Eidos returns to open water with Battlestations: Pacific

February 29th, 2008, 22:00 Posted By: wraggster

As the smoke clears following this morning's massive restructuring efforts by Eidos parent SCi, we now know at least one franchise that has not been counted among those projects tossed into the circular file. Eidos has announced that development is underway on a follow up to last year's Battlestations: Midway, unsurprising given the company's known affection for sequels.

The new game, Battlestations: Pacific, is being created for both the Xbox 360 and PC. According to Eidos, the sequel will mark a return to the original's "unique blend" of action and strategy with 28 story missions across both U.S. and Japanese single player campaigns. In addition, players can expect a "slew of new air, sea, and land units" as well, including kamikazes and other WWII-era jets, as well as five new multiplayer modes. A final release date for the game has not yet been announced, but as soon as we know we'll pass the word along for those itching to gun down friends and family over the Pacific.

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/29/ei...tions-pacific/

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Paramount & Dreamworks HD DVD support ends March 4

February 29th, 2008, 21:54 Posted By: wraggster

We don't know if Jeffrey Katzenberg got a text message, fax, e-mail or smoke signal indicating the format war was over, but Video Business has confirmed Paramount and Dreamworks Animation will (rather abruptly) to stop releasing HD DVDs after next week. If you were looking forward to Bee Movie on March 11, Sweeney Todd on April 1 or the just announced There Will Be Blood, those are cancelled. Into the Wild and the appropriately-named Things We Lost in the Fire will be Paramount's last reminders of its exclusive agreement. Not specifically mentioned was Star Trek: TOS Season 2, but don't hold your breath. Blu-ray release plans are still up in the air but we wouldn't be surprised to hear something soon. As far as HD DVD movies still scheduled, that leaves two from Universal (for now) and twelve from Warner Bros, who may have been the first to leave red, but will apparently be the last major studio out the door.

http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/28/p...-ends-march-4/

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Gamer's tale takes Xbox repair woes to new levels of sadness

February 29th, 2008, 21:49 Posted By: wraggster

There's certainly been no shortage of sad stories involving Xboxes, but when it comes to attempts to get the console repaired, this latest tale from a gamer known only as Nathaniel might have to take the cake. As you can see above, his console (one of the first to hit the market) boasted a good deal of personalization, including signatures from folks at Bungie and the Xbox 360 team, and a spiffy illustration by Rooster Teeth Comics artist Luke McKay. As with many other Xbox users, however, Nathaniel's console eventually packed it in, and he was forced to send it to Microsoft for repairs. Needless to say, that's when things took a turn for the worse. Despite calling ahead of time and getting assurances that his prized console would be sent back intact, and including a letter reiterating how much the console meant to him, Microsoft apparently took it upon themselves to clean it as best they could before returning it, leaving only a few faint smudges of permanent marker to ensure that it was, in fact, the same Xbox. There's no word as to what Nathaniel plans to do next (other than weep), but given that Microsoft gave the royal treatment to someone that did nothing more than get a Zune tattoo, you'd think they could at least give the guy a few free points or something.

http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/29/g...ls-of-sadness/

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Gears 2 actor teases details

February 29th, 2008, 19:54 Posted By: Shrygue

via Eurogamer


Actor John DiMaggio, who voices Marcus Fenix in Gears of War 2, has dropped hints about the game's contents, mentioning a Brumak fight, new weapons, enemies and characters.

DiMaggio told IGN Australia that he's doing GoW2 "right now" and reprising Marcus Fenix and one of his other characters, Franklin - the chap who owned the Junker, as you may remember.

On the Brumak, DiMaggio says "they fight him now", going on to mention "new weapons, new beasts" and "a couple of new characters". He also says that the story bits explaining what's going on are "a lot deeper".

Gears of War 2 was announced at GDC last week, and is due out in November exclusively on Xbox 360.

All we've seen so far is a chainsaw bayonet clash between silhouetted characters, and a few suggestive Unreal Engine 3 tech demos - for things like wobbly meat, destructible scenery and water.

We spoke to Epic Games' Mark Rein at GDC but he was keeping details quiet.

