Section 8 Official Gameplay Trailer (HD)

Chris Reaper | Jul 3, 2009 17:52 EDT | Comment

Does your Avatar have Mad Balls?

Dillon Andrews | Jul 3, 2009 08:46 EDT | Comment

Do you hate the avatars? Or perchance, do you LOVE the avatars and would like the opportunity to actually play as them in a game? Well if you’re up to decapitating and going on an action packed adventure as your lovable custom character, then you’re going to thrilled when you read about Avatar Attack!

Playbrains, an independent game development studio specializing in the digital download arena, announced today a new and very personal way to play with your friends over Xbox LIVE. For the first time in any Xbox LIVE Arcade game, gamers will be able to take full control of their custom Avatar as a playable, in-game character through “Avatar Attack” mode in Madballs in…Babo:Invasion (MiBI).

By selecting the “Avatar Attack” mode from the multiplayer Skirmish menu in MiBI gamers will be given the option to use their custom Avatar as a fully-controllable in-game character. Once selected, the “Decappuccino Machine,” in a very sanitary manner, will painlessly separate the Avatar’s head from its body where it will then be fitted and equipped with some heavy hitting and highly explosive artillery! And unlike the bright gooey mess that Madballs and other Babo spew when they take damage, each Avatar head is hand-filled by the loving and caring folks at Playbrains with only the finest confetti to ensure a pleasant and colorful display upon destruction.

“We wanted to give Xbox LIVE Arcade players an opportunity to really go ‘head to head,” commented Scott Simpson, president of Playbrains. “We feel that the Avatar Attack mode in MiBI will soon take its place in our world’s society as a critical tool for settling disputes – leapfrogging wars, lawyers, reality show judges and other far more expe

Sign me up!

I’m the Juggernaut Bi—-, you know.

Dillon Andrews | Jul 3, 2009 08:35 EDT | Comment

Activision knows what we want, and do they know how to give it to us? Not exactly. But hey, if you don’t want to make people happy, exploit them, and then hope they become a part of a loyal fanbase.

The company has announced in conjunction with GameStop, gamers that pre-order a copy of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 for the PS3 or Xbox 360 from a GameStop store or online at www.GameStop.com will receive an exclusive playable character – Juggernaut.

When are companies going to stop with these store exclusive deals?

Guilty Gear 2, Baby!

Dillon Andrews | Jul 3, 2009 08:29 EDT | Comment

505 Games has today announced the release of Guilty Gear 2: Overture exclusively for Xbox 360. The latest in the popular series launches on 4th September 2009 and will take fans in a bold new direction, borrowing elements from genres outside of the traditional one-on-one fighting action for which Guilty Gear has become famed.

Guilty Gear 2: Overture developer Arc System Works has blended action and real time strategy for their latest instalment, and for the first time have introduced 3D graphics to its most popular and enduring series. As well as taking control of their chosen character, players will command legions of loyal followers to crush all in their path. Battles are won and lost by destruction of opponents’ strongholds, known as ‘Masterghosts’ and by successfully defending one’s own from enemy attack. Effective and tactical use of support troops, or ‘servants’, to achieve these aims as well as sharp fighting technique are the keys to victory.

Offering a full single player campaign, four way multiplayer over Xbox LIVE! or two player local multiplayer, Guilty Gear 2: Overture will also feature 50 unique units designed by famed series artist Daisuke Ishiwatari. Many familiar characters return to the game, including Sol Badguy, Ky Kiske and the mysterious That Man, all of whom have their signature special attacks recreated for the first time in glorious 3D.

Risen… Rises?

Dillon Andrews | Jul 2, 2009 09:43 EDT | Comment

Risen will make its international debut on October 02, 2009. The new RPG from the inventors of Gothic, Piranha Bytes, has already entered the Beta phase and is now being honed to perfection. Risen will be available for PC and Xbox 360, the video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.

“The release date for Risen enables us to introduce the game to the market in the best possible condition,” says Daniel Oberlerchner, Brand Manager at Deep Silver. “We have been in the Beta phase here for several weeks, and now our focus lies on eliminating the remaining bugs.”

