Bringing a Bikini to a Sword Fight

I recently got a female friend of mine into World of Warcraft (sorry), and as we sat there, playing together, she turned to me and asked "what's with all the gigantic boobs?" Having been gaming regularly for as long as I can remember, it's gotten to the point where I take certain things for granted. If I'm playing a Japanese RPG then the end boss will probably turn into a monster, a bigger monster, or an angel-monster during the final battle. If there are alien eggs on the ground, they will hatch or explode in your face (or both!) in just a few moments. If there is a girl, she will have unnecessarily large cans.

I'm a heterosexual male, and while I guess I don't actively dislike boobs in games, I like great characters in games far more.
But it's far worse than that. Women in games are usually treated as little more than eye-candy, and frequently, developers will give you a "sassy" female sidekick so annoying that, when given the option, you'd rather shoot her and fail the mission than spend another minute with her whining and yelling for you to save her. When they're not vapid scenery-with-a-mouth, they're helpless objects that need saving. Games are obviously not the only offending medium, but as one of the few popular mediums that has a chance to really develop a character with some depth, games are one of the biggest and most avoidable repeat offenders.

I was in denial at first. My friend said I probably couldn't even name ten strong female characters who weren't completely over-sexualized, and I was positive I could. I got to five off the top of my head, two of whom were disembodied artificial intelligences -- I'll get to them shortly. We debated whether the AIs should even count, finding myself truly grasping at straws. Five characters out of hundreds and hundreds of character-driven games. Meanwhile, interesting male characters are a dime a dozen.

That outfit does not look battle-ready.Why should this be? I tried to justify it by saying that developers know their market -- males -- and that their market, whether we like it or not, likes boobs and little else. That's not true, though. In gaming, the product defines the market. The Sims had a player base split down the middle because it offered something appealing regardless of gender. On top of that, I'm a heterosexual male, and while I guess I don't actively dislike boobs in games, I like great characters in games far more. The compulsive need for developers to make their female characters overly sexy tends to detract from my immersion, especially when they're wearing what amounts to a metal bikini to a freakin' swordfight. Oh good, at least she's got the important part protected, right? In other cases the female character is meant to serve as a traditional love interest for the protagonist. Love stories are popular, but if they're mishandled -- as they so often are -- I find myself liking neither the female nor the protagonist.

This was especially true in Mass Effect 2 with Miranda. If she had been a little less overtly sexualized I may have been more likely to actually pay any attention to what she had to say. Instead I found myself instinctually half-listening whenever she began talking. Which brings me back to the Why. Because sex sells, and therefore boobs are a sure bet?

Perhaps you are asking yourself why having a billion busty babes in games is a bad thing. There are the moral reasons; it portrays and perpetuates unrealistic and frankly unhealthy body images, and regularly paints women as little more than something to save and/or bang. You can see the symptoms of this mentality whenever a girl speaks over voice-chat. I knew someone who once said that women should never talk in online games because of this phenomenon. Invariably the male audience is split into those who instantly assume she is/will be useless at the game, or is dying for some disgusting nerd lovin'.

There are the business reasons; a game with a scantily-clad woman on the cover automatically tells potential female customers that the game is intended for guys, and the developer immediately loses half the consumer base. Then there are the immersion reasons; playing as a guy trying to save and woo the princess might be fine if you're a straight male, but if you're a straight female (or a gay male for that matter), what incentive is there to keep playing?

I'm sorry, what were you saying?There are a few beams of light that shine through the cave of round butts and big boobs, though, that prove that creating a truly interesting lady-character isn't impossible. Let's take a look at some sterling examples of strong female characters and see if we can find a common theme.

Alyx Vance, introduced early in Half-Life 2, is arguably my favorite female character in gaming. She's pretty, yes, but not distractingly so. She's wearing full-length jeans, a T-shirt, and a leather or sheepskin jacket, patched together with duct-tape. She doesn't have long, flowing hair -- her medium-length hair is pushed back with a hair band. She's far flung from your standard drop-dead gorgeous lady, and yet she is the closest I have come to truly caring about a completely fictional batch of polygons the way I might a close friend. The reason for this is simple -- she's realistic. She talks to you, she jokes, she fights, and she's appropriately emotional.

IGN PC Exec Editor Charles Onyett tried to argue that Alyx Vance is supposed to be Gordon Freeman's love interest and is therefore flirty, which is what makes her so great: at no point in any Half-Life game does Alyx ever do any of the flirting. Neither does the perpetually mute Gordon. The only time anything overtly romantic occurs regarding the two of you is when her father suggests you two help "repopulate the planet". The reason Alyx struck Charles as the love interest was because she was so loveable that the player is naturally drawn to her.

 

Is Activision the Most Evil Company in the World?

 

It's a statement I've heard made in this very office, among other gamers, at Gamestops, in bars, at industry events, on blogs, in tweets -- Activision is the most evil company in the world. Or at least something along those lines.

So I thought, what better way to get The Gold Standard shut down than to investigate that very question? I mean, have you (a person who has probably at some point uttered disdain for Activision) stopped to really analyze the company's position as the most evil around? Probably not. But you probably should.

Figuring out if a company is evil (and in fact one of the most evil around) isn't that easy. Sure, if you want to be lazy about it, you can just cast a stone and say Activision is the bad guy. But I like to analyze first, throw stones second. So let's see how Activision stacks up against some other evil companies.

Halliburton
Claim to Infamy: Halliburton, corruption is thy name. Whether it's snatching no-bid contracts in Iraq and New Orleans and (allegedly) sucking out billions of additional tax dollars or a bribery scandal in Nigeria, it seems Halliburton always has one hand in the cookie jar and the other in the immorality jar.

Evil on a Scale of 1-666: 599

Vs. Activision: Some could argue that Activision is "corrupting" gaming with its annual sequels, but as far as I know, Activision hasn't worked with any members of the "Axis of Evil." Pretty sure they didn't sign a publishing deal with Bungie through a no-bid contract.

BP
Claim to Infamy: Spilled 185 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, causing horrendous damage to the environment. Also, gas costs way too much. Thanks a bunch.

Evil on a Scale of 1-666: 601

Vs. Activision: Well, to be unfair to Activision, I'm sure all those plastic Tony Hawk Ride skateboards eventually ended up in landfills and are slowly ruining the environment.

Pfizer
Claim to Infamy: Pfizer is blamed for the high price of prescription medicine, the deaths of more than 50 children in Nigeria with the use of an experimental vaccine, and giving kickbacks to doctors who unnecessarily prescribe certain medicines. Ever wonder what company inspired Resident Evil's Umbrella Corporation? Oh wait, did I just give that away?

Evil on a Scale of 1-666: 661

Vs. Activision: Activision can't really be tagged for price gouging or for causing the deaths of Nigerian children. The major difference is that Activision charges for things people want; Pfizer charges for things people need.

Phillip Morris
Claim to Infamy: In case you didn't hear, smoking causes cancer. Phillip Morris makes Marlboro, Parliament, Merit, and Virginia Slims among other cigarettes. When you make a product you know kills your customers and sell it as something that helps them look cool, well, that's pretty evil. As a bonus, smoking can also kill people nearby, because carcinogenic smoke is an area of effect attack.

Evil on a Scale of 1-666: 665

Vs. Activision: Playing Guitar Hero does not cause emphysema. Just, possibly, finger cramping.

Cyberdyne Systems
Claim to Infamy: Built Skynet, the computer network that nearly destroyed the human race with its Terminator machines. Responsible for a nuclear holocaust and improper use of time travelling devices.

Evil on a Scale of 1-666: 666

Vs. Activision: If Activision's games ever became sentient, we could be in some deep s---.

We pretty much have to accept that, when compared to other companies outside the games industry, Activision is pretty harmless. So, no, it is not the most evil company in the world, because we live on a planet with Philip Morris, BP, Pfiezer, Halliburton and dozens of other corporations that are responsible for destroying the environment, profiting from wars, and directly or indirectly causing the deaths of millions. Guitar Hero V didn't spurt oil all over your living room when you opened the case. Activision never spiked the cost of prescription drugs or screwed anyone out of legitimate healthcare coverage. Call of Duty: Black Ops does not cause cancer. (As far as we know).

So no, I am sorry to say that we can pretty much rule out Activision as being evil on a global scale. Hell, Cobra was more evil than Activision and they weren't even real. No one at Activision is a Nazi, there's nothing in its back catalog that's comparable to the Holocaust (Jew certified), and they aren't selling blood diamonds or testing strains of the Ebola virus on the innocent. Sally Struthers is not standing outside of Activision's Santa Monica offices begging you to "think of the children" and cajoling you to give just 25 cents a day (which, I assume, can save a poor child from having to play another Tony Hawk game).

Let's scale down just a touch. We know Activision isn't the most evil company in the world, but are they evil in general?

Assuming that Activision bigwig Bobby Kotick's goon squad (they dress in gold suits sewn together by the profits earned from Modern Warfare 2) doesn't kick in my door, toss a burlap sack over my head and make me disappear from the world of gaming, I intend to answer this question.

Maybe the easiest way to settle this is to look at the definition of evil and see whether or not Activision fits the bill.

