PS Vita getting… yep… Ridge Racer!!!

Posted on June 8, 2011 by Mike Gutierrez

I couldn’t help but burst out laughing when SCEA President & CEO Jack Tretton took a jab at Kaz Hirai for his infamous Ridge Racer line from a past E3. Truthfully, we still love Kaz, and we love Ridge Racer as well, which makes today’s news even more juicy. Cellius, a joint venture between Namco and Sony, will be bringing a new Ridge Racer title to the PlayStation Vita. No information on title, release date, or specific features has been given, but players are promised, “high-speed drifting at break-neck speeds in high-performance racing machines with new exciting new gameplay additions.”

I was already leaning towards getting a Vita at launch due to the reasonable price and impressive software line up, but now that it has Ridge Racer? Day one purchase.

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Atlus bringing King of Fighters XIII to the US

Posted on June 8, 2011 by John Scalzo

Few franchises have lasted as long as SNK’s King of Fighters franchise. The series, which first debuted in 1994 and is a spinoff of the even older Fatal Fury series, has seen 12 installments with a 13th announced this year at E3. Atlus will be bringing The King of Fighters XIII across the Pacific with a PS3 and Xbox 360 release planned for this Fall.

Developer SNK is claiming that this one is for the fans and that they plan to address many of the problems players had with The King of Fighters XII:

With the triumphant return of fan favorite characters like Mai, K’, and Vice, extensive refinement of the core fighting engine based on community feedback, and vastly improved network functionality, The King of Fighters XIII represents the HD entry in the series that fans have been waiting for.

Painstaking effort has been made to address every last concern following the last entry: fights play faster; the addition of over a half dozen play modes offers variety and replayability; the game’s beautifully rendered and animated character sprites are better distinguished from the backgrounds… which happen to be richer and more detailed; the camera perspective is less restricted; fighters have more moves, including new supers and the all-new NEOMAX supers; and much, much more!

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Trials Evolution announced by RedLynx

Posted on June 8, 2011 by John Scalzo

Trials HD was a surprise hit on the Xbox Live Arcade and the motorcycle racer is still popular on the Top XBLA charts to this day. Developer RedLynx has used this year’s E3 Expo to announce the sequel, Trials Evolution, is in development for a 2011 release.

Trials Evolution is being kept tightly under wraps for now (the teaser trailer above is practically the definition of “tease”), but the sequel will include “local and online multiplayer, true outdoor environments, and a host of additional improvements [over Trials HD].”

“Trials Evolution is more than just a sequel to Trials HD,” said Antti Ilvessuo, Creative Director of RedLynx. “We listened carefully to all the feedback we received from the previous game and added it to our own vision of what the ultimate Trials game could be, coming up with a gamer’s wish list of must-play features.”

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PixelJunk SideScroller detailed by Q-Games

Posted on June 8, 2011 by Nicole Kline

Those little devils over at Q-Games have been very, very busy. PixelJunk SideScroller wasn’t only announced at E3, it’s also currently playable on the E3 show floor. This clever little sidescroller was originally an unlockable level in PixelJunk Shooter 2, but it’s grown into its own game. Loaded with their trademark “flowing liquids and hazardous gases,” Shooter gets a new spin, transforming into an all-new experience. The enemies are familiar and the projectiles are flying faster than before. The game will have “brand new levels and ferocious boss attacks” – but we expected nothing less from the mind of Dylan Cuthbert.

PixelJunk SideScroller will also have puzzles, “vector-like visuals,” a customizable arsenal, difficulty settings, and leaderboards. Oh, and of course, you can share your feats via YouTube as well. No word yet on how this fits into the PixelJunk series as a whole. This PlayStation Network game should be released later this year, so be on the lookout.

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Beyond Good & Evil 2 is beyond current generation’s grasp

Posted on June 8, 2011 by John Scalzo

There’s been plenty of E3-related news over the last few days, but how about a bit of E3 “non-news.” Rayman creator Michel Ancel revealed that Beyond Good & Evil 2 will not be released for this generation of consoles. However, the acclaimed developer confirmed that the game is still in development and is in no danger of being canceled:

“It is still alive and we are very far [into] development so we can’t go back now,” Ancel said. “We are targeting the next generation of consoles.”

