Monthly Archives: May 2009

Atari has confirmed that there will not be a demo for Ghostbusters: The Video Game included in the Blu-ray edition of the movie.

Online retailer ShopTo.Net listed a demo among the features on the disc, but Atari has told Joystiq that this was not true.

“There will be no demo for Ghostbusters: The Video Game on the Blu-ray disc,” said the rep.

ShopTo has stated that it’s checking with suppliers to clarify the issue and will update the site accordingly when it finds out more.

More through the link.

The Complete Alternate Character Costume Pack’s now up on Xbox Live for Street Fighter IV.

Those tired of what their characters are wearing can now get a bit of a change for 1000 MS Points ($12.50).

The content adds alternative outfits for all 25 characters and will also be available on PSN later today.

Nothing like variety is there?

THQ just posted up a new trailer for Red Faction: Guerrilla, showing some of the game’s stealth and ambush tactics.

If destruction’s your bag, you’re in the right place from the look of this. Very blowy uppy.

Crytek has handed Free Radical projects that it has “always dreamed to do”.

Cevat Yerli, founder and CEO of Crytek, says that the purchase of Free Radical was a good business move on its part, saved over 40 jobs, and gave the company a new development team.

“We have provided the team at Crytek UK a structure and a future that clearly shows improvement,” he told Develop. “We are working with Free Radical on things that they always dreamed to do.

“We are providing the team a roadmap and the chance to grow, which is why we were picked as a partner, and not anyone else.”

Projects currently in development were not revealed, but it has been rumored that TimeSplitters 4 and Battlefront 3 were in the works when Free Radical fell into administration.

Read the full interview through the link.

Kotaku‘s got a shot and details of another two guitars to be released alongside The Beatles: Rock Band.

The Rickenbacker 325 and Gretsch Duo Jet are a pair of full-bodied, classic guitars used by the band.

There’s pricing through there. The game’s out on September 9.

EA has announced new pricing for BattleForge. You can now get the RTS for $29.99 and no subscription fees.

That’s $20.00 off the original price.

The game comes with four faction decks and 3000 BattleForge points, which allows you to buy an additional 12 booster packs bringing the box total to 160 cards.

Use points to purchase booster packs so you can customize the game with as much or little as you like.

Game’s out now and there’s a demo here.

More information is posted in the press release below.
More »

In a statement just sent to VG247, Bethesda’s confirmed a Games For Windows Live DRM issue is causing problems with the PC version of Fallout 3 DLC, Broken Steel

“We’re seeing the same error, which is a Games for Windows Live DRM Install error,” said a spokesperson for the firm.

“Microsoft is working on fixing it, and we’ll let everyone know once we’ve verified it.”

The statement went on to say that the Xbox 360 version is also experiencing difficulties, and server-synching and new Achievements to blame.

“The Xbox Live servers don’t seem to be fully synched yet with the additional Achievements,” said the rep.

“This should fix itself automatically soon. People won’t lose any achievements.”

The DLC released earlier today.

In its apparently unending quest to make The Ultimate RPG, BioWare announced a pen and paper version of Dragon Age today.

It’s out this summer. They don’t do things by halves, these BioWare kids.

Press release here.

Marvel Entertainment has slated Marvel vs. Capcom 2 for a June 29 release on PSN and Xbox Live.

The date was revealed during its Q1 2009 financial results.

June 29 is a Monday, so the title will probably hit on the normal update days instead.

Just keep checking back.

Apple has snapped up game industry vet Bob Drebin, the creator of GameCube’s graphic processor.

This is the second such hire by the company, as it was reported earlier that former Xbox executive Richard Teversham has also joined the company.

These new hires have caused Forbes to speculate that Apple is upping the ante in the gaming sector, and expanding iPhone hardware to better handle portable gaming.

Wall Street rumors suggest differently, and have the company primed to buyout EA, which analyst Michael Pachter called “idiotic“.

Via Gamasutra.

Wedbush Morgan’s Michael Pachter doesn’t think Apple’s buying EA, as rumoured this morning.

“To say that it is idiotic would be an insult to all idiots,” the analyst told VG247 today.

The Street’s David Tong said in this piece that “chatter” said Apple was eyeing EA a takeover target.

Maybe not, then.

The usual suspects make up the top live titles once again this week. Just playing musical chairs it seems.

Only difference is the Bionic Commando demo. Knocked Halo Wars off the top ten, it did.

