DailyGamesNews.com

Update

2010-09-20T13:58:00.002+01:00

I'd like to thank our fans and followers for their support and continued interest in dailygamesnews.com. I've received countless emails asking when we'll be back online and what's happened.

I'm no longer able to commit so much time in maintaining and updating the website as things were and decided to unplug for a period and take a break.

The popularity and following we receive here is nothing short of fantastic and I'm collaborating with writers for a possible re-launch.

If we can do it, we will - Thank you.

No News Today

2010-09-07T01:56:00.001+01:00

...and maybe not tomorrow...

Rare Speak Out On Kinect Distance Claims

2010-09-06T18:00:00.004+01:00

Following claims that users will need to be at least 6 feet away from their screen in order to use Kinect properly, Rare's senior engineer, Nick Burton has said such claims have been exaggerated and those with a smaller lounge will be able to play just fine:

“The camera configures itself, basically, when you set it up. Now, obviously, if you’ve only got that much space [makes a small space between his hands] between your TV there’s just not enough space for you to physically fit in the frame of the camera so you need to stand back a little bit."

“But it’s not like, ‘Hey, look at me over here,’ and you’re in a massive living room. We live in England.”

The claims spawned from a listing on Amazon which stated you'd need to be at least 6 foot away to play:

What will you need to play Kinect?
You'll need any Xbox 360 console, a Kinect sensor, Kinect games and 6 feet between you and your television for play space. Check out The Kinect Checklist to make sure you're fully set up to start playing Kinect.

Kinect could be great, but it could also be complete pants. You'll get to wear those pants on November 10th and judge for yourself.

Disney Epic Mickey Full Intro Trailer

2010-09-06T17:30:00.000+01:00

Snoop Dog Tracks Coming To Rock Band

2010-09-06T17:00:00.003+01:00

A Rock Band update coming this week will bring content from Snoop Dog, the first hip hop artist to get tracks in the game. Snoop commented:

“I consider myself an OG gamer, and to be chosen as the first hip hop artist to appear in Rock Band…well, it doesn’t get any better than that, ya dig?!?"

“I know my fans gonna get down with tha Pound with this one and tha youngsters really gonna realize who started this gamer ish, u hear me?!?”

Tracks you'll get include:

* “Beautiful”
* “Drop It Like It’s Hot”
* “Ridin’ In My Chevy”
* “Sensual Seduction”
* “Snoop’s Upside Ya Head”
* “Tha Shiznit”
* “That’s Tha Homie” *
* “Who Am I (What’s My Name)?”

They'll cost you $1.99/£.99/160 Microsoft Points each , or $13.49/£8.99/€13.49/1,080 Microsoft Points for Snoop Dogg Pack 01.

Call Of Duty Black Ops Wager Match Feature

2010-09-06T16:30:00.001+01:00

Realtime Worlds Sells 'Project MyWorld' Title

2010-09-06T16:00:00.003+01:00

Troubled development studio, Realtime Worlds has reportedly sold it's 'Project MyWorld' title to an 'anonymous' American company. 23 staff were known to be working on the project and it's not yet unknown if they will continue or lose their jobs.

The studio's recently released MMO title, APB is also up for sale for $100 in a bid to make some money for the studio which went into administration last month. Read up on all the news surrounding the troubled Dundee based studio, here.

Mega Man Universe Mega Man Feature

2010-09-06T15:30:00.000+01:00

Atlus Presdient Assures Fans Of Company Future

2010-09-06T15:00:00.003+01:00

Following recent news out of Japan that Index Holdings, the parent company of Atlus (and its wholly-owned private subsidiary Atlus U.S.A), would be merging the Atlus brand into itself, Shinichi Suzuki, President and CEO and Atlus U.S.A has released a statement to assure gamers and fans that all will remain well:

"We want to assure our fans and affiliates that Atlus remains in operation and will continue, as always, to support our beloved community with the finest quality game experiences possible."

"The Atlus-Index merger allows us to achieve greater synergy among the Index group companies and further strengthens the foundation of Atlus, both in Japan and here in the United States."

So the message is, don't worry.

Valkyria Chronicles II Launch Trailer

2010-09-06T14:30:00.000+01:00

Capcom Shares TGS Offerings Via Website

2010-09-06T14:00:00.001+01:00

In traditional pre-event hype fashion, Capcom has launched a Tokyo Games Show website that reveals the titles they are due to show at this year's Tokyo Games Show.

Players will be able to get hands-on with playable versions of Monster Hunter Portable 3rd, Marvel vs Capcom 3 Fate of Two Worlds, Dead Rising 2, Okamiden and Monster Hunter Portable Poka Poka Felyne Village which has already been released.

The TGS-specific site also hints that Marvel vs Capcom 3 Fate of Two Worlds will receive a new character announcement at this year's show as well as currently unannounced special guests too.

Be sure to keep on checking Spong.com for updates on the titles that Capcom will be showing at this year's TGS as the above list is not an exhaustive one just yet.

Tron Evolution Trailer

2010-09-06T13:30:00.000+01:00

Sony Pins Down October Date For 3D On PS3

2010-09-06T13:00:00.003+01:00

Sony has recently confirmed in a press conference that they are due to release a firmware update that will allow the playback of 3D Blu-ray discs in October this year.

Speaking at this year's Internationalen Funkausstellung Berlin (known as the acronym IFA) the company has confirmed that a firmware update will be released next month that will support the 3D technology in upcoming Blu-ray titles.

Are you excited for the potential to watch 3D films on your PS3? And do you think the price of 3D TVs right now warrants their purchase or will you wait until their buy-in price becomes more reasonable. All thoughts in the comments below please.

Red 5 Studios Announce Firefall On PC

2010-09-06T12:30:00.002+01:00

Red 5 Studios has announced Firefall the studio’s first title brought to you by the team lead of World of Warcraft and the lead designer of Tribes.

Firefall is a team-based action shooter that thrusts hundreds of players together into a lush, dynamic open world combining intense competitive multiplayer and large-scale cooperative gameplay. Firefall is due for release near the end of 2011 on PC.

LucasArts Reduces Employee Numbers

2010-09-06T12:00:00.001+01:00

Kotaku has received confirmation from LucasArts that it is reducing their staff numbers at the studio.

A former developer at LucasArts who was working on the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II has suggested that as many as 85 staff have been laid off in the cuts that have been actioned recently. LucasArts remained more tight-lipped about the number of staff who received the axe but has confirmed that:

"LucasArts is reorganizing its teams to better address the needs of the internal studio. Unfortunately, this means adjusting staffing."

We recently reported on the cancellation of a 3rd instalment in the franchise previously so it is no little wonder that staff cuts have been made as well. All the best to those who are affected.

Namco Announces Enslaved Goes Gold

2010-09-06T11:30:00.004+01:00

Namco has announced that Enslaved: Odyssey to the West has gone Gold which means it's done, dusted and is going to get pressed onto discs for retail. The game will released as planned on October 8th for Xbox 360 and PS3.

Valkyria Chronicles 3 On The Horizon

2010-09-06T11:00:00.002+01:00

A teaser website has popped up for an as of yet unnamed title from SEGA that will be unveiled on September 16th.

The text on the page reads "Attaka Abilia 422, Not to be opened till 9.16". Certainly sounds like a teaser to us but with silhouettes of a tank and several characters wielding familiar weapons in the background we can only think it is the unveiling of a new title in the Valkyria Chronicles series of games.Valkyria Chronicles 3 perhaps?

The "9.16" date on the website also coincides with when the Tokyo Games Show gets underway too. More than a coincidence perhaps?

THQ Launches Company Of Heroes Online BETA

2010-09-06T10:30:00.003+01:00

THQ has launched a BETA website for gamers to download and participate in a BETA for Company of Heroes Online in North America. Sign up before 8th September and you'll get a free in-game pack. The BETA features two different armies, Allies and Axis, each with three different divisions.

Go check it out here.

