November 2010 Archives
Electronic Arts, together with Hothead Games, has released DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue for the PC as a download through Steam. The game features eponymous hero DeathSpank, tracking down the remaining extant magical thongs before they corrupt others.
Team Meat has released Super Meat Boy as a download for the PC through Steam (the game was previously released as a console download). This challenging platformer has players helping an animated cube of meat battle an evil, tuxedo-wearing fetus in a jar.
Not wanting to be out-announced by Microsoft, Sony gloated today that since the launch of the PlayStation Move, Sony has sold around 4.1 million units of the Move (through November) worldwide.
Sony has released even more downloadable games for the PlayStation 3 and PSP, through the PlayStation Store, including two Japanese imports, a zombie shooter and a lab-rat game. Read on for more details...
Continue reading More Downloadable Games Available Through the PlayStation Store.
NCsoft has launched "Issue 19: Alpha Strike," the latest major content update for its massively multiplayer online game City of Heroes. Issue 19 adds an "Alpha Slot" that allows high-level characters to continue growing with new powers and challenges. The issue also adds new Fitness Pool Powers, Praetorian Zone Events, two new Task Forces and alternate Power animations.
CCP has launched the Incursion expansion for its massively multiplayer online game Eve Online. Eve Online: Incursion is scheduled as a multi-part release, but Incursion 1.0.0 can now be downloaded (the next installment should be released on December 14). Incursion 1.0.0 adds 80 new storyline missions and the new Noctis salvage ship along with a variety of new user-interface tweaks.
Zoo Games confirmed that its game Silly Bandz for the DS really is available in (some) stores. Based on the toy craze (that is just funny-shaped rubber-bands), the game has players flinging Silly Bandz at targets to free other Silly Bandz. The game comes packaged with a 12-pack of Silly Bandz bracelets. FI is currently in talks with a developer to create a game based on the popular children's toy "Stick," with a possible future sequel based on "Rock."
Nail'd, from Deep Silver, is now available for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, despite losing a vowel from the title somewhere during the shipping process. Nail'd is an off-road, ATV racing game set in locations such as Yosemite Park with colossal jumps and races against up to 11 AI opponents.
Crave Games (part of Fillpoint) has shipped Deadliest Catch: Sea of Chaos for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii to stores in North America. Developed by DoubleTap, this game is based on the Discovery Channel television show Deadliest Catch, and has players commanding a boat through the Bearing Sea in search of opilio and king crab.
Battlefront.com, together with publisher Akella, has released PT Boats: South Gambit as a download for the PC (the game is also available by mail order). This is a stand-alone expansion for PT Boats: Knights of the Sea that adds new missions around Europe to this World War II-era naval combat simulation.
Disney's game Epic Mickey is now available for the Wii. The game sends Mickey Mouse on a journey into Wasteland, a place filled with Disney's forgotten creations (and ruled by Walt Disney's Oswald the Lucky Rabbit), where he can use paint and paint thinner to change the world. Developed by Disney developer Junction Point, different paths to being an epic hero of Wasteland lead to different ultimate outcomes.
Flying Lab Software has re-launched its massively multiplayer online game Pirates of the Burning Sea as a free-to-play game. As is always the case in such transitions, much of this nautical game's content and special items is for sale in the game's cash shop, or can be accessed through a $15 per month subscription.
Microsoft claims that since its launch (and including Thanksgiving week sales), the Kinect motion-sensing unit has sold 2.5 million copies. That's 2.5 million in 25 days, or... several... per day. Now, the Kinect just needs some decent games.
Turbine, part of Warner Bros., has launched the latest major content update for The Lord of the Rings Online, updating the Elf and Dwarf starter regions, making more content free-to-play, improving the crafting system, fixing the Lore-master and Rune-keeper and set the stage for a new Yule Festival that will launch in December.
Corbomite Games has released Star Shipping as a download for the PC and Mac. This is a basic travel and trade game in which players purchase and sell commodities, coping with alien and piratical threats along the way.
Almost a year to the day after THQ's game MX vs. ATV: Reflex was released for consoles, the game is now available for PC gamers either as a download through Steam or in European and Australian stores. This game introduces a new physics engine to the MX vs. ATV racing franchise, allowing players to shift their rider's weight to perform even more sophisticated stunts.
Nintendo's game Golden Sun: Dark Dawn for the DS is now available in stores. Set 30 years after 2003's Golden Sun: The Lost Age, this game has players once again exploring the world of Weyard in search of Djinn that can be used to summon battle spirits.
Nintendo has released a new slate of downloadable games for the Wii and DSi, including a disc golfing game, several puzzle games and Cave Story. Read on for more details...
Continue reading More Downloadable Games Available for the Wii and DSi.
Nintendo has launched two new DSi bundles. Both include copies of Mario Party DS, and a DSi, with one bundle offering an orange-colored DSi and the other bundle offering a green-colored DSi.
Avatar Creations has officially launched its persistent online game Perpetuum for the PC. Perpetuum is a science-fiction-themed massively multiplayer online game set on a newly-discovered Earth-like planet inhabited by synthetic, robot-like life forms. The client can be downloaded for free, but the game bears a monthly subscription charge if players want to exploit the resources and inhabitants of this new planet.
Blue Toad Murder Files: The Mysteries of Little Riddle is now available as a download for the PC through a variety of PC game portals. This episodic, adventure-style mystery game was previously released for the PlayStation 3, and has players visiting the English village of Little Riddle and interrogating the residents concerning murders.
Revolution Under Siege! Available for the PC
Matrix Games, together with developer SEP REDS, has released Revolution Under Siege!, a turn-based strategy game for the PC set during the Russian Civil War. The game includes several campaigns set during the period from 1917 to 1923, including the Finnish Civil War and the Russian-Polish War.
O-Games announced that its title Challenge Me: Brain Puzzles 2 for the Wii, PC and DS is now available in stores. The compilation includes a variety of brain-teasers, including Sudoku and other logic puzzles.