The contents of Risen are already complete, and all dialogs have been recorded. A total of three quality assurance teams are working on the game – one directly at Piranha Bytes, one at Deep Silver, plus an additional external studio.

Check out the website, http://risen.deepsilver.com/

Xbox Live Ads

Dillon Andrews | Jul 2, 2009 09:03 EDT | Comment

Microsoft has responded to concerns over a recent announcement it would be bringing Silverlight adverts to its Live service, saying the adverts won’t interfere with the gaming experience for users.

Xbox Live’s Larry Hryb posted on his Major Nelson blog about the move, reassuring gamers that Microsoft intends to enhance the service with its adverts, not interfere with it. . “I’ve seen quite a bit of discussion today about how we’re bringing Silverlight ads to LIVE in the future,” he said.

“I need to let you know that you don’t need to worry about a huge influx of ads across the dashboard. One of our core principles is to enhance, not interfere with the gaming experience, and we work directly with our partners to only deliver experiences that are relevant to the Live community.”

Microsoft recently spoke about its plans to bring interactive ad campaigns that are compatible with a range of its services, included Live, via Silverlight - software that produces similar results to Adobe Flash. It said that this technology would create the same appearance on the games console as ads viewed on a web browser.

However, Hyrb stresses these ads will become an organic part of the dashboard, comparing them to some of the NXE slots produced in the past.

“No one on the team wants to turn the dashboard into something that looks like Shibuya Crossing,” he writes in his post. “That’s just not good for anyone.”

Punisher Demo, Achievements and Release Date Confirmed

Dillon Andrews | Jul 2, 2009 08:58 EDT | Comment

ZEN Studios, confirmed today that it will release a free-to-play demo of The Punisher: No Mercy on July 2, 2009, exclusively for PlayStation Network. Releasing the same day as the full version of No Mercy, the demo will allow players to sample the fast-paced action of the Marvel Comics-inspired first-person shooter with two of the eight levels from the original version of the game.

Today the studio also released the list of No Mercy trophy achievements, which can be viewed at www.marvel.com or www.psu.com.

Battlefield 1943 Release Date

Dillon Andrews | Jul 2, 2009 08:54 EDT | Comment

EA, today announced that Battlefield 1943 will be available on July 8th on Xbox LIVE™ Marketplace and July 9th on the PlayStation Network. Battlefield 1943 is an all-new download-only action game that brings DICE’s first-class vehicular warfare to gamers for just £9.99, or 1200 MS Points. (Probably going to cost about $15.00 American.)

Battlefield 1943 is a critically acclaimed First-Person Shooter (FPS) multiplayer game that puts players in the middle of a dogfight on land, sea or in the skies. The game introduces two thrilling new modes that can be played across four classic Battlefield tropical WWII maps: Wake Island, Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima and Coral Sea. These maps are inspired by the award winning Battlefield 1942™ game, but have been redesigned and re-engineered using the DICE destructible Frostbite engine which takes down walls, blockades and cover spots, leaving players with almost nowhere to hide. The game delivers endless hours of social online gameplay for extraordinary value.

The Coral Sea map will be unlocked as part of a worldwide community challenge, where players will work together to reach 43million kills on both Xbox LIVE and the PlayStation Network. To help gamers reach that goal, up to 24 players can play together online in countless matches. They will have the freedom to compete by land, air and sea as either the US Marines or the Imperial Japanese Navy. Whether they choose to play the role of a rifleman crawling through the trenches, a steel-fisted tank commander, or a dog fighting ace pilot, gamers will have the power to rule the battlefield.

“Battlefield 1943 is going to change consumer expectations of what a downloadable game can be. By offering Frostbite’s next generation destruction technology with a full Vehicle Warfare FPS multiplayer experience at a mere 560MB, Battlefield 1943 sets a new standard,” said Gordon Van Dyke, Producer on Battlefield 1943. “Our goal is to blow people away with a fully accessible, retail-calibre game for veteran Battlefield fans and shooter fans alike to enjoy for only £9.99.”