Medal Of Honor Suffers Partial US Ban

2010-09-06T10:00:00.001+01:00

The tide of controversy continues around EA’s big Christmas hope, Medal of Honor. The US military have requested that all 49 Gamestop stores located in its army and air force bases do not stock the game, due to its inclusion of playable Taliban forces in the game. An email obtained by Kotaku apparently reads:

“GameStop has agreed out of respect for our past and present men and women in uniform we will not carry Medal of Honor in any of our AAFES based stores. As such, GameStop agreed to have all marketing material pulled by noon today and to stop taking reservations. Customers who enter our AAFES stores and wish to reserve Medal of Honor can and should be directed to the nearest GameStop location off base.”

“GameStop fully supports AAFES in this endeavour and is sensitive to the fact that in multiplayer mode one side will assume the role of Taliban fighter.”

Last month Conservative defence secretary Liam Fox appealed to British stores to refuse to stock the game to show their support to the armed forces, claiming that he did not support a product that depicted British troops being killed - despite the fact there are no British forces in the game.

It remains to be seen whether any more bans will affect the game’s launch, although the irony is that all this publicity is doing a hell of a lot of free marketing on the game’s behalf.

Epic Developing Triple-A Titles For iPhone

2010-09-06T09:30:00.002+01:00

Epic Games president Mike Capps has revealed the developer has serious plans to bring Triple-A titles to the iPhone. Capps stated it wouldn't be beneficial to compete with the existing casual title:

“It would not be smart to compete with the Bejeweleds and Angry Birds of the world on the iPhone."

“Everything’s supported. The difference, of course, is that it’s not quite as powerful a graphics processor as on the Xbox 360, so you’ll probably do some custom content work, but you’re using the same tool chain of UnrealEd and Kismet and the same physics tools and everything.”

“With the expansion of the Unreal Development Kit, we’ve got hundreds of thousands of folks who are messing around with the tools doing smaller projects, he adds. So we’re not really just about giant triple-A console games anymore. Those are the ones Mass Effect gets press, but there are lots of small hobby groups or casual gamers using Unreal Engine. I think it’s perfect for them. It’s what they’ve been missing.”

Capps went on to state it wouldn't just be Gears of War, but other top titles such as Shadow Complex. The developer has already shown off an Unreal Tournament 3 tech demo on iPhone. We were given a personal demonstration of it running on an Android OS based tablet at the Game Horizon Conference earlier this year.

Oddworld Remake Coming Next Year

2010-09-06T09:00:00.002+01:00

The Oddworld series returns next year, with a HD remake of cult hit Stranger’s Wrath coming next Easter as a download-only title to the PS3. It is being developed by British studio Just Add Water, with original developers Oddworld Inhabitants overseeing the project. JAW’s Stewart Gilray commented:

“Since word got out that we’ve been working with Oddworld Inhabitants there have been many rumours circulating about what we’re working on. Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath is the first project in what we believe will be a long and fruitful relationship. Having the chance to update this great title and release it on PS3 is just a brilliant opportunity, not least for us, but for the fans too.”

The game will come in a 720p resolution with re-mastered dialogue, Move support and additional material, but JAW are not ready to discuss this yet. No other platform editions were mentioned at this time.

Randy Pitchford Talks About Duke Nukem Forever

2010-09-06T08:30:00.001+01:00

Gearbox Software's Randy Pitchford talks about Duke Nukem Forever with Inside Gaming at PAX explaining a little about what the hell happened to the game, and how it's been raised from the dead.

Duke Nukem Forever - Coming Next Year

2010-09-06T08:00:00.004+01:00

What happened over the weekend? PAX happened, and making a surprise appearance at the event was a playable demo of Duke Nukem Forever.

2K Games and Gearbox Software has announced Duke Nukem Forever will arrive in calendar 2011. Duke Nukem, the interactive entertainment industry’s most irreverent and quoted character of all time, will bring his signature brand of babe-lovin’, cigar-smoking, beer-chugging and ass-kicking action as he once again saves the Earth and our babes from hordes of invading aliens. Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K commented:

"All great things take time... a lot of time. After a hiatus from the video game world, Duke Nukem is back and better than ever. The return of the King from the glory days of shooters will satisfy our patient, die-hard fans, as well as a new generation of bubble gum-chewing, flat top and shades-wearing bad-asses. Make no mistake about it - Duke Nukem Forever is a testament to the era of when shooters were bodacious and fun."

Put on your sunglasses and prepare to step into the boots of Duke Nukem, whose legend has reached epic proportions in the years since his last adventure. The alien hordes are back and only Duke can save the world, again. Pig cops, alien shrink rays and enormous alien bosses won’t stop our hero from accomplishing his one and only goal: to save the world, save the babes and to be a bad-ass while doing it. The King of All Shooters is back with over-the-top weapons, massive aliens and unprecedented levels of interactivity. This game puts pedal to the metal and tongue firmly in cheek, among other places. Shoot hoops, lift weights, read adult magazines, draw crude messages on whiteboards or ogle one of the many beautiful women that populate Duke’s life; that is if you can pull yourself away long enough from kicking ass and taking names.

Duke Nukem was and will forever be immortalized in gaming history, and this is his legend. But will it live up to the hype...?

Open Source PS3 Hack Released

2010-09-02T18:00:00.001+01:00

The fight between Sony and the makers and sellers of the PS3Jailbreak hack is still ongoing in Australian courts, but Sony's efforts to maintain total control of the PlayStation 3 just took a broadside hit with the release of code that allows unsigned code to be executed on the system and could potentially lead to piracy.

Calles PSGroove, the code allows a standard USB dongle to bypass Sony's protection and execute homebrew software. However, there are key differences between Groove and Jailbreak. For one, whereas Jailbreak was being pushed as a one-stop shop for playing games from your hard drive, Groove is a highly involved hack. It requires compiling source code, and putting the code onto an AT90USB enabled USB stick via a development kit and flash technology. In other words, this is highly involved, and duffers stand the very real chance of blowing something up.

However, the key to this is that the code is open source. That means anyone with the means to do so can change the code to their liking, which means opening up those options to play games from physical media will probably have been done by the time this article goes up. PSJailbreak was closed source, which forced you to have to buy the software for an outlandish price and possibly get a clone. For less technical users, the difference between closed and open source is like cooking your own meal vs. going to a restaurant. At a restaurant, you can pay a premium to have someone else make the food, but if you don't like it, it sucks to be you. Open source, you have to know what you're doing with the ingredients, and it takes time and effort, but you can make the food to your tastes, and once you're done, you can put the recipe up for others to use and potentially improve upon.

Sony's next step is unclear. They cannot just stomp this out in the courts like they are with PSJailbreak. They can't just block the entire line of AT90USB devices; the hack will go to other devices. The next step up from that would be to disable the USB slots in their systems for anything not explicitly, digitally signed by Sony (like the Dualshock 3 or Sixxas controllers), which creates numerous issues, because to do that would be to destroy the ability to load data onto the PS3, all but ruining the ability to do anything with photos or anything else and would create a legal challenge that makes the Other OS class-action look like child's play. Sony really has a grand total of two choices:

1. Permanent bans for any consoles or user accounts using this or similar hacks. This is what Microsoft does to anyone caught doing anything they don't like, like what they're doing with people that play Halo: Reach early.

2. Maintain a hardcore file integrity check that bricks any system who's files are compromised in any way. It is what it sounds like; it's Sony seeing that someone's been hacking the firmware or what not, and rendering the entire system inoperable until properly serviced, assumedly with a hard-coded BIOS unlock. This is the nuclear option, as Sony would be running a massive risk in both public relations (imagine the false positives) and legal issues. If someone could demonstrate intent to effectively destroy someone's purchased system without violating the DMCA, Sony could be liable for payouts.

This is all in the United States, naturally. In the UK, everything I've mentioned is banned, though that has never stopped anyone before. Furthermore, the market in "pre-loaded" USB sticks is likely about to explode.