Sony's game Gran Turismo 5 is finally in stores for the PlayStation 3. This long-in-development racing simulation includes more than 1,000 cars, with the ability to tune and race these cars on a variety of courses.
This week's downloadable game for the Xbox 360 through Xbox Live Arcade is Crazy Taxi, available for 800 points ($10). This classic Sega game has players taking the shortest and fastest path, however perilous, to cash in on fares.
Monster Jam 3: Path of Destruction for the PlayStation 3 is now available in stores. Activision Publishing, part of Activision Blizzard, shipped versions of the game for other platforms earlier this month. The game features 30 licensed monster trucks, and has players customizing their own truck while participating in races and stunt challenges for stadium crowds.
Sony has released a new slate of downloadable games for the PlayStation 3 and PSP through the PlayStation Store. Not only does this week see the release of a lot of games, it also sees the launch of the VUDU movie service for PlayStation 3 owners in North America. This is a pay-by-the-rental service for HD films. Read on for this week's specific releases...
Aspyr has released the Mac version of Civilization V as a download for the Mac. This is the Mac version of the latest iteration in the classic turn-based strategy game that takes players from the dawn of mankind into the near future as the head of a civilization. the PC version launched in September.
Ubisoft's game CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Unsolved!, based on the television series, is now available for the DS. This adventure-style game has players using the DS stylus to pick through crime scenes and work with characters from the television show to solve crimes.
THQ's compilation, the Drawn to Life Collection for the DS, is now available in stores in North America. Including both Drawn to Life and Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter, both games in the compilation have players drawing their own hero, creating weapons and tools and then embarking upon an action-packed adventure.
Rockstar Games, the premier label of Take-Two Interactive, has released Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, a stand-alone playable retail disc containing a nightmarish version of the Red Dead Redemption universe. The disc includes all the Red Dead Redemption DLC released to date.
Splatterhouse from Namco Bandai Games is now available for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in stores in North America. The game revisits the classic gore-filled Splatterhouse action franchise with a new game featuring Rick Taylor and the Terror Mask hacking hordes of undead creatures to a metal soundtrack.
THQ's game Hot Wheels: Track Attack for the Wii and DS is now available in stores in North America. The game features digital versions of the classic Hot Wheels toy cars, earning upgrades and performing wacky stunts to beat competing cars.
Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom from Namco Bandai Games is now available for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. This action game has players saving a kingdom using a team of man and colossal monster.
Ubisoft's game Michael Jackson: The Experience is now available for the Wii, DS and PSP. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game should ship to stores next year. The game has players singing and dancing along to Michael Jackson's iconic songs, with movement in the style of Ubisoft's Just Dance games.
Tangled, from Disney, is now available for the Wii and DS. Based on the film of the same name, Tangled has players exploring the film in the form of a storybook, revisiting locations from the movie and facing a variety of puzzles and mini-games.
THQ's game Worms Battle Islands for the Wii is now available in stores. This game of 2D, turn-based, annelid combat includes offline and online modes.
Publisher: Electronic ArtsDeveloper: Criterion Games
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC
Reviewed on PlayStation 3
Seacrest County needs to invest in some speed bumps. Given the number of times that I've wrecked sports cars costing over half a million dollars in pursuit of illegal street racers, I'm thinking that a couple hundred bucks of asphalt would be a far more effective solution to Seacrest County's illegal racing problem. Of course, it wouldn't be nearly as much fun as pursuing perps at over 200 miles per hour, or racing the competition and the law simultaneously on SC's tightest curves.
Continue reading Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Review.
Publisher: Stickmen StudiosDeveloper: Stickmen Studios
Platform: PC
Reviewed on PC
Windows System Requirements: 2 GHz Processor, 256 MB RAM, DirectX 9.0c compatible 64 MB video card, 300 MB HD space, Windows XP or more recent operating system
Doc Clock has a way of finding the most improbable, least practical solution to any given problem. Of course, the problem he solves is rarely the problem he was working on, and it's never quite clear why his faithful (if sarcastic) companion is a sentient machine combining the best features of a vacuum cleaner, monthly storage space, and robotic arm. To avoid a simple disaster, Doc Clock builds a time machine to travel to the recent past and avert the accident. Instead, he travels into the distant future where amusingly insane robots rule the roost and Doc Clock will have to use his ingenuity to escape.
Continue reading Doc Clock: The Toasted Sandwich of Time Review.
French developer Beyond the Pillars has released the second episode of its game Winter Voices, called Those Who Have No Name. The first episode, Avalanche, was released in October. The game is presented in the style of a tactical role-playing game, but has players taking on the role of a girl trying to overcome the death of her father, and all battles are psychological.
Telltale Games' Poker Night at the Inventory for the PC is available as a download through Steam. This game features Penny Arcade's Tycho, the Heavy from Team Fortress 2, Max from Sam & Max and Strong Bad from Homestar Runner playing poker.
This week's downloadable games from Nintendo (for the Wii and DSi) have players rescuing lost penguins, playing music on an electric guitar and running a supermarket. Nintendo has also relaunched its Wii demo program. This week, demos will be briefly available for the previously released games And Yet It Moves, Bit.Trip.Fate, Jett Rocket and ThruSpace. Read on for more details concerning this week's releases...
Continue reading More Downloadable Games Released for the Wii and DSi.
Ubisoft's game Raving Rabbids: Travel in Time for the Wii is available in stores in North America. This Raving Rabbids party game features 20 mini-games set during "pivotal stages in human history" that has the Rabbids changing the course of history.
Nintendo's game Donkey Kong Country Returns for the Wii is now available in stores. This new Donkey Kong Country side-scrolling platformer has Donkey Kong recovering his banana stash that was stolen by animals under the influence of evil Tikis.
Tri Synergy and Star Sentinel Tactics have released a game with the same name as the developer: Star Sentinel Tactics. This turn-based game of tactical combat takes players through a series of 28 missions in which the United Alliance defends the galaxy from invading reptilian aliens.
