Monthly Archives: May 2009

Ex-Team Ninja boss Tomonobu Itagaki and a new company built of producers and directors from the disbanded unit are at work on a new Xbox 360 game, according to this 1UP interview.

Itagaki told the site it’s “too early” to show the title at E3 next week, but he will be in LA for the event.

Full thing through there. There’s not much detail, unfortunately. Thanks, Blerk.

SCEE just released a ton of new VidZone images, saying it “hopes” to announce full details of the PS3 music video service at E3.

The company was quick to stress that “all playlists, music and advertising/sponsors are placeholders for the benefit of demonstration” in these screens.

Get them below.

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Kaos Studios just announced Homefront, an FPS set in an America occupied by North Korea.

The game promises a story-driven single-player game as well as multiplayer, and will release for PC, PS3 and 360.

No release date has been given.

“Homefront isn’t about going to war on the other side of the world or battling aliens from another planet; it’s about fighting foreign invaders in your own backyard and defending your right to live,” said Kaos Studios design boss David Votypka.

“Homefront combines the unsettling notion of an occupied America with interactive, player-driven narratives to create a deeply engaging single and multiplayer experience.”

First showing at E3. Media expected later today. Press release after the break.

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The Guardian is claiming that Zune HD won’t launch in the UK, and will rather be a US-only affair.

Instead, European punters will be given only access to Zune Video via Xbox 360.

The press release does only say that the handheld will be “available in the US this fall”.

Existing subscribers to Xbox Live are expected to be offered unlimited access to Microsoft’s video catalogue for a single extra payment each month, says the report.

We’re checking with Microsoft now.

Macquarie Research “understands” that Nintendo will show Wii Fit Plus in its press conference at E3 next week, “which will be sold separately from the board and in a bundle and will capitalise on the 17m existing Wii Fit users”.

The equity firm also expects “Nintendo to learn its lessons from last year and provide more gamer-centric announcements at E3 such as a new Zelda or Mario title for the Wii (in addition to the new Zelda for DS).”

The conference takes place on Tuesday morning next week. Nintendo confirmed last night that Reggie, Iwata and Cammie “The Teeth” Dunaway will be taking the stage for the event.

We’ll be live-blogging it, obviously.

Rapid TV News is rumouring that the UK 360 TV deal being announced in London tomorrow is a hook-up with Sky.

The piece says Microsoft may be about to deliver Sky services through its console.

in July 2007, BSkyB COO Mike Darcey confirmed that the broadcaster was talking to Microsoft about the possibility of using Microsoft’s Windows Media as another route to users.

We’ll know for sure tomorrow. Thanks, Edge and Blerk.

Zeebo, the 3G-enabled console announced at GDC this year, has gone live in Brazil, Engadget reports.

The system’s on sale for Brazilian $499 (around $299) and ships with FIFA 2009, Need For Speed Carbon, and Brain Training, in memory.

Buyers also get credit for three free downloads: Prey Evil, Quake, and Quake II.

The machine includes a free 3G connection via Claro, enabling additional game downloads in the Brazilian $7-30 ($3-13) range.

More through there.

The newly launched Brutal Legend site‘s confirmed a Twitter interview with Tim Schafer for June 2.

All you have to do is follow @brutallegend and tweet your question to Schafer at #e3bl at 6.00pm PST. If the gods are smiling on you, you’ll get an answer.

And if you haven’t got a Twitter account yet: what the Sam Hell are you playing at, granddad?

Wii Brasil’s posted the first images of No more Heroes 2, scanned from the latest Famitsu.

The game, titled No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle, is shown off there in concept art and screens.

We could pretend to know something about it, but we didn’t play the first one. So we won’t.

Take a look.

Kotaku’s posted a translation of the Famitsu interview with Kojima on the subject of MGS5, or whatever it’s called.

The mag’s blanked out a lot of the pertinent info, but at least now you know that emblems on hats are important.

The Metal Gearness of Kojima’s next project was confirmed last night when Big Boss appears on the game’s teaser site.

Natsume is to release PS3′s Afrika in the US this year, according to this IGN report.

We know at least two people that’ll be pleased by this.

There’s lots of preview detail through the link. Same thing. Still has charging hippos.

Activision’s dated Guitar Hero 5 for a September 1 release on the game’s official site.

The move puts the game head-to-head with The Beatles: Rock Band, which released on September 9.

