Battlestations: Pacific Demo

Eidos announces the availability of the PC edition of the Battlestations: Pacific demo that's also now available for the Xbox 360. Word is:

Thursday 30th April:

...The official demo for Battlestations: Pacific, the immense sequel to the critically acclaimed Battlestations: Midway, is now available through Xbox Live®, Games for Window Live, Gamespot.com, IGN.com and Steam.

Published by Eidos, Inc. and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and developed by Eidos Game Studios, Battlestations: Pacific completes the entire Pacific War with two massive single-player campaigns, the historically based US campaign and a historically possible Japanese campaign. Players will experience one war through two epic sagas to be a part of history or change it. Commanding the US Fleet, players relive the grandest and most critical naval battles of the Pacific War and for the first time, as the Japanese, players lead the IJN Fleet to a completely different ending to the war.

No other game delivers the challenge of an RTS with the rush of real-time WWII flight and naval warfare. Players need intelligence and expertise to plan their moves in order to remain one step ahead of the opponent while commanding both strategy and action to turn the tide of war.

The Battlestations: Pacific demo features:
• In-game tutorials
• One action-packed mission (Divine Winds of Leyte) from the US campaign
• Two multiplayer modes (Island Capture and Siege) that can be played in “Skirmish Mode,” a new mode which allows players to tackle multiplayer maps against AI-controlled enemy

To download the Xbox 360 demo directly from the Xbox Live® Marketplace, please click on the link below: http://marketplace.xbox.com/games/media ... cid=BSP852

The Games for Windows Demo is available at numerous download sites including IGN Direct2Drive, and Valve Steam.

Fable II "See the Future" XBox LIVE - May 12th

Episode nine of Lionhead Studios’ video diary series goes behind-the-scenes of the much anticipated second Game Add-on!

London, 30th April 2009 - Enter Lionhead Studios’ world of whimsy to catch a glimpse of the new adventures that await the heroes of“Fable II” in the much anticipated second Game Add-on,“See the Future”, which will be available on Xbox LIVE on 12th May. In this latest behind-the-scenes diary episode, the team chats about the continued storyline, wacky characters and design choices for“See the Future,” including the creation of 250 fun Achievement points and a trip down memory lane to the original“Fable.”

“See the Future” returns to the beloved world of Albion, where a set of cursed items from Murgo the Trader unleashes new challenges for players to overcome, including encounters with kooky ghost hobbes, bloodcurdling necromancers, a cursed knight and the Coliseum, where only the greatest heroes will emerge victorious to claim the ultimate prize. Of course, what would travel be without a trusty companion? The“Fable II” dog returns with three alter egos to guide players on their quests to see the future, in the form of a Dalmatian, Bloodhound or Husky.

In addition to fantastical new quests, creatures, characters, events and legendary artifacts,“See the Future” also offers free unique items* to all, including a unique soldier helmet, braided ponytail hairstyle, psycho Jester make-up, a new hero expression, the back flip trick for canine companions, and a collectible Murgo the Trader gold statue.

As an added bonus, all Xbox LIVE Silver account members are invited to join in on the adventurous LIVE co-op festivities during the Multiplayer Unlocked Weekend for free! Created specifically for“Fable II” fans, this Multiplayer Unlocked Weekend will be accessible in all LIVE-enabled regions where“Fable II” is available, starting on 8th May and concluding on 11th May.

The“Fable II” Game Add-on,“See the Future,” will be available for download exclusively on Xbox LIVE Marketplace on 12th May for 560 MS Points for the premium content package.“Fable II” is available exclusively on Xbox 360 and is rated 16+ by PEGI. To learn more about“See the Future,” including access to this developer diary and new screenshots, head over to http://www.lionhead.com/Diaries/Default.aspx or http://www.lionhead.com/Fable2/SeetheFuture.aspx

*The free content update must be manually downloaded from Xbox LIVE and will enable those who haven’t purchased the“See the Future” premium content to continue the co-op action with their friends.