Electronic Arts has released the latest major update to its massively multiplayer online game Warhammer Online. This v1.4 update finally introduces the rat-like Skaven as a playable race, along with new realm-vs.realm zone capture mechanics, a rebuilt renown-ability system and a new set of Skaven incursion events.
Zoo Entertainment has shipped Mathews Bowhunting for the Wii to stores, and the game should be available within the next few days. The game is available either as stand-alone software or packaged with a bow peripheral, and has players hunting popular North American game using a simulated bow.
Warner Bros.' title Game Party: In Motion for Xbox 360 consoles with the Kinect is now available in stores. This compilation of party games has Xbox 360 owners participating in activities ranging from throwing darts to tapping root beer.
Retailer GameStop reported its financial results for its fiscal third quarter ended October 30, 2010. Read on for more details...
Continue reading GameStop Reports Consistent Quarter, Still Relying on Used Products.
Hudson Entertainment's Deca Sports Freedom is now available for the Xbox 360. This latest game in the Deca Sports franchise requires the Kinect sensor for the Xbox 360 and allows players to participate in 10 different sporting events, such as tennis, archery and figure skating.
Majesco's title Zumba Fitness: Join the Party for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii is now available in stores in North America. This game brings the "Zumba" exercise trend to consoles, giving console owners another way of doing this dance-based workout. The PlayStation 3 version requires the PlayStation Move, just as the Xbox 360 version requires the Kinect controller.
It should come as a surprise to no one that the layoff rumors are quickly swirling. Unfortunate, yes, and potentially earth-shattering to those whose lives are impacted or even destroyed, but every year the game industry starts shedding staff around this time. The big games are out the door for the holiday season, so publishers and developers just don't need as many staff as they do in crunch time. As a result layoffs are regularly being rumored to occur at places like Electronic Arts and LucasArts. Furthermore, studios often finish projects, so if more projects (and funds) aren't forthcoming, developers also have layoffs or are shut down entirely. This week, the rumors concern studios like Bizarre Creations (Project Gotham) and Activision's Budcat Creations. It's sad, but it's business as usual... it's also not over.
Snail Games has launched its persistent online game Ministry of War. This browser-based game has players acting as one of the world's historical civilizations and striving to achieve world domination.
Ion Assault, developed by Coreplay and published by bitComposer Games, is now available as a download from Steam. This arcade-style shooter has players blasting enemies and asteroids using ions that your ship can absorb and then emit at dangerously high energy levels.
Microsoft has released two more downloadable games for the Xbox 360 through Xbox Live Arcade. One is a re-imagined coin-operated classic, while the other features a seemingly hopeless battle against hordes of aliens. Read on for more details...
Continue reading Two More Games Reach Xbox Live Arcade.
Disney's racing game Split/Second is now available for the PSP. The game shipped earlier this year for consoles and is also now available as a download. This urban racing game has players driving to win a reality television show through an exploding cityscape.
Electronic Arts' game Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit is now available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and PC. This racing game allows players to drive either as illegal street racers or pursuit police and supports multiplayer competition.
D3Publisher has released Nat Geo Challenge!: Wild Life for the Wii and PlayStation 3 to stores. This game features trivia questions based on National Geographic's photos and video, and is presumably hipper because it abbreviates the name, making it "Nat Geo" with an exclamation point.
Ubisoft's game Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Predator for the PSP is available in stores and as a download. This shooter has players leading a team of three Ghosts deep behind enemy lines in Sri Lanka.
Sega's game Football Manager 2011 is available both as a download and as a retail version for the PC, Mac and Linux. Americans interested in this title surely already know that it refers to European football, as the game allows players to manage teams from around 50 countries, bringing them to even greater heights.
Hank Haney's World Golf for the PC is now available for purchase. The game includes 20, 18-hole courses, with more available as premium downloads.
The new downloads for the PlayStation Store are plentiful today, providing new options for PlayStation 3 and PSP owners to download games ranging from Japanese and American classics, to miniature golf to aerial combat. Read on for more details...
Continue reading More Downloadable Games Available Through the PlayStation Store.
Namco Bandai Games' title Namco Museum Megamix for the Wii is now available in North American stores. This compilation of 24 of Namco's classic arcade games (such as Pac-Man, Rally-X and Galaga) includes several re-mixed and updated games alongside faithful ports of the classic games.
Disney's Game, Wizards of Waverly Place: Spellbound, based on the television show, is now available for the DS. The game has players exploring locations from the television show, collecting outfits for the characters and casting spells.
Ubisoft's game Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon has finally made its way into stores for the Wii. The game has players joining the Ghosts of Bravo team inserted into a covert mission in Moscow.
D3Publisher's software Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2011 for the Wii is now available in stores. This follow-up to Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010 has Jillian Michaels coaching Wii owners through a series of exercises integrated into a plot that brings low an evil conglomerate.
Aksys Games' title Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors for the DS is now available in stores. This game, mixing puzzle and adventure elements, has players awakening on a ferry engaged in a game of life and death.
Activision Publishing, part of Activision Blizzard, has released its game iCarly: iJoin the Click for the Wii and DS. Based on the television show, this iCarly game has players competing in a series of mini-games to help the show's cast of characters.
Sega's game Sonic Colors for the Wii and DS is now available in stores in North America. This platformer once again pits Sonic the Hedgehog against Dr. Eggman, this time in Dr. Eggman's interstellar amusement park.
Activision Publishing, part of Activision Blizzard, has released its game Apache: Air Assault for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game has players piloting an Apache AH-64 attack helicopter and flying a variety of combat missions. A cooperative two-player mode allows a second player to jump in as gunner while the first player pilots.
Atlus has shipped two Naruto Shippuden games to stores this week. Naruto Shippuden: Dragon Blade Chronicle for the Wii has players controlling both Naruto and Sasuke as they seek out the power behind Elemental Dragons. Naruto Shippuden: Naruto vs. Sasuke for the DS follows one of the popular storylines as Naruto and Sasuke battle for supremacy. Both games are a touch heavy on the fighting.
