Our anticipated timeline to get this thing live.
Congratulations. If you're reading this, I didn't screw up your username and password when registering your account. To start, click the "My Account" link and edit it as desired. Note: If you decide to change your password in the publishing system, you also must let me know, as I must also change the password that allows access to the physical "modcp" directory on the web server to match, unless you don't mind having two different passwords (one to access this area and the other to publish).
The Moderator FAQ is almost complete, and you can read it to get an introduction into publishing your articles. I still need to hammer out some details regarding graphic files, and hope to have that done in a couple of days.
Feel free to take the system out for a test drive by posting some test articles here in the "Modcp" blog. If you feel you are ready, you can post an article on the "GameWinners.com" blog. Note: There is no way to move articles from one blog to the other. Unless you want to cut and paste between screens, do not post something here and later intend to move it to the public blog. Since the actual News system has not been announced site-wide (it was only announced to our forum members during the vB3 conversion), don't expect a big readership. It's still officially in "beta".
However, hopefully by next weekend (April 17th), the News system will be live. By this, I mean that the top ten headlines will appear on the home page of the main site within one hour of being published here; the top five headlines will appear at the bottom of all of our cheat pages within one hour of being published here; and your latest three original articles* will appear on the home page of the main site.
*By original articles, I mean your "editorials" (not news headlines and stories). As they are published, I will choose the three best out of the current log and flag them to appear on the main site. As a new original article is posted, and is decided to be "feature-worthy", I'll flag it as such and it will appear at the top of the three, bumping the oldest one off.
This publishing software itself is only in it's second public beta at the moment. Thus, we do not have a built-in forum to discuss with each other (yet). However, the commenting system here is unmoderated, and we can use it as a simple bulletin board until then. Please feel free to post any questions you have there, or simply email me.
Step 2
Click the "Publish" tab at the top of the screen. Select either "GameWinners.com" for the public news site or "Moderators" for the private moderator section.
Step 3
There are several fields to fill out on the left side of the "Publish" screen. The required ones are marked with an asterisk (*).
First, complete the Title field with a brief headline that describes your article. Your title does not have to be a complete sentence, but if possible should contain something compels a reader to click through. The contents of this field will be the text in the link that appears on the news publishing system, the main site, and RSS syndication feeds.
Leave the URL Title blank. It will be automatically filled out when you submit your article.
Fill the Summary field with a sentence that summarizes the content of your article. You can enter more than one sentence if neccessary, but it is usually better to leave longer details for the main part of the article.
The Body field contains the content of your article. Articles can be either news or an original piece authored by you. We'll continue describing a news article, as original pieces can be formatted as you desire. There are two styles you can use to post a news article -- Slashdot type (http://www.slashdot.com) or Google News (http://news.google.com). You can visit those sites to see examples of those formats.
In the Slashdot type, the Body field consists of one or two sentences of your own opinions about the news story, with an embedded link to the source of the information.
In the Google type, there is no original commentary. Instead, it consists of a link to the source of the story along with a quote from the place you are linking to. This is allowable, under the "Fair Use" provision of copyright laws. It is important that you do not copy the entire story from the site you are linking to, as this is not allowed and is considered both plagaristic and a violation of copyright. Instead, start with the word "From" followed by a link to the story and a comma. The name of the link should be the site that originated the story. For example "GameSpot", "1up", or "Gamers" for gamespot.com, 1up.com, or gamers.com. Note that the .com portion of the site is not included in the name of the link, as it's obvious that you are linking to a web site. Then, put an excerpt (one or two paragraphs at most) of the story from their site in quotes. Remember to change any quotes that they may have in their story to single quotes. The final result will be something like:
From Super Duper Game News, "Big Game Co. today announced that they are releasing 'Lame Game 2', a sequel to 2003's original 'Lame Game' on the PlayStation3, Xbox Next, and Nintendo N5. Joe Dingleberry, vice-president of marketing for Big Game Co., stated 'This will be the biggest thing since the original 'Lame Game'. Basically, we just ran out of ideas and used some new 3-D models and changed everyone's name.' The game is scheduled to be released on April Fool's Day, with yet another possible sequel as early as Arbor Day.
The Extended text field is a sort of scratch-pad. You can use it to store notes about your story, or use the formatting buttons to create HTML there before cutting and pasting it into your article. Text entered here will not appear publicly.
The Trackback URLs to ping field is normally left blank. It is used for blogs to link back to one another. If your story is from another blog and they support trackbacks, you can enter the Trackback URLs here.
Notice the "Formatting" options below the Summary, Body, and Extended text fields. This should be left at the default setting of "< br / >", as changing it will cause your article to break when displayed and exported.
Step 4
The right side of the "Publish" screen has several options. Normally, you only need to highlight the names underneath the Categories heading to classify where your article belongs (in the GameWinners.com weblog). You can set your article to more than one category (for example, if a story pertains to the PlayStation2, Xbox, and Gamecube) by [Ctrl] + clicking the appropriate areas. After doing so, you can click the Update button to publish your article, or the Preview button to check your formatting. You're done!
Step 5 (optional)
As for the other options on the right side of the "Publish" screen...
The Entry Status setting defaults to "Open", which will make your article appear publicly. If you wish to make it private for some reason (it is a work in progress, etc.), change the status to "Closed". Do Not change the status to "Meta", as this is used to flag articles that will be exported to the main site.
You may not change the Author setting.
If you used the "Edit" feature to update a previously published article, you may wish to "bump" it so the news system displays it higher in the listing. To do so, change the values in the Date field. Note: Assuming you set your "My Account" settings to reflect your local time zone, the value you enter here is the date and time locally when you published your article. Note: If you set a date and time in the future, your article will not appear on the site until it is past that point in time.
By putting a date and time in the Expiration Date field, your article will be removed from the publishing system at that point in time.
Under the Options heading, generally leave the "Allow Comments" box checked (lets users respond to your article) and "Allow Trackbacks" checked (allows the system to track other blogs that link to your article). Do not check the "Make Entry Sticky" box, as your article will not migrate normally by time posted.
The Sites To Ping heading allows you to manually (de)select weblogs that list new articles from other blogs around the web. When the News section goes live site-wide, those sites will be checked by default. Until then, leave them blank. If for some reason you do not wish your article to be "discovered" by those article listing blogs, uncheck those boxes.
PlayStation users should prepare for another one of Sony's User Agreements
Sony has been sending out emails to PlayStation Network users to inform them that their PSN accounts are being converted to SEN accounts. SEN accounts are simply Sony Entertainment Network Accounts. So, why is Sony doing this? In their emails they say that they are trying to get to their goal of, "establishing a global comprehensive network platform of services across games, movies, music and more, all accessible from one convenient account." For the users themselves, they will notice very little change other than the name, and of course the User Agreement that PlayStation users will have to accept along with a soon-to-come update.
Emails are currently being sent out, so if you haven't gotten one yet then you should receive one soon.
Insomniac Is Finished With The Resistance Franchise
Will the Resistance series survive?
Ted Price, CEO of Insomniac, released the video below a couple of days ago to break the bad news to their fans. The message in the video states that Insomniac will not be making any more Resistance games. Price also mentions that the franchise is in the hands of other developers, so it is quite possible for future Resistance games to surface. For all the details, please watch the video below.
Star Wars: The Old Republic Gets Into Guinness World Records 2012 Gamer's Edition
It's raining awards in a galaxy far, far away
Star Wars: The Old Republic has been acknowledged by Guinness for a " Largest Entertainment Voice Over Project" award. The game features several hundred voice actors binding together to add a impressive 200,000+ lines of dialogue in the game. These statistics have never been reached by another video game or feature film as of 2012. Congratulations to EA, BioWare, LucasArts, and anyone else involved in the making of Star Wars: The Old Republic.
You can also purchase the complete Guinness World Records 2012 Gamer's Edition book today.
The latest Final Fantasy installment gets into the hands of gamers early next week
Everyone loves demos. They are a chance to try out a game before a purchase to make the right decision when buying your games. Square Enix will be releasing a demo for Final Fantasy XIII-2 this upcoming week for PS3 and Xbox 360 systems.
The demo will arrive for download in North America on PlayStation 3 on January 10th, and on Xbox 360 on January 11th. There aren't any details yet on what part of the game the demo will allow gamers to play through.
The full version of Final Fantasy XIII-2 will be released in North America on January 31st, 2012.
Batman is bringing some pals along this time around
LEGO Batman took place in Gotham City which allowed you to only play as characters in related to the Batman series. This time, in LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes, you will have a larger roster of characters. Players will be able to take control of Batman characters, but they will also have the opportunity to use Superman, Wonder Woman, and the Green Lantern to name a few. This large roster of available characters should bring nice variety and co-op experiences to gamers. Heroes aren't the only character being added to the game though. With the new heroes come villains such as Lex Luther from Superman, but the Joker is sure to make another appearance in the new game as well. Who knows? Maybe Lex Luther and the Joker will be working together to combine their evil powers.
LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes is scheduled to release this Summer on PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, DS, 3DS, and PlayStation Vita.
Kratos might be dead, but that doesn't stop him from staring in another God of War title
Timothy Williams, a music composer, added to his resume recently. Williams has done scores for movies like 300 and video games like Rise of the Argonauts, but now he has an unannounced title that gamers may be interested in knowing about. God of War IV has appeared on Williams updated resume as an upcoming project (image of Williams PDF resume above). No details on the game's story or release date have been acquired, but knowing that it exists is good for now.
Rumors Surface Of A Multi-Platform Epic Mickey Sequel
A new sequel for the Disney's Epic Mickey video game may be on its way
At this point, it seems that any relevant evidence of the game's existence has been pulled from sources. However, an article from StitchKingdom.com, a site dealing with Disney related news and information, suggests that Disney said in a official newsletter that Epic Mickey 2 was on its way. Disney may have added that in the newsletter as an accident, because now the information is gone. So, don't we still have that article from StitchKingdom.com? Nope. The article has been pulled from the web as well. A GameInformer article mentions that they saw the important information before it was completely erased. The information provided suggests that the Disney Newsletter says:
Disney Epic Mickey 2 is the latest game in the critically acclaimed Disney Epic Mickey videogame series. In this all-new action-platforming game available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii, Mickey embarks on an epic journey and is pulled back into a world filled with Disneys forgotten characters. Players can choose to play single-player as Mickey or for the first time players can also choose 2-player split screen mode. In the 2 player mode one person can play as Mickey wielding magic paint and paint thinner to dynamically change the world and the second player can play as Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Җ Walt Disneys first cartoon star Җ with the power to fly like a helicopter and use electricity to fight or friend enemies and solve challenges. Team-up and choose your path to save this forgotten world because the choices you make will alter the story and change the end of the game!
This information suggests a few very interesting details. First of all, the game might be multi-platform. The first Epic Mickey game was a Nintendo Wii exclusive, so Epic Mickey 2 would get in the hands of more gamers this time around. Also, this new sequel will feature a co-op option. Other missing parts of the newsletter suggest that the game will come out around Fall 2012.
If this game is actually happening, then a official confirmation will most likely be posted soon.
Time to break the bank again!
Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling has released the first screenshot of the upcoming first Map Pack for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 expected sometime in January. Which, is a photo of a lovely waterfall in a future map named "Park".
The first batch of DLC maps will ONLY be available to Call of Duty Elite Subscribers on the Xbox 360 at first as the subscription originally promised those who are subscribed will have access to the DLC maps for MW3 before everyone else. However, it is currently unclear how long it will be before it's available for non-subscribers at this time. Robert Bowling also mentioned on Twitter that there will be more than just maps, so there's a chance that more spec-ops missions are expected as well. More details coming soon.
The "Year of the Apocalypse" is preparing itself early with the official posted image of one the top-selling brain-splattering zombie games Left 4 Dead action figures by NECA Toys, said to be on the shelves Spring 2012. We all know how bothersome those "Special Infected" can be, but notably, how disgusting in appearance from typical zombies the Boomer is. And he's first on the list! Lets hope this will be the first of many different collectible figures of Valve's franchises. More details coming soon.
When world's collide!
During the latest Spike Video Game Awards, the latest development of the Tony Hawk series has yet again, been announced. Making this the tenth official Tony Hawk installment. (Not including other special versions/installments) However, this isn't the kind of Tony Hawk game we've been used to since Tony Hawk's Underground. As the "Pro Skater" title returns, so to many memories.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD features familiar levels from THPS and THPS 2 for a blast-to-the-past, rebuilt and remastered for modern machines by "Robomodo". The game will be console downloadable, and is expected to range around $15 once released this summer. The game will feature new and old pro skaters from some of the most recent past TH installments. As they said, "If we've been reading the Twitters correctly, this is exactly what the TH fans have asked for."
A classic title makes it way to mobile devices this December
In October, Rockstar Games announced a mobile version of Grand Theft Auto III in celebration of the game's 10-year-anniversary. Rockstar Games made the official announcement today presenting supported devices, price, a release date, and some promising screenshots. The game will be in the palms of many gamers on December 15th at a price of $4.99.
Take a look at the supported devices and screenshots below:
Apple iOS Devices: iPad 1 & 2, iPhone 4 & 4S, iPod touch 4th Generation Android Phones: HTC Rezound, LG Optimus 2x, Motorola Atrix 4G, Motorola Droid X2, Motorola Photon 4G, Samsung Galaxy R, T-Mobile G2x Android Tablets: Acer Iconia, Asus Eee Pad Transformer, Dell Streak 7, LG Optimus Pad, Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 and 10.1, Sony Tablet S, Toshiba Thrive
Artwork Revealed for Square Enix's New Medieval RPG
In an attempt to attract a new staff for a hushed project, Sqaure Enix has released the first artwork for an upcoming title. One of the positions Square Enix is hiring for is a Network Programmer. A position with a title like that might suggest that there is some online play that will be expected of this untitled project. A 3D Graphics Programmer position is also available, so 3D compatibility will most likely be available. Square Enix will also be working with Epic Games as this title will use the Unreal Engine.
No specific details have been officially released, so we have to judge the game based on the artwork (above image) so far. The artwork suggests that the atmosphere of the game will be dark. The castle in the distant horizon will most likely be the main focus of the game if not a very key part. The owl could just be for the artwork, or perhaps a companion in the main character's journey. Either way, the artwork is intriguing so far, and I can't wait to see more in the future for this game. Keep your eyes peeled for details.
Is there a special edition of Mortal Kombat coming our way?
The BBFC has a game listed under the name "Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition". It is obvious that the content included in a special edition version of the game will include Mortal Kombat (2011) DLC characters such as: Rain, Freddy Krueger, Scarlet, etc. This doesn't mean that there won't be other new features added to this "Komplete Edition". There have been no confirmations or solid details released about this game, but we won't have to wait long, because the BBFC has the game listed to release on February 17th, 2012, and you can bet that there will be a proper announcement soon to let gamers know of the games existence.
Ed Boon, co-creator of Mortal Kombat, teased in a Tweet last month that there would an "unexpected surprise" regarding the Mortal Kombat series. There is a large chance that he was referring to this game.
Black Ops Zombies iOS Now Available for iPhone/iPod
There's a Zombie Killer in All of us!
Treyarch's "Nazi Zombies" survival mode was not only a hit for the CoD franchise on consoles, but in the world of Apple Apps as well. The simplified iOS version of CoD Zombies that came complete with all available maps from the "Call of Duty: World At War" Zombies map packs that also allowed for Co-Op online game play, similar to the original console versions, has released the second installment featuring the zombie maps from "Call of Duty Black Ops".
The entire game has been "taken to the next level" Black Ops Zombies is a well-realized incarnation of even it's consoles, predecessor brethren. As originally presented in the console loading screens, the interface is laid up with a comic-style art when navigating the menus and HUD. Players are able to pick any of the original four characters to play from, as well as the 6 reincarnated new zombie maps. There are three difficulties to choose from: Recruit, Regular and Veteran, which is a considerable step up from the default console version.
As of December 1st, the Zombie-slaying app is available for $6.99.
Dragon Age Multiplayer Rumoured
According to Kotaku, an insider has announced to them that Dragon Age is set to move away from its singleplayer roots, with both PvE and PvP elements thrown into an arena-style experience.
While they are unsure if it is set to be a standalone title or whether it will be packaged as part of the main series, the use of DICE's Frostbite 2 engine is sure to be encouraging news to fans of the series. The Frostbite 2 engine, which debuted earlier in the year with Battlefield 3, has since been used on Need for Speed: The Run and early views of the game report that it looks beautiful.
And, if you like Dragon Age, why not check out our forums, where you are sure to find others who share your interests!
FREE Gears of War 3 Map Pack arrives on Turkey Day
New weapon skin along with my pumpkin pie? Sweet!
Tomorrow, Epic Games will be releasing the Versus Booster Map Pack for free as the stuffing in honor of Thanksgiving. Two of the maps are brand new to Gears 3 and the others have already arrived in the Horde Command Map Pack.
Epic Games also teamed with Paramount Pictures to deliver a special challenge based on Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol. Which, starting tomorrow, means anyone who watches the new Mission: Impossible trailer on Xbox Live can also get a shot at unlocking an exclusive Weapon Skin set based on Ghost Protocol as the gravy to go along with that. However, there's the catch that you have to be the Gears of War 3 campaign on Insane difficulty by December 25th, one month's time. If you already have, then it will be available automatically in the new weapon skin pack on December 31st.
Loyal Jak and Daxter fans should read this
HD Collections seem to be the "cool" thing to do in today's gaming world. It is great to see some of the best games in history make their way to current consoles. The Jak and Daxter series is reaching its 10 year anniversary, but that is not the only thing to celebrate as it will enter the trend of HD collections. Evan Wells, the Co-President of Naughty Dog, announced today that the Jak and Daxter Collection is real and that Jak and Daxter will finally debut on the PlayStation 3. To gather some excitement, PlayStation released the trailer below.
The trailer does let gamers know a bit about the collection. The first thing I realized is that the main three games of the series will be available. That included Jak and Daxter, Jak II, and Jak 3. Next, the Jak and Daxter Collection will offer 3D support for anyone who loves their 3D gaming experiences. I am sure that the Jak and Daxter games will offer some great 3D cutscenes. Finally, the collection will have full PSN trophy support for all the trophy collectors out there.
The Jak and Daxter Collection is expected to launch in February next year.
Let's be honest, everybody likes private betas...
The PlayStation 3 exclusive game Starhawk, the sequel to the 2007 release Warhawk, will be playable through a private beta starting tomorrow November 22nd. If You haven't been paying attention to Starhawk or want to know more about it; the video below that was released by PlayStation dives into the development team's thoughts and shows some of the gameplay that Starhawk will offer.
Now, every beta is different, and interested gamers probably have a common question: How do I access Starhawk's private beta? Well, there are quite a few different methods:
A.) If you receive emails from PlayStation and have played Warhawk, then you have a chance of getting a private beta code. However, there is a select number, and not all the gamers who have played Warhawk will be getting codes.
B.) Look out for promotions from partners such as: G4, IGN, GameSpot, 1UP, USA Today, and many others.
C.) If you have a voucher code from a copy of Uncharted 3, you will have access to a more polished beta early on in 2012.
Nothing has been said about PlayStation Plus members gaining access.
If you gain access or just want to discuss your thoughts on Starhawk, feel free to visit the GameWinners Forums
Warner Bros greenlit hybrid live-action/animated feature film in a world of building blocks.
Warner Bros, the studio behind Harry Potter and Batman franchises that have also had individual Lego video games is banking on Lego now being the next big movie tentpole.
Australian-based firm Animal Logic (Happy Feet, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole) will handle the animation for the film, which the trade says will be 80% animation and is slated for a 2014 release.
"Plot details for Lego -- an action-adventure set in the Lego world -- remain under wraps," according to Variety. "Casting for the live-action characters is set to begin in January."
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller from "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" will write and direct the movie. Along with, Robot Chicken's Chris Mckay, Co-directing.
More details are expected at a press conference in Australia next week.
Modern Warfare 3 Breaks Entertainment Sales Records
Call of Duty has done it again...
We have seen in previous years that Call of Duty titles (such as Black Ops or Modern Warfare 3) reach incredibly high expectations in terms of sales. Only two years ago, Modern Warfare 2 hit stores and 4.7 million copies were bought on day one. One year after that, Black Ops was released breaking the record with 5.6 million copies. The latest Call of Duty title has managed to break any previous record from a Call of Duty game. Modern Warfare 3 sold over 6.5 million copies in North America and the United Kingdom on day one. The game's release reeled in a impressive $400,000,000. Overall, Modern Warfare 3 earned approximately $40,000,000 more than Black Ops. "We believe the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is the biggest entertainment launch of all time in any medium", says Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision, in the official announcement.
The series has continued in the making of entertainment sales history. Modern Warfare 3 has crushed most movie and book sales numbers by a long-shot.
There's A Soldier In All Of Us.
Special guests Jonah Hill, a.k.a "The n00b" and Sam Worthington, a.k.a "The Vet" take it to the streets of New York in the new MW3 live action trailer to show the fans how an unlikely duo gets the job done, CoD style.
It was pretty obvious that Grand Theft Auto V was announced when I decided to visit the Rockstar Games official website and was immediatly attacked by an inevitable picture showing the GTA V logo. We know nothing for now, but the announcement does state that the debut trailer will be unleashed November 2nd. It will be interesting to see how they unveil this new project.
World Of Warcraft Subscribers Can Get Diablo III For Free
Blizzard has made an announcement at this year's BlizzCon 2011 that will make any Blizzard fan giddy with excitement.
Blizzard will be handing out free digitial copies of Diablo III, at release, for all WoW subscribers who sign up for an annual pass/subscription. Along with the pass and Diablo III, you will also get an "exclusive WoW Mount" known as Tyrael's Charger, and you will get guaranteed beta access for future WoW expansions. There are two restrictions to the deal though. First, you must be 18 years of age. Second, you must have a registered copy of World of Warcraft before or on Oct. 18, 2011. Check out the official site for more information.
No one knows for sure when Diablo will release, but until then we have a cinematic trailer to keep our attention.
Assassinate Your Enemies With Ezio In Soul Calibur V
There has been speculation that Soul Calibur V will feature a secret character. Basically the equivalent to playing as Darth Vader (PS3) or Yoda (Xbox 360). Rumors have surfaced recently about Soul Calibur V's secret character, but only one has proven to be true. The one confirmed rumor, announced by Namco, was Ezio Auditore da Firenze (Assassin's Creed) being that secret character. The even better news is that Ezio will be featured in both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions, unlike the fourth installment in the series. Below you can find a new SCV trailer featuring many of the characters including Ezio.
Reports are surfacing that Microsoft's latest Xbox, as yet unnamed, will be making it's debut at E3 2013, with three developers reported to be working on launch titles.
Among those reportedly working on titles for the new Xbox are Lionhead Studios, Electronic Arts and Crytek. Apparently, along with preparing for the upcoming 2012 launch of Fable: The Journey, Lionhead Studios is hard at work preparing a fifth installation of the series to launch with the new Xbox.
Reports have listed EA and Crytek as being in the very early stages of development of their next-generation games, while several members of Microsoft's Xbox team have their occupations changed to working on the hardware for the next Xbox on their LinkedIn Profiles, specifically Jeff Faulkner, thought to be the creative director of the "Xbox Next Gen." Most are expecting all four companies to announce their next generation efforts, supposedly with more development houses, at E3 2013, with eyes towards the Holiday 2013 season as a launch date.
Pre-Owned Buyers Of Arkham City Can Get Free Catwoman Codes At GameStop
There has been a recent trend of video game developers delivering extra content to gamers through codes that are packaged with the purchase of a new game. Recently more and more developers are putting these codes on services like the PlayStation Store and Xbox LIVE. The most common example of these codes are online passes, which are codes that are required to enable multiplayer experiences for the player.
The soon-to-release Batman: Arkham City may not be coming with an online pass, but it was announced that the game will be coming with a code that enables the player to play as Catwoman. Of course, gamers assumed that this was bad news for gamers who were purchasing this game pre-owned, because most pre-owned copies of games don't have codes anymore. However, in an e-mail from GameStop to Game Informer, it has been announced that these codes will be given out for free with pre-owned copies at GameStop retail stores.
Good news for gamers, bad news for developers.
Posted by
on 10/15 at 02:50 PM
New Arkham City Trailer Prepares Gamers For Batman's Newest Challenge
Batman: Arkham City's release is coming up fast. To get the attention of some anxious gamers, the creators have decided to throw them a bone and show-off a new trailer.
The trailer caught my attention because it features many characters that will be seen in this new game. Some of the characters shown are Hugo Strange, the Joker, Two Face, and the Penguin. Of course some of these villains are new characters compared to the previous game Batman: Arkham Asylum. However, some of the old characters, like Poison Ivy, will also be making appearances in the game. It's safe to say there will be a satisfying variety of characters and villains in Batman: Arkham City. Go ahead and watch the trailer below for some more scenes from the upcoming game.
It seems like Impulse Technology ltd. wants to sue Microsoft because of some Kinect patents.
Impulse Technology, based in Ohio, filed a case against Microsoft on July 1, 2011, because they believe that Microsoft used technology that was not theirs. The patents are specifically for technology that track a person's movement and play video games without a controller. The complaint from Impulse Technology states that Microsoft was informed of these patents before and that Microsoft has willfully ignored such statements. Basically, Impulse Technology wants to sue Microsoft for infringement of certain patents used with the Kinect.
Microsoft isn't alone in the battle though. Video game publishers that are also accused of using the Kinect's technology are stepping up to defend Microsoft. These publishers include Electronic Arts, Sega, and Konami. Supposedly the publishers are "guilty" of distributing games that infringe on some of the Impulse Technology patents.
Overall, Impulse Technology is looking to get injunction, damages, treble damages, interest, and lawyer fees out of Microsoft.
Yesterday, we saw some screenshots from GoldenEye 007 Reloaded. They were not much to go off of. Now, however, we have plenty of details regarding the soon to come shooter.
Today, Activision released some official details regarding GoldenEye 007 Reloaded. One of the most important things is the fact that this new remake will feature a brand new engine. The game will run HD graphics at 60 frames-per-second. Game modifiers will also be usable in the campaign mode of the game; these modifiers include golden guns and infinite ammo. The game will also have PlayStation Move compatibility, but no details on Kinect have been released. The game will feature a multiplayer mode with games up to 16 players. The Multiplayer will feature new maps, modes, and characters to the series.
GoldenEye 007 Reloaded is set to come to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 systems this fall.
GoldenEye 007 Reloaded Will Come To PS3 and Xbox 360
Back in 1997, GoldenEye 007 was released on Nintendo 64. The game has been recognized as a great FPS game, but also one of the best games on Nintendo 64. In 2010, a reimagining of the original game was released on Nintendo Wii. It is obvious that the GoldenEye 007 experience has only been on Nintendo systems. That is about to change.
Screenshots have been released of a new reimagining of the classic game that many gamers know and love. This new game, known as GoldenEye 007 Reloaded, will be released on PS3 and Xbox 360, rather than the Wii. The screenshots clearly show that the game's graphics will be a major upgrade compared to the game released in '97. The game has not been officially announced by Activision or Nintendo, so it is unsaid that the game is a port of the Wii title or if it will be redone. More information should reveal itself soon because Activision has a Comic-Con event tomorrow. For now, take a look at some of the screenshots:
Batman: Arkham City Collector's Edition - Official Content
Yesterday, we wrote that there were early details releasedon the content within the collector's edition for Batman: Arkham City. Today, we bring you a list of all the content that will be included in the $99.99 purchase.
As recently mentioned in our first article, a statue produced by Kotobukiya will be included. The statue is the Caped Crusader himself sealed in a nice box. Buyers will also get Batman: Gotham Knight, which is an animated movie that was released in 2008 and has gotten good reviews overall. Other than that, you get a art book, soundtrack that you will download with a code, and four collectible cards.
For $99.99 this may be worth it for diehard Batman fans.
Final Fantasy XIII-2 Comes To North America January 2012
It seems that Square Enix has confirmed a launch date for the North American release of Final Fantasy XIII-2 via their Twitter page.
The message reads: "FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 is slated for a January 2012 release for North America. Be excited!"
We are sure that a lot of gamers will be excited. Very excited.
Posted by
on 07/19 at 01:24 AM
Mega Man Legends 3 Gets The Boot
It looks like the Mega Man Legends 3 cancelled. But why?
Capcom officially announced today that the continuation of the Mega Man Legends series for the 3DS has been called off, and that there are no longer plans for the game. Capcom, of course, has recognized their supporters sorrow for the cancellation and has sent out their deepest apologies numerous times. Some gamers are probably beginning to think that the series may be in trouble, but Capcom ensures that this is not the case. In a FAQ list on one of Capcom's announcements, the question reads: "This is the second Mega Man game cancelled this year, what does this mean for the future of the Mega Man Franchise?" The answer following the question reads: " Mega Man is still an important franchise within Capcoms portfolio and we will continue to pursue opportunities to create new titles in the series"
Maybe Mega Man Legends 3 will fall into the hands of anxious gamers in the future.
In a recent video posted on YouTube, D.C. Douglas, voice actor of Resident Evil 5's Albert Wesker answers a bunch of fans questions. Everything from how he got started in acting to future Resident Evil games is covered in this extensive Q&A. At the end of the video Mr. Douglas has a special song for all his fans that starts at 14:25.
Posted by
on 07/18 at 04:43 PM
Early Details On Batman Arkham City Collector's Edition
Batman: Arkham City is one of the most anticipated games of 2011, so it was kind of expected to hear some details about some sort of special edition for the game. The details are vague, but it's all we have for now.
On several retailers' sites, it is said that the following will be included in the collector's edition:
- A Kotobukiya produced Statue. (The manufacturer is known for collectible statues)
- An art book
- Access to add-on content before anyone else
- Gotham Knight animated content
Some retailers mention that there is more to be announced with this collector's edition and that the above content is not all consumers will be able to get their hands on. The retail price is marked at $99.99 for release.
Did You Play The Uncharted 3 Beta? Well, 1.53 Million Others Did As Well
It looks like Sony pulled the plug on the very popular Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception Beta, but Sony also released some statistics from the beta's run. Most of them are pretty impressive.
First of all, Sony is calling this beta the "largest PS3 Beta ever". The stats they include in their announcement back up the statement. Over 1.5 Million people participated in the beta. 1.9 Billion kills. 48 Billion shots fired. 22 Million matches completed and with those 22 Million matches, 362 years of gameplay was put in this beta. So, it's safe to say that the beta was a success.
Why did the beta do so well? Was it the popularity of the game that influenced so many to play? Even though the game is one of the highest anticipated of 2011, the reason why the stats are so impressive is because of the free PlayStation Plus access. The Uncharted 3 was originally going to be for PlayStation Plus subscribers only, and it was. However, the Welcome Back program gave pretty much any user with an internet connection access to the Uncharted 3 beta with free month of PlayStation Plus. The beta would've done well regardless, but the jaw-dropping numbers are from the wide variety of people that could participate.
The popular movie/TV show streaming service, Netflix, already has compatibility with consoles like PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii. However, Netflix is going portable on the Nintendo 3DS this week.
All you have to do is download the Netflix app from the eShop. From there you login in with your current Netflix account and begin watching hundreds of movies and TV shows right on the 3DS. For now, the videos will only be streaming in 2D. However, if 3D movies become an additional choice on Netflix in the future, then the 3DS will most likely have full 3D support for such videos.
A couple of weeks ago, Square Enix announced that they officially shipped 100 million copies of Final Fantasy games around the world. As a congratulations, Sony decided to send them a little gift. That gift was a Chocobo cake.
The 100 million sales of Final Fantasy titles include sequels, ports, spin-offs, as well as the main series. Even though the developer has released a lot of Final Fantasy over the years, it's still a remarkable milestone to sell so many copies and have one of the most popular game series ever. The cake below is the same Sony sent to Sqaure Enix, and it reads: "Congratulations for the series surpassing 100 million units"
Recently, the hit Xbox Live title Limbo had been confirmed for release on PSN and Steam.
Of course, those interested in the release wanted to know a release date, but nothing was said when the game was announced for PSN and Steam. However, Dino Patti, CEO of Playdead, posted on the PlayStation Blog that the game will launch on PSN July 19th of this year. So in less than two weeks PlayStation 3 users can get their hands on Limbo, which will also be out for an entire year on July 21st. Until the release, here is some Limbo footage:
Every summer the PlayStation Network holds a sale to celebrate the season. The discounts are usually pretty fair, but this year PlayStation Plus subscribers get a little bonus.
All of the games available (listed below) will be 30% off for regular users. For regular users: Games that were originally $9.99 will be $6.99 with the discount. Games that were originally $14.99 will be $10.49 with the discount. For PlayStation Plus users: Games that were originally $9.99 will be $4.89. Games that were originally $14.99 will be $7.34.
Here is the full list of games that will be available:
-Back to the Future: The Game Full Series
-Chime Super Deluxe
-Dead Space Extraction
-Hard Corps: Uprising
-Pac-Man Championship Edition DX
-PixelJunk Shooter 2
-Risk: Factions
-Shank
-Scott Pilgrim
-Swarm
-Tales from Space: About a Blob
The sale starts July 12th, 2011, and it will end July 19th, 2011.
Limbo, Playdead's once exclusive game to Xbox 360, has been praised for its art and puzzle-platformer style. Limbo has also recieved high ratings of 9/10 from both IGN and Game Informer as well as many other reviews. It's safe to say that the majority of players who tried Limbo approved of the unique gameplay.
Rumors began to spread when Sony Computer Entertainment Korea had a submission for Limbo to be classified by the Korean Ratings Board. Of course, these rumors focused on the PS3 system because of Sony's involvement. However, it has been confirmed that Limbo will be coming to PS3 as well as Steam. Playdead CEO Dino Patti told Edge, "Limbo is production for Steam and PSN, and is coming very soon. I cant elaborate more at this moment, but we will have more details soon." So, soon enough, anyone with a PS3, Xbox 360, or PC running Steam will be able to get their hands on Limbo. No details on a date have been mentioned, but the game will most likely be $15. Keep an eye out for when Limbo is available for download on your system.
Supreme Court Upholds First Amendment Protection for Video Games
The Supreme Court has today upheld the ruling that video games, even violent video games, are protected under the US Constitution's First Amendment.
In the US today, the Supreme Court reaffirmed the decision that the First Amendment to the US Constitution was also applicable to video games, and that bills in Vermont and California aimed at banning the sale of violent video games would be overturned permanently. In 2005, California introduced a bill aimed at severely limiting or outright denying the sale of violent video games to minors. The bill was placed on hold, as representatives from the video game industry fought the bill, citing protection under the first amendment.
Today's Supreme Court decision confirms that video games, even those with acts of violence in them, are fully protected under the First Amendment. Games have long been vilified as being too violent, or causing kids to act violently or commit acts of violence. This is a stance that most gamers, industry professionals and supporters have vehemently denied. Avid gamers have been known to role play as their favourite characters, or take an extreme interest in the collectibles that come with popular franchises; however, outside of extreme examples of younger children, games are not often a target for reenactment.
Movies, music, even novels have contained gore and violence long before video games existed. Childrens' stories, best-sellers, even multi-award winning films have been known to contain violence, all of which are protected under the US Constitution's First Amendment. Now, thanks to the Supreme Court, video games finally fall into this same category. A small victory, or the end of one road which starts another for the detractors?
Have an opinion about this ruling, violent video games, or video games in general? Come and share your views with us on the GameWinners Forums
Posted by
on 06/27 at 10:36 PM
Killzone 3: Triple XP Weekend Starts June 24
In light of Killzone 3's new recently released DLC, developers of the game are running a triple XP event this weekend.
The event started June 24 at 9:00 AM Pacific time, and will continue to run until June 27 at 9:00 AM. It doesn't matter if you bought the new DLC or not, everyone can get in on the triple XP action by playing the online multiplayer. Regardless, the triple XP seems pretty generous and fans will love the ability of leveling up faster than they ever have before.
Brink DLC, "Agents of Change", Will Be Free For Two Weeks
Owners of the recently released FPS known as Brink will be pleased to know that the developers are being generous and offering the first DLC completely free for two full weeks.
As Bethesda's blog states: "the DLC features two all-new environments, five new player abilities, two new outfits, and two new weapon attachments". So, it's safe to say that this DLC has decent content, especially for the free price tag. The update for this DLC is already available for PC users while Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 users will recieve the update with the release of Agents of Change. The DLC will be available on Xbox LIVE, PSN, and Steam. There is no officially release date, but Bethesda is saying "early July". Make sure to look out for this DLC because it will be free!