Funny little aside. I had a ten minute conversation with IGN fan-fave David Clayman over whether I should use the noun definition of evil or the adjective. Basically a choice between "those guys are evil incarnate or just dicks," as Dave put it. I had to side with adjective, because it's the right thing to do. I mean, it's not like Activision is the big menacing darkness of Alan Wake or anything. (It turned creativity into a destructive force to satisfy its own hunger for power -- ah, crap.)

Morally wrong or bad; immoral; wicked. Ex: Evil deeds; an evil lifeHarmful; injurious. Ex: evil laws3. Characterized or accompanied by misfortune or suffering; unfortunate; disastrous. Ex: To be fallen on evil days4. Due to actual or imputed bad conduct or character. Ex: An evil reputation5. Marked by anger, irritability, irascibility, etc. Ex: He is known for his evil dispositionPhew. Evil sure does suck. Well, let's try and look at this as objectively as possible. I'm sure that every big business has some moments of impropriety and can be viewed as "evil," but does Activision really do enough to satisfy any of these five definitions?

The four things people tend to focus on when speaking poorly of Activision are how it kicked Harmonix to the curb with Guitar Hero, how it treated Double Fine following the Vivendi merger, the fallout with Infinity Ward, and the serial ruining of once great franchises. To me, the question becomes: Are these acts evil or just business moves? Let's catch up on each of these before determining if, indeed, Activision is evil.

Road Tour Out of Activision's Office
Harmonix has had it rough. It rebooted the music gaming genre with Guitar Hero along with peripheral-maker Red Octane. The series was a hit and Activision wisely wanted in. But not with Harmonix. Instead, Activision picked up Red Octane to continue making the guitar peripherals and handed the series off to Neversoft for development.

The move seemed cruel at the time. To reward the creative team that created a brand new way to enjoy games with a swift kick to the ass is pretty cold. We always want to believe that smart game design and innovation should reap rewards, not exile. Harmonix was bought by Viacom (they once acquired Carson Daly) and re-reimagined the music genre combining guitar, drums and mic for Rock Band. As if that weren't enough, Harmonix built an awesome online music store and delivered weekly content updates ever since Rock Band's release.

But for all its ingenuity, Harmonix must not have made enough cheddar with these endeavors. Why else would MTV let them go? Was that a matter of MTV and Rock Band distributor EA handling things poorly on the business side? In Activision's more capable marketing hands, might Harmonix have been more successful? Only Cyberdyne Terminators can know this answer. But I'd guess yes.

Brutal Treatment
I love Tim Schafer and his intrepid band of heroes at Double Fine. Brutal Legend was a smart idea -- take a (at the time of conception) popular actor, put him in a role as a musical savior of mankind. A spirited love-letter to metal, Brutal Legend is the kind of game fans can get behind. But not smart businesses. It's reported that Activision wanted to turn Brutal Legend into a music game, which it kind of did with Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock.

As seems to happen a lot to Double Fine, it was shown the door in the middle of developing a game. EA was expecting big things of Brutal Legend. Turns out Activision had it wrong on both accounts. Brutal Legend didn't exactly tear up the charts and Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock was a bad game that sold poorly.

Is that evil? Well, it certainly seems dickish.

To Infinity Ward and Beyond
When civil war erupted at Infinity Ward, it seemed that Activision had gone insane. There were security guards dragging people out of the building. It was some crazy stuff. From the outside, we all assumed that Activision was quickly imploding, removing its best people because it thought the franchise didn't need them.

But as new court documents become available, it's starting to look like co-founders Jason West and Vince Zampella were secretly meeting with EA to start a new company. If that's true, then Activision really didn't do anything obscene here. In fact, I'd probably have done worse. But that's because I've watched far too many episodes of The Sopranos.

Everything Good is Ruined Now
Once upon a time Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and Guitar Hero were the biggest franchises at Activision. Now, they are shameful, broken, and best left buried. How did this happen? It's largely due to Activision's insistence on releasing these games annually (and for Guitar Hero, sometimes even more often). There's just not enough time to develop inventive new aspects to the franchise.

In Guitar Hero's case, Activision simply bled the franchise dry in the span of four years. Too many Guitar Hero games were coming out annually with too many new peripherals to boot. It was plastic toy overload with almost nothing new being added. Even the first band version of Guitar Hero was just a bite off of what Harmonix did with Rock Band. The series lost its way, and with last year's Warriors of Rock, it seems the entire thing just went off the rails and exploded into oblivion. (Can't wait for Guitar Hero 7!)

Tony Hawk started strong and peaked at the third installment, then slowly declined. Though several attempts were made to revitalize the franchise (Now a story mode! Now a plastic board full of technology!) it fizzled. EA came in with Skate and did what Tony Hawk should have years ago -- made a more realistic, visceral skating game. Tony Hawk could maybe have gone the other way as well -- been more over the top, gone into space or done hoverboards or made a kart racing game -- but it just devolved into repetitive, unimaginative skating tricks stuck between reality and absurdity.

So, About That Evil Thing...
First, let me say that my favorite definition of evil is this: "Characterized or accompanied by misfortune or suffering; unfortunate; disastrous." I like to imagine that a witch cursed Activision, that evil was acted upon the company and some of its poor choices (and shrewd business moves) were the fault of mystical powers, not greedy people in business suits.

But you are here to witness me proclaim Activision as evil, aren't you? I do think you can find this with numerous companies, but Activision seems to very much fit the definition: "Due to actual or imputed bad conduct or character." By this definition, Activision is evil. Because even if the acts themselves are not bad (some are more defensible than others), the fact that the gaming public believes Activision has done bad things (that's the "imputed" part) means they are, technically evil. Sorry, Activision!

Here's the catch. I'm complicit in Activision's evil. And if you've bought an Activision game, so are you. And judging by their sales, a whole lot of us are involved in this. I bought Call of Duty: Black Ops. I liked Call of Duty: Black Ops. I've played 40 hours of the multiplayer. I loved Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions. So for as much as I can say a dictionary definition has condemned the company, I have to accept my role as well.

The whole idea of a game company being evil is kind of silly, which is why it's so much fun to write about. I read a lot of comments on IGN articles and see a lot of the emails that come in from readers. And Activision takes a lot of heat. Some of it is very valid. They've screwed up a lot. They've been (from an outside view) heartless at times. But the reality is that the people at Activision don't spend their days spinning in their plush leather chairs, fingers steepled, thinking of the next evil thing to do.

The people who make games for Activision want to make great games. Sometimes they do. A lot of times they do not. When they do right, I spend my money. When they do wrong, I go buy someone else's game. That's pretty much the perfect working economy for the games industry. If everyone only bought the great games, then fewer crappy games would be made. If you don't want annualized sequels, don't buy them.

Who stopped you from buying Brutal Legend or whatever inventive new game that came out and underperformed? Activision didn't keep these games off the shelf. You could make any cool, unique game a success. The company that publishes it doesn't really matter. Your wallet speaks louder than anything else.

If Activision has committed any sin (if you can call it that), it's that it doesn't use the security of its major franchises to take gambles on smaller, more innovative games. Activision could father a whole new movement of exciting games, knowing it will continue to make billions off Call of Duty and World of Warcraft. But instead, Activision seems to be eager to find the next Call of Duty.

Activision isn't bad for the industry. Any company that can bring this much money and attention to gaming isn't bad. But it is doing little to advance games. It's just not a very inspiring company. That can change if Activision wants it to. If not, that's not really evil. That's just kind of lame.

Nintendo's 3DS Software Arsenal

Nintendo's first public demonstration of the 3DS has kicked off in Japan, and we're starting to get a better picture of what's in store for the system in the coming months. As the event opened, Nintendo's Japanese 3DS site started to clarify some details about the system's software lineup - including which games will be present at launch.

Currently Nintendo has eight titles listed for the February 26 debut of its system overseas, including Nintendogs + Cats. What's perhaps most notable is that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D and Kid Icarus: Uprising are currently not slated to make launch. Ocarina is labeled as being a Spring 2011 release and Icarus is listed as Summer 2011. Though there was never any indication those particular games would in fact debut with the system, we certainly had our fingers crossed.

We're also hearing a few more details on Nintendo's first-party games. Steel Diver and Pilotwings are due in Spring 2011, with Star Fox coming later in the summer. Mario Kart, Animal Crossing and Paper Mario are all TBD in the release date department.

Also worth noting is the pricing of these titles. Nintendogs has been set at 4800 yen (about $57) while other titles range from 5-6000 yen ($60 to $72). In Japan, a 4800 yen price point is common for DS software.

As you look through the below graphics, keep a few things in mind. This is a Japanese event, aimed at Japanese audiences. The United States launch software may be different. Also, some of the games here might not see an American release and some that aren't present (Madden) are definitely on the way. Nintendo's Japanese website also has more games listed that we don't have here because, well, we don't speak Japanese.

With that said... let's take a look at what's on the way.

What do you think of the software so far? Is the Japanese launch lineup impressive enough for you? Would you want the 3DS to launch in the United States with just those eight games? Are the screenshots impressive enough? Sound off in the comments thread!

View the original article here

CES: Just Call Hard Corps Uprising a Contra Game, Konami

Playing a game with its developer is a high-wire act. If you're just not digging on the experience, putting on a brave face and trying not to be overtly negative can take considerable effort. However, I had a ball playing Hard Corps Uprising with Associate Producer Kenji Yamamoto of Konami at Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade CES event tonight. And our enthusiasm was infectious, because we were both smiling and laughing through the entirety of the first stage.