Xbox 360 Top Live Titles

1. Halo 3
2. Call of Duty: WaW
3. Call of Duty 4
4. Gears of War 2
5. UFC 2009 Undisputed Demo
6. GTA IV
7. Left 4 Dead
8. FIFA 09
9. Resident Evil 5
10. Bionic Commando Multiplayer Demo

Get all the Arcade and Community stuff after the break.

More »

PopCap’s next “big” game, Plants vs. Zombies, has shipped for PC and Mac.

It’s amazing, according to the UK PC bods. Costs $20. Get it here.

The game tasks you with defeating zombies using an array of plants. As you might expect.

Press release after the break.

More »

There’s going to be a public beta test for MAG, according to Zipper Interactive bossman Michael Guttman.

“Certainly, Mag will definitely have a beta,” he told US PS Blog. “I guess that’s probably all I’ll say at this point, but we’ll be getting more information about that very soon.

“We’re really excited about the beta and we want to make sure that it’s designed and set up to be the great experience you expect it to be.”

There’s a video interview with Guttman and the game’s lead designer Andy Beaudoin through the break.
More »

Despite pressure borne of releasing one of only three new Activision Blizzard IPs in 2009, Radical dev boss Tim Bennison has told VG247 that creating an open-world game like Prototype was always going to be tough.

“Developing any open-world game starts at a difficulty level of ‘hard’ – it doesn’t start easy and it certainly doesn’t get any easier as you move towards your gold master candidate,” he said.

“The pressure to get Prototype right has always remained high. Having said that, the entire team at Radical is dedicated to making this game exceed expectations on all fronts. Prototype will bring an experience that gamers have never had before.”

Superhero adventure Prototype has had a bumpy ride thus far, having switched publishers and been delayed out of 2008. The extra time, however, has resulted in something that’s starting to look very fanciable indeed.

Prototype releases in the UK on June 12 and the rest of Europe on June 9.

Xbox Live quiz game 1 Vs 100 is to go into beta exclusively in Canada, as you can see here.

The test will run from May 8 to May 24.

Prizes specific to the beta are being offered. Get full details through the link.

The final game releases in the US and Europe this “spring”.

Thanks, Roybott.

Update: A Bethesda rep in the UK’s just told us that comment’s being chased now.

Update 2: The Beth devs are getting the same issue. Thanks, The Reticule.

Update 3: Bethesda’s issued a statement.

According to multiple reports, the PC version of Fallout 3 DLC Broken Steel isn’t working as it should.

The download throws up the error, “Not a cryptographic message or the cryptographic message is not formatted correctly. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x8009200D)” upon installation.

There also appears to be a difference between the reported file-size (510Mb) and the file you actually click through to download (471.6Mb).

Check EG.

This isn’t so great. The Pitt was amazingly broken at launch. We’re after comment now.

Brutal Legend will have DLC. Quite what it is, Double Fine’s Tim Schafer isn’t saying.

“Something awesome,” he told VG247 when asked if the game will have extra content, despite the best efforts of a PR to keep everyone on the “we’re not talking about any of that stuff right now” track.

“I was about to tell him everything,” Schafer joked.

The developer was speaking at EA’s spring showcase in London last month.

The game itself was shown with placeholder music at the event, as licensing deals haven’t been signed as yet. Will the DLC be music? It very well might be.

It’s out for PS3 and 360 this October.

Nelson’s confirmed that Broken Steel, Fallout 3′s final piece of DLC, is now live.

Blurb:

You may have dealt the Enclave a serious blow at Project Purity, but their forces are still out there, and still pose a grave threat to the people and security of the Capital Wasteland. In Broken Steel, you’ll continue your current Fallout 3 character past the events of Project Purity, and work with the Brotherhood of Steel to eradicate the Enclave threat once and for all. You’ll travel to new locations like the Olney Powerworks, wield destructive new weapons like the Tesla Cannon, fight powerful new creatures like the Super Mutant Overlord, marvel at the destructive power of Liberty Prime, earn new Perks like the devastating Nuclear Anomaly… and play Fallout 3 all the way to level 30!

It’s 800 Points to you. Off you go.

Vivendi said today that CEO Jean-Bernard Levy is to assume a chairman role at Activision Blizzard.

Levy will replace current chairman Rene Penisson, who retires this year.

Activision Blizzard’s current CEO is “Big” Bobby Kotick.

More on Reuters.