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Big Call of Duty 4 patch live

February 29th, 2008, 19:53 Posted By: Shrygue

via Computer and Video Games


The switch has been flipped and Microsoft has finally allowed the latest Call of Duty 4 patch through its iron Xbox Live flood gates. Here's what to expect when it comes streaming onto your white box (or black we suppose, if you've got an Elite. Ahem):

Additions / New Features:

• Added Kill cam to Airstrike bombs and Claymores
• Addition of Host Migration so if Host Leaves auto-chooses next best host
• Tweaked the following Oldschool Mode settings based on feedback:
• Added Unlimited Sprint
• Increased Magazine Size
• Added Ragdoll Cam
• Addition of New "N0M4D" Control Scheme

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Is Xbox 360 Past Its Peak?

February 28th, 2008, 21:25 Posted By: Shrygue

via Next Generation


In September 2005, Microsoft’s Xbox division reported it had lost a total of four billion dollars during its four years of involvement in the console race. For any other company that might have been the end of their involvement in the industry. For Microsoft, it was the necessary price to gain a foothold in the burgeoning videogame market and the prelude to, two months later, launching the Xbox 360. With that move, Microsoft forced the beginning of the current generation.

The timing was always intended to give the 360 a head start on its competitors and had mixed results: on the one hand, consumers upgraded and the 360 certainly got its lead in early (to the tune of nearly ten million units), but on the other the allegedly rushed testing of the hardware resulted in the infamous ‘Red Ring of Death’ phenomenon, and the costliest warranty extension in videogame history. But more than two years since that launch, and now facing some stiff competition, is the 360 in the dominant position Microsoft claims – or does the console rule an empire built on quicksand?

The 360 has several major achievements to its name: a software catalogue currently unmatched by its competitors, a peerless online service, and arguably the best traditional controller of those available. It has created a fiercely loyal community and worldwide sales stand at 18 million worldwide, with around seven million of those in North America. Returning to that $4 billion (£2 billion) ‘investment’ in entering the market, fiscal 2008 was always cited by Microsoft as the year in which it expected the Xbox division to begin turning a profit.

The last two financial quarters have seen positive results. Over the period of July 1 to December 31 2007, the Xbox Entertainment and Device Division reported an income of $522 million (£263 million) from a total revenue of $5.53 billion (£2.8 billion).

The division also incorporates PC games and accessories, phone operating systems and Zune, but Microsoft itself attributed the increase in revenue primarily to ‘increased Xbox 360 console sales, videogame sales led by Halo 3, Xbox Live revenues, and Xbox 360 accessory sales’.

Wondering just how big or small a part of Microsoft the division is? That total revenue of $5.53 billion was part of a $30.3 billion (£15.2 billion) total revenue in the same period, so some rough-as-they-come beer mat sums would tell you it’s about 18.25 per cent – a proportion that, even allowing for the varied products contained in the division, puts to rest the sneery idea that Microsoft can simply afford to throw money at the brand. And sure enough, the 360 has hit Microsoft’s business targets: in particular, Bill Gates’ E3 2006 prediction that the console would sell 10,000,000 units by the end of 2006 was surpassed by nearly half a million.

But think about the figures for a moment. If 1.5 million 360s were sold by the end of 2005, 10.4 million by the end of 2006, and 17.7 million by the end of 2007, then the Xbox 360 sold significantly fewer units in 2007 than it did in 2006. The bad news doesn’t stop there: 2007 saw its head start battered aside by the unstoppable Wii, with little chance of redress, and the PlayStation 3 reaching the 9.5 million unit mark worldwide. The only territory in which it outsold the PS3 was North America, and without the sales spike around Halo 3 things would have looked considerably worse.

It seems strange that this is the case. After all, with its obvious attributes and its late-2007 software lineup, why didn’t the Xbox 360 dominate the year, and the Christmas period in particular? Microsoft began 2007 with a huge unit lead, its biggest game properties due to arrive on the shelves, plus a significant marketing spend, and in the event managed to sell less hardware than the previous year.

Of course, hardware sales are only part of the story, and software is where the real money lies for platform holders and third parties: in this respect, the 360 is in rude health, boasting an attach rate of seven games per console, far in advance of Nintendo and Sony’s figures, as Phil Spencer, the general manager of Microsoft Game Studios Europe, is keen to point out: “If you’re a third party thinking about where your game might work, the 360 has got to be at the centre of your business case.”