This year, Sony decided to give us a little more God Of War at the 2011 E3 Show. Don't get too excited though, no "new" games were announced. However, the two recent PSP titles (Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta) are coming to the PS3 in a HD collection.
Both of the best selling PSP titles will have added features that the PSP doesn't support. The first is 3D compatability. Both of Kratos' adventures can be experienced in compelling 3D action. Both games will also have full, and seperate, trophy support. Trophy collectors will have a blast trying to get as many trophies from two full games.
As seen in the above trailer, the expected release date is September 13, 2011.
E3 2011: Microsoft Officially Reveals Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Second Halo Trilogy
Four games in Microsoft's flagship series revealed, two dated.
Possibly one of the worst held secrets of the year, Microsoft Game Studios officially revealed Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary at this afternoon's E3 press conference. Few details were revealed during the conference itself, being announced simply as a fully remastered version of 2001's Xbox launch title of the same name complete with online cooperative play. Members at NeoGAF have since identified the studios behind the title as Saber Interactive and Certain Affinity. The game seems to be running on the same engine as 2010's Halo title, Halo: Reach, but using the gameplay and physics systems found in the original Halo: Combat Evolved. Some posters have also claimed that Halo Anniversary won't have its own multiplayer component, instead following in the footsteps of Halo 3: ODST and being an extension of Halo: Reach's multiplayer, complete with new (old) maps. Whether the maps can be exported for a nominal fee or not isn't clear at present. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is scheduled for release on November 15th, 2011, exactly ten years after the original release. MSRP, according to Siliconera, is $39.99.
Microsoft also announced today the start of a new Halo trilogy. The first game from this trilogy, presumably under development at 343 Industries, is simply titled Halo 4. A brief clip shown at the end of the conference was all Microsoft was willing to share, however the game has a tenative release window of Fall 2012.
Sony Answers Some Questions Regarding PlayStation Network Outages
Any active PlayStation 3 user who has tried to use online services recently knows that the PlayStation Network is currently shut down. Since April 20th PlayStation and Qriocity services have been disabled. Responding to the frustration, however, a Q&A update was put up on PlayStation's official blog on April 27th.
The question everyone wants answered is, "When will the PlayStation Network be back up and running?" The truthful answer is: Who knows. Sony insists that they are working day and night to secure the network. As for a timeframe for services to be back up, Sony says, we expect to have some services up and running within a week from yesterday". This means generally around May 3rd. However, they only mention that "some services" will be available. Hopefully the PlayStation Network will be fully functional soon.
According to Sony, personal date stored on the PlayStation Network (email, billing addresses, etc.) was breached as the information was not encrypted. However, it is unsaid whether or not credit card information has been stolen. Sony says this: "While all credit card information stored in our systems is encrypted and there is no evidence at this time that credit card data was taken, we cannot rule out the possibility." It's recommended to watch credit reports closely if you have ever purchased anything off of the PlayStation Network with a credit card.
Among other answered questions, Sony mentions that all users will have to update their passwords through an update when the network is back up. We will have to stay tuned to Sony's announcements for further information regarding a date in which the network will be up and running again.
Kyocera Set to Introduce Dual-Screen Android Gaming Smartphone
Kyocera demonstrated their new dual-screen Android-based gaming phone recently.
In a recent demonstration of upcoming technology, Kyocera unveiled their latest bid to break through in the smartphone community with the new Kyocera Echo. The Echo is a dual-screen Android-based smartphone designed with gaming in mind. Unsurprisingly, the Echo looks extremely similar to a Nintendo DS, and the game being demonstrated, The Sims 3, looked and ran very much like it's DS counterpart, albeit with improved graphics.
The Echo is set to hit US markets on the Sprint network later in 2011, but many have concerns that the phone will not become the great gaming platform it's being touted as. For one thing, the phone uses another fork of Google's Android SDK, the Sprint SDK, limiting game developers to producing titles for one product line on one network. It's unclear whether the Echo will benefit from the upcoming PlayStation Suite from Sony, but early indicators are that the two titles launching with the phone won't be getting much in the way of competition due to the games being so severely limited to just the one device.
Namco Bandai Announces Armored Core V, Dark Souls, Tales of Graces F for North America
Company teases and announces games for their upcoming fiscal year.
Namco Bandai had good news for RPG fans on both sides of the console/PC style divide Wednesday, announcing Tales of Graces F for North America and pegging "Project Dark," now officially Dark Souls, for a 2011 release. Those who aren't particularly big fans of RPGs weren't left out though, as Namco Bandai also announced that they would release From Software's mech action game, Armored Core V, in early 2012. Finally, Famitsu revealed Pac-Man & Galaga Dimensions for the Nintendo 3DS. Namco Bandai's 30th Anniversary celebration of the two historic franchises wasn't announced for North America just yet, not even receiving a proper release date for Japan, however the two series were teased alongside Tales of Graces F.
Armored Core V Armored Core V looks to continue the multiplayer refinement started in Armored Core: For Answer by incorporating a strong team element. Teams of four combatants and one "support" unit compete in their customized mechs in multiplayer modes similar to those found in the first-person shooter genre, such as base defense. Reports indicate the presence of a lobby, which players can easily drop out of and join into mid-game, that will allow teammates to communicate with one another regardless of their field status.
Dark Souls Dark Souls is the spiritual successor to Demon's Souls, 2009's hard-as-nails Action/RPG PlayStation 3 exclusive. While there won't be any direct connections between the stories or worlds from the two games, Dark Souls will remain true to what its predecessor established. Difficulty is said to be greatly increased with the world being more expansive and seamless in scope, while most of the online elements found in Demon's Souls will also be present, in addition to new features such as cooperative and competitive multiplayer. Reports also indicate that Demon's Souls won't have its own servers this time around, possibly because of its multiplatform development, which may affect certain aspects of the game.
Pac-Man & Galaga Dimensions
Similar to Galaga & Galaxian back on the original Gameboy, Pac-Man & Galaga Dimensions is two unique games on one cart. The two games celebrate the 30th Anniversary of their respective franchises, and each incorporates the 3DS' unique features into the reimagined games. Pac-Man Tilt, a side-scrolling platformer/action game, uses the 3DS' accelerometer and gyroscope to allow the player to tilt the in-game world. This allows Pac-Man to stand on objects which can then be moved independently, which could result in some clever puzzles reminiscent of Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures. Galaga, on the other hand, has been transformed into a "3D" shooting game called Galaga 3D Impact. Players will be placed into the cockpit of the Galaga fighter, while the game itself is said to be an on-rails shooter.
Tales of Graces F
Aside from the teaser website, found here, no information has been given just yet. Judging from the localizations of previous titles, however, we should expect a late Q3 or early Q4 release. Tales of Graces F was a PlayStation 3 enhanced port in Japan, so there's presently no reason to assume it would be made available for a different platform while being localized. Sorry, Xbox 360 owners.
According to the yearly simulation done before the Super Bowl, the Steelers will be the victors of Super Bowl XLV.
In a simulated clash between the Steelers and the Packers, EA Sports' Madden 2011 determined that the Steelers will win the game by a score of 24-20. Going into the final quarter, Pittsburgh was up 17-13. Aaron Rodgers brought his team downfield to score a touchdown, putting the pressure on Big Ben and the Steelers. Roethlisberger passed for a final touchdown pass with under a minute and a half left. The Super Bowl MVP was predicted to be Wide Receiver Mike Wallace the MVP, for having over 100 yards and a touchdown. Surprisingly, this simulation has correctly predicted 6 out of the last 7 Super Bowls correctly.
In this article, I take a look at the new multiplayer maps released as DLC for Call of Duty: Black Ops
On 2/1, Treyarch released four new multiplayer maps and one new map for Nazi Zombies for Call of Duty: Black Ops, their record-breaking first person shooter. Costing 1200 Microsoft points for those on Xbox 360, the maps are titled Berlin Wall, Discovery, Kowloon and Stadium.
Berlin Wall, naturally, is stationed at the divide of East and West Germany, complete with a "No Man's Land" area. Discovery is another snow-based map with several choke points for those who enjoy fast-paced action. Kowloon is based on a level from the campaign mode and continues Treyarch's quest for interactive gaming with two zip wires, which allow players to travel quickly from one destination to another, although leaving them vulnerable for attack by those scouring said areas for kills. Stadium is exactly how it sounds. A sports stadium, based on a New York ice hockey arena.
Want to know more? The video below, courtesy of oiGamingx, gives a brief overview of the maps for you.
After all of the rumors for several years, Sony officially announced the NGP (or PSP2) at an event in Tokyo.
Along with its announcement of existence, Sony has also given us a list of features and specs that we can expect.
Features:
-Multi-touch 5-inch organic light emitting display (OLED) as the front display
-Multi-touch pad on the rear of the device
-Dual analog sticks
-Two cameras. One in front, and one in back
-Software titles on small, dedicated flash memory-based cards
-Three motion sensors, gyroscope, accelerometer and electronic compass
-Wi-Fi and 3G network connectivity
-PlayStation Network access, including ӓLiveAreaٔ, NearӔ and ActivityӔ log features Trophy Support
-NGP will be able to play PSP titles, minis, PS one classics, video and comics from the PlayStation Store
Specs:
-CPU - ARM CortexΙ-A9 core (4 core)
-GPU - SGX543MP4+
-External Dimensions - Approx. 182.0 x 18.6 x 83.5mm (width x height x depth) (tentative, excludes largest projection)
-Cameras - One in front, one in the rear
-Sound - Built-in stereo speakers, built-in microphone
-Sensors - Six-axis motion sensing system, and three-axis electronic compass
-Location - GPS and Wi-Fi service support
-Keys and Switches - PS button, power button, directional buttons (Up/Down/Right/Left), action buttons (Triangle, Circle, Cross, Square), shoulder buttons (Right/Left), right stick, left stick, START button, SELECT button, volume buttons (+/-)
Sony also mentions several popular franchises that may make its way to the NGP. These include Killzone, Uncharted, LittleBigPlanet, Call of Duty, Resistance, and more.
Sony officially announce a new PlayStation Suite Service, which allows Android users to play their favourite PSOne games.
Sony today officially unveiled their new PlayStation Suite service, which will be available later this year. The PlayStation Suite service will allow users of select Android-based systems to utilize the service in order to play their favourite PlayStation One games. This will also include non-Sony devices, giving the company a wider audience to target.
The PlayStation Suite is set to launch later this year, and while plans for future compatibility are unknown at this time, Sony has commented to say that it will be "starting" with PlayStation One games, hinting at the potential for compatibility with other platforms' games or even brand new titles. The PlayStation Suite will also feature on some of Sony's upcoming devices, including the upcoming successor to the PSP.
To celebrate 2011, PlayStation is cutting 11 games' prices half-off.
This is nice to see. Most of the games have good reputations and have been on the top download lists. Pick these up quickly because the sale ends January 31st.
Here is a full list of games as well as the new discounted price:
After a period of time to get things up and going, the closed beta for Killzone 3 will open to all PS3 owners with a connection to the PlayStation Store.
The beta will be accessible February 2nd and run through February 14th. Giving wanting fans just enough time to try out this highly anticipated shooter. PS3 users will also be able take advantage of the PlayStation Move and stereoscopic 3D features with the beta.
The online beta will offer one map and four game modes from Killzone 3. Frozen Dam is the one map that gamers can access. The PlayStation Blog announcement describes this map as: " a sprawling asymmetrical map set in an old dam facility". The three game modes available are Guerrila Warfare, Warzone, Operations, and Botzone. Guerrila Warfare is essentially Team Deathmatch. Warzone is the same as it was from Killzone 2; Warzone puts 24 players in rounds of mini-missions online. Operations is described mostly as an online campaign. Botzone is where a player trying to learn the game can verse up to 15 AI players. Botzone can be played with any of the other game modes.
The rest of the details of Killzone 3 can be answered by playing the beta that launches February 2nd.
Square Enix Announces Final Fantasy XIII-2; Official Trailer Revealed
Sequel to 2010's RPG juggernaut to receive direct follow-up "next winter."
Square Enix's 1st Production Department Premiere, formerly the Fabula Nova Crystallis Conference, was held Tuesday night and revealed new information regarding several games currently in development in both Tokyo and Osaka. A number of surprises were promised for the Premiere, and Square Enix did their best to deliver. Taking a momentary break from the games announced last year or earlier, Square Enix revealed a new game: Final Fantasy XIII-2. A sequel to last year's game had been hinted towards for several weeks, starting with an artwork by character designer Tetsuya Nomura sent to high-ranking account holders on Square Enix's member website with the message "She must not be forgotten."
While details on the game are scarce at present, the official trailer released today shows female lead Lightning sporting a new look in an almost cathedral-like building before squaring off with a new character dressed in black and purple. Early reports indicate that this man is Lightning's "rival," however it is unknown in what way he's opposing her nor whether they have a prior connection. An article in Jump Magazine this week also contained a vague passage: "In the world where I once existed, times path is no longer certain҅"
Final Fantasy XIII-2 is currently slated for a 2011 release in Japan, with the North American and European releases set for "Next Winter."
Spoiler Warning: Pressing play auto-skips this trailer to the 38 second mark. No spoilers are present from there on, however almost everything before that spoils the ending of Final Fantasy XIII.
Get The SOCOM 4 Beta With Your Purchase Of Killzone 3
With the purchase of one highly anticipated PS3 game, you will be getting early access to another.
An exclusive SOCOM 4 beta will be available when, or if, you go to pick up your copy of Killzone 3. Of course there is no say on how long the beta will be available, but PlayStation's Official Blog does say to look out for the marked boxes that say: "Early access SOCOM 4 multiplayer beta". The announcement from PlayStation did not say when the beta will start or end. I guess we need to wait until February 22 to find out more.
Anyone anticipating the soon to come action shooter, Bulletstorm, will be glad to hear that you can get your hands on the action early this month.
EA, and others associated with the game, have announced a Bulletstorm demo. The free demo will be available for download on the PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE on January 25.
Bulletstorm will offer 3 game modes including a single-play campaign and a multiplayer mode. However, the third mode, known as Echo mode, will be available in the early access demo. This is how EA described Echo mode in their announcement: "a unique experience that tracks and compares players scores while they play through locations found in the campaign.
It looks like Lara Croft is getting a HD make-over this March.
After announcing the new Tomb Raider game a while back, it seems that Square Enix is behind another related project. This project is a HD remake of three Tomb Raider games known as The Tomb Raider Trilogy. This Trilogy will include: Tomb Raider Legend, Anniversary, and Underworld. Bonuses include an exclusive theme pack and PlayStation Home avatars.
If you are a big Tomb Raider fan, then you can pick this collection up for $39.99 on March 22, 2011. Just the thing fans need to get pumped up for the future game's release. Signs say that this will be PlayStation 3 exclusive.
It looks like we will get to see some of our favorite fighting action in an all new Soul Calibur game.
Daishi Odashima announced that a new Soul Calibur project is in progress. Daishi Odashima is the new Soul Calibur director, and shared the great news over Twitter. Daishi Odashima said, "SC is back! Get ready, fans!" Katsuhiro Harada, Namco Bandai producer, shared his excitment for the new project as well. One of his several tweets on the subject included, "I'm really glad that we were able to start work on a new Soul Calibur!"
Katsuhiro Harada has already said that he can't release a launch date or any further information. As the project progresses, I am sure we will hear more from Daishi Odashima.
An interview of Dan Bunting, interviewed by Major Nelson, announces the first Call of Duty: Black Ops DLC called First Strike.
First Strike will be available February 1, 2010 on Xbox 360 for 1200 MS Points. Then, you will be able to get your hands on four new multiplayer maps, and one new zombie map. Here is what we know about each map so far:
Berlin Wall - Obviously in Berlin, fighting at Checkpoint Charlie.
Discovery - Takes place in an Antarctic setting. Map features a abandoned research lab from World War II.
Kowloon - Rooftop setting based on the single player campaign.
Stadium - A hockey rink in the United States.
There was also a new zombie map announced, but Dan mentions in the interview that the information is classified.
Nothing was said on a release for PS3 or PC, so this DLC will be Xbox exclusive until dates are announced.
Rockstar Games gave us a behind the scenes look into the complex making of L.A. Noire. They posted this video:
So, what do we know after watching this video? Simple. L.A. Noire is going to deliver a real experience. It's going to put you into the heat of deciding whether or not suspects are lying. This experience is all possible because of the technology they are using to develop the game. The new technology captures real voice actors' expressions while they act out each scene. The cameras used will get every facial squint, twitch, and crooked smile so that the gamer can catch the criminal or decide to let him go.
L.A. Noire has been predicted to come out in 2011. Stay tuned for more updates on Rockstar's anticipated title.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was a favorite among RPG gamers all over. Most predicted that a sequel was fair, and would come in time. They were right.
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has a launch date of November 11, 2011. Enjoy the this teaser and stay tuned for a full trailer.
Arkham City had its first trailer shown at Spike's Video Game Awards last night. Just from this video we know some information already.
First of all the main villain of the story is going to Dr. Hugo Strange. In Arkham City, Strange knows all about Batman. Strange even knows Batman's most important secret.
Hopefully our readers have read the Resistance 3 Story Update. If you did, you have a general idea of what the game is about. However, now we have learned more about when Resistance 3 will launch as well as an exclusive trailer shown at Spike's Video Game Awards.
In the above trailer you will watch real gameplay taken from the game. It features the main playable character Joseph Capelli and his companion Dr. Malikov. They are making their way through a flooded city on a boat, but Chimeran death squads seem to want to slow them down a bit.
Hopefully this game will exceed expectations. Its original launch date for now is September 6, 2011 and it's only on PlayStation 3.
Please be aware that this news post contains major spoilers from Resistance 2 in order to give a good look a the storyline of Resistance 3
Since Resistance 3 was announced gamers have pondered for a lot of different things. A pretty important thing that many of these gamers were wondering about was the story of the upcoming title.
Remember Joseph Capelli? Yes, the same character that killed Nathan Hale from Resistance 2. Well, he is back, and is looking a lot like the main playable character for this new installment. Resistance 3 takes place in a time in which Capelli stopped fighting. He has been in hiding for four long years with other survivors in Haven, Oklahoma. When a man known as Dr. Malikov comes to town everything changes for Capelli. Capelli decides to help Dr. Malikov in his quest to try and take down the Chimera. Capelli ventures off to New York City to try and help Dr. Malikov. Hopefully, their plan is a success.
Stay tuned and watch the Spike Video Game Awards (2010) for the Resistance 3 trailer premier.
Building upon PAC-MAN Championship Editions original six courses, the new game features more than 100 varied and mind-boggling mazes to navigate. Several new modes will also be available to test a player's pellet-munching aptitude. In Time Attack Mode, players will vie for the quickest clear time. Fulfill a series of objectives in Mission Mode or compete to devour the most number of ghosts gobbled in Ghost Mode.
The next installment of the award-winning Gran Turismo simulation racing franchise, Gran Turismo 5, is designed for play exclusively to the PlayStation 3 system. Known for its signature beauty and precision, this highly anticipated racer showcases new jaw-dropping cars, real-life tracks, and diverse racing styles. Gran Turismo 5 promises to deliver exciting advancements to the series, and in the process deliver in the most comprehensive racing experience ever.
Inspired by earlier games in the Donkey Kong Country series, Donkey Kong Country Returns is a new take on a beloved Nintendo franchise. The first Donkey Kong Country game developed for play for Wii, this new iteration blends familiar actions, levels and characters with a whole new graphical treatment and feel, as well as new control schemes and play options. Features include: a co-op play option allowing you to team up as Donkey Kong and Diddy, radically different visuals ranging from nearly 3D treatment to others that appear in silhouette, two different controller schemes and more.
A recent press release from Bethesda Softworks announces a new downloadable pack for Fallout: New Vegas.
The DLC will be called, "Dead Money". It will be available on December 21, 2010, and it will only be available on Xbox Live for 800 Microsoft points. There is no news on a date for the PlayStation Network, but hopefully PS3 users will be able to experience Dead Money as well in the future.
Not too much has been announced about what the DLC is about, but the Bethesda Softworks press release did say this: "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."
New terrain, foes, and choices are all most Fallout fans will want and need. Working with more companions should be a good experience as it usually is in Fallout games. We just have to wait and see what other surprises this DLC will offer in December.
Most gamers are familiar with Activision's Call of Duty franchise. It seems that every game that comes out gets a lot of hype. There is now word that there will be another Call of Duty game in 2011. Activision confirmed the works of a new Call of Duty title in a conference call with analysts.
What does this mean? What time period will the new game take place? Who is developing the game? These are all questions that have not yet been answered. Nothing has been confirmed in the soon to come game. Some people suspect a Modern Warfare 3, but it's way too early to be sure.
The new Call of Duty game is going to be a first-person shooter. This title should not be mixed up with Activision's soon to come third-person shooter title.
A lot of PlayStation 3 users are waiting for February 22 to come around to get their hands on Killzone 3. How could a game like this go without a special edition? Well, be thankful it's not.
When Killzone 3 launched in February, there will be a special edition available known as the "Helghast Edition". This seems like it's a must have, but is the price may not be worth it to some gamers.
The Helghast Edition comes with:
- Cloaking Helghast Marksman action figure that stands 6.5 tall. This will not be sold in retail stores.
- A "Behind the Scenes" DVD on the making of Killzone 3.
- A Killzone art book.
- A "Super Voucher" (see details below)
- A Helghast Helmet replica to hold your super voucher and Killzone 3 disc.
The Super Voucher will include an entire soundtrack exclusive to Killzone 3, a free dynamic theme, a map pack featuring 2 old Killzone 2 maps, double XP for the first 24 hours of online gameplay, and full access to every weapon and ability in online gameplay for 24 hours.
If you are a die-hard Killzone fan or just want to get a head start in the online gameplay then this Helghast Edition may be right for you. The entire bundle (with the game) will be available for $129.99 on February 22.
New DLC has been announced, and it's all about Joe.
Anyone who has played through Mafia II knows that the Vito Scaletta, the main character, serves some time in jail for quite some time in the game's story. Some may wonder what happened while Vito was away. This DLC is your chance to play through the events between Vito's arrest and release.
You will play as Vito's best friend, Joe Barbaro, and complete his missions and adventures. Included with the DLC will be: more clothes, more music, and more collectibles. The style of the gameplay will be similar to the Jimmy DLC. This means it will feature an arcade style gameplay. You will be able to choose what missions you want to do, and when you want to do them. It also has a point system. Completing missions, killing enemies, driving fast, and doing stunts increase you points.
This DLC will come November 23. It will be available for PSN ($9.99) and Xbox Live (800 points).
Medal of Honor will recieve a fee DLC with new maps and a new game mode.
This DLC will hit the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live on November 2. The new game mode that will be introduced is called Clean Sweep. Clean Sweep is an elimination game mode where players will have to stay alive to win the game. Clean Sweep will be playable in two new maps as well as two old maps. The two new maps are called Bagram Hangar and Khyber Caves. The two old maps available in Clean Sweep are Diwagal Camp and Kabul City Ruins. It has not been said if the new maps will only be available in Clean Sweep or in other game modes.
There is no reason not to try this soon to come free DLC for all of the content that will be included.
Dead Space Ignition combines an interactive comic-style story with three unique hacking mini games; Hardware Crack, Trace Route and System Override. Each game offers a fun and satisfying arcade experience that will challenge players with puzzles and twitch gameplay. Dead Space Ignition features a unique. Choose Your Own Adventure type narrative, allowing players to survive the horrific Necromorph outbreak in multiple ways. The game offers four unique endings and upon completion of each one, players will be rewarded with unlocks including an exclusive suit, all of which can be used by Isaac Clarke in Dead Space 2.
Gran Turismo 5 has been delayed.
Even though they are delaying the game's release, Sony says that the game will still be released for the holiday season. The original date was November 2, 2010. They can't really push the game that far back if it's going to launch in late November or early December. The game will still come soon, and just be happy that they are trying to make a top of the line racing experience.
Medal of Honor is a first-person shooter from the makers of Battlefield Bad Company 2 that redefines the genre. For shooter fans and modern military enthusiasts, Medal of Honor is a way to experience today's authentic warfare, because unlike anywhere else in the world of video games, Medal of Honor can deliver intense modern warfare gameplay inspired by the actions of the elite Tier 1 Operators currently active in the military. Features include access to Tier 1 Ops and Army Ranger storylines, realistic weaponry and large-scale online multiplayer.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is a single player Action-Adventure game developed as a reimagining of the classic Castlevania mythology. An entirely modern action console game, Lords of Shadow combines fast-paced weapons and magic based combat against otherworldly enemies, with platforming and puzzle-solving gameplay, to create a fresh gameplay experience that will thrill both fans of the original game series and gamers more rooted in modern action games.
One of the most highly anticipated PlayStation 3 games is getting an early beta this October.
Killzone 3 has a launch date of February 22, 2011. Since it was announced, I think everyone has wanted a taste of some early Killzone 3 sugar. On October 25 it will be possible to gain access to the Killzone 3 beta, but only under certain circumstances.
First of all, you must have a PlayStation Plus subscription. Second, you have to download an exclusive PlayStation Plus theme on October 19. On October 25, you will get an email, from Sony, with the Killzone 3 beta promotional code. There is a catch though. Only the first 5000 subscribers to download the theme will get access. So you have to act quick! All you have to do from there is enter the code and enjoy some early Killzone 3.
Here is the latest online trailer for Killzone 3 from PlayStation's official blog:
Sora's journey in Kingdom Hearts 2 has drawn to a close, and now a new tale is set to begin. Jiminy Cricket is looking over the journal he used to document his first adventure with Sora when he discovers a mysterious message. He didn't write it, so how on earth did it get there? King Mickey is determined to find out, so he and his friends decide to digitize the journal and delve into its deepest secrets. Inside this "datascape" dwells a second Sora who is about to embark on a grand adventure of his very own.
In Enslaved, players take on the role of Monkey, a strong and athletic, yet solitary figure, who been captured by one of the mysterious slave ships, which harvest the remaining population and take them out west never to return. Trip, a technologically savvy young woman who has also been imprisoned by the same ship, manages to escape. She quickly realizes that Monkey, with his raw strength and power, is her only hope to survive the perilous journey back to her home. She hacks into a slave headband and fits it on Monkey, linking them together if she dies, he diesօ Her journey has now become his and Monkey must now travel west alongside Trip as they traverse a demolished world, under constant threat of capture and mortal peril.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is a single player Action-Adventure game developed as a reimagining of the classic Castlevania mythology. An entirely modern action console game, Lords of Shadow combines fast-paced weapons and magic based combat against otherworldly enemies, with platforming and puzzle-solving gameplay, to create a fresh gameplay experience that will thrill both fans of the original game series and gamers more rooted in modern action games.
Rock Band 3 introduces the brand new Keyboard and 102 button guitar for an experience putting you a step closer to the real deal.
Harmonix challenges themselves to actually teach it's audience how to play selective songs in the newest installment, Rock Band 3 by introducing one completely new instrument, the Keyboard, and a guitar that's identically played like the real thing. With 17 frets and six strings, equaling an incredible 102 buttons built on the guitar.
While this guitar alone probably won't teach you how to play guitar, it's proved to be a decent and enjoyable solid start. Since it will accurately map individual notes and chords, players can learn basic chord progression and riffs of some of their favorite tunes.
Harmonix and Mad Catz will also be releasing a three cymbal expansion to the Rock Band drum set that will also be accurately mapped to Pro Mode.
The price and the launch date of the Nintendo 3DS has been confirmed.
The 3DS will launch February 25, 2010. It will be coming in at about $300 (or 25,000 Yen). Included with the 3DS is: a charger, a 2 GB memory card, and essentials like instructions and a warranty.
The 3DS plans to launch with some of these titles (could change):
-Animal Crossing
-Battle of Giants: Dinosaur Strike
-DEAD OR ALIVE 3D
-DJ Hero 3D
-HIDEO KOJIMA'S METAL GEAR SOLID SNAKE EATER 3D
-Kid Icarus: Uprising
-Mario Kart
-Nintendogs + cats
-Paper Mario
-PilotWings Resort
-RESIDENT EVIL REVELATIONS
-SAMURAI WARRIORS 3D
-StarFox 64 3D
-Steel Diver
-The Sims 3
With time, more titles could be added to the list of launch games.
The 3DS will obviously have 3D ability, and there will be controls to regulate the effects. No glasses are needed. Other features include backwards compatibility with old Nintendo DS games, and you can transfer downloaded content from a DSI.
There has been some comments going around that the Nintendo 3DS is "too expensive". With the great 3D features that the Nintendo 3DS will offer, I think the price might just be worth it. However, we will have to see how it compares with other 3D systems for the same price, like the PS3. There is no way in telling how this will compare with other systems until the 3DS launch in February.
Treyarch confirms the dead shall rise again in their latest production; Call of Duty: Black Ops.
Treyarch says:
"Zombies have been such a hit with our community that we were committed to bringing brand new zombie experiences to Call of Duty: Black Ops," said Treyarch Studio Head, Mark Lamia in a press release. "We've taken extra special care to retain the essential ingredients of our Zombie game, and have also crafted a nice surprise for the fans."
It has also been confirmed not to long ago that CoD fans that purchase the Hardened or Prestige editions of the game, the original four zombie maps from it's predecessor CoD: World at War included in the game when it launches.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Gets the Game of the Year Treatment
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves has been accepted as one of the greatest games of all time. It has won many awards and sold millions of copies. It's finally getting a Game of the Year edition.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Game of the Year Edition is supposed to come out October 12, 2010. Hopefully we won't see a date change. Here is a list of the content they are going to include with the GotY edition:
-PlayStation Heroes Skin Pack
-UNCHARTED: Drakes Fortune Multiplayer Pack
-UNCHARTED 2 Siege Expansion Pack
-Currency Multiplier which grants Double XP up to level 10 in Multiplayer
-Golden Guns option for the AK-47 and the 92FS 9mm pistol for use in Multiplayer
-Early access to ғRevenge Booster Ԗ you still have to purchase it with in-game cash!
-UNCHARTED: Eye of Indra Motion Comic Bundle (which includes Episodes 1-4)
-UNCHARTED: Eye of Indra ֖ Rika Raja and Daniel Pinkerton Character Skins
-UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Avatar Pack 1
-UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves ֖ Avatar Pack 2
-UNCHARTED Avatar Pack 3
-UNCHARTED Avatar Pack 4
-Pinball Heroes UNCHARTED for the PSP
The content above is over $30.00. That is not including the game. The total price of the GotY edition will be $49.99. That means you are saving at least $30 and getting a great game for $49.99.
If you have not played Uncharted 2, you will find that many gamers will recommend it. If you have ever been interested in the game, the time to act is now. This is a deal that can't be passed up for the money you are saving.
Claims have recently been made that PSP2 hardware is possessed by several developers.
The PSP has been around for almost six years since its launch in Japan on December 12, 2004. Worldwide the PSP has sold over 60 million units. For a while now, people have wanted to see or hear about an upcoming PSP2. Not a new model, but a completely new unit. There have been claims from developers like NetherRealm Studios that they actually possess PSP2 hardware. There is no way to tell when a PSP2 will come out, however. It's great to know that Sony is listening to their buyers as they have begged for a PSP2 for almost 2 years now.
No software or hardware has been revealed. We can only listen to rumors and decide if we want to believe them. A popular rumor mentions that the PSP2 will have touch-sensitive buttons. Others think the PSP2 will have phone qualities like texting or even calling ability. None of the information has been confirmed.
So, for right now, don't get too hyped up about a PSP2 from rumors. Gamers should expect some confirmed information, from Sony, soon. However, this might take a couple of months.
PC gamers will be able to experience the multiplayer action of Medal of Honor in an exclusive beta.
The latest Medal of Honor title has already seen exclusive closed betas for PS3 and Xbox 360 systems. On October 4, PC gamers will also be able to join in on the action of Medal of Honor. Similar to the closed beta, this will include two maps and two game modes to play. These betas will help Medal of Honor become a better online experience, so the more people that play the better. Anyone interested should act as fast as possible, because the beta ends October 7. To access the beta you must go to medalofhonor.com/pcopenbeta
Medal of Honor is the first of the franchise to step out of the WWII era. Be sure to check out the full game at launch on October 12. The game will be available for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.
Additional found Achievements and Gamerscore potentially confirms DLC for Reach
Latest Bungie Weekly Updates show an additional ten Achievements and 250 Gamerscore was recently added to the newly released, Halo: Reach. DLC perhaps? No official mention on the main site, but we can keep our fingers crossed!
For the first time since 2008, a player has been given a 100 rating in one category.
In week 2 of the NFL Season, Randy Moss, of the New England Patriots, made a fantastic one-handed grab for a touchdown. Not only did this catch look effortless, but it was also done against Darrelle Revis, who is often considered to be one of the best defensive backs in the NFL. As a result of this fantastic play, the most recent Madden Roster update boosted Randy Moss' spectacular catch rating to 100.
The next update for the Rock Band Music Store features 5 tracks by Anthrax, along with songs by My Chemical Romance and others.
The online store for Harmonix' Rock Band grows once again; this time, the additions include Anthrax, My Chemical Romance, 30 Seconds to Mars, Atreyu, Buckcherry, and the Doobie Brothers. Most notably is the inclusion of the Thrash Metal fan-favorite "Indians", and a live version of the popular song "Madhouse". Harmonix has once again managed to add several great tracks in numerous genres, allowing gamers to build their own musical library, making the game a much more personal experience. The full list of new songs is listed below:
Anthrax "Among the Living"
Anthrax "I'm the Man"
Anthrax "Indians"
Anthrax "Madhouse (Live)"
Anthrax "Metal Thrashing Mad (Live)"
My Chemical Romance "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)"
My Chemical Romance "Welcome to the Black Parade"
30 Seconds to Mars "Closer to the Edge"
Atreyu "Coffin Nails"
Buckcherry "Out of Line"
The Doobie Brothers "Listen to the Music"
The Doobie Brothers "Long Train Runnin'"
Originally launching in November, LittleBigPlanet 2 is now launching January 18, 2011.
So, if you were excited about getting LittleBigPlanet 2, look the other way for a couple of months because you're going to have to wait until 2011. It's bad enough that the date would be pushed back, but now it's not even arriving for the holiday season of 2010. Media Molecule, developers of LittleBigPlanet 2, did say this: "On the upside, we are going to find a way to give more of you a taste of LBP2 prior to launch, so stay tuned."
That could mean anything from a trailer, to a demo. We will just have to wait and see what they bring us next.
So if you want LittleBigPlanet, make sure to remember that the new release date is January 18, 2011.
Visit the Isshu Region and venture onto the center island where new and legendary Pokemon wait for their new masters. The two powerful Pokemon you can tame in these latest versions are the white, fire breathing Reshiram in Pokemon Black and the black electric user Zekrom in Pokemon White.
Pokemon Black and White connects all the games in the series and brings you even more fun. Aside from Reshiram and Zekrom, you can meet Pokemon with new associations such as the dream controller Muna and the earthquake making Meguroko. Be sure to catch'em all and build your dream team.
Hiyun City is trendy and ultra-modern, explore it as the smart and cool protagonist. Get new Pokemon balls and tools in the Pokemon Centers. You can also get drinks from the handy vending machines around the corner of every street.
There are more 3D graphics and dynamic camera movements to give you the full view of the city, your Pokemon and your enemies. Invite your friends into the game and show off your collection. If you want to connect to the players from other areas, you can upload your game data onto the internet and see if anyone could beat your records.
Demon Soul's hit stores last year in October for North America (February for Japan). Many have said that it was one of the best games of 2009, and one of the hardest ever. Now the developers of the hit RPG, From Software, are back and have announced the working title, "Project Dark".
Not much has been said about Project Dark just yet. What we do know about Project Dark is action RPG. There will also be new online features. Hopefully they will consider adding more multiplayer options than Demon's Souls offered in which you could only invade games or ask to take part in someone's game. Adding a chat function other than pre-set messages on the ground would also be a step up.
Project Dark is supposed to release in 2011. We do know that this game will be available to XBOX 360 and the Playstation 3. We do not know if North America will have to wait a little longer than Japan as we saw with Demon's Souls. From Software will give more details on the game in "Early 2011" as said on the official site. We will have to wait until then for screens, or a trailer.