Of course, Mr. Yamamoto could have just been laughing at my ability to repeatedly take a bullet to the face within seconds of picking up a powered-up weapon and thus immediately losing it. But he seemed like far too much of a gentleman to do that.

Hard Corps Uprising is not technically a Contra game -- but don't doubt for a second that this game carries its DNA. This hardcore action game has both feet firmly planted in the 16-bit generation. Though it can be played alone, Hard Corps Uprising is best enjoyed with a friend via co-op. The two characters are the super-soldier Bahamut (the bad guy from the excellent Contra: Hard Corps for the SEGA Genesis) and Krystal, who is equally handy with a weapon. Both heroes must rise up against the Commonwealth, a terrible empire led by the thuggish Tiberius.

Hit 'em with the spread, Krystal.
Defeating Tiberius, though, requires bravely blasting your way through eight stages against the Commonwealth's elite troopers and advanced war machines. Fortunately, you have access to some considerable firepower. Your default assault rifle is good enough for taking down basic enemies, but picking up improved gear like a spreadshot or grenade launcher will assist in gaining ground on the Commonwealth. And if you can hold on the plasma cannon until the boss battle at the end of each stage, you can charge it up for devastating attacks. Just watch out for incoming fire, though, because one hit busts you back down to the default weapon.

Wait, one hit doesn't kill you? Thankfully, Hard Corps Uprising includes a Rising mode which lets you endure up to three hits before dying and there are power-ups to replenish your health meter. However, if you want to take Hard Corps: Uprising old-school, then by all means, play Arcade mode which offers one-hit-dead difficulty.

I enjoyed my demo time with Hard Corps Uprising quite a bit. Not only did I like the pure left-to-right run-and-gun action, but I also loved the art direction from developer Arc System Works. The anime style is a bit different from past Contra games, but then again, this isn't Contra. At least, that's what Konami keeps saying. But come on. You and I know what's up, right?

View the original article here

The Secret History of the 3DS

The road to releasing any console is a long one. The twists and turns along the way can be many. Though most publishers are very quiet about development as it's happening, hindsight or the imminent launch of a platform can cause some of these fascinating stories to come to light. Nintendo's 3DS hits Japan in less than two months, and already some of its biggest names are beginning to discuss its lengthy creation. In fact, the 3DS's origins started much earlier than any of us might suspect... with the GameCube, a home console system first released in 2001.

A home console being a key component of a portable system release almost 10 years later? You'd better believe it. In a conversation with Nintendo designer Shigeru Miyamoto and writer/designer Shigesato Itoi, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata revealed that the GameCube actually had "3D-compatible circuitry built in." In other words, the system could have displayed 3D tech if a certain accessory was purchased and installed. Itoi then prompted Iwata for an explanation as to why this expansion was never released.

"The liquid crystal for it was still expensive," Iwata said. "Simply put, Nintendo GameCube could display 3D images if you attached a special LCD, but that special liquid crystal was really expensive back then. We couldn't have done it without selling it for a price far above that of the Nintendo GameCube system, itself! We already had a game for it, though — Luigi's Mansion."

Can you imagine playing Luigi's Mansion in 3D without glasses? Miyamoto noted that the game would actually "jump out at you pretty nicely." Sadly the technology prevented the publisher from ever moving forward with its plans.

Of course, Nintendo's 3D ambitions precede even the GameCube. Most of us are familiar with the Virtual Boy, an attempt to create a portable 3D system, albeit one that required a headset mounted to a stand. The system never took off, in part due to a limited amount of software but also because, in an era when graphics were becoming more and more sophisticated, the Virtual Boy's visuals were only in black and red.

Miyamoto and Iwata also suggested one reason the Virtual Boy failed was because of perception. The portable was never meant to be seen as a full-fledged videogame system, but more as an elaborate electronic toy. The two noted that had the marketing message been different, perhaps consumer expectations would have been different.

Flash forward eight years after the launch of the Virtual Boy to 2003, the year before the Nintendo DS launched. Nintendo's Game Boy Advance was the dominant handheld, and it had just seen a new edition hit the stands, called the Game Boy Advance SP. This clamshell design would yet again be a testing ground for Nintendo's 3D ambitions.

Now working with a smaller LCD screen, Nintendo's attempts to control the price of a 3D system were approaching success. But they encountered another problem... "Making three-dimensional images that can be seen by the naked eye requires a special liquid crystal, so we tested it out by putting it in the Game Boy Advance SP," Iwata noted. "But the resolution of LCD was low then, so it didn't look that great and it never made it to being a product."

"In order to make images look three-dimensional without special glasses, you display the images for the left and right eyes separately, and deliver each one separately. To do that you need high resolution and high-precision technology. We didn't have that to a sufficient degree back then, so the stereoscopic effect wasn't very sharp."

It would, of course, be another eight years before Nintendo finally cracked the difficult challenge of finding the right technology at the right price to create the 3DS. When you pick up your system in the coming months, realize that the 3DS is not just another portable, but a descendant of the Virtual Boy, GameCube and the GBA SP. That's quite a bit of ancestry.

View the original article here

Flight Control maker buys Puzzle Quest studio

Firemint acquires Infinite Interactive for undisclosed amount; Infinite staff to continue work on unnamed title.

Two of Australia's most well-known niche video-gaming studios are set to merge their operations, with the acquisition of Infinite Interactive by fellow Aussie developer Firemint.

The pair have shot to global prominence over the past few years through several popular in-house-developed games. For Firemint it was Flight Control, a game initially for Apple's iPhone platform, while Infinite Interactive is best known for its Puzzle Quest series. However, both studios also have other notches on their belt.

In a statement, Firemint noted that Infinite Interactive founder Steve Fawkner and his team would join Firemint's studio in Melbourne, which currently has 60 staff, and continue to work on a game already under development. Firemint described Fawkner as "one of the games industry's pre-eminent innovators," having created more than 30 games in a career spanning more than 25 years.

Flight Control has been highly lucrative for Firemint. In January 2010, for example, the developer noted it had sold 2 million copies of its Flight Control app for Apple's iOS platform--which costs A$1.19 ($1.19). The game has appeared on a number of "top 100" paid apps lists around the world and has held the top spot in some countries, including Australia. Most of the sales at that stage (46 percent) had come from the US, with Australians contributing 8 percent of sales.

Infinite Interactive, too, has achieved critical success. For example, Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords from 2007 has a metacritic.com score of 87/100--an aggregation of many reviews scores.

View the original article here

Sengoku Basara: Chronicle Heroes being told on PSP in Japan

Capcom's historic beat-'em-up franchise confirmed for PSP release in island nation next summer; Western outing TBA.

Capcom didn't exactly win over Western critics with Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes, a Dynasty Warriors-style beat-'em-up that received a drubbing upon its release for the PlayStation 3 and Wii in October. Still, the game did attain a measure of commercial success, with Capcom saying as part of its April-September earnings report that the game met or exceeded its sales expectations of 500,000 units.

As such, it comes as no surprise that the franchise will continue beyond Samurai Heroes. Today, Capcom updated its official blog to reveal that Sengoku Basara: Chronicle Heroes will arrive for the PSP in Japan this summer. Unfortunately for Western audiences, Capcom has not yet confirmed a release outside of Japan.

Capcom did not detail what gamers can expect from Chronicle Heroes. However, it will likely stick close Samurai Heroes' formula. In that game, players hacked their way through the events and people of feudal Japan, much like Koei's long-standing Samurai Warriors franchise. The game featured large-scale battles of "hundreds of opponents," and players were able to assume control of more than 10 legendary samurai for use on the field of war.

For more on the most recent installment in the franchise, check out GameSpot's review of the Wii and PS3 versions of Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes.

View the original article here

Rift opening on PCs March 1

Trion Worlds' terraforming fantasy MMORPG dated for early 2011, digital and retail preorder incentives now available.

Trion Worlds entered the gaming scene in 2006 and in short order began working on a trio of projects. Now, the first of those games is ready for primetime, as the California-based developer announced today that its "dyanmic" fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game Rift will launch for the PC in North America on March 1. The game's European rollout will follow on March 4.

As its title might suggest, the game's premise is that of "rifts" in space-time that are playing havoc with the land of Telara and threatening to tear the fabric of the universe. Trion noted that the world will be highly malleable, as these rifts can be triggered by players or the development team, and they can also occur spontaneously. Their arrival will apparently alter the landscape, as well as open up new areas for exploration.

Interested gamers looking to get a head-start in the game can do so by preordering the digital or retail edition of the game, beginning today. Those who prepurchase the game will be able to access Rift's servers beginning February 24, and they'll also be offered a choice of in-game pets. Preorderers will also be eligible to participate in all remaining closed-beta testing events, a schedule for which is available on Rift's Web site.

Rift is available in three different configurations: Standard ($50), Digital Collector's Edition ($60), and Retail Collector's Edition ($80). The game also carries a $15 monthly subscription charge, with the first month being included in the game's purchase price. For a limited time, Trion is offering promotional $10-a-month pricing as part of the "Founder's Pricing" plan.

For more on Rift, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.

View the original article here

Nintendo boasts US Wii, DS sales records

Publisher says handheld sets top mark with 47 million units sold LTD, console becomes nation's first to top sales of 7 million in three straight years.

