, but their sequels and new IPs will not. They might, of course, still feature the DRM, DLC and microtransactions that players know and love*. John Rosenburg, EA senior director of corporate communications, explained the move:

“Initially launched as an effort to package a full menu of online content and services, many players didn’t respond to the format. We’ve listened to the feedback and decided to do away with it moving forward. We’re still committed to creating content and services that enhance the game experience well beyond the day you first start playing.”

*or not

Source: Eurogamer

By playing the games themselves, players can earn the cards and use them to compile card sets. The cards can also be redeemed for game-related rewards like profile backgrounds and badges, and – of course – they can be traded. This will be mandatory for the serious collector; only around half the cards in a given set will be achievable through gameplay; the rest will only be available from other players via trade.

The feature is in beta for the moment, but it already has some illustrious titles attached:

• Portal 2
• Half-Life 2
• Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
• Team Fortress 2
• Don’t Starve
• Dota 2

Source: Eurogamer

The move follows news of a deal between Electronic Arts and Disney, the latter of which closed LucasArts earlier in the year, leaving Star Wars games a licensing-only property. EA has snapped up the license in a multi-year deal, and the new studio looks set to take the franchise reins.

There’s no word yet on exactly what DICE intends to do with the Star Wars universe, but its success with the Battlefield series hints at possible directions. It may also not be alone in its endeavour; Knights of the Old Republic developer Bioware is also owned by EA, though their participation – if any – is as yet unknown.

Source: Edge

Spoiler Warning: If you’ve yet to see GoT S3E6 “The Climb” be sure to turn away now! We’ll be discussing key plot points during the synopsis, and we’d hate to ruin the surprise!

S3E6 “The Climb” takes is even farther into the political intrigue and individual character stories that span the Seven Kingdoms (and beyond), and as you might have guessed, the episode’s name chronicles Jon Snow’s journey as he climbs the frozen ice wall that separates the  land of Westeros from the Land of Always Winter.

The wildlings have traversed the Wall many times now, with Tormund Giantsbane (one of Mance Rayder’s chief “generals” who is seasoned at climbing the Wall’s frosty heights) leading the pack with iron and bone ice axes, heavy thick spikes, and a safety rope system. Even still, the Wall is incredibly dangerous, and pieces often break off as the Wall weeps–proving that the massive structure is a living and treacherous thing indeed.

“The Climb” also takes us all over George Martin’s fantasy world with its layered, multi-faceted story, touching upon the travels and adventures of the main characters including Arya Stark who’s being held “hostage” by the Brotherhood Without Banners–and she’s quite mad at them for selling Gendry (one of Robert Baratheon’s illegitimate children) to the Red Witch Melisandre for a few bags of gold–as well as Danaerys Stormborn as she continues her trek across the cruel sands of Essos, breaking the bonds from slaves and reforming thousands of years of tradition in her wake.

We also return to the summery warm shores of King’s Landing where the tyrannical boy-king Joffrey rules, and is slowly being manipulated by the conniving (and quite brilliant) Margaery Tyrell at the behest of her grandmother Olenna Redwyne (also known as the Queen of Thorns for her crass and devious nature…yet she’s been a major player of the Game of Thrones for decades).

In last week’s episode we also learned of a rather scandalous plot that was drummed up by none other than Tywin Lannister, the patriarch of  House Lannister–one of the richest houses in all of the Seven Kingdoms–and Lord of Casterly Rock. The plot involves his children, Cersei and Tyrion, who he uses as pawns in a twisted game of chess: after learning of Lord Baelish (Littlefinger)’s plot of trying to escort Sansa Stark to the Eyrie, thus ensuring that he has the rightful heir of Winterfell and subsequently the heir of the entire North, Tywin aims to crush Baelish’s plan by marrying Sansa to his son, Tyrion.

If Tyrion were to marry Sansa, the claims to the North would be in the hands of House Lannister. Tywin also plots to marry Cersei, the Queen Regent–who’s famed for her ruthless nature and beauty–, to Loras Tyrell to ensure that the Reach may one day be under House Lannister’s reign.

The Tyrells also have their own agenda, however, and one of the main reasons that Margaery Tyrell is planning to marry Joffrey is so that House Tyrell may one day rule the Iron Throne. Love has nothing to do with it, assuming of course that anyone could actually love Joffrey, and all of these plots web and weave around one another in a true dynamic fashion that punctuates the series’ flair for medieval swordfights and supernatural mythical fantasy.

Sam and Gilly sit beside a fire after escaping the horrors of the mutiny at Craster’s Keep.

