Microsoft bringing ‘the full lineup’ of Natal titles to E3
Mar 9th
GDC 2010 is the hotness this week, but according to Microsoft’s Mindy Mount (speaking at a tech conference in NYC), E3 should be fun this year, too. As you might expect, Microsoft is bringing “the full lineup” of Project Natal titles to the convention in June.
We know there are a whole bunch of developers working on Natal titles, including EA, Capcom, Forza Motorport’s Turn 10, and SpawnPoint Studios. Mount promises that Microsoft is “putting some of our best people on coming up with great game ideas for this, and we’re going to have some great stuff.” We’ll start working out now to make sure we have enough stamina to flail our limbs all week long.
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Server Issues Continue; PS3 VIP Content on the Way
Mar 9th
It would appear that DICE and Electronic Arts were not prepared for the massive player counts for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 as both companies continue to struggle with keeping the multiplayer servers up and running.
On Friday night, an outage kept PC and PlayStation 3 players offline for several hours before being fixed as the number of concurrent users for Bad Company 2 passed the all-time player count for 2005’s Battlefield 2.
Sunday morning brought an outage across all three of the game’s platforms with the PlayStation 3 only suffering a brief outage. The PC and Xbox 360 versions were affected with a much longer outage, but both were functioning properly as of Sunday night. Additionally, peak user count was 400% higher than any previous Battlefield title.
DICE has submitted a patch to Sony for the PS3 version, which the company hopes will be pushed live later today. The patch will enable the in-game store and its VIP DLC, granting “access to the Rush map, Nelson Bay and the Conquest map, Laguna Alta”. Sony Europe will release the patch in its territories later this week.
Modern Warfare 2 DLC Details Soon, 25 Million Players
Mar 9th
Emerging like a phoenix from last week’s craziness, Infinity Ward’s Robert “fourzerotwo” Bowling is back on Twitter with an update wholly-focused on Modern Warfare 2:
…annnd we JUST hit 25 MILLION unique players on Modern Warfare 2. Insanity! Also, got a lot of #MW2 DLC details coming this week! FINALLY!
Infinity Ward is still working on two DLC map packs for Modern Warfare 2, according to publisher Activision’s plans for the Call of Duty franchise. The packs will hit Xbox 360 first, and then emerge on other platformers after an unrevealed amount of time.
As for the 25 million users figure, Bowling clarified that the number includes the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC versions. Players must be connected to Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, or be connected to the Internet on the PC to be counted.
The Xbox 360 has the most unique players with the PlayStation 3 in second place, Bowling added, though specific numbers were not detailed.
Mafia 2 Gets In-Game Playboy Magazine for ‘Sophistication and Classic Imagery’
Mar 8th
Joining the likes of Metal Gear Solid 4, publisher 2K Games today revealed that 2K Czech’s recently delayed mobster game sequel Mafia 2 will allow players to collect copies of Playboy magazine–a move the company says will “bring sophistication and classic imagery” to the title.
“Mafia II is set when Playboy first came into vogue and features characters whose style and attitudes mirror content from our early issues,” Playboy editorial director Jimmy Jellinek explained in today’s announcement. “We’re excited to bring an element of authenticity to the game that is unmatched in the men’s publishing category.”
Over fifty “vintage [Playboy] covers and centerfolds” will be found in the game–coming to PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 between August 1 and October 31, 2010–with 2K Games president Christoph Hartmann adding: “We are able to add a unique element of authenticity to the game by using vintage images from the magazine that illustrate the power of Playboy’s influence on the attitudes and culture of that generation.”
UK charts: Bad Company 2 becomes number one
Mar 8th
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 has instantly moved past Heavy Rain to become the new number one in this week’s UK charts.
The EA DICE shooter saw off the Quantic Dream thriller, as well as Ubisoft’s Just Dance, Sega’s Alien vs Predator and Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing.
The 360 version saw the biggest amount of sales for BC2 with 51 percent, while the PS3 version sold 31 percent. The PC SKU sold 13 percent.
The full top ten is below.
1 – Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (EA DICE, EA)
2 – Just Dance (Ubisoft, Ubisoft)
3 – Alien vs Predator (Rebellion, Sega)
4 – Heavy Rain (Quantic Dream, Sony)
5 – Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing (Sumo Digital, Sega)
6 – Wii Fit Plus (Nintendo, Nintendo)
7 – Modern Warfare 2 (Infinity Ward, Activision-Blizzard)
8 – Wii Sports Resort (Nintendo, Nintendo)
9 – FIFA 10 (EA Sports, EA)
10 – New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Nintendo, Nintendo)
God of War III reviews go live
Mar 8th
The PS3 fanboys: they’re pumped. The God of War III review embargo has just lifted. Has the Sony Santa Monica epic impressed the scoring massive?