Sony's next move in this is going to be very interesting. As the company behind SecuROM and music CDs that put rootkits on users' computers without consent, they have demonstrated that they are not above playing dirty to maintain their profit margins, even dirtier than companies like Apple and Microsoft. The cat and mouse game between Sony and the hackers has officially begun in earnest.

Ace Combat Joint Assault Trailer 4

2010-09-02T17:30:00.000+01:00

Konami Details TGS Offerings - MGS: Rising Will Be There

2010-09-02T17:00:00.002+01:00

Building up for this month's Tokyo Games Show, Konami has unveiled its list of titles that it is due to show at this year's event.

Among the titles on the show floor will be upcoming action game Metal Gear Solid: Rising but it has not been confirmed as of yet if this will be in playable format or another promotional video for the game.

Konami will also be displaying Otomedius Excellent, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, Adrenaline Misfits, Zack & Ombra: The Phantom Amusement Park, DanceEvolution, Magician’s Quest: The Apprentice Home of Sorcery and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker.

They will also be hosting on behalf of other developers the titles The Legend of Heroes: Zero no Kiseki (Falcom), Catherine (Atlus), Metal Fight Beyblade (Hudson), Metal Fight Beyblade Portable (Hudson), Momotaro Dentetsu World (Hudson) and UFC Undisputed 2010 (Yukes).

Mortal Kombat Shadows Trailer

2010-09-02T16:30:00.000+01:00

Gamers Will Get To Play Ni no Kuni First-Hand At TGS

2010-09-02T16:00:00.004+01:00

The upcoming collaboration between developer Level 5 and Japanese animation house Studio Ghibli, Ni no Kuni, will be available in playable form at this year's Tokyo Games Show.

Consumers who attend this year's show in mid-September will be able to try out the PS3 and DS versions of the upcoming title that sees the artistic hands of Studio Ghibli woven beautifully into the upcoming title. The list of titles Level 5 will be showing TGS includes the aforementioned as well as:

* Mystery Room (DS)
* Danbol Senki (PSP)
* Inazuma Eleven 3 (DS)
* Secret Game! (??)

The remaining mystery title is due to be revealed the day before TGS gets underway on September 15th. Keep on checking dailygamesnews.com for the announcement and updates on Ni no Kuni as and when we get them.

Final Fantasy XIV Online Limited Collector's Edition Trailer

2010-09-02T15:30:00.000+01:00

Sonic Adventure Arriving On Xbox Live Arcade This Month

2010-09-02T15:00:00.002+01:00

A post over on the Major Nelson's Blog shows a release date for Dreamcast title, Sonic Adventure on Xbox Live Arcade this month.

The game will be available from September 15th and will cost 800 points. Be sure to pick it up when it becomes available and see why its one of the best 3D Sonic titles to date.

Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions - Launch Trailer

2010-09-02T14:30:00.000+01:00

Interplay Recommences Publishing With Interplay Discovery Program

2010-09-02T14:00:00.002+01:00

Games publisher Interplay is due to return to publisher status in the games industry with the announcement of its Interplay Discovery program in a recent press release.

A blurb in the statement from Interplay CEO Hervé Caen reads “Interplay Discovery will introduce promising developers from all over the world to the global market by releasing great new games at great prices,” with two titles named Pinball Yeah from Portuguese developer CodeRunners and Tommy Tronic coming from Ukranian-based developer Oasis Games.

The Interplay Discovery Publishing Program has been set up for helping developers with a complete or nearly complete game get published. Pinball Yeah will see release on Mac, PC and the iPad/Phone4 whilst Tommy Tronic will receive a PC release with both titles due to be launched in October.

Are you excited that Interplay are getting back into the publishing business? And do you see many interesting collaborations between the publisher and future developers? Direct your thoughts to the comments below.

Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions - DS Trailer

2010-09-02T13:30:00.000+01:00

Catherine Director Gives Out New Info In Blog Update

2010-09-02T13:00:00.002+01:00

Katsura Hashino, director of upcoming Atlus title Catherine, has unveiled new details on the title in his first blog post on the website for the game.

Part of the post refers to people's views on members of the team who worked on the Persona games coming on board for development of Catherine. Hashino comments that:

"While we get some people saying the Persona team should make Persona, we also hear some people saying 'I'm not sure why, but I'm looking forward to it.' (Although perhaps they're looking forward to the eroticism...?)."

He also said that future blog updates will be posted by himself as well the long-serving character designer for Atlus Shigenori Soejima (who worked on Persona 3 & 4 and composer for the aforementioned titles as well as many others by Atlus, Shouji Meguro.)

As to whether development on the title will be affected by recent news that JRPG Publisher Atlus is Dissolved remains to be seen but be sure to continue checking back for updates on the situation and Catherine as they become available.

Hot Head Developer Diary 02

2010-09-02T12:30:00.000+01:00

The 3rd Birthday Website Shows New Characters

2010-09-02T12:00:00.002+01:00

The official website for upcoming title The 3rd Birthday has received an update that shows some of the new characters that will appear in the title.

The main character of the title, Aya Brea, has received an updates profile together with the introduction of two additional characters, Thelonius Cray who is a special investigator for the in-game CTI's Overdive investigation division and Hyde Borh, the head of CTI's Overdive investigation division who comes off as a cold individual who has a penhcant for perfection in his work.

Be sure to keep on checking dailygamesnews.com for updates on the title as and when we get them.

Goldeneye - Reimagining Trailer

2010-09-02T11:30:00.000+01:00

Sega Launches Official Tokyo Game Show Website

2010-09-02T11:00:00.002+01:00

Sega's website for the Tokyo Games Show has gone live and shows the titles that will be available in either video or playable format at the show this September.

Players will be able to get hands-on with Vanquish (PS3, X360), Virtual On Force (X360), Sonic Colors (NDS, Wii), Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity (PSP), Black Panther Yakuza New Chapter (PSP), Shining Hearts (PSP) and K-On After School Live (PSP). Games for who SEGA acts as a distributor include Shiren the Wanderer 5 (Chunsoft, DS), F1 2010 (Codemasters), Mafia II (Take-Two), Bullet Soul (5pb. X360) and Arcana Heart 3 (Arc System Works, PS3/X360) with all being in playable form at TGS except for Mafia II.

Be sure to check the above titles out if you are fortunate enough to visit the show when it takes place from September 16th-19th. Check out the website here.

Front Mission Evolved - Saving The Alliance Dev Diary

2010-09-02T10:30:00.001+01:00

God Of War: Ghost Of Sparta PSP Bundle Detailed

2010-09-02T10:00:00.002+01:00

An update on the US Playstation Blog has unveiled the box art for the upcoming PSP God of War title Ghost of Sparta as well as the bundle that will be released with the game.

Eager eyes can see the box art for the US version of the title that will be released on November 2nd and can also read of what will be include in the PSP bundle that is due to ship when the game is available. Included in the bundle will be:

* Black and Red Two-Toned PSP-3000

* God of War: Ghost of Sparta UMD Game– After God of War concludes, Ghost of Sparta begins with the story of Kratos’ ascension to power as the God of War.

* God of War: Chains of Olympus PlayStation Network Downloadable Game Voucher – Before the events of God of War, experience Kratos’ journey during the 10-years of servitude to the Gods of Olympus in one of the most highly acclaimed action titles of all time!

* Kick Ass – UMD Movie

* 2 GB Memory Stick Pro Duo

Seems like an interesting package given that you can get a digital copy of the first PSP God of War with the bundle and a UMD version of the film adaptation of Mark Miller's comic Kick-Ass as well. The black and red PSP doesn't look too bad either.

Hope a similar special edition package gets released in the UK? And are you excited for the upcoming God of War: Ghost of Sparta?

Battlefield Bad Company 2 - Ultimate Edition Trailer

2010-09-02T09:30:00.000+01:00

gamesTM Reaches 100 Issues

2010-09-02T09:00:00.003+01:00

Highly respected British multiformat games magazine gamesTM has reached a milestone this week with the 100th issue going on sale.