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Tales of Vesperia Officially Announced

February 27th, 2008, 21:20 Posted By: Shrygue

via IGN


Namco Bandai today announced that it will be bringing the latest addition to the renowned RPG series known as Tales to the Xbox 360 later this year. Titled Tales of Vesperia, this latest installment will be the series' first trip onto next-gen consoles which means an all-new graphics engine -- with character designs provided by the famous Japanese artist Kosuke Fujishima -- to render the classic anime style for which the series is known. Namco Bandai also promises massive battlefields to accompany the series' typical real-time combat system.

Tales of Vesperia is set in a world that is reliant on an ancient technology known as "blastia" and follows the quest of a knight named Yuri as he tries to uncover a plot to rule civilization by tapping into this magical power. Yuri will make use of new finishing moves that will allow him to take down enemies with a single blow through a series of properly timed button combinations. Nail the combo perfectly and Yuri will be rewarded with rare pieces of equipment.

"The Tales series is one of our most successful and well-regarded franchises, and we're celebrating its 10th anniversary in a big way with two new games that redefine role-playing on the Xbox 360 and Wii," said Todd Thorson, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Namco Bandai Games America Inc.

Tales of Vesperia will be available for the Xbox 360 later this year.


Screenshots

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Rocketmen: Axis of Evil in March

February 27th, 2008, 20:29 Posted By: Shrygue

via Eurogamer


Capcom has told Eurogamer that Rocketmen: Axis of Evil will be released on Live Arcade and PlayStation Network in March.

Recent interviews with game producer Tim Innes pointed to February or March, but we've now had official confirmation and can puff chest out.

Review code has popped through our door too, so you can expect a full verdict as soon as Tom sorts it out.

Rocketmen is a two-stick shooter for up to four of you (on or offline). Yes it is a bit like Monster Madness what was a bit like Gauntlet but with guns.

Here you will be able to design and build your own unique character and boost your abilities by besting a host of mini-games. It all looks a bit comic-book and we are really rather excited. Plus, "huge bosses".

Cast your eyes over the Rocketmen: Axis of Evil gallery to see what we really mean.

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Samurai Warriors 2 expansion on Xbox Live

February 27th, 2008, 20:28 Posted By: Shrygue

via Computer and Video Games


Koei sends word that its offering an expansion for hack 'n slasher Samurai Warriors 2 via Xbox Live, and by the looks of it, it's free as well (probably because nobody would actually pay money for it).

When it's released on March 21 via Xbox Live download, Samurai Warriors 2 Xtreme Legends will add new characters, levels and play modes to the Dynasty Warriors knock-off.

Koei's also lining it up as a full release on PS2, where it can be used to "power up the Samurai Warriors 2 experience or played on its own as an entirely new Samurai Warriors experience". So says Koei, anyway.

Both versions are out on March 21.


Screenshots

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Deadliest Catch heading to consoles

February 27th, 2008, 20:26 Posted By: Shrygue

via Eurogamer


American reality television show The Deadliest Catch is being made into a PS3 and 360 game.

Casual games outfit Liquid Dragon Studios is making it, and has been doing so since October 2005. Which is quite a long time ago.

Deadliest Catch follows the life of fishermen the Hansen brothers, mmm-bop, on their ship the Northwestern as they fish for crab in the Bering Sea.

It sounds bizarre, and is a strange idea for a game, but being a fisherman is no joke. We know this because we have watched The Perfect Storm.

Deadliest Catch has you picking your crew from 20 available fishermen then venturing out on one of five boats. Get the choices wrong and it could spell disaster.

As in real-life your crew will get hungry and tired, plus you will have to race other captains to secure the prize first. There are mini-games to distract you from all of this as well as rescue missions to take part in.

Deadliest Catch also features a considerable amount of voice-acting, and has been overlooked by the Hansen brothers to ensure authenticity and quality.

And, lest we forget, it claims to have the best waves ever in a game.

"It may not be life or death, but chills went up my spine the first time I saw the Northwestern sink in the game," said Sig Hansen, captain of the Northwestern in real life. "

Listen to a man talk about crab fishing in the Deadliest Catch Alaskan Storm trailer on Eurogamer TV. We did.

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Epic quizzes fans on Gears of War

February 27th, 2008, 20:17 Posted By: Shrygue

via Computer and Video Games


Epic Games is asking for your feedback on Gears of War, via a survey its posted on the official Gears website.

The firm wants to know who the fans' favourite is (Cole, blatently), the weapon that'd never left your side and the best "OMG moment" from the original cover shooter.