- Eurogamer – 9
- TheSixthAxis – 9
- GamePro – 4.5/5
- Strategy Informer – 9.3
- Gamerzines – 97%
- PlayStation Lifestyle – 5/5
- Joystiq – N/A
- Gamereactor – 9
- IGN – 9.3 (video review below)
- Videogamesdaily – 8
- IGN AU – 9.4
- play.tm – 94%
- 1UP – A
- D’Toid – 10
- Videogamer – 10
- Ars – N/A (”Verdict: Buy”)
- Kotaku – N/A
- GamesRadar – 10
- G4 – 5/5
- CVG – 9.2
- IncGamers – 9.2
- GameSpot – 9.0
- Eurogamer.nl – 9
- GT – 9.2
- PSNation – A+
- IGN UK – 9.4
- Gameplanet – 8.5
God of War III launches next Tuesday in the US and next Friday in the UK for PlayStation 3.
Star Trek Online fans upset over new user deals, free trial removed
Mar 5th
Cryptic Studios is getting yelled at by players of Star Trek Online over a deal it had running where a $10 price cut and an additional 60-days (actually a total of 90-days) free game time was handed out to customers who purchased the standard edition of the game by March 3.
If one purchased the Collector’s Edition before 9PM PST on March 3, they didn’t get $10 off – just 60 days free play time.
This pissed off a lot of those who were early adopters of the title.
To pacify those who were angry over this, Cryptic released the following statement:
We understand that some of you are upset about the current sale on Atari.com. There are a number of threads on the forums about this, which is making it very difficult to find information about anything else on these forums. Due to this, we are closing all other threads regarding this matter. We do value your feedback on this, matter however, and would appreciate it if you would post your feedback regarding this matter here, in this thread. All other threads regarding this will be closed.
I’ve heard many voicing concerns that we will not be honoring this sale for anyone who took advantage of it this weekend. This is not the case at all, and anyone who decided to take advantage of the offer will receive what they purchased, as advertised.
However, the 60-day bonus was removed, and now those who got in on the deal are saying that the bonus play time is not taking effect. But, Atari is assuring customers that the 60-days will be honored if purchased before the removal of that part of the sale.
Also, those who purchased the game and got a free 30-day trial who have started threads detailing why they are quitting the game – or anyone quitting the game for that matter – have had their posts deleted and according to some, have been banned from the forums.
What a mess.
A fella called Zordar over on the forums has consolidated the whole mess into one easy to read post through here. If you play Star Trek Online or are just curious as to what is going on – you should give it a read
Final Fantasy XIII reviews go live, get rounded-up
Mar 5th
After the intitial batch of European reviews this morning, the US are starting to go live with their scores.
GamesRadar gave the game a ten yesterday, but that was canceled out by Edge’s five this morning.
- RPGSite – 85%
- The Lost Gamer – 9
- TheSixthAxis – 8
- Eurogamer – 8
- PushSquare – 3/4
- Digital Spy – 4/5
- Videogamer – 7
- CVG – 9.2
- IGN UK – 8.3
- BritBox – 7
- X360 Achievements – 82%
- HardGame2 - 9.5
- IGN AU – 8.3
- Edge – 5
- GameReactor – 7
- OXM – 9.0
- 1UP – A-
- Gamespot – 8.5
- Game Informer – 9.25
If you have any links to add, please add them below.
The game is currently being advertised in the UK, showing only the game for 360 only.
Final Fantasy XIII releases on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on Tuesday.
Portal 2 confirmed by Game Informer cover, due in 2010
Mar 5th
The past week’s bizarre pair of updates to Portal seemed to point towards an impending announcement of a sequel, and, well, they did. Game Informer has revealed that its April 2010 cover story is none other than … Portal 2 — which Valve has given a release window of “this holiday season.” The magazine’s site teases the 12-page feature, calling the game “a full-fledged, standalone sequel” with “new gameplay mechanics, storyline, and some surprising new twists.”
We’d venture a guess that one of those twists has to do with wherever the portal featured in the cover art leads to — a misty, jungle setting where some sort of seemingly derelict facility stands, overrun with vines. The flip-side of the cover is (cleverly) a view back through this portal into a familiar Aperture Science setting. Finally, the single cover line mentions “the people who are still alive,” a potential hint at a reason for venturing into the new setting in the first place.