Dragonglass

The episode starts off with Samwell and Gilly trying to stay warm near a fire. Gilly is one of the late Craster’s daughters who had given birth to a son–something that was damning as Craster gave all newborn sons to the White Walkers as a truce to leave him alone–, and Samwell had saved both her and her son from the onslaught that broke out when the Night’s Watch men turned on Mormont and slayed him and both Craster in his keep.

Samwell is awkward around Gilly, as he doesn’t know how to act and he’s never been good with women, but the two generally warm up to one another as their adventure continues. Gilly is very thankful for Sam’s help, as she would probably have been killed–or worse–if Sam hadn’t rescued her. Sam is a crow, that’s indeed true, but his skills aren’t up to par with the Rangers…yet he does know how to get back to Castle Black, where he and Gilly can finally rest assured in safety.

During their fireside chat, Samwell shows Gilly the dragonglass spearheads he found back at the Fist of the First Men. These spearheads were actually gifted from the mythical Children of the Forest, and they have a very distinct function: to kill White Walkers. Other than fire, the obsidian is basically the only way to kill them for good–but of course Sam and Gilly don’t know that….yet.

The wildlings make their slow ascent up the Wall’s frozen face.

Climbing The Wall

We then venture to Jon Snow and the rest of the wildlings, who are preparing to scale the legendary and famed Wall and scout the forces of the Night’s Watch. Tormund Giantsbane will lead the expedition, with various other wildlings including Jon Snow and Ygritte. The Wall is treacherous to say the least and is filled with countless dangers, especially since the wildlings are making use of simple iron and bone ice axes, spikes and bootspikes to venture upward.

Tormund has scaled the wall quite a few times, something that Jon Snow found to be impossible, and the expedition surely leaves him fearful and wary–but he can’t turn away or say no, as he must prove that he is a true wildling or he will end up with his head on a spike.

Despite his efforts to fit in, Ygritte knows the truth of Jon Snow, and knows that he is just acting. Ygritte is very insightful and reads Jon like a book; she sees a loyal man that, despite his broken vows, will remain loyal to his cause regardless of what happens. She acknowledges his nature and his choices, and tells him that his secret is safe with her.

“I’m your woman now, Jon Snow. You’re going to be loyal to your woman.”

Anguy, the Brotherhood’s expert archer, gives Arya tips in bowcraft.

The Red Witch

Meanwhile in the heart of the forests near Riverrun, Arya is practicing her archery skills with the rest of The Brotherhood Without Banners. Anguy, the talented archer, gives Arya tips about her form and ability in bowcraft as she lets loose on wicker targets while reciting her death mantra that includes all of the people who have wronged her (Cersei, Ilyn Payne, and the Hound to name a few).

Soon they realize they have a rather surprising visitor who arrives with an escort of armed guards; a woman dressed in the iconic red robes that pronounce her as Melisandra, a priestess of R’hllor who’s loyal to Stannis Baratheon, the rightful heir to the Iron Throne. Melisandre notices Thoros of Myr–another respectful priest of R’hllor–and Thoros gives her a brief tour and introduces their leader, Beric Dondarrion.

Remember when Melisdandre left Stannis on an important journey? Well this is where she planned to go, and she has a very particular mission.

Melisandre, a priestess of the Red God R’hllor, has come for Gendry, no doubt planning something devious and awful.

Thoros also discloses that Beric has been resurrected multiple times, something that Melisandre disbelieves and is extremely envious of. She has been serving the Red God all her life, and has given herself up to R’hllor in every way; she feels if anyone should have this ability, it should be her. Thoros further divulges that it is not “his” ability, but the Red God’s: he merely asks for R’hllor’s favor.

The Brotherhood Without Banners may in fact seem like a loyal and justified bunch of soldiers, however they reveal their true nature when they give Gendry up to the Red Witch with much disdain and argument from Arya. Gendry has accompanied Arya ever since their escape from Harrenhal, and they have formed a bond as friends.

Furthermore, in episode 5, Gendry revealed that he planned to stay with the Brotherhood and act as their blacksmith to mend their mail and forge their swords–something that Arya disagreed with.

The Brotherhood sells Gendry to Melisandre for two paltry bags of gold, and he is taken away–no doubt to be a victim of one of Melisandre’s horrible fiery sacrifices to the Red God–to Arya’s dismay. She is disgusted with Thoros and Beric, however she has no idea what fate awaits Gendry at the hands of the Red Witch.

Tormund Giantsbane has crossed the Wall countless times in his life.

Scaling the Wall

The wildlings are now upon the Wall’s northern face, and it’s too late to turn back. They cling to its frozen surface like ants, making slow yet sure progress with each stab of their ice axes and bootspikes. The wind is treacherous with its frosty, biting blasts, threatening to knock the wildlings from the Wall’s surface. Nothing short of actually doing it could prepare Jon for scaling the Wall, and he quickly finds out how dangerous this expedition really is.