Kalypso expanding in a big way!

Chris Reaper | Jul 2, 2009 02:06 EDT | Comment

Kalypso Media has expanded in to the U.S and has appointed Deborah Tillett as the president of it’s new U.S headquarters in Baltimore, MD! Continue to the official announcement below to read more about Deborah Tillett and find out who she is and just how much she can contribute in to making Kalypso’s expansion to the U.S a big success!

Continuing its global expansion, Kalypso Media today announced that it has appointed industry veteran, Deborah Tillett, as president of its newly established U.S. headquarters in Baltimore, MD. Tillett will be responsible for developing and implementing Kalypso’s strategic and creative vision for North America.

“Deb has a proven track record of success in establishing and growing technology companies, and a fluent understanding of the video game business,” said Simon Hellwig, Managing Director, Kalypso Media. “We are thrilled to add her to our senior management team, and look forward to working with her to establish Kalypso as a worldwide publisher.”

Adds Tillett: “I am pleased to spearhead Kalypso’s entrance into the North American market and eager to grow its presence.. In addition to ramping up production and distribution capabilities, I am excited at the opportunity to diversify our content and platform offerings.”

A highly regarded technology professional with international experience throughout the Middle East and Europe, Tillett is no stranger to the video game sector as she has previously held senior management positions at MicroProse and BreakAway Ltd. As president of BreakAway, Tillett grew the company from a handful of game developers into a staff of 100 with expertise in developing award-winning games, as well as using entertainment game technology to create virtual experiences for solving real-world problems.

She has successfully established several technology start-ups including OT Sports, LLC an ABC/Walt Disney joint venture, and is an adjunct professor with Towson University teaching Entrepreneurship and Small Business.

About Kalypso Media

Specializing in the publishing of interactive media – primarily computer games - Kalypso Media was founded in summer 2006 by industry veterans Simon Hellwig and Stefan Marcinek. A year later, the sister company Kalypso Media UK Ltd. was opened in England and is now led by Andrew Johnson and Charlie Barrett, two experienced members of the Kalypso Media Group management team. In 2009, Kalypso Media USA Inc. was established under the leadership of Deborah Tillett. Kalypso Media also own two development studios, Realmforge Studios GmbH and Gaming Minds Studios GmbH, both of which are located in Germany.

Battlefield 1943, Question & Answer with Producer

Reece Heywood | Jul 1, 2009 12:12 EDT | Comment

Find below an Exclusive Question & Answer with Gordon Van Dyke Producer for Battlefield 1943 by our friends at XCN.

1) Let’s talk a little bit about Battlefield as a series. Is it fair to call this a re-imagining of the original Battlefield 1942?

It’s more inspired by BF1942 than a re-imagine. It oozes Battlefield through your entire experience while playing and WWII captures that best when focusing on what we coin “Battlefield Moments”.

2) It’s a big step, releasing an online Fps as an Arcade title. Can you give us a bit of insight into that decision?

For us it didn’t seem like a big step rather than a perfect fit for an accessible and focused Battlefield Game. Plus DICE is always looking into new ways of delivering high quality games in new ways and never afraid of new business models to support those ideas.

3) Do you think Battlefield 1943 will set a new benchmark for XBLA multiplayer titles?

I hope so, it would be great to see even more games follow this formula, if it is successful, and I think you will.

4) If it proves successful can you see more episodic-style multiplayer games hitting XBLA in the future?

I can’t promise that from DICE, but I’m sure it will be looked at if Battlefield 1943 is successful and the community wants more.

5) There has been a few changes from the original, right? Tell us about the new health and ammo systems.

Explaining these change on paper doesn’t give it justice, but the main goal of these that has proven very successful with veteran BF players even was to increase the focus on squad movement across that battlefield and focus on the core essence of what Battlefield is about.

6) What about classes? There are only three now right?

