Most Recent: Xbox 360

The Darkness II playable at PAX East; first screenshots revealed

Posted on March 11, 2011 by John Scalzo

2K Games is bringing playable demos of two of their biggest upcoming titles, The Darkness II and Duke Nukem Forever, to this weekend’s PAX East show. There’s probably not a person reading this that doesn’t have at least some idea about Duke Nukem Forever, but The Darkness II should have your attention as well.

The Darkness II introduces “Quad-Wielding,” which allows players to use their Demon Arms while simultaneously firing two weapons. Basically, you’ll become an eviler Doctor Octopus.

You can check out a quartet of “Quad-Wielding” Darkness II screens after the break. (more…)

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

Dark Horse publishing Rage prequel comic

Posted on March 11, 2011 by John Scalzo

Bethesda Softworks and Dark Horse Comics have announced that they’re teaming up to create a three-issue comic miniseries based on id Software’s upcoming Rage.

The series will be written by Arvid Nelsion (Rex Mundi) and penciled by Andrea Mutti (DMZ). The cover art (which you can see to your left) is being created by Glenn Fabry, best known for his work on Hellblazer and Preacher. The first issue will be available June 22 and will serve as a prequel to the game’s story:

This comic series, developed with the direct participation of Rage’s creative director, Tim Willits, presents a new twist on the post-apocalyptic near future as one woman discovers that the survival of humankind doesn’t necessarily mean the survival of humanity. The Earth has been devastated by a collision with an asteroid, with a tiny fraction of the population surviving in life-sustaining Arks buried deep below its surface. Those who survive emerge to find a wasteland controlled by a global military dictatorship called the Authority. But a rescued scientist learns that the Authority has lied to her and the other survivors about how this new world came to be.

Rage will be released for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 on September 13.

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

Tribes: Ascend announced at PAX East

Posted on March 11, 2011 by John Scalzo

Long-time readers of Penny Arcade are well aware of Mike “Gabe” Krahulik and Jerry “Tycho” Holkins’ love-hate relationship with the Tribes franchise. So it should come as no surprise that Hi-Rez Studios has used the first day of the PAX East expo to announce Tribes: Ascend, the next game in the multiplayer shooter series. The publisher has also unveiled the game’s debut trailer, which you can see above.

Hi-Rez considers the Unreal Engine 3-powered Tribes: Ascend as the true successor to Tribes 2 and considers the game “a re-introduction of the franchise to the gaming world.”

“Before Halo, before Modern Warfare, and before Battlefield, there was Tribes.”, says Todd Harris, Hi-Rez Studios COO. “Tribes fans appreciate the game’s essence – athletic FPS combat combined with teamwork and strategy. As we began development of Tribes Universe, we focused first on capturing that essence – refining and modernizing iconic elements like jetpacks, skiing, and vehicles. We’ve had tremendous fun play-testing and realized the potential of a multiplayer focused title ahead of Tribes Universe. The community has been waiting for a multi-player shooter that is the modern successor to T2. Tribes: Ascend is that game.”

Tribes: Ascend will be released towards the end of the year as a downloadable title for the PC and Xbox Live Arcade. Releasing the game on “additional platforms” is also being considered.

Posted in News, PC, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Batman: Arkham City swoops into stores October 18

Posted on March 11, 2011 by John Scalzo

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has announced that this Fall’s most anticipated game, Batman: Arkham City, will be released on October 18 in North America (October 21 in the UK). Apologies to Uncharted 3, Gears of War 3 and the rumored Halo remake, but it’s true.

The Rocksteady-developed sequel will be released on the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 and is said to be five times larger than Batman: Arkham Asylum:

Batman: Arkham City builds upon the intense, atmospheric foundation of Batman: Arkham Asylum, sending players soaring into Arkham City – five times larger than the game world in Batman: Arkham Asylum – and the new maximum security “home” for all of Gotham City’s thugs, gangsters and insane criminal masterminds. Set inside the heavily fortified walls of a sprawling district in the heart of Gotham City, this highly anticipated sequel introduces a brand-new story that draws together a new, all-star cast of classic characters and murderous villains from the Batman universe, as well as a vast range of new and enhanced gameplay features to deliver the ultimate experience as the Dark Knight.