The franchise has never really been forgotten as fans have been clamoring for more on the sequel since it was announced back in 2008. A high definition remake of the first Beyond Good & Evil was released on the Xbox Live Arcade in March. It will be added to the PlayStation Network any day now.

[Source: GamesIndustry.biz]

Posted in News, PC, PS4, Wii U, Xbox One | Tagged ,

Far Cry 3 returns to the jungle in 2012

Posted on June 8, 2011 by John Scalzo

Ubisoft has announced that Far Cry 3 is in development for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 for a 2012 release. Once again developed by Ubisoft Montreal, gamers that were saddened by Far Cry 2‘s desert landscapes will be pleased to know that Far Cry 3 is going back to the jungle:

With Far Cry 3, players step into the shoes of Jason Brody, a man alone at the edge of the world, stranded on a mysterious tropical island. In this savage paradise, where lawlessness and violence are the only sure thing, players dictate how the story unfolds, from the battles they choose to fight to the allies or enemies they make along the way. As Jason Brody, players will slash, sneak and shoot their way across the island in a world that has lost all sense of morality.

“Far Cry 3 brings something new and unexpected, while still building upon the foundations of excellence that are inherent to the Far Cry brand,” said Dan Hay, producer at Ubisoft Montreal. “Whether you’re already a fan of the Far Cry series or jumping into the franchise for the very first time, you’re going to be blown away by the gritty story and epic adventure we’re going to deliver.”

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PS3-exclusive Tekken Hybrid includes Tekken Tag HD, CG movie

Posted on June 8, 2011 by John Scalzo

Namco Bandai has announced that an exclusive game/movie bundle will be coming to the PS3 this November. Tekken Hybrid will combine the upcoming CG movie Tekken: Blood Vengeance 3D with the high definition remake Tekken Tag Tournament HD.

“Tekken Tag Tournament is considered one of the best titles in the Tekken franchise, and one of the greatest fighting video games of all time, so we’re thrilled to be bringing this property into HD for current generation gamers,” said Carlson Choi, vice president of marketing, Namco Bandai Games America. “Including the remake as part of Tekken Hybrid alongside Tekken: Blood Vengeance 3D allows our passionate fans to immerse themselves in the storied histories of the Tekken characters on their path to the King of Iron Fist Tournament.”

Tekken creator and project director Katsuhiro Harada would go on to say that Tekken Hybrid will include a ton of great special features, including some things he’s not ready to talk about yet: “Tekken Tag Tournament HD will also include a version of the popular Tekken Bowl as well. And the content announced today might not be all we have up our sleeves for Tekken Hybrid.”

Hit the jump for a look at Tekken Hybrid’s E3 trailer.

Press Start to Continue →

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Miyamoto confirms Pikmin 3 is in development for Wii U

Posted on June 8, 2011 by John Scalzo

Every year after Nintendo’s E3 press conference, Shigeru Miyamoto holds the Nintendo Developers Roundtable. The roundtable is a more intimate gathering of press and Nintendo personnel which Miyamoto uses to talk about concepts and ideas that either wouldn’t be a good fit for a splashy media presentation or are too early in development to truly talk about.

At the 2007 Nintendo Developers Roundtable, Nintendo’s guru of games revealed that Pikmin 3 was in development for the Wii. The game quickly become the subject of this year’s discussion as well, prompting Miyamoto to confirm the game has jumped to the Wii U:

“We really did want to release Pikmin this year in honor of [the series’ 10-year] celebration,” Miyamoto told the crowd. “Earlier, someone asked if we’re working on any other Wii games after Skyward Sword. Well, Pikmin was a Wii game we were working on.

“However, as we’ve been working on Wii U hardware and I’ve been looking at those high-definition graphics and that beautiful controller, I’ve been getting the feeling I wanted to see Pikmin there instead.”

Pikmin 3 has never been publicly shown since its 2007 “announcement.” Perhaps we’ll learn more about its HD makeover (and get an official announcement!) at E3 2012.

[Source: 1UP]

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