Call of Duty 4 Cheater Killing Patch Incoming

Infinity Ward’s Community Relations Manager Robert Bowling has found the time to tweet that Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare on the Xbox 360 will be getting a patch soon that will be a headache for players who like to get their kicks by cheating. Bowling says the patch is going through certification now and that the “cheaters days are numbered.”

Though no details have about the patch have been announced, I am quite curious to what they got up their sleeve to hinder cheaters / Team killers...

Bethesda Announces Elder Scrolls Novels

Bethesda has announced The Infernal City, the first of two novels set after the events of Oblivion. The stories will be penned by Greg Keyes, who is also known for his work with the Babylon 5 and New Jedi Order books.

"We've been big fans of Greg's work for a long time, and we're thrilled he agreed to bring his talents to The Elder Scrolls," said vice president of public relations and marketing Pete Hines. "We see these books as a natural extension of the franchise and think fans will love the stories and characters Greg has created."

The plot will revolve around a city that appears in the skies above Tamriel and begins raising the dead. As usual, it'll be up to an "unlikely duo," in this case Prince Attrebus and a girl named Annaig, to put a stop to it. Looks for The Infernal City this fall.

Battlefield 1943 (on Frostbite) is coming XBL, PSN

EA and DICE have announced that their Xbox LIVE Arcade and PlayStation Network iteration of the Battlefield series, Battlefield 1943, will cost $15 or 1200 MS Points.

The multiplayer game brings BF 1942-inspired maps that are now powered by BF: Bad Company’s Frostbite engine, meaning destruction and win go hand in hand.

“Using the same Frostbite engine that we developed for Battlefield: Bad Company, we are able to take players back to WWII and return to the roots of the Battlefield franchise, but with a new twist - destruction,” said Gordon Van Dyke, Producer on Battlefield 1943. “We want to offer gamers the most accessible online shooter experience and the best value found in any premium download title with Battlefield 1943.”

The game will land on the consoles in June, followed by the PC version in September.

Halo Wars “Strategic Options” DLC revealed

Titled “Strategic Options”, the DLC will add three new game modes which “dramatically change the multiplayer experience and challenge players to rethink their battle tactics,” as well as four new achievements worth a total of 100 points.

• Keepaway Mode is the “Halo Wars” adaptation of Capture the Flag. Teams will battle it out to capture a free-roaming Forerunner Sentinel to score points before the other team. Capture three sentinels to claim victory.
• Tug of War Mode is all about having a stronger army than the opponent. Defeating enemies is essential, but success is determined by a combination of the army, buildings and resources left standing in the end.
• In Reinforcement Mode, all active battle units are provided in successive waves. Players must adapt their tactics and use the ever-changing set of units to outwit and outlast the enemy.

Campaign Kill Count: 10,000,000,000

From Bungie.net

Five hundred and sixty five days. Ten Billion Covenant scum.

It's been said that the UNSC lost nearly every ground war against the unholy conglomeration of alien species better known as the Covenant. Not this time. Not on our turf. This weekend, the ticker tracking the total number of Covenant kills you've racked up to date hit the ten billion mark. That's a one with ten zeros in tow.

For those in the same camp we count ourselves in, folks baffled by talk of billions, let's take a look at the tally from a more down-to-Earth perspective. Crude math places the estimate of daily Halo 3 Covenant kills, launch-to-date, at over 17,500,000. That's 730,000 killed per hour or 12,000 Covenant troops killed per minute.

* If you had ten billion pennies saved up, you could cash them in for about a hundred million bucks. You'd also need a piggy bank about the size of a football field to hold them and the bank teller would shoot you the mother of all nasty looks when you started bringing in your jingling sacks of copper to exchange them for paper bills.

* The Earth's current population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, has reached 6.7 Billion. If current trending models remain accurate, it's projected that our population will reach ten billion sometime in the next fifty years.

