Latest News
LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
360 PS3 Wii DS PSP PC 02/09/10LucasArts has announced that LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars is in development and should be ready this fall.“LucasArts is an amazing partner, and working with them on the next iteration of the LEGO® Star Wars series continues to be a great experience,” said Tom Stone, director at TT Games. “The team at TT is working hard at making this simply the best LEGO® game ever with all new gameplay and features never before seen in a LEGO® game.”
The LEGO games have been great so far, and hopefully this game will be more satisfying than the movies it's based on! Anyhow, details are available in the press release.Ferrari Hits NFS:SHIFT on 360
360 02/08/10February 16th brings a beloved car brand back to the Need For Speed series after a seven-year hiatus. Electronic Arts has announced a new Ferrari-themed download pack for Need For Speed:SHIFT, which will be available exclusively for the Xbox 360 version. The download pack will feature ten new Ferraris, 46 Ferrari specific challenges, and an additional 125 gamer points.“Need for Speed is recognized globally for showcasing amazing cars, including some of the world’s most desirable high-performance vehicles,” said Keith Munro, vice president at EA. “We are thrilled to be partnering again with Ferrari.”
The DLC will be available for 800 Microsoft Points ($10.00) and launches Tuesday, February 16th. You can see the available cars and see more info in the press release.Dragon Age Goes Triple Platinum
360 PS3 PC 02/08/10Electronic Arts announced today that Bioware's critically-acclaimed RPG Dragon Age has sales of 3.2 million, making it a triple platinum seller. The press release also points out the game's rave reviews, averaging 91 at Metacritic and winning numerous "Best of 2009" awards.“This is a tremendous start for the Dragon Age franchise and we are extremely pleased with the great reception the game has already received from critics and fans worldwide,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, co-founder, BioWare and Group General Manager of the RPG/MMO Group of EA. “Our team is dedicated to crafting high quality, engaging new adventures and stories in the world of Ferelden for our fans!”
An expansion pack for the game is due on March 16, and I personally can't wait to get back to Ferelden. You can read more in the official press release.Greed Corp Trailer
360 PS3 PC 02/08/10Salivating to play an interesting new turn based strategy game this quarter? Well, Greed Corp will satiate the hunger. Check out this trailer to get an idea of what the world of Greed Corp is like. Looks to be an interesting premise for a TBS, with all of the destructive terrain and what not. Can't wait to be able to play the game when it is released!
Enjoy!Darksiders get some help with Xploder
360 PS3 02/08/10Having problems getting through Darksiders on PS3 or Xbox360? Now you can get some help from Xploder.net. Here's the deal:
No-one ever said that being one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse was going to be an easy task but with Xploder by your side you can give 'WAR' a helping hand. Get the full fun of the whole game and bring forward the apocalypse xploder style. And with support for so many other games Xploder is the perfect partner for your console.
Using the Xploder software is easy: Just install the software on your PC, download the cheat saves from the online database and transfer to your console. Incorporated into the user interface is a Live RSS feed to keep you updated with the latest cheat saves from the Xploder team and a massive community of gamers.
The Xploder Cheat System for Xbox® 360 and Playstation®3 can be purchased direct from www.xploder.net for £14.99 and is also available at www.amazon.co.uk & www.play.com
That being said, the Xploder system will not get you achievements or help you cheat online. Check out the full press release for more information.30 Seconds to Mars Hits GH5
360 PS3 Wii 02/08/10Sorry we're a little late on this one, but figured we could still throw out the heads-up that 30 Seconds to Mars has a new track pack available for Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero:Formed by Jared and Shannon Leto, 30 Seconds to Mars debuted in 2002 with a self-titled album featuring a post-grunge sound that established the group as a fresh, new force. 30 Seconds to Mars returned three years later with the platinum-selling A Beautiful Lie, an emotional album that catapulted the group to even greater success. This is War, 30 Second to Mars’ third album released in late- 2009 is a triumphant follow-up that delves into the band’s personal battles and comments on global crises and economic turmoil.
The 3-track pack is available now, and you can get additional details from the press release.Zeno Clash to 360
360 02/08/10Those of you who played Zeno Clash on PC already know what a wholly bizzare and unique experience it is. Thankfully, 360 gamers will soon get to experience ACE Team's particular brand of insanity when Zeno Clash hits XBLA:Atlus U.S.A., Inc. today unveiled one of many additions and improvements in the upcoming first-person melee action adventure Zeno Clash: Ultimate Edition, the enhanced version of one of 2009's most critically-acclaimed independent releases, coming to Xbox LIVE Arcade for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft on March 30, 2010. The "New Attacks" video highlights the lengths to which developer ACE Team has gone to build and improve upon their award-winning game, showing off an assortment of bone-crushing new combat moves.
