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Splinter Cell: Conviction demo detailed, includes screenshots

lisa@el33tonline.com (Lisa) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 07:39:00 +0200

Ubisoft has given us a few more details of what we can expect from the Splinter Cell: Conviction demo when it lands on Xbox Live tomorrow, the 18th of March.

The single player demo will include the opening segment of the Michigan Avenue Reservoir level, serving as an “introduction to the game’s core gameplay mechanics” and giving players the chance to test out a few of the new features including Mark and Execute as well as Last Known Position.

Splinter Cell: Conviction will be available for the Xbox 360 and PC on the 16th of April. Why not check out our previous coverage or read our preview to see how the game is shaping up. You can also enjoy the rest of the screenshots from the demo below.

“Splinter Cell was the franchise that defined third person action adventure games on the Xbox and we believe that Conviction will revolutionize the genre on Xbox 360,” said Tony Key, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Ubisoft. “We are thrilled gamers will be able to get a little taste of why we are so excited about Conviction’s release in April.”

EA releases Q & A for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 server issues

lisa@el33tonline.com (Lisa) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:18:00 +0200

EA and developers DICE have been dogged with online connectivity issues and server outages since the highly anticipated Battlefield: Bad Company 2 was released not too long ago.

The publisher has now released a brief Q and A in which it tackles the server issues for the game. “We have had a lot of questions about Battlefield: Bad Company 2 on all platforms about the issues some have had. Here we will answer some of the more common questions, some will help you get in game, others will give an insight to what we are working on.”

“This Q&A isn’t a definitive list by any means and we are aware of and are working on more than these issues.” The team has just released a patch for the PC to help address some of these issues and are still toiling away on fixes for other problems. However, they assured players that no Xbox 360 accounts will be reset this weekend, this remains a rumour.

Head over to the Battlefield Blog to hopefully get some answers from the Q and A.

Splinter Cell: Conviction demo landing this Thurs

lisa@el33tonline.com (Lisa) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:58:00 +0200

Just yesterday Ubisoft announced that we could expect a demo for Splinter Cell: Conviction sometime in the future. The publisher has since confirmed that the demo will be available a lot sooner than any of us had expected, this Thursday the 18th of March exclusively on Xbox Live Marketplace.

According to the latest Inside Xbox the demo will start with Sam Fischer in the bathroom interrogation scene before moving on to another scene later in the game. Make sure you check out Inside Xbox for more juicy details.

In case you forgot Splinter Cell: Conviction will be available for the Xbox 360 and PC on the 13th of April in the US with Europe following on the 15th of April and the UK on the 16th of April. Until then you can read our preview or browse through our previous coverage to see how the game is shaping up.

Bethesda Softworks set to publish Hunted: The Demon’s Forge, first scary-looking screenshots released

lisa@el33tonline.com (Lisa) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:22:00 +0200

Bethesda Softworks will be publishing Hunted: The Demon’s Forge, a third person co-op fantasy action game.

Hunted, also described as a “next gen co-op dungeon romp,” is currently being developed by inXile Entertainment for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. Brian Fargo (known for his work on Baldur’s Gate and Fallout) is overseeing the game’s development while Michael Kaufman (who served as Art Director on Return to Castle Wolfenstein) is the game’s director.

Bethesda Softworks has a number of high profile games under its belt so far this year, including Fallout: New Vegas, Brink and RAGE (being developed by Obsidian Entertainment, Splash Damage and id Software respectively).

ModNation Racers dated, pre-order program and box art revealed

lisa@el33tonline.com (Lisa) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:30:00 +0200

Sony has announced that ModNation Racers will be available in the US on both the PS3 and PSP on the 25th of May. A European date has yet to be confirmed although Sony expect it to be released across PAL regions during the same week.

The publisher also revealed the colourful box art for both regions, which you can enjoy below (the US on the left and PAL on the right).

ModNation Racers allows gamers to design their own racers, karts and tracks, and even enjoy these creations with up to four players split-screen and upload them to the PlayStation Network.

Sony will also be kicking off a pre-order program for the PS3 version of the game. Popular PlayStation characters including Ratchet and Clank, Nathan Drake and Kratos will be making an appearance in ModNation Racers depending on where you pre-order your copy.

GameStop pre-orderers will score Kratos and his Kart of Chaos while you can race as Ratchet and Clank if you pre-order from Amazon or Nathan Drake and his Jungle Jeep if you pre-order from Best Buy. Each pre-order will also score one of four bonus Mystery Mod and Kart packages including a special Mod, Kart and extra accessories.

North American Box Art

European Box Art

Source: SCEA’s PlayStation Blog

Menacing Yakuza 3 launch trailer emerges

lisa@el33tonline.com (Lisa) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:05:00 +0200

Sega has released a menacing new launch trailer for its open-world gangster action game Yakuza 3, which hit shelves across the UK and US last week.

Step into the shoes of Kiryu Kazuma and get down to some serious gangster business below. You could also read our hands-on preview or browse through our previous coverage for Yakuza 3 screenshots and trailers.

Haunting launch trailer for Metro 2033 surfaces

lisa@el33tonline.com (Lisa) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 10:47:00 +0200

Metro 2033, the anticipated post-apocalyptic shooter from THQ, releases across North America and Germany today, and to celebrate the publisher has released a new launch trailer for the game.

Watch the haunting “Struggle for Survival” launch trailer below to see what kind of monsters lurk in Metro 2033 (Warning: it does contain spoilers!). The game will be available for both the Xbox 360 and PC across Australia on the 18th of March with the UK and Europe following on the 19th of March. You can also browse through our previous coverage to find out more.