Electronic Arts' game Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is now available in North America and Europe. Based on the film, the game is now available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PC and DS (the Xbox 360 version supports using the Kinect to perform magical gestures), and has players learning even more powerful magic to best terrifying creatures and the forces of Voldemort.
Namco Bandai Games' title Pac-Man Party for the Wii is now available in stores. This family-friendly party game features a central board that launches around 45 mini-games and activities.
THQ's game Barbie: Groom and Glam Pups for the Wii and DS is now available in stores. The game has players choosing one of several dog breeds, grooming that dog and then training that puppy to do tricks and perform in doggie dance routines. FI suggests grinding this game into a small powder and using it as artificial sweetener in your coffee.
Ntreev USA has changed its name to SG Interactive to reflect Ntreev's acquisition by Korean game company SmileGate. The company publishes games such as Grand Chase, Pangya and Trickster Online. Of course, this means current players need to prepare to transition to a newly branded portal that should launch in 2011.
Electronic Arts has released EA Sports Active: NFL Training Camp for the Wii to stores in North America. This software has Wii owners performing drills and exercises derived from "an authentic NFL experience...designed to improve strength, power and conditioning..."
GamersFirst, a publisher of free-to-play massively multiplayer online games, has created a subsidiary called Reloaded Productions that has purchased the intellectual property rights to APB: All Points Bulletin, developed by recently bankrupt Realtime Worlds. Through Reloaded Productions, GamersFirst plans to relaunch APB in the first half of next year.
Konami's latest DanceDanceRevolution game, (simply called DanceDanceRevolution this time) is now available for the PlayStation 3 and Wii in stores in North America. The game comes bundled with a dance mat controller but can also use the Wii Remote or PlayStation Move, depending on platform.
Electronic Arts has released its game EA Sports Active 2 to stores. The game is currently available in North America for Kinect-capable Xbox 360 units, Move-capable PlayStation 3 units and the Wii, and should reach stores in other regions later this week. This software is designed to help users create and follow a variety of workout routines designed to meet different fitness goals and maintain cardiovascular health.
THQ's game Marvel Super Hero Squad: The Infinity Gauntlet has reached stores in North America. The game is available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and DS and follows season two of the Cartoon Network series, allowing players to select a squad of Marvel superheroes to battle enemies and solve puzzles.
Electronic Arts' game NBA Jam is now available in stores. This basketball game brings back the feel of the classic arcade-style basketball game with two-on-two basketball matches and tons of unlockable content. The game is available for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 (it shipped previously for the Wii).
Ubisoft's game Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is now available for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Following the in the silent footsteps of the first two games, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood has players grabbing the knives of an assassin, eliminating tyrannical Templars, this time in the city of Rome. This game also includes a class-based multiplayer mode.
SouthPeak reported its financial results for its fiscal first quarter ended September 30, 2010. Read on for more details...
Continue reading SouthPeak Reports Quarterly Loss Due to My Baby Conflict.
Microsoft has finally re-launched the Games for Windows Marketplace, providing yet another place where one can purchase PC games online. While the site does offer gamers without requiring a substantial client that will take over your computer and bring about the Age of the Machines, it pushes "Live" enabled games which is almost has bad as having your skull smashed in by SkyNet.
Publisher Destineer, together with Digital Leisure, has shipped Dragon's Lair for the DS to stores in North America (some stores will not have the title in stock until later this week). This is a port of the classic 1983 arcade game animated by Don Bluth. If you want to see the original "quick-time event" game, look no further.
Electronic Arts' game The Sims 3 (that shipped previously for other consoles) is now available for the Wii. It's been more than a year since The Sims 3 shipped for the PC, and now Wii owners can manipulate the petty lives of this latest iteration of simulated people.
Ubisoft announced selected financial results for the first half of its 2010-2011 fiscal year. Read on for more details...
Continue reading Ubisoft Reports Larger First-Half Loss.
Electronic Arts has shipped its game Create to stores in North America and Europe. North American residents can expect to be able to purchase the game tomorrow, while European gamers will have to wait until later in the week. The game is shipping for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and PC, and is a puzzle game in which players can use a vast array of objects to solve physics-based puzzles, or create and share their own puzzles with other players.
Cateia Games, a Croatian developer, has released Kaptain Brawe as a download for the PC and Mac. Kaptain Brawe is a traditional point-and-click adventure game that has Kaptain Brawe fulfilling his duties as a member of the Space Police.
Nintendo has released a variety of new downloadable games for the Wii and DSi, including car-racing, dog-racing and human-racing. Read on for more details...
THQ has released a version of Pictionary, the classic parlor-room game of drawing and guessing, for its uDraw GameTablet. Essentially, the game works the same as the traditional game, using the uDraw GameTablet instead of paper.
Nintendo's game Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem! for the DS is now available in stores. This platforming-style puzzle game has players controlling miniature, wind-up Mario toys (and other characters) to foil Donkey Kong's challenges in the same spirit as similar past games.
THQ's game Dood's Big Adventure for the Wii is now available in stores. Dood's Big Adventure requires the uDraw GameTablet and is a platformer in which players maneuver through the game using the uDraw GameTablet.
THQ released the uDraw GameTablet (pictured to the right) for the Wii. This tablet retails for around $70, and provides a four-inch by six-inch drawing space with an attached pressure-sensitive stylus, allowing Wii owners to draw pictures and create art that can appear (via the Wii) on the television screen. The uDraw GameTablet comes bundled with uDraw Studio, software that allows Wii owners to draw and color on the TV screen and save their content to an SD memory card.
Yesterday, the Walt Disney Company reported its financial results for the fourth quarter and full fiscal year ended October 2, 2010. Read on for more details...
