Monthly Archives: September 2009

Namco Bandai has announced Enslaved, developed by Ninja Theory for PS3 and Xbox 360.

It’s a tactical action-adventure game that has a post-apocalyptic setting, which centers on the “complex relationship between the two main characters and challenges players to employ a mix of combat, strategy and environment traversal.”

Planned for a release in 2010, the game features Emmy, Golden Globe and Bafta nominee actor and director Andy “Gollum” Serkis, who has been tapped to direct and play the lead character of Monkey. Composer Nitin Sawhney is creating the score, and novelist Alex Garland (28 Days Later) is penning the script.

There are screens for the game, which we have posted for you here.

The full press release is posted after the break.

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Over on the official Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO site, the fleeting appearance of a closed Beta test link popped up, but since the site is down for maintenance, it is inaccessible.

However, IncGamers grabbed a screenshot of the link before the site went down.

As the site points out, Friday is the usual day for updates on the title, so more news regarding a closed Beta may go up then, or hopefully sometime today when maintenance is complete.

More through the links.

Square Enix bossman Yoichi Wada has said that the company plans to double its recurring profit to 50 billion yen ($561 million) within three to five years.

This will occur by expanding its range of games and by growing overseas operations in China, where Wada says its negotiating deals with Chinese online game operators.

Additionally, Square hopes to ship over six million copies of Final Fantasy XIII worldwide, and that its currently discussing with Microsoft the possibility of bringing Final Fantasy XIV to Xbox 360.

More over on Edge.

Looks as though tomorrow’s offering on Xbox Live will consist of Military Madness: Nectaris, Bust-A-Move Live and Football Genius (Soccer Genius – US).

Each will run you 800 MS Points ($10.00/£6.80/€9.30).

CVG has screens of each, if you like.

LucasArts has revealed that its side scroller-puzzle game Lucidity will be priced at just $9.99.

Those interested can purchase the game via Direct2Drive and Steam on October 7, but if you are not a PC’er, no worries – it’s coming to Xbox Live Arcade for 800 MS Points.

More through the links.

Via BigDownload.

If you’re looking to take advantage of the free GT PSP-PSPgo offer Sony announced at GamesCom – a promo that gives new PSPgo owners a complimentary copy of the game – you’re going to have to be quick: it only lasts until October 10.

If you don’t buy a PSPgo between October 1-10 and download the title, you’ll have to pay for it.

Here’s what you do to get the game, according to SCEE:

1. Buy a PSPgo
2. Sign in to PlayStation®Store with your PSPgo between 14.00hrs GMT, 1st October and 23.59hrs GMT 10th October 2009 and download the Gran Turismo theme
3. Check your email for your promotional code
4. Redeem it at PlayStation Store, download the game and start your engines…

Remember, this is a Europe-only thing. Full banana after the break.

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Looks like in Mortal Online you will be able to see your character’s pixelated reproductive parts when your armor is taken off.

Gives new meaning to Mature MMO doesn’t it?

Over on the German Mortal Online fans site Mortalonline-Szenegaming some screens taken during the Beta show undergarments are not an option, apparently, once protective armor is looted off an opponent in the PvP heavy game.

Go on over and have a look. It’s quite funny actually, well, for those of us who are immature – which we have never claimed not to be, just so you know

Thanks, IncGamers.

Those interested in DJ Hero should head on past the break for a video interview with DJ Shadow.

In it, the spinner talks about how the music was chosen for the game and how Activision made sure it was both playable and fun.

He also discusses the controls a bit, you know the turntable, crossfader, and other things us non-DJing people just don’t understand.

It’s out on October 30 for PS3, Wii and Xbox 360 and you can thank IGN for the video.

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Editor and long-time 1UP’er Garnett Lee has been hired on at GameFly as editorial director for the service’s media properties which include FileShack, Gameanswers.com., Ponged and Shacknews.

GameFly is moving into internet publishing as well as continuing to rent games by mail, and Lee will be heading all things written, apparently.

Lee is one of the good guys, and with all the shaking up of things over at 1UP during the past two years, we wish him nothing but the best in his new endeavor.

More over on Shack.