The issue should be hitting subscribers’ mailboxes soon
BioShock 2 ‘Tester Pack’ DLC Due Thursday
Mar 5th
The first example of publisher 2K Games’ “aggressive post-launch downloadable content plan” for underwater shooter sequel BioShock 2 will be available to PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 owners next Thursday, March 11 at 400 Microsoft Points / $4.99.
Expanding the game’s multiplayer, the “Sinclair Solutions Tester Pack” adds:
- Rank Increase to level 50 with Rank Rewards
- New playable characters Louie McGraff and Oscar Calraca
- 20 new trials*
- A third weapon upgrade for each weapon
- Five additional masks*
*Some items are only available after a player achieves a rank of 41 or higher.
Additional content, including single-player “extensions” and more multiplayer add-ons, is expected “in the coming months,” with more details due “in the coming weeks
RUSE Open Beta System Requirements
Mar 5th
With a public beta of R.U.S.E. PC opening to all Steam users next Monday, publisher Ubisoft has issued forth the system requirements.
Changes made since the previous beta were also noted, as “we worked some time ago on the optimization of our IRISZOOM engine to make it runs smoothly on laptops.”
The R.U.S.E. PC public beta kicks off March 9 on Steam, with the final PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 editions of Eugen’s strategy game hitting stores around June 3.
Minimum system configuration:
CPU: 2.8 GHz Intel Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon 64 3000+ or higher
Operating System: Windows XP (with Service Pack 3) or Windows Vista (with Service Pack 2) or Windows 7
RAM: 1 GB for XP / 2 GB for Vista and Win7
DVD-ROM: DVD-ROM speed 4x, dual-layer drive
Video Card: 128 MB DirectX 9.0c-compliant video card (ATI Radeon X1000/GeForce 6 Series or better)
Sound Card: DirectX 9.0c-compliant sound card
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (included on disc)Recommended system configuration:
CPU: 3.5 GHz Intel Pentium D or AMD Athlon 64 3500+ or higher
Operating System: Windows XP (with Service Pack 3) or Windows Vista (with Service Pack 2) or Windows 7
RAM: 2 GB (XP / Vista / Win7)
DVD-ROM: DVD-ROM speed 4x, dual-layer drive
Video Card: 256 MB DirectX 9.0c-compliant video card (ATI Radeon X1900 series / GeForce 7800 or better)
Sound Card: DirectX 9.0c-compliant sound card
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (included on disc)
Rumour: IGN gives GoW III 10/10 in leaked score
Mar 4th
If this screengrab is correct, IGN’s going to be giving God of War III a straight 10.
The image doesn’t show the full review, and was apparently grabbed after the site accidentally put the score live. If true, this will be the first full-mark review IGN’s given since Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots back in 2008.
The score’s been pulled from the game’s listing page.
Bear in mind this is about as difficult to fake as a common cold, so don’t go getting your “10/10″ tattoos just yet.
It’s not the first time IGN has done this. The US review score for Modern Warfare 2 leaked before release, showing the game got a 9.5. The site went on to say it was fake, but once the review went live it showed the exact score was 9.5.
The embargo for all God of War III reviews is Monday at 5.00pm GMT. The game launches on March 16 in the US and March 19 in the UK for PS3.
Red Dead Redemption delayed to add more “polish”, says Rockstar
Mar 4th
Red Dead Redemption’s delay last night is to add a bit more “polish”, publisher Rockstar has said.
Originally due next month for the US and Europe, the game is now scheduled to launch on May 18 in the US and May 21 in Europe.
“We at Rockstar have always prided ourselves on the uncompromising quality of our games – and will always opt to take a bit longer to polish and fine-tune a game to be as perfect as possible when we think it necessary,” a Rockstar rep told Kotaku.
“With Red Dead Redemption, we felt that these extra few weeks will make a big difference in helping us deliver you an experience beyond your expectations.”
This clashes with comments made by Take Two CEO Ben Feder during the company’s Q1 financial conference call last night, when he cited the delay was down to “optimal” release schedules.
“We shifted the launch of the game by several weeks into the third quarter. We believe this is the optimal time frame to release what is being hailed as the next generation of sandbox games.”
Deus Ex 3 gets a picture of a lighter
Mar 4th
Thrills abound in future conspiracy land this morning, as Square releases a picture of some rad neo-Zippo to tease Deus Ex 3. This sort of shit gets us out of bed every day.
And here it is. It’s a lighter and a glove.
“I can’t say a darn thing about this other than people who like to go into details will shortly have some new material to dissect,” said the posting mod on the game’s forum.