Publisher: Microsoft GamesDeveloper: Lionhead Studios
Platform: Xbox 360 and PC
Reviewed on Xbox 360
The land of Albion is restless. Her monarch has raped the land, taxed the populace into poverty and pressed children into labor to fill the palace treasury. Brutal oppression and horrific executions have become the norm, and Albion's people are bubbling over with revolutionary sentiment. Only a "Hero" of royal blood has the talent, power and lineage to lead the people in revolution. But after ascending to the throne, will that hero have the courage to make the difficult decisions to save Albion from a threat even greater than its cruel nobility?
Continue reading Fable III Review.
As part of Viacom's quarterly financial results, the company announced that it plans to sell Harmonix and reclassified Harmonix as a "Discontinued Operation." Harmonix (part of MTV Games, owned by Viacom) is responsible for developing games such as Rock Band and the recently released Dance Central. Harmonix is such a strong developer, it will surely find a home, but this announcement indicates Viacom sees the end of musical games powered by plastic peripherals as a profit powerhouse.
InstantAction.com was a gaming platform that launched more than two years ago to allow gamers to play 3D PC games inside a web browser. Now, the service is no more, memorialized only by a web page (probably soon to disappear) noting that the service is no longer available.
Activision Publishing, part of Activision Blizzard, is the latest braggart to claim its game release to be the biggest ever. Activision announced today that Call of Duty: Black Ops, released earlier this week, sold through around 5.6 million copies in North America and the United Kingdom, worth around $360 million.
ZeniMax Media, parent of Bethesda Softworks, confirmed its previously rumored acquisition of developer MachineGames, based in Uppsala, Sweden. MachineGames was founded last year by several of the founding members of Starbreeze Studios, and is currently working on an unannounced project. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
Atari announced selected financial results for the first half of its fiscal year, a six-month period ended September 30, 2010:
Continue reading Atari Reports Smaller First-Half Loss.
Today, Sony Online Entertainment launches the 15th expansion for its collectible strategy game PoxNora, called Maljaran War. This expansion adds new runes, a new dashboard and three new single-player campaigns to this PC-based strategy game.
Oberon Media (parent of labels such as I-play) has appointed David Lebow to the Board of Directors and the position of Chief Executive Officer of the company. Lebow has worked at companies such as AOL and Internet Broadcasting. Lebow's appointment comes at the same time that Oberon Media has completed raising $16 million of funding from a variety of private investment firms. Oberon Media plans to use the funds to grow and release current products.
Electronic Arts confirmed that at a Board of Directors meeting yesterday, Gary Kusin retired from the Electronic Arts Board of Directors. To replace him on both the Board of Directors and Audit Committee of the Board, Luis Ubinas, President of the Ford Foundation, has joined EA's Board of Directors. As a non-employee director, Ubinas will receive $50,000 per year (plus $10,000 per year of service) and the same 10,000 restricted stock units other such directors receive (pro-rated to 7,500 due to his fractional year appointment).
Atari's game The UnderGarden is now available both as a PC download and through Xbox Live Arcade. Developed by Vitamin-G, this platformer has players solving physics-based puzzles to pollinate plants in a lush, underground world.
Paradox Interactive has released Majesty 2: Battles of Ardania (an expansion for Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim) as a download for the PC. This expansion adds a new single-player campaign that has players protecting their kingdom from a top-hat wearing magician/werewolf.
This week sees three more downloadable games released for the Xbox 360 through Xbox Live Arcade, including an underground platformer, a role-playing game and Muromachi-age Japanese shooter. Read on for more details...
Continue reading Three More Downloadable Games Available Through Xbox Live Arcade.
Aeria Games (in conjunction with Tecmo Koei Games) has officially launched its persistent online game Dynasty Warriors Online. The game has been available for play in a variety of states, but the official launch (as usual) means that the item shop for this game is now live. This game focuses on tactical action, similar to the Dynasty Warriors games, in which players hack their way through hordes of enemies.
Sony says that SingStar Dance, a game for the PlayStation 3 that combines singing (powered by the PlayStation Move) and dancing, has shipped to stores. Along with two other games today, Sony says SingStar Dance is in stores, but major online retailers and stores we called said the game will be in shortly.
Ubisoft's game Style Lab: Fashion Design for the DS has reached stores in North America. This software lets DS owners create their own clothing designs and share those designs online.
It's a day for compilations, and Electronic Arts has also released the MySims Collection, including the original MySims and MySims Racing. The compilation features both games – both are simplified and accessible takes on The Sims.
Ubisoft's game Just Dance Kids is now available in stores in North America. With 40 dance routines and materials from The Wiggles and Yo Gabba Gabba, the game is designed to get kids moving and exercising.
As with The Fight: Lights Out, Sony says that The Sly Collection for the PlayStation 3 is now in stores although major online retailers (as well as stores FI has called) claim the boxes won't be available until next week. This compilation is PlayStation Move compatible and includes high-definition versions of Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus, Sly 2: Band of Thieves and Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves.
Electronic Arts has shipped the Hasbro Family Game Night 1 and 2 bundle to stores. As you might guess from the title, this compilation includes both Hasbro Family Game Night and Hasbro Family Game Night 2, each with a selection of Hasbro board games converted to work for multiple players on the Wii.
Mastiff has released two Remington-themed hunting games, Remington Super Slam Hunting: North America and Remington Super Slam Hunting: Africa. Both games are available for the Wii and have players hunting big game, in different regions.
Ubisoft's game Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. 2 for the Wii has reached stores. The game shipped in September for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, but still has players piloting a secret, cutting-edge fighter in aerial combat.
A new supply of downloadable games for the PlayStation 3 and PSP are now available in the PlayStation Store. Read on for more details...
Continue reading More Downloadable Games Reach The PlayStation Store.
According to Sony, The Fight: Lights Out has reached store shelves. Major online retailers, as well as stores FI has called, claim the boxes won't be available until next week, so think what you will. When, inevitably, PlayStation 3 owners are able to get their hands on this game of fisticuffs that requires the PlayStation Move, they'll be able to engage in hardcore street fights set in 12 underground fighting venues.