Compared to the booming success Nintendo has enjoyed since the mid-decade launches of the DS and Wii, 2010 was a down year for the Japanese gaming giant, typified by a rare ¥2.01 billion ($24.5 million) loss during its April-September fiscal half-year. Still, the tremendous wind in Nintendo's sails was enough to propel it through 2010 with a pair of new sales records for its ubiquitous systems.

Today, Nintendo announced that DS sales have surpassed 47 million units in the United States alone, making it "the nation's best-selling video game system of all time." That tally includes the original Nintendo DS, which launched in 2004, as well as the DS Lite (2006), DSi (2009), and DSi XL (2010) hardware revisions.

The publisher did not indicate which system's sales crown had been usurped by the DS. However, one likely contender is the PlayStation 2. Sony announced in January 2009 that the PS2 had become the first console in history to sell more than 50 million units in North America, which also includes Canada and Mexico. (In early 2008, Nintendo revealed GBA sales figures of 36.2 million in the US alone.)

As for Nintendo's second record of 2010, the publisher said that for the third consecutive year, Wii sales in the US tallied more than 7 million. According to Nintendo, the triple-crown effort is the first accomplished by a home console in the country. Nintendo went on to note that the Wii has now sold more than 34 million units in the US alone.

Nintendo is expected to release updated worldwide sales figures for the Wii when it reports its nine-month financials later this month. However, the publisher's most recent accounting put console sales at near 76 million worldwide through September 2010.

View the original article here

Civ V lead joins Stardock

Following Firaxis departure, Jon Shafer signs with Michigan-based Elemental: War of Magic dev, will helm new project; Dave Stern also hired to lead storytelling, lore.

In late December, Civilization V lead designer and principal programmer Jon Shafer signaled he'd soon be establishing a new settlement, updating his LinkedIn profile to indicate he'd left Take-Two subsidiary Firaxis after more than five years. Today, gaming website Big Download reports that Firaxis' loss is Stardock Entertainment's gain.

Shafer will initially slot in on the Elemental: War of Magic team, according to Big Download's report, aiding design and amping up mod support for the critically panned turn-based strategy title. Into the future, the veteran designer will be given command of his own team within Stardock to create an as-yet-unannounced new title.

The former Civ V lead isn't the only notable hire announced by Stardock today. The Michigan game developer also said that it picked up sci-fi writer/editor Dave Stern to oversee creative storytelling and lore implementation for all future projects, including Elemental. Stern's more notable works include novelizations for Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and The Blair Witch Project. He has also previously collaborated with Stardock on the Hiergamenon lore book found in the Elemental: War of Magic Limited Edition.

For more on Shafer and Stern's current project, check out GameSpot's previous coverage of Elemental: War of Magic.

View the original article here

OnLive partners with Vizio for built-in line

Cloud-based gaming company announces new alliance with electronics company for preinstalled gaming on new line of televisions, Blu-ray players, tablets, and smartphones.

OnLive, the recently launched cloud-based gaming platform, has frequented the news loop in the past year. Most recently it was reported that the fledgling company was planning to offer movie rentals to its users, beginning sometime in 2011. Now, OnLive's plans are proving to be even more ambitious.

OnLive this morning announced a partnership with consumer electronics company Vizio that will bring about a series of entertainment products that can connect to OnLive straight out of the box without any sort of external system.

OnLive will be available through Vizio's new VIA Plus line of products that include Blu-ray players, tablets, smartphones, and televisions. According to OnLive CEO Steve Perlman, this alliance marks a "major milestone" for the company, while OnLive CTO Matthew McRae says the new partnership will allow users "the freedom to switch games much like you change the channel."

Currently, OnLive is exclusively available through software for the PC and Mac and via the $100 OnLive MicroConsole. Additionally, Vizio has yet to affix a release date or price for any of its newly announced products. For more on the just-announced Android-enabled Vizio smartphone and tablet, check out GameSpot sister site CNET's coverage of the devices.

View the original article here

EA scores Augusta National for PGA Tour 12

Exclusive club and host to the Masters Tournament to be featured in next installment in Tiger Woods franchise, due out March 29 in North America, April 1 worldwide.

After a lengthy stay on the waiting list, Electronic Arts has finally been admitted to Augusta National Golf Club. The publisher today announced that for the first time in franchise history, a Tiger Woods PGA Tour game will feature Augusta National and the signature tournament it hosts, the Masters.

The inclusion of the course and the tournament is such a big deal for the series that EA is incorporating it into the game's title, confirming that Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters will arrive on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii on March 29 in North America, with a worldwide release following on April 1.

The tournament also looms large over the game's box art, with the name appearing three times on the cover, pushing a smaller Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 logo to the bottom of the packaging. The series' focus has shifted off of Woods somewhat since the golfer's marital transgressions came to light in 2009. Although EA Sports said its relationship with Woods was "unchanged" after the scandal, it included a second golfer on the cover of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 for the first time in the series' history. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 further deemphasizes the titular golfer on its cover, depicting him from the back and at a distance.

According to Augusta National chairman Billy Payne, the golf club and EA have been working for three years to get the course into the Tiger Woods franchise. EA has said it used a new laser scanning technology to faithfully replicate the club's Tournament and Par 3 courses.

The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game will feature 16 courses, with Sony's system also receiving a Collector's Edition of the game, which includes an extra five courses at a $10 premium over the standard edition. As in previous years, the Wii edition offers the most holes in one game, with Augusta National and 23 additional courses to play. PGA Tour 12 will also let players relive memorable shots from the Masters' storied history, including Woods' four Green Jacket wins at the tournament.

EA's collaboration with Woods dates back to 1998, when it published Tiger Woods 99 PGA Tour Golf for the PC and original PlayStation. Since then, the series has appeared on every major gaming platform save the Sega Dreamcast, selling millions of copies. The publisher's partnership with the PGA Tour is even longer, dating back to 1991.

View the original article here

Minecraft, Amnesia lead IGF Award finalists

Mojang and Frictional Games score trio of nods for GDC's top indie-game prizes; ceremony to precede Game Developers Choice Awards on March 2.

Who will follow Monaco as the latest Seumas McNally Grand Prize winner for independent gaming? The front-runners have been identified, as the Independent Games Festival today announced the Main Competition finalists for this year's competition. The IGF Awards will precede the Game Developers Choice Awards on March 2, a date situated in the midst of the 2011 Game Developers Conference, which will be held at San Francisco's Moscone Center from February 28-March 4.

Five games are up for this year's top prize, which carries a $20,000 purse. These games include Frictional Games Amnesia: The Dark Descent, which received high marks upon its PC release in September, as well as Mojang's still-in-beta Minecraft, each of which received nods in three categories. The two games will be going head-to-head for the Technical Excellence award, while Minecraft is up for Excellence in Design and Amnesia vies for Excellence in Audio accolades.

Gaijin Games' Bit.Trip Runner also received three nods from the IGF jury, though none came for the top Seamus McNally award. Other multi-award nominees this year include Messhof's Nidhogg (two), QCF Design's Desktop Dungeons (two), and Supergiant Games' Bastion (two).

The IGF will be dispersing an additional $30,000 to indie developers across a number of other categories. Listed below, these categories include Excellence in Visual Art, Technical Excellence, Excellence in Design, Excellence in Audio, and Best Mobile Game.

This year's IGF will also feature a new category, the Nuovo Award, which will honor "abstract, short-form, and unconventional game development that advances the medium and the way we think about games." The IGF named eight contenders, including Monobanda's Bohm, Cardboard Computer's A House in California, Messhof's Nidhogg, Stout Games' Dinner Date, Nicolai Troshinsky's Loop Raccord, Peter Brinson and Kurosh ValaNejad's The Cat and the Coup, Copenhagen Game Collective's Brutally Unfair Tactics Totally OK Now (B.U.T.T.O.N.), and Demruth's Hazard: The Journey of Life. The award carries a $5,000 prize.

More information on this year's IGF Award contenders can be found on the organization's official website.

Seumas McNally Grand Prize
Amnesia: The Dark Descent (Frictional Games)
Desktop Dungeons (QCF Design)
Minecraft (Mojang)
Nidhogg (Messhof)
SpyParty (Chris Hecker)
Honorable mentions:
Bit.Trip Runner (Gaijin Games); Neptune?s Pride (Iron Helmet Games); Recettear: An Item Shop?s Tale (Carpe Fulgur); Retro City Rampage (Vblank Entertainment); Super Crate Box (Vlambeer)

Excellence in Visual Art
Bastion (Supergiant Games)
Bit.Trip Runner (Gaijin Games)
Cave Story (2010 Edition) (Nicalis)
The Dream Machine (Cockroach)
Hohokum (Honeyslug & Richard Hogg)
Honorable mentions:
Cobalt (Oxeye Game Studio); Faraway (Steph Thirion); Flotilla (Blendo Games); Helsing?s Fire (Ratloop); Retro City Rampage (Vblank Entertainment)

Technical Excellence
Amnesia: The Dark Descent (Frictional Games)
Confetti Carnival (SpikySnail Games)
Miegakure (Marc ten Bosch)
Minecraft (Mojang)
Neverdaunt:8Bit (Robot Loves Kitty)
Honorable mentions:
Achron (Hazardous Software); Cobalt (Oxeye Game Studio); Hazard: The Journey of Life (Demruth); Overgrowth (Wolfire Games); Swimming Under Clouds (Piece of Pie Studios)

