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EndWar Details, Sneak Peek

Some information on Tom Clancy’s EndWar, an upcoming RTS based on the universe created by the military author, has surfaced on the Internet. According to this post on Clanbase, the game will feature three factions - USA, Russia and Europe - and will feature both single and multiplayer modes. The camera will be closer to the battlefield, and the game won’t be converted to the PC or vice versa, as the console versions are being built up from scratch. Further information can be found in the post.

In related news, EvilAvatar has posted a way to get a glimpse into the game. Check out the instructions.

Lineage 3 Code Stolen

According to Korean newspaper Digital Chosun IIibo, source code of NCSoft’s upcoming MMO Lineage III was stolen by former employees and sold to an unnamed Japanese competitor. This is believed to have been done when the ex-employees provided examples of their work during a series of job interviews with the other company in February; they are also believed to have played a part in the leak of the Lineage III program design late last year.

South Korea-based NCSoft projects losses of more than 1 trillion Korean won (US$1 billion) from the theft. The company is also said to be going through troubled times: according to industry insiders, the dismissal of a senior game developer as a result of poor leadership skills caused most of the company’s 90-person development team to quit. There are also internal struggles within NCSoft, though details are unknown.

Vampires, Ninjas and Shockman Hitting NA Virtual Console

Following up on the Europeans, Nintendo has announced the titles that will hit the North American Virtual Console service today:

Castlevania (NES®, 1 player, 500 Wii Points): Step into the shadows of the deadliest dwelling on Earth. You’ve arrived at Castlevania, and you’re here on business: to destroy the curse of the Evil Count, once and for all. Make your way through six monstrous floors filled with bats, ghosts, zombies and every kind of ghoulish creature you can imagine. Use the legendary whip Vampire Killer and a host of deadly weapons to battle your way to Dracula’s chamber and the ultimate duel of good vs. evil.

The Legend of the Mystical Ninja (Super NES®, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points): In The Legend of The Mystical Ninja, take control of Kid Ying and Dr. Yang in an action adventure through feudal Japan. A curse has stricken the village of Horo-Horo, and its beloved princess has vanished. Together Kid Ying, a daring young mystical ninja, and Dr. Yang, master of the invincible spirit transformation, must overcome 10 levels of the Dragonbeast to save Princess Yuki. Each stage contains intense 3-D and 2-D zones where the duo must perform dozens of attack moves and solve magical problems and puzzles before advancing. Battle humorous enemies like the Carp Meister, who stuns victims with poisonous fighting fish, Tanaka-U-Out, a knockout artist who wallops opponents with a bone-crushing hammer, and the Sumo Tag Team, kings of the unbeatable belly-buster crunch. Collect coins to buy new equipment and to receive clues, spend some time playing minigames in the arcade or try your luck and increase your fortune at the Quiz House and Horse Races.

Shockman (TurboGrafx16, 1-2 players, 600 Wii Points): It’s been two years since Arnold and Sonya were made into Shockmen. A message from the professor to return to their bodies has them head to his laboratory, but they are ambushed by a mysterious enemy along the way. After narrowly defeating the enemy, they catch a TV news flash announcing the Ryo Empire invasion. They find that the professor has been abducted and set out to rescue him. Shockman is a side-view action shooter that has eight stages, including Action Stages, where you jump and use special techniques, and side-scrolling Shooting Stages. This game expands on the well-paced story from the previous version and contains cooperative elements like shared life and a powerful Team Shockbeam that can be used during two-player simultaneous play.

NBA Live 08 Cover Athlete Revealed

It has been announced that Washington Wizards All-Star Gilbert Arenas will be the cover athlete and spokesman of NBA Live 08, the upcoming entry in the EA Sports series.

“This is a dream come true,” said Arenas. “I’m a huge gamer and have been playing NBA LIVE since 1995. I never imagined that I would see my face on the cover of an EA SPORTS videogame.”

Arenas finished the 2006-07 regular season averaging 28.4 points and 6.0 assists per game. Arenas was the first player from the 2001 draft class to be named to the All-Star team in 2005 and now has three consecutive All-Star appearances. In the ultimate salute to his climb from relative unknown to NBA All-Star, fans voted Arenas a starter on the Eastern Team at the 2007 NBA All-Star Game.Fueled by a combination of talent and a larger-than-life personality, Arenas has risen from below the radar into the spotlight. His breakout 2007 season included authoring a blog on NBA.com that established a direct relationship with his fans, and a well-known catch phrase (Hibachi!). Dubbed “Agent Zero” in reference to his jersey number, Arenas chose zero as a reminder of his underdog mentality that drives him to succeed. Off the court, Arenas is devoted to many charitable organizations including Scores for Schools, the NBA Cares program, and created the Zer0 2 Hero Foundation to promote the well-being of children.

