Most Recent: PS3

Winter Classic leads NHL 12’s new features

Posted on May 25, 2011 by John Scalzo

EA Sports is bringing a ton of new features to NHL 12 when the hockey sim faces off on the PS3 and Xbox 360 this Fall. You can check ’em all out right here, straight from EA…

Full-Contact Physics Engine: Real-time physics technology goes into overtime! Shatter the glass with helmet-popping hits along the boards, knock rivals over the boards and into the bench, and significantly impact the play of the goalie with screens and collisions as he fights through traffic to locate the puck. Game on!

All-New Dynamic Goalie Interaction: Stonewall your opponents with awe-inspiring desperation saves from your goalie as he covers every possible angle and works through screens and flying bodies in front of the net. When the action gets heated, send a message by leaving the net, dropping the gloves, and trading punches with a hated rival during melees and fights.

Play in the Winter Classic: The NHL package jumps to life with the addition of the NHL Winter Classic, the league’s premier outdoor hockey event on New Year’s Day. Play under snowfall at Pittsburgh’s Heinz field as 70,000+ rabid fans provide inspiration by cheering you on while donning Winter Classic gear.

Be a Pro Revamped: Playing as your created pro, earn every shift on the ice with stellar play, big hits, and spectacular goals. Simulate the action to your next shift so you’re always on the ice as you play out your entire career gunning for the Stanley Cup

NHL 12 will be released on September 13. Starting today, you can pre-order it at the EA Store.

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New Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon gameplay trailer

Posted on May 25, 2011 by Mike Gutierrez

If you like taking on massive bug invaders in an enraged barrage of over-the-top action, this trailer’s for you. It showcases the hectic gameplay of D3 Publisher’s upcoming sci-fi shooter. Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon releases for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on July 5, for a friendly suggested price of $39.99.

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Max Payne 3, Agent, Spec Ops: The Line delayed

Posted on May 25, 2011 by John Scalzo

After 14 years in development, Duke Nukem Forever will finally be released next month after countless delays. But three other games in Take-Two’s development slate weren’t so lucky as they’ve been hit by Duke’s delay stick.

Spec Ops: The Line, which debuted in an amazing trailer at last year’s Spike TV Video Game Awards, will now be released sometime in the Spring/Summer of 2012. It had previously been scheduled for release this Fall.

A pair of Rockstar titles were also delayed as Max Payne 3 and Agent have been pushed back to release date unknown.

But don’t worry, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has assured us, “Max Payne 3 and Agent are still in development.” Let’s just hope we don’t have to wait another 14 years.

Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360 | Tagged , ,

NIS’ PlayStation 3 lineup is off the charts

Posted on May 25, 2011 by Nicole Kline

Own a PlayStation 3? Love NIS games? This is a great time to be you, as NIS’ PlayStation 3/PSP exclusives are ridiculous.

First, there’s Bleach: Soul Resurreccion, a hack-and-slasher that closely follows the anime and manga. Second up is the latest in the Atelier series, Atelier Totori: The Adventurer of Arland, which takes place a few years after Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland. Third will make fans of ClaDun: This is an RPG! rejoice: it’s ClaDun x2, a new game in the series for the PSP. And finally… the moment you’ve been waiting for… a shiny and absolutely hilarious trailer for Disgaea 4:

“Take a dump on the face of common sense!” Yeah, I am in love with this lineup right now.

Check out more NIS America news, including a trailer for Bleach: Soul Resurreccion, at the PlayStation.Blog.

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Rockstar head honchos re-sign with Take-Two

Posted on May 25, 2011 by John Scalzo

Sam Houser, Dan Houser and Leslie Benzies, the brain trust behind Rockstar Games’ creative success, have agreed to renew their employment contracts with Take-Two Interactive. According to Take-Two, the deal featured “substantially similar economic terms” to their current contract.

This is great news for Take-Two as Rockstar has released an unprecendented string of critically acclaimed and bestselling titles over the last few years. And with L.A. Noire practically redefining what a video game can be, locking them up for a sequel was a smart thing to do.

Rockstar Games currently has several titles in development including Max Payne 3 and the PS3-exclusive Agent. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has also very strongly implied that the developer will release Grand Theft Auto V in 2012.

Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360 |

Take-Two CEO hints at Grand Theft Auto V in 2012

Posted on May 24, 2011 by John Scalzo

He probably didn’t mean to, but Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick just confirmed that Grand Theft Auto V will ship sometime between April 1, 2012 and March 31, 2013.

During the company’s quarterly financial briefing, the executive had this to say: “While it is still very early to discuss fiscal 2013, we have a very strong pipeline of titles in development and currently expect to achieve substantial earnings growth, including Non-GAAP earnings per share in excess of $2.00.”

This bit of Wall Street speak may not have the words “grand”, “theft” or “auto” anywhere in it, but the earnings per share number speaks volumes. You see, the last time Take-Two could claim earnings per share in excess of $2.00 was back in 2008, right after the release of Grand Theft Auto IV.

You can play games with journalists, but you don’t mess with the SEC. Consider GTA5 in 2012 as good as confirmed.

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Yakuza 4 Review: Our Powers Combined, We Are Captain Kamurocho!

Posted on May 24, 2011 by Adam Woolcott

The Yakuza franchise has always struggled for respect in the West. Despite being extremely popular in its native Japan, none of the games have made much of a dent outside its borders – but at the same time the series has built a small, dedicated following. After the painful “will it or won’t it” with Yakuza 3, Sega made sure to avoid the same situation by quickly confirming that, yes, Yakuza 4 was getting localized.

Though it still requires a modicum of knowledge in the lore of Yakuza, this fourth entry is, in many ways, a re-introduction to the characters and universe. While the game doesn’t have any revolutionary changes to the formula – not a surprise considering there have been four releases in five years – some of the design choices make Yakuza 4 seem like a new starting point for future entries in the series. As long as you’re not completely worn out by the familiar formula, this is another great entry into a seriously underappreciated franchise. (more…)

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Sony’s E3 2011 showcase to include at least four surprises

Posted on May 24, 2011 by John Scalzo

Sony has launched their official E3 2011 website with the tagline “It Just Keeps Getting Better.” While most people expect Sony to be in damage control mode at this year’s expo, the console-maker does have a pretty stellar lineup of stuff planned for the big show:

  • The Next Generation Portable (NGP)
  • Infamous 2 (PS3)
  • Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One (PS3)
  • Resistance 3
  • Twisted Metal (PS3)
  • Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (PS3)

Sony also plans to surprise gamers with at least four additional announcements. We can only speculate what they might be but the publisher has plenty of other games in the pipeline including the recently announced Starhawk, The Last Guardian, the Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection and Sly 4.

It could be all of them. It could be none of them. We’ll find out for sure on Monday, June 6.

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