id Software’s output has been almost nil this generation, releasing only a single title — RAGE. While it was an ambitious title in terms of tech, Carmack and co even admitted the development cycle took far longer than planned. Not surprisingly, the company is anxious to move on, as its already looking to get a jump start on the next-generation of platforms.

A job listing posted over on parent company ZeniMax’s site calls for a talented 3D environmental artist, specifically with experience “with the full range of Next-Gen asset creation, from high resolution and low polygon modeling, to UV and multi-pass texture creation.” Candidates should also have “familiarity with the id Software family of engines, tools and material creation.”

Doom 4 is apparently still headed to PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 in 2013 — though we still haven’t seen or heard a peep about it in quite awhile. It’ll be a no-show at this year’s E3, too, unless a surprise announcement is in store. Makes us wonder if the project is switching over to next-gen. Only time will tell, we suppose.

In a truly commendable move, Atlus has announced that it will once again extend online server support for Demon’s Souls in North America. The servers were originally scheduled to shut down on May 31, 2012. Atlus plans to continue maintaining the servers for the “foreseeable future,” provided user activity and interest remain constant.

Considering Atlus is a smaller publisher, we’re sure a decision like this isn’t as easy for them to make economically, especially when gaming giants like EA shut down game servers a few years after the fact in some cases. It’s always nice to see a company go above and beyond for their fans. Full statement is after the break.

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A patent filed by Sony in 2011 has been discovered and made public on NeoGAF. The patent is for in-game advertising. Now, I’m not talking about shameless ads on posters or billboards within a game’s world. No, this patent idea is much sleazier.

Titled Advertisement Scheme for Use with Interactive Content (that’s funny because it would be a damn scheme), the patent indicates that a message would appear onscreen during a gamer’s play session warning that person that an ad would pop up shortly. Gameplay would then be “suspended” and a commercial would run. After the ad, “at least a portion” of the gameplay would be rewound, and the game would continue.

Now, it should be noted that this patent probably won’t lead to anything, and it seems like this was just an idea that was brainstormed and entertained (possibly by drunk people). If it did, though, it would be really disgusting for a couple of reasons. For starters, it would interrupt gamers’ experiences and even ruin gameplay for individuals who are really invested in a game. Also, it would be horrible because we already pay $60 for games, so in-game advertising would mean that publishers are just getting more money and ruining our time with a game in the process.

Again, this probably won’t happen, and it’s a good thing, too. That said, it’s pretty foul to think that the people who make our consoles and games actually think of the possibilities that schemes — yes, schemes — like these could entail for their benefit.

If you’re looking to put that PlayStation Move controller to good use, you might be glad to know that Resident Evil: Chronicles HD Collection will be landing on the PlayStation Network on June 26. The collection includes Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles and Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, which were previously only available on the Wii.

You’ll be able to gun down hordes of undead humans (among other creatures) while aiming with your Move controller. Both games received fairly positive reviews on the Wii, so if you’re a fan of light gun shooters or Resident Evil (or you just really want to bust out that Move controller), you may want to check out Chronicles HD Collection.

The set will be priced at $26.99 when it launches next month. Starting July 17, gamers will be able to buy each title individually for $14.99 each. That means you would have to pay 30 bucks if you planned on buying both at separate times, so it’s obvious that if you want to play both Umbrella Chronicles and Darkside Chronicles, you’re better off just buying the two of them at the same time.

Are you still playing Skyrim? Yeah, same here. It looks like those of us who have been taking our time with the game (as well as those who plan to revisit it) are getting something super sweet: mounted combat!

According to Bethesda, the new 1.6 update also fixes a number of bugs including situational crash issues, randomly immobile enemies, and button input problems. The beta update is available to Steam users, so be sure to check out Bethesda’s blog for details on how to download the patch.

It’s good to see continued fixes making their rounds for Skyrim. I doubt the game will ever be completely glitch-free, but at least little things (and in some cases big things) are still getting patched up. Seriously, though, mounted combat! That’s so awesome!

Stay tuned for details on when the 1.6 update will be available for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Skyrim.

I was originally going to use GIMP to add a PlayStation 3 logo to the image above, but I got lazy. Plus, that’s so cliche! So yeah, here are some pretty clouds for you to look at! You’re welcome!

Now that we’ve gotten through that awkward introductory paragraph, let’s talk Sony! Rumors have surfaced indicating that the PlayStation 3 and Vita manufacturer will announce cloud gaming for its consoles at this year’s E3 in less than two weeks.