Hello. This is VG247 post number 20,000. The reason you’re reading this is because of the amazing support of all our readers, and specifically our indomitable regulars. We want to say a massive thank you for turning up every day and making this site what it is.

We recently passed 100,000 comments. We only launched last February. Your fingers are very valuable to us.

While we’re slapping backs, we want to give a sincere word of thanks to all our sponsors and advertisers. You’re the wind beneath our wings; we’re thrilled at the commercial relationships that have solidified this year.

So yeah. Thanks. Here’s to the next 20,000.

Square Enix boss Yoichi Wada has said the company wants to expand on its three-IP super-base of Dragon Quest, Kingdom Hearts, and Final Fantasy and it currently working on two to three titles designed to hit a similar stature, Yahoo! Japan reports.

These potential flagship games are expected to come out around the end of next year or early 2011.

There’s no detail on what the games are, but you can read more about it on Siliconera.

She’s bad. She’s bald. She swears like a sailor. She says “sex” in a videogame. It’s Mass Effect 2′s Subject Zero. See new screens of her on Gamikaze.

First video of the new character popped up yesterday. She really should get a better tattoo artist.

The massively anticipated BioWare RPG’s out early next year.

Thanks, TomisH.

Age of Conan dev Funcom is to drop 20 percent of its workforce, according to E24, resulting in a “significant delay” to upcoming MMO The Secret World.

The game had never been officially dated, but was expected in 2010.

The company employs around 300 staff, so 60 jobs look set to go.

Funcom’s currently in the process of relocating to Quebec and it’s debatable legal games-related tax breaks. It lost $34 million last year.

Thanks, GI and EG.

Update: Wait! MS just confirmed that the content’s incorrectly priced. It’s about to be dropped to 560MSP, so don’t buy it until it’s been adjusted.

Left 4 Dead’s Crash Course DLC campaign is now up on Live, priced 800MSP.

Blurb:

Left 4 Dead’s Crash Course starts with our Survivors right after their rescue helicopter from the No Mercy campaign crash lands on the outskirts of town. This two chapter campaign includes Co-op, Survival and Versus action, and ten new achievements.

Just waiting for the free PC version now.

Square Enix boss Yoichi Wada’s told Reuters that Final Fantasy XIII will sell more than 6 million units worldwide, beating global Dragon Quest IX shipments.

FFXIII releases exclusive for PS3 in Japan this December, to be followed by a PS3 and 360 launch in the US and Europe early next year.

Thanks, Kotaku.

Bit of detail from that Gamespot Street Fighter IV reveal article earlier – the game’s going to be a disc-only release, but it won’t be at full price.

Apparently the decision to stay away from a DLC release is due to limitations of the original game’s code. It’s not possible, said Capcom.

The game includes eight new playable characters, including a new, original female fighter named Juri and the return of Super Street Fighter II’s T. Hawk.

More on CVG.

EA has petitioned the US Patent & Trademark Office to cancel a range of registrations associated with Edge Games, Inc.

In the petition, EA’s lawyers allege that Edge Games claims against companies using “Edge” in their titles aren’t legitimate as they’re not associated with a trademark used in active commerce.

There are numerous citations in the 28-page document, which seeks to have Edge Games’ various trademarks cancelled.

Edge Games is owned by Tim Langdell. More on EG.

Fable II Episode I, the first of five, is now available for free on Live.

This is the full game broken out into parts. The first bit costs you nothing: the other four parts will be charged.

Still. Free Fable II. Get it for a measly 2Gb.

The game’s episodic release was announced at GamesCom in August.

A Need for Speed: Shift console demo will release on Thursday, EA said this morning.

The following cars will be included:

• BMW M3 (E46)
• 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10
• 2006 Lotus Elise 111R
• 2008 Nissan GT-R
• 2006 Pagani Zonda F (unlockable)

Still had nothing back from EA on the 360-PS Store Shift comedy from yesterday, incidentally.

PR after the break.

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Square’s Front Mission: Evolved will release globally next spring, according to this Siliconera piece.

Double Helix is putting this together for PC, 360 and PS3. Watch TGS movies here.