To celebrate, 100 different covers have been printed, featuring a range of classic games from the last few decades, including the likes of Donkey Kong, R-Type, Secret of Mana, Silent Hill 2, Crazy Taxi and BioShock.

There is also a ‘Greatest Games Of All Time’ feature with input from many of the industry’s most respected figureheads, such as Ken Levine, Peter Molyneux and Gabe Newell.

The whole gallery of all 100 covers can be seen here:

Adrenaline Misfits - GamesCom Trailer

2010-09-02T08:30:00.000+01:00

Kinect Voice Recognition Caveats

2010-09-02T08:00:00.002+01:00

Microsoft has confirmed that Xbox 360 hardware Kinect will only support three languages on launch, with mainland Europe and Canada having to wait until spring 2011 for the territories’ features to be updated.

When it launches this November, Kinect will only have voice recognition support for English, Japanese and Mexican Spanish. Further to this, the hardware will be region locked to meaning, for instance, Kinect users in Spain or Canada who can speak recognised languages cannot use the feature until it’s made available for their territory.

It’s one of many hardware issues the device has hit; most of which are thought to be a combination of getting it to market in the pre-Christmas window and keeping the production costs as low as possible.

D3 Announces Bangai-O HD: Missle Fury For XBLA

2010-09-01T18:00:00.003+01:00

D3 has announced Bangai-O HD: Missle Fury for release on Xbox Live Arcade this Autumn. The title is a full HD remake of the classic handheld title, Bangai-O. It'll release with over 100 levels and even a level editor. A price tag of 800 Microsoft Points has been attached.

Screenshots above are from the DS 2008 remake, Bangai-O Spirits until we get some from the publisher, so hang fire, you vultures!

Guitar Hero Warriors Of Rock Megadeth Feature

2010-09-01T17:30:00.000+01:00

New Mortal Kombat Will Be Playable At PAX This Weekend

2010-09-01T17:00:00.003+01:00

Ed Boon has confirmed Mortal Kombat 2011 will be shown off at PAX Prime this weekend and promises the franchise will be 'coming back with a vengeance':This is going to be the first time that the public gets to play, and we’re excited about that."

“We have a number of these events, shows and things that we’re planning for. So we do that while at the same time kind of advancing the game forward in general, but our most immediate goal is getting a version ready for PAX."

“And now, we’re coming back with a vengeance. As aggressively as possible…to me personally, I’m confident that the people who play are going to walk away totally psyched to buy this game.”

Boon also commented on how the game is designed to be 'pick up and play' and will appeal to those who aren't too good at the moves and fatality combos (like me). This one will be more about balance:

“I want anybody to be able to throw Scorpion’s spear. I want anybody to make Sub Zero slide through an ice ball. I don’t want to do attacks that only 20 percent of the public have the dexterity to perform. That’s always, to me, a negative."

“But at the same time, we’re cutting up our moves so that there are opportunities within a move that the casual player might not be interested in or might not dig into – certainly immediately – but the hardcore guy can get into."

“Like when you throw Scorpion’s spear, there might be a moment in there, a few frames where they can break out of it or enhance it or put another move in there.”

I'm starting to get a little excited for it, and just to make it worse, a new 'Shadows' trailer was released with some rather cheesy music from Disturbed included. It fits, but it's just so... well, y'know...

Bulletstorm GamesCom 2010 Walkthrough

2010-09-01T16:30:00.000+01:00

MAG Gets New Character Slots

2010-09-01T16:00:00.002+01:00

Players who want to expand their personal collection of MAG soldiers can now increase their army with the release of the new character slots in game.

Gamers who log in will discover two additional slots below their original default character. For $0.99 (US) per added slot, players can select the extra character they want to unlock and create a brand new persona. These supplementary character subscriptions will last for 30 days from the day they’ve been purchased, but don’t fret if you decide not to renew one or both of them immediately. Once your extra characters have been created, they reside safely dormant on the MAG server until activated for subscription once again.

If you play MAG, you should know what that's all about.

Metroid Other M - New Trailer

2010-09-01T15:30:00.000+01:00

Cataclysm Launch Will Shut Out PowerPC Mac Users

2010-09-01T15:00:00.004+01:00

A post over on the official Blizzard Forums for World of Warcraft informs users of PowerPC Mac systems that once the Cataclysm update is released, they'll no longer be able to play the game. Bummer... here's what it said:

A little forewarning to those of you that play World of Warcraft on these systems.

Shortly before the release of Cataclysm, a patch will be released in which PowerPC processor based Macs will no longer be supported.

This update indicates the removal of PowerPC support from World of Warcraft.

Attempting to run the game after the update will bring up a message stating the hardware is no longer supported, and the game will not run.

But then again, how many of you are running those systems anyway? Get with the times people.

Brink Developer Diary 04 - Endless Horizon

2010-09-01T14:30:00.000+01:00

Pachter Sees A $100 Platinum Xbox Live Subscription In The Future

2010-09-01T14:00:00.003+01:00

Sitting on his throne of righteousness after correctly predicting last year that Xbox Live memberships would rise by $10.00 in the US, industry analyst Michael Pachter has now said he expects a $100.00 Platinum Xbox Live Service to arrive in the future:

“The extra $10 translates to around $100 – 150 million per year in additional revenue for Microsoft. I think that they will reinvest at least this much in developing other new applications, and will roll out a premium service with $100 – 200 million worth of enhancements."

“If they can get 2 million users to switch from the $60 plan to the $100 plan, they’ll make an extra $80 million a year, and can keep investing to try to grow that business.”

Pachter believes Microsoft will aim for this target by offering subscribers a whole host of new features and services, such as IPTV:

“The Xbox 360 can work as a media center, and conceivably could do things like managing a music library. Although Apple and Microsoft aren’t the best of friends, I could see Apple letting Xbox Live members manage their iTunes accounts through their 360s, and other such premium services."

“I’m not the guy to speculate as to what they will offer (for example, I didn’t even know ESPN 3 existed before it was announced for the 360), but I’m sure that there are many talented and creative people at Microsoft working on such a plan right now."

“For all I know, the Platinum plan might include virtual goods credits for various Microsoft games. If members could get specialized Halo armour or weapons worth the extra $40, they might be more willing to sign up, and it doesn’t really cost Microsoft anything to offer things like that."

“As far as other media center applications, I think we’ll see baby steps on IPTV before we see a full roll-out of a cable-like service. More channels like ESPN 3, perhaps they will offer HBO Go or something similar. There are a lot of emerging services like Hulu, Epix, perhaps a premium YouTube service."

“I think that the possibilities are limitless, although it’s a bit early to speculate on what precisely they will offer.”

Looks like those who sit around all day playing on their Xbox 360 will have to go get a job so they can sit around and play on their Xbox 360...

Shattered Horizon Premium Trailer

2010-09-01T13:30:00.000+01:00

EA Announces Barnacle Bay Expansion For The Sims 3

2010-09-01T13:00:00.003+01:00

EA has announced the upcoming release of The Sims 3 Barnacle Bay, a downloadable, all-new themed world to explore, will be available this fall exclusively at The Sims 3 Store using SimPoints. Featuring all-new content like objects, Create-a-Sim assets, Sims characters, houses, and more, The Sims 3 Barnacle Bay could be your Sims’ new home or a fun holiday spot this autumn.

Lower the Jolly Roger, set anchor, and discover the lore and riches of Barnacle Bay. Over the horizon nestled in the Simuyan Sea, Barnacle Bay boasts vibrant beaches, campgrounds, and a new downtown emulating urban life. Venture to locations like the abandoned piers of Founder’s Beach, the ancient relics of Goldbeard Galleon Gallery, mysterious Pirate’s Hideaway. Take a load off at Hogan’s Deep Sea Diner or The Wanderer’s Watering Hole. Meet new townie Sims and maybe even run into a ghost or two while uncovering the town’s hidden secrets. Find new lots that are ready for moving in or just exploring. Enrich your Sims and their lives in all-new ways with nearly two dozen exclusive items only available in The Sims 3 Barnacle Bay.

