Most Recent: News

Bangai-O HD, Moon Diver on XBLA today

Posted on May 4, 2011 by John Scalzo

This week’s Xbox Live Arcade additions are action-packed!

Treasure’s twin-stick shooter Bangai-O HD: Missile Fury goes HD courtesy of D3 Publisher and promises “a screen-filling, sensory overload of thousands of missiles!” Meanwhile, Square Enix trades guns for swords with the swordplay platformer Moon Diver, which was developed by the creator of Strider!

Bangai-O can be downloaded for 800 Microsoft Points ($10) while Moon Diver is priced at 1200 Microsoft Points ($15). More information on both games can be found after the break. (more…)

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Assassin’s Creed: Revelations takes place in Istanbul

Posted on May 4, 2011 by John Scalzo

Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed: Revelations reveal has been slowly working its way towards completion and the new pictures are beginning to clear up the future of the franchise.

The clearest image is that of the Hagia Sophia (left), the largest church in the city of Istanbul. However, Turkish gaming site Oyungezer (via Joystiq) has translated more of the teaser and supplied the worldwide gaming community with even more clues:

  • The number (“24061459”) is actually the birthdate of Assassin’s Creed II protagonist Ezio Auditore da Firenze (albeit written in the European date format).
  • The amoeba-like symbol that occasionally flashes across the screen is a Tughra, an official seal or signature for a sultan.

The Tughra shown belongs to Suleiman the Magnificent, who ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1520 until 1566. So it’s very possible that Assassin’s Creed: Revelation will be another direct sequel to ACII (which takes place in 1499) and Brotherhood (which takes place from 1499-1507).

Joystiq speculates that the inclusion of Ezio’s birthdate hints at a prequel focusing on Ezio’s father. Which would mean the action will take place in Constantinople (not Istanbul!).

They Might Be Giants had no comment on the rumors.

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The Darkness II dated for October 4

Posted on May 4, 2011 by John Scalzo

We finally know when we’ll be able to “quad-wield” in 2K Games’ The Darkness II. The publisher has released a new teaser that confirms the supernatural shooter will be released for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 on October 4.

If you need a primer on The Darkness II (the first game is almost four years old at this point, after all), here’s what 2K says you can expect from the game:

It’s been two years since Jackie Estacado, now the Don of the Estacado crime family, used Darkness to kill the men responsible for his girlfriend’s murder. Jackie continues to have haunting visions of his beloved Jenny since her death. He’s tried to cope by bottling up his supernatural power, and now Darkness wants out. A sudden, unprovoked attack on Jackie’s life heralds the start of a full-scale mob war, which has clearly been orchestrated by some outside force. The botched attempt opens the door for Darkness to reemerge, and sets Jackie on a journey to hell and worse, as he unravels the mystery behind the attack and the motivations of Darkness itself.

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Wii drops to $150; budget Nintendo Selects lineup revealed

Posted on May 4, 2011 by John Scalzo

As expected, Nintendo officially dropped the price of the Wii to $149.99 today. With the new price comes a new bundle. The $149.99 package will include the console (available in black or white), a matching Wii Remote Plus/Nunchuk, a copy of Mario Kart Wii and a Wii Wheel. The bundle will go on sale in two weeks, on May 15th.

With Wii Sports pulled out of the Wii system box for the first time since the console’s launch, the groundbreaking game will lead the new Nintendo Selects line. Retailing for $19.99, the first wave of Nintendo Selects will also include Animal Crossing: City Folk, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Mario Super Sluggers.

“From the day it launched, Wii has let players of all ages and experience levels have fun with one another,” said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “The new suggested retail pricing for both the hardware and select games will help create more of these magical moments for even greater numbers of people.”

In other words, the Wii still prints money.