Artists known to be included in Activision’s latest include:

• The Rolling Stones
• The White Stripes
• Kings of Leon
• Tom Petty
• Bob Dylan
• Johnny Cash
• Santana
• Vampire Weekend
• Beastie Boys
• Coldplay
• Duran Duran
• Gorillaz
• Jimmy Eat World
• Muse
• The Raconteurs

Thanks, Kotaku.

High Voltage has announced The Grinder via IGN, a Wii horror FPS that supports four-way play a la Left 4 Dead.

The news comes after the firm yesterday showed grisly Wii fighter Gladiator A.D. for the first time.

There’s a four page interview and screens through there.

Here we go! Microsoft’s announced Zune HD “the first portable media player that combines a built-in HD Radio receiver, high-definition (HD) video output capabilities, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) touch screen, Wi-Fi and an Internet browser.”

Zune video content is to be made available on Xbox Live. The device which will be on show at E3 next week.

Says the release:

Zune will be a premium partner in the Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace, bringing an exciting catalog of TV and film to the platform. Zune will occupy the first slot within the Xbox user interface in the Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace, exposing the Zune brand experience to millions of new consumers for the first time. At the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) next week, attendees will see firsthand how Zune integrates into Xbox LIVE to create a game-changing entertainment experience.

Unfortunately, only America, the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain and Ireland will have access to Zune media on 360.

Full details after the break. It’s out this autumn.

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It’s a Metal Gear game, OK? The Kojima teaser site‘s timer ended last night to reveal another time and a picture of Big Boss.

In case you’re still unconvinced, the latest Famitsu is showing Big Boss and Raiden in its pages, alongside shots of the site and the letters “MGS”.

The site is now counting down to 3.00pm PST on Sunday, May 31.

Kojima’s teasing skills wouldn’t seem out of place in an expert brothel. We’ll know everything next week.

Thanks, KingCharMing.

Disney and Propaganda are working on an open-world action-RPG in the Pirates of the Caribbean series called Armada of the Damned for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.

The setting and story take place before the Pirates movies and players will have to make moral decisions, build their characters, vessels and – of course – deal with a supernatural pirate world.

“We want to make sure our game creates a sense a freedom in how you decide to live your pirate life,” said Alex Peters.

“We are trying to make experiences in the Caribbean similar to those featured in the movies so you can expect to see some supernatural elements mixed in with realism.”

Speaking with IGN, the game’s director also said that the game’s action takes place on both land and sea, while players interact with the nation powers who inhabit the Caribbean. Encounters such as these can change your loyalties and choices over the course of the game.

A release date has yet to be announced, but expect more from E3.

Loads more information is through the link.

It’s BioShock 2-ageddon. Remember somethinginthesea.com? It isn’t just a map any more.

The BioShock 2 teaser site’s been replaced with a picture of an office. You can click on stuff in there, such as a phone message or an x-ray, and clues pop up. We’re so excited we could shit.

Listen the radio. Look at the photos. Freak yourself out a bit.

The shooter was confirmed tonight for a October 30 Euro release, to be followed by a November 3 launch in the US.

Those who played the inFamous demo and noticed the Sly Cooper 4 reference on the movie marquee should know that it was all in good fun.

According to a report over on PSfocus, the joke was added in by one of the game artists.

“No, no, it was something our artist put in there. They were making a movie marquee and they put in Sly Cooper 4 as a movie title and the other titles are actually names of the artists,” said Sucker Punch’s Bruce Oberg. “I didn’t even know that it was in the game at all.

“Someone posted a screenshot with: ‘Sly 4, Sly 4, they’re making Sly 4′. So, we got a phone call from Sony, what is that Sly 4 stuff? It’s something that our artist put in, it’s good fun, but we haven’t decided it yet. We have to talk with Sony and listen to our fans and see what the right thing to do is next.”

Sucker Punch has been rumored to be working on the stealth-action game since 2007.

inFamous is out today.

Capcom said today that there are no plans for Street Fighter IV character DLC.

According to community manager Seth Killian, it’s a question of balance.

“[There are] no plans for additional DLC right now,” Killian told GamingUnion. “We want the core game to be a completely functional package, and character DLC could split the user-base.”

The two bits of DLC already released consist of a Championship Mode and alternate character costumes. Future content will more than likely consist of the same.

More through the link.

Thanks, D’toid.

Praise be to the gods of metal, the official website for Brutal Legend is now live.

It’s loaded with screens, news, a video and your chance to speak with Tim Schafer live via Twitter.

It also has its own blog which keeps you up to date on anything and everything Brutal Legend related.

If you are interested in the game you should go check it out.