Dance Dance Revolution New York Gamers' Day 2010 Trailer

2010-09-01T12:30:00.000+01:00

Khemri Race Coming Soon To Blood Bowl

2010-09-01T12:00:00.003+01:00

Cyanide and Focus Home Interactive have revealed the Khemri, one of the 11 new races joining the existing 9 previous races in Blood Bowl: Legendary Edition, due out at the end of the year!

What we can say is that Khemri players are experimented ones. 8000 years ago those skeletons were already pacing up and down the pitch, and developing their taste for contact plays. Benefiting from their punchy players, such as Blitz-ra or Tomb Guardians, they are powerful yet fragile players, and despite their regeneration skill they will often find themselves in an inferior position. But after all, why should it matter? Since they can still practice their favourite tactic: destroying all!

Terra Militaris Release Planned For End Of Year

2010-09-01T11:30:00.002+01:00

Gala Networks Europe has announced that Terra Militaris, its upcoming browser-based real-time strategy MMO, will be launched by the end of 2010. The release of Terra Militaris will mark Gala Network Europe’s second title from developers Snail Game available via the gPotato.eu portal, and sees the publisher further deepening its partnership with the talented Chinese developer.

Terra Militaris will combine historical MMORTS gameplay with high-end Flash graphics and will be fully playable on both PC and Mac formats. Ready to set a new standard for browser games, Terra Militaris will bring a new gaming experience to European players without any downloads or a subscription fee.

Zeno Clash: Ultimate Edition Discounted On Xbox Live Arcade

2010-09-01T11:00:00.003+01:00

Atlus has nudged in the arm to tell you that Zeno Clash: Ultimate Edition is now available to Xbox Live Gold Members for only 800 Microsoft Points as part of the Xbox Live Deal of the Week, down from 1,200 Microsoft Points.

We recommend checking this one out. It's a pretty twisted, fucked up first person melee orientated title. Kinda, Tim Burton meets American McGee...

Erik Reynolds Re-Joins Atari

2010-09-01T10:30:00.001+01:00

Atari has announced that games industry PR veteran Erik Reynolds has rejoined the company as its Sr. Director of Public Relations.

Throughout his 11 years in public relations, Reynolds has represented top companies like Nintendo, Yahoo, Vivendi Games/Sierra Entertainment, THQ and Atari. Reynolds commented:

"The Atari brand is a powerful untapped resource and this opportunity to rejoin the company and help define its connection to a new generation of gamers is an honour. Our industry is dynamic and constantly evolving and I believe that Atari is poised to adapt, innovate and thrive in this new online marketplace."

A passionate gamer and entertainment enthusiast, Reynolds has executed media relations programs for some of video games' most iconic brands and biggest entertainment IPs including – Gamecube, Game Boy, Legend of Zelda, Mario Bros., Donkey Kong, Dragon Ball Z, Pokemon, Battlestar Galactica, Ice Age, Ghostbusters, Red Faction, WWE, 50 Cent and Star Wars.

Prior to joining Atari, Reynolds started his own interactive entertainment consulting company and development house representing some of the industry's rising new companies, business leaders and established publishers.

Upcoming WRC Title Gets Eighties Cars DLC Pack

2010-09-01T10:00:00.003+01:00

WRC, the official game of the 2010 FIA World Rally Championship, developed by Milestone and published by Black Bean Games, not only gives petrol heads and racing gamers alike the chance to compete as the stars of the WRC in all the classes and cars of the 2010 season, but also offers exclusive content to expand your garage even further.

An additional cars package features some of the most glorious and iconic models of the eighties, from the legendary Group B era. Group B cars were the dominant force in the FIA World Rally Championship between 1982 and 1987 and the add-on pack will be downloadable from October 8th 2010, the date of the game's release.

This add-on will be available for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 through the Marketplace of Xbox Live and Playstation Network respectively, for 400 Microsoft Points and 4,99 Euros. The PC version of the game will also include this exhilarating DLC.

Discover some of the fastest, most powerful and sophisticated rally cars ever built: the Peugeot 205 T 16, Lancia Delta S4, Ford RS200, Citroën BX4 TC and Renault R5 Maxi Turbo. Each of these cars will have two different liveries, making a total of ten designs.

Headup Games Announces Partnship With Collective Mindz

2010-09-01T09:30:00.000+01:00

Headup Games has announced an exclusive publishing agreement with Collective Mindz to expand its retail network into North America.

The newly founded partnership gives the exclusive retail rights for the full portfolio of Headup Games to Collective Mindz, the independent publishing division of Gator Pub-lishing Services. The initial lineup includes the combat racing game, GearGrinder; the sci-fi saga, GREED – Black Border; the turn-based strategy jewel, Future Wars; the humorous RPG parody, Grotesque Tactics, as well as the upcoming first tactical Zombie survival game, Trapped Dead (scheduled for release in Q1 2011).

Electronic Arts Counter-sues Tim Langdell Over Edge Trademark

2010-09-01T09:00:00.001+01:00

Electronic Arts has responded to a lawsuit by notorious trademark troll Tim Langdell by filing one of their own. In June, Mr. Langdell - who owns a couple of trademarks related to the word "Edge" - filed suit against EA, claiming that EA violated his trademark with their Mirror's Edge game. EA is now counter suing Mr. Langdell on behalf of not only themselves but other developers who have run afoul of Mr Langdell's suits.

The suit uses strong language, alleging that Mr. Langdell "deceived" the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and stating that there has been no good faith use of any of his trademarks. They make a point to note that all of the games Mr. Langdell has developed are for "long-since obsolete" systems like the Sinclair ZX Spectrum and the Amiga - and are calling for the abolishment of Mr. Langdell's claim over the trademarks.

Tim Langdell has turned his work on a few mediocre games in the 80s into a cottage industry of bullying smaller developers and publishers into paying him ransom money while abusing the American patent system. Furthermore, he has a history of non-payment of people that work with him; this article at TIGSource, and the links contained within, are a fascinating read. However, it appears that he has awoken a sleeping giant in EA, who have the resources to pound away at Langdell and his company in ways that smaller developers don't have.

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

Three New DLC Packs For Kane And Lynch 2

2010-09-01T08:30:00.001+01:00

Square Enix has three new downloadable content packs for Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days, which are detailed below courtesy of VG247:

* Doggie Bag Pack (€5.99/$5.99/560 MSP): Take on new heists and unlock new Achievement points with two never before seen maps and five exclusive weapons for Multiplayer and Arcade modes. Dockyard and High Rise maps, plus the Radio Tower map (previously available through pre-order offers) provide new opportunity to increase your wealth. And with the inclusion of five new weapons, including the DD 33, KL Viper, RTS, SMi 69, and the TOQ Model Four S the odds are in your favor of pulling off a successful heist.

* Alliance Weapons Pack (€2.99/$2.99/240 MSP): Increase your weapons arsenal with seven powerful new weapons for all Multiplayer modes and Arcade mode. A mix of handguns, shotguns and assault rifles the new weapons include: Doretta Silenced, Steele 870, TOQ SBR, Kaliningrad 47, PAC 10 silenced, N 77P Silenced, TOQ Elite. (Weapons previously available through pre-order).

* Multiplayer Mask Pack (€1.99/$1.99/160 MSP): Conceal your identity and avoid revenge attacks with 8 costume masks stolen from a Chinese gift shop, for all Multiplayer modes and Arcade mode. You never want to be identified, especially if you are a traitor (masks previously available through pre-order).

Japanese Games Slipping Because Of Marketing, Technology

2010-09-01T08:00:00.002+01:00

In an interview with Nintendo Power, Final Fantasy developer Akitoshi Watasu put forth some of his ideas as to why Japanese developed games have been marginalized in the eyes of the global market. He claims that part of the problem is the marketing abilities of Japanese publishers who are caught up with "costs and market trends", and also criticizes developers who are not up to date with the latest technological trends.

"On top of this, developers need to take on a project with the confidence and strength to stick with their vision. Everything I mentioned here applies to me personally, as well, and they are all things I would like to bring to fruition with my next project."

