Shacknews Games

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Coming to Wii, PSP and Nintendo DS Too

2010-02-09T17:10-06:00

Elaborating on this morning's announcement of Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, publisher Ubisoft has confirmed that the military shooter is coming to more than PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

"Ghost Recon, it will be multi-platform. It will be on all the platforms: PC, PS3, 360, Wii and PSP and [Nintendo] DS," Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot responded today after an investor asked him to clarify the title's platforms.

But while Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfare developer Ubisoft Paris has been tasked with the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 editions, the Wii version will be handled by a different team and sport "a different approach...created for that Wii population."

The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 36...

Next Assassin's Creed Set in Rome, Packs 'Innovative Assassination Multiplayer'

2010-02-09T16:30-06:00

As Ubisoft continues to slowly unveil new details on the multiplayer-enabled Assassin's Creed II follow-up due this year, the company offered a few new tidbits today.

"There has been a lot of excitement around the next installment of [the] Assassin's Creed franchise," Ubisoft CEO Yves Guilletmot told investors. "What we can say today is that it marks the return of the now legendary Ezio, but this time he will strike directly at the heart of the Templars order in Rome. In addition to this full new adventure, players will also be able to challenge their friends in a very innovative assassination multiplayer."

...

Shack PSA: Trine PC Again $5 on Steam

2010-02-09T15:40-06:00

If the opportunity to snag Frozenbyter's excellent platform-puzzler on the cheap has previously passed you by, good news! Trine PC is once again just $5 on Steam--that's 75% off--meaning that you have another few days to rectify the situation.

Representing the outlet's latest "Midweek Madness" sale, the discount is valid through Thursday, February 11. A separate sale, one that sees the price of various Total War games knocked down by some 66%, will be running through the end of the week.

<...

Ubisoft Planning More Frequent Sequels for Splinter Cell, Prince of Persia, Ghost Recon and More

2010-02-09T15:10-06:00

With Ubisoft planning to release a number of sequels and follow-ups across the next year, such as Splinter Cell: Conviction and Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, the publisher has now outlined a new strategy to produce more frequent entries in its top brands.

As Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot explained today in a conference call with investors:

Our clear goal today is to come more regularly with top brands. For example, it took three to four years to come back with Splinter Cell, Driver, Prince of Persia or Ghost Recon. We believe we can launch them more often without risk or brand fatigue.
This commitment to our franchises doesn't mean that we will not continue to launch new intellectual properties, as certain projects have been under development for some time and...will be launched in financial year 11 [April 2010 - March 2011] and financial y...

Forza Motorsport 3 Nurburgring Track DLC Released as Game Sales Race Past 2 Million

2010-02-09T14:30-06:00

Another bit of downloadable content for Forza Motorsport 3 arrived today--this one adding two layouts of the Nurburgring Grand Prix Circuit--alongside word that Turn 10's Xbox 360 exclusive racer has now sold over two million copies since it hit retailers in October 2009.

Priced at 400 Microsoft Points ($5), the 134MB "Nurburgring Grand Prix Circuit Track Pack" is now available through the Xbox Live Marketplace, with an assortment of media showing off the virtual recreation. [video]17100[/video] Shackvideo users can use the Shackvideo users can use the HD Stream.

Okay, so that video didn't offer any actual gameplay from the sadistic action-puzzler but it certainly gives you a feel for the project's tone. Plus, well. Peanut Butter. Jelly.

The latest from WET vets A2M, Naughty Bear hits PlayStation and Xbox 360 in Q2 2010.

Iron Man 2 Video Game Release Date Confirmed

2010-02-09T13:10-06:00

SEGA's video game adaptation of Iron Man 2 will hit North America on May 4, mere days before the theatrical feature film's May 7 release, the publisher confirmed today.

Though "based on the cinematic universe" of the film, SEGA San Francisco's heroic shooter features an original story crafted by Iron Man and Casanova comic scribe Matt Fraction, complete with villains that aren't in the movie, like Crimson Dynamo.

Also exclusive to the game is an all-new song from "metal superstars" Lamb of God, with SEGA noting that "the music of Lamb of God definitely evokes the intensity of Iron Man action and we are very excited to have them working with us for the game."

Iron Man 2: The Video Game is coming to PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS and PSP--though the Nintendo DS edition of the action game will apparently lack the Lamb of God tune--with developer SEGA San Francisco (formerly Secret Level) said to have "paid close attention" to the various criticism...

Second Batch of Mass Effect 2 DLC Due Today

2010-02-09T12:30-06:00

The second batch of downloadable content for BioWare's sci-fi shooter RPG Mass Effect 2 will hit PC and Xbox 360 today, bringing the promised Cerberus Assault Armor and M-22a Eviscerator Shotgun to those with access to the online Cerberus Network.