Correct, we streamed it to three core and well equipped Classes with a clear focus on their skill set and tools. For example Scout is long range combat and espionage, Infantry is close combat and anti land vehicle, and Rifleman is midrange combat and anti infantry.

7) How have you ensured you’ve retained the games balance while reducing the class types?

Reducing them actually makes that easier and clearer to the player, so 100% yes, we retained and arguably perfected the Balance in BF1943!

8) And the game will contain three original maps right? Have you tweaked them much?

Actually we have four original maps that are all based on the actually real life counterparts which are Wake Island, Iwo Jima, Guadalcanal, and Coral Sea. Coral Sea will be unlocked when a collective 43 million kills are recorded on Xbox Live. To find out more about our Coral Sea Community Challenge visit the website at www.battlefield.com/1943.

9) Bf:BC really set a new environmental standard with its destructible environments. Since 1943 is also built on the Frostbite engine, can we expect something similar? Maybe even… better?

Absolutely, using the Frostbite engine BFBC1 used has opened these locations from BF1942 in new and very exciting ways. We also changed the buildings to be destructible down to the foundations.

10) Let’s talk about vehicles. There’s quite a variety of air and land transport right? What about sea vehicles?

We have anchored Aircraft carriers and Landing craft to launch from as well as fighter planes.

11) What about this Bomber Shack thing? Can you give us a bit of detail on how that works?

It’s easy to enter and like any other vehicle in BF1943, but takes great timing and a lot of skill to plan the course of your Bomber Squadron to get a lot of kills or take out an annoying group of tanks since you only have a single bomb drop at your disposal. After you have unloaded your carpet of bombs you are force exited from the Bomber Shack and can’t reenter until it is ready again which takes a good amount of time to happen.

12) The original Battlefield 1942 saw a couple of expansions and loads of mods. What are the chances of DLC for this title? Are there any other maps in the original that you’d hypothetically like to update?

There are no solid plans for DLC and I think pretty much every map from BF1942 could be remade. They were all exceptional maps and still stand up next to anything new in the BF universe.

13) What about pricing? Any word on how much this will run to?

We will sell it for 1200 MS points. Amazing value and I promise will offer endless hours of fun.

14) Can you give us a firm date? Feel free to say no


No specific date, but we’ll have that soon, so check an eye out for that news hitting any time now.

Thank you very much for your time and a thanks to XCN for providing the Q&A.

DJ Hero Price Issues

Dillon Andrews | Jul 1, 2009 11:04 EDT | Comment

UK retailer ShopTo has told our sister site Eurogamer.net that Activision has tagged DJ Hero with a suggested retail price of GBP 107.99. The retailer will actually be pricing the game and peripheral for GBP 94.85, although that’s still a significant mark-up on Activision’s Guitar Hero title in the UK, which launched for GBP 70 with peripheral.

DJ Hero will only cost US consumers USD 120, according to GameStop - which translates to around GBP 73.

HMV, which offers DJ Hero for GBP 99.99, told Eurogamer it is “going with its own price on this”. Other local retailers are yet to set a firm price.

Last week, Activision CEO Mike Griffiths told GamesIndustry.biz that he considers DJ Hero to be a key title in expanding the business in European regions.

Halfbrick Rocket Racing!

Dillon Andrews | Jul 1, 2009 10:39 EDT | Comment

Control of each racing craft is actually handled with just two buttons – the left and right analogue triggers. They power the left and right rockets respectively, so movement is simple – press both at once to move forward, and alternate power to each for turning. Players will be able to customize their controls to find the configuration that suits their playing style, including using the left analogue stick.

Hitting the best racing line and cutting corners won’t always be the best way to win. Players will actually gain a significant speed boost by positioning the rockets against the walls and corners for extra thrust power. The concept is explained via a simple tutorial system in the game, and players will eventually be sliding and boosting around each level with high speed and extreme precision.