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

Call of Duty: Black Ops leads February sales, becomes bestselling game of all-time

Posted on March 11, 2011 by John Scalzo

After becoming the bestselling PS3 game, Call of Duty: Black Ops can now lay claim to just being the bestselling game, period.

According to the NPD Group, the Treyarch-developed game passed Wii Play in February to become the bestselling game of all-time. Exact sales figures weren’t released, but Wii Play is known to have sold over 13 million copies. So let’s call it 14 million. Of course, Wii Play is a Wii exclusive while the sales of Call of Duty: Black Ops have been split across the DS, PC, PS3, Wii and Xbox 360.

Not surprisingly, Black Ops was also the top-selling game in February, where it was joined by newcomers Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, Killzone 3, Bulletstorm and Mario Sports Mix. The full top ten (which is still littered with dance games), can be seen right here:

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS, PC)
2. Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds Xbox 360, PS3)
3. Just Dance 2 (Wii)
4. NBA 2K11 (Xbox 360, PS3, PSP, Wii, PS2, PC)
5. Dead Space 2 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
6. Zumba Fitness: Join the Party (Wii, Xbox 360, PS3)
7. Bulletstorm (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
8. Killzone 3 (PS3)
9. Michael Jackson: The Experience (Wii, DS, PSP)
10. Mario Sports Mix (Wii)

Posted in DS, News, PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360 | Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Microsoft sells 10 million Kinect sensors

Posted on March 10, 2011 by John Scalzo

Gamers didn’t really know what to make of Microsoft’s Kinect in the run-up to the peripheral’s release. But it looks like John Q. Public knows exactly what to make of the motion control system as consumers have purchased ten million Kinect sensors worldwide as of January 3rd.

Each of those ten million consumers also weren’t shy about buying Kinect-enabled games as retailers also sold “ten million standalone Kinect games.” And that number doesn’t count the ten million copies of Kinect Adventures that were sold as a bundle with the sensor.

According to the people at Guinness World Records, this makes the Kinect the “fastest selling consumer electronics device” ever.

Posted in News, Xbox 360 |

Kombat Kontinues in latest Mortal Kombat trailer

Posted on March 9, 2011 by John Scalzo

With the PS3 demo now available for PlayStation Plus subscribers, NetherRealm Studios has unleashed a new trailer for Mortal Kombat and it is brutally awesome.

The two-minute preview gives us our first look at Ermac, Shang Tsung, Stryker and Kano along with the return of The Krypt and another glimpse at Kratos. There’s also plenty of Fatalities, X-Ray moves and a few quick snippets of the title’s four minigames (Test Your Might, Test Your Sight, Test Your Strike and Test Your Luck).

If you call yourself a Mortal Kombat fan, you must watch this trailer.

Posted in News, PS3, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Toy Soldiers recruit the Real American Hero

Posted on March 9, 2011 by John Scalzo

Toy Soldiers went marching home on the Xbox Live Arcade last March. Today, Signal Studios announced that the game will be all it can be on the PC this Summer as well as revealed an Xbox Live Arcade sequel, Toy Soldiers: Cold War.

As you may have guessed from the logo, Toy Soldiers: Cold War has been inspired by The Real American Hero, G.I. Joe. While the fight won’t involve laser rifles and a centuries old cult of snake worshipping mutants, the game will definitely harken back to Saturday morning fun for a lot of Xbox 360 owners:

The Cold War ignites when ‘80s era action toys come alive and wage war! Toy Soldiers: Cold War delivers hours of intense combat combined with addictive action strategy gameplay. Superpowers collide in this playful homage to ’80s action toys and films. Command the powerful Cold War arsenals of the USA or USSR armies! Control base turrets, modern combat vehicles, fighter jets, attack helicopters, and commando action figures. Whether lighting up the Toy Box alone or jumping into the fray with your friends, battle in campaign, co-op, or competitive modes. Fight for the high score in the addictive mini-games, and while you’re at it, don’t forget to BLOW EVERYTHING UP!

Toy Soldiers: Cold War doen’t have a release date yet, but Signal plans to bring a playable build of the game to this weekend’s PAX East.

If you can’t make it down to the show, hit the jump for a look at the first trailer and a Toy Soldiers: Cold War feature list. (more…)

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