* Were we able to lay the corpses of the fallen Covenant in some kind of gruesome, macabre ring around the circumference of the Earth, we'd have to make the trip some 456 times. Roughly speaking, that would be 11,363,636 miles of end-to-end Covenant. And that's using a low estimate of six feet for each Covenant foot soldier.

* According to Robt McLees, If we were to skin the Covenant aliens felled upon Earth's battlefield, there would be enough leather to upholster the entire state of New Jersey. Which would be easily be the most disgusting thing ever done in the history of disgusting things.


We've hit the Covenant where it hurts. Made them pay a price for setting foot on our soil. But the war isn't over yet. The Covenant war machine marches on.

We're glad we've got you by our side, soldier. You're worth the weight of a hundred Covenant scum. Actually, the per player average puts the count right at 650 kills per player. Mighty fine work.

Here's to ten billion more.

The Godfather II is Now in Stores for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC

Electronic Arts Inc. and Paramount Digital Entertainment today announced the arrival of The Godfather II videogame in stores now in North America for the Xbox 360 videogame and entertainment system, PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, and PC. The game will be available on April 10th in Europe.

The Godfather II is the sequel to the multi-platinum hit The Godfather The Game and has earned a perfect 5 out of 5 from GamePro magazine. GamePro calls the game “…criminally addictive” and “...the experience by which other crime games must be judged."

“The Godfather II offers players the ultimate fantasy of being a Don - of finally being the guy who calls all the shots for the family,” says Executive Producer Hunter Smith. “By combining the strategic gameplay of thinking like a Don through the 'Don's View', with our intense, visceral 'Blackhand' combat, we are focusing on the game at the root of the Godfather franchise, the game of organized crime. In essence, we're creating a new niche in the open-world genre and are really excited to see how players will build their families and customize their own experience in both the single player campaign and multiplayer battles.”

The Godfather II takes all of the drama, action and family values from the classic Godfather films and brings them into an interactive experience. This means that players have to build and invest in their family, manage their rackets, takeover crime rings and even reach out to corrupt officials – all through the revolutionary Don’s View. The Don’s View is a 3D display of the player’s criminal empire and family tree, offering a birds-eye view of all three cities to better coordinate their take-down strategies, plan hits on rival made men, attack enemy compounds, and much more. As a Don in the Corleone family, The Godfather II puts the control in the players’ hands and allows them to live in the Godfather universe while creating their own story of deception, betrayal, and conquest in a 1960’s organized crime world.

Developed at the EA Redwood Stores studio, The Godfather II is rated M for Mature by the ESRB and 18+ for PEGI. The Godfather II will be available for MSRP $59.99 on the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 and MSRP $49.99 on PC.

PLYMOUTH, Mich., April 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Stardock (www.stardock.com) announced today that the highly anticipated real-time action strategy PC game, Demigod, has gone gold. Demigod is set to hit store shelves in North America on April 14 and will also be available for download on Stardock's digital distribution platform Impulse (www.impulsedriven.com). Pre-orders are now available on Impulse for both the standard edition ($39.95) and the collector's edition ($49.95.)

Developed by renowned gaming studio Gas Powered Games, Demigod delivers an epic game experience by combining elements of its acclaimed strategy game Supreme Commander and its award-winning Dungeon Siege role-playing game series.

In Demigod, a god has fallen, leaving an opening in the Pantheon. Players take control of a Demigod, waging war in spectacular arenas against others to ascend to godhood.

Each battle takes place in an arena, where players earn gold and experience in battle which can then be used to acquire new abilities, learn magical spells, purchase better equipment and improve their faction's Citadel with the goal to lay waste to the opposing faction.

Demigod makes use of Stardock's Impulse Reactor which provides intelligent match-making, on-line tournaments, player skill ratings, and much more.

"We are extremely happy with how Demigod has turned out," said Stardock's CEO and president Brad Wardell. "Demigod is the kind of game that we think players will be playing years from now. It has a really fun single-player tournament, and it has online features that let both casual and competitive players create their own fun and unique gaming experiences."