NBA Live 08 is in development at EA Canada and will be available in stores worldwide this Fall.

Triple Threat XBLA This Wednesday

Microsoft sent word that Xbox Live will face a triple threat of Xbox Live Arcade games this Wednesday… in the form of Catan, Centipede and Millipede.

The legendary board game Catan will be hitting the service, courtesy of Big Huge Games. The XBLA edition of the multiplayer board game will support up to 4 players, voice chat, 12 achievements and 200 gamerscore points, all new 3D “living world” board, and more.

Two of Atari’s best loved coin-op classics Centipede and Millipede will also be available for download. The combined offer will feature support for Dolby Digital surround sound, 12 achievements and 200 gamerscore points, and more.

Catan will cost 800 Microsoft points, while Centipede and Millipede will be available jointly for 400 points.

Burnout Paradise This Winter

EA today officially revealed the title for Burnout 5 which is in development for the PS3 and Xbox 360. Dubbed Burnout Paradise, and now scheduled for release this Winter, the game will feature an unprecedented detail in crash deformation and an open world environment where the player will be able to “do anything, anywhere, and anytime!”

“We have been working towards Burnout Paradise for quite some time. Next generation consoles have opened up a raft of new gameplay opportunities and the Criterion team has leapt at the chance to innovate and raise the bar to an all-new high,” said Pete Hawley, Executive Producer, Burnout Paradise. “There are going to be some big surprises and a lot of new features but the core of the game is still pure Burnout. Instant accessibility will be reinforced by innovative on-line capabilities which will see Burnout Paradise smash racing conventions.”

Taking place in Paradise City, the player will be able to explore the city, discover events and look for the best opportunities to crash, jump and pull signature takedowns. Below are the first screenshots.

Galactic Assault Announced

Paradox Interactive has announced that it has signed on a new turn-based sci-fi strategy through Akella dubbed Galactic Assault. Previously known as Inhabited Islands, and in development at Wargaming.net, the game is scheduled for release during Q3 2007.

Players will be thrust into a deep and harrowing story as four unique races battle for supremacy on the planet Saraksh. Each race possesses and can easily develop distinguishable technologies, leading to the presence of vastly different heavy armored units, transport units and aviation units on the battlefield. The battles take place among vivid extraterrestrial landscapes in 3D with day and night changes as well as dynamic weather conditions that affect the gameplay.In addition to the interesting story line, Galactic Assault offers a revolutionary tactical combat system, more than 70 unique units of great power and high-definition visuals that will immerse players in a horrendous story of war and survival.

Game features include:

• Immersive storyline based on the Sci-Fi novel “Inhabited Island”.
• 4 totally unique races: Land of the Fathers, Khonties, Barbarians and Island Empire.
• Realistic battle system (camouflage, fog of war, return fire, mine laying, fortifications, land and air troop carriers).
• Advanced technology tree and unit upgrade system.
• Realistic full 3D environment with day/night change and weather effects.
• Cinematic Camera mode showing the most dramatic moments

Sony Most Trusted Brand

Seems like the PR mishaps before the PS3’s launch didn’t affect Sony’s image after all. According to a research conducted by AlixPartners, the most powerful brand title goes to Sony. Based on a survey of 5,000 consumers in Fall 2006, this index of brands is based on the company’s power by using a trust-versus-distrust formula.

“While Nike was, by far, the most frequently mentioned name when consumers were asked to select any favorite brand, the ratio of consumers who trust Nike - both the brand and the company - to those who distrust it lowered its final score,” said Fred Crawford, a managing director with AlixPartners who also oversees the AlixPartners Consumer Sentiment Index. “On the other hand, other great brands such as Newman’s Own [33rd], Ben & Jerry’s [41st] and 3M [86th] have tremendous trust among consumers, but their penetration in the marketplace remains quite low.”

Other tech companies also made the top ten, including Dell and Hewlett Packard. Microsoft was nowhere in sight.

Transformers Site Launched

Activision sends word that it has launched the official Transformers video game site, offering fans the chance to participate in the Battle for the AllSpark, an online worldwide multiplayer experience allowing fans to play on the Autobots or Decepticons team to face off in real time challenges as they struggle to take over the world. Players earn points in one-on-one skirmishes for themselves and their team, with the highest scoring individuals rewarded with a variety of prizes. Also, the side with the largest score takes control of AllSpark and is granted exclusive access to special sections of the site.