Professor Layton And The Unwound Future - Opening minutes
Professor Layton and the Unwound Future is a unique puzzle adventure for Nintendo DS and DSi in which the player reveals the game's story and unravels its mystery little by little with each puzzle successfully solved. The third US release in the popular Professor Layton game franchise, Unwound Future contains the same addictive gameplay, hand-painted art style graphics and invocative music as its two predecessors, making it a must-have title for both new puzzle players and longtime fans of the series. Additional features include: 165 built-in puzzles, easy to use hint and game save systems and additional puzzles available for download on a weekly basis for a limited time following game launch.
The monthly NPD numbers have been released for console and software sales.
Not surprisingly, Madden 2011 dominated this month's sales on both Xbox 360 and PS3. The next closest game (Super Mario Galaxy 2) sold over 700,000 units less than Madden on either system. Console sales have also had interesting numbers, with the Xbox 360 leading, followed by both of Nintendo's current consoles. For next month, expect the highly anticipated Halo: Reach to top the charts.
Full numbers (approx.):
Consoles:
Xbox 360 456,000 units
Nintendo DS 342,700
Nintendo Wii 244,300
Playstation 3 226,000
PSP 79,400
Software
Madden NFL 11 - Xbox 360 - 920,000
Madden NFL 11 - PS3 - 893,600
Super Mario Galaxy 2 - Wii - 124,6000
Mafia 2 - Xbox 360 - 121,600
New Super Mario Bros. - Nintendo DS - 110,400
New Super Mario Bros. - Nintendo Wii
Mafia 2 - PS3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - Xbox 360
NCAA Football 11 - Xbox 360
Wii Fit Plus - Wii
An update for Madden 2011 has given back the previously popular pre-snap controls.
After quite a strong reaction from long-time Madden players, an update for the newest game has returned the pre-snap (audible, hot route, etc) controls to those found in Madden 2010. In addition, Madden Moments will be added throughout the season, to give players a more enticing reason to complete them. These Madden Moments are purchasable using Microsoft Points or credit earned through multi-player victories.
Pokemon Black and White Starter Evolutions Leaked?
Several pictures containing what look like possible evolutions for the starter Pokemon in Pokemon Black and White have been found.
Pictures have been circulating the internet recently in hopes that the evolved forms of Pokemon Black and White's starter Pokemon have been found. Keeping in mind that this has not been confirmed, here are the pictures:
The story of Vanquish is set in the near future. Russia and the United States are vying for ownership of the world's fast-depleting energy resources and the US has constructed a space station in order to harness energy from the sun. Russian forces capture this space station and divert its harvested solar energy into a blast wave that destroys San Francisco, aiming to force the US into a total and unconditional surrender. In response, the US tasks its armed forces with recapturing the space station before the Russians can annihilate their next target New York.
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions is an action-packed adventure encompassing four dramatically different parallel universes, each with its own Spider-Man armed with unique strengths. Each stunning universe has its own detailed art design and thrilling gameplay with challenging skill sets to master in order to unlock powerful new moves. Explore dramatic, stunning environments, wield explosive new powers, and face epic boss battles against extraordinary foes. Experience the legendary Super Hero like never before: Four unique worlds. Four distinct Spider-Men. One unparalleled experience!
Developer and publisher of the Megami Tensei meta-series to be absorbed by parent company and merged with fellow subsidiary October 1st.
Another Japanese developer has been dissolved today. Following developers such as Cavia and Feelplus comes word that Atlus, developer of Shin Megami Tensei, Etrian Oddysey, and Trauma Center, will cease to exist as an independent developer as of October 1st. Parent company Index Holdings, whom acquired Atlus in 2006 following their very successful RPG/Social Sim hybrid Persona 3, announced that the current staff will be merged with another of Index Holdings's subsidiaries, mobile developer Index. The dissolution of Atlus and its fusion with Index is said to best "leverage" the stable of properties Atlus has created over the last two and a half decades, as well as the Atlus brand name itself.
Given Index's focus on mobile games and the recent announcement of Persona 3 Social, a mobile spin-off, one could assume this will lead to an increased number of such games featuring Atlus's intellectual properties. Details beyond that are scarce at best, however. While the Atlus brand name will continue to be used for publishing, there's been no word on how this will affect day-to-day operations and future projects. Speaking with Gamasutra, Atlus USA Public Relations and Sales Manager, Aram Jabbari, declined to comment on how this may affect the North American publishing branch. Gamasutra reports that we can look forward to an official statement soon, however in the meantime the "Atlus Faithful" are sure to be on pins and needles.
Blizzard will be adding a patch in the upcoming month to address multiplayer balance issues in Starcraft II.
A number of changes will addressed in an upcoming patch from Blizzard in order to balance the multiplayer in Starcraft II. Many players feel that Terran are overpowered, while Zerg are extremely hard to master and at times, underpowered. Blizzard hopes to fix this by changing the following things:
-Increases in Zealot build times
-Increases in Reaper build times
-Decreases in Siege Tank Power
-Decreases in Battlecruiser attacks vs. ground units
-Decreases in Ultralisk damage
Metroid: Other M is a single player shooter for Wii that takes the beloved Metroid franchise into uncharted and exciting new territory. Set between the events of Super Metroid and Metroid Fusion, the game features unprecedented access to the backstory, thoughts and in-game interactions of the usually closed off heroine of the series, Samus Aran. Developed jointly by Nintendo and the celebrated Japanese development studio, Team Ninja, the game also features exciting play options, including the ability to switch between first-person and third-person perspectives, pointer and sideways Wii Remote controller orientation, stunning in-game cinematics and a classic blend of Metroid action and puzzle-solving gameplay.
A statement by THQ employee Cory Ledesma says that buying used games is cheating publishers out of money.
The popular used gaming market was called out by a THQ employee who claims that buying used games is cheating. Understandably, developers and publishers don't gain any revenue from used games, but it is an inevitable part of any market. Developers have begun taking away incentives to buy games used (such as giving 1-time codes for online play, which go to whoever purchases the game new) in response to this problem. Cory Ledesma says;
"[I]f used game buyers are upset they don't get the online feature set I don't really have much sympathy for them"
While Ledesma (among others) is understandably upset, it is a bit arrogant to assume that the video game market is safe from used games. It is interesting to see how far publishers and developers will go before fans begin to boycott games.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Rights the Wrongs of Modern Warfare 2
Unlike Modern Warfare 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops will feature dedicated servers and possibly mods for PC.
When it was announced that Modern Warfare 2 would not have dedicated servers, there was a strong backlash from the community. While this backlash did not disrupt sales of the game, it obviously turned some heads. Treyarch has announced that Black Ops, the new Call of Duty game, will feature dedicated servers. Furthermore, Treyarch is working hard to allow mods for PC so that there is continued interest in the game and any future developments. Treyarch comments,
"We plan to open the game up for modding sometime post-launch. We do not know yet to what extent you will be able to mod the game. There are some purely technical issues related to engine and internal tool enhancements that do not easily fit the modtools paradigm"
Sony Looking to Implement Online Passes in Future Games?
In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Sony of Europe's President, Andrew House, shared his thoughts on EA's and THQ's recent efforts to counter used game sales.
One of the more controversial topics of the past year has been EA's "Project Ten Dollar." A system designed to, in part, combat used video games sales, Project Ten Dollar sees the removal of online-enabled portions of select games such as Mass Effect 2 and Madden NFL 11. These portions are then made as premium downloads, costing between $5 and $15, which customers must purchase before being able to play their game online or accessing specific, online-oriented content such as roster updates or DLC expansions. This fee is waived for customers that purchase the game new via a one-time use code included inside the game box.
While EA's intents were and are obvious, the number of inconveniences imposed on customers by Project Ten Dollar speak for themselves. Concerns were raised again when Ubisoft, having taken heavy criticism for the ridiculous DRM (Digital Rights Management) used in the PC version of Assassin's Creed II, went on record that they were carefully watching EA's efforts and stated that they would probably follow suit in the future. Thus far Ubisoft has yet to implement an online pass system into their games, however publisher THQ was quick to act, adding an online pass to May's UFC Undisputed 2010.
Now it seems it may be Sony's turn. Speaking with GamesIndustry, Andrew House, President of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, expressed support for EA and THQ's online pass structure when asked about it and rumors that Activision will eventually charge for Call of Duty's multiplayer. "On the principle of making online portions of the game available or unlocked from the disc-based release for a fee, we're broadly supportive of that. And we're exploring actively the same option for our own content," House said. "In terms of just a charge for basic online play, thats something that we have to talk about a lot more and we struggle with a little bit because we feel very vindicated and base a lot of the success of PSN today - a 70 per cent connection rate across consoles - on the fact that weҒve removed that major initial barrier to entry."
Should these plans lead to games such as SOCOM 4, Resistance 3, Killzone 3, or MLB 11: The Show having online passes, it wouldn't be Sony's first attempt at combating used sales and pirates in this manner. Two PlayStation Portable games, ModNation Racers and SOCOM: U.S. Navy Seals Fireteam Bravo 3, have already used online "entitlement codes" required in order to play them online. This would, however, open the proverbial floodgates with third-party publishers wasting no time following Sony's lead -- at least on the PlayStation 3.
Amazon Discontinues Sale of Xbox Live Arcade Games
Amazon has stopped selling Xbox Live Arcade Games, but is continuing to sell Microsoft Point cards.
Buying Microsoft Points - the currency used on Xbox Live - is now the only way to purchase Xbox Live Arcade Games from Amazon. Previously, the online distributor allowed individuals to purchase games using money, instead of Microsoft Points. This was advantageous because Microsoft Points were designed in such a way that buying a card almost always led to having leftover points. Microsoft has recently lowered the increment of points sold from 500 to 400, to stay in line with Xbox Live Arcade Games which typically cost 400, 800, 1200, or 1600 points. Here is the official statement from Amazon:
"We are no longer selling Xbox LIVE arcade game codes on Amazon.com. You can continue to purchase Xbox LIVE points on Amazon.com and those points can be redeemed through your Xbox 360 console to purchase any of the games that were previously available."
Aerial warfare has evolved. So have you. As a member of the ultra-secret HAWX 2 squadron, you are one of the chosen few. One of the truly elite. You will use finely honed reflexes, bleeding-edge technology and ultra-sophisticated aircraft their existence denied by many governments ֖ to dominate the skies. You will do so by mastering every nuance of the worlds finest combat aircraft. You will slip into enemy territory undetected, deliver a crippling blow and escape before he can summon a response. You will use your superior technology to decimate the enemy from afar, then draw him in close for a pulse-pounding dogfight. You will do all this with professionalism, skill and consummate lethality. Because you are a member of HAWX 2. And you are one of the finest military aviators the world has ever known.
After a community backlash, Blizzard has stated that users will be given one free name change but have the option to pay for name changes afterwards.
When a player first logs into Starcraft II, they are prompted to create a screen name. What many did not know, was that this screen name was permanent, and unlike past games, was an identity, as opposed to a save file. After many complaints, Blizzard decided to take action by allowing players one free name change, in order to make up for any mistakes that may have occurred initially. Furthermore, players have the option to change their name for a fee later, however the price was not disclosed.
Though this is clearly positive news, the community has not necessarily responded that well. Some fans believe that users should be allowed unlimited free name changes because of the simplicity of programming required for a name change while others feel that paid name changes hold a player responsible for their actions. In any case, Blizzard has had some clear troubles with the launch of Starcraft II and it seems in the eyes of the fans that they can do no right, despite their best intentions.
Ubisoft offers a bit of extra in-game content and some swag for fans willing to fork over an additional $40.
Are you tired of every major release this holiday season having a "Special," "Limited," or "Collector's" edition? Grin and bear it a little longer, as Ubisoft revealed their Collector's Edition for Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood last week. Priced quite a bit higher than your average, run-of-the-mill special edition, Brotherhood's will cost you $99.99. In addition to the game, the Collector's Edition also includes two exclusive in-game maps, a full-sized, hard copy map of Rome, an art book, and a bonus disc featuring a "Making-of," a sneak peak at the upcoming Assassin's Creed comic, trailers, and Brotherhood's soundtrack.
The biggest item in the Collector's Edition, however, is a fully functioning Jack-in-the-Box. Retailers such as Amazon will stock versions that come with a Jack-in-the-Box modeled after The Doctor, whom first appeared in Assassin's Creed II, while GameStop will stock their own exclusive version that includes one modeled after The Harlequin. Both toys appear to be of fairly high quality, making the decision of getting one over the other that much harder.
Regardless of whether customers purchase the standard or Collector's Edition, Amazon and GameStop both have additional goodies available for those who pre-order. Pre-ordering either edition at Amazon nets customers a download code for "Helmschmied Drachen" armor, exclusive in-game attire for use in single-player. If customers opt for the standard edition Amazon also throws in a $10 "Video Game Credit," good for $10 off their next video game-related purchase. This isn't included with the Collector's Edition. Over at GameStop customers that pre-order either edition will get a download code for an exclusive character, The Harlequin, for use in Brotherhood's multiplayer mode. And don't forget about GameStop's exclusive multiplayer beta either, which is still ongoing exclusively for the PlayStation 3 version while supplies last. The beta runs from September 13th to September 27th, and the only way to get access is via a code from GameStop.
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is scheduled for on November 16th for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The PC version, which currently doesn't have a Collector's Edition, is slated for release on February 22nd, 2011.
After UFC Undisputed 2010's slower than expected launch, publisher THQ comments on the franchise's future.
While UFC Undisputed 2009's debut had no trouble topping the NPD's top ten best-selling titles for May 2009, selling more than a million copies across the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, UFC Undisputed 2010 wasn't quite so fortunate. Placing fourth and fifth in May 2010's NPD list, selling a little more than 400,000 copies in total, UFC 2010 was still far from a flop, however publisher THQ realizes that timing had more than a little to do with the drop in sales. Red Dead Redemption released in the same month, selling a little over 1.5 million copies, and has been cited as the primary reason for UFC 2010's under-performance.
As a result, THQ is now looking to slow production of the UFC franchise and find more appropriate release windows so that the games won't be lost in the holiday season or overshadowed by high-profile games such as Red Dead Redemption. "We're considering a longer development cycle15, 18, 21 months, rather than annually," said THQ's Brian Farrel on Monday. Exact plans haven't been finalized, although THQ plans to release another UFC Undisputed before March 31st, 2012. "The question is timing. That depends on the scope of the game, the window and how we want to release the game."
Soundgarden's Upcoming Compilation Album Packaged With Guitar Hero
Newly reunited band's upcoming album will not only be available for purchase through Guitar Hero later this year, new copies of Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock will come packaged with a physical copy of it.
We're pretty late with this one, I admit. But when you factor in that it's been nearly 13 years since the last Soundgarden release and even longer since their breakup in early 1997, "better late than never" seems appropriate. USA Today revealed back on August 3rd that Soundgarden, whom reunited back in January, would be packaging their upcoming compilation album, Telephantasm: A Retrospective, with the first print run of Activision's Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock.
This marks the first time a physical copy of a music album has been included with Guitar Hero, although a compilation "Companion Pack" CD was released for Guitar Hero III, and serves to further connect the music and video game industries. Telephantsm will include 11 previously released songs, including Black Hole Sun and Spoonman, as well as Black Rain, a previous unreleased song recorded back in 1991. Black Rain will be an on-disc song for Warriors of Rock, while the other 11 songs will be available for download and play on day one.
Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock is scheduled for a September 28th release for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii. Telephantasm: A Retrospective is scheduled for release on October 5th, with a "Deluxe Edition" and a "Limited Edition" available on September 28th.
A quick look at several development studios that were recently hit with layoffs, closed down, and/or were purchased by other companies.
Personnel changes are nothing new in the gaming industry. Studios bring in additional workers for new games and cut back after they're released, under-performing titles force publishers to be more choosy of their releases, or sometimes developers just need a change of scenery and migrate to a different studio. Several of these developer-related stories have cropped up over the last week or two, so we've compiled them into one post for easy reading.
Following the dissolution and absorption of Cavia last month comes word that Artoon and Feelplus have met the same fate. English-speaking gamers will know Artoon as the developer of Nintendo's Yoshi's Island DS and Microsoft/Mistwalker's Blue Dragon. Feelplus, largely made up of former Square Enix and Nautilus (Shadow Hearts) employees, is best known as the developer of Mistwalker's Xbox 360 RPG, Lost Odyssey. As with Cavia the Artoon and Feelplus labels will no longer be used, however the employees themselves have merely been reassigned to other teams owned by AQ Interactive.
Another Japanese developer, Flight-Plan, has also been closed down. Flight-Plan was founded clear back in 1995 and was best known for its Summon Night series of RPGs. Several former employees of Flight-Plan have already regrouped and founded a new studio, named Apollosoft. Their first game as Apollosoft will be Blue Roses: The Fairy and the Blue Eyed Warriors, a turn-based strategy RPG for the PSP. Nippon Ichi Software will be publishing the game on behalf of the fledgling studio.
French developer Arkane Studios, best known for their work on Dark Messiah of Might and Magic and Bioshock 2, has been purchased by ZeniMax Media. ZeniMax is the owner of development studios Bethesda Softworks and id Software.
n-Space is a name that won't be familiar to most. Responsible for several Wii and DS versions of popular games such as Call of Duty and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, as well as the 2005 GameCube game Geist, n-Space has gone about their job largely unnoticed. Citing "momentary reduced demand," n-Space has laid off about 25 of its 100 or so workers.
Finally, Realtime Worlds, developer of the recently released and critically panned APB: All Points Bulletin, has cut a large number of jobs. While attributed to planned restructuring following the release of APB, rumors are circulating that entire teams are being or have been let go. Realtime Worlds's first game, 2007's Xbox 360 exclusive Crackdown, received significant attention thanks to the inclusion of an invitation to Halo 3's multiplayer beta.
Nazi Zombie Mode Confirmed to Be in Call of Duty: Black Ops
The popular round-based survival mode from Call of Duty: World at War will reappear in Black Ops
Due to an error by Best Buy, it was revealed that the Hardened and Prestige editions of Call of Duty: Black Ops will feature the original four Nazi Zombie maps that were in Call of Duty: World at War. Although the initial map in World at War was just supposed to be a fun mini-game, the popularity of the game led to several maps being released and a huge community forming for the mini-game. Treyarch developed a full in-depth storyline to go along with the game as well.
While this slip-up by Best Buy confirms the return of Zombies, it does raise two questions; firstly, will people who did not buy the prestige/hardened editions be left in the dust and if so, how will this affect the size of the Zombie community, and secondly, will there be new Nazi Zombie maps in Black Ops? While the return of Zombies is good news, a lack of new maps would undoubtedly be very frustrating to loyal Zombie fans.
Fable III Designer Expects Game to Ship 5 Million Copies on 360 Alone
LionHead Chief and Fable III Designer, Peter Molyneux is adamant the latest installment in the Fable series will sell more than 5 million copies on the 360 alone.
Being well-known as someone that over-promises on games, you would think LionHead Chief and Fable III designer Peter Molyneux might have learned to tone down his promises for his upcoming games. When it comes to Fable III, however, that's not the case.
In a recent statement, Molyneux is quoted as saying that he believes the latest installment in the Fable franchise will sell over 5 million copies on the Xbox 360. When asked if that was meant to relate to total sales, including the PC version, Molyneux stood behind the statement saying "we want more than five million people playing Fable III on the Xbox 360, full stop."
Fable II sold well, with over 3.7 million copies sold, but Molyneux is standing firm in his belief that Fable III will do better. When talking about the reason for this bold sales forecast, the LionHead Chief stated that the game would feature "less clutter in the game, less aggravating little inventions that Peter Molyneux once thought was a good idea" and include "More clarity, better story, better cast, better balance. Of course, we have to do all this still with fresh ideas and a new feel to the game." This, Molyneux believes, will bring about a broader audience than in the past, leading the way to a more successful launch than its' previous incarnations.
Fable III is set to ship for the Xbox 360 on October 26th, while the PC version, which was set to ship on the same day, has been pushed back to an unspecified date.
Netflix Set to Introduce Films From Paramount, LionsGate, and MGM
Instant Streaming Set to Get a Major Boost with Blockbuster Titles Hitting Netflix
The popular internet streaming video service, Netflix, on Wednesday unveiled a new near-$1Billion deal that will allow the service to stream films from Paramount, LionsGate and MGM studios. This means blockbuster titles such as Iron Man 2 and Star Trek will soon be available for instant streaming.
As a part of the deal, signed with Epix TV, the station owned by all three studios, Netflix will be permitted to stream films that premier on Epix 90 days in advance. In essence, three months after its' debut on Epic, it will debut and be readily available on Netflix.
Netflix is set to start streaming these Epix releases on September 1st.
Sony Reportedly Making Android-Based PlayStation Phone
Engadget reports Sony is Planning a PlayStation Phone based on the Android Operating System.
After long-term speculation about a potential PlayStation phone, Engadget has today released a report claiming that Sony-Ericsson is presently working on a phone based on the Android Operating System.
Rumored to be a cross between the PSP Go and the Samsung Captivate, early mock-ups seem to suggest a mobile phone appearance with the PSP's d-pad and button layout in a slide-out keypad. PSP-capable titles such as God of War and LittleBigPlanet are said to be cross-compatible with the new device, while non-PSP releases, such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, could be "on tap" for the mobile device.
Sony has yet to confirm that the phone is in the works, but could be waiting for either Gamescon or the Tokyo Game Show to announce the new device.
Following reports of a patent request listing recognition of American Sign Language as a feature of the Kinect, Microsoft claims it won't.
After recent reports that the upcoming Kinect will feature ASL recognition, Microsoft today confirmed that the motion-sensitive device will not feature ASL recognition at launch.
When asked by GameSpot about the Kinect's ability to cater to the hearing-impaired via sign language, a representative stated that Microsoft has a tendency to file lots of patents to protect their "intellectual property," but that it does not necessarily make it to production. The Kinect set to launch on November 4th will not feature ASL recognition out-of-the-box, but nothing was said about a potential update later on down the line that might introduce this feature.
When launched the Kinect will cost $150 in the US and 129.99 in the UK. "It will also be available as part of a $300/ã249.99 bundle that will include the recently revealed 4GB Xbox 360 and Kinect Adventures minigame compilation."
Mafia II is a third-person, sandbox shooter that provides a look into the dark and unforgiving world of the Mob. Expanding on the original hit, Mafia, that captivated more than 2 million gamers around the world, this new incarnation takes players even deeper into the Mafia with a mature and exciting experience that allows players to explore the gameworld as they wish and immerses them in it like never before. Features include complete gangster movie experience, a wide variety of combat (including vehicular) a mood setting soundtrack and much more.
Full Setlist for Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock Leaked?
Through a clip on YouTube, the setlist of the newest installment in the Guitar Hero series may have been revealed.
According to Gamestop's website, a clip featuring the entire setlist of Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock was revealed on a YouTube video. While Activision chose not to comment, one source of legitimacy is the fact that every song revealed thus far matches what was posted on the list. Back are the typical choices for Guitar Hero games, including ZZ Top, Jane's Addiction, Blue Oyster Cult, and more. Click the link below to see the full list.
Online retailer Amazon has developed and released two free word games for their Kindle e-book reader.
It sounds odd having games available for a device specifically marketed as a storage device for electronic books, but that's exactly what happened last week. Further proof that the gaming industry's appeal has escaped only a few, Amazon has decided to test the waters with two very appropriate games: Every Word, a variation of Boggle in which players try to make as many words they can using certain letters in a set amount of time, and Shuffled Row, a single-player variation of Scrabble.
The games are currently only compatible with Kindle devices, not the Kindle applications for devices such as Apple's iPhone or iPad. Siliconera's Ishaan also reports that the games are only available in the United States, so this appears to be a very small trial.
Financial report outs a second Need for Speed title due out this fiscal year.
Need for Speed: Shift, EA's questionable take on the racing simulator genre, is getting a sequel. Quietly tucked away in an investment report the game is slated for EA's 2011 fiscal year, in the fourth quarter. That would place it somewhere between January 1st and March 3st, 2011. Dead Space 2 and Dragon Age 2 are listed before it, perhaps indicating that it's closer to the latter of those dates.
As it wasn't a formal announcement there isn't any information, screenshots, or trailers available. Although, since it carries the Shift name, it shouldn't be too hard to imagine what the game will include.
Arkham Asylum 2 Now Arkham City; Madness Descends Fall 2011
Details revealed for Batman follow-up as it takes center stage in the September edition of Game Informer magazine.
Last year's Batman: Arkham Asylum released to critical acclaim, changing more than a few opinions about what a game based on a licensed property could be. Developer Rocksteady wasted no time in announcing a sequel, then tentatively titled Arkham Asylum 2, during Spike's 2009 Video Games Awards broadcast. That title has now officially been changed to Arkham City.
Located in the heart of Gotham, the new Arkham prison appears to be a walled-off portion of the city filled to the brim with the worst Gotham has to offer. Catwoman and Two-Face both appear on the stylish cover of Game Informer Issue 209, indicating their inclusion, while The Joker has appeared in both trailers. Rumors of Mr. Freeze, Talia al Ghul, and The Riddler appearing are also circulating, however I could not verify these at the time of posting. While media for Arkham City isn't readily available just yet, comments made by Rocksteady's David Hego last month regarding the x-ray vision "Detective Mode" did reveal that the aesthetic changes would be severely toned down for the sequel so as not to detract from the game's visuals and atmosphere.
Game Informer Issue 209 should be arriving in mailboxes this week, with Game Informer's Arkham City hub being regularly updated throughout the month. A brief trailer is also available for viewing at the official Arkham City website.
After a series of multiplayer-specific releases, 2K Games announces a new expansion for the main game.
Still haven't had enough of Rapture's epic tales? Then 2K Games has just the thing with Minerva's Den, a new single-player expansion for February's blockbuster. Set in an entirely new section of Rapture, players will assume the role of a new character and team up with Brigid Tenenbaum to bring down another corrupt dictator. Details beyond that are scarce, however things are rarely that simple in Bioshock's underwater paradise.
Sporting new Plasmids, abilities, weapons, and an assortment of new enemy variants, Minerva's Den sounds a bit more like a new game than a simple expansion. 2K Games's President, Christoph Hartmann, seconds the notion. "Minerva's Den is a substantial addition that will give players more of what they're looking for: more story, more narrative, more gameplay and more of Rapture. The core team has created an exciting product that further enhances the mystery and allure of the world of Rapture. Minerva's Den will be a fitting conclusion to the BioShock 2 saga."
No pricing or release date have been announced yet, but Kotaku reports that it'll be available on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.
Details On Getting Into The Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Multiplayer Beta
Multiplayer component receives an invitation-only beta next month.
Ubisoft announced last week that the multiplayer beta for Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood will be both console and retailer exclusive. Starting tomorrow, August 9th, GameStop will begin handing out beta codes to people that pre-order the game. Supplies will be limited and proof of reservation/purchase is required for customers that pre-ordered prior to August 9th. Codes are to be handed out on a first-come, first-served basis, and the exact number of codes available hasn't been disclosed.
The beta is scheduled to start on September 13th, exclusively for the PlayStation 3 edition of the game. Xbox 360 players will, unfortunately, have to wait until the game's official launch on November 16th before they can try the multiplayer.
In support of their new album, the Final Frontier, Iron Maiden has released an online video game.
Iron Maiden's 15th full-length album, The Final Frontier, has been given it's own video game to promote the album. The player controls a roadie who has the goal of returning all of Iron Maiden's gear after it was sent into space. The game is hosted here.
Machinarium Creators Offer Steep Discout to Assuage Piracy
Developer drops price on Machinarium to assuage pirates.
When the sales figures for Machinarium hit, it was revealed that only 5 -> 15% of the population playing the game had actually purchased a legal copy of said game. The other 85% opted to play a pirated version.
Developers Amanita Designs have taken action to try and right the proverbial ship by offering the game, originally $20, for the price of $5. The new price comes with an added bonus, as the lowered price tag now also includes the games' soundtrack and a bonus song aptly titled "Pirate Amnesty."
The man responsible for making Splinter Cell and designing Far Cry 2 Joins LucasArts
Former Ubisoft director, Clint Hocking, has left the company and wound up at the home of the Star Wars games, LucasArts.
Hocking was responsible for the design of Far Cry 2 and Splinter Cell, but left the company earlier this year in order to pursue other interests. The developer has now found himself a position at the home of Star Wars and Star Wars games, LucasArts.
Hocking marks the second high-profile release following LucasArts's former executive produce for games such as Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, Haden Blackman, announced plans to resign from the company in order to pursue other interests.
Microsoft's new controller-less creation will recognize American Sign Language
In a patent filed by Microsoft recently, it was revealed that the forthcoming Kinect will be able to track motion, read lips and interpret American Sign Language, or ASL.
According to the patent papers, Kinect's voice chat would be limiting for those who cannot speak, and while they can type a response into the voice chat using already existing methods, this can be quite laborious and frustrating for someone fluent in ASL. Kinect, therefore, will allow speachless players to utilize ASL movements to convey their thoughts and feelings to their opponents without the need to spend hours typing traditionally.
Kinect is also capable of mapping your fingers and toes to determine individual movement and increased awareness of each appendage moving. The system will also be capable of reading lips, making it even more accessible for those who cannot speak.
Quake developers, Id Software, officially join the ranks of the free-to-play realm
Taking their first steps into the free-to-play realm, Quake developers, Id Software, today officially launched Quake Live.
Quake Live is a variant of the popular Quake III, designed with web browsers in mind. The "standard" version of Quake Live features 40 arenas, five game modes, access to one clan, matchmaking, stats and friends lists. The game will also feature two extra versions, those being Premium and Pro.
The Premium version of Quake Live includes all of the standard features, as well as 20 Premium maps, a new "Freeze Tag" game mode, the ability to create your own clan and join up to five others, exclusive Premium level awards, custom profile wallpaper, and match statistics stored for six months. Quake Live Premium will cost $1.99(USD) per-month, billed annually.
The Pro version of Quake Live will include all of the above features, as well as the ability to create your own Quake Live server, the ability to invite up to three "standard" version friends to play on a Premium map, exclusive Pro level awards, create your own clan and join up to ten others, and match statistics saved for a year. Quake Life Pro will cost $3.99(USD) per-month, billed annually.
Interested parties can register and take part at QuakeLive.com
BioWare reveals four new playable species for the upcoming Star Wars: The Old Republic.
Star Wars: The Old Republic developers, BioWare, revealed four new playable species for their upcoming title. These species, known as Mirialans, Miraluka, Zabraks, and Sith Purebloods, are all force-wielding species that are essentially human-derivatives.
On the dark side, the newest additions to the Sith are the Zabraks, Darth Maul's people. They are a red skinned race with facial tattoos and horns. The other new addition is that of the Sith Pureblood, which also features red skin, but focuses more on being a pure Sith warrior.
On the Jedi side of things, the Mirialans are nearly identical to the Zabraks, with the exception of being green skinned, rather than red. Finally, the Miraluka are an advanced race that wear blindfolds because they see entirely with the force due to their homeworld having no visible light waves.
Star Wars: The Old Republic is set to ship in the second quarter of 2011
Xfire, the social networking tool for PC gamers, has been purchased by Titan Gaming.
Xfire has been the social networking tool of choice for many PC gamers since it first hit the mainstream six years ago. Two short messages from the Xfire team made it abundantly clear the the service as gamers have come to know it, may be over.
Over the weekend, Xfire gamers received a message stating that Xfire had been sold, and that the vast majority of the development team that had taken shape over the past six years would be leaving as well. Posted on the official Xfire website was the following message:
" August 2, 2010Xfire has been purchased by another company. Most of the team that has brought you Xfire for the last 6 years is leaving, including me. We've enjoyed our time and I personally am sad that I was only able to do 127 releases. Good bye and game on!
- Chris"
Since that time, it has come to light that Titan Gaming, a Santa Monica, California-based gaming company has acquired Xfire. Long-term plans for Xfire have not been made known; however, Titan Gaming CEO has stated that the service will continue uninterrupted for users.
New Zealand TV Network Presents Fake Sony Executive With Apology Gift Basket
After being called on their ripped-off advertisement by fake Sony executive, Kevin Bulter, New Zealand TV network makes good on gift basket apology.
It started with a blatantly ripped-off advertisement from a New Zealand television company, but Sony's fake "Vice President of Everything" Kevin Butler called them on the advertisement and, rather than sending a cease and desist order, requested a gift basket and the company's help in making the PlayStation 3 New Zealand's console of choice.
This past weekend, New Zealand's TV3 made good on the request, by sending Kevin Butler a gift basket, including a plaque labeling the PS3 as the "Official Game Console of Aotearoa." The gift basket also included a box set of Flight of the Conchords' material and other essential New Zealand gifts, including Marmite (much better than Vegemite!), a popular food spread.
LionHead Introduces New Villager Maker for Fable III
Fable developers, LionHead, today introduce a new feature for Fable III...available now.
In preparation for the upcoming release of Fable III, LionHead Studios today announced the availability of the Fable III Villager Maker.
According to LionHead, this feature will be available for gamers to customize a villager, which can be imported into Fable III by those who preorder the game. This villager will then interact with your character throughout the game and provide a slight monetary bonus and new quest upon import.
Fable III is set for release on October 26th; however, the Villager Maker is available now!
God of War: Ghosts of Sparta to Hit Shelves in November
Latest God of War game given official release date.
The newest entry in the God of War series, the upcoming PSP title God of War: Ghosts of Sparta, is set to drop on November 2nd, with what's being dubbed the "ultimate DLC pack" for those who pre-order.
As a gift for those who pre-order their copy of Ghosts of Sparta, Sony is offering a God of War soundtrack, a PSP theme, a dynamic theme for the PS3, a PSN avatar, a Legionnaire Kratos skin, and a game director's documentary featuring David Jaffe, Cory Balrog, Stig Asmussen, Ru Weerasuiya and Dana Jan discussing the God of War franchise in front of a live audience.
Sony is also offering a special God of War: Ghosts of Sparta PSP Bundle, which comes with a black and red PSP, a voucher to download Chains of Olympus, and a copy of Kick Ass on UMD.
Former VP of Microsoft's game publishing division releases Atari 2600 version of Halo, aptly named Halo 2600
Ed Fries, a former Vice President of Microsoft's game publishing division decided to go old school by unveiling Halo 2600, a game designed with the Atari 2600 in mind. The game premiered at the Classic Gaming Expo in Las Vegas this past week.
To see the game in action, and give it a go yourself, click here
Pokemon Black & White Reveals New Cross-Generational Transfer Method
Pokemon Fansite Reveals Latest Method for Cross-Gen Transfers in Pokemon Black & White
Pokemon News/Fansite Serebii.net today revealed how the new Pokemon Black & White game will allow gamers to transfer Pokemon from their older generation games to the new version.
According to Serebii, gamers will still need to rely on two DS units in order for the transfers to work; however, once they reach the required building within the Isshu Region, similar to the Pal Park in Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver and Diamond/Pearl/Platinum, gamers will be able to transfer Pokemon from their previous generation games to Black & White, up to six at a time, and catch them via a new mini-game. Within the mini-game, gamers will see the six transferred Pokemon appear within a set of bushes. The character in the game will be given a bow with which to launch Pokeballs at the Pokemon in order to capture them. Completing the mini-game involves catching all six pokemon, at which point they are also added to your collection of Pokemon.
The trading options are also still available within Pokemon Black & White for those who prefer an alternate route of acquiring Pokemon that don't appear in the game.
Pokemon Black & White is set to ship in North America within the second quarter of 2011.
Nintendo 3DS details set to be announced in September, Nintendo of Europe provides pricing hints.
In what's basically an announcement of an announcement, Bloomberg is reporting that Nintendo will formally announce the price and release date for their upcoming handheld on September 29th. While the Nintendo 3DS has a vague release window -- it's set to be released this fiscal year, which ends on March 31st, 2011 -- no concrete dates have been revealed. This is, however, something of a strange date as the Tokyo Game Show runs September 16th through the 19th. Though whether anything will be made public during that convention remains to be seen.
And in related news, website Electricpig interviewed Nintendo UK's marketing manager James Honeywell in which hints about the 3DS were dropped. "But for everyone who already knows, you know, the Nintendo DSi is available for around (EUR) 129.99. The Nintendo DSi XL, with the larger screens, is around (EUR) 159.99." Honeywell states that the 3DS will fit somewhere into that pricing scheme, perhaps adding some credence to Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter's claim that the unit will retail for about $250 in North America.