"We're proud of what the Demigod team has accomplished," said Chris Taylor, CEO of Gas Powered Games. "They've created an original world and setting, with spectacular art direction and characters, and have matched it with unique gameplay that seamlessly mixes elements from multiple genres."

While most PC games are released at $49.95 or more, Demigod has been priced at only $39.95 due largely to Stardock and GPG's confidence that Demigod is a game that will appeal to a very broad set of PC gamers.

For further details about Demigod, please visit www.demigodthegame.com.

For more information about Stardock please visit www.stardock.com.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Xbox 360 Screenshots

G.I. Joe the video game picks up where the live-action movie leaves off and features 12 G.I. Joe characters and co-op mode. The game will be hitting store shelves sometime in the second half of 2009!

 

Team Fortress 2 Sniper Updates

The gamers at the Team Fortress 2 Blog are reporting that the next class pack will focus on the Sniper. It's actually shaping up to be the largest TF2 update yet, with multiple new maps and a bunch of gameplay tweaks. In addition, we've got another update in the works that should be done before the Sniper, and that one will include some new content for all classes.

The XBOX 360 update is still being worked on. If you're wondering what's taking so long, since the content is "done" on the PC already, it's mostly been around fitting it all onto the XBOX. The original version of TF2 in the Orange Box was very close to the XBOX's memory limit, and all the additional TF2 content we've produced has pushed well beyond it. We've found a couple of nifty ways to get back a bunch of that memory, but it's turned out to be a lot of work, and that's what most of our time is being spent on. In the meantime, we're going to get a code update out to address the server cheating that's going on.

Like many other folks online, the TF2 team has loved the Top 10 TF2 Plays of the Week videos that Push Gaming has been doing. If you haven't seen them yet, you can catch week 1, and week 2. We're hoping for a third one soon, but we can't really complain. If we were doing them ourselves, you'd probably see the third one sometime next year.

For some videos Click Here!

www.teamfortress.com

Arcania: A Gothic Tale: Screenshots

The RPG: A Gothic Tale, formerly called Gothic 4, appears unlikely before the end of 2009.

But now there are two new screenshots.

The title will be developed not just as the existing parts of the Gothic series, Piranha Bytes, but from the Spellbound Studios. A Gothic Tale will take place about ten years after the events of Gothic 3 and will initially be available for both PC and for Xbox 360. The Playstation 3 version will be available later. As of now there are two new screenshots for the game ready for viewing.

Valve Announces Left 4 Dead Sales

Valve is reporting that over 2.5 million copies of Left 4 Dead have sold at retail stores since its release last November. Those figures are enough to constitute a roaring success as it is, but do not count copies sold via Steam, as Valve does not give out sales figures for its digital distribution service.  As popular as the game has been in stores it is expected that sales figures from Steam must also be high.

Rock Band Tops $1Billion in Sales in N. America

According to Edge-Online.com, Harmonix's Rock Band music game franchise has surpassed $1 billion in North America in 15 months, MTV Games announced, citing figures from NPD Group.

On top of that, players have purchased over 40 million paid individual song downloads. Over 600 songs are available, selling for $6.25 for three-song bundles or $1.99 per individual song.

Rock Band 2 launched in North America last year for $189.99 on PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii.

Alienware Laying Off Workers & Closing Plants

Alienware spokesperson Winnie Wong spoke with ExtremeTech and stated that the company was looking to expand and do so must eliminate some of its current positions.

Now a subsidiary of IT giant Dell, Alienware’s manufacturing operations in Miami and Athlone, Ireland will be moved to Dell’s own existing manufacturing facilities. “This is obviously putting two teams together into one unbeatable team,” stated Wong.

“[The team will serve] 35 countries versus 6 countries; we previously wouldn't be able to do it with the existing infrastructure,” she added.