The Cerberus Assault Armor

Access to The Cerberus Network and its variety of downloadable goodies comes free with new copies of Mass Effect 2 in an effort to fight piracy and used sales--those that play a second-hand or rented copy of the game must pony up $15 for access.

But while more downloadable content, including a hover tank, is on t...

Diablo 3 Female Monk Revealed

2010-02-09T11:50-06:00

Blizzard has revealed the female form of Diablo 3's monk class and her fists of fury with concept art and a character render over on the PC action RPG's official website.

Left, all geared-up. Right, in need of a few thousand Baal runs.

Unlike its predecessors which pegged classes to one sex or the other, Diablo 3 will offer male and female forms of all character classes. Except the archivist, probably.

...

EA Affirms Project Natal, PlayStation Motion Control Support at Launch

2010-02-09T11:10-06:00

Both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 motion-tracking add-ons coming in late 2010 will launch alongside support from publisher Electronic Arts, the company has affirmed.

"With respect to the motion control games on [Project] Natal / Xbox and the Sony Motion Controller, we will be supporting both of those platforms at launch," explained EA COO John Schappert in a conference call. "We don't have any titles to announce right now on those, but we will be supporting those and we are hopeful on those."

T...

Plants vs. Zombies iPhone Release Dated

2010-02-09T10:30-06:00
Gleemaker PopCap has pinned the mid-February release iPhone and iPod Touch release of its lawn defense game Plants vs. Zombies to February 15, via Twitter.
Pricing has yet to be announced, though PopCap's other iPhone offerings are currently priced at between $2.99 and $4.99. Peggle cost $4.99 at launch before dropping.
Never forget that uraniwa ni zombies ga and we most certainly do not want zombies on the lawn. Do enjoy the roof level music in this new iPhone trailer.
[video]17096[/video]

LEGO Universe Beta Signups Open

2010-02-09T09:50-06:00
Developer NetDevil has opened beta registration for LEGO Universe (PC), providing the opportunity to help test the block-buster MMO before it launches sometime this year.
While some signups are a rather detailed affair, this one is relatively simple--after signing in with a LEGO ID, one simply states if they have no, some, or much experience testing online games. Of course, not everyone will be chosen to participate; " You have now joined our bravest heroes so be ready to answer the call, you might get chosen to battle," declares the site after you've signed up.
No word as to when the beta will kick off, though with the game due later this year, expect it sooner than later. Thanks for the heads up, GoldfishInAJarOfPi...

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Officially Announced, Splinter Cell: Conviction Includes Beta Access

2010-02-09T09:15-06:00
The new entry in Ubisoft's tactical shooter Ghost Recon known previously only as 'Ghost Recon 4' will be named Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier and be released during the 2010 holiday season, the publisher announced today.
Few details were given, other than it's coming from Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter developer Ubisoft Paris and a press release boasts of "cutting-edge technology, prototype high-tech weaponry, and state-of-the-art single-player and multiplayer modes."

The logo and 2007's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2.

Invit...

Dead Space 2 No Longer Coming to PC, Survey Suggests XBLA & PSN Ports of Dead Space Wii

2010-02-09T08:20-06:00
The PC edition of Dead Space 2 was conspiciously abscent from EA's fiscal year 2011 release lineup revealed yesterday--because apparently there is no longer a PC edition.
"As of right now a PC sku is not in the plan," an EA representative told Blue's News. No reason was given for scrapping the PC edition, which the video games colossus announced alongside Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions a mere three months ago.

The original Dead Space and Dead Space Extraction.

BioShock 2 Chat Thread and Discussion

2010-02-09T07:00-06:00
2K's subaqueous sequel BioShock 2 launched worldwide today and many of you might already have a copy in your hands. Steam copies are now unlocked, midnight openings were held in thousands of stores, and my own Special Edition arrived in the post today.
I only had time to install and see the first few minutes so I can't say much about the game yet but I can tell you that this seems a splendid Special Edition. What I like most is that the art book's a proper chunky hardcover affair with great glossy artwork and interesting factoids--a most welcome change from the flimsy magazine-quality art 'books' often found in SEs, CEs and the like. The other gubbins are lovely too.
Did you opt for console or PC? How do you feel about returning to Rapture? Are you one of the skeptics yet unconvinced and, if so, why? To hide spoiler-y material, encase the questionable content in question within o[spoiler tags...