Jon’s heart skips a beat when a piece of the Wall breaks loose, causing him to lose his footing and slip. If it weren’t for the safety rope attached to each of the climbers, Jon would have surely met his doom, but the rope pulls taut and he is saved. Tormund gives a jolly laugh of approval, shaking off the danger, as he’s a seasoned climber–and has the heart of a wildling to boot.

The continue onward, the Wall looming high above, an ever-intimidating spectacle that’s quite alive despite its steadfast appearance.

The Young Wolf sits with his mother Catelyn while discussing Walder Frey’s terms at Riverrun.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

After beheading Lord Karstark, King Robb lost the considerable forces that the Karstarks brought, thus losing many precious soldiers he needed for his cause. The Lannisters have just had a considerable bump in their forces with the alliance with the Tyrells, who brought both men and food–something that the North is losing in quick numbers.

The Young Wolf also lost his allegiance Lord Walder Frey, a lord in the Riverlands who controls the Crossing, a vital bridge that spans the forking Trident River and is one of the most strategically advantageous positions in the entire region. Robb disgraced Lord Frey when he married a woman other than Frey’s daughter, who he was promised to, thereby breaking his solemn oath and forfeiting his deal set forth by Frey.

The Freys are quite seedy–and Lord Walder is a crass pervert of sorts with dozens of bastard sons–however they are a vital source of soldiers and one of the main houses of the Riverlands. And they control the Crossing.

After a heated refusal, Edmure Tully eventually relents and agrees to marry one of Walder Frey’s daughters as per Frey’s terms.

In dire need of reinforcements and the use of the Crossing, Robb Stark must needs suffer his pride and ask the Freys for help, and is willing to negotiate and make up for his past transgressions. Walder Frey sends emissaries to discuss terms with Robb, who is staying in Riverrun with Catelyn’s brothers–Edmure and the Blackfish.

Frey wants even more than he wanted before: a formal apology from the King in the North himself and Harrenhal, one of the largest castles in all of the Seven Kingdoms despite its decrepit and burned nature, as a gesture of restitution and goodwill. King Robb agrees. The emissaries continue with the demands, revealing that Walder wishes Edmure, the heir to Riverrun, to marry one of his daughters, thereby ensuring that the Freys are in line to reign over the Riverlands–as Riverrun is the capital of the region.

Edmure is surprised to say the least, and initially disagrees wholeheartedly. Robb points out that Edmure was in the wrong to sack the Stone Mill–which put his forces at a disadvantage and foiled Robb’s plans. Edmure finally agrees, but isn’t chuffed about having to marry a Frey woman.

The wedding is planned to commence in a fortnight, with the King in the North in attendance at the Crossing.

Olenna Redwyne, the Queen of Thorns, sits down with Tywin to discuss the various marriages that tie the two houses together.

The Lion and the Thorn in his Paw

Meanwhile, back at King’s Landing, two of the major players in the Game of Thrones sit down to discuss the alliance between lions and roses. Olenna Redwyne–the illustrious Queen of Thorns–attends a meal with the patriarch of Casterly Rock, Tywin Lannister, to talk about the marriage plans between Loras and Cersei as well as the royal wedding of King Jofrrey and Margaery Tyrell.

At once Olenna disagrees in her perfectly frank nature, much to Tywin’s chagrin (as he would have expected as much), yet Tywin pushes onward. Despite the fact that Loras is one of the most famed knights for his skilled swordsmanship, his “nocturnal activities” have become quite well known to people like Tywin, and he reveals as much to Olenna.

Olenna knows that Loras is indeed a “sword swallower”, as she puts it, and the opportunity to wed Cersei would give Loras a chance to dispel that rumor. Olenna also divulges in the vicious “rumor” between Cersei and Jaime’s supposed incestuous relationship, which Tywin fervently refutes, and the two actually toss blows back and forth in the form of words.

Olenna’s fierce nature isn’t intimidated by Tywin’s power or demeanor.

Olenna is openly crass and speaks her mind, saying that Cersei may indeed be too old to have children. Loras is a direct heir to Highgarden, the Tyrell’s castle-city (and capital of the Reach), so him having children is quite important.

In response, Tywin tells Olenna that if Loras will not marry Cersei then he will name Loras to the Kingsguard, which would mean Loras could not ever marry or have children.

Tywin is quite used to getting whatever he wants regardless of what it is, but in this case, Olenna disagrees and will not cower to his will. She breaks the quill pen, and leaves Tywin compelled to make good on his threat.