There is some degree of truth to this, but there's one aspect to this I feel Mr. Watasu missed: the cultural aspect. By nature and historically speaking, Japan is loath to adjust to outside forces; they would rather wall up than change their ways of doing things just because the Western world says so. We're seeing this with the narrower focus of Japanese companies like Namco Bandai. While it's true that Japanese games aren't as popular now in the West as they are natively, most developers - at least ones that have the power to make these calls - are perfectly fine with this.

Please mind that I do not think this is a bad thing. I love Japanese developed games. I also love Japanese culture, to the point where I've taught and am teaching myself Japanese (all of the translations I've provided on this site are mine personally, unless directly cited in an article). I'm not the standard otaku; I'd be just as interested in visiting Hokkaido or Tokushima as I would be visiting Shibuya. I think most people who like Japanese developed games are accepting of these cultural differences, as exemplified by the pushback Sega received when they censored Yakuza 3 for the West. The bigger issue is that the things that Japan are selling are bigger niches than ever before, as the focus has been more on fluff and "moe" themes. This is indicative not only in video games (titles like Record of Agarest War), but in other Japanese elements like Anime (K-On!) as well.

Mr. Watasu is correct in his thinking, but "adapting" to more worldwide (read: Western) trends runs the risk of alienating the fans that are currently keeping the Japanese game industry alive, including the entirety of Japan.

UNICO Claims Victory Over Mafia II NYC-Based Marketing Event

2010-08-31T23:00:00.000+01:00

UNICO National, a service organization for Italian-Americans, is claiming a victory due to what was perceived as a poor showing at a launch party at the 92nd St. Y's Tribeca Center in New York City for the Mafia II game. The party was sponsored by Take-Two and was run by Gamertag Radio. Chief media executive Andre' DiMino stated that the group's efforts caused the event - a lavish party, all said - was a "dismal failure". This is after Mr. DiMino demanded that Take-Two halt all Mafia II sales due to discrimination against Italians and Italian-Americans:

"I believe the combined result of our activities was that, without acknowledging our efforts, both Take-Two and the 92nd Street Y became very hesitant to heavily promote ethnic bashing in this very public way. The lack of media coverage for the launch party is another indicator that they pulled back on promoting this event."

Mr. DiMino is being intellectually dishonest with everything he has said about this game, and the event in question. I wasn't able to attend the event due to previous commitments, but I know a lot of people - including journalists - who went, and they all confirmed that the event was definitely NOT a failure. It was everything they figured it would be: virtually no steak, but a lot of sizzle, not to mention alcohol. I wasn't about to change my plans to go to an event where there wasn't going to be much to legitimately report on ("Everyone's shitfaced and trying to get laid, here's Tom with the weather" doesn't make editors happy), but everything they wanted to do, I'm hearing, was done.

The party was a success on all fronts that it was intended to be a success on, and Mr. DiMino celebrating the event "failing" is like Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf - commonly known as "Baghdad Bob" - proclaiming that the American Army were committing suicide outside of Baghdad's gates while American tanks were literally outside his front door.

After his "victory" over Mafia II, maybe Mr. DiMino's next step is to demand that the estate of Mario Puzo remove all novels and movies referencing The Godfather.

Ubisoft: "Only AAA Titles Are Profitable On Consoles"

2010-08-31T22:00:00.002+01:00

Ubisoft's Alain Corre has revealed his opinion of how to sell games on consoles: kill innovation, catch sequelitis, and market hard.

In addressing whether or not a company should try to push the envelope or remain safe with a narrow, Activision-like view on proceedings, Mr. Corre is clear:

"The games that are not triple-A are not profitable anymore, and that’s changed in the last 18 months."

"When you have a triple-A blockbuster it costs more money to develop, but at the end of the day there’s also the chance of a good return on it because there’s a concentration at the top of the charts. To a certain extent it becomes less risky to invest more in a single game or franchise than spreading your investment between three or four games. Because if those three or four games are not at the right quality level, you are sure to lose money. So the business model has changed and we’re changing our way of making hardcore games. With hardcore games that we’re not sure are reaching the right level, we stop work on them. And that’s why we concentrate more on key franchises, because that’s what the market wants - something new with huge quality production behind it. The market is not supporting the full range of product that it used to anymore."

Mr. Corre has shown us what I like to call a "self-fulfilling prophecy". By Mr. Corre's logic, the only way to make money is to pour all of your resources - really, all of your marketing muscle - into a guaranteed seller. Unfortunately, this is dangerous logic because the gaming public is fickle; they get bored quickly.

I do agree with Mr. Corre that it can be painful - even fatal for a company - to try to heavily market a new IP, only to see it fail because gamers would rather buy another damned Madden game (and I LIKE Madden). But where do AAA franchises come from? Wasn't Assassin's Creed a risk? Wasn't H.A.W.X. a risk? Isn't this the company that just put out the brilliant Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game? The results don't seem to match up with the words.

Furthermore, consider Limbo, which had a team of about five people, but soared to high sales based on word of mouth; no one can argue that Limbo wasn't profitable. Even games with mixed results are becoming "franchises" now, if EA's Dead Space and Mirror's Edge are indicative. There is a degree of truth to what Mr. Corre is saying - just check the box office numbers for that Scott Pilgrim movie, as a cross-referenced example - but I think there's definitely room for smaller-developed titles on consoles, both via downloadable media like Xbox Live and PSN and via retail. If Ubisoft or Activision won't fill that demand, someone else surely will.

Will Mafia II Turn A Profit?

2010-08-31T21:00:00.000+01:00

Outspoken videogames analyst Michael Pachter has got a bee in his bonnet about Take Two, as he has been commenting on the publisher’s recent and future releases.

Top of his hit-list were expectations that Mafia II is unlikely to make a profit, given the game’s lengthy six-year gestation and lower than expected review scores. The game went into the UK’s all-formats chart at #1 today. He commented:

“The continued strength from Red Dead Redemption is offsetting weakness from weak Mafia II sales. Mafia II’s average Metacritic score of 74 is well below expectations, and consumer interest appears to be waning, as the game’s position has dropped in many best-seller lists in its first week. With six years in development, we believe the game is unlikely to achieve profitability.”

He also went on to say in the report to investors that Rockstar’s crime thriller LA Noire is not expected to be released this year, saying:

“Game delays have become the norm at Take-Two, and we expect the company to announce a shift in release dates for LA Noire out of 2010 and into 2011. This follows last quarter’s announcement of a similar delay for Max Payne 3. It is important to note that both games have been in development for longer than five years, making their break even hurdles significantly higher than a typical game.”

Lastly, Pachter commented that a GTAV announcement is likely to happen any time soon:

“We do not expect any news about the next GTA game, though we still believe it could be released by holiday 2011. Despite a multitude of recent game announcements, Take-Two’s share price has taken a battering recently, reflecting investor disappointment that there has been no update on the next Grand Theft Auto, which appears to have potentially slipped to 2012.”

Whether his predictions will ring true remains to be seen - we think it’s a little early to be making predictions about Mafia II’s lifetime sales, and given the lack of news to date, LA Noire probably won’t be out this year - but he should make sure no horses’ heads turn up in his bed or he might end up sleeping with the fishes. Ba da bing.

Final Fantasy XIV 'Answers' Trailer

2010-08-31T18:30:00.000+01:00

Mindcraft Developers Meeting Up With Valve

2010-08-31T18:00:00.004+01:00

More rumours of Valve being interested in Indie Mindcraft as the studio's Markus Persson Tweeted where he was off to over the weekend:

"Yes, it's Valve ;)"

Simple but effective. Minecraft is a sandbox title revolving around placing blocks while running from skeletons. Or something like that..