Fallout 3 DLC: The Pitt is Now Available

Content: The Pitt

Price: 800 Microsoft Points

Availability: Not available in Japan

Dash Text: [ESRB: M (Mature) BLOOD AND GORE,INTENSE VIOLENCE,SEXUAL THEMES,STRONG LANGUAGE,USE OF DRUGS]

Pittsburgh was once the industrial center of the pre-war world. The city was spared the horrors of nuclear fire, only to have its people infected by a nightmare plague of disease, infection, and mutation. Travel to the ruins of this industrial city, now called The Pitt, and discover a secret that could send shockwaves through the entire Wasteland. Battle vicious mutated Trogs, employ deadly new weapons like the AutoAxe and Infiltrator silenced assault rifle, and decide the fate of the infected slaves and slavers that call this city home. Only you can find the cure – but will you have the guts to use it? There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

Left 4 Dead Patched

www.Bluesnews.com is reporting that Steam has another new automatic update for Left 4 Dead. The new version of the co-op shooter introduces fatigue to the melee attack in versus mode and Boomer vomit will now pass through common infected. The update also fixes some bugs in the client as well as the dedicated server. Meanwhile, the Left 4 Dead Blog explains the changes and outlines future plans for the PC and Xbox 360 editions of the game. For the full update list Click Here!

Wii Fit Sales Officially Surpass Halo 3 in U.S.

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The February NPD numbers hit earlier this week, and they once again showed Wii Fit leading in software sales. But it was a particularly significant month for Wii Fit for another reason: The NPD Group has confirmed to Kotaku that sales of Wii Fit hit 6 million in the U.S., surpassing the 5.9 million lifetime sales of Halo 3.

'Max Payne 3' Announced

Max Payne 3, developed by Rockstar Vancouver, tells the story of a retired police detective embroiled in a world of corruption, turmoil and intense violence.

The award-winning Max Payne franchise put players in the role of Max Payne, a hard-boiled New York City

"We’re starting a new chapter of Max's life with this game," said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. "This is Max as we’ve never seen him before, a few years older, more world-weary and cynical than ever. We experience the downward spiral of his life after the events of Max Payne 2 and witness his last chance for salvation."

Since leaving the NYPD and New York itself behind, Max has drifted from bad to worse. Double-crossed and a long way from home, Max is now trapped in a city full of violence and bloodshed, using his weapons and instincts in a desperate search for the truth and a way out.

Max Payne 3 will be available in winter 2009 for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. detective with a penchant for violence, out to avenge the death of his family. The latest installment delivers more of the classic elements and hyper-intense action that fans have come to love, while moving the story of Max in a new direction.

New Star Trek Game Coming?

Bluesnews.com is reporting that Star Trek Games reports on an insert being included with the Star Trek Season One Blu-ray set teasing a game called Star Trek D-A-C, saying it will be available in May, 2009. The only other thing known for certain at this point is the participation of Naked Sky Entertainment as developer, but May is not far off, so we'll probably learn more soon.

Army of Two sequel called 'The 40th Day'?

According to Joystiq.com, here are the highlights of the supposed game info:

The game takes place in Shanghai, where a network of PMCs are looking to take over, under the rule of a leader with a hidden purpose

Rios and Salem are back, however they've been reluctantly dragged into the conflict and don't have the full story

The game will feature moral decisions, a deeper weapons customization system, multiple endings, and even a few followers

Multiplayer will be outsourced yet again

On the technical side: The 40th Day adds Beast lighting and Fracture, as well as an improved networking system

Environmental interaction: some weapons will be capable of tearing through thin walls and obstacles in the game; and new AI scripts will improve your partner's realism (e.g., peeking through windows, taking out enemies silently, etc.)

EA will be tossing civilians into the mix, which you can use as meat human shields.

Xbox Elite being phased out, assuming 'Limited Edition' Role

According to Fudzilla, Microsoft will be ending the mass availability of the Xbox 360 Elite in many parts of the world and plans on positioning it as a more "limited edition" console, as was originally intended.

Supposedly, retailers are less supportive of the higher-priced Elite consoles during these craptacular economic times, because their consumer demand is lower than the Arcade and Pro. As a result, Microsoft may be limiting the console's sales to select retailers in North America and Europe and stop taking Elite orders in other territories sometime during Q2.