SOCOM 4 Delayed; Zipper Interactive Pushes Shooter to 2011
In an effort to further polish the game and possibly avoid slipping under the radar squaring off against this year's heavy hitters, the upcoming SOCOM has been officially delayed.
Rumors that SOCOM 4 had been delayed until sometime in 2011 were confirmed yesterday afternoon. Originally slated for release this holiday season, Senior Community Manager Jeremy Dunham officially confirmed the delay, saying "While we're certainly aware that you've been looking forward to playing SOCOM 4 this year, we don't want to take any shortcuts. Instead, we want to deliver the best and most immersive SOCOM game we possibly can and we're going to use our extra time to do just that."
Though this may be disappointing for series fans, Dunham promises continued updates on the game's status and gameplay features in the coming months. A little extra polish can go a long way, so hopefully Zipper's assurance that it'll be worth the wait can tide gamers over in the meantime.
Search Engine giant Google reportedly working on new social gaming network to compete with Facebook.
Hot on the heels of the news that GameStop has acquired Kongregate comes news that Google is planning to launch their own social networking venture aimed at social gaming.
In a news release published by the Wall Street Journal, reports surfaced that Google were in talks with game developers Playdom, EA's Playfish, and Zynga to help build a base of games for the launch of their new service. This supplements a previous report of Google "secretly" investing $100 Million into Zynga as part of a strategic partnership for the upcoming service.
Google, meanwhile, have remained silent on the matter of their alleged new social network, saying that the world "doesn't need another Facebook knockoff." This comment brought further speculation that the new gaming service would be another tie-in to existing Google Accounts, a fact that also suggests potential native Android capabilities which would allow Android users easy access to the service.
At present, no time frame, specifics or confirmation has been released by Google.
Leaked pictures of the newest edition of V Jump magazine reveal two new Tales games, one enhanced port.
While Namco's track record with regards to localizing its Tales line of RPGs has been a sore spot of series fans for years, those disappointed by Tales of Graces being skipped over may have a second shot. Scans of this month's V Jump revealed Tales of Graces F, a PlayStation 3 port of the game due out later this year with various extras. There's no guarantee Graces F will fare any better with Namco's North American branch, however the lack of region locking on the PlayStation 3 does lend itself better to importing.
Also announced today was Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 3 for the PSP. The third entry in the series will feature over 80 characters, including the main protagonist from Tales of Graces, and is set to be released sometime next year.
Finally, we received our first glimpse of the next "mothership" title in the series. The 13th core entry, as yet untitled, will be a PlayStation 3 exclusive. The only image shown was of a city, so details beyond the announcement are virtually nonexistent. Team Symphonia, also responsible for Tales of the Abyss and Tales of Vesperia, is rumored to be the developer. We're still far from seeing it release in Japan, however if any of these games do make it out of Japan this will probably be the one.
Several key members of the Radiata Stories development team join up with Atlus for a new DS RPG.
Leaked pages of this week's issue of Famitsu magazine reveals a new game from Atlus, titled Radiant Historia. In a surprising twist it also seems to involve employees of tri-Ace that worked on 2005's lighthearted Action/RPG, Radiata Stories. Satoshi Takayashiki, cited as the creative mind behind Radiata Stories, returns as Historia's original idea and world setting designer; artist Hiroshi Konishi, character designer for Radiata Stories, also returns to that role for Historia.
Radiata Historia relies heavily on the manipulation of time and space for both its story and gameplay, branching off into multiple paths as the game progresses. Thanks to Andriasang's Anoop Gantayat a full run-down can be read there or on the forums, but we'll give you a quick overview. The story follows a 19-year old man named Stok, employed by the country of Alicetel as an intelligence bureau agent. Alicestel is one of five countries present in the world of Vancool, and it's presently at war with the country of "Gran org." The ruler of Alicestel, a man named Noah, believes that Gran org is responsible for the devastating decay of the land and the source of a mysterious disease that turns people to sand.
While on a mission to retrieve a secret agent from behind enemy lines, Stok is severely wounded and loses consciousness. Upon awakening Stok finds himself in another world -- the world of Historia -- where he obtains the power to traverse space and time. It seems as if players will be tasked with piecing together a peaceful time line using these new-found abilities, manipulating the past and future of both Vancool and Historia.
Not much is said about gameplay, however Andriasang's brief description sounds like a simulation RPG hybrid similar to, though perhaps not in the same vein as, last year's Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor. Radiant Historia has been announced for a November 4th release in Japan. North American fans will have to wait to see if Atlus USA picks this one up or not.
Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest Next Up for Virtual Console
The Australian classification board gives away Square Enix's next digital port.
Back in the early 90's, as part of then-Squaresoft's efforts to expand the console-style RPG market, an "entry-level" RPG was created specifically for English-speaking gamers. Titled Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest, the hope that was by forgoing the difficulty of Dragon Quest and the main Final Fantasy series, while also streamlining and simplifying the game's core mechanics, people traditionally not interested in RPGs would give the game a chance.
Now, nearly twenty years later, Mystic Quest is set to return via the Wii's Virtual Console. While the port hasn't been officially confirmed at the time of this posting, the Australian ratings board has approved the game for release with Nintendo marked as its publisher. As Super Nintendo games are typically 800 Wii Points ($8), perhaps another new generation of non- and casual-gamers can soon be introduced to the RPG genre with a simple impulse purchase?
Capcom and Namco Go Head-to-Head; Street Fighter vs Tekken Confirmed
Following days of rumor and speculation, Capcom and Namco formally announced a cross-over of their fighting franchises over the weekend at Comic-Con.
Fighting enthusiasts the world over can finally see some more of their fantasy bouts in action with the announcement of not one, but two cross-over fighting games. Capcom will continue to take on the world with their stable of fighters, utilizing the Street Fighter 4 fighting engine to develop "Street Fighter vs Tekken." Namco, meanwhile, will be developing "Tekken vs Street Fighter" on the Tekken 6 fighting engine, taking iconic fighters like Ryu out of their element for a little thrashing.
Regardless of your preferences there should be plenty of content -- and contention -- to be had next year when these games release. Hit up the source for videos and early screenshots of the games in action.
Source: 1UP Thanks to forum member Nicodemus for the heads-up!
Retail-exclusive costumes, limited quantity Collector's Edition, and a release date revealed through PlayStation Blog.
2008's LittleBigPlanet, an adorable little platformer with robust creation tools, captured the hearts of many thanks in no small part to its star Sackboy. While Sony spared nothing in its promotion of Media Molecule's first project to ensure the new game's success, a different approach is being taken this time around. With vastly improved and expanded creation tools and an established fanbase, LittleBigPlanet 2's promotions are far more tangible. Retailers Amazon, Best Buy, and GameStop, movie giants Disney and Pixar, and game developer Insomniac Games are teaming up with Sony to bring a variety of pre-order swag to gamers this holiday season.
Pre-orders placed through any of the retailers will score customers four exclusive "Even More Animals" costumes, modeled after a cobra, a vulture, a mandrill, and a crocodile. In addition to these costumes each retailer will have its own special costume. Best Buy's pre-order will get customers a costume modeled after the "Aliens" from Disney and Pixar's Toy Story Series. Pre-orders placed at GameStop, meanwhile, will receive the "Clu" costume, modeled after the Tron: Legacy character of the same name. Finally, pre-orders placed through Amazon will gets players not one, but two additional costumes based on the Ratchet & Clank series; one after Ratchet, the other after Clank.
And if that wasn't incentive enough for you, Sony also announced a LittleBigPlanet 2 Collector's Edition. Priced at $79.99 and said to be in limited quantities, this edition includes all of the retail-exclusive DLC costumes as well as its own exclusive costumes modeled after Jak and Daxter. A 7" Sackboy plushie, LittleBigPlanet-themed book ends, and five exclusive PlayStation Network Avatars are also included in the Collector's Edition.
LittleBigPlanet 2 is scheduled for release on November 16th.
This year's GamesCom, scheduled for August 18th through the 22nd in Cologne, Germany, will be without two of Japan's largest publishers.
North America has the Electronics Entertainment Expo, Japan has the Tokyo Game Show, and last year saw the appearance of GamesCom, Europe's unified display of game publisher's latest and greatest. Despite roughly 245,000 visitors attending last year's convention, largely due to the convention being open to the public, Sega formally announced earlier this month that they would not be attending this year's show. A "commercial decision" was given as the reasoning for the publisher's absence.
Following this Capcom announced late last week that they, too, will not be participating in this year's show. "GamesCom allows publishers and developers an excellent opportunity to promote their titles to both consumers and media," reads the official statement on Capcom Europe's website. "In the case of consumers we feel it makes sense for them to experience the titles that will be available in stores over the next few months and right now we have confirmed two titles for release between August and the end of the year Dead Rising 2 and Sengoku Basara Samurai Heroes." As the original Dead Rising was banned in Germany and the eagerly anticipated sequel is still awaiting an official rating from the country's rating board, Capcom has decided to forgo making an appearance all together. Why recently released games couldn't be put on display alongside the upcoming two remains unanswered, however Capcom will still be showing these games and others to the media around the time of GamesCom.
Retail giant buys online social networking site Kongregate
Retail giant Gamestop today announce that they have acquired online social network gaming website Kongregate. In an announcement posted by the CEO of Kongragate on the Kongregate website, it was revealed that the website has become a full-fledged subsidiary of GameStop.
Kongregate would not reveal how much Kongregate was purchased for; however, it was revealed that the company would attempt to reward its' members with "rad stuff" from GameStop. Plans for the social networking site, with regards to GameStop, were not immediately revealed; however, GameStop did reveal that the company would continue to operate out of their existing San Francisco offices as a wholly owned subsidiary.
22 More Songs Revealed For Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock
Activision has released a list of 22 more songs that will be in the setlist for the new installment to the Guitar Hero franchise.
As anticipation builds for the newest Guitar Hero game, Activision has revealed another 22 songs that will join the setlist, including a newly recorded "No More Mr. Nice Guy" (Alice Cooper) and tracks from Deep Purple, Ramones, Steve Vai and others. These tracks hint that the Guitar Hero series will be returning to its roots in Rock/Metal territory. The newly revealed songs are listed below.
Alice Cooper "No More Mr. Nice Guy"
Alter Bridge "Ties That Bind"
Atreyu "Ravenous"
Bad Brains "Re-Ignition"
Blue Oyster Cult "Burnin' For You"
Bush "Machinehead"
Deep Purple "Burn" (Remastered LP version)
The Edgar Winter Group "Free Ride"
Five Finger Death Punch "Hard To See"
George Thorogood and the Destroyers "Move It On Over (Live)"
Lynyrd Skynyrd "Call Me The Breeze (Live)"
Pantera "I'm Broken"
Poison "Unskinny Bop"
Ramones "Spiderman"
Rise Against "Savior"
The Runaways "Cherry Bomb"
Steve Vai "Speed"
Strung Out "Calling"
Styx "Renegade"
Sum 41 "Motivation"
Them Crooked Vultures "Scumbag Blues"
The White Stripes "Seven Nation Army"
Europe Gets Special Edition for Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep
Eidos France and Amazon.de reveal limited collector's edition, exclusively for Europe.
Set to be released on September 10th, most Kingdom Hearts fans have no doubt already pre-ordered their copy of Birth By Sleep. Depending on where those pre-orders are placed, however, some may want to do their business elsewhere. While the pickings for North American fans are slim, pre-orders placed through either GameStop or Amazon will score customers PSP stickers modeled after the Japan-exclusive, Birth By Sleep edition of the console. Purchasing from Amazon also nets customers an e-voucher good for $10 off their next game related purchase, effectively reducing the price to $29.99.
For our friends across the Atlantic, or just for those willing to pay extra for region-specific goodies, there's the Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep Special Edition. Packed with a copy of the game, a 48-page artbook, a set of art prints and a fancy box modeled after Japan's Birth By Sleep Ultimania, this should prove to be the definitive edition for fans. RRP for the Special Edition is 35 EUR, however Amazon UK is currently taking pre-orders for a little over 29 EUR with free super saver shipping.
Dead Rising 2 Prequel Launches on Xbox 360 in August
Case Zero bridges the stories of Dead Rising and Dead Rising 2, revealing the aftermath of the first while introducing players to the second's protagonist.
While Dead Rising 2 isn't scheduled for release until October, Capcom has a quick fix for those wanting to start their zombie killing a little early. Dead Rising 2: Case Zero, currently an Xbox 360-exclusive downloadable game, has been announced for an August 31st release. Priced at 400 Microsoft Points ($5), Case Zero takes place two years after the original game and follows Dead Rising 2's protagonist, Chuck Greene, roughly three years before the start of that game.
Series producer Keiji Inafune spoke at this week's Comic-Con, saying: "With Dead Rising 2: CASE ZERO we had two goals: provide newcomers with an easy point of entry to the Dead Rising universe, and give fans of the series an insight into what took place after Frank West survived the outbreak at the Willamette Mall." For players that purchase both Case Zero and Dead Rising 2 a number of goodies can be carried over. Five player levels, prestige points, skills and alternate outfits have been revealed so far.
As for PlayStation 3 owners, bear in mind that the original Dead Rising was also an Xbox 360 exclusive. There's no official word yet, but we expect this to be a timed exclusive as Dead Rising 2 is headed your way.
PlayStation 3's Sly Collection to Have a 3DS-esque Slider?
Game developer considering controller activated slider to adjust 3D appearance.
Bearing in mind this falls squarely into the realm of "what ifs" for now, an unnamed Sony producer -- likely someone from Sanzaru Games -- spoke with Kotaku's Stephen Totilo about the possibility of adding an effect slider to the upcoming compilation. While the PlayStation 3 requires both a 3DTV and a pair of 3D glasses to display games in 3D, the strength and direction of the effect are controlled through the game itself. Under normal circumstances, for the full 3D effect, players would need to be seated within a certain distance from the television while also having to face the screen from specific angles. By mapping control of the game's 3D effect to, for example, an analog stick, developers may be able to allow players to "pick their own spot, more or less, and then adjust the intensity of the 3D graphics to suit their position."
The Nintendo 3DS comes with a slider built into it, but the PlayStation 3 currently has no means of adjusting these effects; players have to adapt, not the games. Following a change in Sony's ToS regarding discomfort caused by prolonged exposure to the console's 3D effect, this seems like a good solution for everyone. The Sly Collection is due for release this holiday season with, or without, the effect slider. In the case of the latter, hopefully Sony doesn't let this concept go to waste.
EA Schedules Another Round; Fight Night Returns in 2011
Boxing franchise to return after a year of rest, complete with reworked controls.
Unlike its popular Madden NFL and Tiger Woods PGA Tour series, which receive annual installments, EA's Fight Night receives sporadic entries. The last we heard from the series was back in mid-2009 with the release of Fight Night Round 4, a game that refined and expanded upon its 2006 predecessor. Looking to keep the creative juices flowing EA announced Fight Night Champion on Tuesday, set to be released sometime next year for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
Featuring a new control system, dubbed "Full Spectrum Punch Control," Vancouver-based EA Canada are once again pushing the series forward. Promising that Champion's controls will be more user-friendly while also delivering the most realistic punching system to date, boxing fans and fight enthusiasts alike should have something to look forward to this time next year.
Valkyria Chronicles II Dated, Pre-Order Bonus Revealed
Players can nab GameStop-exclusive missions this August.
Sega announced that the follow-up to one of 2008's more unique RPGs, Valkyria Chronicles, will be hitting stores shelves in North America on August 31st. Valkyria Chronicles takes place two years after the original game, following a group of young military cadets as another war begins to unfold.
Retailer GameStop has also announced an exclusive pre-order bonus for the game. Customers will receive two single player missions with their purchase:
Exercise vs Class E - This is a clean-up war exercise against rival class E, which will take place in all of the areas of Leanbluff forest. Exercise vs Class F - Go against Class F, Avans rival class, and run through stonewalling defense and take over their camp in Arlem.
Online purchasers will have their unique redemption code e-mailed to them, while in-store purchases will have the code printed on the checkout receipt.
Correction: World of Warcraft Cost $100 Million to Make and Upkeep
A previous article about the development costs of Starcraft II was actually reported incorrectly, as it was World of Warcraft that cost $100 million.
Due to an error in the Wall-Street Journal, the development costs of Starcraft II were reported incorrectly. Blizzard confirmed that Starcraft II did not cost $100 million and the Wall-Street Journal fixed the error. World of Warcraft was actually the game that cost $100 million to create (and keep running).
On July 27th, 6 songs with Spanish lyrics will be available to purchase for Rock Band.
The Spanish artist Juanes will have 6 songs featured in this week's downloadable content for Rock Band. This is the first time a song with Spanish lyrics has been released on Rock Band, adding accessibility for some, and a challenge for others. The following songs will be available:
Juanes "A Dios le Pido"
Juanes "Fjate Bien"
Juanes "Gotas de Agua Dulce"
Juanes "La Camisa Negra"
Juanes "Mala Gente"
Juanes "Yerbatero"
In addition to these songs, Juanes will have one song featured in Rock Band 3.
Sony Facing Class-Action for Removal of Other-OS Feature
Following the removal of the ability to install an alternate OS on the PlayStation 3, Sony is faced with a consolidated class-action lawsuit.
When Sony released the firmware upgrade that removed the ability to install an alternate operating system, such as Linux, onto the PlayStation 3, the company was almost immediately hit with seven separate class-action lawsuits from gamers outraged by the now-false claims from Sony that it would support the Other-OS feature on a permanent basis.
All seven class-action lawsuits have now been consolidated into one class-action suit, with the primary allegations being that Sony "falsely represented that PS3 users would be able to use their PS3s as a computer by installing an alternate operating system." Sony released a firmware upgrade that removed the ability to utilize this feature, effectively forcing Other-OS users into an ultimatum of continuing to use their Other-OS feature, or upgrading their console's firmware so they could continue to utilize the PS3's online capabilities and play new games.
Sony don't have much of a defense against the allegations, with the likely expectation that Sony will be forced to pay out in one form or another. The primary hope for this case is that Sony thinks twice before removing features from its' console that they stated would be supported.
Sony have not responded to these allegations as yet.
Microsoft to Release $399 Halo: Reach Themed Console Bundle
Bungie confirms Microsoft will release silver Halo: Reach themed console when game ships September 14th.
Creators and developers of the wildly acclaimed Halo franchise today confirmed rumors that spread throughout the internet based on an inadvertent slip and an opportune screen-capture. Rumors spread throughout the day that Microsoft was set to reveal a silver version of the new slimline Xbox 360 in a bundle for the upcoming Halo: Reach video game. The bundle, set to retail for $399, will include a silver slimline 250GB Xbox 360, two silver controllers, and a copy of the new Halo: Reach game.
Word first broke of this bundle when HaloReachTips.net obtained a very opportune screen capture showing the bundle before Microsoft quickly pulled it from the website. Bungie has now confirmed that the bundle is indeed genuine, and that it will be released alongside the latest installment in the Halo franchise.
Both Halo: Reach and the limited Halo: Reach console bundle are set to be released September 14th.
Netflix set to follow through on plans to introduce disc-less Netflix streaming on PS3.
Since introducing the Netflix service on the PS3 in 2009, the company has promised to introduce a streaming service without the need for a disk, a feature that Netflix promised to come at some point in 2010. Today the company announced that the disc-less Netflix streaming service will be available on the PlayStation 3 by the end of October.
Similar to the Xbox 360's Netflix streaming service, the PlayStation 3 service will feature an online user interface for users to select their movies and television series' straight from the interface to stream instantly on the console via the PlayStation Network. This announcement comes hot on the heels of the announcement that Netflix would offer its' streaming service in Canada, which lends perfectly to the strategy of targeting the major consoles in the Canadian market.
The Canadian Netflix service does not have a set launch date, as yet, but interested Canadians can sign up at Netflix.ca to receive an email when the service is officially launched. The PS3's disc-less streaming service is set to launch in October.
Starting July 29th, Gears of War 3 fans can determine the fate of the newest rookie.
Fans of the Gears of War series now have the chance to determine the fate of Gears of War 3 rookie, Clayton Carmine, all by purchasing a shirt for your Avatar. Starting July 29th, Gears of War 3 avatar gear will be released including the fateful shirts. If you want the Gears Rookie to live, you can buy the "Save Carmine" shirt; alternately, if you want him to be killed off, you can buy the "Carmine Must Die" shirt.
Those who attend Comic-con this week can purchase a real version of the shirt for $20USD. All proceeds from the sale of the real and virtual shirts goes to the Child's Play Charity.
EA's Maxis Studios unveils new Spore spin-off RPG, DarkSpore
As we previously reported, EA has announced that they are indeed working on a new spin-off RPG sequel to the game Spore, called DarkSpore.
As the name implies, Electronic Arts intends for the game to be a darker-themed twist on the original game. According to Electronic Arts, players will take on the role of a genetically mutated creature, which can be upgraded by collecting body parts, of which EA claims there will be "tens of thousands" to collect. When announcing the game, the company states that DarkSpore will feature "three unique classes of five different genetic hero types." Each character will have a limitless number of upgrades and customizations based on the parts collected within the game.
Early purchases get players time-exclusive songs, in-game items depending on retailer.
Hopefully fans of the Rock Band series aren't tired of retail-exclusive pre-order bonuses. Harmonix announced yesterday that pre-orders placed at GameStop will net players three exclusive songs, while pre-orders placed at online store Amazon will get an in-game guitar for their rock star avatar in addition to $10 off a future video game-related purchase.
The GameStop exclusive songs are:
Deftones - "My Own Summer"
New Order - "Blue Monday "
Talking Heads - "Burning Down The House"
Rock Band 3 is scheduled to be released on October 26th in North America, while European gamers will have to wait three days for their October 29th release.
Kingdom Hearts Re:coded E3 Trailer Now Available for Viewing
Continuing to release information at a steady pace, Square Enix updated the official Re:coded website with the trailer shown at last month's E3.
As we reported previously, the upcoming DS remake of 2008's cell phone-exclusive Kingdom Hearts Coded will feature a wide variety of gameplay styles. While exploring the digital contents of Jiminy Cricket's journal, Sora and friends return to previously visited worlds looking for clues regarding mysterious writing that has appeared within its pages. Perhaps realizing that fans can only revisit worlds so many times, each world in Re:coded will have its own unique way of playing to help keep them fresh as the story unfolds.
The trailer shows a mixture of genres ranging from stealth-like gameplay in Wonderland to full turn-based RPG battles in Olympus Coliseum. Side-scrolling action in Halloween Town and a return to platforming are also shown, providing what will hopefully be an enjoyable assortment of modes based on the core series mechanics. Though Square Enix just revealed an October 7th release for Japan, North American fans will have to wait until next year to get their hands on Re:coded.
Ending rampant speculation, Microsoft prices Kinect at $150 USD.
Following weeks of speculation and unofficial prices from several retail giants, Microsoft today officially announced the price tag for the upcoming Kinect add-on.
Microsoft also confirmed today that the Kinect will ship with the Kinect unit, a USB cord for the original Xbox 360 to connect, a proprietary cable to connect to the new Xbox 360 unit, and a copy of the game Kinect Adventures. Finally, Microsoft announced that Kinect games will sell for $50 each.
In the United Kingdom, the Kinect will sell for 129.99 while the bundle will sell for ã249.99, with MIcrosoft Kinect games retailing at 39.99.
NHL 11 Soundtrack Featuring Hockey Anthems, Not Pop-Rock
EA Sports Reveals NHL 11 to break the cycle of pop-rock soundtracks in hockey games.
EA Sports has long been criticized for their music selection when it comes to their highly acclaimed hockey games, something that has annoyed fans and often felt out-of-place in the game and on the ice. EA Sports today revealed, however, that their latest offerings, NHL 11 and NHL Slapshots, will feature a soundtrack full of anthemic arena-rockers, including hair metal favourites such as Europe's "The Final Countdown" and The Ramones' "Blitzkrieg Bop."
Five songs slated for inclusion in the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 version, NHL 11, will not be featured on the Wii's NHL Slapshots.
The complete soundtracks for NHL 11 and NHL Slapshots:
In NHL 11
* In Whispers - Here I Stand
* Airbourne - Bottom Of The Well - No Guts. No Glory.
* Bullet For My Valentine - Your Betrayal - Fever
* Megadeth - Dialectic Chaos - Endgame
* Pantera - Walk - Vulgar Display Of Power
In NHL 11 and NHL Slapshot
* Danko Jones - Full of Regret - Below The Belt
* 2 Unlimited - Twilight Zone - Get Ready!
* Black Box - Strike It Up - Dreamland
* Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Mama Taught Me Better - Beat The Devil's Tattoo
* Bouncing Souls - Oli! - Hopeless Romantic
* Darude - Sandstorm - Before The Storm
* Dropkick Murphys - Shipping Up To Boston (Live) - Live On Lansdowne, Boston MA
* Europe - The Final Countdown - The Final Countdown
* Foxy Shazam - Unstoppable - Foxy Shazam
* Ramones - Blitzkrieg Bop - Ramones
* The Black Keys - Howlin' For You - Brothers
The popular movie streaming service announced plans to provide its' service in Canada.
Netflix, the service that popularized the movies-by-mail service, has announced plans to introduce its' live streaming service in Canada before the end of 2010. Today's announcement didn't include specifics on price or an approximate launch date, nor did it mention specifics about how the Netflix streaming service would be provided to Canadians. It's expected that video game consoles will be the primary target, similar to how Netflix presently delivers its' streaming service in North America.
The statement released by Netflix states that the service will be available on a "range of consumer electronics devices capable of streaming from Netflix." This will be available "later this year," with the initial focus being on English-release titles. Plans to introduce French-language movies and series' will be introduced at a later date.
Canadians interested in signing up for the service can do so via Netflix.ca and will be notified via email when the service launches.
New Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep Video Showcases Disney Worlds
Brief glimpses and gameplay demonstrations for the new Disney worlds are shown in the newest trailer.
The Kingdom Hearts series hasn't had a proper entry since 2006, and similarly no new worlds have appeared either. While last year's largely mediocre 358/2 Days didn't deliver much in the way of new locations, the newest promotional video for Birth By Sleep gives us a glimpse at five of its new worlds. Based on the films Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Lilo & Stitch, as well as a world composed of the Disney universe itself, Birth By Sleep is set to breathe fresh life into the series this September.
Update: Embedded video removed; check the new source in order to view the video.
The enhanced PlayStation port of Shin Megami Tensei, originally released on the Super Nintendo in 1992, has appeared on Japan's version of PSone Classics, Game Archive.
While the odds of Atlus USA localizing the game are extremely slim, this recent addition to Game Archive could lead to the release of other games from Atlus and, perhaps, Atlus USA. Revelations: Persona was ported to PSP and PSN last year under the name Shin Megami Tensei: Persona, however Persona 2: Eternal Punishment has yet to receive similar treatment. North American fans missed out on the first half of Persona 2, titled Innocent Sin, in addition to ports of Shin Megami Tensei II, Shin Megami Tensei If... and Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers.
Shifting from the past to the future, Siliconera reports that Atlus Japan has trademarked the title "Devil Hunter" in Japan. While not necessarily related to the Shin Megami Tensei series, the timing of the trademark is interesting. Via a PDF file released last month word spread that Atlus planned to develop a handful of games for the Nintendo 3DS. Among the titles mentioned was Devil Survivor, Atlus's strategy RPG hybrid from last year. Could it be related? Atlus typically unveils their games through Japanese magazine Famitsu, so we'll find out soon enough.
Bungie unveils image showing initial armory inventory for Halo: Reach character customization.
Character customization has been an ever-increasing part of the Halo universe since Halo 2, and the upcoming Halo: Reach looks to continue on with that path as Bungie today unveiled the initial armory available to you when Halo: Reach ships. Bearing in mind that this is only the initial armory that will be available from the start of Halo: Reach, more armor customization options will be unlocked as the game progresses, but what these customizations will be have yet to be released by Bungie. This initial inventory release shows a glimpse of Halo's long-serving threesome Sgt. Johnson, Cortana and the Master Chief; however, Bungie has claimed that this is simply because they will be voices in the games' Fire Fight mode.
Bungie also revealed that Halo: Reach avatar gear will be released when the game hits shelves, introducing the helmets of Noble Team Members 1 through 5. Noble Six's helmet can only be obtained by attending a live event at Comicon, PAX or Gamecon.
EA unveiled today they have put their 14 million shares on the market.
Electronic Arts confirmed on Saturday that they have put their 15% stake, or 14 million shares, on the market, effectively terminating their backing of the acclaimed developer. Ubisoft now becomes fully independent once again, a standing that could potentially make Ubisoft more attractive to gamers and investors, as well as providing a nice financial boost for EA, as they stand to gain roughly 98 Million Euros from the sale, an estimated 20 million above their initial investment.
A statement from Electronic Arts claims that the company has changed it's "strategic focus," meaning that the Paris-based development house no longer fits in with vision EA had when they first invested in Ubisoft in 2004, a move that was initially treated as hostile by Ubisoft. EA never looked to buy out the majority stake of the company, nor did they exert their will on Ubisoft during their near six year tenure as shareholders, a fear that now seems to be permanently allayed. When asked about the news, a Ubisoft spokesman called the sale "good news" for Ubisoft, but noted that Electronic Arts "has always supported our strategy."
LionHead's Peter Molyneux Claims Fable II Had "Huge Design Flaws"
LionHead Chief, Peter Molyneux, revealed that Fable II at one point had over 67,000 bugs, also claims Fable III fixes primary areas of concern.
LionHead Founder Peter Molyneux recently sat down to discuss Fable III and what LionHead have taken away from Fable II.
When pressed specifically about Fable II, Molyneux revealed that the game "had huge design flaws," and at one point had over 67,000 known bugs. This gave the game a "super black" rating, making it unfit for launch. Molyneux also criticized the various features of the game itself, claiming that many of the anticipated features were used just once or twice. Features such as marriage were heavily criticized as being just "an excuse to have sex," and the character levelling's 2D menu system was criticized for being too "DOS-like." Characters, specifically the female characters, were criticized for appearing "like Russian shot-putters." On top of these criticisms, the LionHead boss claims that Fable II lacked drama, which wound up making it tedious and boring.
What does this mean for Fable III? According to Molyneux, these flaws have been corrected in Fable III, as features such as the all-new Sanctuary, and a much-improved cast, have been introduced to add the depth that Molyneux felt was lacking from the second installment in the Fable franchise. Albion itself now features maps that are "four times bigger" than in Fable II, and the previously disclosed "Fist of Power" feature, in which the weapons the character uses evolve as they are used, allow you to create exclusive weapons that can be gifted or traded to friends and enemies. The final feature that Molyneux touched on was the "Promises" feature, which was one of the key points originally revealed for Fable III. With the Promises feature, the main character can make promises to the citizens of Albion in order to gain favour and claim the throne. How you follow-through on those promises is what this feature is all about. You can actually make good on promises, or follow the more commonly accepted method of ignoring the promises that were made to put you in power. This sets up interesting possibilities for Fable III, something that could make for a very interesting story!
Fable III is set to ship in North America on October 26th.
The sequel to one of the most popular games of the previous millennium has a price tag of over $100 million.
Starcraft II, one of the most anticipated games ever, has cost Blizzard a total of over $100 million. Ever since Starcraft: Brood War in the late 1990's, players have been eagerly awaiting a new game in the series. After various cancellations, delays, and promises, Starcraft II will be released in just 10 days. Despite having spent such an obscene amount of money, Blizzard expects the revenue to far outweigh the costs. The company estimates between $500 million and $1 billion of revenue from the game and its upcoming two expansion packs.
LionHead boss Peter Molyneux goes in-depth about Fable III's newest features, specifically the Sanctuary.
In previous Fable games, the player is forced to pause the game and go through a series of 2D menus in order to upgrade the character's skills, abilities, clothing, weapons and so on. Fable III looks to relieve the Pause menu of its' position with The Sanctuary.
Unlike the pause menu, The Sanctuary is an in-game area where gamers can upgrade their character. It is depicted with a series of gates that lead up to a castle in the distance. As the story progresses, the gates will be unlocked, allowing the player to work towards the castle while also upgrading their character. Another attribute related to The Sanctuary are the Guild Seals, also known as followers. These are the combined XP system, exactly as they have been in the previous Fable releases. These seals are used to unlock each gate and upgrade the character along the way. Guild Seals are unlocked throughout the Fable universe by performing certain tasks, a facet that remains in-tact for the latest edition to the series.
"I love the visual metaphor of travelling along the road," said Molyneux, "I love giving people the opportunity to choose their game experience."
Dead Rising 2 Zombrex Edition Coming with September 28th Release
Capcom reveal Zombrex Edition Dead Rising 2, set to hit shelves September 28th.
Special Editions are all the rage in the present generation, and Capcom's latest title, Dead Rising 2, is no exception. The developers of the acclaimed Dead Rising title revealed that the sequel will feature its' own special edition, known as the Zombrex edition, which will launch with the standard edition on September 28th.
The Dead Rising 2 Zombrex Edition will feature a copy of Dead Rising 2, a two-disk Steelbook case, a 48-page hardback art book, a 24 minute "making of" featurette, a syringe pen, a prescription notepad, a safety card and a prospectus sales brochure. The Xbox 360 version will also include the film Zombrex Dead Rising Sun, whereas the PS3 version will give gamers access to an exclusive XMB theme for their console.
Sony Online Entertainment Lays Off 35 Following Resource Realignment
Nearly one year to the day since Sony Online Entertainment released 40 employees following a resource realignment, developer cuts over 4% of its' workforce.
Nearly a year ago to the day, Sony Online Entertainment released 40 employees following the successful launch of free-to-play Free Realms. Today, a fresh resource realignment resulted in the layoff of 35 employees. The developer of games such as Everquest, Star Wars Galaxies and other acclaimed titles confirmed the Layoffs today, but which departments were hit remains unclear.
Sony Online Entertainment currently has multiple PC and PS3 titles in the works, including The Agency, Magic: The Gathering - Tactics, Star Wars: The Clone Wars Adventures and DC Universe Online.
July 27 Confirmed As Madden 2011 Demo Release Date
The new Madden demo features a number of new and familiar features that should satisfy any fan.
To clear up a previous rumor posted here, the demo for the newest Madden game will be released on July 27. Not only does this game feature the core elements of the game, but it will also allow you to earn an achievement/trophy upon inserting Madden 2011 into your console. You now have the ability to create a gameplan, making Madden much more strategic than in past years. As an added bonus, you will now hear play-by-play commentary in the demo. Alongside the talkative Chris Collinsworth is the newcomer, Gus Johnson.
This years demo is shaping up to give a great glimpse of what is hopefully a fantastic new Madden game.
The popular Xbox-Live Arcade Game will not return for a third season.
After two seasons, it seems that 1 Vs. 100 will stop production. The game has been deemed unprofitable by Microsoft and is being discontinued. Despite giving a nice look into how avatars can be used in a fun way, there is one major drawback. Since the game is discontinuing, it is unlikely that anyone will ever be able to earn achievements again. While a small price to pay, it is certain that there are some who are unhappy about this.
Beating out both Super Mario Galaxy 2 and New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Red Dead Redemption has become the best selling game of 2010.
Red Dead Redemption has sold approximately 2.5 million copies in just two months, placing it as the leading seller of 2010. In June, the game sold almost 600,000 copies on Xbox 360 and just under 400,000 copies on PS3. The game even beats out Super Mario Galaxy 2 for Wii, which sold almost 550 thousand copies in June.
ESRB Apologizes for E-mail Mishap; Does Not Repeat Mistake
The ESRB formally apologizes to the people outed by e-mail response error.
While most of us probably found the series of events stemming from Blizzard's plan to use real names in place of traditional usernames on their Starcraft II forums to be humors -- see here, here and here if you missed it -- those directly involved, understandably, did not. Following the ironic but ultimately unfortunate reveal of approximately 1,000 e-mail addresses and names, to those very people who had raised concerns to the ESRB about the Real ID plan, the ESRB has issued a direct apology and a statement.
Both can be read in the forums or at the source, but here's the statement from ESRB spokesman Eliot Mizrachi.
"In our effort to respond quickly to the thousands of gamers who wrote to the ESRB, we inadvertently revealed a limited number of recipients' e-mail addresses in our reply. This was both unfortunate and regrettable, and for that we sincerely apologize to all those who were affected. They deserve to trust that their information will be handled with the same confidentiality, care and respect that we require of companies that display our Privacy Online seal. We take this issue seriously and are doing everything we can to ensure it does not happen again in the future."