Excellence in Design
Desktop Dungeons (QCF Design)
Faraway (Steph Thirion)
Minecraft (Mojang)
Nidhogg (Messhof)
Super Crate Box (Vlambeer)
Honorable mentions:
Bo (Mahdi Bahrami); Brutally Unfair Tactics Totally OK Now [B.U.T.T.O.N.] (Copenhagen Game Collective); Flotilla (Blendo Games); Helsing?s Fire (Ratloop); Recettear: An Item Shop?s Tale (Carpe Fulgur)

Excellence in Audio
Amnesia: The Dark Descent (Frictional Games)
Bastion (Supergiant Games)
Bit.Trip Beat (Gaijin Games)
Cobalt (Oxeye Game Studio)
Retro City Rampage (Vblank Entertainment)
Honorable mentions:
Bit.Trip Runner (Gaijin Games); Cave Story (2010 Edition) (Nicalis); Jamestown (Final Form Games); NightSky (Nicalis); Planck (Shadegrown Games)

Best Mobile Game
Colorblind (Nonverbal)
Halcyon (Stfj)
Helsing?s Fire (Ratloop)
Shot Shot Shoot (Erik Svedang)
Solipskier (Mikengreg)
Honorable mentions:
Flick Kick Football (PikPok); Shibuya (Nevercenter); Spirits (Spaces of Play); Tentacles (Press Play); Trainyard (Matt Rix)

View the original article here

Harmonix sold for $50, liability assumption - Report

Wall Street Journal reports that Rock Band developer was purchased for less than the cost of a single game--plus the taking on of all liabilities.

In 2006, MTV parent Viacom bought Harmonix for $175 million in cash. In late 2010, it sold off the money-losing division for a substantial discount. According to the Wall Street Journal, the late December sale of the Rock Band developer to private holding company Harmonix-SBE Holdings LLC was for a price point of just $50--$10 less than the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of Rock Band 3.

Of course, the low price point isn't the whole story. The Journal reports that in addition to the $50, the deal called for the purchaser, an affiliate of New York-based investment firm Columbus Nova, to assume all of Harmonix's liabilities. Though an exact figure for said liabilities was not provided, it would include the Boston-based developer's music rights fees, as well as the value of existing Rock Band game inventory.

The deal had an apparent upside for Viacom, though, as it reportedly allowed the multimedia multinational to take a $150 million tax write-off.

For more on Harmonix's latest games, check out GameSpot's reviews of Rock Band 3 and Dance Central.

View the original article here

APB Reloaded beta targeted for late February

Game's official Twitter feed reveals late February start date for online shooter's trial period; closed beta registration details coming next week.

It has been a bumpy road, but APB's relaunch as APB Reloaded is set for 2011. However, eager gamers will have to wait only one more month to drive the streets of San Paro again.

The official Twitter feed of APB Reloaded has announced that the free-to-play shooter relaunch will enter a beta period at the end of February. A more specific start date was not mentioned. Further, next week developer Reload Productions will unveil details on how gamers can sign up for and access the beta.

APB, or All Points Bulletin, launched in late June to tepid reception. The online shooter logged 130,000 users by late August, but its developer, Realtime Worlds, collapsed and the game was shut down indefinitely.

Then, in mid-November, online game publisher GamersFirst announced that it had purchased the intellectual property rights to the game for an estimated $2.4 million. The publisher?s subsidiary, Reload Productions, is now in charge of development and maintenance of APB Reloaded.

For more on the original APB, check out GameSpot's review. And for further information on APB Reloaded and the studio's vision for the shooter's future, check out GameSpot's Q&A with Rahul Sandil, GamersFirst senior VP of global markets and PR.

View the original article here

This Week on the PSN (01.04.11)

Every Tuesday, Sony drops a bunch of new stuff onto the PlayStation Network. Those with a PlayStation 3 or PSP can download this new goodness, which ranges from PSN games to movies, themes and more. While the Official PlayStation Blog outlines these updates in full each week, we thought we'd help truncate the good news into something more digestible.

There's a trio of new PlayStation Network games to download this week, each at $9.99 a pop. The old-school appeal of Tetris, with all-new multiplayer features, seems especially alluring.

Still addicting twenty-five years later.

Additionally, all 10 Neo-Geo games that were recently released have been bundled together, and can be purchased for $79.99.

There are a few new PSP games you can download to your device this week.

Auditorium ($9.99)Hot Shots Shorties Packs ($4.99 each)Legends of War: Patton's Campaign ($29.99)

There are also a couple of new PlayStation Minis this week.

Family Games ($2.99)M.O.Z.O.X. Space Salvager ($2.99)Angry Birds ($3.99)

This week marks an all-new refresh for PlayStation Plus users, who will, as usual, have access to a free PSN game, a free PSone Classic, and a free PlayStation Mini.

Yours for free, if you're a PS+ member.Lead & Gold: Gangs of the Wild West ($14.99 for non-PS+ subscribers)Pipe Madness (exclusive PS Mini for PS+ subscribers)Spyro the Dragon ($5.99 for non-PS+ subscribers)

There are a couple of new old-school PlayStation games available for download this week, including a heavy-hitting RPG from the days of yore.

Arc the Lad III ($5.99)Reloaded ($5.99)

The DLC scene is a little light this week. There's your usual music game fare but little else of interest. OK. Nothing else of interest.

First, the PS3/PSN DLC...

EyePet - Transport Pack ($2.99)Def Jam Rapstar - Various Tracks ($1.99 each)Fist of the North Star - DLC Pack 6 ($4.99)John Daly's Prostroke Golf - Course Pack 1 (Free)Rock Band 3 - Various Tracks (Free-$1.99 each)Rock Band Network - Various Tracks ($0.99-$1.99 each)

And some PSP DLC...

LittleBigPlanet - Friar Tuck Costume (Free)Toy Story 3 - Escape! ($0.99)Toy Story 3 - Rescue Buzz Lightyear ($0.99)

As has been the case these last many updates, there are quite a few new discounts worth noting. Most of them are for everybody, though a couple are only for PlayStation Plus subscribers, so look carefully!

First, the PSN discounts...

Bionic Commando: RearmedBlazBlue: Continuum Shift - Various DLCCuboidHamsterBallInterpolMagic OrbzMagic Orbz - Extreme BundleMahjong Tales: Ancient WisdomSkyFighterSmash CarsSuper StackerSuper Street Fighter II HD RemixSuperstars V8 RacingTopatoiTopatoi BundleWheel of Fortune

And a couple of PSP discounts...

And a single PlayStation Mini discount...

101-in-1 Megamix

There are five new demos on the PlayStation Store this week for you to download. Unfortunately, none of them are for future content. Three demos are for games released some time ago, while the other two are for games released today.

Alien Breed 2: AssaultKung-Fu LiveMicrobotRicochetTop Gun

View the original article here

Frogster Appoints Seth Iorio to the Executive Board

Berlin - The supervisory board of Frogster Interactive Pictures AG has appointed Seth Iorio to the executive board with effect from 1 January 2011. In the Frogster group which has subsidiaries in Europe and North America, the new board member is responsible for the customer-and technology-oriented service areas Customer Care, Community Management, Payment and Fraud Management, Localization, Programming and IT. Seth Iorio remains Managing Director and COO of Frogster Online Gaming GmbH which is responsible for the operations and marketing of Frogster's online games in Europe.

In early October 2010 Seth Iorio took office as Managing Director of Frogster Online Gaming GmbH and VP Customer Relations & Technology of the parent company Frogster Interactive Pictures AG. As VP Business Development and authorised representative, the graduate in Business Administration was previously responsible for the areas of Customer Communications and Marketing, Localization and Human Resources at Gameforge AG, the new majority shareholder of Frogster. After founding and managing Rabbit Software AG as CTO in the year 2000, Seth Iorio worked as an IT consultant and as project manager at United Internet.

"Seth Iorio completes the representation of the various value-added areas of Frogster at Executive Board level. We look forward to the future cooperation with him", comments Christoph Gerlinger, chairman of the Executive Board of Frogster Interactive Pictures AG.

View the original article here

World of Tanks Surpasses One Million Registrations Worldwide

London, UK - Wargaming.net announced today that its highly anticipated free-to-play MMO action game World of Tanks has recorded more than one million registrations in America, Europe and Russia. This significant milestone has been reached in less than one year since launching the closed beta in Russia.

To handle the rush of players, World of Tanks team is installing additional European servers to the line-up. The steady growth of the World of Tanks' population will enable Wargaming.net to continuously update and polish the game in the run-up to its commercialization for the Western audience in the first quarter of 2011.

"World of Tanks team is grateful to our community for achieving such impressive figures", said Victor Kislyi, CEO of Wargaming.net. "We would like to thank all the WoT fans for their support. Wargaming.net will continue to work hard on adding new content to the game regularly to guarantee that our community gets maximum fun from playing World of Tanks".

Join the beta at: http://game.worldoftanks.com/registration/cbt/

For more information on World of Tanks, visit www.worldoftanks.com

About World of Tanks
World of Tanks is the first and only team-based massively multiplayer online action game dedicated to armored warfare. Throw yourself into the epic tank battles of World War II with other steel cowboys all over the world. Your arsenal includes more than 150 armored vehicles from America, Germany, and the Soviet Union, carefully detailed with historical accuracy.