The site also offers details and media on the upcoming game, among other things. Transformers, the movie, will be out on July 4, with the game being released for the PS3, Xbox 360, PS2, PSP and DS.

Mario Strikers Online Details

Mario Strikers is set for European release shortly, leaving us on North American shores behind the times are our Wii’s will still not venture online. In an interview provided by Jeux France, they touched upon many of the important online features the game will implement. Notably Nintendo seems to be going strong with Mii support, which will essentially act as your gamer tag. It also mentions that while friends lists will be included, it seems they are linked to individual Miis. It’s hard to say if every game will still have a unique friend code, but at least some thought has gone into it which is always a good sign. Now just bring on the game here!

-Ranked matches will pair players based on win-loss records, but those records will reset at the end of three month “seasons.”
-Unranked matches will make use Mii-specific friend lists, so multiple users on one system can have different friends.
-The player that earns the most ranking points every day will have their Mii featured on the log-in screen as the “player of the day.” Ranking points are earned based on wins and number of goals. Disconnects will be punished with negative ranking points.
-Online matches can have four players at most (no four-on-four networked play). Ranked matches can be one-on-one or two-on-two, with each team sharing a system. Three-on-one and two-on-one matches are available in unranked games.

Read (Joystiq)

Final Fight and Co. Hitting Virtual Console

Joining the list of 78 classic titles already available for the Virtual Console service, Nintendo announced three new games for its retro-gaming service: Final Fight, Mighty Bomb Jack and Battle Lode Runner.

Based in the same universe as the Street Fighter games, Final Fight is a much loved side-scrolling beat-em up, originally released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Following the exploits of the Mayor of Metro City, as he takes the law into his own hands to rescue his kidnapped daughter, Final Fight features all the elements of a great fighting title, including sinister bosses to devastating special attacks. Final Fight smashes its way onto the Virtual Console for 800 Wii Points.Next up among this week’s retro offerings is 1992 action title Mighty Bomb Jack™, originally available on the Nintendo Entertainment System. When the entire royal family is kidnapped and imprisoned within a pyramid by evil demon Belzebut, it is up to Jack to use his powers and set them free. With sixteen levels full of nasty enemies and perilous traps to overcome, Mighty Bomb Jack will keep even the most seasoned gamer perched on the edge of their seat for hours on end. Mighty Bomb Jack is available to own now for 500 Wii Points.

Rounding off this week’s offering is Turbografx title Battle Lode Runner®. This classic game features both a ‘Puzzle Mode’, where players must collect gold bars while avoiding enemies and a ‘Battle Mode’, which can be played by up to five players. With the addition of a level editor, Battle Lode Runner is available for 600 Wii Points.

Gears of War Movie Treatment Leaked

How it does what it does still baffles me to this day… movie news site Latinoreview has further cemented its reputation as the most prolific video game movie script-leaking website, this time with the preview of the 22-page Stuart Bealtie treatment for the upcoming Gears of War film.

Their report details the first third of the treatment, which takes place before the events of the Gears of War game. Head to the site to check it out if you’re even remotely interested in the film.

Stuart Bealtie has worked on Collateral, as well as the upcoming The Punisher 2, and two more upcoming video game films: Splinter Cell and Spy Hunter.

PSU Expansion Announced

Sega has announced Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of the Illuminus, an expansion to PSU that will be available as a download for Xbox 360 and in stores for the PC and PS2. To be available this Fall, the expansion focuses on the Illuminus as they throw the Gurhal System into chaos. Online play will be available for $9.99 a month, or $49.99 for a six month pass.

Mata Hari Announced

Dtp/ANACONDA has announced Mata Hari, an adventure game in development at 4Head Studio. The game is being designed by industry veterans Hal Barwood (Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis) and Noah Falstein (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade) and is set for release worldwide during Q1 2008.

Europe, at the beginning of the 20th century: The beautiful dancer Mata Hari has collective manhood at her command. The performances of the native Dutch girl as an oriental nude dancer are an overwhelming success in the unbounded luxury and enjoyment of life of the Belle Epoque.

Her daring dancing shows attract influential gentlemen from the realms of industry and politics, amongst these the attractive Swiss Oscar Samsonet. He quickly realizes that this exotic beauty can be ideally used to realize his aims. Lured by her taste for adventure and the prospect of making a fast buck, Mata Hari becomes a spy.

She uncovers highly sensitive military secrets using her finesse, charm and seductive skills. She thereby gets caught between the fronts: The Entente ran a frantic arms race with the Central Powers, World War I is threatening on the horizon.