Little is known of the game right now, other than it’s being developed at Eidos Montreal and it might be called Deus Ex: Human Revolution.
Oh. And Square Enix Japan is collaborating on the cinematics.
No release date is known as yet.
Funcom talks locations, monsters in The Secret World
Mar 4th
Funcom has been chatting a bit about its upcoming MMO, The Secret World, which will be on-hand for the first time at GDC next week.
Apparently, not only are most of the game’s locations based on real ones, but when it comes to enemies, you will be up against not just vampires and zombies – but Big Foot too.
Speaking with IGN, Ragnar Tornquist who is both director and producer of the game, said that it was important for Funcom to not only create a unique and exciting world, but to provide a reason why there’s all these creatures from folklore and different myths running about.
“Most of the game takes place in [real-world] locations that while they’re not necessarily real places, should feel genuine – places that could exist in the real world, like Kingsmouth, Maine, which is inspired by several New England coastal towns,” he said. “Our hub cities are modeled on the real thing, though the specific neighborhoods we’ve built are, obviously, fictional.
“As for other areas in the game, they’re all placed in recognizable locations – like Egypt – and we’ve done a ton of research – including sending people from the team to take pictures and speak with locals – to ensure that they feel as genuine as possible.
“Of course, at the end of the day it’s more important for us to create an interesting and exciting world, and to support the gameplay mechanics and the story, rather than be one hundred percent accurate. We’re not a world simulator: we’re an action-packed contemporary fantasy game.
“The Secret World certainly has horror elements in it, particularly in terms of the monsters – but that’s not all. There’s contemporary fantasy, globe-trotting adventure, ancient myths and urban legends. And our monsters vary from typical horror movie mainstays – your zombies and vampires and chainsaw-wielding brutes – to the more mythical – Wendigo, Sasquatch. But there’s certainly a common thread that ensures it doesn’t feel like several different games in one: all of our creatures and monsters have a role in the story, and there’s a reason behind their re-emergence into the world when the game starts. Dark days are coming.
“I think our setting sets us apart from every other MMO out there, and that carries through to every part of the game – it’s something we continuously strive for and works towards, to create a unique world that players have never seen before, and one that is exciting to explore and experience.
“Our choice of locations has greatly affected both the story, the monsters, the characters, the missions and the gameplay. The content is specifically tailored to each location in the game, but it all ties together into a very consistent universe with a deep history that goes back millions of years.
“We’ve actually planned out several years’ worth of post-launch content – including exciting new locations. You should see our design Wiki. It’s enormous. It’ll take us years and years to reveal everything about our game world – which is a good thing, because it’s an MMO.
“We expect this game to be around for a very, very long time”.
Good to hear, as it sounds very interesting, and Funcom has promised it will not be a grindfest – which is a particular trapping for most MMOs.
IGN: Six Days in Fallujah complete, awaiting release
Mar 4th
According to IGN, “a source close to the game’s development” at Atomic Games confirmed that the studio’s controversial FPS, Six Days in Fallujah (based on the real-life Battle of Fallujah), is not just “coming out,” but also “finished.” There is no clear declaration whether or not Atomic has acquired a new publisher for the title after Konami dropped it last year, nor is there any information on a possible release date.
When last we heard from studio head Peter Tamte back in October, he was still saying his company “remains committed” to the eventual release of Six Days in Fallujah.
Assassin’s Creed 2 DRM Tweaked in First PC Patch
Mar 4th
While Ubisoft Montreal’s open-world murder simulator Assassin’s Creed 2 won’t hit North American PCs until March 16, a patch has already been issued with changes including a tweaking of the controversial DRM scheme that requires players be online.
Rather than being kicked back to the last checkpoint should their connection drop out–as was originally the case–players will be able to resume the game “from the exact same point” when they reconnect. The 19MB patch is over on FileShack now.
Meanwhile, a cracking group claims to have successfully circumvented the DRM solution’s implementation in Silent Hunter 5, enabling Ubisoft Romania’s submarine sim to run irrespective of the player’s online status–or the legitimacy of their copy.
Ubisoft has responded on Twitter saying “any gamer who downloads and plays a cracked version of [AC2] and [SH5] will find that their version is not complete”–a statement that seemingly confirms the crack is functional in some manner.
While Ubisoft does not specify in which way cracked copies are “not complete,” it’s a safe bet that online saved game storage is one such unavailable feature.
New Star Trek Online Raids Detailed
Mar 4th
seems that Star Trek Online is to continue going where no man has gone before, as developer Cryptic and publisher Atari have begun to outline the various “Special Task Force Missions” coming to the PC MMO.