Tyrion meets with Cersei to discuss the ill-fated assassination attempt made on his life during the Battle of the Blackwater.

Meanwhile Tyrion and Cersei meet for a rare talk, wherein Tyrion wants to know the truth behind the assassination attempt during the Battle of the Blackwater. Cersei plays her role quite well, trying to mislead Tyrion, but eventually she reveals that it was Joffrey who ordered Ser Mandon Moore of the Kingsguard to kill Tyrion.

Tyrion asks if his life is still in danger, and Cersei tells him that Joffrey won’t do anything now that Tywin is around. Joffrey was paying Tyrion back in full for Tyrion’s ill treatment of him, but the boy-king also hates the fact that the dwarf doesn’t baby him or respect him–instead Tyrion treats Joffrey like he should be treated, which has garnered hate within the boy, and manifested in the failed assassination attempt.

Sansa watches, teary-eyed and distraught, as the ship sails away from King’s Landing without her.

They also talk about the coming  engagement between Tyrion and Sansa–which Tyrion is very much dreading. Even still, he must persevere, and sets off for Sansa’s quarters to inform her of the upcoming matrimony. Shae is there, tending to Sansa, and Tyrion tries to get Shae to leave but Sansa insists on her staying…and Tyrion delivers the bad news with a heavy heart.

As the ship sails away to the Eyrie–that very same ship that Sansa had dreamed about, the ship that would deliver her from the snake’s den that is King’s Landing–Sansa watches, teary eyed and discontent. She had so looked forward to finally escaping this living hell she finds herself in, but she won’t find a way out this easily…

Atop the Wall

As the wildlings make their slow ascent, the Wall proves its treacherous nature as an entire chunk of its face cracks and slides off, leaving the other half of the party falling to their doom. Jon, Tormund, Orell and Ygritte are all that remains of the expedition, and the crack spreads to them, leaving Ygritte and Jon dangling precariously above a wretched fate.

Orell the warg tries to cut the rope while Tormund uses his strength to keep from falling, clamped into the side of the Wall with his ice axe. Jon sees the rope start to fray under Orell’s blade, and tries to swing his way to the side of the Wall like a pendulum to fasten his grip within its icy surface.

The sprawling vistas from atop the wall.

A millisecond after the rope is finally cut, Jon finds purchase into the side of the wall, establishing a grip, and Ygritte falls past him. The rope pulls taught and Jon supports her weight, saving her from a death-dealing drop. The entire moment only lasts half a minute but feels like a lifetime and instills a moment of true suspense, showing how dangerous the Wall really is.

Finally what’s left of the expedition reaches the top of the wall, with Ygritte and Jon laying on solid ground, relieved that they survived the terrifying situation they had just faced.

Jon sneaks a kiss from Ygritte atop the wall, enjoying the incredible and breathtaking view.

Orell looks at them with wary distrust, as he had tried to send them to their doom, his hawk circling above to scout the skies. Jon and Ygritte finally get up to look out at the impeccable view offered by the height, revealing a truly incredible landscape that stretches all across the Seven Kingdoms.

The view will be short lived, though, as they still have to face the rigors of the Wall once again to get down…

“In the space of a few months, the Wii U’s little brother, the handheld 3DS, has become my favourite gaming console,

“I don’t mean favourite handheld console, I mean favourite console full stop.”

A lot of the praise for the handheld comes from its eShop service, which was compared to the Apple App store.

“It’s in the eShop — the 3DS equivalent of the Apple App Store — that the machine is making its biggest strides. Full-price titles such as Fire Emblem (my 2013 game of the year), Luigi’s Mansion (excellent) and Monster Hunter sit beside brilliant budget games like Fallblox (best game ever for a fiver), Mario Minis On The Move, VVVVVV and HarmoKnight — starting at a fiver.

“None of the games are of the throwaway 69p variety on your phone. They’re proper pieces of software worthy of your attention. I now have more than 20 sitting on the homescreen of my 3DS I can play at any time. And there’s ample space for 40 more with a 32GB SanDisk SD card, which can be picked up for a tenner.

“After fairly pants sales in 2012, the 3DS is now a million ahead of the DS at the same point. That’s something Sony’s Vita can’t say about its predecessor PSP.”

Despite all of the praise given to the 3DS, The Sun still took some jabs at the handheld’s big brother the Wii U.

“So here’s the bad news for Nintendo — I am the only person I know who has a Wii U,” it added. “Even the most ardent Nintendo fan would have to confess that it’s been a pretty duff six months since the launch.

“So for what it’s worth, here’s my advice to Nintendo — wind down the home console stuff.”

Source: The Sun