A flexible system of authentic vehicle upgrade and development allows you to try any of the vehicles and weapons in the game. Whether you prefer to exhaust your foes with fast and maneuverable light tanks, make deep breaches in enemy lines with all-purpose medium tanks, use the force of giant tanks to eliminate opposing armored forces, or become a heavy sniper with long-range howitzers, each unit type has its own advantages and can be extremely effective when operated by a true tank ace.

But being a great tank commander alone isn't enough to win! In World of Tanks, it's all about teamwork. Victory is achieved by combining your combat skills with those of the other members of your team, each playing their own role on the battlefield. Just add your favorite strategy to build your own iron empire and manifest the indisputable authority of the tank! Feel the TANK POWER!

About Wargaming.net
Wargaming.net is an award-winning strategy game specialist, incorporated in the UK. Its 170-strong development team is located in Minsk, Belarus. Since 1998, the company has shipped 13 titles, including acclaimed Massive Assault series, Order of War RTS published by Square Enix, and three add-ons for Blitzkrieg II. Wargaming.net's Operation Bagration RTS was awarded the Best Strategy Game of 2008 at Russian Game Developers Conference (KRI). At KRI 2009 and 2010 Wargaming.net was named The Best Developer Company from ex-USSR. At KRI 2010 World of Tanks won "Best MMO" prize.

View the original article here

Rift Set to Launch March 1, 2011

REDWOOD SHORES, Calif. - Trion Worlds, a global publisher and developer of premium online games, today announced that the upcoming MMORPG Rift is scheduled to launch in North America on March 1st and in Europe on March 4th. Today also marks the start of the game's pre-order program through both digital and retail channels.

"The launch of Rift is the culmination of our tireless efforts over the past several years to bring players the most complete, full-featured, and dynamic online game they've ever experienced," said Lars Buttler, CEO of Trion Worlds. "Through the dedication, creativity, and incredible track record of our veteran development team, we've been able to create an exceptionally polished and immersive online world filled with adventure, surprise, and beauty. We can't wait to share Rift with players around the world."

Beginning today, customers who pre-order Rift receive their choice of one-of-three exclusive in-game pets, and are eligible to participate in the head-start period anticipated to begin February 24th. Pre-order customers will also be granted access to play in all remaining closed-beta events. Beta details, including a regularly updated event schedule, are available at http://www.RIFTgame.com/beta.

Available for purchase online and at select retail outlets, the Standard, Digital Collector's and Retail Collector's Editions of the game will sell for $49.99, $59.99 and $79.99 USD, respectively. The standard monthly subscription rate for the game will be $14.99 USD.

Rift will also offer a limited-time "Founder's Pricing" for players, featuring a $9.99 USD/month price for a multi-month subscription. For more information on Founder's Pricing and subscription details, visit http://www.RIFTgame.com/subscriptions.

For all info on the Collector's Editions, pre-order incentives, and subscription plans, please visit http://www.RIFTgame.com/preorder.

Rift is rated T for Teen by the ESRB with the following content descriptors: Alcohol Reference, Blood, Mild Language and Violence.

For the latest info on Rift, please visit http://www.RIFTgame.com.

About Rift
Adventure in the world of Telara as either a noble Guardian or technomagical Defiant and enter a dynamic fantasy where 8 primal forces battle for control in an ever-changing landscape. Build your own class using the Ascended Soul system, embark on epic conflicts that bring you into the story, battle others in exhilarating Player vs. Player combat, achieve new heights of power by tackling epic raids, and so much more.

About Trion Worlds
Trion Worlds is the premier publisher and developer of connected video games. With groundbreaking new server platform capabilities, Trion delivers high-quality, fully dynamic, and massively social content across video game genres, gaming platforms, and mass-market entertainment formats. Headquartered in Redwood Shores, Calif., with development and technology studios in San Diego, Calif., and Austin, Texas, Trion is redefining interactive entertainment in the connected era.

View the original article here

Ankama Convention #6: Drop the Masks

Roubaix - Ankama would like to announce its sixth convention, which will take place on the 5th and 6th March 2011 at Lille Grand Palais (Northern France). To celebrate its tenth year, Ankama is planning a programme packed with animations and exclusivities.

From children to adults, gamers to comic book lovers: there will be something for everyone in the Ankama Universe during the sixth edition of the Ankama Convention. This special event will mark 10 years of Ankama, as well as the arrival of some new characters in its flagship universe: the Rogues and the Masqueraiders, who will be breaking onto the scene in all Ankama media soon.

Remington Smisse, the Rogue and Maskemane, the Masqueraider are the representatives of these two new character classes and they appear in their very own comics. Remington is an outlaw, agile, cunning and charming, a master of petty theft. Maskemane, more enigmatic, owns three masks which he can alternate to benefit from different powers. You can find them in the DOFUS, Arena and Wakfu games as the 13th and 14th playable classes.

The Ankama Convention is a highly anticipated event for a large community of fans who come from all over the world to unite and share their passion for the Ankama universe (more than 20 000 visitors last year). An important link between the public and the creators of the Ankama universe, these conventions bridge generation gaps and are, above all, a meeting and trading place accessible to everyone.

The events which take place on the main stage will be streamed live.

On the programme at the Masquerade:
The release date and a playable demo for Wakfu.
Ankama will announce the future release date of the Wakfu online game which will also be available to test at the convention itself. DOFUS: a Fight area and a Discovery area!
A large number of computers will be made available to DOFUS fans, so they can play and confront an exclusive boss during this convention and discover the 13th and 14th playable classes: the Rogues and the Masqueraiders. The playable final version of Islands of Wakfu.
A complete and final version of Islands of Wakfu, which was still in Beta version during the last Ankama Convention, will now be available for everyone to play. Players are going to have a lot of fun with this game, which will soon be available for download on the Xbox 360 console. Slage: A discovery area and 2 bosses to beat!
Slage, Ankama's first Hack'n'Slash game, will be exclusively available to the public as a playable demo. There will be two dungeons created especially for the convention and designed in the colours of the Masqueraiders and the Rogues. Ankama Authors will be doing signings during Ankama Convention #6!
The illustrators and authors of the comics published by Ankama will be on-site to sign their work and meet their public. Announcement of a new video game. Lots of other activities and plenty of gifts to be won.
Just like every year for the last 3 years, this convention will have its fair share of surprises. On the cards this year: an IRL quest to incarnate the new classes, presentation of the Krosmoz universe board game (DOFUS/Wakfu/Arena), broadcast of 3 never before seen episodes of the second season of Wakfu, the final of the Wakfu TCG championship of France, a cosplay competition, a rodeo activity, a fan village and dozens of quizzes.

Practical Information:

Where?
Lille Grand Palais
1, boulevard des Cites Unies 59777 Lille
Subway: Line 2, Station: Lille grand Palais

When?
Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th March 2011, from 9am to 7pm.

How much?

Advance sales prices:
1 day pass 12 Euros
Weekend Pass 20 Euros

Prices on the day:
1 Day Pass 14 Euros
Weekend Pass 22 Euros

With each Pass, you'll get a free goody bag including:
- 1 Rogue or Masqueraider figurine
- 1 Remington or Maskemane Wakfu TCG card
- Quest Map
- Comics 0: discovery of the comics

Where can you buy tickets?
- advance sales from Ankama Shop (www.ankama-shop.com)
at a reduced price with in-game bonus presents! (Payment by bank card only)

- on site on the 5th and 6th March 2011

About ANKAMA Group
Founded by Anthony Roux, Camille Chafer and Emmanuel Darras in Roubaix in 2001, ANKAMA is an independent group which produces digital creations and employs over 430 people. The international success of the group's MMORPG DOFUS, with more than 35 million players, enabled ANKAMA to branch out into several related industries: online games, publishing, animations, web design, press, mobile phone services, video games for next gen' consoles. ANKAMA is also developing Wakfu, a transmedia project composed of animated cartoon, video game, card game and comic book. For more information, visit our official website: www.ankama-group.com

View the original article here

EEDAR Appoints Erik Brudvig as Director of Editorial Insights

CARLSBAD, CA. - EEDAR, the leading provider of comprehensive information for the worldwide video game industry, has appointed Mr. Erik Brudvig as the Director of Editorial Insights, a new EEDAR division launching in February, 2011.

"The addition of Mr. Brudvig further strengthens the EEDAR team with his expertise, professionalism and deep understanding of the video game industry's unique editorial processes," said Greg Short, President and CEO, EEDAR. "Mr. Brudvig will lead efforts to expand our already broad research offerings with key strategic services to publishers as they engage consumers with new product launches."

Erik Brudvig, joins the EEDAR team after more than five years at IGN where he served as the Executive Editor for the Xbox 360 section. "I've spent a large portion of my career educating and communicating to the consumer on upcoming and released video games," said Erik Brudvig. "This is a unique opportunity to provide the video game industry with exciting new ways to prepare for their editorial based marketing and promotion strategies."

EEDAR's Editorial Insights division offers a revolutionary line of services that dramatically improves the efficiency, accuracy and results for those seeking to work with video game media outlets (online and print). In development since 2008, and piloted during 2010 with select clients, the Editorial Insights division provides high quality mock reviews and review score forecasting, SWOT analysis, feature uniqueness reporting, editorial outlet bias analysis and market positioning services.