New dashboard update to include Family Plan/Center features, expanded parental controls.
It's become somewhat routine for the Xbox 360 to receive new features, via mandatory updates through Xbox Live, in or around November. This year's update is set to deliver on some of Microsoft's announcements from E3, in particular the inclusion of the $100, four account "Family Plan", expanded parental controls options, the Kinect interface menu and the ESPN channel.
The update "will be available over LIVE just prior to Kinect for Xbox 360 being available in store in November," however an exact date has yet to be set.
The announcement of the new Xbox 360 model during this year's E3 also carried with it news that only one SKU would be on store shelves for some time.
That time seems to be set to expire next month, as the German website for Amazon recently posted a listing for a slim model Arcade. Coming equipped with 4GB of storage, more likely to be on-board flash memory than an impressively small hard drive, the unit was listed for an August 20th release date with a 148.99 price tag. Both the date and price have since been removed, however the listing itself is still present.
Ars Technica points out that August 20th is in the middle of Europe's largest trade show, Gamescom, which is to take place in Germany. Considering rumors of an Arcade model have been around since the announcement of the slim 250GB's release, in addition to the fact that Microsoft is terrible at keeping these things secret, the odds seem to be in favor of this being true.
Three PlayStation Move Packages Unveiled for North America
Sony Unveils Three Packages for PlayStation Move Launch, None of Them Include the Navigation Controller.
Sony today revealed the three launch bundles that will be released for the PlayStation Move in North America, none of which come equipped with the Navigation Controller, which will instead be a separate $29.99 (USD) purchase.
For those that bought Eye of Judgment or a PlayStation Eye, the standalone PlayStation Move controller will be available for $49.99. For the current PS3 Owners, Sony plans to launch a Move Bundle, known as the Blue Starter Kit, which will feature a PlayStation Eye, one PlayStation Move Controller, a demo disk and Sports Champions for $99.99 (USD).
The third option is a complete hardware option, containing a PS3, PlayStation Eye, PlayStation Move Controller, Demo Disk, Sports Champions and a DualShock 3 Controller for $399.99 (USD).
PlayStation Move is set to launch on September 19th.
Rockstar Lays Off Roughly 40 Employees From Red Dead Redemption Team
Rockstar San Diego Loses Significant Chunk from Development Team.
After a commercial and critical success with Red Dead Redemption, reports are surfacing today that shows Rockstar San Diego having lost upwards of 40 employees. These employees comprised a greater part of the Red Dead Redemption staff, and this report comes just shy of two months past the release of the acclaimed game.
Formerly known as Angel Studios, Rockstar San Diego started receiving complaints of unfair working conditions from employees, and at one point was being compared to the Eye of Sauron, an accusation Rockstar was allegedly "saddened" to hear. Rockstar San Diego is also responsible for the Midnight Club and Smugglers Run series.
Rockstar has yet to respond to communications asking for verification or clarification with regards to this report.
Texas A&M study reveals that gamers are better at handling both stress and pressure than non-gamers.
Despite the numerous studies arguing that video games are detrimental to society, a study by Texas A&M has revealed that gamers are actually quite proficient at handling the stress and pressures of everyday life.
Dr. Christopher Ferguson, an associate professor at Texas A&M states, "in this study, 103 young adults were given a frustration task and then randomized to play no game, a non-violent game, a violent game with good versus evil theme, or a violent game in which they played 'the bad guy.' The results suggest that violent games reduce depression and hostile feelings in players through mood management."
This should come as no surprise to gamers, who sometimes use games as a release for their anger. This is no different from other popular media targets, such as music, that generally come under fire for being "violent". This study isn't a huge breakthrough, but at least there is academic evidence finally defending gamers.
LionHead's new installment in the Fable Series contains over 460,000 words and over 80 actors' voices.
LionHead's Audio associate producer, Georg Backer, confirmed during a recent interview that Fable III will contain over 47 hours of recorded speech, up from 36 hours of speech in Fable II. Fable III has also increased it's number of AI types to "30-40 different types" of characters, with much of the dialogue spreading from the AI characters, not just based on the storyline and primary character.
A lot of the added dialogue comes from lines you hear in passing. Many of the supplemental characters will talk to the main character in passing about things happening within the storyline of the game. The game, on the whole, will feature more dialogue and now includes over "1,500 marriage lines." According to Backer, each AI character now features over 2,000 lines each.
One interesting aspect of the interview included a GUI room, known as the Sanctuary, featuring the main character and two supplementary characters, Sir Walter and butler Jasper, voiced by John Cleese. The Sanctuary is a room for upgrading the character, changing clothes and equipping weapons. Essentially removing the 2D screen that was previously used to upgrade the character.
Final Fantasy Creator, Sakaguchi, May Have Created His Last Game
Hironobu Sakaguchi confirmed through Mistwalker's website that "The Last Story" might be his last.
When posting to the Mistwalker Studio's blog, Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi commented that he had poured all of his energy into it and it potentially "might be my last work."
Following an impressive string of releases with Square Enix, including the extremely popular Final Fantasy VII, Sakaguchi left the company. Releasing games such as Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey, popular consensus is that he hasn't been the same since leaving the company, and The Last Story will likely be the final game for the legendary creator.
The sequel to DJ Hero will feature 108 artists, including 2Pac, 50 Cent, and Kanye West!
Recently the 108 artists involved in DJ Hero 2 were revealed. The game will feature some of the most popular rap artists, along with bands from some other genres (including Metallica). One of the biggest criticisms of the original game was the use of remixed versions of the same song within one game. At this point it is unknown if that trend will continue, but there certainly seems to be a lot of diversity.
After no-showing at E3, Peter Molyneux's Milo project takes center stage at TEDGlobal 2010.
Alongside a volunteer, apparently named Dimitry, Molyneux revealed a more refined version of Milo than the video that wowed audiences at E3 in 2009. Molyneux and Dimitri taught Milo how to skip rocks and helped him clean his room. After showing sadness for a recent move, Dimitri cheered Milo up and, despite a momentary hesitation, Dimitri convinced Milo to crush a snail.
After a no-show at E3 2010, Milo appears to be alive and well, and this most recent build certainly goes a long way towards convincing audiences that there is a small virtual boy living in their consoles!
Despite not having an official price announcement from Microsoft, WalMart Unveils new Kinect bundle.
Walmart today unveiled their price for the upcoming Kinect bundle. Priced at $200, the bundle is set to include the Kinect, a $30 online gift card and one Kinect game.
Despite no official announcement from Microsoft, this seems to indicate some truth to rumors that the Kinect will sell for $150.
Chinese Law Prohibits the Legal Sale of Most Video Game Consoles, Peripherals No Exception.
With Chinese law prohibiting the legal sale of most current video game consoles, the latest addition to the lineup of gadgets to be added to the banned pile is the new Xbox 360 Kinect. While presently only systems such as the Nintendo DS and the PC are legal in China, many Chinese gamers that want to play the alternative consoles turn to 3rd party importers...despite the fact that the consoles themselves are made in China.
Chinese gamers looking for the Kinect, or even the upcoming PlayStation Move, will not be able to find solace through the official means; however, importers are likely to find themselves filled with customers looking for the Kinect through their "unofficial" means.
BioWare Unveils Screenshots of Dragon Age 2.
Amidst concerns over Dragon Age: Origins' dismal styling, BioWare have released the first working screenshots of Dragon Age 2 in-game, with a new style and a new hero.
The screens reveal the new protagonist of the Dragon Age 2 story, Hawke, in the middle of a battle. The game boasts a new style with less photorealism, but BioWare also promises to provide a new artistic direction that will make the world of Thedas more distinct.
Nintendo's new 3DS will pack some anti-piracy tools into it's sleek package, but won't say how.
THQ's VP of International Publishing confirmed on Monday that the new 3DS will feature tools to combat piracy, something that plagues the DS and has many developers weary of developing games for the portable device. For obviously reasons, Nintendo will not release information regarding the anti-piracy inclusions, stating that these methods are hard to explain and will only be used to break through the piracy tools by those who wish to use pirated games.
The primary reason for including these anti-piracy systems is to restore trust in Nintendo's portable platforms and allow developers and publishers to push for higher sales volumes, which have been limited thanks to the rampant piracy on the DS Lite platform. Nintendo confirms that it will likely cost more to develop games in 3D, so it is important for developers will have the trust in the platform to build games and market them harder than present portable game sales.
ESRB Releases Emails of Roughly 1000 Who Complained About Blizzard's Real ID, Also Supports Real ID
The ESRB accidentally released the email addresses of everyone who contacted them to complain about Blizzard's failed Real ID strategy; Also shows support for Real ID approach.
The ESRB today unintentionally revealed the email address of each individual who contacted them concerned about their personal identification being revealed as a result of Blizzard's proposed and revoked Real ID program, which would have forced posters to use their real name on the official forums, rather than an assumed moniker.
Roughly 1,000 people received a response from the ESRB regarding their Real ID complaints, but rather than sending a canned response to each person individually, someone at the ESRB utilized the "Reply All" button, meaning that one email was sent to everyone that complained. While not a particularly dangerous mistake, the irony of those concerned about their personal information being revealed in turn having their email addresses, and in some cases, their real names, revealed to a group of 1,000 or so peers was a somewhat apropos response from the pioneers of online privacy.
Also from the ESRB today, an interview with Assistant Director of Communications, Eliot Mizrachi by Ars Technica, revealed that the ESRB, whilst pioneering online privacy protection, is ultimately concerned with the safe handling of private information, and not anonymity. When it came to Blizzard's Real ID system, the ESRB gave it the Privacy Certified seal, a sign of support that it meets with the ESRB's privacy standards.
For those who feel that Blizzard's Real ID system was a step towards privacy invasion, the ESRB made the statement with their seal that complete anonymity is not the ultimate goal of privacy protection.
Pokemon Black, White Has Video Chat, Sleep Mode Communication
Leaked scans from the newest edition of CoroCoro Magazine reveals more details on new Pokemon, gameplay features.
Continuing to release a steady stream of information for their upcoming set of Pokemon games, Nintendo has revealed several new details through Japan's CoroCoro. While we won't cover the Japanese names for the Pokemon or their attacks -- check the sources for all of that -- new additions to the series look to add even more depth to and connectivity options for the Pokemon community.
Following in the footsteps of games such as Dragon Quest IX, which shares map data with nearby players while the console is in sleep mode, Pokemon Black & White will feature a similar mode. While little beyond the fact that connecting with other players will benefit everyone has been revealed the mode, tentatively named "Pass By," encourages players to carry their DS around with them.
The previously announced, more traditional 3-on-3 battle party is also reported to factor positioning into attack damage and their overall effectiveness in battle. Attacks that strike multiple times or multiple opponents may vary in range, power or number of strikes depending on whether the Pokemon was placed into the front or back of the party. Combined with the weaknesses and resistances of each Pokemon, a whole new layer of strategy will be added to the existing formula.
Exclusive to DSi (and presumably 3DS) users, "Live Caster" will join the already existing voice chat, allowing players to video chat in real time. While Live Caster supports up to four players locally, only two are supported through WiFi connection. Given Nintendo's family-friendly and protective nature, we're going to assume video chat is only available to players that have added one another's Friend Codes/IDs and that means of blocking inappropriate players will be available.
Finally, two version-exclusive areas were revealed. Pokemon Black players will eventually be able to access an area known as the Black City, while Pokemon White players will instead gain access to the White Forest. It seems likely that Pokemon exclusive to one version or the other will appear in these areas.
After years of criticism from fans, Sega gets ready to bring Sonic 4 back to 2D
Sega of America Digital Brand Manager, Ken Balough, revealed why it is that after years of criticism from fans of the Sonic franchise that the game is finally making it's way back to the 2D style that made the blue hedgehog famous in the early '90s. Claiming that the team came together in the right way for this release, Balough divulged that everyone from the programmers through to the marketers and publishers came together to push Sonic 4.
Set to be released through Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, Wii Ware and the iPhone App Store in "Late 2010," Sonic 4: Episode I will be the first of several Sonic 4 episodic digital releases tentatively priced between $10 and $15 USD each. Balough claims this is because breaking Sonic 4 into episodic "chunks," rather than a single $60 release, means that people are more willing to consider it an "impulse buy" rather than a large investment at the normal retail price. The risk of releasing Sonic 4 in episodic chunks, rather than a one-time release means that fans may be hesitant to buy for fear of Sega pulling future episodes; however, Assistant Community Manager for Sega of America, Aaron Webber, assured fans that the storyline was in place, and the only way episodes would be pulled would be if no one bought the game.
Ubisoft's Driver reboot gets pushed into early next year.
While the first half of 2010 saw the release of multiple high-profile games, most seeking to avoid last year's release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, the second half is nothing to sneeze at. Perhaps realizing how easy it is to get lost in the holiday shuffle, Ubisoft has revealed a slight delay for their newest entry in the Driver series.
Racing enthusiasts will have to settle for the likes of Gran Turismo 5 and Criterion's take on Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit this year. "Due to the competitive market at Christmas," Driver San Francisco will now be arriving in Q1 2011.
Kid Icarus Uprising to Include Online Functionality
Speaking with UK magazine GamesMaster, Sora Ltd head Masahiro Sakurai has revealed an interest in incorporating online features into the upcoming Kid Icarus game.
Announced last month at E3, Kid Icarus Uprising was not only a triumphant return for the series but also served as the main face of the Nintendo 3DS during their press conference. Following Nintendo's comments that the 3DS would present significant advancements over their current online offerings, it seems as if Uprising may also help lay the groundwork for their improved online networks.
Says Sakurai: "The online capabilities are currently being tested. There could be some versus play but we can't go into any detail. There are a lot of capabilities that expand on what was in the DS that people are taking advantage of." The full interview will be in the September issue of GamesMaster, due to arrive at newsstands tomorrow. For the rest of us, Tokyo Game Show 2010 may be the event to watch.
Sony has updated their terms of service for playing PS3 because of its 3D functionality.
Sony is encouraging gamers to be careful when playing 3D games. The terms of service mention to take regular breaks in order to prevent any eye damage. Not surprisingly, Nintendo has already made a similar move because of the 3DS.
Sony is clearly emphasizing taking strong cautions when playing 3D games, but are they really harmful? Or is Sony just trying to protect themselves? After all, these recommendations are not too far away from the cautions of the past about playing video games. As always, moderation is the key.
Has GameStop Let Borderlands Game of the Year Edition Slip?
A now removed posting for the strategy guide appeared on GameStop's website.
"Game of the Year" editions of games have been very common this generation, especially for highly rated games with extensive (and expensive!) downloadable content available. If GameStop is to be believed, and we see no reason why they shouldn't be in this case, Borderlands will be at least one of 2010's GotY-branded re-releases.
As these versions typically come packaged with all currently available DLC, people considering making a Borderlands purchase may want to hold off for a little while longer. The GameStop listing, which was for the strategy guide and not the game itself, was labeled for a September 7th release. That's a Tuesday, the standard shipping date for video games in the United States, so at least that much checks out.
Following last month's news that AQ Interactive would be "freezing" their video game publishing business comes word of the first official casualty.
Cavia, best known for their work on Square Enix's Drakengard series as well as the recently released Action/RPG Nier, is to be dissolved according to an interview posted by Japanese site 4gamer. Following the cancellation of Mistwalker's Cry-On in late 2008, Cavia developed Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles for Capcom, as well as Neir Gestalt and Neir Replicant for Square Enix.
The employees presently working under the Cavia name will be absorbed into AQ Interactive with the Cavia name ceasing to exist. Where exactly the employees will end up or what they'll be working on next, individually or otherwise, remains to be seen. There's no word on whether this will affect FeelPlus (Lost Odyssey) or Artoon (Blue Dragon) now or in the future, while North American publisher XSEED Games continues to build momentum thanks to their partnership with Nihon Falcom.
Bungie unveiled the artwork for the Halo: Reach achievements, also revealing names and conditions for five of them.
Bungie, the development house that brought us the iconic Halo series, has released new achievement information for their upcoming game, Halo: Reach. It was revealed that the game will feature 49 achievements in total, though names and related scores were not released. Bungie did, however, release the names and requirements of five of these achievements:
* A Monument to All Your Sins Complete each Campaign Mission on Legendary - alone.
* Banshees, Fast and Low Hijack a Banshee during the Reach Campaign.
* Yes, Sensei Earn a First Strike Medal in a Matchmaking game.
* A New Challenger Complete all of the Daily Challenges in a given day.
* Make It Rain Purchase an item from the Armory that requires the rank of Lt. Colonel.
Halo: Reach is set to be released on September 14th in N. America
Electronic Arts expected to unveil new game somehow related to Spore.
Maxis Studio, the developers that brought you Spore and The Sims, are set to unveil a new game based on "the DNA of Spore." Said to be a brand new Sci-Fi Action-RPG, the initial announcement for this new Spore game is set to take place on July 24th.
At this point in time, not much is known about the new project; however, worthy of note is the fact that Electronic Arts filed a trademark earlier this year for something called "Darkspore." Whether or not this is related to the new project is presently unknown.
Square Enix has updated the official site with a brief glimpse of the combat system.
Unofficially revealed shortly before E3 2010, Kingdom Hearts Re:coded is a DS port of 2008's Japanese mobile-exclusive game Kingdom Hearts Coded. Set shortly after the events of Kingdom Hearts II, Coded picks up as King Mickey, Donald and Goofy find strange writing in Jiminy Cricket's journal. Digitizing the journal and exploring its depths for clues, players quickly stumble upon a digital version of Sora who joins the quest. Traversing familiar worlds and reuniting with digital incarnations of old friends, Re:coded looks to recapture some of the magic found in the original Kingdom Hearts.
The video below occurs in familiar areas of Traverse Town. Little in the way of new enemies or worlds is expected, however gameplay elements change between worlds. While some worlds have platforming puzzles involving the red and black boxes you see here, others are more action-oriented like Kingdom Hearts II. Turn-based combat in Olympus Coliseum was also shown during the E3 announcement trailer.
No release information has been announced, however North American fans should expect this to arrive sometime next year.
Blizzard Backs Down; Real Names Not Required for Posting
Following up on Wednesday's story, a message posted on Blizzard's forums by CEO and Co-founder Mike Morhaime announces the cancellation of the highly controversial plan.
"We've been constantly monitoring the feedback you've given us, as well as internally discussing your concerns about the use of real names on our forums," reads the opening paragraph. "As a result of those discussions, we've decided at this time that real names will not be required for posting on official Blizzard forums." While they were sure to specify at this time, which leaves the possibility of this happening later, for the time being things should return to normal.
Other announced additions for the forums, including the ability to rate individual posts, remain unchanged. "We will still move forward with new forum features such as the ability to rate posts up or down, post highlighting based on rating, improved search functionality, and more." The post also notes that, closer to the release of World of Warcraft's Cataclysm expansion, those forums will also be upgraded with these features. Real names will not be required for those forums, either.
"In closing, I want to point out that our connection with our community has always been and will always be extremely important to us. We strongly believe that Every Voice Matters," Morhaime says. "We feel fortunate to have a community that cares so passionately about our games. We will always appreciate the feedback and support of our players, which has been a key to Blizzard's success from the beginning." If nothing else it's good to see that at least one half of the world's largest third-party publisher still has an ear for their fans.
Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty releases in a little over two weeks.
Infinity Ward Sues Activision, Claims They Created a "Police State" For Modern Warfare 2 Development
Developers of Modern Warfare 2 sue Activision, alleging unpaid royalties and breach of contract.
Infinity Ward, developers of the acclaimed Modern Warfare 2, filed an amended lawsuit today, alleging Activision created a "police state," setting up secret interrogations of employees and holding $54 Million hostage unless the development house produced a sequel by November 2011.
As many as 40 present and former Infinity Ward employees came together to file this suit, seeking damages and unpaid royalties in the amount of $216 Million, down from $500 million when the lawsuit was initially filed. According the suit, Activision paid 40% of the royalties for Modern Warfare 2 in March, but held onto the remaining 60%, an estimated $54 Million, only to be paid out if the developers managed to produce a sequel by November 2011. The suit also alleges that, during the buildup to fairly high-profile firings, Infinity Ward employees were forced to submit to secret interrogations and told not to tell anyone about these sessions. Activision also brought in security to man the exits during the development process. Following the firings, Activision CEO Bobby Kotick is said to have attended a meeting with Infinity Ward, during which time Infinity Ward were promised their bonuses, in full, by the end of that month. This didn't happen, and when pressed by a group of employees in April, Activision CFO Thomas Tippl is alleged to have told the Infinity Ward employees to "get over it."
Former Infinity Ward heads Jason West and Vince Zampella filed suit in March, seeking $36 Million in unpaid royalties and and alleging Activision created a "pre-ordained" investigation designed to result in their firing. A hearing is set for August 5th to consolidate both trials into a single trial against Activision.
Activision have yet to comment on these allegations.
Beta Testing for the Highly Anticipated MMO Begins
Developers BioWare announced today through their official website that testing for the highly anticipated upcoming MMO has begun. The first batch of testers was officially notified via email at some point today. Those that tried to get into the testing process but were not picked for the first round may still have a chance, as more small groups of people will be selected for testing rounds as the process proceeds.
Those who haven't already can sign up through the new Star Wars: The Old Republic Testing Portal, located at http://www.swtor.com/tester to sign up for the chance to test the upcoming game.
Star Wars: The Old Republic is set for a Q2 2011 release.
Red Dead Redemption Causes Trouble for Gamestop's Weekly Sale
An hour-long sale on Red Dead Redemption at Gamestop's website caused the site to fail, leaving many customers unsatisfied.
A Gamestop promotion that featured Red Dead Redemption at a price of $23.99 (USD) for one hour crashed the site. Very few customers were actually able to purchase the product, and Gamestop is currently attempting to fix the situation.
Despite the mishap, this promotion could prove to be very successful, given how many people logged onto the Gamestop website. Whether or not Gamestop cut back on the size of such deals is unknown, but it seems like it might be a good idea for the time being.
First Gameplay Trailer for Mistwalker's The Last Story
Our first look at the latest RPG epic from the mind of fabled designer Hironobu Sakaguchi reveals over-the-shoulder gun mechanics, fast-paced combat.
It's been a while since console players have heard anything from Mistwalker. Following the release of Xbox 360 exclusive Lost Odyssey the developer has moved to handhelds, releasing several games for the Nintendo DS. Continuing their support for Nintendo's platforms, Mistwalker is set to return to consoles this year with The Last Story, a Wii exclusive that has been compared to Final Fantasy on several occasions due to its name and logo.
While the newly released trailer doesn't offer much in the way of story details for people unfamiliar with the Japanese language, it does show a good amount of gameplay footage. Taking a different approach than Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey, The Last Story is an Action/RPG that combines elements of hack and slash with bits of over-the-shoulder shooting. No official date has been set, however the trailer has announced a vague 2010 release window. North American fans (and our friends in PAL territories) will have to cross their fingers in the meantime; no word on any localization efforts just yet.
First Video of Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock Revealed
Activision has released the first gameplay video for the newest yearly installment in the Guitar Hero franchise!
The first video for Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock shows a few small clips of some of the most anticipated songs for the game, including the Def Leppard classic, Pour Some Sugar on Me and the famous Kiss tune, Love Gun. In addition to showing some guitar charts, the video also features some images of characters playing instruments or singing onstage.
Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock seems to have returned to a more rock-oriented setlist after the past two games featured an abundance of pop/rock songs. This video definitely proves that the Guitar Hero series is back in top form and will be around to stay for a while!
Civilization V Creators Lay Off Roughly 20 Employees
Developers of the upcoming Sid Meier's Civilization V strategy game lay off roughly 20 employees.
In a move to "streamline the development process, reduce costs and maximize the overall performance [of] the studio," developer Firaxis today confirmed the termination of about 20 positions from it's company. These positions include members of the Quality Assurance team, user interface art team, animators, programmers and designers.
Firaxis' parent company, 2K, confirmed the lay-offs, but states that the cut backs will have no impact on the company's ability to produce "AAA titles" such as the forthcoming Sid Meiers Civilization V and Sid Meier's Civilization Network for Facebook.
Civilization V is set for a September release date.
Developer Rockstar promises four new DLC packs starting in August
Red Dead Redemption developers Rockstar today revealed that, starting in August, the company will roll out four new DLC packs for the highly-acclaimed game. Following up on the mission pack, "Outlaws to the End," and in keeping to their promise to follow-through with add-on content, the DLC packs are set to feature new weapons, animals, maps, saloon games and playable characters.
Rockstar is set to release the first DLC, titled "Legends and Killers" in August. This pack will feature nine new maps, eight new characters, a Tomahawk weapon, and new trophies/achievements to unlock.
The other three DLC packs, which have yet to be given release dates, are titled "Liars and Cheats," the "Free Roam" Pack, and the "Undead Nightmare" pack.
Assassin's Creed Series Taking a "Breather" in 2011
Ubisoft Montreal claims no new Assassin's Creed titles planned for 2011.
Assassin's Creed Series developers Ubisoft Montreal revealed today that there will not be a new Assassin's Creed title in 2011, stating that the upcoming Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood will be the final mission for hero Ezio, who took over from the first Assassin's Creed hero, Altair.
Ubisoft Montreal producer Jean-Francois Boivin acknowledged that this will be the final Assassin's Creed game of at least a year, with Ubisoft transitioning to focus on something "new and exciting for the next time around."
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is set for a November 16th release in North America.
Rumors are surfacing that the demo for Madden 11 will be available on July 23
Kokatu is reporting that on July 15, the release date for the demo of Madden 11 will be announced. It is also expected that the announcement will highlight July 23 as the day, which would keep EA on the same pace as last year.
Aside from the expected release date, few things are known about what the demo will contain. The real question is will Madden 2011 finally break the stereotype of each Madden game being a complete rehash of the last? Hopefully the demo will provide the answers.
EA and Bioware Confirm Dragon Age 2 In Development.
Electronics Arts and BioWare confirmed that Dragon Age 2, the sequel to Dragon Age: Origins, was in production at BioWare. An official teaser is expected to take place within the next 24 hours, with company officials utilizing the "BioFeed" to let users know to keep their eyes peeled for something that will make July 8th a "great day for BioWare fans."
A tentative release date appears to be set for February 1st, 2011 for the Dragon Age sequel. The official news of Dragon Age 2 being placed in development came during a news release that states that BioWare is also working on ongoing downloadable content for Mass Effect 2 and Star Wars: The Old Republic.
Dead Space 2 Prequel to Hit PS3, PC, Xbox 360 This Fall
Visceral Games' sequel to Dead Space won't hit until January 2011, but a prequel will drop in the fall.
Dead Space 2 developers Visceral Games claims a new "interactive comic-style" prequel will hit the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC by fall. Titled Dead Space Ignition, the downloadable prequel will feature a comic-style story with three unique new mini-games: Hardware Crack, Trace Route and System Override. The storyline for the prequel was written Antony Johnston, the author responsible for the Dead Space comic book series which premiered in 2008.
Currently in development by Visceral Games and Sumo Digital, Dead Space Ignition will feature unlockable content for Dead Space 2, including a special suit for hero Isaac Clarke.
Kojima Talks Metal Gear Solid 5, Zone of the Enders 3, New IP
Looks like he's at it once more. Hot on the heels of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker's success, Hideo Kojima, in an interview with Famitsu Magazine, discusses his upcoming games and drops hints about what's beyond.
Kojima's relationship with Metal Gear has been the subject of much debate over the last few years. One day it seems as if he's moving away from the historic series to focus on other projects, while the next he's diving back in head-first. Speaking with Enterbrain's CEO Hirokazu Hamamura and translated by Andriasang's Anoop Gantayat, Kojima has offered some thoughts about his next game after Metal Gear Solid 3DS.
Describing the game as "amazing" and assuring fans that it will be available on home consoles, Kojima has two vague ideas in mind. "For the next game I make, it's either MGS5 or an original game. I only have these two choices," reports Andriasang. When the discussion turned to time frames for development, Kojima replied "I'll be slowly making my game on a console. However, even though I say slowly, it can't take three years. Only Japanese companies are taking time. Overseas, they don't take so much time for development. Assassin's Creed saw an announcement at E3 even though one was just released last year. With this in mind, I believe you can't take more than a little over two years for development."
Fans still eagerly awaiting the next entry in the Zone of the Enders series are, unfortunately, in for a much longer wait. "Regarding Anubis and so-forth, sorry -- those will be pushed a bit into the future. I'm 47 this year, and I don't know when something might happen."
Blizzard Forums to Feature Real Names Instead of Usernames
Users of Blizzard forums are enraged over the change in policy.
Blizzard has recently announced that the forums for World of Warcraft and the upcoming Starcraft II will now feature a users real name instead of a user-chosen identity. Not surprisingly, this was met with a strong negative reaction from fans for several reasons, the most prominent of which stems from obvious safety concerns.
BlizzardҒs goal with this initiative is to create a friendlier gaming community, which is a tough task given that there are thousands of players daily of these games.
Although this policy does have its drawbacks, it is not retroactive, meaning that any posts a user has made in the past will not use their full name. Ultimately, there will be a reduction in the number of forum users, but will the positives of a friendlier community outweigh them?
Developer Releases Details About Upcoming DLCs.
Crackdown 2 developers, Ruffian, is set to address one of the primary customer concerns with an upcoming DLC. The DLC will introduce non-agency approved armor colors, as well as a re-introduction of the popular "Keys to the City" mode.
Ruffian responded to criticism from customers, stating that the muted "agency-approved" colors were intentional for the storyline, and will attempt to remedy customer concerns with the forthcoming DLCs "The Toy Box" and "Deluge."
At present, no release date has been announced for either DLC.
The Boston Herald reveals details for PAX East 2011 and beyond.
Back in March the Penny Arcade Expo made its first appearance in Boston, Massachusetts. Gathering some 52,000 attendees during the three day event, the alternate location proved to be very successful. Not one to disappoint, an agreement has been signed to bring PAX East back to Boston until at least 2013.
The news also comes with word of a change in venue. While PAX East 2010 took place at the Hynes Convention Center, PAX East 2011 will take place at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. A considerably larger crowd is expected next year, and so the move is to preemptively accommodate the growth.
The Seattle, Washington location, now called PAX Prime, will be held from September 3rd to September 5th.
3G Network Connections May Come to Next-Generation Portables
According to the Wall Street Journal, Japanese wireless carrier NTT DoCoMo Inc. is presently in talks with as yet unnamed "videogame-device makers" to bring 3G to future hand-held devices.
Nintendo and Sony both, unsurprisingly, declined to comment. While merely a rumor as-is, Nintendo of America President's Reggie Fils-Aime has stated previously that Nintendo plans to expand upon and improve its online services. Nintendo's President, Satoru Iwata, also commented on the way Amazon has set up their Kindle e-book reader. Enabling the upcoming Nintendo 3DS to connect to 3G networks would certainly be a good first step forward.
Sony is no stranger to 3G networks, already having numerous 3G-enabled devices such as e-book readers. "Yusuke Tsunoda, an analyst at Tokai Tokyo Research Center, said talks of a carrier partnership are a sign that the videogame-hardware makers are feeling the pressure from smartphones, which are used to download and play simple games," reports the Wall Street Journal. Considering the success of mobile games in Japan and Nintendo declaring Apple's products, such as the iPad, the enemy of the future, it seems to be more a matter of when than if.
New PlayStation 3 SKUs; Bigger Hard Drives, More Color
Another year, another set of PlayStation 3 models.
Sony announced on Monday that 160 GB and 320 GB models of its popular PlayStation 3 console would be released in Japan. Marked for a July 29th release, the two new models will replace the existing 120 GB and 250 GB models currently on store shelves. In addition to the increased hard drive capacity the 160 GB model will also come in a shade of white reminiscent of last year's Final Fantasy XIII bundle, dubbed Classic White, as well as the standard Charcoal Black.
Pricing is set at 29,980 Yen and 34,980 Yen for the 160 GB and 320 GB, respectively, and would roughly translate into $349 USD and $399 USD upon release in the United States. The 320 GB PlayStation is currently only announced to be available in Charcoal Black and neither model has been officially confirmed for a release in North America, Europe or Australia at this time.
The sequel to the award-winning vertical-world adventure, Crackdown 2 is the ultimate open-ended world action experience, only available on Xbox 360. The game lets you be judge, jury, and executioner for a huge, fully explorable city. Crackdown 2 takes multiplayer gaming to unprecedented levels for the ultimate co-op and competitive multiplayer experience, providing you and your friends with the complete freedom to explore, destroy, and play your way as you restore justice and peace to Pacific City -- by any means necessary.
Transformers: War For Cybertron - First ten minutes
Become the Ultimate Weapon, Fight to the End. Experience the legendary battle between the Autobots and Decepticons before their exodus to Earth in the untold story of the civil war for their home planet, Cybertron. Two distinct and intertwined campaigns chronicle the Autobots' heroism in the face of total annihilation and the Decepticons' unquenchable thirst for power. Play both campaigns in team-based online co-op, or go head-to-head in several online multiplayer game modes. Battle as your favorite Transformer characters in the war that spawned one of the most brutal conflicts of all time.
Singularity is a first-person shooter developed by the legendary Raven Software and utilizing the power and flexibility of the Unreal 3 game engine. Set in an alternate present of 2010, players take on the role of a US Air Force pilot who while investigating an extreme radiation signature, stumbles upon a top secret Cold War era Soviet program, run amok which not only causes monstrous mutations, but also threatens to alter nature of time itself.
Prime yourself for wave after wave of frag-filled action and close-quarters firefights on an ever-changing battlefield by evading a lightning-fast hailstorm of bullets, lasers, shrapnel and bombs, while unleashing some of your own. Anything less than that and you'll be toast before completing your first level.
Customizable power gauges, fast-paced special attacks, unpredictable kamikaze foes, and meticulously crafted visuals guarantee a trifecta of dynamic side-scrolling gameplay that'll challenge both novice and hardcore gamers alike.
Transformers: War For Cybertron - Multiplayer demo gameplay
Become the Ultimate Weapon, Fight to the End. Experience the legendary battle between the Autobots and Decepticons before their exodus to Earth in the untold story of the civil war for their home planet, Cybertron. Two distinct and intertwined campaigns chronicle the Autobots' heroism in the face of total annihilation and the Decepticons' unquenchable thirst for power. Play both campaigns in team-based online co-op, or go head-to-head in several online multiplayer game modes. Battle as your favorite Transformer characters in the war that spawned one of the most brutal conflicts of all time.
You playas Adam Jensen, a security specialist, handpicked to oversee the defense of one of Americas most experimental biotechnology firms. But when a black ops team uses a plan you designed to break in and kill the scientists you were hired to protect, everything you thought you knew about your job changes. At a time when scientific advancements are routinely turning athletes, soldiers and spies into super-enhanced beings, someone is working very hard to ensure mankindҒs evolution follows a particular path, and you need to discover why the decisions you take and the choices you make, will be the only things that can change it.
Featuring a thematic setting based on Greek Mythology and a story entwining the "War of Hades" the game delivers an intense world of Dark Fantasy. Gameplay standout features the ability to acquire and use enemy weapon to advance and defeat opponents, as well as challenging boss battles and faithful reproduction of scenes out of the movie.
The year is 2009. Worldwide political tensions are at a breaking point when a commercial airliner is shot down by a U.S. missile over Eastern Europe, killing all aboard. The U.S. government claims no involvement, and dispatches Agent Michael Thorton to investigate and bring those responsible to justice. As the first modern day spy role-playing game, Alpha Protocol offers unprecedented control over the development of Thortons abilities and his interactions with other characters. Upgrade skills such as physical combat, weapons mastery, cutting-edge technology and even seduction as you grow in experience and complete missions.
Launch into a new universe of gravity warping worlds in the sequel to one of the greatest games of all time! Yoshi joins Mario as they traverse a wild variety of galaxies exploding with imagination, helping out our hero as he gulps enemies, runs at super speed, or inflates like a blimp to reach high cliff tops. Whether Marios leaping into orbit around tiny micro-planets, tumbling through rooms with constantly flip-flopping gravity, or drilling through craggy worlds to emerge on the other side, he'll need new abilities and serious jumping skills to survive the all-new challenges ahead!