JoWood Wants to be on Consoles

Hoping to make a mark in the games market, JoWood has decided to develop and publish for the current-generation consoles (PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii). The company plans to publish its most successful brands on new platforms, which includes the SpellForce, Painkiller and Dungeon Lords series.

JoWood had recently purchased Dreamcatcher, marking their presence in the North American market, as well as expanding their library of titles. No specific titles were mentioned, but it was disclosed that the company has already started to negotiate with studios and has scheduled the first releases at the end of 2008, beginning of 2009.

Nintendo Announces Record Year

I would just like to point out that I found a Wii in retail today. It might have just been luck, but after 6 months of randomly checking, I actually found one for sale. So I did what any good Nintendo fan would, I bought it for someone else who I knew wanted one.

It’s hard to say what the Wii shortages were based on, but now that Nintendo has finished their fiscal year, they are shouting their success from the rooftops.

-consolidated fiscal year revenues of ¥966.5 billion, a 90% increase
-operating profits of ¥226.0 billion, a 150% increase
-23 million Nintendo DS consoles last year, lifetime sales of 40 million
-5.84 million Wii consoles in less than five months, “nearly” 29 million Wii games

Projections:

-consolidated sales increasing nearly 18% to ¥1.14 trillion
-operating profits growing nearly 20% to ¥270 billion
-22 million Nintendo DS systems and 130 million games
-14 million Wii systems and 55 million games worldwide

14 million Wii’s in a year would definitely be more than they are pumping out now. Whether that solves the problems remains to be seen.

Read (Joystiq)

New Content on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network

First up on Xbox Live is the Alien Hominid PDA pack. The pack offers 100 PDA mini-games previously released only with the European version of the original retail Alien Hominid game. The PDA Euro pack can be had for 150 Microsoft points.

Activision has released the long awaited Hero and Villain packs for the Xbox 360 version of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. Each pack is separately available for 500 points, or 800 points when bought combined.

The PlayStation Network didn’t receive any additional in-game content, but did see the debut of two new demos. Gamers can now download samplings of Ninja Gaiden Sigma, the upcoming PS3-exclusive action combat game, and Virtua Tennis 3. Both are freely downloadable.

In related news, Sony-sponsored blog Three Speech announced that the PSN will receive two new games this summer: Super Stardust HD and Snakeball.

A follow-up to the ‘93 and ‘95 Amiga shoot-em-ups Stardust and Super Stardust, the PSN game will see players breaking down asteroids and destroying enemies with a spaceship on a fixed background. The PS3 version adds various weapon power-ups as well as planets that players have to defend from attacks. The other game - Snakeball - is a modified version of Snake. Players have to guide a robotic snake to consume colored balls and grow as long as possible. Standard single-player mode is there, along with a Challenge Mode that pits players up against a succession of fortified arenas. The game will support eight-player online multiplayer and more.

Super Stardust HD will hit the PSN this June, with Snakeball following in July.

Warhammer Online Delayed

YouGamers reports that the latest Warhammer Online newsletter carries word that the game has been delayed. Expected later this year, the game is now scheduled for release in the US and Europe during the first quarter of 2008 because of an early decision by EA Mythic to extend the development time. Scoop:

By extending our development time, we’ll be able to do these in-depth reviews several times prior to launch to ensure all areas of WAR benefit from the experience of ongoing development. EA is totally supportive of our decision and are behind us 100%. We all believe WAR will be the next great MMORPG and being part of EA affords us the time we need to make it so. It is EA’s ongoing commitment to quality that will allow us, and other EA studios, to deliver great games, now and in the future.

Iwata Wants Kutaragi

Satoru Iwata, CEO of Nintendo, said in a recent press conference that he ”would love to see Kutaragi join up with Nintendo”. Since Kutaragi stepped down from his honorary position at SCEI, we have not heard from him other than the hint that he would be working independantly from Sony.

Sony had originally worked with Nintendo in development of the SNES-CD, but Hiroshi Yamauchi had cancelled the project due to Sony having control of all titles written on the SNESCD-ROM format. Since then, there has been a rivalry between the two companies.

But who knows, what if Kutaragi does end up working with Nintendo on their next system? What if the man leads Nintendo to an impending doom and secretly helps Sony to regain their position in the market? Or maybe Kutaragi will join George Foreman to create the next-generation grill series? Only time can tell.

Read (QJ)

Star Wars MMO In Development?

Is BioWare working on a MMOG based on the much-loved Star Wars: KOTOR series? That’s what CVG thinks so. The site cites the rumor section of EGM as listing the game to be in development at the hands of the studio’s online team.

Their report also cites the EGM rumor section as saying that the current PC-exclusive Dragon Age is coming to the PS3 and DS.

Next Page »

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