Red Wagon Games has shipped its title Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for the Wii and DS to stores in North America. Developed by High Voltage Software software, this game has players engaging in a variety of activities such as helping Mrs. Claus bake cookies or helping Mr. Claus deliver presents.
Ubisoft's game Family Feud Decades for the Wii is now available in stores. Following the format of the television game show, the Wii game has players competing to reveal popular answers to questions. What makes this game different from the recently released Family Feud 2010 Edition? It has survey questions from as far back as the 1970s.
Konami has released Karaoke Revolution: Glee for the Wii to stores in North America. Like Konami's other Karaoke Revolution games, the game has players singing along to popular tunes, but this game features characters and songs from the first season of the television show Glee.
Hudson has released two new Beyblade games, Beyblade: Metal Fusion for the DS and Beyblade: Metal Fusion - Battle Fortress for the Wii. Both games based on the popular toy line offer fans a new opportunity to enter their spinning, electronic Beyblades in battle.
Activision Publishing, part of Activision Blizzard, has shipped Monster Jam 3: Path of Destruction to stores in North America. Versions of this monster truck-themed game are shipping for the Xbox 360, Wii, DS and PSP. The PlayStation 3 version of the game should reach stores on November 23. The game features 30 licensed monster trucks, and has players customizing their own truck while participating in races and stunt challenges for stadium crowds.
Atlus' game Knights in the Nightmare is now available for the PSP in North America. The DS version of this game shipped last year, but the PSP version adds a new playable character to this role-playing game of strategic battles.
Natsume's game Rune Factory 3: A Fantasy Harvest Moon for the DS is now available in stores in North America. This latest Harvest Moon game has players farming while learning the skills necessary to defend neighbors from encroaching monsters.
Activision Publishing, part of Activision Blizzard, has released its game Call of Duty: Black Ops with versions available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PC and DS. This latest Call of Duty game explores secret operations during the cold-war era, ranging from Soviet outposts to the Vietnam War. Of course, there is also the all-important multiplayer mode to keep people busy shooting online for weeks to come.
Publisher: Shrapnel GamesDeveloper: Dreamspike Studios
Platform: PC
Reviewed on PC
Windows System Requirements: Pentium-class processor or better, 128 MB RAM, DirectX 8.0 or higher, 140 MB HD space, Windows XP or more recent operating system
Ancient Mesopotamia was a land of contrasts, with the fertile lands around the Tigris and Euphrates rivers providing a rich bounty while nearby harsh terrain could be as deadly and barren as the Fertile Crescent was rich. Bronze has players taking on the role of different Mesopotamian civilizations in an effort to colonize the land, conquering or assimilating those who resist.
Continue reading Bronze Review.
Nickelodeon Fit from 2K Play, a label of Take-Two Interactive, is now in stores in North America. Available for the Wii, this game works with the Wii Remote (but is also compatible with the Wii Balance Board) and features Nick Jr. characters such as Dora the Explorer and Kai-lan guiding players through activities that promote exercise.
Bethesda Softworks, part of Zenimax Media, is thrilled to let everyone know that the company shipped five million copies of Fallout: New Vegas to stores, bringing in sales of more than $300 million. Despite prevalent bugs much worse than FI encountered, Fallout: New Vegas deserves the attention, and Bethesda deserves the profits.
The developer formerly known as Artificial Mind & Movement (A2M), responsible for games such as Naughty Bear and Wet, has rebranded itself as Behaviour Interactive. Presumably, the unfortunately not-safe-for-work text abbreviation that has come to be associated with "A2M" is the reason for the rebranding. The developer, with offices in Montreal, Canada and Santiago, Chile, also confirmed that it is working on sequels to both Wet and Naughty Bear for a multi-platform release.
This week's downloadable software for the Wii and DSi ranges from a game of divine intervention to a multicolored DS light. Read on for more details...
Continue reading Downloadable Wii and DSi Titles Include a Disco Light.
Nintendo has released FlingSmash, along with a variety of new hardware and hardware bundles today, including red versions of its Wii and DSi XL as well as the ability to purchase a stand-alone Wii Remote Plus. Read on for more details...
Continue reading Nintendo Releases New Hardware Options and FlingSmash.
Namco Bandai Games announced selected financial results for its second fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2010. Read on for more details...
Continue reading Namco Bandai Games Announces Smaller Quarterly Loss.
I-play has released Downtown Secrets: Ring of Shadows as a download for the PC. This is a hidden-object-style adventure game in which players act as a young lawyer investigating a corporate conspiracy.
NCsoft reported selected financial results for its fiscal third quarter ended September 30, 2010. Read on for more details...
Continue reading NCsoft Reports Comparable Quarter, Lower Aion Sales.
Electronic Arts is planning to launch a new Battlefield multiplayer first-person shooter in 2011. Rather than the full-price-game model in which players purchase the software and battle online for free (save premium downloadable content such as maps and weapons), this game will follow the pattern of Battlefield Heroes and be free to play, but will offer premium weapons and equipment (in a less cartoonish and more realistic environment). Called Battlefield Play4Free, EA promises popular maps from Battlefield 2 with "the familiar classes and powerful weapons of Battlefield: Bad Company 2..." The game should launch in the first half of 2011, and if you choose to play, you can bet EA will find plenty of ways to part you from your cash to be competitive in the online Battlefield.
Focus Home Interactive, together with developer Larian Studios, has released Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga for the PC through Steam. This game is a compilation that includes the original game Divinity II: Ego Draconis and the new Flames of Vengeance content expansion. Those who previously purchased Divinity II: Ego Draconis will receive a discount on the new compilation. The expansion offers even more dragon-hunting and dragon-relating content.