Morning Discussion

2010-02-09T07:00-06:00
How can one sum up Tuesday February 9, 2010, in a single, short Morning Discussion? Probably with a link to a video of possibly the world's first natural sighting of an oarfish. The ocean is mysterious, wonderful and amazing and one day will destroy us all. If we're lucky, the ocean's life will be responsible for our downfall. We can but dream.
On a related note, today we have a dedicated BioShock 2 Chat Thread for all you Rapturian rotters to share their gossip and watery whispers. Chat-a-chat.

EA Talks Day One DLC Success, 2010 Strategy

2010-02-08T21:00-06:00
In a conference call Q&A after their earnings report, Electronic Arts executives waxed about recent successes and strategies with downloadable content.
EA CEO John Riccitiello shared the motivation behind their inclusion of paid DLC in all their titles this year. "We sort of initiated our approach here originally with NBA Live with Dynamic DNA almost a year-and-a-half ago. In every case, what we've seen is a very positive response from the consumer and in each case, particularly with Dragon Age, a strong pickup in revenue per user. By and large, they like the extra content and we think it's a strong positive move...we've got similar strong PDLC programs with all of our titles this year."
COO John Schappert embellished on the success of Dragon Age DLC. "We had downloadable content in addition to the pack-in content, if you will, available for purchase on day one. The first week, we did over a million dollars in sales on that title - that's just ...

Evening Reading: Games Need Better Endings

2010-02-08T20:00-06:00
Watching the credits to Mass Effect 2 all I could think about was the continuing struggle it seems to be for video games to nail an ending. It's one of the clearer examples of the hurdles designers face in uniting the narrative of a game with the playing of it. While an uneasy balance can often be struck during most of the game, climactic moments expose that fractured relationship between the two.
After the ongoing internal push-pull between the action and the narrative for dominance throughout the game, this particularly held true in Mass Effect 2. I appreciate the dilemma facing the team at the end. With so much invested in improving the combat for the sequel there had to be this tremendous sense of need for a big payoff. From there it must have been a very short road to the cliched ending sequence that resulted.
Giving in to that -- taking the easy way in a sense by falling back on formulaic design -- took the wind out of my sails at the worst possible point in t...

Need for Speed SHIFT Ferrari DLC Screens and Info

2010-02-08T18:40-06:00
A slew of Ferraris are coming to Need for Speed SHIFT this month -- but for the next eight days exclusively to Xbox LIVE -- via a 'Ferrari Racing Series' downloadable content pack from publisher Electronic Arts. The new DLC packs in ten different Ferraris and eight new racing events containing forty-six challenges designed specifically for the new cars.

The new cars can be used in online races and the pack includes one hundred twenty-five new gamerpoints worth of achievements to be unlocked.
Here's a complete list of what's included:

Ten New Cars
1996 Ferrari F50 GT
2005 Ferrari F430 Spider
2005 Ferrari FXX
200...

Final Fantasy 13 Developers Claim It Will 'Resurrect' the Japanese Game Industry

2010-02-08T17:50-06:00
In anticipation of the European and North American releases of Final Fantasy 13 this March, producer Yoshinori Kitase and director Motomu Toriyama recently responded to fan-submitted questions about the RPG on PlayStation.Blog.Europe.

Toriyama and Kitase discussed topics such as the game's 50-60 hour length -- about ten hours of which they said are cinematics -- and the optional side-missions that can effectively double the play-time. The possibility of a CG movie adaptation along the lines of Advent Children was also mentioned.
In addit...

*Shacknews* Games

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Coming to Wii, PSP and Nintendo DS Too

Next Assassin's Creed Set in Rome, Packs 'Innovative Assassination Multiplayer'

Shack PSA: Trine PC Again $5 on Steam

Ubisoft Planning More Frequent Sequels for Splinter Cell, Prince of Persia, Ghost Recon and More

Forza Motorsport 3 Nurburgring Track DLC Released as Game Sales Race Past 2 Million

Iron Man 2 Video Game Release Date Confirmed

Second Batch of Mass Effect 2 DLC Due Today

Diablo 3 Female Monk Revealed

EA Affirms Project Natal, PlayStation Motion Control Support at Launch

Plants vs. Zombies iPhone Release Dated

LEGO Universe Beta Signups Open

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Officially Announced, Splinter Cell: Conviction Includes Beta Access

Dead Space 2 No Longer Coming to PC, Survey Suggests XBLA & PSN Ports of Dead Space Wii

BioShock 2 Chat Thread and Discussion

Morning Discussion

EA Talks Day One DLC Success, 2010 Strategy

Evening Reading: Games Need Better Endings

Need for Speed SHIFT Ferrari DLC Screens and Info

Final Fantasy 13 Developers Claim It Will 'Resurrect' the Japanese Game Industry

Shacknews Games