According to VG24/7, Sony is in talks with either OnLive or Gaikai to incorporate the service to its platforms. It would certainly be an intriguing idea. We’ll know for sure whether there’s any substance to these rumors come Sony’s E3 press conference on June 4.

The Silent Hill HD Collection should have been a love letter to fans, but instead, it turned out to be a technical disaster on many levels. Missing textures and crackling audio was just the tip of the iceberg. What went wrong?

Senior associate producer on the project, Tomm Hulett, has revealed to 1UP that Konami’s porting crew had to work off a beta build of the original source code. Apparently, Konami couldn’t find the source code belonging to the original gold master. Whoops.

“We got all the source code that Konami had on file — which it turns out wasn’t the final release version of the games,” noted Hulett.

He added, “So during debug we didn’t just have to deal with the expected ‘porting’ bugs, but also had to squash some bugs that the original team obviously removed prior to release, but we’d never seen before.”

On top of fixing bugs and other oddities in the pre-release code, the beta build wasn’t complete asset-wise, either. Hulett says Konami had to rip textures and sound straight from the original discs and import them in. While it’s an unfortunate situation, it’s still no excuse for the crippled state the HD Collection was released in, we think. Konami should have bit the bullet and issued a delay, or canned the project altogether.

Yesterday we reported that Max Payne 3 had sold approximately three million units since its launch last Tuesday. We also learned that the PC version of the game is set to drop next week. Today we have some more news straight from Take-Two Interactive, this time regarding Max Payne 3‘s upcoming DLC.

Rockstar Games’ current DLC plans for its hit shooter are as follows:

• Local Justice Map Pack – June 2012
• Disorganized Crime Map Pack – Summer 2012
• Deathmatch Made In Heaven Mode Pack – Summer 2012
• Hostage Negotiation Map Pack – Summer 2012
• New York Minute Co-Op Pack – Summer 2012
• Painful Memories Map Pack – Fall 2012
• Trickle Down Economics Map Pack – Fall 2012

It looks like Rockstar’s got the next few months covered as far as Max Payne 3 is concerned. The DLC listed above includes new characters, maps, items, modes, and more, all designed to further enhance the game’s stellar online multiplayer component. Worth noting is the New York Minute Co-Op Pack. While Rockstar didn’t release details on that DLC, the fact that there’s a cooperative mode planned for the game is pretty interesting to think about.

During the days of the original PlayStation, a little 2D platformer by the name of Tomba! managed to receive critical acclaim and wowed the gamers who played it. For a long time now, folks all over the internet have stated that they want to see the classic PlayStation title on the PlayStation Network. For those individuals, it’s time to celebrate, because Tomba! is officially headed to Sony’s download platform this summer as part of its PSone Classics line.

Because the original developer, Whoopee Camp, disbanded following the launch of Tomba! 2, Sony will have MonkeyPaw Games bringing the title to the PlayStation Network. “Sony and MonkeyPaw have a good working relationship,” said studio head John Greiner in a statement to Joystiq. “I think they appreciate the titles we’ve brought to the Store. And they value the support we give the games. Hence, Sony is willing to work with us on titles that may not have otherwise been licensed out. Support is key.”

MonkeyPaw has been trying to develop Tomba! for the PlayStation Network for quite some time now, and while the developer would love to eventually port Tomba! 2 to PSone Classics, it needs to take things one step at a time. “Tomba! 2 is a possibility but we need to really sell Tomba! 1 well before we can extend our relationship,” said Greiner. “It’s the first time to work with [Tokuro] Fujiwara-san [the founder of Whoopee Camp] so we’re trying to make a good impression. Good sales have a way of opening doors a bit wider.”

Here’s hoping Tomba! does sell well. As someone who never played the original game on account of my lack of a PlayStation, I look forward to getting acquainted with this charming old school classic.

Sony’s announced that yet another bout of PSN maintenance will begin on Thursday. It’ll start at approximately 8:00 am PDT and wrap up by 11:00pm PDT.

During this timeframe, services such as the PlayStation Store will be inaccessible. Related services, such as Account Management and Registration will also be yanked offline.

If you’ve set aside a Thursday gaming night, your plans aren’t entirely foiled. According to PlayStation Digital manager Matthew Harper, you’ll still be able to play online if you connect to PSN within 5 days prior to the start of this maintenance window. Better sign on quick – as there’s less than 24 hours left.