With over 45 million data points on more than 10,000 game titles, and the most accurate upcoming games tracking in the industry, EEDAR is well positioned to deliver these new support services for public relations and marketing professionals.

More details will be provided on these new Editorial Insight services when they are made available in February, 2011.

For more information please visit http://www.eedar.com or call +1 877-883-3327.

About EEDAR
Founded in 2006 by video game industry veterans, EEDAR is the largest specialty video game research firm in the world. EEDAR's mission is to increase game industry profitability and creativity by allowing publishers, developers, retailers, marketers and investors to make strategic decisions based on comprehensive, objective and instantly accessible data.

With a proprietary database of over 45 million internally researched objective data points from over 10,000 video games, EEDAR offers a robust line of services including GamePulse (a continuously updated application converging data for game industry research), DesignMetrics (game title forecasting and analysis), custom research, discovery and recommendation technology, meta-data, marketing analysis, editorial insights, investor due-diligence, expert testimony, and retailer specific services.

EEDAR is based in Carlsbad, California and has been recognized by Forbes Magazine as one of America's Most Promising Companies and also holds the Guinness world record for the largest collection of video game facts and information in the world.

View the original article here

Sony Online Entertainment Releases Black Mana

Get ready.... the launch of Magic: The Gathering - Tactics is right around the corner! In preparation, Sony Online Entertainment is delivering the destructive Black Mana, bringing fans the corrupt creatures and deceiving spells appearing in the upcoming online animated grid-based tactics PC title due out this winter.

Malevolent, selfish and corrupt forces empower Black Mana magicians to return spirits from the dead, leach life from opponents and terrify weak-willed creatures. Planeswalkers will bring the occult forces of Black Mana to the battlefield, including the destructive Avatar of Woe, the legendary Lord of the Pit and the shadowy Royal Assassin.

Furthermore, Magic: The Gathering - Tactics is now in BETA. To access our Beta program, please send along your SOE Station ID and email address so we may flag your account for premium content. For more assets and information about the game, feel free to visit the official Magic: The Gathering Tactics website and Facebook Page.

About Magic: The Gathering -Tactics
Magic: The Gathering - Tactics is an animated grid-based tactics title due out this winter for the PC. Magic: The Gathering - Tactics is a free-to-play game that introduces 3D gameplay where you create your own customized Planeswalker and jump into battle with all five colors of Magic for intense tactical battles featuring stunning 3D characters, spells and settings.

View the original article here

PopCap Games Announces Bejeweled 2 for WiiWare in Europe, Australia and New Zealand

DUBLIN, Ireland - PopCap Games, worldwide leader in casual games, today announced the immediate availability of its first-ever WiiWare title in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Bejeweled 2, the most popular puzzle game series of the 21st century, with more than 350 million copies downloaded and over 50 million units sold, is now available for download in Europe for the price of 1000 Wii Points.

Bejeweled 2 for WiiWare presents an array of new features that are exclusively available on Wii. The player's Mii is displayed throughout the game and reacts to how players are playing, showing different moods. Using Nintendo WiFi Connection, players can choose to play with their loved ones or share scores with other Bejeweled players around the world – all from the comfort of their living room.

Paul Breslin, General Manager at PopCap Games' European HQ said: "We are delighted to bring Bejeweled 2 to the Wii in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. PopCap is committed to making our games available for everyone - everywhere so this launch is a significant milestone for us".

About PopCap
PopCap Games is the leading global developer, publisher and operator of casual video games: fun, easy-to-learn, captivating games that appeal to all ages across PC, mobile, social and other platforms. Based in Seattle, Washington, PopCap was founded in 2000 and has a worldwide staff of more than 350 people in Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Vancouver, B.C., Dublin, Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo. PopCap's games have been downloaded over 1.5 billion times by consumers worldwide, and its flagship franchise, Bejeweled, has sold more than 50 million units.

View the original article here

CES: A Stick-On Thumbstick for iPads

Touchscreens, while a creative control method for games, simply can't compete with the tactile precision of a physical controller. Fortunately, the engineers over at Ten One Design have come up with a creative new solution called Fling – a stick-on plastic thumbstick that affords players a sense of resistance and tactile recognition, but maintains touch-enabled control.

The design uses two small suction cups that can be positioned anywhere along an iPad's bezel to mount the Fling into place. From there, users are given a small thumbstick-like surface to use within a limited area, giving a clearly defined control space rather than sliding all around the screen. The clear plastic materials used in the Fling prevent it from obscuring your view of the screen.

The Fling is available for pre-order now for $24.95 and will ship later this month.

View the original article here

More PlayStation Phone Photos Leaked

At this point we've witnessed all but an official confirmation and formal introduction of Sony Ericsson's forthcoming PlayStation Phone, including insider leaks, videos, and off-hand comments from Sony execs, but now a new set of photos have been leaked for our collective viewing pleasure.

Posted on a Chinese forum, HKGolden, and discovered by Engadget, the photos depict not one, but two of the rumored smartphones. Unlike previous leaks, however, the devices pictured are in clear view and seem to be nearer to production-grade prototypes. The two models shown sport the slider-style game pad with a PSP-style d-pad and action buttons, but gives a closer look at the touch-enabled slider, which given the rounded etchings seems to be intended to service dual analog controls.
Most notably, the device now displays clear Sony Ericsson's Xperia series branding, as well as a small PlayStation Store logo in the lower left corner. The emphasis on Xperia and not PlayStation branding, adds support for rumors suggesting the device won't be considered an official PlayStation product but rather a device that supports certain crossover games or downloadable PSP software.
The photos also show a close-up on a readout of the phone's main specs, displaying that the current operating system build used is none other than Google Android 2.3.

There are still many questions to be answered, but hopefully we'll be hearing more about the fabled device sooner rather than later, with the device perhaps making its public debut at Sony's press conference at Consumer Electronics Show (CES) tomorrow at 5pm PST in Las Vegas.

View the original article here

Peacekeeping in Star Wars: The Old Republic

My first hands-on exposure to Star Wars: The Old Republic was at E3 last year. That event is not ideal for a relatively slow genre of game like your typical MMO as it typically takes hours just to get past the introductory stages of a standard MMO. In the case of The Old Republic, the brevity of my hands-on time worked strongly against the game and I had been pretty underwhelmed by what I played. At the time, I was playing a Sith Inquisitor -- a caster class with a penchant for shooting lightning from their fingertips -- in an arid, orange-tinted starting area full of sand bugs and bandits.

Sitting down with the game for longer than thirty minutes left me with a much better impression. Having enough time to learn a few of a class' nuances and seeing some progression in both character and story tends to do that. Seated in a room within the gigantic LucasArts compound, I played a Jedi Consular which is in some ways, is the Jedi counterpart to the Sith Inquisitor. The Consular too was a caster class, although the Jedi aren't big fans of lightning, instead using Force-powered telekinetic abilities as their weapon of choice. Of course, from a lore perspective, the Consular and the Inquisitor are two completely different colors of the Force litmus-test. The Inquisitor is a master of the dark arts and the destructive capabilities of the Force, while the Consular is more akin to your Obi-Wan.

Flesh Raiders. This is one of the more handsome ones.
The Consular's opening abilities are, by and large, much more memorable and immediately impactful than that of my short time with the Inquisitor. The Consular has a stock-standard melee lightsaber swing which, like the Inquisitor, is a series of blows rather than one solid thwack. Much cooler, though, is the ability Project, in which the Consular tears from the earth a massive boulder and hurls it at a target. It's a long-range ability with a bit of a cast time, but it deals solid damage and is a good opening move. Plus, it's pretty potent looking -- the boulder animation conveys the weight of the object quite well.

Telekinetic Throw serves as a good follow up. A mid-range move, Telekinetic Throw sends a storm of pebbles in a line directly in front of the caster, dealing some damage and slowing them down. The damage was not as high as Project, and the spell was channeled (meaning I couldn't do anything else while it cast), which made sense from a universe perspective, but stopped me from really taking advantage of the slowing effect by hitting my opponent with another move. It's a move that will see its maximum potential in group-combat situations.

Far and away, my favorite ability is Force Wave, an area-of-effect attack that has my Consular jump into the air and with a swirl of the hands send any nearby units flying in all directions. This is especially nice as The Old Republic is filled with enemy clusters, where three or four foes will all pummel you together. Enemies tend to be clustered with a few weaklings and one or two stronger units, and the Force Wave is frequently powerful enough to take the weaklings out of the fight altogether.

Using any of these abilities naturally requires me to use some Force, the Consular's resource. Force has a maximum of 100 and regenerates rapidly, akin to Energy in other games, rather than a mana pool which grows with level and gear and has to be carefully managed in longer fights. This gives the Consular an interesting dynamic, as they are later given the ability to heal. The Energy-like resource means that they may not be able to chain-heal, but also won't need to necessarily be overly resourceful with their spells.

The Consular, like all classes in The Old Republic, is more than just its move-set. Each class has its own storyline to follow. The Consular's begins with the news that Flesh Raiders have begun to settle in what was otherwise Jedi ground and now pose a threat to holograms of past Jedi, holograms that contain vast amounts of knowledge. I soon find that one particular hologram has vanished, and it is hinted that I may perhaps find its whereabouts in an illegal (but otherwise benevolent) Twi'lek camp. As IGN Editor Charles Onyett had mentioned in his previous article, these gather and kill quests were fairly standard, but were framed within the story in such a way that I never felt like I was doing tedious chores.