Gameplay is focused on shaving seconds off your best times, reminiscent of the legendary Trackmania series. Players can upload their best times on over 40 tracks to the Global Leaderboards and see where they rank among the world’s best. Local multiplayer is available with up to four players taking control of a rocket racer, drifting around corners and sprinkling the course with colorful glowing trails – a simple yet incredibly engaging graphical effect.

Droplitz now ready for download!

Chris Reaper | Jul 1, 2009 04:27 EDT | Comment

Atlus’ new puzzler Droplitz is now available for download from the Xbox 360 Live Arcade, Playstation Network, iPhone, and Windows PC!

Droplitz is an addictive puzzler that is all about strategically twisting and linking mismatched dials to save precious droplitz! With four different play modes, a variety of board sizes, and infinite replayability, Droplitz promises to drain all your time away!

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs Now Available!

Chris Reaper | Jul 1, 2009 04:19 EDT | Comment

Looking for a new family friendly game to keep the kids busy? Or to perhaps enjoy along with them? Then look no more! The latest addition to the hit movie series “Ice Age” is now out for all gaming consoles! So if you’re tired of all the adult themed games out right now and want to get a more kid friendly one, here’s the game for you!

It’s time for gamers around the world to embark on an all-new incredible adventure with their favorite sub-zero heroes in Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs from Activision. Based on the highly anticipated 3-D animated feature from Twentieth Century Fox, which debuts worldwide on July 1, the game allows players to command their favorite movie characters, including Sid, Manny, Diego, Scrat and the relentless one-eyed Dino hunting weasel, Buck, and venture into a mysterious underground world of dinosaurs, while solving puzzles and platforming through more than 15 exciting levels.

“Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs allows kids to play as some of their favorite movie characters on their own, or, for the first time in the series, with their family and friends in multiplayer mini-games,” said Rob Kostich, head of marketing for licensed properties, Activision Publishing, Inc. “Family game night will take on a whole new meaning as you compete in hilarious challenges like Sloth Throw, Dino Targets and Sloth Chase using your Wii Remote or gamepad.”

“The Ice Age franchise is so successful because the characters are extremely engaging and the story is fantastic – two elements that are perfect for a video game,” said Gary Rosenfeld, Senior Vice President of New Media for Fox Licensing. “This game is fun for the entire family and will provide hours of entertainment.”

The Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs video game takes players on a quest through the frozen tundra to a lush jungle teeming with mysterious plants, fierce dinosaurs, wild new adventures and all-new friends. Offering more than six playable characters, the game allows fans to master the unique abilities and combat skills of each through continuously changing gameplay challenges. Every level presents new and exciting opportunities to defeat enemies with Sid’s spin attack, utilize Buck’s lasso to swing across treacherous landscapes, avoid obstacles as Scrat using his wall jumping and ceiling crawling abilities and escape from perilous situations flying on the back of a pterodactyl with Buck, Crash and Eddie. In addition, up to four players can share the Ice Age experience in eight competitive multiplayer mini-games.

Get ready for Hell! Infernal is now available!

Chris Reaper | Jul 1, 2009 03:39 EDT | Comment

Hell has been unleashed in retailers near you! Playlogic’s Infernal: Hell’s Vengeance is out now for the Xbox 360!

Playlogic is pleased to announce that Infernal: Hell’s Vengeance, the riveting 3rd person shooter game developed by Metropolis Games, has shipped to retail stores nationwide. Infernal: Hell’s Vengeance is available for play on the Xbox 360.

Infernal: Hell’s Vengeance tells the story of Ryan Lennox, a fallen angel who is recruited by the powers of hell to fight “Etherlight”, heaven’s own secret agency, who is ready to unfold a plot against humanity of epic proportions. Take Ryan through a fascinating plot of paranormal intrigue and deception across a variety of US and European locations, including ancient monastery catacombs and secret mountain hideouts, before facing the ultimate showdown. Armed with a rich loadout of standard and exotic weapons, help Ryan use his hellish new powers to teleport, levitate and fire molten blasts of otherworldly energy, all on his quest to reveal the secret behind Etherlight’s plans, unleashing hell one bullet at a time.