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Add Halo: The Thursday War to your book library this October

Posted on May 8, 2012 by John Scalzo

Microsoft and Tor Books have announced the next novel in Karen Traviss’ Kilo-Five trilogy, Halo: The Thursday War, will be released on October 2.

The novel is a sequel to Halo: Glasslands and will give fans their first taste of the “events and circumstances that will come to define the state of the Halo universe in Halo 4.”

Instead of the big action moments of the previous Halo novels and games, Traviss said she wanted The Thursday War to “focus on what it feels like to operate in a fragile ceasefire that’s turning into a mass of small, unpredictable wars where the enemy is much harder to spot and define.” She added, “This is a messy conflict seen at close quarters by real people with their own problems, whether those people are human, alien, or artificial intelligences.”

Halo: The Thursday War picks up immediately where Halo: Glasslands left off, with forces on Earth and among the Covenant threatening a peace that is precarious at best. With a splinter group among the Sangheili [Elites] pushing for war, some human colonies rebel against earth authority; and as ONI policy continues to shift with the volatile situation in space, the discovery of a trove of Forerunner technology on Onyx provokes leaders on Earth to seek uses for it in the conflict. For the fight is far from over…

Halo: The Thursday War will be available in both hardcover and audio formats.

Posted in Etcetera, News, Xbox 360 | Tagged

EA plans to release SimCity, new Dead Space, new Need For Speed in late 2012/early 2013

Posted on May 7, 2012 by John Scalzo

Electronic Arts held their quarterly financial briefing today and CEO John Riccitiello had plenty to say about the company’s plans for the remainder of 2012 and early 2013.

In addition to reassuring sports fans the world over that EA would be producing new entries in the Madden and FIFA franchises (I heard it was real touch and go for a while there), he also revealed a new Dead Space game and a new Need For Speed game for 2012/2013 as well as narrowing down SimCity‘s release date:

“The key considerations for our [Fiscal Year 2013] plan, as it came together these past months, are these. At the foundation is another year of blockbuster brands: Madden NFL, FIFA, SimCity, Medal of Honor, Dead Space, and Need For Speed.”

SimCity was previously announced as a 2013 release, but if it’s going to be available during EA’s 2013 fiscal year, it’ll have to be released by March 31, 2012 at the latest. So pencil SimCity in as a Q1 2013 release on your big calendar.

EA’s Criterion studio went on a hiring push late last year, so it’s likely that they’re producing the next Need For Speed game. Their last retail title, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, was released in 2010. Finally, a new Dead Space game was rumored for release this year, but it’s nice to have confirmation.

I’m sure we’ll learn all about these three games at next month’s E3 Expo.

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Blockbuster UK has 25 Wii U games in its database

Posted on May 7, 2012 by John Scalzo

With E3 just a month away, the Wii U rumors are going to start heating up and that includes this latest bit of news… Blockbuster’s UK arm has added 25 Wii U titles to its inventory database.

None of the titles have release dates, and most were previously announced, but there are a few surprises including a Marvel Super Heroes game, something titled Shield Pose, and a game simply known as “Zombie.”

Here’s the complete list of Wii U games in Blockbuster UK’s system. All unannounced titles are listed in bold.

  • Aliens: Colonial Marines
  • Assassin’s Creed III
  • Batman: Arkham City
  • Darksiders II
  • Dirt 3
  • F1 All-Stars
  • Game Party
  • Just Dance 4
  • Killer Freaks from Outer Space
  • Marvel Super Heroes
  • Metro: Last Light
  • Monsters Party
  • New Super Mario Bros. Mii
  • Ninja Gaiden 3
  • Pikmin 3
  • Rabbids Party Land
  • Raving Rabbids
  • Rayman Legends
  • Shield Pose
  • Sports Connection
  • Tekken
  • Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Online
  • Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell 6
  • Your Shape 2013
  • Zombie

[Source: Go Nintendo]

Posted in News, Wii U |

This is the complete Halo timeline

Posted on May 7, 2012 by John Scalzo

Frank O’Connor, the Halo Franchise Director at 343 Industries, has mentioned the shooter’s “series bible” many times in the last few years. O’Connor isn’t just developing new games in the bestselling franchise, he’s trying to create an interconnected world that would make George Lucas gasp in astonishment.