We've got two videos for this upcoming release (ZIP files are here and here), and you can also get additional info from the press release.Xbox LIVE To End For Original Xbox
Xbox 360 02/05/10According to a recent post on Major Nelson's blog, Xbox Live support for the original Xbox will end on April 15, 2010.I wanted to let you know that on April 15, 2010 Microsoft will discontinue Xbox LIVE service for original Xbox consoles and games, including Xbox 1 games playable on Xbox 360. Our first step in this process will be to turn off auto-renewals for those members who only use Xbox LIVE on a v1 Xbox. While I can’t comment on the specifics, this change will allow us to continue evolving the LIVE service with new features and experiences that fully harness the power of Xbox 360 and the Xbox LIVE community. We did not make this decision lightly, but after careful consideration and review we realize that this decision will allow us unprecedented flexibility for future features.
If you're a holdout who only has an original Xbox, it might be a good time to put that IRS refund towards a new console.New Megadeth RB content announced: Rust in Peace
360 PS3 Wii 02/05/10Right on the heels of the Superbowl Who content, Harmonix and MTV Games have announced the release of Megadeth's smash album 'Rust in Peace' as next week's new Rock Band DLC content.
Available on Xbox 360 and Wii (Feb. 9) and PlayStation 3 system (Feb. 11):
* “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due”
* “Hangar 18”
* “Take No Prisoners”
* “Five Magics”
* “Poison Was the Cure”
* “Lucretia”
* “Tornado of Souls”
* “Dawn Patrol”
* “Rust in Peace… Polaris”
(All tracks are original master recordings)
These tracks will be available for purchase as “Rust In Peace (Album),” as well as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, and as individual tracks only on Wii.
Price: $1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track
$14.99, £7.49 UK, €10.99 EU (1200 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “Rust In Peace (Album)” $2.00 USD (200 Wii Points™) per track
These are master recordings, so if you loved the album back then, it looks like you'll be punishing your drum kits this time next week.Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce demo released for 360, PS3
360 PS3 02/05/10Koei announced today that the upcoming online enabled Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce for Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 has a free demo, and is available now on both the Playstation Network (PSN) and Xbox Live Marketplace (XBL).
The free demo, which has both online multi-player and single player options, transports gamers to a mystic version of ancient China where warriors possess the power of "Fury". This power gives them superhuman strength, lightning fast speed and the ability to fly.
I can tell you that in the past few Dynasty Warriors games that online multiplayer has been sorely absent and perhaps this is the one we've been waiting for. You can check out our PS3 and 360 game records for more information.
In the demo's single-player play, gamers have the option to choose and command up to three AI-controlled officers to join them in offline missions. Online, up to four friends can team up, and use voice or text chat to coordinate assaults.
The Who Super Bowl S-Mashup Explodes onto Rock Band
02/05/10MTV Games and Harmonix today announced that a special recording of the performance The Who plans to play during the Bridgestone Super Bowl XLIV Halftime Show will be made available following the game to purchase, download and play in the groundbreaking music video game, Rock Band.
Scheduled to headline the halftime show during the Indianapolis Colts vs. New Orleans Saints Super Bowl showdown at Sun Life Stadium in South Florida on Sunday, February 7, The Who have commemorated this historic event by recording a special version of the performance they plan to play at the game. Tune in to see the prolific live halftime performance by The Who and then after the game, buy and play the specially recorded version in Rock Band!
“The Who Super Bowl S-mashup” will be available in the Rock Band Music Store immediately after the game on Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Wii console from Nintendo and coming soon to PlayStation®3 and is priced at $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360).Former Pirates of the Burning Sea Players Play For Free During February
PC 02/05/10Flying Lab Software invites former players of their MMORPG Pirates of the Burning Sea to come back to play for FREE during the month of February!
Set against the backdrop of the New World of the 18th century, Pirates of the Burning Sea™ is an MMORPG featuring high-seas action and adventure in a bold world of pirates and plunder, where players can choose to play as one of three nations — England, France or Spain — or choose the role of a Pirate and battle it out for glory and power.