Majesco's game Babysitting Mama for the Wii is now available in stores in North America. The game includes a plush baby doll into which people can shove a Wii Remote to play 40 different mini-games related to caring for an infant. Really? So it's bad to shoot fictional aliens, but it's OK to practice shoving a video game controller into a squalling infant while a cartoonish woman with flaming eyes gazes on?
Activision Blizzard announced its financial results for its fiscal third quarter ended September 30, 2010:
Continue reading Activision Blizzard Reports Third Quarter Income.
Ubisoft's game for Kinect-enabled Xbox 360 consoles, Your Shape: Fitness Evolved, is now in stores in North America. The game acts as a personal trainer, suggesting a fitness routine aimed at toning and weight loss.
Mad Catz announced its financial results for its fiscal second quarter ended September 30, 2010:
Continue reading Mad Catz Reports Improved Second Quarter Results.
Ubisoft's game for Kinect-enabled Xbox 360 consoles, Fighters Uncaged, is now in stores in North America. Fighters Uncaged has players using their bodies (observed by the Kinect) to participate in simulated illegal fighting tournaments.
Microsoft's game Kinect Joy Ride for Kinect-enabled Xbox 360 consoles is now available in stores. The game has players using their bodies to indulge in kart racing matches with extreme stunts.
Konami's game for the Kinect and Xbox 360, DanceMasters is now available in stores in North America. The game has players dancing to 31 different tracks for points and pleasure.
Ubisoft's game for Kinect-enabled Xbox 360 consoles, MotionSports: Play For Real, is now in stores in North America. This compilation includes six sports (football, soccer, skiing, boxing, horseback riding and hang-gliding) controlled using the player's body (observed by the Kinect cameras).
Microsoft's game Kinect Sports for Kinect-enabled Xbox 360 consoles is now available in stores. The game features six sports (soccer, beach volleyball, bowling, table tennis, track and field, and boxing) controlled by moving in view of the Kinect cameras.
Two of THQ's The Biggest Loser games, based on the television series of the same name, are now in stores. The Biggest Loser: Ultimate Workout is available for Kinect-enabled Xbox 360 consoles, while The Biggest Loser Challenge is now available for the Wii. Both games feature Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels coaching players in weight loss techniques such as fitness routines and nutrition.
Microsoft's game Kinectimals for the Xbox 360 (and Kinect) is now available in stores in North America. The game uses the Kinect sensor to allow players to interact with animals that respond to physical movements. Plush toys available in stores will come with codes that can be scanned by the Kinect to activate new animals in the game.
Harmonix, part of MTV Games, has released Dance Central (with distribution help from Microsoft) for Kinect-enabled Xbox 360 gamers. The game has players performing choreography (observed by the Kinect) in an effort to achieve high scores. The game comes with 32 songs, and more can be downloaded for $3 apiece.
Konami's game for the Kinect and Xbox 360, Adrenalin Misfits is now available in stores in North America. The game is a variation on snowboarding- and surfing-style navigation called "crossboarding." Players use their bodies (observed by the Kinect) to ride boards around eight different lands, competing in races or to perform tricks.
Sega's game Sonic Free Riders for the Xbox 360 console with Kinect, is now available in stores. This game has players using their bodies to control Sonic the Hedgehog through fast-paced platforming action.
Microsoft's latest hardware gizmo for the Xbox 360, the Kinect, is now available in stores in North America. The Kinect combines a microphone and two cameras collectively capable of recognizing motion and body position. The Kinect allows Xbox 360 owners to control games and menus (hence the recent Xbox 360 software update) using only their bodies or their voices. Available in a variety of bundles, the basic Kinect sensor costs $150 and includes a copy of Kinect Adventures (an assortment of mini-games controlled by Kinect.
Square Enix announced selected financial results for its six-month period ended September 30, 2010:
Continue reading Square Enix Reports Lower-Than-Expected Net Income.
Matrix Games has released Larry Bond's Harpoon: Ultimate Edition for the PC. Available as a download or by mail, Larry Bond's Harpoon: Ultimate Edition is a new version of this incredibly detailed naval warfare simulator.
THQ reported the financial results for its fiscal second quarter ended September 30, 2010:
Continue reading THQ Reports Large Quarterly Loss.
Mobile and social game publisher Gameloft announced selected financial results for the third quarter of 2010:
Continue reading Gameloft Reports Slightly Better Sales.
Sony Online Entertainment has released its persistent online game Free Realms for the Mac. This casual and family-friendly online game focuses on social interactions and exploration.
Two more downloadable games for the Xbox 360 have been released through Xbox Live Arcade, including a fighting game and a popular trading card game. Read on for more details...
Continue reading Two More Games Released Through Xbox Live Arcade.
THQ's game Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader: Back to School is now available for the Wii and DS. This latest game based on the television game show features around 6,000 questions and a new "Pop Quiz!" mode.
Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 from Namco Bandai Games has shipped to stores for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Just in case you haven't had enough of Dragon Ball games, here's yet another game that allows you to play as familiar anime characters such as Goku.
SouthPeak Games' Noah's Ark for the DS has shipped to stores. This title is akin to an interactive book telling the biblical tale of Noah's Ark.
Ubisoft's game Imagine: Fashion Stylist for the DS is available in stores. The game encourages players to "live the thrilling life of a fashion stylist!"
Little Orbit's game Busy Scissors, a hair-styling game featuring Redken products, is now in stores. Available for the DS, a Wii version of the game should reach stores soon. After a play session, you are welcome to stop by FI's offices and sweep the hair off the floor.
Ubisoft's game Petz Nursery 2 is now available for the DS. The game features 22 baby "petz" that can be cared for, picked up and taught to move.
Atari's compilation Atari's Greatest Hits Vol. 1 for the DS is now available in stores. This compilation includes 50 arcade and early console games from Atari.
Sony has released a new selection of downloadable games for the PlayStation 3 and PSP, including an evil dragon simulator and a strategic dungeon builder. Read on for more details...
Continue reading Weekly PlayStation 3 and PSP Downloads Feature Evil Games.