Fifa 11 Stamina And Fatigue Explained Feature

2010-08-31T17:30:00.001+01:00

Team 17 To Release Via Digital Only From Now On

2010-08-31T17:00:00.003+01:00

Time 17 has announced it will go digital only for all future releases with plans to serve as a digital distribution publisher for other developers too. Team 17 co-founder Martyn Brown commented:

"Team 17 has recently restructured its management team to handle the new shift in focus. Thanks to a series of new recruits and internal promotions, the former development studio feels it has the experience required to operate as an independent digital publisher."

Not a bad idea for the studio in my humble opinion. Their range of titles certainly suits the model.

Joe Danger - People's Patch Trailer

2010-08-31T16:30:00.000+01:00

Dead Rising 2: Case Zero Delay Only In Japan

2010-08-31T16:00:00.004+01:00

Capcom has confirmed Dead Rising 2: Case Zero has only been delayed in Japan following earlier news of a delay because of demo limitations:

“You may have read this morning that Dead Rising 2: Case Zero has been delayed in Japan, and I can confirm that this is true. However, Case Zero will be releasing tomorrow as planned here in the West."

“Once again, the Japanese delay does not affect the release date for NA and European territories.”

That means it's out today. Go get it.

Crysis 2 - Special Edition Multiplayer Features Trailer

2010-08-31T15:30:00.000+01:00

Ubisoft To Reveal Outland At PAX

2010-08-31T15:00:00.003+01:00

Ubisoft has confirmed it will be revealing its Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network title, Outland at this week's PAX Event in Seattle this week. Other titles included in the lineup include Your Shape: Fitness Evolved, MotionSports, Child of Eden, Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, H.A.W.X. 2 and Just Dance 2.

PlayStation Move Tech Demo

2010-08-31T14:30:00.000+01:00

Borderlands Game Of The Year Edition On The Way

2010-08-31T14:00:00.003+01:00

Gearbox has confirmed a Game of the Year Edition for Borderlands will arrive in October. With it, you'll get the game and DLC packs, The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned, Mad Moxxi’s Underdome Riot, The Secret Armory of General Knoxx and Claptrap’s New Robot Revolution, along with a bonus map.

Company Of Heroes Online - Allies Trailer

2010-08-31T13:30:00.002+01:00

Acclaim Officially Dead And Gone

2010-08-31T13:00:00.003+01:00

Looks like Acclaim is more or less dead now. Following trouble and then acquisition by Playdom, news is the publisher has pulled the plug on all the developer's catalogue. A message on what was the official Acclaim site reads:

"We regret to inform you that all Acclaim games will no longer be in service effective August 26, 2010."

So best start forgetting about that brand.

Acclaim was founded back in 1987 and had a mix of great and mediocre titles with hits including Turok and Burnout 1 and 2 but also included titles such as BMX XXX which was more or less a BMX game with topless female riders and found itself pulled from many store shelves.

Bulletstorm - Gamescom Trailer

2010-08-31T12:30:00.001+01:00

Microsoft Raises Prices For Xbox Live Gold

2010-08-31T12:00:00.002+01:00

Microsoft has decided to raise the price of access to Xbox Live Gold. Starting on November 1st, access to the Gold service - which is the only way to play games online, and comes with other perks such as access to Netflix, Facebook, Twitter, discounted weekly titles and other benefits - will have the following prices:

* Yearly access will cost $59.99/yr for Americans, up from $49.99.
* Three month access will cost $24.99 for Americans, up from $19.99.
* One month access will cost $9.99/mo. for Americans and Canadians, up from $7.99 and $8.99, respectively. The UK will pay £5.99/mo instead of £4.99, and Mexico will pay 599 Pesos instead of 499 Pesos.
* All other pricing models will be unaffected.

In addition, Microsoft is running a promotion that allows people to "lock in" their price before October 31st for $40. After this, however, the price would revert back to $60 while auto-billed.

Jesse Divinch of EEDAR stated that he doesn't believe the price hike will have much impact until late 2011, due to the promotions that Microsoft will run in the meantime. He also pointed out that with ESPN, Netflix, Last.FM and other products integrated, even with a $10 price increased, it "still represents an incredible value to consumers", while noting that the cost of the service in 2010 is consistent with the cost of the service in 2002 once inflation is taken into account.

I'd like to know where the "value" is. Even at $50, we are forced to pay not only for the right to play games online, but the ability to do *anything* online. For example, I can't update rosters in sports games without Gold. In fact, I can't do my job without Gold, as many games are completely integrated into online play, and therefore require Gold. Some games like Team Fortress 2 are literally unplayable without Xbox Live Gold. The fact that this is a compulsory purchase for me, and likely for others, is ridiculous.

I'm sure Microsoft will let Larry Hyrb out of his cage long enough to justify the price increase due to the "value" that's on the service with Netflix and the others, but let's not forget that all of these services either require fees to other companies (Netflix, Last.FM), aren't available for all customers regardless of money (ESPN3 requires that your ISP have a deal with ESPN/Disney), or is significantly harder to use on the Xbox than it is on a regular computer (Twitter, Facebook). This is assuming you have these services available, of course; people in the UK and Mexico don't, in a lot of cases.

All of this is for... what? Microsoft seems only to ban people who are cheating, using illicit games, or violating someone's copyright. I still get called horrible, juvenile names every time I am forced to play against other people online. There is still a 100 friend limit. Microsoft has not given people any reason whatsoever to willingly pay for Xbox Live that does not involve someone else being paid a significant monthly fee, and instead hold ransom the ability to get important, critical options out of our $60 purchases.

Finally, for anyone thinking that they can just sign up for the $40 price and immediately cancel their rebills, know what you're getting into first. The option to cancel rebills is buried on the Xbox website, and once it's selected, you are forced to go through THREE separate pages letting you know what you'll be giving up by cancelling Xbox Live, after which you're finally allowed to click the option to cancel out. Otherwise, you have to call a phone number, at which point the marketing hard sell begins again. I've seen pornography sites that are easier to cancel out of than Microsoft's.

Xbox Live Gold is a scam, but Microsoft has wrapped everything so tight that they've made Silver detrimental. They are charging more money because they can get away with it, and in reality, they could probably get away with charging $100/yr. if they wanted to.

UFC Undisputed 2010 PSP Trailer

2010-08-31T11:30:00.000+01:00

AMD Eliminating The ATI Brand of Graphics Cards

2010-08-31T11:00:00.001+01:00

AMD has decided, four years after buying ATI, to retire the brand altogether, merging the ATI Radeon line under the AMD moniker. Though this is little more than a branding decision for high-end graphics cards such as the next line of Radeon HD line, the move will see fruit when the first line of combined CPU/GPU chips come out later this year.

The move comes after some focus testing by AMD, which show that customers are savvy to the "differences" between ATI and AMD, indicating that a rebranding would not affect sales.

Wii Party Bundled With Free Wiimote

2010-08-31T10:30:00.003+01:00

Nintendo has announced that every copy of Wii Party will include a free white Wiimote controller when it launches in Europe on October 8th. Get a full list of the mini/party games on offer here.

KORG M01 Slated For December Release In Japan

2010-08-31T10:00:00.003+01:00

DETUNE, the company behind the KORG DS synthesizer games, has announced that they are releasing KORG M01 in Japan in December, at the price of ¥5,980. It is DETUNE's take on the KORG M1 synthesizer, which was originally released in 1988 and has been used by bands from Aerosmith to Depeche Mode.

Over on Diehard GameFAN, Thosquanta guitarist and VOX keyboardist Adam Powell wrote a review of the software:

"I can't really call it a game as it's not a game - when it came out for both the DS and DSi."

As a professional, Mr. Powell knows what he's talking about, and if he approves, that should be indicative of the power that this little DS cart holds.

Battlefield Academy Gets A New Patch

2010-08-31T09:30:00.004+01:00

Siltherine has announced the release of a new patch for Battlefield Academy which brings a load of new features to the game. Iain McNeil, development director of Slitherine commented:

"We are committed to supporting BattlefieldAcademy over the long term as we definitely feel the game deserves a lot of attention. We are willing to make this game an evolving project, with the contribution of the community. That is why we already started including suggestions from the players in this patch and we will keep doing this in the future”.