Red Dead Redemption is an open-world, third-person, action-adventure game set at the tail end of the American West West era. Action takes place in the first few years of the twentieth century and revolves around the choices that the protagonist, former outlaw John Marston, is forced to make due to his blemished past. The game features a morality system assigning honor and fame points generated through the player's choices. It also features Wild West themed mini-games, new targeting and cover systems, extensive horse riding abilities, a wealth of period specific weapons and more than 40 huntable animals.
Red Dead Redemption is an open-world, third-person, action-adventure game set at the tail end of the American West West era. Action takes place in the first few years of the twentieth century and revolves around the choices that the protagonist, former outlaw John Marston, is forced to make due to his blemished past. The game features a morality system assigning honor and fame points generated through the player's choices. It also features Wild West themed mini-games, new targeting and cover systems, extensive horse riding abilities, a wealth of period specific weapons and more than 40 huntable animals.
From the makers of the award‐winning Demons Souls comes the ultimate retro gaming experience: 3D Dot Game Heroes. An homage to the all‐time classic action/adventure and RPGs, 3DDGH delivers incredibly satisfying old‐school gameplay, beautiful visuals, and endless inside jokes, winks, and nudges for people who grew up in the golden age of gaming.
Monster Hunter 3 sees the introduction of an expansive story mode with players taking on the role of a hunter, who is tasked by the Village Chief to investigate the constant earthquakes that threaten the everyday life of Moga village. A bustling and vibrant town, Moga is home to the hunter and includes a Blacksmith for forging weapons and armor, a shop where items can be purchased and an expanded farm with Felynes acting as laborers and tending the crops. The incentive to complete quests is now no longer limited to the collection of items and money with which the hunter can create or upgrade armor and weapons. Successful hunts have a real and visible impact on the status of Moga Village as on returning home quest items are used to repair damage caused by the earthquakes resulting in happier and more active villagers.
Prince Of Persia: The Forgotten Sands - Introduction sequence
Marking the next-gen console debut of Ubisoft's critically acclaimed series, Prince of Persia - The Forgotten Sands is the next chapter in the fan-favorite Sands of Time universe. Visiting his brother's kingdom following his adventure in Azad, the Prince finds the royal palace under siege from a mighty army bent on its destruction. His brother Malik decides to use the ancient power of the Sand in a desperate gamble to save the kingdom from total annihilation. To save the kingdom, the Prince must embark on an epic adventure in which he will learn to bear the mantle of true leadership, and that great power often comes with a great cost.
A decade has passed since the first game, and the face of E.D.N. III has changed dramatically. Terraforming efforts have been successful and the ice has begun to melt, giving way to lush tropical jungles and harsh unforgiving deserts. Players will enter this new environment and follow the exploits of their own customized snow pirate on their quest to seize control of the changing planet. Players will control their heroes across 6 interconnected episodes, creating a truly unique interactive experience that changes depending upon the actions of the players involved. The intense and action packed campaign mode comes with the ability to form teams of up to 4 players online to clear mission objectives with friends. Lost Planet 2 has a huge variety of hardware for players to unleash on unsuspecting enemies. Machine guns, shotguns, rocket launchers, lasers, sniper rifles, grenades and a host of other weapons are scattered across the game. However, Lost Planet 2's biggest weapons come on two legs: the heavily armed and armored robotic Vital Suits return in greater numbers and variety than the first game. There are VS that transform into other vehicles, hold up to three players and some that even take multiple players to operate.
ESPN interviews 24-year-old Wade McGilberry from Semmes, Alabama, the winner of a $1 million contest sponsored by 2K Sports. The prize was given to the first gamer to pitch a perfect game in MLB 2K10. McGilberry accomplished the task playing the Xbox 360 version of the game. In order to participate, he had to play in the MLB Today mode, which duplicates the conditions of the previous day's real-life MLB games by adjusting the players' attributes to their actual performances. Verification was done by recording the game on video, from the time the game console was powered on until the final out.
Iron Man 2, like the first video game in the series developed to coincide with the Marvel Comics movie releases, is a single player action game featuring combat and other action both on the ground and in the air. The game follows a timeline that is separate from that found in the the movies, allowing for both comic book and movie elements to coexist. Gameplay is mission-based with players collecting "field data" for success in battle, which in turn allows for the upgrading of battle suits. Improvements over the earlier game include greater variety of play, including indoor and outdoor combat and stealth, a control scheme that remains consistent regardless of whether you are on the ground or in the air and an optional lock-on system which pulls Iron Man towards enemies when he is in the air facilitating spectacular attacks. Finally, and probably most important, players in Iron Man 2 have the ability to play both as Iron Man as well as Tony Stark's friend and ally, War Machine.
In Halo: Reach, players experience the fateful moments that forged the Halo legend. It is the story of Noble Team, a squad of heroic Spartan soldiers, and their final stand on planet Reach, humanity's last line of defense between the terrifying Covenant and Earth. This darker story is echoed by grittier visuals amid a backdrop of massive, awe-inspiring environments. Characters, enemies and environments are rendered in amazing detail by an all-new engine designed to deliver epic-scale encounters against the cunning and ruthless Covenant.
Dante's Inferno: Trials of St. Lucia - Developer walkthrough
Dante's Inferno: Trials of St. Lucia's lead system designer Mike Brinker shares pointers on how to create some unique trials using the Trials of St. Lucia editor.
You have made the cut to join a group of elite drivers chosen to participate in the global broadcast event known as Split/Second. Racing through a city created specifically for destruction, your goal is to become the season champ where fame, fortune and glory await. But first, you must survive a grueling 24-episode season of races in a variety of explosive locations to crush the competition and become the champion. When speed is not enough, the city is your weapon.
Dead to Rights: Retribution is an single player Action-Shooter game in which players roam the crime-ridden streets of Grant City with vice cop Jack Slate and his wolf-dog Shadow, doling out justice as they see fit. Featuring the ability to play as either Slate or Shadow, players mix brutal melee combat with diverse gunplay, explosive weapons and stealth animal like hunting techniques in this long-awaited follow-up to the original 2002 Dead to Rights game.
NCAA Football 11 - Offensive styles developer diary
NCAA Football provides the ultimate experience for the true football fan, delivering the excitement and pageantry that can only be found in college football. NCAA Football 11 will give players 120 ways to win with real college offenses that, for the first time ever, reflect the authentic style of every NCAA FBS school. NCAA Football 11 recreates the intensity of college football Saturdays, achieving all-new levels of quality in core gameplay for the award-winning franchise.
You have made the cut to join a group of elite drivers chosen to participate in the global broadcast event known as Split/Second. Racing through a city created specifically for destruction, your goal is to become the season champ where fame, fortune and glory await. But first, you must survive a grueling 24-episode season of races in a variety of explosive locations to crush the competition and become the champion. When speed is not enough, the city is your weapon.
Sam And Max: The Devil's Playhouse Episode 1 - The Penal Zone - First ten minutes
Sam is a six-foot dog in a baggy suit sporting a trombone-sized .44 hand-cannon. Max is three feet of pure unleashed id with a saw blade grin and the impulsive nature of the average piranha. Together they patrol the sticky streets of a fantastical New York City, righting wrongs, pummeling perps, and ridding the urban landscape of the shifty legions of "self-propelled gutter trash" that litter their streets. Sam and Max got their start in comics in 1987, courtesy of cartoonist Steve Purcell. They have appeared in many formats over the years, including two seasons of an episodic graphic adventure game series; an award-winning animated series in 1998; an online web comic in 2006, for which Purcell was awarded an Eisner Award for Best Digital Comic; and The 20th Anniversary Edition of the Surfin' the Highway comic anthology which was nominated for a Eisner Award in 2009.
2010 FIFA World Cup: South Africa - Demo game play
With 2010 FIFA World Cup EA Sports celebrates the single largest sporting event on the planet with the only official and exclusively licensed video game for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa. Featuring all 199 national teams that took part in qualification and all 10 officially licensed stadiums to be used in South Africa, as well as an online Tournament Mode, an improved game engine and extensive multiplayer options both online and offline, 2010 FIFA World Cup is an experience not to missed by soccer fans and those new to the game alike.
Epic designer Cliff Bleszinski was a guest on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on NBC. In the interview, Gears of War 3 had its public debut and is scheduled for release around April 8, 2011.
In the next installment of the Crysis series you play as 'Nomad' from the original Crysis game. There will be more freedom of choice, larger gameplay options and more tactical warfare. The soldiers will now be equipped with new equipment including the Nanosuit 2. The Nanosuit 2 gives players more freedom in their options of how to tackle situations on the battlefield. For the first time in the Crysis series this game will be available on consoles.
Alan Wake, developed by Remedy Entertainment for the Xbox 360, is psychological action thriller that incorporates the elements of a TV show with the interactivity of a video game for a uniquely immersive experience. A suspenseful story told in successive episodes, this release will treat players to top-notch graphics that give the game a stunning cinematic look.
Brink is an immersive shooter that blends single-player, co-op, and multiplayer gameplay into one seamless experience, allowing you to develop your character across all modes of play. You decide the role you want to assume in the world of Brink as you fight to save yourself and mankind's last refuge for humanity. Brink offers a compelling mix of dynamic battlefields, extensive customization options, and an innovative control system that will keep you coming back for more. Story: A man-made floating city called the Ark, made up of hundreds of separate floating islands, is on the brink of all-out civil war. Originally built as an experimental self-sufficient and 100% "green" habitat, the reported rapid rise of the Earth's oceans has forced the Ark to become a refuge for humanity. Crammed with the original Ark founders, their descendants, as well as tens of thousands of refugees, the Ark exists in total isolation from the rest of the world. With 25 years of social unrest, the inhabitants of the Ark have reached their breaking point. It's up to you to decide the future of the Ark and the human race.
Veteran agent Sam Fisher is back, but he's never faced an enemy like this before. In Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction, Fisher must stop a devastating attack by infiltrating a vicious terrorist group and destroying it from within. Infiltrate a terrorist organization in its American headquarters, you must carefully weigh the consequences of your actions. Kill too many criminals and you'll blow your cover. Hesitate too long and millions will die. Do whatever it takes to complete your mission, but get out alive.
Red Dead Redemption - Living In The West Part 2 trailer
Red Dead Redemption is an open-world, third-person, action-adventure game set at the tail end of the American West West era. Action takes place in the first few years of the twentieth century and revolves around the choices that the protagonist, former outlaw John Marston, is forced to make due to his blemished past. The game features a morality system assigning honor and fame points generated through the player's choices. It also features Wild West themed mini-games, new targeting and cover systems, extensive horse riding abilities, a wealth of period specific weapons and more than 40 huntable animals.
For decades, Samus Aran has been known as one of the first female protagonists in video games and one of the most enigmatic. Having traded her haunted past for the solitary life of a bounty hunter, Samus finally tells her own tale in this revealing, personal story of her failings, her flaws and ultimately her motivation. Metroid: Other M is an unprecedented collaboration that blends the slick, action-packed production of the world-renowned Team Ninja development team with the game design talents of the creators of the original Metroid. Metroid: Other M is a dramatic new direction for a legendary franchise and a bold new blend between cinematics, storytelling and the best in interactive entertainment.
Tales of Phantasia: Narikiri Dungeon X is a remake of the RPG, Tales of Phantasia: Narikiri Dungeon, for the PlayStation Portable being developed by Namco Tales Studio and published by Namco Bandai. It is scheduled to be released in 2010. The original game was the first sequel in the Tales series. The story begins 205 years after the beginning of Tales of Phantasia. In addition the game will also include a separate game, Tales of Phantasia X, which will be the fourth remake of the first game in the series Tales of Phantasia.
Agent Joanna Dark hit the ground running in Perfect Dark, an epic tale of galactic conspiracies in 2023 America. Now this classic shooter comes to Xbox LIVE Arcade, rendered in greater definition and detail and sporting a silkier framerate than ever before.
Gather your friends, dim the lights, and get the popcorn ready. Calling is a single player adventure that delivers thrills alone or with an audience. The fun of a suspenseful movie is now on Wii. Conquer your fears and discover the truth together! Rumor has it that The Black page is a hoax or a prank - an empty website where a few can enter a new world and meet the dead again. This world is known as the Mnemonic Abyss where the dead wander indefinitely. Curiosity brings many to this site - those who do not believe or those trying to solve the mystery behind it, and some who are simply looking for a lost friend or a beloved husband. Experience 4 unique character's perspectives in a gripping story of Japanese Survival Horror.
Battle your friends in this all-new adventure, based on the world of DreamWorks Animations latest movie, How to Train Your Dragon! With countless ways to customize, youҒll design the coolest dragons to ever live on the Island of Berk. Explore this epic world as Hiccup or Astrid in Adventure Mode or experience fierce battle action in Arena Mode as you fight, fly, and fire your way to victory!
The Red Star brings to life the dystopian United Republics of the Red Star (URRS), a mystical and technologically advanced alternate reality resembling Soviet Russia. In this alternate reality, the world has been wracked by vicious conflict between the world's powerful nations, who use advanced technology to harness soldiers' latent mental powers. Players can choose to play as one of the graphic novel’s three most prominent characters: Maya Antares, a powerful sorceress in search of her husband lost in battle, Kyuzo, Maya's personal bodyguard as well as a powerful fighter, or Makita, a quick and agile warrior forced to abandon her life as a world-class athlete when her homeland was invaded.
Red Dead Redemption is an open-world, third-person, action-adventure game set at the tail end of the American West West era. Action takes place in the first few years of the twentieth century and revolves around the choices that the protagonist, former outlaw John Marston, is forced to make due to his blemished past. The game features a morality system assigning honor and fame points generated through the player's choices. It also features Wild West themed mini-games, new targeting and cover systems, extensive horse riding abilities, a wealth of period specific weapons and more than 40 huntable animals.
Metro 2033 is a single player first-person shooter (FPS) that incorporates role-playing game (RPG) elements. Based on the best selling novel of the same name by Dmitry A. Glukhovsky, it tells the story of humanity's struggle for survival in the forgotten tunnels of Moscow's underground subway system following a devastating nuclear war. Features include mission play combining a unique mix of firearm and melee combat, an economy revolving around ammo and items and an experience system which takes each of your actions into account, leading to a variety of possible alternate endings and extended replay value.
God of War III is a single player action game, exclusive to the PlayStation 3, and the final installment of the God of War trilogy. Containing signature and addictive God of War gameplay a combination of over-the-top action combat, exploration and puzzle-solving ח along with an engrossing mythologically inspired storyline and a selection of new weapons and a new weapons system, it is a fitting conclusion to the much praised God of War franchise.
Red Steel 2 is a single player first-person shooter that allows the player to blend Samurai bushido ethics with the blade, with the over-the-top gun combat. A Wii exclusive, action is set in a fictional, yet immersive and edgy Western setting and utilizes optional Wii MotionPlus technology to add precision to players actions both with the sword and the gun. This precision of motion allows everything from turning the sword into both a cutting and blunt weapon, to blocking bullets with single strokes as players exact revenge on a rival clan.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2 - Chaos Rising - First ten minutes
Warhammer 40000: Dawn of War II: Chaos Rising is the first standalone PC expansion to the real-time strategy (RTS) Warhammer 40000: Dawn of War II franchise. Continuing the story of the Space Marines battle against a variety of factions across several planets, in Chaos Rising players must also stand against the dreaded Chaos Space Marines. The game does not require the earlier Dawn of War II game for play, and includes 15 new missions, new units and corruption mechanic, the Chaos Space Marine faction and excellent online multiplayer options.
Last Rebellion is a turn-based role-playing game (RPG) that blends stirring storytelling with an engaging and addictive battle system. A PlayStation 3 exclusive, it features two main characters, Nine and Aisha, who although they work together as a team in battle, can each be played separately. Features include a unique battle system that allows for tagging of enemies, ensuring focused and efficient attacks and turn flow, as well as gorgeous watercolor-like character art and event scenes.
To build his infallible empire and lord over the world for eternity, the emperor of Chin dynasty came back from the grave, and its up to the Sangoku heroes to battle the demons he brought back from hell.
To defeat this demon lord, mythological characters such as goddesses and historical warriors join the fray. There are more weapons to collect and skills to unleash, be sure to level up your characters when you fight this boss.
Yakuza 3 is the next cinematic chapter in the prestigious video game saga offering an authentic, gritty and often violent story set in modern day Japan. Following the events of the previous game, Kazuma and Haruka (his adopted daughter) have left Kamurochoto to seek a new life in Okinawa where they manage an orphanage for children. However, their peaceful life is soon interrupted when a series of events unfold pulling Kazuma back into the shadowy past he thought he had left behind. Making its first appearance exclusively on the PlayStation 3 platform, the rich story and vibrant world of Yakuza 3 lets players engage in intense brutal clashes within the streets of Okinawa, and the pulsating and often dangerous city of Tokyo where only the strongest will survive.
Skate 3 - Developer Diary: The University District
The award winning SKATE franchise is back and rolling into new territory as SKATE 3 heads to the brand new city of Port Carverton. Get ready to team up and throw down as you build your own customized dream team to shred the streets, parks, and plazas and change the face of the city. New tricks, improved off-board actions, and gnarly Hall of Meat carnage mixed with exciting new team-based game modes Team Up. Throw Down.
Take aim and blast your way through a post-apocalyptic world packed with nonstop arcade shooter action. Sin and Punishmen: Star Successor is the long-awaited sequel to the Japanese Nintendo 64 cult-classic. This series delivers an intense, adrenaline-soaked thrill ride that never
lets up from start to finish as Isa and Kachi go on the run and on the defensive, shooting everything as a host of enemies try to hunt them down.
In Super Mario Galaxy 2, Mario rides his trusty dinosaur companion, Yoshi, to new stars and the fantastic worlds found there. This 3-D platforming adventure provides longtime video game fans with a fresh round of out-of-this-world challenges in the style introduced in the critically acclaimed original. The game is planned for 2010.
BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger (PSP) - First ten minutes
This game is the ultimate 2D fighting game on the go. BlazBlue features all of the console modes: Arcade, Versus, Score Attack, Training, and Story. In addition there are all new Shop and Legion modes, where you control your own party of fighters in an attempt to conquer the world of BlazBlue. Battle your friends using the Ad-hoc multiplayer option. Twelve unique combatants to choose from including 8 unlimited characters compared to the console version. Note: This footage is from the Japanese version of the game.
Battlefield Bad Company 2 is a first-person shooter, and sequel to Electronic Arts' 2008 release, Battlefield Bad Company. Following the continuing combat adventures of misfits of the US Army's Company "B," Bad Company 2 features the characteristic humor and grit of the Bad Company series, as well as a variety of gameplay improvements and additions, including 2-24 player online support; all-new four man squad gameplay; and more.
The year is 2009. Worldwide political tensions are at a breaking point when a commercial airliner is shot down by a U.S. missile over Eastern Europe, killing all aboard. The U.S. government claims no involvement, and dispatches Agent Michael Thorton to investigate and bring those responsible to justice. As the first modern day spy role-playing game, Alpha Protocol offers unprecedented control over the development of Thortons abilities and his interactions with other characters. Upgrade skills such as physical combat, weapons mastery, cutting-edge technology and even seduction as you grow in experience and complete missions.
Prepare to journey down the rabbit hole and into a land beyond your wildest imaginings. In Alice in Wonderland, the world of the dazzling Tim Burton film bursts onto your screen, filled with all the whimsical, fantastical adventure of the movie and the classic book that inspired it. Traverse a richly imagined realm filled with colorful characters, mind-bending puzzles, daunting adversaries and more as you seek a path through a strange new world and do your best to fulfill your destiny.
In Super Mario Galaxy 2, Mario rides his trusty dinosaur companion, Yoshi, to new stars and the fantastic worlds found there. This 3-D platforming adventure provides longtime video game fans with a fresh round of out-of-this-world challenges in the style introduced in the critically acclaimed original. The game is planned for 2010.
Set in the shattered subway of a post apocalyptic Moscow, Metro 2033 is a story of intensive underground survival where the fate of mankind rests in your hands. In 2013 the world was devastated by an apocalyptic event, annihilating almost all mankind and turning the earths surface into a poisonous wasteland. A handful of survivors took refuge in the depths of the Moscow underground, and human civilization entered a new Dark Age. The year is 2033. An entire generation has been born and raised underground, and their besieged Metro Station-Cities struggle for survival, with each other, and the mutant horrors that await outside. You are Artyom, born in the last days before the fire, but raised Underground. Having never ventured beyond your Metro Station-City limits, one fateful event sparks a desperate mission to the heart of the Metro system, to warn the remnants of mankind of a terrible impending threat. Your journey takes you from the forgotten catacombs beneath the subway to the desolate wastelands above, where your actions will determine the fate of mankind.
In Halo: Reach, players experience the fateful moments that forged the "Halo" legend. It's the story of Noble Team, a squad of heroic Spartan soldiers, and their final stand on planet Reach, humanity's last line of defense between the terrifying Covenant and Earth. This darker story is echoed by grittier visuals amid a backdrop of massive, awe-inspiring environments. Characters, enemies and environments are rendered in amazing detail by an all-new engine designed to deliver epic-scale encounters against the cunning and ruthless Covenant.
Heavy Rain is an interactive, single player, action adventure game in which every decision players make influences the evolution of a desperate quest to catch a deadly killer poised to strike again. Featuring a complex and dark storyline meant for mature audiences, the game is a PlayStation 3 exclusive featuring a variety of possible endings, advanced crime scene analysis, replayable chapters, four playable characters and the ability to continue play as remaining characters in the event of your current character's death.
Super Street Fighter IV features the full roster of 25 characters from Street Fighter IV such as Ryu, Ken, Crimson Viper, Abel, El Fuerte, and Rufus, while adding about eight characters new to the world of Street Fighter IV. This trailer features three newly announced characters; Ibuki, Makoto, and Dudley. All of them were originally from 3rd Strike.
White Knight Chronicles International Edition is a Japanese RPG (role-playing game) which allows players to explore an expansive and exciting world of turn-based combat, adventure and comradery A PlayStation 3 exclusive, it was created by noted Japanese RPG game developer Level-5 and features both single player and online multiplayer action, the awesome power to assume the shape of the White Knight, the ability to build a persistent online town/lobby, communication via online blogs, message boards and quest logs, voice chat and beautiful game environments.
Based on the immensely influential classic poem, Dante's Inferno takes you on an epic quest of vengeance and redemption through the Nine Circles of Hell. You are Dante, a veteran of the Crusades who must chase his beloved Beatrice and try to free her soul from Lucifers grasp. As your pursuit takes you deeper into the pits of Hell, you must battle ever more fierce and hideous monsters-while also facing your own sins, a dark family past, and your unforgivable war crimes.
Over thousands of generations the peaceful Darwinians have been evolving in a beautiful digital world, but now their whole way of life is under threat from a devastating computer virus that has infected their world and decimated their numbers. Without your protection they don't stand a chance, and it's up to you to lead them into battle to recapture their lost world in Darwinia Plus! Once you've proven your command ability, take your Darwinian army online and challenge your friends to strategic combat, as tribes of Darwinians slaughter one another in a desperate struggle for supremacy.
Blaster Master: Overdrive is an action-adventure game that takes place on an Earth infected by an aggressive, polymorphic virus. Poor, defenseless animals worldwide have been turned into flesh-eating, hemoglobin-swilling terrors. Fortunately, the world has Alex, who happens to be one of the world's foremost biologists and specializes in viral mutation profiles and genetic manipulation. Every studious biologist facing imminent global annihilation needs a sweet ride, and Alex is no exception. He has S.O.P.H.I.A., a shape-shifting, gas-guzzling, projectile-spewing paean to destruction on four wheels. Things look grim, but with Alex and S.O.P.H.I.A. on the case, the world just might have a chance.
In a frantic battle to the checkered flag, Sonic and friends speed around tracks set in medieval castle ramparts, lush rainforests and bustling cities, all taken from the visually rich and varied universes of Sonic and SEGA. Fan favorites such as Dr. Eggman, Tails, AiAi, Amigo and many more will join Sonic in their custom built vehicles, revving their engines and jostling to stay ahead of the pack. Each character will speed around the track in cars, planes, motorbikes, and in Aiais case Җ a banana mobile! Secret short cuts, swift handling and avoiding strategically placed obstacles are certainly the best way to get to the top of the podium.
Super Monkey Ball: Step And Roll - First ten minutes
AiAi and all his friends are rolling back onto Wii this Winter in an all-new party game compatible with the Wii Balance Board With 70 puzzle stages and 21 mini-games this game has something for the whole family to enjoy. Multiplayer options include a Co-op mode for 2 players as well as a host of mini-games for up to 4 players. If you're looking for an extra challenge, tackle the new Marathon and Mirror Image modes or search for hidden items in each of the game's 70 puzzle levels. Get ready for a whole new level of monkey madness as Super Monkey Ball Step and Roll rolls into living rooms this winter.
Aliens vs Predator is an entirely new title for PC and high-definition consoles from acclaimed British developer Rebellion, the team behind the 1999 original PC gaming classic. Bringing the legendary war between two of science-fiction's most popular characters to FPS fans, AvP delivers three outstanding single player campaigns and provides untold hours of unique 3-way multiplayer gaming. Experience distinctly new and thrilling first person gameplay as you survive, hunt and prey in the deadly jungles and swamps surrounding the damned colony of Freyas Prospect.
Fret Nice harmonizes the unity between music and the 2D platformer. As you control your character through the artful stages, you play the game as if it were a jammin' rock song. Rock out by blasting enemies with riff combos and creating your own soundtracks with each "strum" of a chord. Each time a stage is repeated, you will have an ever-changing experience!
Aliens vs Predator is an entirely new title for PC and high-definition consoles from acclaimed British developer Rebellion, the team behind the 1999 original PC gaming classic. Bringing the legendary war between two of science-fiction's most popular characters to FPS fans, AvP delivers three outstanding single player campaigns and provides untold hours of unique 3-way multiplayer gaming. Experience distinctly new and thrilling first person gameplay as you survive, hunt and prey in the deadly jungles and swamps surrounding the damned colony of Freyas Prospect.
Fallout: New Vegas is a role-playing video game in the Fallout series, in development by Obsidian Entertainment and currently scheduled for release in Autumn 2010. According to Pete Hines, Vice President of PR & Marketing for Bethesda Softworks, the game is "not a sequel to Fallout 3, it's just another game in the universe."
Aliens vs Predator is an entirely new title for PC and high-definition consoles from acclaimed British developer Rebellion, the team behind the 1999 original PC gaming classic. Bringing the legendary war between two of science-fiction's most popular characters to FPS fans, AvP delivers three outstanding single player campaigns and provides untold hours of unique 3-way multiplayer gaming. Experience distinctly new and thrilling first person gameplay as you survive, hunt and prey in the deadly jungles and swamps surrounding the damned colony of Freyas Prospect.
Follow-up to BioShock, 2K Games' critically acclaimed and commercially successful 2007 release, BioShock 2 is a first-person shooter set in the fictional underwater city of Rapture. As in the original game, BioShock 2 features a blend of fast-paced action, exploration and puzzle-solving as players follow varying paths through the overarching storyline based on the decisions that they are forced to make at various points in the game. In addition to a further fleshing out of the franchise's popular storyline, players can look forward to new characters, game mechanics, weapons, locations and a series first, multiplayer game options.
Heavy Rain is an interactive, single player, action adventure game in which every decision players make influences the evolution of a desperate quest to catch a deadly killer poised to strike again. Featuring a complex and dark storyline meant for mature audiences, the game is a PlayStation 3 exclusive featuring a variety of possible endings, advanced crime scene analysis, replayable chapters, four playable characters and the ability to continue play as remaining characters in the event of your current character's death.
CBS has decided not to run a Super Bowl commercial produced by Electronic Arts for Dante's Inferno, because of its "Go to Hell" tag line. A modified commercial, using the words "Hell Awaits" will run instead.
Battlefield Bad Company 2 - Port Valdez demo game play
Battlefield Bad Company 2 is a first-person shooter, and sequel to Electronic Arts' 2008 release, Battlefield Bad Company. Following the continuing combat adventures of misfits of the US Army's Company "B," Bad Company 2 features the characteristic humor and grit of the Bad Company series, as well as a variety of gameplay improvements and additions, including 2-24 player online support; all-new four man squad gameplay; and more.
Tatsunoko vs. Capcom Ultimate All-Stars - Introduction
Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom Ultimate All-stars is a fighting game for Wii pitting a wide range of fan favorite characters from the Capcom game universe against anime characters from Japan's Tatsunoko Production. Packed with over-the-top action, loads of mini-games, four battle modes and multiplayer support that includes two player local co-op and online versus play, it is a unique gaming experience that is not to be missed by established and new fans of the Capcom universe and anime alike.
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle - First ten minutes
It has been 3 years since Travis earned the Number 1 spot in the United Assassins Association ranking, and investments from major corporations have caused the city of Santa Destroy to change... but is it really for the better? You are Travis Touchdown - a punk anti-hero , Japanese anime Otaku, beam katana master and pro wrestling-fanatic assassin. Revenge will bring you back to the UAA tournament. This time though, you begin at the bottom of the ranking and will have to fight your way up to save Santa Destroy and avenge your best friend.
Mass Effect 2 is the sequel to BioWare's hit space-based role-playing game (RPG), Mass Effect. A single player adventure, Mass Effect 2 allows players to continue the adventures of the fully customizable series hero Commander Shepard, as you take on a whole new adventure and a new cast of supporting characters. Additional new features include the ability to import game save files from the original Mass Effect game to continue the adventure in an unbroken fashion, a new damage system, a new, more flexible dialogue game mechanic and more.
Mass Effect 2 is the sequel to BioWare's hit space-based role-playing game (RPG), Mass Effect. A single player adventure, Mass Effect 2 allows players to continue the adventures of the fully customizable series hero Commander Shepard, as you take on a whole new adventure and a new cast of supporting characters. Additional new features include the ability to import game save files from the original Mass Effect game to continue the adventure in an unbroken fashion, a new damage system, a new, more flexible dialogue game mechanic and more.
Gran Turismo 5 - Data Logger Visualization technology
Polyphony Digital demonstrates its Data Logger Visualization technology, which allows to game to realistically portray how a real life track drives and appears. The process captures all movements of the driver and how the car actually handles, including the G-Force, braking, acceleration, and other details.
The SyFy channel's documentary "Sci vs. Fi: Mass Effect 2" features celebs, creators, and experts discussing the game and its place in the pantheon of science fiction.
The SyFy channel's documentary "Sci vs. Fi: Mass Effect 2" features celebs, creators, and experts discussing the game and its place in the pantheon of science fiction.
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories (PSP) - First ten minutes
The story follows Harry Mason, who wakes up after a car accident to find that his daughter Cheryl is missing. Harry will wander the snowy streets of Silent Hill searching for answers of her disappearance, but when the world freezes over, he will need to escape the lumbering demons that haunt his steps. Harry will need to navigate both worlds to discover the truth; not just about his missing daughter, but also the type of person he actually is. Choices players make will shape Harry Mason, as well as the people he meets and the places he visits. The enemies evolve as well, taking the form of the player's deepest fears.
Marcus of Rome is ailing, the two successors, his son Comondos and his general Caseus are leading their factions to fight against each other for the throne. The strive first split the noble houses apart, and then leads to full scale violence even among the peasants.
Within the chaos, a single gladiator poses in the colloseum grounds, ready to change the course of history.
Create your character and assign different attributes to him/her. Give the character more muscles and he'll be more powerful, stronger legs and he'll be faster etc.
Zero Gear is physically-fueled, online multiplayer PC kart combat madness. Deck out your kart and character before jumping into one of many different game modes. Outrageous kinematic gameplay and weapons make every round a blast. The potential for tiny vehicular mayhem has never been so humongous! Boost, flip, spin, and slide your way to victory!
Dark Void is a single player sci-fi action-adventure game that is destined to change the way gamers think about third-person shooter combat. An adrenaline-fueled blend of aerial and ground-pounding combat mechanics and cover systems headlined by the game's signature in-game items--the hoverpack and jetpack--in it players will experience 3D action like never before as they transition from ground to air combat, and back again whenever they choose.
Set in the shattered subway of a post apocalyptic Moscow, Metro 2033 is a story of intensive underground survival where the fate of mankind rests in your hands. In 2013 the world was devastated by an apocalyptic event, annihilating almost all mankind and turning the earths surface into a poisonous wasteland. A handful of survivors took refuge in the depths of the Moscow underground, and human civilization entered a new Dark Age. The year is 2033. An entire generation has been born and raised underground, and their besieged Metro Station-Cities struggle for survival, with each other, and the mutant horrors that await outside. You are Artyom, born in the last days before the fire, but raised Underground. Having never ventured beyond your Metro Station-City limits, one fateful event sparks a desperate mission to the heart of the Metro system, to warn the remnants of mankind of a terrible impending threat. Your journey takes you from the forgotten catacombs beneath the subway to the desolate wastelands above, where your actions will determine the fate of mankind.
Army of Two: The 40th Day is a third-person shooter based in groundbreaking cooperative gameplay functionality. Sequel to the 2008 game of the same name, and featuring series heroes, Rios and Salem, in this new iteration players have a bigger playbook of features and a new arsenal of co-op moves that either player can perform at any time, opening up fresh strategies in the face of overwhelming odds. In addition, the game features advanced weapon customization and upgrade systems, as well as four explosive online multiplayer modes, each focused on unique cooperative play.
Zombie Tycoon puts the player in charge of their very own undead horde. Contrary to most games who asks you to clear out a zombie menace, here you manage the zombies following the Tycoon Games's general template. Using a mix of action and strategy, players can amass an undead army and conquer the entire world. Created by Frima Studio, it was released for Halloween 2009 and uses the Vicious Engine.
See the dance video that pops up after the game's ending credits are over.
Blurring the borders of good and evil, this cinematic and stylized adventure stars Bayonetta, a heroine bent on sending supernatural forces to the depths of hell. Armed with her four enchanted guns known as Scarborough Fair, she battles both monstrous behemoths and angelic enemies. By combining special magic attacks, summoning primal forces and unleashing devastating weaponry, she impressively punishes anyone who gets in her way. From its fluid and intuitive combat system to its gripping story line, Bayonetta is one action thriller that won't disappoint.
Get spoiled by taking a look at the end of the final battle against Abaddon, the Destroyer and how the game ends under the Apocalyptic difficulty setting.
Darksiders is a third-person, single player action/adventure game inspired by the characters, themes and mythology of the apocalypse and the battle of Armageddon described by the Book of Revelation. But this modern interpretation is not your run of the mill Sunday school stroll through the New Testament. In the game players take on the role of "War," one of the dread Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. But things are not as they were.
Once the unstoppable and just wielder of divine retribution, War is now reduced in stature and cast out amongst the ruined lands of the Earth that he himself devastated. All that remains is the search for the truth behind his betrayal and the survival of its consequences.
Your Rock Guitar instrument and controller unveiled at 2010 CES
The You Rock Guitar doubles as a real guitar with MIDI capabilities and controller for Rock Band and Guitar Hero, allowing gamers to actually learn how to play the guitar as well as play those games.
Microsoft's Game Room service and Project Natal information
Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices President Robbie Bach talks about the company's Game Room service and Project Natal motion-sensing system prior to this years Consumer Electronics Show.
From picture books to fighting game, the sexy ladies from Queen's blade have come a long way. The battles for the Queen's throne showed no signs of stopping. Pick your favorite girl, defeat all the opposing ladies and claim the throne. And enjoy the fanservice that crops up every minute or so. New characters come join the fight, besides the whimsical Princess Cute, there are numerous evil sorceresses and demons, come try out their skills sets and see what damage they can do to the other ladies' outfits.
Take a look at the Griever Boss battle and how it can be defeated.
Darksiders is a third-person, single player action/adventure game inspired by the characters, themes and mythology of the apocalypse and the battle of Armageddon described by the Book of Revelation. But this modern interpretation is not your run of the mill Sunday school stroll through the New Testament. In the game players take on the role of "War," one of the dread Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. But things are not as they were.
Once the unstoppable and just wielder of divine retribution, War is now reduced in stature and cast out amongst the ruined lands of the Earth that he himself devastated. All that remains is the search for the truth behind his betrayal and the survival of its consequences.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers - Ending
A thousand years have passed since the events of the original Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles. The destruction of the Yuke Crystal during the Great War had at once brought the victorious Lilty Tribe prosperity, the defeated Yuke Tribe apparent annihilation and the world a new age of science and reason. In this new era exists a rare breed of powerful beings called "crystal bearers," whose seemingly magical abilities have led them to be feared and scorned by the public. The young mercenary Layle is one such crystal bearer, who has been hired to escort the new passenger airship Alexis, the pinnacle of Lilty technology and a symbol of their current dominance. However, when the Alexis is suddenly besieged by a horde of monsters, Layle comes face-to-face with an adversary thought to have vanished from the pages of history that's on a quest that may threaten the future of the world.
