PlayStation Network’s problems will have many far-reaching effects but the timing couldn’t have been worse for THQ as two of its big experiments were caught right in the middle of the PSN outage.

MX vs ATV Alive was the first THQ game to try a $39.99 price point, about $20 cheaper than more new PS3 and Xbox 360 games. THQ execs reasoned that if the game itself were cheaper, players might be more likely to spend money on downloadable content. Thanks to the PSN outage, it will be hard for THQ to get accurate data from the PS3 side.

The lengthy outage left consumers unable to download content or play the game online. Things are getting back to normal but THQ has no way to know what its early PS3 online environment would have been like. THQ wasn’t the only company looking to that data. The publisher attracted a lot of attention and both insiders to gamers want to see what will happen. If MX vs ATV Alive doesn’t do well for reasons that aren’t THQ’s fault, it could end a price structure customers would love to see take hold.

Unlike previous Red Faction games that dealt with shooting things on foot, Battlegrounds is a vehicular combat game. However much like Red Faction: Guerrilla, everything in Battlegrounds is destructible. THQ is focusing on the multiplayer aspect of Battlegrounds, but there will be single-player challenges included. You and your friends (or enemies) can choose from different vehicle types such as mechs, tanks and combat walkers.

EA Sports’ denials about NBA Jam coming only to the Nintendo Wii never really made any sense. Now EA’s diabolical master plan has been revealed. NBA Jam will be available to PS3 and Xbox 360 owners, provided they pony up the cash for NBA Elite 11. EA’s latest basketball sim will come with a code allowing a download of the arcade b-baller.

EA Sports has revealed some of the madness that will ensue in its Madden Arcade downloadable title coming to PlayStation Network and Xbox Live this week.

This downloadable title comes to PSN November 24, 2009 and XBLA November 25, 2009. It costs $14.99 on PSN or 1200 Microsoft Points on XBLA.

Teams will have the opportunity to receive powerups – called Game Changers – before every play and can choose to use them right then or save them for later.

Click through for a list…

LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias is a charming little game. I hesitate to say that because it calls to mind singing mice or scruffy puppies with hearts of gold but that’s what Winter of the Melodias is: charming.

It’s also a gorgeous game with some good puzzles, a nice dose of adventure, and fairly unique combat that’ll appeal to gamers of all types.

Are you interested in playing Madden but have no desire to learn the Wildcat, shift coverages and defend against “nanos?” EA Sports is channeling the days of High Impact Football and NFL Blitz with Madden NFL Arcade, a downloadable title for PlayStation Network and Xbox Live that touts fast-paced 5-on-5 football with a 60-yard field.

There are no penalties, field goals or first-downs and Madden Arcade games play to a predetermined number of points with no set time limit.

Also, the frenetic play includes “Game Changers,” powerups that do things such as summon an army of defensive linemen and freeze your opponent’s player in place. It will include four-player local co-op and online head-to-head play. Oh, and of course there will be Xbox Achievements and PS3 Trophies

Critter Crunch for PSN is a totally redesigned iPhone puzzle adventure game that was released on October 8, 2009. The original was filled with charm and provided countless hours of stomach filling gameplay. Did the quality of the original get lost in translation or does the PS3 have a new top puzzler? Read on to find out.

Title: SchizoidPrice: 800 Microsoft Points (US$10.00)System(s): Xbox LiveRelease Date: July 9, 2008Publisher (Developer): Microsoft (Torpex Games)ESRB Rating: “Everyone” for mild fantasy violence.Pros: Fun and addictive two-player game with good particle effects and smooth controls. Single-player two-ship “Uberschizoid” mode.Cons: Single-player CPU teammate is occasionally idiotic.Overall Score: Two thumbs up; 91/100; A-; * * * * out of five.

Schizoid is a game of dualities. First, the name implies that it is meant for a single player (remember that “schizoid personality disorder” is antisocial behavior where the person tries to be alone) yet is most definitely a two-player game. Also, it may be a killer two-player game but it also has an amazingly fun single-player mode where you control both of the game’s avatars with one controller.

It’s hectic, it’s confusing, it’s frustrating and it’s friggin’ fun.

Click through for the full review…

Title: Sea Life SafariPrice: 800 Microsoft Points (US$10)System(s): Xbox LiveRelease Date: June 18, 2008Publisher (Developer): Sierra Online (Wanako)ESRB Rating: “Everyone”Pros: Some nice graphics and potentially entertaining for young gamers who like to collect stuff.Cons: Too short, a bit too easy, promotes throwing stuff at fish and an awkward representation of photo judgment.Overall Score: One thumb sideways, one thumb down; 69/100; D+; * 1/2 out of five.

Forget the breathing apparatus. Never mind chartering a potentially expensive boat. Don’t even worry about a stinky wetsuit. Sea Life Safari widdles down a tour of the colorful sea floor to a few voyeuristic minutes without the expensive hassles. Instead, you float around and simply take pictures of just about everything that moves and the entire game lasts about as long as your average diving cylinder.

Click through for the full review…

The upcoming graphic novel turned film The Watchmen will also be made into a videogame in 2009. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced July 24,2008, that the game will be based on the movie with an emphasis on the character personalities. Warner Bros. promises The Watchmen videogame will be an episodic experience available on Playstation Network, Xbox Live and PC.

Warner Bros. is taking a slightly different approach to producing a videogame tie-in to a movie. Given that history of movie-based games as being, well, less than stellar, Warner Bros. has decided to release at least two…