Now, CVG has pulled together the many different threads of the Halo franchise (six original games, one remade game, six trade comics, nine novels, two short story collections, and an animated film) into one cohesive timeline, and what it means for Halo 4. Even if you don’t play the games, it’s an interesting read:

Under Bungie and Microsoft the Halo timeline was malleable, but for 343 it’s set in stone. Halo’s extended universe is informing everything about Halo 4, from its setting on a Forerunner Shield World to the enemies drawn from a point 100,000 years in the past. Halo 4’s protagonists were first introduced inthe pages of Primordium and Cryptum and its new technologies debuted in Glasslands.

Catching up with it all could take a while, so we’ve done the hard work for you, pulling together threads from every piece of Halo fiction and ironing out the contradictions for adefinitive wrap-up of one billion years of fiction.

Posted in News, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Daily Scoop: May 7, 2012 – Another day, another deal

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Nicole Kline

Another weekend has flown by, and another Monday is upon us. It’s like it’s some sort of pattern or something.

But at least some wild deals have appeared! Amazon’s new weekly deals are up:

They’re also having a Mother’s Day Sale on select video games, including Just Dance, Zumba Fitness, and The Biggest Loser Challenge. That seems a bit sexist. What if my mom plays Gears of War?

Two gaming shirts today… (more…)

Posted in Daily Scoop, Etcetera, News |

Microsoft confirms subscription-subsidized $99 Xbox 360

Posted on May 7, 2012 by John Scalzo

It appears the rumors are true. Starting today, Microsoft has begun selling a subscription-subsidized Xbox 360 bundle for $99. Currently available only at the 21 Microsoft Store locations in the U.S., potential buyers are required to sign up for a two-year contract (at $14.99 a month) to Xbox Live Gold as part of the purchase agreement.

But after you plunk down your initial $99, you’ll receive a brand new 4GB Xbox 360 system and a Kinect sensor. It’s actually not a bad deal, but few people will be able to take advantage of it as most of the country lives hundreds of miles from the nearest Microsoft Store.

But as a predictor of things to come in the console space, this kind of subsidized system sale could make the “future generation” console wars very interesting.

Posted in News, Xbox 360 |

Marvel confirms multiple Avengers games in development

Posted on May 7, 2012 by John Scalzo

With over $200 million in box office business, The Avengers has scored the biggest theatrical opening ever. So where’s the video game adaptation? According to Marvel, it’s coming. Scratch that, according to Forbes, multiple Avengers games are coming.

“We launched Marvel: Avengers Alliance on Facebook; which is just the tip of the iceberg,” said TQ Jefferson, Vice President of Games Production for Marvel. “This is the first in a much larger effort to support the Avengers franchise across not just one but multiple video game touch points. The Avengers are bigger than just one game, and we’re planning to allow consumers to enjoy The Avengers regardless of their preference in gameplay style or platform. Look for more announcements in the weeks to come.”

What happens in a few weeks? The 2012 E3 Expo, of course. It’s likely that an Avengers game will be announced at the big show, possibly for a Fall launch alongside the Blu-ray/DVD release of The Avengers. The first game based on The Avengers film/comic book will likely be titled Avengers: Battle For Earth, as Internet sleuths recently discovered a domain registration for AvengersBattleForEarth.com by Ubisoft.

Other Avengers action will hit your platform of choice in 2013 and 2014 as the Forbes report also confirmed that Disney’s video game arm is hard at work on projects based on Iron Man 3, Captain America 2, and Thor 2.

Avengers assemble!

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Activision officially announces Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse

Posted on May 7, 2012 by John Scalzo

After being outed over the weekend by Amazon, Activision has officially announced that Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse will be available this Fall.

“Fans of Family Guy will love that we’ve taken some of the series’ most iconic and memorable moments and built them into an impressive and uncensored video game,” said David Oxford, Executive Vice President, Activision. “Anyone who watches the show will appreciate how much we have adhered to its rich and twisted universe and characters.”

Activision promised that more details from Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse would be revealed soon, but for now, that’s it. However, the Amazon listing included a September 25 release date for the game, which the retailer claims is coming to the PS3 and Xbox 360.

Posted in News, PS3, Xbox 360 | Tagged