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L.A. Noire: The Collected Stories announced

Posted on May 3, 2011 by John Scalzo

Rockstar will be expanding upon the noirish tales told in L.A. Noire with L.A. Noire: The Collected Stories, a short fiction collection from some of the biggest names in the mystery game. Published in conjunction with Mulholland Books, The Collected Stories will feature characters and cases from the game, but all of the “emotionally torn protagonists, depraved schemers and ill-fated victims” will be cast in a new light by the awesome Duane Swierczynski (read Severance Package right now, I demand it!), Megan Abbott, Lawrence Block, Joe Lansdale, Joyce Carol Oates, Francine Prose, Jonathan Santlofer and Andrew Vachss.

The first story available will be “The Girl” by Megan Abbott. The titular girl is June Ballard, one of the many characters from L.A. Noire. An excerpt of the story is available at the Rockstar Games website with the full-length tale coming soon.

Many of the stories will be released on Rockstar’s website before the game’s May 17th release. The Collected Stories will be available at eBook retailers everywhere on June 6th. A print copy doesn’t appear to be in Rockstar’s plans at this time, but it’s seems wrong to read hardboiled fiction on a computer screen.

Yeah, like that’s going to stop me.

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Microsoft hosting Halo Fest at PAX Prime 2011

Posted on May 3, 2011 by John Scalzo

This year is the tenth anniversary of the Halo series and Microsoft plans to celebrate in a big way. They haven’t told us exactly what they have planned yet (*cough* Halo: Combat Evolved HD *cough*), but I’m sure it’ll be spectacular.

We’ll learn more about those plans at this year’s PAX Prime. It’s there that Microsoft will host Halo Fest, a three day celebration of everything Halo:

Packed with tournaments, exclusive panels, and sweet prizes, Halo Fest is the place to be for Halo fans attending PAX Prime 2011

This event commemorates ten incredible years of Halo, looking back at the amazing stories that forged a diverse community and redefined gaming for two entire console generations. Join us […] and see why the last ten years of Halo were just the beginning.

PAX Prime (and Halo Fest) will be held August 26-28 at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle.

Posted in News, Xbox 360 |

Bethesda bringing three more DLC packs to Fallout: New Vegas

Posted on May 3, 2011 by John Scalzo

Bethesda has announced that they plan to bring three additional DLC packs to Fallout: New Vegas this Summer. The expansions will be released simultaneously on the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 (for $9.99 each) and, according to Bethesda, they will “raise the stakes” of the series. While they didn’t announce one, I’d bet good money that a Fallout: New Vegas Game of the Year Edition is in the works for this Fall.

But Fall is so far away. Especially when we’ve got all the details on the downloadable packs, straight from Bethesda:

Available on May 17, “Honest Hearts” takes you on an expedition to the unspoiled wilderness of Utah’s Zion National Park. Things go horribly wrong when your caravan is ambushed by a tribal raiding band. As you try to find a way back to the Mojave, you become embroiled in a war between tribes and a conflict between a New Canaanite missionary and the mysterious Burned Man. The decisions you make will determine the fate of Zion.

In “Old World Blues,” releasing in June, you will discover how some of the Mojave’s mutated monsters came to be when you unwittingly become a lab rat in a science experiment gone awry. You’ll need to scour the Pre-War research centers of the Big Empty in search of technology to turn the tables on your kidnappers or join forces with them against an even greater threat.

“Lonesome Road,” available in July, brings the courier’s story full circle when you are contacted by the original Courier Six, a man by the name of Ulysses who refused to deliver the Platinum Chip at the start of New Vegas. In his transmission, Ulysses promises the answer as to why, but only if you take one last job –a job that leads you into the depths of the hurricane-swept canyons of the Divide, a landscape torn apart by earthquakes and violent storms. The road to the Divide is a long and treacherous one, and of the few to ever walk the road, none have ever returned.

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Duke Nukem Forever system requirements announced

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Bret Morace

Today, on the Gearbox Forums, the system requirements for Duke Nukem Forever were announced. The game will hit store shelves June 14 after a very long and infamous development process. For those who are unaware, the title was originally revealed in April 1997, and has jumped from three developers and four publishers in its 14 years of development.

The current requirements are likely quite different than what 3D Realms would have asked of your PC back in the late 90s, but you can find them after the break. (more…)

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