Battlefront.com has released Battle for Caen, an expansion pack for Theatre of War 2: Kursk 1943. Available as a digital download, this expansion has players controlling units of the British 11th Armored Division during operations "Epsom" and "Goodwood" from June to July of 1944.
Electronic Arts reported "preliminary" financial results for its second fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2010. EA also entered into a five year exclusive currency agreement with Facebook. Read on for more details...
Continue reading EA Announces Preliminary Second Quarter Net Loss.
Blood Drive from Activision Publishing (part of Activision Blizzard), is now in stores. Available for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the game mixes vehicular combat and zombies.
Xseed Games' title Ys: The Oath in Felghana for the PSP is now in stores in North America. This action-oriented role-playing game was originally released in Japan on the PC in 2005.
Scholastic Media has shipped Digging for Dinosaurs for the DS to stores in North America. The game features a variety of mini-games ranging from paleontological digs to fighting dinosaurs so that players can uncover facts about dinosaurs. The game is available in some locations and will reach stores in others soon.
Tecmo Koei's game Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 is now in stores in North America. This melee action game has players taking on the role of Ken, the "...chosen successor of the legendary assassin's art known as Hokuto Shinken."
Scholastic Media has shipped My Amusement Park for the DS to stores in North America. The game is available in some locations and will reach stores in others soon. My Amusement Park has players building an amusement park with the aid of educational logic games and puzzles.
Zoo Games has shipped Minute to Win It for the Wii and DS to stores in North America. Based on the current game show featuring Guy Fieri, the video game version of Minute to Win It features 36 60-second mini-games grouped randomly into 10-round battles.
Sony made EyePet for the PSP available in stores in North America. EyePet uses the bundled PSP camera and included "Magic Card" to allow PSP owners to draw objects in the real world that will transform into 3D toys for their virtual pet to play with. EyePet owners can also customize, clean, feed and train their pet on the PSP.
THQ has released a variety of games based on the Megamind film from DreamWorks Animation SKG that reaches theaters at the end of this week. Megamind: Ultimate Showdown is now available for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and has players inventing devices to combat villains alone or cooperatively. Megamind: Mega Team Unite for the Wii lets up to four players cooperate as characters from the film to defend the city. Megamind: The Blue Defender is available for the DS and PSP and allows players to help Megamind reclaim the city from his own Brainbots and the Doom Syndicate. Finally, there is also Megamind: Bad. Blue. Brilliant, a side-scrolling platformer for smartphones.
Only a day later than planned, GamesCampus.com has (re-)launched Drift City, a persistent online driving game with role-playing elements. The game was previously run by Ijji, and while the game is now officially live at GamesCampus, old players are still being ported to the new server and the cash shop is still being rebuilt.
James Bond 007: Blood Stone from Activision Publishing (part of Activision Blizzard), is now in stores. Available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC and DS, this game is a new Bond adventure in which players travel to Athens, Istanbul, Monaco, Siberia and Bangkok while shooting, fighting and racing around the landscape.
THQ's game The Penguins of Madagascar for the DS is now available in stores. The game has Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private (the eponymous Penguins of Madagascar) working together and building wacky gadgets to further the adventure and participating in a variety of mini-games.
GoldenEye 007 from Activision Publishing, part of Activision Blizzard, is now in stores. Available for the Wii and DS, this is a new take on the classic first-person shooter of the same name released for the Nintendo 64, featuring four-player, split-screen multiplayer action as well as a single-player story.
THQ's game Jeopardy! for the Wii and DS is now available in stores. This game based on the television game show of the same name is also hosted by Alex Trebek, and has players testing their knowledge of trivia across myriad categories.
Sony's game God of War: Ghost of Sparta is now available for the PSP. Developed by Ready at Dawn together with Sony's Santa Monica studio, this latest God of War action game has Spartan warrior Kratos revisiting his past and revealing details about his family.
THQ's game Wheel of Fortune is now available for the Wii and DS. Based on the long-running television game show, Wheel of Fortune features around eight thousand word puzzles and a selection of "commercial break mini-games."
Electronic Arts' game Monopoly Streets is now in stores. Available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii, this is a re-imagining of the classic Monopoly board game.
Splitfish Gameware has shipped the FragFX Shark, Barracuda and Piranha controllers to retail stores. These USB controllers are specifically designed for the PlayStation 3, but can also be used on a PC and Mac. The controllers are designed to simulate the action and accuracy of a mouse for games that otherwise might require a DualShock controller.
Shrapnel Games has released Bronze (developed by Dreamspike Studios) as a download for the PC or shipped directly from Shrapnel Games. The game has players taking on the leadership of one of twelve early civilizations in a strategy game inspired by the recent European board game tradition.
What's with this latest Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard update? Last time my Xbox 360 got a makeover, they tried to turn it into a Wii. This time, my Xbox 360 looks and sounds like a Mac. Like a Mac that I'm supposed to control by waving my hands and talking at the screen like fat Scotty in Star Trek IV. Want to hear more about what annoys me? Read on...
Continue reading Microsoft Launches Fall Update - Curmudgeon Edition.
Nintendo's game PokePark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure is now in stores for the Wii. The game has players taking on the role of Pikachu, playing a variety of minigames and challenges in a Pokemon-themed park to save the park from peril.
Continue reading PokePark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure Available for the Wii.
Her Interactive has shipped the Nancy Drew Collector's Edition: Fan Favorites for the PC to stores. While not available in all stores yet, shortly, fans will have access to this tin including a Nancy Drew journal and three Nancy Drew adventure games voted on by fans. The three games including in this compilation are Treasure in a Royal Tower, The Secret of Shadow Ranch and Curse of Blackmoor Manor.
A variety of games have been added to the downloadable portfolio of games available to the Wii and DSi, including an old basketball game, a side-scrolling baby-themed shooter and a retroviral puzzler. Read on for more details.
Continue reading More Downloadable Games Now Available for the Wii and DSi.