Described by executive producer Craig Zinkievich as “five-man raids,” the new episodes will be available to both Federation and Klingon players, beginning with “Infected.”
More details on the various missions , plus a trailer examining them, are below:
Special Task Force Missions
STF: Infected
Starfleet has lost contact with one of its star bases. More than 400 officers could be lost, including a key member of Starfleet’s Borg Task Force. Infiltrate the base and take the fight to the Borg!
- Retake the Sibiran system and shut down a transwarp conduit being used by the Borg to establish a foothold in the Gamma Orionis Sector Block.
- Investigate the strange new nanovirus the Borg are using to assimilate entire worlds at alarming speeds.
- Retake Starbase 89 before it is fully taken overrun by the Borg, and save what is left of the Starfleet personnel that are still there.
- Locate Captain Ogenâs Strike Team and Rebecca Simmons, the lead Borg Task Force researcher working on a cure for the nanovirus. Both went deep into the Borg infected starbase and havenât reported back in quite some time.
- Infected is an extremely challenging a five-man mission, designed for a full party of players level 43 and higher.
- Lockstep teamwork and strategy will be required to defeat one of the toughest challenges yet in Star Trek Online.
STF: The Cure
The Klingon Defense Force has been conducting its own investigation into the Borg advance, and they believe that the Collective’s next target is the Vorn system. Enemies may have to unite when confronted by a greater foe.
- Assist the I.K.S. Kang in a desperate battle with the Borg.
- Explore a planet that has been completely assimilated. Can you rescue the warriors before they are taken over by the Borg?
- Fight at the side of Ja’rod, son of Lursa.
- Free Klingon ships from Borg control, and gain their assistance in a final battle with a Borg fleet.
STF: Khitomer Accord
Finally, the mysteries of the Borg attack on Vega Colony are revealed! Why did the Borg attack there, and how was an unprepared Starfleet able to defeat them?
- Confront the Borg before they can use temporal anomalies to change the past of the Federation.
- Warp back into your own past, in the hours before the attack on Vega Colony.
- Discover a base where thousands of Borg drones are being held in stasis. What are the Borg’s plans for this hidden army?
- Starfleet’s not ready for the Borg. A defeat here could mean that the entire Alpha Quadrant falls. Balance the scales and fight the Borg for the preservation of the quadrant.
- Learn the fate of a missing Romulan empress.
STF: Into the Hive
The fate of the Alpha Quadrant hangs in the balance. Enter a unicomplex and confront the Borg Queen herself.
- Rescue civilians trapped on an assimilated world.
- Follow the trail to a unicomplex, and penetrate deep into the Borg stronghold.
- Confront the Borg Queen, and fight for the fate of the galaxy.
STF: Children of Khan
Amar Singh escapes from Federation custody, and he and an underground group of Augments steal the U.S.S. Asgard and race toward the remains of the Mutara Nebula. Can you stop them before they start a new Eugenics War?
- Fight a fleet assembled by Princep Khan and his followers.
- Beam onto the Asgard, and battle through its corridors to save civilians and crew.
- Confront the Princep. Can you deal with his transporter tricks?
- Save the divided Asgard and give the saucer section a chance to escape!
Just Cause 2 PC Trailer Reveals Nvidia-Only Effects
Mar 4th
Avalanche has released a new Just Cause 2 trailer showing off some of the exclusive graphical effects awaiting PC gamers–as long as they have an Nvidia graphics card.
In case you had forgotten, the thirty-five square mile demo of the stunt-happy open-world shooter was released today for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and is likewise now available on PC via Steam. The full game hits North America on March 23.
Next EVE expansion to allow mining on planets
Feb 21st
CCP’s announced a new EVE expansion in Tyrannis, with this one allowing mining and structure-building on any planet in the MMO.
Said the Icelandic firm on its blog:
That‘s right, you will finally be able to survey for juicy deposits of minerals and other goodies, build infrastructure to harvest them, store them, process them and launch them into space. Build complex networks of facilities and fine tune them for optimal production. All in a very massive single shard sandboxy way as only EVE can provide. And it‘s not just the terran planets. It‘s ALL OF THEM. The gas giants, the lava planets, the ice worlds, the water worlds and even the elusive plasma planets. Each type with their unique properties. Maintaining facilities on gruesomely hostile planets will be tougher and more demanding, but the rewards may be so much more “onturning.”
There’s no date on this yet, but it’s going to be announced before the summer solstice, CCP’s assured.
Of note: planet combat is promised in that update, but “not in this expansion”.