"Voting rocks," says the site. "Now it's time for Gearheads all across this great land of ours (you know, the Internet) to raise their Lancers high and let their voices be heard."

Although it's not mentioned (though apparently for a moment it was, according to the internet) the survey is actually intended to gather feedback for Gears of War 2, though obviously Epic's not going to say anything about that. But it's not going to be for anything else is it?

The sequel's down for release this November. Watch the vague teaser trailer right 'ere and a collection of features that just might be in it.

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

More details on Xbox 360 failures

February 27th, 2008, 20:15 Posted By: Shrygue

via Games Industry


Following a statement earlier in the month from SquareTrade, an electronics warranty company, that claimed 16.4 per cent of Xbox 360s in its sample group of 1040 machines failed, the company has now released more information on the study.

The report, which tracked a test group of consoles for warranties purchased between April 1 and July 31 last year, details the 171 claims made and notes that only one of the 27 Elite SKUs and eight of the 57 Core SKUs were claimed on.

The rest of the failures were down to the 956 Premium models examined, and showed that 102 of all claims were due to general hardware failures resulting in the 'Red Ring of Death', representing around 60 per cent of all failures, and just under 10 per cent of all warranties.

Other failures included disc read errors, video card failures, hard drive freezes, power issues and disc tray malfunctions.

However, SquareTrade did note that the sample group used was unlikely to have included any of the consoles sold more recently that were intended to counter many of the failures of the original models.

Microsoft told GamesIndustry.biz in response to the initial report two weeks ago that: "The majority of Xbox 360 owners have had a great experience with their consoles.

"We do not disclose internal hardware repair data and we do not comment on speculation."

Microsoft has committed an estimated USD 1 billion to extending consumer warranties and fixing any Red Ring of Death issues that occur.

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Over 90 servers for Frontlines launch

February 27th, 2008, 20:14 Posted By: Shrygue

via Eurogamer


THQ has lined up over 90 dedicated Xbox 360 servers for Frontlines: Fuel of War's launch in Europe and the USA, which launches here on 29th February.

The publisher has also confirmed what developer Kaos Studios said the other week - that the game will support over 50 players on 360.

The first map to do so will be Village, which begins as a close-quarters fight through small buildings before graduating into an open battlefield as said buildings are blown apart by the battle.

THQ says that other maps will be opened up for 50-player combat once demand has reached a point where additional dedicated servers need to be brought online, which seems sensible.

And for PC players wondering where they are in all this, THQ points out that the PC version has 64-player support.

Frontlines: Fuel of War has been developed by Kaos Studios - whose staff have previously worked on the popular Battlefield: Desert Combat mod, among other things - and is available to sample on Xbox Live thanks to a multiplayer demo.

Look out for our review of Frontlines very soon.

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Dead Rising Taken to Court

February 26th, 2008, 20:25 Posted By: Shrygue

via IGN


MKR Group, holder of the rights to George A. Romero's horror classic Dawn of the Dead, has filed a lawsuit against Capcom over similarities between the 1979 film and the Japanese publisher's 2006 Xbox 360 game Dead Rising.

Capcom had preemptively filed a case against MKR earlier this month, which sought to declare that its game did not impede the intellectual property rights of MKR. This action has not dissuaded MKR from pursuing action against Capcom, who yesterday filed a complaint to the US District Court in New York highlighting the similarities between the film and the game, stating that, "Both works are dark comedies. Both works provided thoughtful social commentary on the 'mall culture' zeitgeist, in addition to serving up a sizable portion of sensationalistic violence."

In the unlikely event that the case is successful, it could set a worrying precedent for the videogame industry. Although the similarities between Dead Rising and Dawn of the Dead are pronounced, the game was an affectionate homage to the iconic film rather than a retread of the original. Capcom is currently unable to comment on the filing.