This offer applies to customers who stopped playing between January 22, 2008, and January 15, 2010. To take advantage of this offer, former players should simply log into the game from February 5th to access free play time that lasts until March 5th. Click on the above link for more info! And if you do try it out, let us know if it's worth the download.The Sims Turns 10
PC 02/05/10When Will Wright first announced The Sims, it was met with guarded skepticism. Sure the concept was interesting, but who wants to live out the day-to-day grind of someone's virtual life on screen? I'd say that Will was once again one step ahead of the rest of us, because The Sims is celebrating it's 10th anniversary.“The success of The Sims is something gamers and the gaming business as a whole can be proud of. With its charming and quirky style, lovely emergent game mechanics and user created creativity that delights every day, The Sims is a game that can be enjoyed by everybody and reflects what you put into it,” explained Rod Humble, Head of the EA Play label. “The future of The Sims is going to be a lot of fun; it is rare for an entertainment franchise to be gaining momentum a decade after release, so this is a particularly pleasant moment for everyone who has worked on the games.”
There's some staggering info about worldwide sales number in the press release, which demonstrates what a massive cash cow this franchise has been.
My how time flies. Seems like only yesterday that we were all creating tiny, windowless, bathroom-less, garbage-filled rooms in which to torture our poor little on-screen avatars. Wait...that's not how you're supposed to play?XBLA Tops $100 Million in 2009
360 02/05/102009 was awfully good for XBox Live Arcade, with an estimated $103.4 million rolling in by the time the year was finished.FADE estimates that XBLA just broke the $100 million USD mark for the year ending 2009, at $103.4 million - a 34% increase from the year prior. Top titles include the fastest selling XBLA title of all time 'Battlefield 1943' which sold over 800,000 copies in the year. According to FADE's forthcoming annual XBLA report, average price of XBLA titles increased rapidly during the year - from a $8.33 average in 2008 to $9.12 in 2009. This increase was strongly reflected in the top 10 list by revenue, with half of the titles featured at or near the $15 price point.
There are some interesting statistics about XBLA in the press release, including a list of the top 10 games for the year. No real surprises, but it is interesting to see the sheer volume some of these games can do.Dante's Inferno Release Coming, Gets DLC
360 PS3 02/04/10Ready to hack and slash your way through the minions of Hell? Then you are ready to play Dante's Inferno. EA has announced that Dante's Inferno is released, at least in Europe.The journey through Hell begins today. Visceral Games, an Electronics Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) studio, today announced that Dante’s Inferno™ is now available in Europe for the PlayStation3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360 videogame and entertainment system and will be in stores in North America on February 9. With scores of 90 from both PLAY Gamer Magazine in the UK and Official PlayStation Magazine in Italy, the birthplace of Dante Alighieri, Dante’s Inferno is being praised by critics for its rich depiction of the nine circles of Hell and its brilliant adaptation to the interactive medium.
Sounds like EA is going to support Dante's Inferno with lots of extra DLC. Be on the lookout for it in the States next week.
To further extend the experience, Visceral plans to release a series of downloadable content packs and expansions beginning in February. In March, Visceral will release Dark Forest, a prequel level that tells the story of Dante’s journey home and features new enemies, puzzles and relics. In April, players can download Trials of St. Lucia, a full expansion to the game that offers a co-operative multiplayer mode, a new playable character, and an in-game combat editor. The easy-to-use combat editor allows players to create custom combat trails, and then upload and share their creations online. In addition to Dark Forest and Trails of Saint Lucia, Dante’s Inferno will offer downloadable packs containing souls, skins, relics and magics to further boost players on their journeys through Hell.Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Demo Coming to PS3
PS3 02/04/10Those with a PS3 console are getting a special treat this week, as EA has announced that the demo for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is out today.DICE, an Electronic Arts Inc. studio (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced that the PlayStation3 computer entertainment system players in North America will now have access to the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 demo on February 4. Available via the PlayStationNetwork, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 has been recognized by critics worldwide for its incredibly detailed, huge sandbox environments, vehicular warfare, destruction, and squad play. Its dedicated servers that allow for smooth, seamless online play help it stand above the competition.
The demo ends on February 25th, so if you want to get in on the action, you had better get in now.
The Battlefield: Bad Company 2 demo features Port Valdez, a new vehicle focused map where up to 24 players can compete against each other in the game’s Rush multiplayer mode. Players have access to five land and three air vehicles including Main Battle Tanks as well as the fast-moving Quad Bikes and Mobile Armored AA. The fight is also packed with plenty of infantry combat fought alongside the waterline towards a great oil industrial landscape in the Alaskan mountains.