As the story further develops, and as I begin to perform some quests with Charles, I realize that the quests I am on are very different from his, but smartly tended to direct us to similar areas. The difference in quests give me a sense of unique identity, but their similar destinations mean that I don't feel particularly penalized for performing these quests with someone else.

If you see this hurtling towards you, cover your favorite bodyparts.
Occasionally as I follow my class quest I come across a magical green wall. These are always a sign that something important is about to happen. Sometimes it is a simple story cinematic, and sometimes it is a unique combat event. Always, the Consular's focus is on maintaining the peace as much as possible, an objective I tried to break from at every opportunity. The Old Republic's branching quest system, again touched upon in Charles Onyett's article means that I'm not necessarily restrained to being a holier-than-thou sack of wuss. A quest where a pair of lovers had to be broken up rewarded me with dark side points because I blackmailed them instead. I also got a lightsaber gem, a reward Charles was very much envious of, due to my deceit. I can see myself walking a neutral path over the course of the game, playing a Jedi who is neither good nor evil, but simply a tool of balance. Having this option is unusual and very exciting.

My experience with the Consular was ultimately far more positive than my brief time with the Inquisitor. This could easily be chalked up to simply having more time to understand what I was doing, and being able to settle into my environment a lot more, but combat also seemed much more responsive. There is still so much more in The Old Republic to see, though. As a Consular, I didn't have any exposure to the companion system in my early quests, and space combat and crafting are still little more than words on a list than concrete, usable features in my mind. BioWare proved in that demo that maintaining a single-player RPG experience in an MMO is entirely possible. All they need to do now is provide the MMO staples with the same attention to detail.

View the original article here

Dead Space iPhone Preview

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

View the original article here

MonkeyPaw Games Releases Arc The Lad III Today for PSN's Classics Store

It seems every gamer harbors a dream to get his game idea to come to life. The process for bringing a game concept to a console is long and littered with unending hazards. How does it actually happen? When a designer comes up with a concept, it has to be original and exciting enough to get broad buy-in from a wide swath of staff. It helps to have a license and every game needs a compelling hook.

It is not an easy task. But once the idea gets green lit and funded, the process leads the concept down a production line. Many team members' input and a "can't fail" divining light must lead it to fruition. The final concept is often significantly different than the creative director's original dream but usually it is the best fit for the product's viability.

Once you get a winning formula and a game sells an acceptable amount of units, the title gains momentum and takes a life of its own. A winning title can get a sequel or even a series…a designers' wet dream. By this time, we're dealing with art. Examples are rare, but one that we've showcased is Arc the Lad. The Arc the Lad series achieved classic status and went on to become one of the most enduring RPGs on the PlayStation One computer entertainment system.

And today we present Arc the Lad III, the final installment in the trilogy. This series follows the travails of its heroes who give you elegant and unwinding adventures. Use your intuition and verve to solve mysteries and unlock the last enigma. The game will be available on the PlayStation Network's Classic Store for the reasonable price of $5.99.

Pick up your version today and wonder in amazement at the incredible path an idea must travel in order to end up a classic in your hands.

View the original article here

Hudson Entertainment's Lost in Shadow Invites Gamers to Come into the Light

SAN MATEO, Calif. - The magical platform adventure game, Lost in Shadow, illuminates store shelves as it is now available nationwide on the Wii system from Nintendo. The game, published by Hudson Entertainment, the North and South American publishing arm of HUDSON SOFT, gained critical acclaim at the 2010 E3 when it picked up Kotaku's "Best Gameplay Mechanic" award and was a runner up for "Best New Game."

"Lost in Shadow is special. The game is compelling both visually and emotionally, with an original and fun-to-play gameplay mechanic," said Mike Pepe, Director of Marketing at Hudson Entertainment. "From the beginning, the development team has been committed to experimenting with light and shadow while taking players on an intriguing journey – one that is filled with puzzles and adventure."

Lost in Shadow sets players in an alternative world, poised in front of a mysterious tower. The tower is filled with moving shadows which at the same time cast a large shadow on everything beneath it. With the help of a winged sylph known as "Spangle," players can move lights in the foreground to create new shadowy walkways to previously inaccessible areas. Unaffected by gravity while traveling through this medieval landscape, the shadow boy solves mysteries and fights off enemies who stand in his way. The game's combination of light, shadow, background and foreground creates a unique blend of novel gameplay features, morphing landscapes and artistic visuals.

Lost in Shadow is now available on Wii for $39.99 and is rated "E10+" by the ESRB. For more information on Lost in Shadow, please visit www.lostinshadow.com.

Hudson Entertainment is the North and South American subsidiary of Hudson Soft, an international provider of games and entertainment content founded in 1973. Hudson Entertainment focuses on three key businesses: console retail games, digital download content, and music. Hudson introduced best-selling videogame franchises including Bomberman, Bonk, Military Madness and Deca Sports. Through numerous partnerships with record labels, Hudson has become a leading provider of digital music and video content. For more information on Hudson Entertainment, please visit www.hudsonent.com.

View the original article here

UK Charts: FIFA Kicks Off 2011

As we settle into 2011 with fresh-faced enthusiasm, it's time to cast one last dirty glare in the general direction of last year's gaming dregs with a backward glance at the Chart Track all-format full-price UK video games charts, wrapping up on January 1, 2011.

No surprise that 2010's big boys are still nuzzled at the top with FIFA 11 gurning maniacally in first place. It trades spots with Call of Duty: Black Ops, down one to two, while Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit hangs tight at number three.

There's no movement below either, Just Dance 2 and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood sitting pretty at four and five respectively. In fact, there's little else of interest to report in the top ten at all, other than a couple of Kinect-based climbs - Kinect Sports shifting up two spots to six while Dance Central hurtles all the way in at ten from number 17.

Hopefully, we'll see a bit more life in the old charts soon as we scramble our way into 2011's heaving first quarter. Fingers crossed, eh?

1 FIFA 11
2 CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS
3 NEED FOR SPEED: HOT PURSUIT
4 JUST DANCE 2
5 ASSASSIN'S CREED: BROTHERHOOD
6 KINECT SPORTS
7 GRAN TURISMO 5
8 THE SIMS 3
9 FALLOUT: NEW VEGAS
10 DANCE CENTRAL
11 RED DEAD REDEMPTION: UNDEAD NIGHTMARE
12 MEDAL OF HONOR
13 WWE SMACKDOWN VS RAW 2011
14 FABLE III
15 HARRY POTTER: THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1
16 MARIO KART WII
17 MICHAEL JACKSON: THE EXPERIENCE
18 NEW SUPER MARIO BROS.
19 STAR WARS: THE FORCE UNLEASHED II
20 HALO: REACH

View the original article here

EA Changes Up Cover for PGA 12

Superstar golfer Tiger Woods will not be prominently displayed on this year's newly announced golf title from EA Sports, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters.

The cover of the title will instead focus on the Masters Tournament, as players will be able to step onto the grounds of the Augusta National course for the first time. The publisher told IGN last January Woods would remain on the cover of the franchise for the foreseeable future despite his personal troubles.

EA told IGN today that fans shouldn't read too much into the decision to remove Woods.

"This year's game is all about celebrating the Masters and the inclusion of the historic Augusta National Golf Course in the game," a spokesperson said in a statement. "The box art is a direct reflection of that celebration."

"We want consumers to experience the rich history of the tournament and having one of the most iconic holes in golf (No 12 – Golden Bell) makes the cover art instantly recognizable to a broad spectrum of gamers and golf fans."

Woods will still appear on the PlayStation 3 exclusive collector's edition, however, which retails for $69.99.

Set for release on Mar. 29 in North America and worldwide on Apr. 1 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii, The Masters includes several new modes as detailed below:

Masters Moments — Play through memorable, historic moments as players try to measure up against some of the sport's greatest legends.

Tiger at the Masters — Relive each of Tiger's four wins at the Masters by attempting to equal or beat his scores in each round of the Tournament.

The Caddie Experience — Behind every great golfer is a trusted and reliable caddie. Players will have a caddie by their side on every swing, providing strategic advice, from shot selection to reading greens, helping them become a more successful golfer.

The Closest Thing to Being There — For the first time ever, EA Sports utilized a new state-of-the art laser scanning technology at Augusta National Golf Club to laser scan every hole featured in the game. This will provide players with the most authentic digital representation of the Tournament and Par 3 courses. Every tree, every azalea and every undulation in every green was recreated down to the smallest detail.

Broadcast Presentation — Feel the emotion of every swing as called by the all-new commentary team of Jim Nantz and David Feherty, who headline a completely revamped TV broadcast presentation package.

Career Mode — The all-new career mode will closely mirror the journey of an amateur golfer's rise through the ranks and chase the title of Masters champion.

New Players — Over 20 professional golfers to choose from, including Zach Johnson (2007 Masters Champion) and Bubba Watson (2010 Ryder Cup — Team USA).

Championship Courses — Take on the best of the best on sixteen of the world's most celebrated courses, including Augusta National Golf Club, Royal Melbourne Golf Club (Australia), Atlanta Athletic Club, TPC San Antonio, St Andrews Links and Pebble Beach Golf Links.

View the original article here