Get spoiled by watching the game's ending sequence.
High-tech Tokyo is in rubble. The once vibrant New York is ground to a halt. And the City of Light, Paris, is enveloped by darkness and despair. Hordes of humongous life forms have suddenly and brutally converged on the world's metropolitan areas, overwhelming the defenseless Earth and paralyzing humanity with unprecedented fear. Those that remain after the initial assault, which would later be known as the 0 Day Attack On Earth, take to the skies in a seven day battle fighting for the survival of all humanity. Experience exhilarating game play as you utilize both analog sticks to take control of a powerful fighter jet and dodge endless waves of monster attacks in an effort to put an end to their invasion. Enter into awesome multiplayer action with up to 4 players in online co-op play and 8 players in VS mode! Will mankind survive to witness the seventh day?
Darksiders is a third-person, single player action/adventure game inspired by the characters, themes and mythology of the apocalypse and the battle of Armageddon described by the Book of Revelation. But this modern interpretation is not your run of the mill Sunday school stroll through the New Testament. In the game players take on the role of "War," one of the dread Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. But things are not as they were.
Once the unstoppable and just wielder of divine retribution, War is now reduced in stature and cast out amongst the ruined lands of the Earth that he himself devastated. All that remains is the search for the truth behind his betrayal and the survival of its consequences.
End of Eternity, or Resonance of Fate is Sega's next hit. Produced by Tri-Ace, the company that created stellar games such as the Star Ocean and the Valkyrie Profile series now takes on a project that illustrate the struggles of a group of youths in an apocalyptic world.
Due to large scale pollution, the world has become an almost inhabitable place. People live in Barcels, a massive capsule created by ancient technology, however, even this tiny world is falling apart. It is in the middle of this chaotic era that three young people came together to create a new history.
Take a look back at the ending of the original StarFox (also known as StarWing) on the SNES. It was the game that spawned the series, and one of the games that used the FX on-board cartridge chip to help with the graphics.
Successful movies and game franchises get sequels and prequels. Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep is the franchise's PSP debut and the prequel. There are Keyblade masters before Sora, the heroes who has took up the challenges to seal the darkness and this is their adventure.
When one of the most prominent Keyblade Masters, Zeanort disappeared with his only disciple, the world knew that a big disaster is coming. To prevent darkness from taking over their world and to find the secret behind the master's disappearance, three novices set off on a journey across the Disney Worlds.
Darius PSP takes us to the farthest future. It follows the storyline in Darius Gaiden. In the first installment of the series, Planet Darius is attacked by the Perusas and a number of the residents fled to Planet Vatis. These people are now trying to make their way back to their mother planet.
Pilot your silver hawk, make use of your bullets, your bombs and arms (shields). Collect items to power them up and head off to wipe out your enemies' bases. There are several modes, you clear stages and fight bosses in the Arcade Mode, clear missions in the Mission Mode and clear the game under stringent rules in the Burst Mode.
Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! 2 - Demo game play
It's up to you to stop those insufferable good guys from saving the day! You're not going to let those heroes come and save the world, are you? Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman 2 retains all the quirky, off‐the‐wall humor, gorgeous retro art, and deep action puzzle mechanics of its predecessor, while introducing more content, more types of good guys to thwart, and many additional ways to craft the dungeon of your dreams (and the heroes' nightmares).
An example of a Boss battle in Final Fantasy XIII, in this case the fourth Boss encountered (a huge mech). The strategy used to win is to enhance your party with Sazh, then use Vanille as a Jammer to cause status effects.
Final Fantasy XIII will be the first numbered Final Fantasy title for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and will look to once again reestablish the series as the RPG brand. Players will follow Lightning, Snow, and the other heroes who are dealt a hand of fate by the god-like fal'Cie. Cursed and regarded as enemies of society, they have the world against them and nobody to rely on but each other. Will they find the strength within themselves to break free of their curse and determine their own fates, or will they succumb to this higher power? With a story that is sure to connect with players' hearts, diverse new characters from world-renowned creator and character designer Tetsuya Nomura, and exciting new gameplay features centered around an evolved Active Time Battle system, Final Fantasy XIII will be the pinnacle in gaming experiences.
Army of Two: The 40th Day for PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a top-down shooter based in cooperative gameplay. The first Army of Two game for PSP, it features series heroes, Rios and Salem, and and arsenal of co-op moves designed to open up strategies in the face of overwhelming odds. In addition, the game features weapon customization and upgrade systems, as well as online two-player cooperative play.
Mass Effect 2 is the sequel to BioWare's hit space-based role-playing game (RPG), Mass Effect. A single player adventure, Mass Effect 2 allows players to continue the adventures of the fully customizable series hero Commander Shepard, as you take on a whole new adventure and a new cast of supporting characters. Additional new features include the ability to import game save files from the original Mass Effect game to continue the adventure in an unbroken fashion, a new damage system, a new, more flexible dialogue game mechanic and more.
Veteran agent Sam Fisher is back, but he's never faced an enemy like this before. In Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction, Fisher must stop a devastating attack by infiltrating a vicious terrorist group and destroying it from within. Infiltrate a terrorist organization in its American headquarters, you must carefully weigh the consequences of your actions. Kill too many criminals and you'll blow your cover. Hesitate too long and millions will die. Do whatever it takes to complete your mission, but get out alive.
Patrick Redding, game directory for Splinter Cell Conviction multi-player walks through the
Prologue co-op story mode in the game.
Love them or hate them, they're back! Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days is a raw and brutal crime shooter designed to take players on an intense and unforgiving experience, following two of gaming's most authentic and realistic criminals through the gritty Shanghai underworld. Get a glimpse of the stark circumstances facing the world's two most notorious criminals in the highly-charged debut trailer and witness the events prior to their bare-knuckle exploits in Dog Days.
Stories tell of a legendary solider who once waged war against the world. His name was Naked Snake, a.k.a. Big Boss, and the truth behind this legend will finally be told. The era is the 1970's . Big Boss had stationed his "Soldiers Without Borders" in Colombia, South America, where he was approached by a visitor from Costa Rica, a "nation without a military". In the wake of the Cuban Missle Crisis, as Latin America became a key to maintaining the power balance between East and West, Costa Rica had miraculously managed to maintain its peace and neutrality. However, in various regions of the country, a mysterious armed force seemed to be engaging in suspicious activities. Now, to preserve peace in this nation without a military, the "Soldiers Without Borders" move into action. In time, they would be known as the founders of "Outer Heaven". Forge a new path and live the legend with Metal Gear Solid Peacewalker, the first official Hideo Kojima game on the PSP system.
Final Fantasy XIII will be the first numbered Final Fantasy title for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and will look to once again reestablish the series as the RPG brand. Players will follow Lightning, Snow, and the other heroes who are dealt a hand of fate by the god-like fal'Cie. Cursed and regarded as enemies of society, they have the world against them and nobody to rely on but each other. Will they find the strength within themselves to break free of their curse and determine their own fates, or will they succumb to this higher power? With a story that is sure to connect with players' hearts, diverse new characters from world-renowned creator and character designer Tetsuya Nomura, and exciting new gameplay features centered around an evolved Active Time Battle system, Final Fantasy XIII will be the pinnacle in gaming experiences.
Battlefield Bad Company 2 - Panama Canal game play
The unique Battlefield: Bad Company 2 multiplayer experience moves to the ruined industrial environment of Panama Canal. Check out this gameplay preview and see both American and Russian forces fight for control of tactical points in the classic Battlefield "Conquest" Mode.
Battlefield Bad Company 2 is a first-person shooter, and sequel to Electronic Arts' 2008 release, Battlefield Bad Company. Following the continuing combat adventures of misfits of the US Army's Company "B," Bad Company 2 features the characteristic humor and grit of the Bad Company series, as well as a variety of gameplay improvements and additions, including 2-24 player online support; all-new four man squad gameplay; and more.
Game Director Paul Wedgwood demos Brink's Engineer class.
Brink is an immersive shooter that blends single-player, co-op, and multiplayer gameplay into one seamless experience, allowing you to develop your character across all modes of play. You decide the role you want to assume in the world of Brink as you fight to save yourself and mankind's last refuge for humanity. Brink offers a compelling mix of dynamic battlefields, extensive customization options, and an innovative control system that will keep you coming back for more. Story: A man-made floating city called the Ark, made up of hundreds of separate floating islands, is on the brink of all-out civil war. Originally built as an experimental self-sufficient and 100% "green" habitat, the reported rapid rise of the Earth's oceans has forced the Ark to become a refuge for humanity. Crammed with the original Ark founders, their descendants, as well as tens of thousands of refugees, the Ark exists in total isolation from the rest of the world. With 25 years of social unrest, the inhabitants of the Ark have reached their breaking point. It's up to you to decide the future of the Ark and the human race.
The Saboteur is a brand-new take on familiar World War II gaming. The first open-world, action game set in Nazi-occupied Europe, it contains a mix of single player stealth, third-person shooter and racing gameplay in which the player assumes the role of a hero obsessed with a personal vendetta against the Nazi regime. Utilizing a wealth of items, abilities, weapons and vehicles the player turns his private, stealth war into something much broader with the game's "Will to Fight" system which graphically reflects the will of the occupied peoples in the game, which can proves the deciding factor for all.
Bleach Soul Carnival 2 is the newest platformer in the franchise. Pick up your Zanpakuto and travel the exotic but familiar worlds. A total of 120 super deformed characters are showing up, be sure to visit all scenarios. The game contains a large volume of animation sequences, you're not only in the game, but in the anime.
Customize your character, collect soul pieces to make them stronger. Learn new skills on your adventure and take up missions to win rare items. The characters are all voiced by famous seiyuus, unlock their Alarm Voices to set your alarm clock, see how they will wake you up in the morning.
Players pilot a subterranean vehicle to explore the interior of diverse cave-like complexes. The player must affect the surrounding and dynamic terrain to progress. The goal is to safely navigate through each vivid stage and rescue survivors scattered about the cavernous environment. Each stage is in-effect a flow simulation whereby the player attempts to control various types of liquid (water, magma, etc) and solid matter (rock, earth) either by destroying it, manipulating it or moving it. These dynamic fluid effects are at the heart of the games visuals.
Strategy is paramount in PixelJunk Shooter. The piloted craft is susceptible to extremes of heat, so the player must be careful about the craft's proximity to magma. If the craft becomes too hot, the player can regain a comfortable temperature by plunging into the nearest water source. Additionally, each stage presents a puzzle scenario for the player to solve in order to safely rescue as many survivors as possible. Both environmental elements and enemies, including Bosses, will attempt to hamper the player's progress.
Based on the immensely influential classic poem, Dante's Inferno takes you on an epic quest of vengeance and redemption through the Nine Circles of Hell. You are Dante, a veteran of the Crusades who must chase his beloved Beatrice and try to free her soul from Lucifers grasp. As your pursuit takes you deeper into the pits of Hell, you must battle ever more fierce and hideous monsters-while also facing your own sins, a dark family past, and your unforgivable war crimes.
Take a look at the opening and game play from the PlayStation3 version of the demo.
James Cameron's Avatar The Game (PSP) - Opening minutes
In a distant corner of the universe, a devastating conflict is about to erupt between two very different worlds. On the planet of Pandora reside an indigenous people known as the Na'vi. When the Na'vi find themselves engaged in a struggle with the RDA Corporation, a space-faring consortium in search of valuable resources, it sets the stage for a conflict unlike any the universe has seen before. Step into a dazzling world from the imagination of James Cameron and take your stand in the battle to determine the fate of a civilization.
Tales of Graces sets stage in a chaotic era where three major warring kingdoms seek to usurp each other. As a young swordsman, you are not only to protect your own believes, but your love ones as well. The touching tale is told through the eyes of enchanting characters and colorful animations.
The linear motion system is upgraded into a style shift system. You can switch between fighting styles smoothly, string up combos and avoid enemy attacks during the battle modes.
More famous seiyuus, such as Sakurai Takahiro and Hanazawa Kana are coming together to bring you one of the most memorable adventures in gaming.
BioWare reveals information about playing the Engineer class.
Mass Effect 2 is the sequel to BioWare's hit space-based role-playing game (RPG), Mass Effect. A single player adventure, Mass Effect 2 allows players to continue the adventures of the fully customizable series hero Commander Shepard, as you take on a whole new adventure and a new cast of supporting characters. Additional new features include the ability to import game save files from the original Mass Effect game to continue the adventure in an unbroken fashion, a new damage system, a new, more flexible dialogue game mechanic and more.
Game Director Paul Wedgwood walks through gameplay in Container City. Learn more about the locale, changing combat roles, and selecting objectives.
Brink is an immersive shooter that blends single-player, co-op, and multiplayer gameplay into one seamless experience, allowing you to develop your character across all modes of play. You decide the role you want to assume in the world of Brink as you fight to save yourself and mankind's last refuge for humanity. Brink offers a compelling mix of dynamic battlefields, extensive customization options, and an innovative control system that will keep you coming back for more. Story: A man-made floating city called the Ark, made up of hundreds of separate floating islands, is on the brink of all-out civil war. Originally built as an experimental self-sufficient and 100% "green" habitat, the reported rapid rise of the Earth's oceans has forced the Ark to become a refuge for humanity. Crammed with the original Ark founders, their descendants, as well as tens of thousands of refugees, the Ark exists in total isolation from the rest of the world. With 25 years of social unrest, the inhabitants of the Ark have reached their breaking point. It's up to you to decide the future of the Ark and the human race.
Cross Treasures is a cute adventure RPG where you create your very own world and your player character. You are to save a princess from the dungeons under the king's command, how you go about it and what weapons you use are completely up to you.
Since every player creates a different world, no Cross Treasurer Worlds are the same, adventure in your friend's world and assist them in their quest and ask them to return the favor.
The Saboteur is a brand-new take on familiar World War II gaming. The first open-world, action game set in Nazi-occupied Europe, it contains a mix of single player stealth, third-person shooter and racing gameplay in which the player assumes the role of a hero obsessed with a personal vendetta against the Nazi regime. Utilizing a wealth of items, abilities, weapons and vehicles the player turns his private, stealth war into something much broader with the game's "Will to Fight" system which graphically reflects the will of the occupied peoples in the game, which can proves the deciding factor for all.
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks - Opening minutes
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is an action/adventure game for the Nintendo DS and DSi that sets Link, the iconic hero of the Legend of Zelda series, on a daring new adventure. The game provides players with a new story, more puzzles, a new mode of transportation--by train--and a new companion in combat, the Phantom. Together these offer up new possibilities for problem-solving, adventure and fun to both longtime and new fans of the franchise alike.
The nationally recognized and award winning series is back to engage your imagination. The first and only developmentally appropriate game for the Nintendo DS, Smart Boy's Gameroom 2 is a diverse title filled with a nice mix of fun, creative, and skill building games that feature young boy's favorite themes.
From the mind of Tim Schafer (Psychonauts, Grim Fandango) comes Brutal Legend, the ultimate heavy metal action game starring Jack Black (School of Rock, Tenacious D). You are heavy metal roadie Eddie Riggs, hurled back in time to the mythical Age of Metal when the world was formed and ruled by the power of Rock! Armed with a broadaxe, a guitar, and a big block V8 you set off on an epic quest to assemble an army of headbangers, hotrods, barbarians, demonic dominatrix and the undead. With the wings of a demon and the power of a Rock God, you must lead humanity in an epic war against its barbaric overlords, and carve your name forever into the Brutal Legend.
Take a look at game play from the preview version.
Fossil Fighters blends the timeless human fascination with dinosaurs with the fun of building a collection. The game lets players build a collection of more than 100 fantastical dinosaurs known as "vivosaurs." This new game incorporates elements of discovery, tactics, and strategy as players try to get the best vivosaurs on their teams to battle it out on the field.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled - Game play
The classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game is back with a brand new look in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled. The arcade classic has been revamped with all new 3D graphics but the same classic beatem up gameplay.
Currently available only in Japan on the Wii, living the life of a hunter need never be a solitary experience. The game features the option of split-screen mode where two players can hunt co-operatively or form a team of up to four hunters via the game's custom online Wi-Fi mode. Even solo players do not have to face Monster Hunter 3's challenging quests alone as they will be ably accompanied by Cha-Cha, an AI hunting partner whose skills will prove invaluable. New items, weapons and armor sets will be also available to assist the hunters as they embark on the most epic Monster Hunter adventure to date.
Shatter resembles classic brick-breaking games, but with twists that make it modern and unique including: Innovative controls, physics effects, power-ups, special attacks, and boss battles which combine to provide an experience that is always interactive. Standard, Boss Rush and Bonus game modes enhanced with leaderboards and trophies. Vibrant 3D style presented across 10 distinct worlds in 4xAA 60fps HD. A fully scored soundtrack featuring more than 90 minutes of rich original music.
Batman: Arkham Asylum is a single player, third-person action/adventure in which the Dark Knight is forced to take on his greatest challenge yet when he is trapped by arch rival, the Joker, within Gotham City's facility for the criminally insane, Arkham Asylum. A blend of exciting arcade style combat and stealth mechanics packed with amazing graphics in a moody, immersive setting, Batman: Arkham Asylum offers diverse gameplay options that push the envelope for all action, adventure and superhero games.
It's June 1977, and any day now the passage of the Keene Act will outlaw all masked vigilantes not sanctioned by the government. In the meanwhile, Rorschach has uncovered a strange and mysterious missing person's case. Together with the help of Nite Owl, the pair has set out to find the missing young girl in Watchmen: The End is Nigh Part 2. Their search takes them deep into the depraved, sleazy corners of the city, and eventually face-to-face with the mysterious Twilight Lady. The seedy underbelly of New York beckons will you take the call?
The smash-hit classic arcade game is going where no bubble has gone before in Space Bust-A-Move. Help the twin brothers, Bub and Bob, as you journey to distant planets to collect "Cosmo Bubbles" in order to stop the evil Devilin from taking over the galaxy. With intense multiplayer competition, improved graphics, customization options, and mini-games, you've never busted bubbles like these.
Fat Princess pits two hordes of players against each other in comic medieval battle royale. The player's goal is to rescue a beloved princess from the enemy castle. There is a catch, though; the adversary has been feeding her with the cake that grows in a nearby forest to make her heavier to carry. Therefore, it's going to take most of your army working together to carry her back across the battlefield. Luckily, Fat Princess supports up to 32 players online simultaneously so plenty of help is available. Team balance and strategy is crucial in Fat Princess, one of the PlayStation Network's most anticipated titles ever, as players can switch between five different character classes literally at the drop of a hat. The name of the game is cooperation, whether it's flinging another player over the enemys walls with a teeterboard, healing him while he charges into battle, or adding your muscle to carry the princess faster.
A terrible event has occurred causing the stars to disappear from the night sky and the King of All Cosmos to fall into a coma. The Prince must use his finely tuned Katamari rolling skills once more to re-create the absent celestial bodies, save his royal father and restore order to the Cosmos. Thumb tacks, sushi, cats, people, skyscrapers, ocean liners and continents nothing is safe as the Prince makes his way through the largest variety of stages in a single Katamari game ever. New graphical styles give Katamari Forever a certain ֓je ne sais quoi that all new Katamari games possess. A few of the new styles include Wood, which uses warm sepia tones to give stages a wooden feel, while Comic creates thick black outlines on every object while filling them in with deep, rich colors. Make sure to try them all out and find your favorite for a totally new way to experience the world of Katamari.
Based on the summer 2009 Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer blockbuster movie of the same name, G-Force the video game is an exciting action-platformer that draws you into the adventures of an elite team of trained guinea pigs on a mission to thwart a sinister plot to destroy the world. Take control of both G-Force commander Darwin and his housefly surveillance sidekick, Mooch, as they apply their talents to defeat an evil army of altered household appliances.
Take a look at a few minutes of game play from the Xbox 360/PS3/PC version.
As the God of Destruction, you must create a dungeon that is difficult and powerful enough to fend off human hero invasions. The dungeon must have a self-sustaining ecosystem, so players must strategically dig and create a dungeon with a balanced food chain. Periodically, human heroes will invade the dungeon in order to bring peace and harmony to the world, but they are your enemies. You must destroy the heroes before they capture the Overlord and take him back to the surface.
Watch as the Japanese version of the game is completed in less than 10 minutes.
Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince - Opening minutes
Based on the 2009 summer movie blockbuster of the same name, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince transports fans both old and new to the beloved and action-filled video game universe of Harry Potter. In this most recent adventure players return to the famous Hogwarts school for wizards, as well as other surrounding parts of the wizarding world, to help Harry survive a difficult and danger filled sixth year.
Take a look at the introduction and opening game play from the Xbox 360 version of the game.
Designed for the legions of Dynasty Warriors fans, Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires is game that brings together the best aspects of the action and strategy genres. In this latest edition, players can experience Ancient China's greatest and most glorious war as an all-powerful lord or as an officer. As a lord, gamers must think strategically. By deciding when to attack, when to resist invasion, or when to initiate policies, a lord can expand their power and influence. An easy-to-learn "card collecting" system lets players enact policies that will increase their empire's strength, improve the abilities of their forces, and more. The cards that a player receives will depend on the attributes of the officers and their army. Players can also pledge their allegiance to a kingdom to become an officer. As an officer, players can suggest policies in the kingdom's war council, complete missions for rewards, or even turn against their ruler should relations sour. Most eagerly awaited by fans is a game mode that allows players to create their own warrior.
Tales of Monkey Island: Chapter 1 - Opening minutes
Telltale's Tales of Monkey Island brings the adventures of pirate Guybrush Threepwood into a new era with an explosive storyline that becomes deeper and more entangled during the course of the five-episode saga. While battling his nemesis, the evil pirate LeChuck, Guybrush accidentally unleashes an insidious voodoo pox that threatens to transform the buccaneers of the Caribbean into unruly pirate monsters. Players will experience the humor, romance, and swashbuckling action the Monkey Island games are famous for and unravel an insidious plot which is revealed across the course of the series. Tales of Monkey Island is set to premiere on PC and WiiWare.
Battlefield 1943 is available on the Xbox 360 (Xbox Live Arcade), PlayStation3 (Playstation Network) and on the PC for download. Play as the U.S. Marines or the Imperial Japanese Navy on match-made servers for the optimal challenge as you gain ranks and awards. Battlefield 1943 is your own version of the one of the most famous campaigns in the history of the world!
Trine is a fantasy action game where the player can create and use physics-based objects to beat hazardous puzzles and threatening enemies. Set in a world of great castles and strange machinery, three heroes are bound to a mysterious device called the Trine in a quest to save the kingdom from evil.
The gameplay is based on fully interactive physics - each character's different ability helps the player battle an army of un-dead and defeat hazardous contraptions. The player can at any time freely choose whoever is best suited for the upcoming challenge or puzzle: The Wizard is able to summon objects to help solve puzzles and create new ways to overcome obstacles, the Thief uses her agility and dead-on accuracy to swiftly surprise the monsters, and the Warrior unleashes mayhem and physical destruction wherever he goes.
In Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood, you'll join Ray and Thomas McCall on a quest for the Gold of Juarez. Become a true gunslinger, increasing your powers of concentration with each accurate shot until you are able to unleash a variety of deadly shooting modes. Play as either Ray or Thomas, using each brother's distinctive skills to help you overcome amoral outlaw opponents like a renegade Apache chief, a greedy Mexican bandit and a vindictive colonel. Then take the fight online for intense multiplayer action with unique modes, numerous maps and a variety of classes designed to provide a thrilling Wild West experience.
Telltale's Tales of Monkey Island brings the adventures of pirate Guybrush Threepwood into a new era with an explosive storyline that becomes deeper and more entangled during the course of the five-episode saga. While battling his nemesis, the evil pirate LeChuck, Guybrush accidentally unleashes an insidious voodoo pox that threatens to transform the buccaneers of the Caribbean into unruly pirate monsters. Players will experience the humor, romance, and swashbuckling action the Monkey Island games are famous for and unravel an insidious plot which is revealed across the course of the series. Tales of Monkey Island is set to premiere on PC and WiiWare.
Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince - Launch trailer
Based on the 2009 summer movie blockbuster of the same name, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince transports fans both old and new to the beloved and action-filled video game universe of Harry Potter. In this most recent adventure players return to the famous Hogwarts school for wizards, as well as other surrounding parts of the wizarding world, to help Harry survive a difficult and danger filled sixth year.
Take your best swing on the Fantasy Fairway at the Pangya Invitational. Experience inter-dimensional golf on the beautiful, fantasy fairways of Pangya Island. Land your hole-in-one with unique customizable characters and equipment. A full storyline, multiple game modes and competitive multiplayer gameplay ensure that you never spend a day alone in the sand traps.
Michael Jackson's Moonwalker - Complete playthrough
We remember The King Of Pop by featuring a complete playthrough of the 1990 arcade game, Michael Jackson's Moonwalker. Featuring dance moves that kill enemies and robot transformations, the arcade version of the game was superior to the console versions of that era.
The Conduit takes players into a dark story in Washington D.C. after a vicious alien invasion has rocked the country. An organisation called the Trust has sent in Secret Service agent, Mr. Ford, to go up against the insect-like alien race known as "The Drudge." Armed with an array of futuristic weaponry and an intelligence-gathering device simply called the "All-Seeing Eye," players follow an intricate maze filled with conspiracy, shady government activity and terrifying aliens.
Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen (PSP) - Opening minutes
Based on Hasbro's legendary Transformers property and one of the most anticipated films of 2009 from Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen thrusts players into a battle for supremacy across the globe as either Autobots or Decepticons to drive, fly, fight and blast their way through intense, pressure-packed levels.
Take a look at the opening minutes from the PSP version.
Ghostbusters: The Video Game, based on the smash hit motion picture franchise and featuring a completely new story, is coming to six game systems in 2009. Coinciding with the 25th anniversary celebration of the films original theatrical release, the game reunites original cast members to recapture the unique blend of humor and fright that established Ghostbusters as a pop culture sensation. Remember, don't cross the streams. It could end all life as we know it!
Take a look at the game's opening minutes, from the PC version.
Telltale Games has released Muzzled!, the third episode of Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures. The episode is available for PC from http://www.telltalegames.com/store/muzzled for $8.95 individually, or $34.95 as part of the four episode Wallace & Gromit bundle.
Qruton is a Japanese cross-platform PlayStation Network puzzle game for the PSP and PS3. The object is to rotate blocks to get a 2x2 square of similar blocks. You can link combos by quickly rotating in new blocks into the grid.
Prototype is a single player, open-world action game where players take control of shape-shifter Alex Mercer. In this gameworld you literally are a genetic prototype hiding in human form. You step out onto the streets of New York with no memory, but limitless potential power. As a terrifying viral epidemic sweeps across Manhattan, top-secret Blackwatch Special Forces move in, transforming it into a war zone. Delve into the mysteries of your origin, the true nature of your power and your part in a conspiracy 40 years in the making.
Take a look at the final battle and the ending sequence..
Enjoy the National Pastime like never before as you step up to the plate to swing for the fences and take to the field to play defense with the next season of Little League World Series Baseball 2009. Follow-up to the 2008 version of the game, players and up to three friends return to the baseball diamond with improved controls, more stadiums, more teams, new talents, new skill challenges and more fun than ever before.
Indiana Jones And The Staff Of Kings (PSP) - Opening minutes
The Staff of Moses was seemingly lost forever - but sometimes even long-lost relics have a way of coming back. And Indiana Jones, one of the world's foremost adventurers, isn't about to let it fall into the wrong hands. In this latest adventure, Indy finds himself on a whip-cracking journey across many continents and through heart-pounding encounters. Along the way he'll face off with a variety of nefarious foes, including his old nemesis Magnus Voller. Assume the role of the rogue archaeologist and see if you have what it takes to wield the whip and save the world from a dire fate.
Take a look at the first few minutes from the PSP version.
Prototype is a single player, open-world action game where players take control of shape-shifter Alex Mercer. In this gameworld you literally are a genetic prototype hiding in human form. You step out onto the streets of New York with no memory, but limitless potential power. As a terrifying viral epidemic sweeps across Manhattan, top-secret Blackwatch Special Forces move in, transforming it into a war zone. Delve into the mysteries of your origin, the true nature of your power and your part in a conspiracy 40 years in the making.
The Beatles: Rock Band will allow fans to pick up the guitar, bass, mic or drums and experience The Beatles extraordinary catalog of music through gameplay that takes players on a journey through the legacy and evolution of the bands legendary career. In addition, The Beatles: Rock Band will offer a limited number of new hardware offerings modeled after instruments used by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr throughout their career.
The Beatles: Rock Band will be offered as standalone software and hardware as well as a limited edition bundle. The game will be compatible with all Rock Band instrument controllers and other current music-based video game peripherals.
Announced personally by Hideo Kojima during Sony's 2009 E3 press conference, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is coming to the PSP in 2010. Peace Walker takes place 10 years after events in Metal Gear Solid 3, and features the rise of Outer Heaven in Costa Rico.
Microsoft has announced "Project Natal", a controller for the Xbox 360 that uses depth-sensing cameras, microphones, voice and facial recognition recognition, and full body motion sensing. It will allow gamers to play without using their hands in the normal manner. For example, motions gripping an imaginary steering wheel could drive a car; or real time kicks and punches may mirror the on-screen action.
Action puzzler fans, experience a puzzle/platformer hybrid on a mission to break the mold and redefine a couple of genres in the process. Over 150 levels of increasing complexity eagerly look forward to pushing your central processing unit (i.e., your brain) to its limits. When you've completed the stages provided, wipe your well-earned tears of joy away and jump into the powerful level creator to design your own devilishly tough maps, placing enemies, constructing moving platforms, and even setting custom victory conditions! Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection support allows your custom creations to be shared online with anyone across North America.
The June episode of the online PSN show "Qore" has details on the new PSP Go. The device has 16GB of memory, Bluetooth support, and is download-only (no UMD support).
Welcome to Nazi-occupied Paris, a unique open world where you are The Saboteur. Play as Sean Devlin, a street-tough Irish racing mechanic seeking personal redemption on a Nazi officer that has taken everything away from him. Now, it's time for payback, with the help of the French Resistance, British intelligence, an arsenal of weaponry, and your own street smarts and brawn, you must exact revenge on those who aimed to destroy your life. Motivated by retribution and armed with tactics of sabotage, blow up zeppelins, derail trains, implode bridges, destroy armored tanks, and level enemy facilities in the name of vengeance, in the first open-world action game set in Nazi-occupied Europe.
Take a look at the trailer that will be featured at E3.
Treasure World is a whimsical new title developed specifically for the DS. Treasure World asks players to help the Star Sweep clean the cosmos while collecting treasure. With the help of Star Sweep's friend the WIsh FInder, you'll be able to discover a multitude of new collectibles in minutes. Using the DS WIFI capability, the WIsh FInder can locate local WIFI signals, whether your DS is opened or closed. For each signal he finds, you'll unlock a special piece of treasure or Stardust. Sometimes the treasure you uncover will be for the WIsh FInder himself - with over 100 possible costume possibilities such as Panda, Feline and Anime, you can completely personalize your WIsh FInder. Additionally, you can use Stardust to purchase new treasure from the Star Sweep and refill Halley's (his Rocket) fuel cells and use your treasures to decorate your Trove Terrain and create some Trove Tracks!
Based on the Disney - Pixar animated feature of the same name, Up the video game takes players on the PlayStation Portable platform on an exotic adventure with Carl Fredricksen and his young sidekick, Wilderness Explorer Russell, as they set off on a wild journey through the undiscovered jungles of South America. Players will be able to experience all four main characters from the movie -- Carl, Russell, Dug the lovable dog or Kevin the prehistoric bird -- and will enjoy the action both in a single player campaign and with a friend cooperatively throughout the entire game.
Take a look at the introduction sequence and opening minutes of game play from the PSP version of the game.
Set in a fantastic world based upon the mythology of Native America, this next generation game tells the story of Brave, a young Native American boy embarking on an epic journey to save his tribe from the evil Wendigo. Brave's journey will pit him against snarling, evil wolves in a huge forest of towering Redwood trees, canoeing down a raging river, tracking through a swirling blizzard and battling on the back of a buffalo. Explore the mystery and beauty of Brave's own village. His journey will take him across a beautifully rich and interactive world inhabited by remarkable characters, bizarre creatures and terrifying evil spirits.
Roogoo is a puzzle game where you'll be tasked with saving the planet Roo from its corrupt king. The planet Roo owes its beauty to a strange phenomenon--geometrically shaped, brightly colored asteroids that fall from the sky. The evil king wants the power of the asteroids to himself, and as a result of his evil scheme, the planet is being drained of its beauty. How will you foil the king's evil plan? By rotating a series of orbiting circular platforms with holes cut into them so that the asteroids can fall safely onto the planet surface, of course. The asteroids are like pieces from a children's shapes puzzle taking the form of circles, triangles, squares, stars, hearts, and such.
Killing Floor is a Co-op Survival Horror FPS set in the devastated cities and countryside of England after a series of cloning experiments for the military goes horribly wrong. You and your friends are members of the military dropped into these locations with a simple mission: Survive long enough to cleanse the area of the failed experiments. Available as a digital download through Steam.
Take a look at the first few minutes of game play.
Bionic Commando is back, now on the Xbox 360, PlayStation3, and PC, 20 years after the NES classic was initially released. And returning with it is the swinging bionic arm game mechanic that made it so popular and critically acclaimed. Bionic Commando makes the move to 3D, and gamers will be able to grapple, swing, and scale a giant environment filled with buildings, canyons, and more.
Take a look as the game's final battle and ending sequence is spoiled.
Wallace And Gromit Episode 2: The Last Resort - Trailer
The Last Resort is the latest of four episodes in Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures, available as a downloadable bundle from http://www.telltalegames.com/wallaceandgromit for $34.95. The games will also be coming to Xbox Live Arcade in the near future.
Released by 2K Marin, this trailer narrated by creative director Jordan Thomas reveals an extended look at BioShock 2, including with eight minutes of game play.
Gamer is a high-concept action thriller set in the near future, a time when mind-control technology has taken society by storm. Humans control other humans in a mass-scale, multiplayer online game. Reclusive billionaire Ken Castle (Michael C. Hall) has created the controversial form of entertainment, "Slayers," a hugely popular game that allows millions to act out their innermost desires and fantasies - online - in front of a global audience. Gaming has evolved into a terrifying new dimension...mind control...manipulation...people playing people!
Sacred 2: Fallen Angel is an Action Role-playing Game (RPG) where the paths players choose and the decisions they make along the way, determine not only the destinies of their character, but also that of their chosen race as a whole, members of the other five other in-game races, and perhaps the game world of Ancaria itself. Set 2,000 years prior to the self-titled first game in the Sacred series, Fallen Angel is prequel to the events and quests of earlier RPG hit, that drops players in the midst of an epic struggle for control of elemental power on the grandest of scale.
Take a look at the first few minutes of the game, from the PlayStation3 version.
Help Klonoa save Phantomile, a land formed by the dreams of its inhabitants, and recently besieged by an unknown evil. Klonoa's breathtaking journey takes him through a series of increasingly difficult stages across multiple kingdoms as he strives to save his friends and homeland. Throughout his quest, Klonoa is aided by his friend Hewpoe, a benevolent spirit who resides in the ring from which Klonoa is able to fire his Wind Bullet. The Wind Bullet gives Klonoa the ability to grab and inflate his enemies and use them to his advantage.
Prototype is a single player, open-world action game where players take control of shape-shifter Alex Mercer. In this gameworld you literally are a genetic prototype hiding in human form. You step out onto the streets of New York with no memory, but limitless potential power. As a terrifying viral epidemic sweeps across Manhattan, top-secret Blackwatch Special Forces move in, transforming it into a war zone. Delve into the mysteries of your origin, the true nature of your power and your part in a conspiracy 40 years in the making.
Become the ultimate Autobot or Decepticon in Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen, the official game of one of 2009's biggest blockbuster films. Unleash your power to determine the fate of Earth as the ultimate war rages across the globe. Every second counts as you experience Transformers like never before.
