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Electronic Arts has released a new trailer for the Need For Speed-less Shift 2: Unleashed, which you can check out above. And if you stick around until the end, you’ll get a glimpse of the game’s newly announced release date: March 29.
Shift 2: Unleashed is being developed by Slighty Mad Studios and will be available on the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
As Spider-Man Uncle Ben always said, “With great power, comes great responsibility.” So it seems rather fitting that Activision is about to bestow great power and great responsibility on Beenox, the developer of last Fall’s Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions.
The megapublisher has announced that Beenox has been named the primary developer on upcoming games starring the superhero. While Activision didn’t go into specifics about the wallcrawler’s next video game adventure, an investor’s call in November revealed a new Spider-Man game is in the works for a 2011 release.
For their part, executives at Beenox and Activision seem excited about the arrangement.
“Beenox’s creative vision reinvigorated the Spider-Man gaming experience among critics and fans in Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions,” said Patrick Kelly, Senior Vice President, Activision Studios. “We can’t wait to see where this talented studio will take this franchise in the future.”
“We are thrilled with this opportunity to continue our close, collaborative relationship with Activision, Marvel and everyone’s friendly, neighborhood hero, Spider-Man,” said Dee Brown, Studio Head, Beenox. “Being able to map out Spider-Man’s interactive future gives us the creative freedom to really craft the best gaming experience for the fans.”
Even though we know little about the other games in the so-called Fabula Nova Crystallis project, it seems Square-Enix is moving forward with yet another game in the series – a sequel to the polarizing Final Fantasy XIII. According to this tweet, Square’s usual domain registrar acquired “FinalFantasy13-2Game.com” in recent days, signaling that a sequel is potentially in the works.
Of course, this could be domain squatting to keep others from purchasing the domain – you know, just in case! – but given what’s been said about cut content, and a likely need to add some more Yen to the Square-Enix coffers (FFXIII was in development for ages as you might be aware), it’s not out of the question that a direct sequel is on its way.
Today’s Amazon Deal of the Day in video games is the Nancy Drew Collector’s Edition Fan Favorites by Her Interactive for the PC. It’s on sale for $25 from $49.99, making it a whopping 50% off. Buy it for the quirky, computer-loving teenager who can’t get enough of her detective novels.
Not too much else to report today, unless you’re trying to find a deal on a console, and even those pickings are pretty slim. You can get a $25 video game credit at Amazon if you order the Xbox 360 250 GB console with Kinect, and a $50 video game credit if you order the PlayStation 3 160 GB console. Sometimes I wish Thanksgiving weekend came more than once a year. (My wallet disagrees.)
Yesterday, VG247 said Nintendo told them they have no intentions of releasing The Last Story in the west. A representative told them they have “no plans at present” when asked about localizing the Mistwalker game. This comes as a blow to us RPG fans, especially those of us who had just cleaned up the drool off our keyboards after watching the latest trailer. The trailer – which was five minutes long and utterly stunning – left us all hoping an announcement would be made, especially since rumors have been flying left and right as to whether or not this Sakaguchi-helmed game would make it into our hands. It looks like, for the time being, we’re out of luck.
Hit the break to check out the trailer, along with a 15-second long television advertisement.
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Konami’s Hard Corps: Uprising, a high definition sequel to 1994’s Contra: Hard Corps, will lead off this year’s Xbox Live House Party. The game will be added to the XBLA on February 16 and will carry a pricetag of 1200 Microsoft Points ($15). A PlayStation Network version is also planned, though Konami hasn’t given it a release date yet.
To celebrate the release date announcement, Konami has released a bunch of new screenshots (including that awesome one featuring The Base above). You can see them all after the jump.
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Doritos Crash Course is, unsurprisingly, this year’s Doritos-sponsored Xbox Live Arcade freebie (along with Harm’s Way, a driving game/tower defense hybrid). The game takes the form of an extreme obstacle course that mashes together elements of Wipeout, Nickelodeon’s Guts and The Eliminator from American Gladiators. Best of all, the character you control on this side-scrolling course is your own Avatar.
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In today’s economy, you have to stay current, whether it involves your products, your marketing, or your environmental concern. Today, worldwide game company THQ followed suit by unveiling a new corporate logo at the New York Gamers Event.
Brian Farrell, THQ President and CEO had this to say: “Over the past few years, the gaming industry has seen an unprecedented period of innovation. You can see it in the deep, rich storylines, in the expansion of social and mobile gaming, and in the introduction of new technologies that enhance the gaming experience. THQ is proving its commitment to deliver the best experience to gamers through internally developed original intellectual properties, creative partnerships, and new talent acquisitions in order to solidify its position as a flagship publisher of extraordinary interactive entertainment.”
Though much of their work involves creation of third-party or licensed games, THQ has recently struck a chord with modern gamers. Their work on games such as Darksiders, Red Faction: Guerilla, and the Dawn of War series has shown the potential that THQ can bring to the table. With the re-creation of the company’s logo, consumers are left wondering if they really can expect more from THQ.
In response, Farrell states: “Our new logo epitomizes the change, innovation and creative growth that are the cornerstones of the new THQ. By developing triple-A, innovative, original intellectual properties, attracting the top talent in the industry, and placing that talent first, THQ continues to redefine itself. This new logo seeks to capture that change and make it tangible.”
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