If Capcom is found guilty of impeding MKR's intellectual rights, what other games could find themselves in the dock over leaning on their cinematic influences a little too heavily? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

LOST: Via Domus

February 26th, 2008, 20:25 Posted By: wraggster

Newly released today:



features
Experience the never-before-told story of a previously unseen flight 815 survivor.
Uncover the island’s secrets, exploring familiar and new locations and interacting with other key survivors.
Confront the island’s dark forces to solve the mystery of your own illicit past and discover a way home.

description
You awake to the blazing sun, the screaming of other passengers, the wreckage of Oceanic flight 815. And no memory of what has happened. Now you must fight for your survival by exploring the island, uncovering its dark secrets, and piecing together the fragments of your own furtive past. If you’re lucky, you may just find a way home…

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-2k4o.html

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Get paid to pre-order Lost Odyssey

February 26th, 2008, 20:01 Posted By: Shrygue

via Computer and Video Games


HMV is offering 1000 Microsoft Points to anyone who pre-orders Lost Odyssey before this Friday's launch. That's enough to buy Geometry Wars AND some new gamerpics.

The full price is of Mistwalker's Xbox 360 RPG is £39.99, but when you add up the eight quid value of the Microsoft currency, you're actually getting it for nearer £30, which isn't bad at all.

There's also talk of exclusive DLC being dished out to pre-ordering customers, though we haven't heard anything about that in a while.

The full game is out this Friday and is the second Xbox 360 exclusive RPG from Hironobu Sakaguchi will hit the shops. He made the original Final Fantasy, don't you know?

So far the game's been getting a pretty decent reception and you'll be able to read the full verdict on CVG later this week.

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Two Worlds to Get Bigger and Better Online

February 26th, 2008, 19:51 Posted By: Shrygue

via IGN


SouthPeak Games today announced that it will be releasing two downloadable content expansions for its open-world role-playing game hit, Two Worlds. Both packs will be made available through Xbox Live Marketplace for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and both will expand and improve the game's online multiplayer experience.

Both expansions will grow the world of Antaloor with new multiplayer maps, allow players to go on important quests together with new cooperative missions, and let online characters face off in new player-versus-player challenges. Each downloadable pack adds over 10 hours of online play to the already massive title.

November's title update improved the multiplayer gameplay modes and fixed lag issues some players were experiencing. With this content a new PvP game mode will be made available enabling players to battle it out as they try to control certain areas of the map. There will also be a handful of new weapons for players to battle with as they embark on expanding storylines.

"Two Worlds has been a huge success for SouthPeak and much of its appeal has been a huge world to explore," said Melanie Mroz, CEO of SouthPeak Games. "Reality Pump has worked tirelessly to improve the multiplayer experience and the downloadable content is geared towards expanding upon it, offering lots of new missions and areas to explore with friends."

The first expansion pack for Two Worlds will be available for download in March, with the second becoming available in April. Both will cost 600 MS points.

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Bungie hopes to knock COD4 off top spot

February 26th, 2008, 19:47 Posted By: Shrygue

via Eurogamer


Halo 3 hasn't been top of the pops on Major Nelson's Xbox Live activity charts for a little while now, but Bungie plans to fight back.

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Zune survey points to video downloads

February 26th, 2008, 00:48 Posted By: wraggster



Apparently, video is all the rage these days. Just ask the folks who received a survey from Microsoft about services which may or may not be coming to the Zune. It's possible your heart might skip a beat when you read questions like, "I would rather download a movies from an online service than buy a DVD," or, "My friends and I regularly send each other links to online videos." Though the question, "I'm willing to carry a larger MP3 player if it improves the quality of the display," could just be suggesting a new Zune-XXXL is on the way. Regardless of what it you take away from these cryptic messages, remember one thing: just like that Netflix survey, this may not mean anything at all.

http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/25/z...deo-downloads/

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Microsoft announces Halo 3 tournament

February 25th, 2008, 23:53 Posted By: Shrygue

via Eurogamer


Microsoft has unveiled plans for the Official European Halo 3 Tournament, which will run from 18th to 30th March.

Prizes on offer include exclusive Halo 3 artwork and an Xbox 360 Elite. Plus, as the tournament is sponsored by Samsung, you could win one of their Crystal Design 40" Series 6 FHD tellies.

Registration for the competition opens today. Just open up the Xbox Live Dashboard and click on the relevant advert - you'll also get a free gamerpic to download.

During the tournament, you'll need to perform in three game modes: Slayer, King of the Hill and Oddball. Once it's over the top-ranking player from each European country will be crowned Halo 3 National Champion and will receive a framed piece of artwork.

They'll also get a place in the final, where the top players from across the contintent will take part in a one-off match to determine who is the bestest at Halo 3 in Europe.

For more info, visit the official tournament website.

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here