In FUEL players race across and explore the worlds largest racing environment Җ over 5,000 square miles of spectacular wilderness. Set to revolutionize multi-terrain, multi-vehicle racing, FUEL is a fiercely competitive, open-world game without boundaries. On and off-road, two and four-wheeled vehicles race a massively diverse environment, from scaling the highest snowcapped mountain to racing the deepest arid canyon.
Red Dead Redemption is a Western epic, set at the turn of the 20th century when the lawless and chaotic badlands began to give way to the expanding reach of government and the spread of the Industrial Age. The story of former outlaw, John Marston, Red Dead Redemption takes players on a great adventure across the American frontier.
Developed exclusively for Xbox 360 by developer Bungie, Halo 3: Recon is a stand-alone expansion that extends the Halo 3 experience with hours of new campaign and multiplayer gameplay.
The new campaign chapter predates the events that unfold in Halo 3 and gives players a new perspective through the eyes of a new hero in the Halo universe. New multiplayer maps ensure that the Xbox LIVE experience of Halo 3 continues to thrive.
Air Conflicts Aces Of World War II - Opening minutes
Air Conflicts is an arcade flight simulator game set in World War II, featuring the aircraft of this period and historically inspired missions. The emphasis is on intense dogfights, daring bombing raids and exciting aerial missions.
Miles Edgeworth: Ace Attorney Investigations - Trailer
In Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth, the flashy prosecutor in the wine red suit is plagued by a series of deaths that seem to follow him wherever he goes. To obtain the truth, Miles Edgeworth will take center stage in an exciting suspense-filled drama that requires him to dive into the mysterious world of crime scene investigation.
Activision has announced a new entry is coming to the Big League Sports franchise, Big League Sports: Summer. Set to release in June for Wii and Nintendo DS, the game is all about fun in the sun!
Big League Sports: Summer focuses in on classic sunshine pastimes of tennis, beach volleyball, golf, soccer, baseball and football. Players will be able to customize their characters and play through a variety of exciting games in single player mode. In addition, multiplayer mode will allow up to four players on Wii, where players can compete through All-Star skill challenges and cooperate through team-based play.
Velvet Assassin tells the tale of Violette Summer, an intelligence agent working for the British government during World War II and number one on the Nazi list of most-wanted. Inspired by real-life heroin Violette Szaba, Velvet Assassin takes players through Europe's darkest hours of oppression under the jackboot of the Third Reich. Players will engage in varied missions of sabotage and assassination in a heroic attempt to help the allies overcome their enemy. One Woman, alone and deep behind enemy lines; Violette Summer is the Velvet Assassin.
Take a look at the introduction sequence and first mission of the game.
From game developer Sucker Punch, creators of the award-winning Sly Cooper series, and publisher Sony comes inFAMOUS. The first open-world title exclusively for the PlayStation 3, infamous is a single player action/adventure that places you in the role of once regular guy, Cole, who in the aftermath of a horrific catastrophe finds himself not only alive, but developing a fantastic array of superpowers. Going from ordinary to extraordinary overnight isn't something to take lightly. With these powers does one exact revenge? Protect the innocent? Or perhaps, dabble in a little of both? The choice is yours in infamous.
Take a look at game play from the demo version of the game.
The X-Men saga continues with the X-Men Origins: Wolverine video game, based on the feature film of the same name. Unleash the fury of Wolverine and see how it all began. With cinema-style graphics and sound, and unstoppable action and excitement, X-Men Origins: Wolverine will have you on the edge of seat as you slash, slice, and stab your way through level after level of intense, epic gameplay.
Take a look at the game's introduction sequence and first few minutes of game play.
Magna Carta 2 is the sequel to RPG Magna Carta: Tears of Blood which appeared on the PlayStation2. The game is developed by Softmax and published by Banpresto exclusively for the Xbox 360. It is scheduled to be released in Japan on August 6, 2009.
Dream Club is a hostess dating simulation game being developed by Bandai-Namco and published by D3 in Japan this summer. Game play consists of the player interacting with various young hostesses during weekends off from work. The player can also work at a part time job during the weekdays, check email, and go shopping for gifts to give the girls with the money from your job.
Inspired by the events of the classic film of the same name, in The Godfather II players take on the role of Dominic Corleone, a little-known member of the Corleone crime family tasked with rebuilding the once dominant, but now faltering mafia empire. Set in an open-world gameplay universe full of dangers and opportunities, players must maintain and develop the Corleone crime family's resources using every and all means available if they hope in the end to prevail in the ultimate challenge, to act like a mobster, but think like a Don.
Take a look at the various execution styles in the game.
Little King's Story is an original title designed and developed by some of the most respected names in the gaming industry. Featuring the efforst of Yasuhiro Wada (creator: Harvest Moon), Hideo Minaba (Art Director: Final Fantasy XII), and Youichi Kawaguchi (Main Programmer: Dragon Quest VIII), Little Kings Story combines life-simulation, real-time strategy, and adventure elements along with an enchanting storyline to offer a new and unique gaming experience. Once upon a time there was a young boy named Corobo. He was a shy, withdrawn boy with few friends. One day while wandering the forest near his village he came across a crown infused with a mysterious power; the power to charm any person and make them follow any order. At this time an adventurer, the bull-knight Howzer, appears and informs Corobo that he is now the king of his village and that it is his responsibility to become the best king ever. Corobo then returns to his village to begin his efforts to turn his sleepy little hamlet into the best kingdom ever.
For generations, brave men and women have answered the call to protect the world from villains who threaten its safety and security. Today, criminal organizations use superpowers and super technology in their dastardly plots to control the world. Creatures from outer space and other dimensions seek to enslave humanity. Led by the Champions, protectors of Millennium City. The world's Heroes have launched a crusade for peace, security and justice. But they need allies. A new breed of Heroes is needed to fight in a war against evil that spans the globe - and beyond. A world of heroes awaits. Who will you be?
Trine is a fantasy action game where the player can create and use physics-based objects to beat hazardous puzzles and threatening enemies. Set in a world of great castles and strange machinery, three heroes are bound to a mysterious device called the Trine in a quest to save the kingdom from evil.
The gameplay is based on fully interactive physics - each character's different ability helps the player battle an army of un-dead and defeat hazardous contraptions. The player can at any time freely choose whoever is best suited for the upcoming challenge or puzzle: The Wizard is able to summon objects to help solve puzzles and create new ways to overcome obstacles, the Thief uses her agility and dead-on accuracy to swiftly surprise the monsters, and the Warrior unleashes mayhem and physical destruction wherever he goes.
Order of War is a new World War II strategy game from Square-Enix and Wargaming.net. It is Square-Enix's first western developed game outside of Japan.
UFC 2009 Undisputed is an explosive fighting game detailing the action, intensity and attitude of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Featuring an authentic and comprehensive UFC atmosphere, including an extensive roster of the best mixed martial arts fighters in the world, players will push the envelope with a powerful new game engine and put their best fighting disciplines to the test in the world famous Octagon. Take your best shot - UFC 2009 Undisputed is as real as it gets. Develop attributes, perfect moves and fights for entry into the UFC Hall of Fame through a series of dynamic storylines that build friendships and instigate intense rivalries.
Take a look at game play from the demo version on the Xbox 360.
Set 50 years after the climactic events of the original Red Faction, Red Faction: Guerrilla is a third-person shooter that allows players to take the role of an insurgent fighter with the newly reestablished Red Faction guerilla movement on Mars as they battle for liberation from the oppressive Earth Defense Force. Red Faction: Guerrilla redefines the limits of destruction-based gameplay with a huge open-world, fast-paced guerilla-style combat, 16-player online multiplayer and true physics-based destruction.
Take a look at the first few minutes from the demo version.
Assassin's Creed 2 is being developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. The sequel to Assassin's Creed is set to be released worldwide in November 2009 on the PC, PlayStation 3, PSP, Wii, and Xbox 360 platforms.
A tale of souls from a futuristic civilization illuminated by the Light of the Crystal, the newest addition to the Final Fantasy series is worthy of the title "next generation." Developed by Square Enix, the eagerly anticipated Final Fantasy XIII features the latest in cutting-edge technology and provides tangible, intuitive controls while delivering seamless transitions between real-time gameplay and stunning in-game cinematics.
Take a look at the first minutes of game play from the Japanese preview.
Light of Altair is a sci-fi colony building game with a deep plot. Grow colonies from landing pod to metropolis, while sending off new spaceships to expand your territory to other worlds. You are not alone in space, 8 factions from different parts of the world are all following their own agendas in the solar system; diplomacy and orbital-combat are essential to learn.
Light of Altair is based on a custom built 3D engine that enables easy zooming from galaxies all the way down to individual moons and asteroids covered in the colonies with their glass domes, mines and launch pads. Advanced shader technology is used to add rich details and lighting to surfaces.
Scheduled for release in May by Warner Bros. on the Xbox 360, PlayStation3, and PC, Terminator: Salvation is the game based on the movie of the same name.
The movie is set in post-apocalyptic 2018, where John Connor is the man fated to lead the human resistance against Skynet and its army of Terminators. But the future Connor was raised to believe in is altered in part by the appearance of Marcus Wright, a stranger whose last memory is of being on death row. Connor must decide whether Marcus has been sent from the future, or rescued from the past. As Skynet prepares its final onslaught, Connor and Marcus both embark on an odyssey that takes them into the heart of Skynet's operations, where they uncover the terrible secret behind the possible annihilation of mankind.
Tales of VS. is being developed and published by Bandai Namco Games. It is scheduled to be released in Japan in 2009 on the PSP. Take a look at the game's debut Japanese trailer.
Oboro Muramasa has been released in Japan. The game will be known as Muramasa: The Demon Blade when it is released in North America this July.
A number of cursed blades exist throughout the world. Blades that thirst for blood the moment theyre drawn. Even those blades thought to be holy slowly become corrupted over time as they are used in hatred and drenched in blood. Those who wield these blades slowly become homicidal. The curses laid on these blades are said to condemn those who use them to tragic and untimely deaths. It is in the Genroki era, a period of time in which the shogun Tsumayoshi Tokogawa reigned, that the force of the damned began to emerge, threatening the peace and prosperity that had long existed in the world. The cursed blades became the focus of the greed, self-righteousness, and arrogance of those who߿d gain possession of them, and inevitably it was these conflicting desires that led to war. As the flames of chaos and disaster spread, denizens from the netherworld were dragged into the confusion as not only the evil spirits were summoned by the swords, but the Dragon and Demon Gods as well. How will the destinies of those drawn to these cursed blades unfold?
Take a look at the first few minutes of game play.
The Secret World is an upcoming MMORPG developed by Funcom (makers of Anarchy Online and Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures). Take a look at the game's debut trailer.
Inspired by the events of the classic film of the same name, in The Godfather II players take on the role of Dominic Corleone, a little-known member of the Corleone crime family tasked with rebuilding the once dominant, but now faltering mafia empire. Set in an open-world gameplay universe full of dangers and opportunities, players must maintain and develop the Corleone crime family's resources using every and all means available if they hope in the end to prevail in the ultimate challenge, to act like a mobster, but think like a Don.
Take a look at the game's introduction sequence and first few minutes of game play.
Jumpgate Evolution is an elite space combat massively multiplayer online game set in a new universe where the vastness of space is your ultimate online playground. The "When Darkness Falls" trailer showcasing the vast scale and intense combat of Jumpgate Evolution.
Nancy Drew: The White Wolf Of Icicle Creek - Trailer
Now available on the Wii. Nancy Drew travels to the Canadian Rockies to investigate the Icicle Creek Lodge. Chantal, the owner of the lodge has asked her to uncover the culprit behind a recent string of suspicious accidents. To make matters worse, an eerie howling wolf keeps everyone up at night and terrorizes the guests. The wolf also appears at the site of accidents and then mysteriously disappears when the police arrive. As Nancy makes her way to the cozy lodge, an explosion rocks the quiet night, destroying a bunkhouse. To make matters worse, an eerie wolfs howl in the distance is haunting the guests at night, causing Nancy to wonder if the accidents and the mysterious wolf are connected. Nancy has barely set foot on the premises and already trouble is afoot! Can Nancy solve this mystery before all the guests leave and Chantal is left out in the cold?
Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time - Teaser trailer
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time is a 3D platformer game, developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony. It is scheduled to be released in 2009 on the PlayStation3. Take a look at the game's teaser trailer.
The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai is a 2-D stylistic action platformer for Xbox LIVE Arcade showcasing fast action, deep gameplay, and a unique visual style. An undead samurai dishwasher in a dystopian universe is on a quest for revenge against the evil cyborg army. To dispatch hordes of zombies, cyborgs, and robots, the Dishwasher has at his fingertips a devastating array of attacks using ancient blades, disturbing machinery, and screen-obliterating Dish Magic. Compete with the rest of the world in a variety of speed run and high score challenges to become the most formidable Dishwasher yet!
Kicking into action where the hit film left off, Wanted: Weapons of Fate lets you take on the role of Wesley Gibson -- a super assassin and the heir to The Fraternity's legacy of power. Your position has made you a target for a renegade faction of The Fraternity that is dead-set on hunting you down and killing you. In order to survive you must master an arsenal of deadly skills to protect the secrets of The Fraternity and turn the table on those who want you dead.
Take a look at the introduction sequence and first few minutes of game play.
Experience the intensity, diversity and claustrophobia of realistic modern warfare from the unique perspective of Infantry Marine, Helicopter Pilot, Special Forces and Tank Commander engaged against the full force of the Chinese military on a scale never previously experienced in video games. Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising takes players into the most realistic war game experience they'll have ever encountered. It provides an unparalleled scope of different military disciplines, vehicles and equipment for players to utilize, and simulates an immense conflict between two advanced military forces. The player's journey is tied into a believable and dramatic storyline set in a vast and incredibly detailed environment.
A new online project geePlay.com has launched. It's a multiplayer game among human players for real cash. You can buy a credit for your account to play with it. The credit you won can be cashed out. When you buy a credit, you֒ll get a bonus in the amount of bought credit, up to 500 Euros.
Our first game is 2D arcade multiplayer game based on open-source game Teewars. The main factor of success here is not luck or coincidence (e.g. like in poker), but player's ability to control his character.
The main idea of the game is very simple to beat as much opponents as possible. For every killed enemy you get points from his account, if you are killed by somebody, he gets points from yours.
At first you have to register. Then you need to download geePlay.com client and you can start playing. Registration process and installation is as simple as possible. Consequently you can buy a credit via PayPal.
You can choose from 3 different gameplay modes.
* Training mod ֖ determined for improving your skills without influence to your account
* Deathmatch for every killed opponent you get points, if you die, points are counted off your account
* Tournament ֖ this mode is divided to various modes, depending on the amount of the points for every kill. The tournament starts, when sufficient number of players joins the game and it ends after the time limit or the number of kills for the tournament is reached. When the tournament is over, rewards are divided among the best players.
After the project starts, there is a tournament in 30 days. Reward for the first place will be 1000 Euros (about $1300). For more information please visit http://www.geeplay.com.
Wolfenstein brings the Nazis dark obsession with the occult to life with epic action and harrowing shooter combat. Use a powerful arsenal of both definitive and occult-enhanced Axis & Allied weapons to beat back a supernatural Nazi force that is full of surprises. You play as BJ Blazkowicz, a highly decorated member of the Office of Secret Actions (OSA). You are sent on a special mission into the heart of the Reich to investigate evidence that the Nazis may possess a new and mysterious power. While behind enemy lines, you discover the Nazis have done much more than develop a new toy. The Nazis are harnessing the power of the Black Sun through a dark parallel dimension called The Veil; in order to create a weapon of war-ending mass destruction. You are the only one that can stop them and save the world from their perverse domination.
Wallace And Gromit Episode 1: Fright of the Bumblebees - First ten minutes
Wallace And Gromit Episode 1: Fright of the Bumblebees is the first part of a serial adventure game, developed and published by Telltale Games for the PC and Xbox 360. Take a look at the game's first ten minutes, which includes the opening sequence.
The Dexter iPhone game is based on the hit Showtime series of the same name. It will be available at the App Store in iTunes this summer. The game is being published by Marc Ecko Entertainment and developed by Icarus Studios.
As with previous related games, Rune Factory: Frontier features a myriad of Life Sim activities like farming, raising livestock, building relationships with NPCs, etc., as well as role-playing elements like dungeon crawling and item collection and leveling, but in structuring gameplay it goes to great lengths to incorporate an open-ended structure that allows players to choose the type of game they wish to experience at all points in the game. This means that although at the beginning of the game players will find themselves presented with the familiar opportunity of starting a farm, selling their crops at market and by doing so improving the overall prosperity and size of their town, they are not necessarily tied to the land. Although farming is an excellent way to finance adventuring, the rich RPG elements of the game can be pursued at any time. These elements present themselves mostly in the form of battling monsters and bosses that have found their way into the land, but seem to be coming from the mysterious 'Whale Island,' which floats in the sky above your town. Players can either battle the monsters or make friends with them, raising them as a kind of livestock. As with everything in Rune Factory: Frontier, the choice is yours. Whether it's growing crops, expanding the town, fighting (or befriending) monsters or even falling in love, the experience is unique to each player.
Tell Tale Games is bringing the colorful world of West Wallaby Street to the PC, Wiiware, and Xbox Live in a series of four adventures. Take a look at game play from the demo version.
Velvet Assassin tells the tale of Violette Summer, an intelligence agent working for the British government during World War II and number one on the Nazi list of most-wanted. Inspired by real-life heroin Violette Szaba, Velvet Assassin takes players through Europe's darkest hours of oppression under the jackboot of the Third Reich. Players will engage in varied missions of sabotage and assassination in a heroic attempt to help the allies overcome their enemy. One Woman, alone and deep behind enemy lines; Violette Summer is the Velvet Assassin.
Activision Publishing has announced that Little League World Series Baseball 2009, the sequel to 2008's acclaimed hit baseball game, will be released this June for Wii and Nintendo DS. The title is a natural progression for the franchise, offering Little Leaguers and their families more features and refined, accessible gameplay.
Little League World Series Baseball 2009 is the second officially licensed Little League video game for next-generation consoles, and once again it is being developed by world renowned Japanese studio NOW Production. Players will have the chance to become a Little League World Series baseball Champion, or play with up to three other friends in a variety of exhibition modes. New features include a full team editor, regional tournaments, all new stadiums, new skills challenges, an expanded set of collectible content and much more. Both versions improve upon the popular motion and stylus controls, respectively, for batting and pitching.
Valve have it out for your spare time, with a system that will let you get the latest piece of DLC - without even closing your game.
In their ongoing attempt to monopolize all parts of your PC gaming life, Valve have announced that Steam, their proprietary digital distribution service will now support in-game downloadable content delivery. Now your games need never even be closed, for as soon as you're done, you can simply hit shift+tab and grab the latest mission pack, multiplayer mode or whatever else should strike your fancy.
The first game to take advantage of this new system will be indie hit The Maw, although it certainly won't be the last. The new system can be used by any game - old or new - it won't be long before we see other developers taking Valve up on their enticing new offer.
Hardly a surprising piece of news, wouldn't you say? With DLC becoming a larger and larger part of many budgets and profit forecasts, it was only a matter of time before someone came up with this system, and Valve would be the logical choice. Perhaps soon they'll begin offering notifications of your death to friends, family and guildmates.
We all know that you can cheat in video games. But what happens when an addiction to video games causes cheating -- from your spouse. Take a look at this baby mama drama from The Maury Show.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars - Introduction sequence
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is the highly anticipated first game in the GTA franchise designed for play on the Nintendo DS. But although it comes in a small package, this is a full-fledged game that stands on its own. With an all-new, deep story that approaches the familiar sights and sounds of the infamous Liberty City from a different perspective, an innovative control system and multiplayer options, Chinatown Wars captures the tone and flavors of the long-running GTA series in unique ways that both longtime players and those coming to it for the first time will find hard to put down.
Electronic Arts has announced that Boom Blox Bash Party, the sequel to the original "blox-buster" game from Steven Spielberg will be released on May 19th.
Two years after the Helghast assault on Vekta, the ISA is bringing the fight to the enemy's home world of Helghan. Taking the role of Sev, the battle-hardened veteran of the special forces unit known as the Legion, players will embark upon a mission to the planet Helghan to capture the Helghast leader, Emperor Visari, and bring the enemy's war machine to a halt. For Sev and his squad, the invasion of Helghan is just the beginning. Tasked with securing Pyrrhus, the Capital City, the team quickly discovers that the Helghast are a formidable enemy on their home planet. Not only have they adjusted to the planet's hostile conditions, they have also harnessed a source of power from the environment that can be used against the ISA. Sev and his team soon discover the fight is greater than simply addressing the enemy forces; the Legion must also learn how to handle the effects of the fierce enemy planet.
Sonic's storybook series, which kicked off with the hit Sonic and the Secret Rings, continues in a fast-paced, sword-filled action adventure! In Sonic and the Black Knight, Sonic is drawn into the rich, colorful world of King Arthur's Camelot by the granddaughter of the legendary wizard Merlin who asks him to harness the power of a sacred sword. The heroic hedgehog must fight off the fearsome knights, avoid obstacles and unravel the mystery of a villain who threatens the very existence of Camelot. Designed exclusively for Wii, Sonic and the Black Knight brings a new twist to Sonic gameplay with frenetic swordplay, making full use of the intricate controls of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk including intense sword-wielding action. For the first time ever, players can vanquish their foes using lightning-fast sword combos. Thirteen interactive environments set in the world of King Arthur mean players can jump onto a giant crossbow to propel themselves over moats, scale castle walls and prepare to meet surprising new creatures and enemies. Upgradable attacks and power moves mean players progress they can level up and gain access to special attacks and powers geared to fit their preferred style of gameplay. Choose to be one of four familiar characters from the Sonic universe and duke it out against up to three other players in multiplayer sword battles.
Take a look at the game's ending sequence, edited at the very finish to save the final spoiler.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial on the Atari 2600 has been called the worse video game of all time by various critics. Based on the movie of the same name, it was released in 1982. The game involves moving E.T. through various screens and obtain three pieces of a device that allows him to phone home. Programmed in only six weeks, Atari believed that sales would skyrocket because of the film's success. Unfortunately, the opposite turned out to be true, and the game was attributed to being the cause of Atari's downfall in the classic game era. Thousands of unsold copies of the game ended up buried in a New Mexico dump.
Developed by Sony, Demon's Soul is a PlayStation3 exclusive RPG currently available only in Japan. Check out the English language version of the tutorial level.
Sonic's storybook series, which kicked off with the hit Sonic and the Secret Rings, continues in a fast-paced, sword-filled action adventure! In Sonic and the Black Knight, Sonic is drawn into the rich, colorful world of King Arthur's Camelot by the granddaughter of the legendary wizard Merlin who asks him to harness the power of a sacred sword. The heroic hedgehog must fight off the fearsome knights, avoid obstacles and unravel the mystery of a villain who threatens the very existence of Camelot. Designed exclusively for Wii, Sonic and the Black Knight brings a new twist to Sonic gameplay with frenetic swordplay, making full use of the intricate controls of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk including intense sword-wielding action. For the first time ever, players can vanquish their foes using lightning-fast sword combos. Thirteen interactive environments set in the world of King Arthur mean players can jump onto a giant crossbow to propel themselves over moats, scale castle walls and prepare to meet surprising new creatures and enemies. Upgradable attacks and power moves mean players progress they can level up and gain access to special attacks and powers geared to fit their preferred style of gameplay. Choose to be one of four familiar characters from the Sonic universe and duke it out against up to three other players in multiplayer sword battles.
Take a look at the game's introduction and first few minutes of game play.
This next-generation follow-up to the terrifying series introduces the theme of escape as its core survival instinct. As Chris Redfield, your life is in danger as you strive to complete your most dangerous mission yet in a sweltering desert colony where a new breed of evil has been unleashed. Swarms of marauding evil beings will charge at you when your pulse is racing at a heart-shattering pace. Environments will play a bigger factor than ever here, using the power of next-gen systems to create a world where terror might lurk in any alcove or shadow. Powerful lighting effects overwhelm the player with mirage movement and blinding brilliance, and even in the light of day, there is no safe haven in this Resident Evil. Powerful New Weapons - The number of weapon variations has been greatly increased providing new ways to keep enemies at bay. Fear Light as much as Shadow - Lighting effects provide a new level of suspense as players attempt to survive in both harsh sunlight and extreme darkness.
If you want to get spoiled, take a look at the game's final battle, ending cinematic, and credits.
Get ready for a fictional account of the world's most popular video game hero...of the 1980s. Matt Hazard is coming out of retirement and making his next-gen "comeback" against all his old enemies in a hilarious parody of the last 25 years of gaming. In Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard, videogame action hero Matt Hazard gets his chance to prove once and for all that he is the king of shooters when the new owner of mega game publisher, Marathon Megasoft, gives Matt his comeback role starring in a new title for next-gen consoles that pits him against all of his memorable foes from videogames past. In the world of Eat Lead, however, everything stops being a game and becomes reality when it is clear that someone is using the new game to bring about Matt's death once and for all.
Take a look at the opening sequence and first few minutes of game play from the Xbox 360 version.
Seven NeoGAF forum members have used LittleBigPlanet to reimagine the classic NES Contra game. All original eight Contra missions have been recreated, including the Bosses, enemies, power-ups, and and other features.
Majesty the game has sold millions of copies worldwide and made true believers out of a whole generation of RTS gamers. Paradox Interactive and 1C:Ino-Co studios are now teaming up for the sequel in this beloved series and promises to take the wishes of existing and future fans into consideration.
Majesty 2 -- The Fantasy Kingdom Sim will follow closely in the footsteps of the original game as well as bringing all key elements up to date. The charm and humor that made fans out millions of gamers worldwide will remain at the core of the title along with the indirect control aspect of the game.
Star Ocean: The Last Hope is the latest release in the celebrated science fiction and fantasy Star Ocean RPG series. This prequel set during the aftermath of Earth's fictional World War III combines sci-fi and fantasy elements spanning multiple planets and the vastness of space itself to recount the origins of the Star Ocean Universe. Exhilarating combat expands upon the franchise's famous real-time battle system, introducing amazing graphics and next-generation visual effects brought to life on the Xbox 360 gaming system.
Take a look at the game's opening sequence and the first few minutes of game play.
Two years after the Helghast assault on Vekta, the ISA is bringing the fight to the enemy's home world of Helghan. Taking the role of Sev, the battle-hardened veteran of the special forces unit known as the Legion, players will embark upon a mission to the planet Helghan to capture the Helghast leader, Emperor Visari, and bring the enemy's war machine to a halt. For Sev and his squad, the invasion of Helghan is just the beginning. Tasked with securing Pyrrhus, the Capital City, the team quickly discovers that the Helghast are a formidable enemy on their home planet. Not only have they adjusted to the planet's hostile conditions, they have also harnessed a source of power from the environment that can be used against the ISA. Sev and his team soon discover the fight is greater than simply addressing the enemy forces; the Legion must also learn how to handle the effects of the fierce enemy planet.
Have a look at the introduction sequence and the first several minutes of game play.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is the highly anticipated first game in the GTA franchise designed for play on the Nintendo DS. But although it comes in a small package, this is a full-fledged game that stands on its own. With an all-new, deep story that approaches the familiar sights and sounds of the infamous Liberty City from a different perspective, an innovative control system and multiplayer options, Chinatown Wars captures the tone and flavors of the long-running GTA series in unique ways that both longtime players and those coming to it for the first time will find hard to put down.
Activision has announced an agreement with Corus Entertainment Inc.'s Nelvana Enterprises to develop and distribute video games based on the breakout hit toy and wildly popular action animated television series Bakugan. The first Bakugan game will be released for the Wii, Nintendo DS, Xbox 360, and PlayStation3 and PlayStation2 in the fall of 2009.
Dante's Inferno is based on the medieval epic poem The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri. The dark fiction gave birth to the Tuscan Italian dialect and is widely considered the work that has defined the western world's contemporary conception of hell and purgatory. The poem tells the tale of Dante who journeys through the twisted, menacing nine circles of hell in pursuit of his beloved Beatrice. Dante's tortured and tormented world is an ideal setting for this 3rd person action and adventure of a video game, Dante's Inferno.
Haruna Anno plays Super Mario Bros. without looking
From Japanese television, model Haruna Anno shows off her gaming skills by running through the first level of Super Mario Bros. on the NES without looking at the screen.
It has been confirmed that the same team that worked on Mass Effect will be working on Mass Effect 2. Bioware senior manager Matt Atwood mentioned a Windows version of Mass Effect 2 was "likely". EA CEO John Riccitiello confirmed during a conference call with investors that Mass Effect 2 would be available on "multiple platforms", however further details were not made available. He also confirmed that the game will release in fiscal fourth quarter between January and March 2010.
Street Fighter IV brings the legendary fighting series back to its roots by taking the beloved fighting moves and techniques of the original Street Fighter II, and infusing them with Capcom's latest advancements in next generation technology. The result is a truly extraordinary experience destined to reintroduce players, both familiar with the Street Fighter series and those coming to the game for the first time, to the time-honored art of virtual martial arts.
The world's biggest hip-hop star, is back in an all new, fast paced arcade style third-person shooter for Next-Gen consoles. In 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand, payers hit the road with 50 Cent and and his posse, G-Unit, as an innocent concert tour in the Middle-East turns into a full-fledged war. At its root is a mysterious item that a local promoter talks 50 into accepting in lieu of cash. The problem is that everyone 50 meets seems to want to take it from him, so there is obviously more to this trinket than meets the eye. But what is 50's is 50's and he is willing to bring the hurt down on any and all comers who cross him and try to take what isn't theirs.
Take a look at the opening sequence and first few minutes of game play.
Grand Theft Auto 4: The Lost And Damned - Opening minutes
Take a look at the opening cinematic and first few minutes of game play from "The Lost And Damned" expansion for Grand Theft Auto 4, exclusively on the Xbox 360.
The Purchase Brothers (http://www.purchasebrothers.com) created a spec commerical based on Half Life to test out post production techniques with a $500 budget and no crew or script. It has since evolved into a multi-part series.
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin - Black cat advertising
Warner Bros launched a "cat-vertising campaign" for F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin by putting black cats on the streets of London on the game's launch day, Friday the 13th. The company is hoping to capture the attention of superstitious passers-by, with the superstitious aspect of both the cats and the date. A spokesperson for Warner Bros said that "Every day people are bombarded with so many advertising messages that it can be easy to miss them. With our research telling us that Brits are actively looking out for signs of bad luck this Friday, it makes perfect sense to try and capture their attention that way."
The second heart-stopping shooter by Monolith (after F.E.A.R.) continues the spine-tingling supernatural suspense story of an escalating paranormal crisis that threatens to destroy a major American city. At the center of the calamity is the mysterious Alma, whose rage against those who wronged her triggered a chain of events that has spiraled completely out of control. Now that she has been loosed upon the world, the consequences will be unimaginable. Although this game is technically a follow-up to F.E.A.R., the game does not carry the F.E.A.R. franchise name due to a shift in publishers -- instead, it features a new name for its frights.
Utilize the world interaction enhancements to create instant cover or remove obstacles Play with and against friends in multiplayer competition Enhanced graphics engine takes action horror to new heights through enhanced visuals and effects Enemies behave realistically and use the environment against you through vastly enhanced enemy Artificial Intelligence Maintains the authenticity of the Alma storyline.
Take a look at the first ten minutes of the game, from the PlayStation3 version.
Battlefield 1943 will be available on the Xbox 360 (Xbox Live Arcade), PlayStation3 (Playstation Network) and on the PC for download. Play as the U.S. Marines or the Imperial Japanese Navy on match-made servers for the optimal challenge as you gain ranks and awards. Battlefield 1943 is your own version of the one of the most famous campaigns in the history of the world!
In the peaceful Kinoko Kingdom, a strange pandemic strikes. To find out about the source of the illness, Mario and Luigi set forth on another journey. However, they came across a huge Koopa on the way and are swallowed, can these two save their land?
The RPG takes place both within and outside the Koopa, take note of the brothers' specialties as you run around the stages. Sometimes the Koopa's digestive system will help you through. Take another closer look at the Koopas, they may not be that bad after all.
Take a look at the Japanese info trailer for the game.
You reprise the role of Riddick, the most notorious criminal in the universe, who must use a combo of bloody hand-to-hand combat, explosive firepower, and lethal stealth to escape the Dark Athena. The game is scheduled for an April release on the Xbox 360, PlayStation3, and PC.
Get ready to take on the full strength of the Helghast war machine from a dramatic first-person perspective with Killzone 2 for PS3, due out February 27th.
Two years after the Helghast assault on Vekta, the ISA is bringing the fight to the enemy's home world of Helghan. Taking the role of Sev, the battle-hardened veteran of the special forces unit known as the Legion, players will embark upon a mission to the planet Helghan to capture the Helghast leader, Emperor Visari, and bring the enemy's war machine to a halt. For Sev and his squad, the invasion of Helghan is just the beginning. Tasked with securing Pyrrhus, the Capital City, the team quickly discovers that the Helghast are a formidable enemy on their home planet. Not only have they adjusted to the planet's hostile conditions, they have also harnessed a source of power from the environment that can be used against the ISA. Sev and his team soon discover the fight is greater than simply addressing the enemy forces; the Legion must also learn how to handle the effects of the fierce enemy planet.
Have a look at the first ten minutes of the game, from the demo version.
An Indiana mother has discovered that the game "Baby Pals" on the Nintendo DS apparently has licensed the same "nonsense baby talk" sound bank used in a talking doll. However according to her, some of the nonsense that the baby says sounds like some sort of religious message.
Tenchu: Shadow Assassins continues the saga of Rikimaru and Ayame, elite ninjas who must use their lethal skills to keep the peace in feudal Japan. With much blood shed throughout their masters land, Rikimaru and Ayame must unmask the face of the enemy behind a treacherous kidnapping. Fight your way through dangerous territory and complete thrilling missions as the ultimate ninja.
Imagine what it would be like to have a Guitar Hero type game back during the days of the original Nintendo Entertainment System. Of course it would have to feature artists of that time, like a-ha, Guns N' Roses, and Michael Jackson. Well, D-Pad Hero brings you all of that. It's a homebrew game distributed in a ROM format for NES emulators. Find out more at http://dpadhero.com
Dawn of War II ushers in a new chapter in the acclaimed real-time strategy series (RTS) taking players to the brutal frontlines of war to lead an Elite Strike Force on a mission to save the galaxy. With a focus on fast-action RTS gameplay, Dawn of War II brings to life the science fiction universe of Warhammer 40,000 like never before. Experience the intimate brutality of battle as you play through your chosen races epic campaign. Clash with enemies on battlefields ablaze with visceral melee and ranged combat. Lead and develop your squads from raw recruits into the most battle hardened veterans in the Galaxy.
Continuing the franchise for Star Ocean fans, Star Ocean: Second Evolution for the PSP is an enhanced remake of Star Ocean: The Second Story, and delivers the same epic storytelling and dazzling art style updated for today. Set 20 years after the events of its predecessor, Second Evolution receives special treatment in its PSP incarnation. Gamers can relive the adventure, with fully animated movies, all-new character designs, extra playable characters, fully voiced dialogues and more.
A tale of souls from a futuristic civilization illuminated by the Light of the Crystal, the newest addition to the Final Fantasy series is worthy of the title "next generation." Developed by Square Enix, the eagerly anticipated Final Fantasy XIII features the latest in cutting-edge technology and provides tangible, intuitive controls while delivering seamless transitions between real-time gameplay and stunning in-game cinematics.
Section 8 is an intense first-person shooter in development for the Xbox 360 and PC that gives players unprecedented strategic control over the battlefield, employing tactical assets and on-demand vehicle deliveries to dynamically alter the flow of combat. Set at the crossroads of a growing insurrection among its colonies, Earth dispatches the elite 8th Armored Infantry to turn the tide. Utilizing advanced powered armor suits, these brave volunteers are the only ones crazy enough to smash through enemy defenses and drop directly into the battlefield from 15,000 feet, earning them the nickname "Section 8."
A trailer for Indiana Jones And The Staff Of Kings for the Wii has been leaked. A version of the game is also planned for the DS, and possibly the PlayStation2 or PSP.
Malc is one of the members of Liberty City's street bike underworld featured in the upcoming Lost And Damned bonus downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto 4 on the Xbox 360.