The rumored Elite phase-out would allow it to be marketed as a "limited edition" offering, giving MS the option to sell specially themed (and possibly higher priced) Elite bundles when triple-A titles need promotion. (Think the Resident Evil 5 Elite bundle.) Fudzilla also mentions that Microsoft wants to expand the 360's storage capabilities by releasing a standalone drive that's larger than the Elite's current 120GB model.

Stalin vs. Martians in April

Stalin vs. Martians, as the name suggests, is a game both masterfully trashy and absolutely over-the-top. Fun and accessible, it takes a simple arcade-like approach to the genre of real-time strategy.

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SEGA Partners with Pyro Studios

StreetFighter IV Breaks 2 Million in Sales

Capcom has revealed that over 2 million copies of Street Fighter IV have been shipped around the world.

The fighting series has now sold over 500,000 arcade machines and 27 million console games to date, adds Capcom in a statement.

Street Fighter IV was released in Europe on Friday, and is expected to finish high in the UK All-Formats chart.

BlizzCon 2009 Announced for August

Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. announced plans for its fourth BlizzCon gaming convention, to be held at the AnaheimConvention Center in Anaheim, California on Friday, August 21 and Saturday, August 22.

BlizzCon will offer a wide variety of activities throughout the two-day event. In addition to serving as a gathering place for Blizzard Entertainment gaming communities, attendees will be able to enjoy:

• Hands-on play time with upcoming Blizzard Entertainment games
• Discussion panels with Blizzard Entertainment developers
• Competitive and casual tournaments for players to showcase their talents
• Community contests with great prizes
• Commemorative merchandise based on Blizzard Entertainment’s game universes
• A silent auction
• More exciting activities and attractions to be announced

Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena will be released on April 7th

Atari announces Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena will be release on April 7 in North America and April 24 in Europe, with playable demos for Starbreeze Studios' HD Riddick remake/update expected next month on Xbox LIVE and the PlayStation Network.

Featuring the brand new full-length ‘Assault on Dark Athena’ campaign, an HD remake of the classic ‘Escape from Butcher Bay’ and multiplayer options including the unique Pitch Black mode all on one disk, The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena will deliver an incredibly rich experience to gamers following its worldwide release this coming April.

Renowned developer Starbreeze Studios has effectively combined stealth, vicious hand-to-hand combat and ferocious gunplay in The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, creating an irresistible game with something for all fans of action gaming.

Hackers Attacking XBOX Live

According to BBC News, Xbox Live is being targeted by malicious hackers selling services that kick players off the network.

The booting services are proving popular with players who want a way to get revenge on those who beat them in an Xbox Live game. The attackers are employing data flooding tools that have been used against websites for many years.

Microsoft is "investigating" the use of the tools and said those caught using them would be banned from Xbox Live.

Lost Planet 2 Announced on XBOX Live

Capcom has revealed the sequel to snowy shooter via Xbox Live Marketplace exclusive download. Having teased a brand new title reveal last week, Capcom has confirmed that Lost Planet 2 is in the works. The announcement came via a movie download on Microsoft’s Xbox Live Marketplace service. The video suggests that the game will, unlike its predecessor, not be limited to snowy terrain and will also boast jungle settings. Co-op gameplay was also confirmed, along with the fact that the game is being worked on by Resident Evil 5’s producer Jun Takeuchi.

Gamefly Q Awards Winners

Overall Game Of The Year - Fallout 3 (Bethesda Softworks)

PlayStation 3 Game Of The Year - Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (Konami)

PlayStation 2 Game Of The Year - Kingdom Hearts: Re-Chain of Memories (Square-Enix)

PSP Game Of The Year - God of War: Chains of Olympus (Sony Computer Entertainment)

Xbox 360 Game Of The Year - Fallout 3 (Bethesda Softworks)

Wii Game Of The Year - Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Nintendo)

Nintendo DS Game Of The Year - Final Fantasy IV (Square-Enix