Get the full patch notes here.

Golden Sun: Dark Dawn Dated for North America

2010-08-31T09:00:00.000+01:00

The newest title in the critically acclaimed Golden Sun series, subtitled Dark Dawn, has received a November 29th release date in North America. The game takes place 30 years after Golden Sun: The Lost Age and adds modern niceties such as dual screen and touch controls to the classic Golden Sun lineage.

Camelot is a great developer, and I know many of my friends that will be excited about this release; it's sure to sell well among its niche. However, I'm with Nick Chester that this is a terrible day to release the game. Not only is it going up against the standard AAA releases that are sure to swallow it whole, it's going up post-Thanksgiving, which is after a lot of holiday shopping is going to be finished. As I've stated, sales will be high among JRPG and Golden Sun fans, but this isn't going to have much crossover penetration at all, even despite Nintendo's considerable marketing muscle.

Halo Reach Preorders Clock Up 1.5 Million

2010-08-31T08:30:00.002+01:00

Microsoft has a right to be confident for the release of Halo: Reach as the title has amassed a whopping 1.5 million preorders ahead of the title's launch exclusively on Xbox 360 on September 14th.

Atlus Being Merged Into Holding Company

2010-08-31T08:00:00.002+01:00

Japanese based Index Holdings Co., Ltd. (Kabushiki gaisha Indekkusu Horudingkusu) is merging its Atlus and Index subsidiaries. Atlus handles Index's videogame publishing and is 100% owned after a stock purchase in 2006, whereas Index is 95% owned and handles the company's mobile development. The move is due to a need to use resources more effectively, according to the press release (JIS).

Atlus will continue to put out games, the latest of which is the Shin Megami Tensei game Catherine, and according to the press release, will continue to put out other titles. But for all intents and purposes, Atlus the company is dead as of October 1st, and it is nothing more than a brand now. Reaction to the news has been received positively on the stock exchange; the price of Index's stock is up 3.14% on JASDAQ, largely on the strength of a large burst of purchases before noon.

This news has me cautiously pessimistic. The Atlus brand is a huge name, especially in Japan, as their Shin Megami Tensei titles, among others, have garnered universal acclaim in Japan and overseas. Therefore, it's not like the brand is going to die. On the other hand, the Sega brand didn't die when Sammy bought them out, but they might as well have; the rebranded Sega Sammy Holdings Inc. has become a virtual curse word among gamers for their awful handling of their older Mega Drive era titles. Between putting old Mega Drive titles on every system known to man for a price, to the consistently sloppy way the company has handled Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega's brand is indisputably tainted.

There's no indication that Index would force Atlus to treat their games the same way, but considering the fact that their stock has taken a tumble over the past six months (Mar. 4: ¥6,790, with a high of ¥12,400 on 4/28, compared to today's closing figure of ¥4,430) there's no guarantee they won't step in and force some hands. I'm not panicking yet, but my guard is up.

What's more relevant to western interests is how this affects Atlus USA, who is a subsidiary of Atlus but is largely independent, as they pick and choose other Japanese games to localize in America. I am not in a position to hypothesize on how the American subsidiary will be affected by this, but will keep everyone updated.

The First Templar Trailer

2010-08-30T23:30:00.000+01:00

Microsoft Will Still Cater For Hardcore PC Gamers

2010-08-30T23:00:00.003+01:00

Microsoft has responded to thoughts that the publisher is abandoning the hardcore PC gamer and opting for the casual space. Microsoft Game Studios GM, Dave Luehmann has confirmed the studio is working on at least one title at the moment, that encourages hardcore PC machine gaming:

“There are other products, and I can think of one in particular, that will really encourage that type of behaviour."

“I think you need to go where your audience is. Think of it as a barrier to entry. So, there’s a cost barrier to entry, there’s a hardware requirement barrier to entry. Using web games as an example, think about that funnel, from very, very casual to core MMO players. How do you bring your customers into a funnel, into a relationship with a company and then give them lots of different product offerings?"

“If they want to go deeper into that funnel, we’ve got a good option. There’ll be more announcements.”

Is hardcore graphic-whore PC gaming still popular these days? Or has the advent of high powered, up-datable consoles blurred the line between console and PC gaming? The popularity of Modern Warfare 2 on both console and PC has meant whatever set up you use, you can enjoy titles online, whatever your preferred format.

Might And Magic Heroes Kingdoms Trailer

2010-08-30T22:30:00.000+01:00

Nintendo Announces DS Price Cuts For US

2010-08-30T22:00:00.004+01:00

Nintendo has announced from September 12th, the DSi will drop in priced to $149.99 in the US along with the DSi XL dropping down to $169.99. The DS Light won't change in priced and will remain at $129.99. Nintendo's Cammie Dunaway commented:

“We know shoppers want to get the maximum value out of every dollar they spend."

“Our new Nintendo DSi prices make it easier than ever for consumers to access the tremendous variety of games, applications and social tools on the Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL systems.”

No word on a European price cut at this time. The next iteration of the handheld, the 3DS is still on course to arrive in March next year.

(Thanks, Chris)

Shaun White Skateboarding - Developer Diary

2010-08-30T21:30:00.000+01:00

Bethesda Launches Official Podcast

2010-08-30T21:00:00.003+01:00

Bethesda has announced the launch of the official Bethesda Podcast, with the first episode now available on the developer's Blog, here. Download it, and you'll be treated to the waffling of Todd Howard, Jason Bergman and Tim Willits.

In the first episode, Bergman talks about Fallout: New Vegas and samples some of the game's soundtrack. Howard and Willits then talk about the projects they're working on.

All good stuff. Go check it out.

Gran Turismo 5 Requires 10gb To 'Run Smoothly'

2010-08-30T20:30:00.002+01:00

Youch, those looking to play Gran Turismo 5 'smoothly' best make sure they have some space free on their PS3 hard drive, approximately 10gb space according to Kazunori Yamauchi who recently Tweeted that while only 256mb is needed, 10gb of space is required for a 'smooth experience':

The game itself is due for release in the US on November 2nd and November 3rd in Europe.

Muzyka Comments On Single Race Decision In Dragon Age 2

2010-08-30T20:00:00.001+01:00

BioWare boss Ray Muzyka has commented extensively on the 'human only' playable race in Dragon Age 2 and promises gamers they won't be left wanting more:

“I think we certainly make up for the fact there’s a little more contraint with the character choice with a lot of other choices."

“And really, the focus allows a lot of the polish in there too.”

The original Dragon Age: Origins title, allowed players to choose from three races, humans, elves or dwarves. However, Muzyka insists the 'Mass Effect' approach of one race was essential for the game's nature of play:

“It’s sort of the way the story’s told. It’s a personal narrative. It’s a first-person narrative from the perspective of Hawke.”

“As you see in the demo, there are moments when you’re taken out of that first-person narrative a little bit, and you see other characters commenting on what you’ve done and what you hope to do as a character. There’s a major impact as a the Dragon Age universe unfolds."

“But, given that he is a human in this universe, that’s just the way this particular chapter in the Dragon Age universe is built. It’s built around him being a human, and hence your choices are a little more constrained at the beginning, but on the other hand that enables us to do a lot more other cool things as well, in terms of the way the narrative flows, and the other party members that join with you are really cool and interesting and diverse.”

It's down to release on 11th March next year for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

Sony Release New DC Universe Online Screenshots

2010-08-30T19:30:00.004+01:00

Sony has released six new DC Universe Online screenshots which you can check out above. The game's scheduled to release on PS3 and PC on November 2nd and is looking very pretty so far.

Swedish Retailers List Far Cry 3

2010-08-30T19:00:00.003+01:00

Looks like the cat is trying to get out the bag as rumours earlier this month suggested Far Cry 3 was in full development have been backed up by listings on Swedish retail websites including Webhallen detailing a Collectors Edition, and the Swedish branch of GAME showing a listing for the sequel.

Lets hope Ubisoft let the poor kitty out the bag soon and show us what they've got.