Wakeboarding HD revealed, first watery screenshots and debut trailer included

lisa@el33tonline.com (Lisa) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 10:20:00 +0200

Creat Studios and TikGames have teamed up yet again to bring another title (their sixth) to the PlayStation Network. Wakeboarding HD, an arcade style action platform game, will be available to download on the PS3 on the 18th of March in Europe and the 25th of March in North America for $14.99/€14.99.

The game, which was featured by Sony at last week’s Game Developer’s Conference, is said to feature “state-of-the-art water simulation” and includes split-screen local multiplayer. It includes 20 “high-speed, water-filled, arcade levels to maneuver through tracks, perform high-flying tricks, collect bonuses and avoid dangers from exploding mines to bloodthirsty sharks.”

Players can look forward to different challenges including performing various tasks while speeding through obstacles to keep action chains alive, jumping ramps, riding rails, crashing through boats and docks as well as collecting stars and power-ups of course, all the while keeping an eye out for sharks and mines.

You can enjoy the watery debut trailer and screenshots below, and don’t forget to keep an eye out for El33tonline’s review of Wakeboarding HD which should be coming soon!

New Alan Wake screenshots are unsettling

lisa@el33tonline.com (Lisa) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 09:25:00 +0200

Microsoft has released a batch of new screenshots for their upcoming psychological action thriller Alan Wake, showing off more of the moodiness that we have come to expect from the title and even more creepiness.

Alan Wake is due to be released on the 18th of May across the US and a few days later on the 21st of May in Europe. Feel free to browse El33tonline’s previous coverage for more screenshots and trailers for the game.

Final Fantasy XIII Review (PS3)

peter@el33tonline.com (Peter) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:54:00 +0200

It’s the thirteenth Final Fantasy and it’s most likely anything but the final one if history means anything. And after so many games in a series well known for each game being completely different while remaining recognizable as a series, has Square Enix been able to keep things interesting? I would say yes, definitely, but not quite as interesting as they might have.

There’s so much to say about Final Fantasy XIII, but I’ll offer this brief synopsis first: fast battles and a great battle system, interesting setting, mediocre script, incredible cut-scene animation, breathtaking creature designs, all-over-the-place voice acting, varied characters (some you’ll enjoy, some you’ll be annoyed by), minimal variation in gameplay rhythms, beautiful varied music, uninteresting leveling-up system, mediocre equipment upgrading system, impressive bosses, great graphics and art design.

Continue reading El33tonline’s review of Final Fantasy XIII.

Crackdown 2 dated for July in North America, Europe and the world

oliver@el33tonline.com (Oliver) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:30:00 +0200

Microsoft and Ruffian Games have let out the good news that the pair’s open-world super crime-fighting action game, Crackdown 2, will launch on Xbox 360 around the world in early July.

The development duo have also released a video documentary for Crackdown 2 entitled ‘Fun With Friends,’ which sees the developers talking about the title and running riot in-game, cooperatively. Watch below:

Crackdown 2 ViDoc 1: Fun With Friends

Crackdown 2 will release in North America on July 6th, in Europe on July 9th, and in Asia, Australia and New Zealand on July 8th.

You’re welcome to pull apart El33tonline’s previous coverage of Crackdown 2 for a bunch more videos, screenshots and extra information.

Xbox LIVE Deal of the Week: GTA: San Andreas, Max Payne 2, Fable

oliver@el33tonline.com (Oliver) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:14:00 +0200

Xbox LIVE Gold members are in for a real treat this week, as you’ll not simply have access to price reductions for just one Xbox LIVE Arcade game, or a handful of Xbox Avatar accessories – no, no, no, nothing as pedestrian as that.

For one week only, Xbox LIVE Gold members will be able to buy Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Max Payne 2 or the original Fable for the low-low price of 800 MS Points apiece, as 400 MS Points are skimmed off of each title.

What are you waiting for, an invitation? Go get yourself some classic games!

God of War III’s cut ending could become free DLC

oliver@el33tonline.com (Oliver) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:49:00 +0200

God of War III, an action game to end all action games (that’s what it says on the teleprompter anyway), finally releases tomorrow in North America, bringing to an end a long wait for fans and a long journey for, not only series protagonist Kratos, but the creators of the game, Sony Santa Monica.

Development on God of War III has been especially gruelling, but by the sounds of things, most everything that the developers wanted to squeeze into the game was included… except for a few items, including what sounds like a truly epic ending that was planned, but for scheduling reasons, had to be cut and replaced.

Speaking on Kotaku’s Talk Radio, God of War III’s director Stig Asmussen spoke about what got cut (non-spoiler, promise):

“There was a pretty large thing that we chopped from the ending that I had regrets about, but then something we added at the end that helps make up for it a little bit, and helps make it more personal.

“We had titan encounters in the game, we had a pretty big one [planned] for the end and we got pretty far with it, but it was just one of those deals where we just had so much.”

The conversation then switched to downloadable content (DLC) for God of War III, and how Asmussen feels about letting gamers see the cut ending as DLC… for free:

“As far as DLC goes, it might be something we might think about getting out there someday,” said Asmussen. “The pieces are in place, the idea is written. If it’s something we put out there it would be something that would be free.”

Asmussen went on to explain how difficult work on the game became, and how difficult (or impossible) it would have been to include any more than what is already included:

“Those things required so many resources and they’re so hard to work on,” Asmussen continued. “It was literally the hardest thing I’ve ever been involved with before in my life and we just couldn’t do more. We couldn’t.

“It was to the point where we had to remove one just to invest time in the other ones that we had in the game, to get those right. We could have had more, and everything else would have suffered.”

God of War III releases around the world over the course of this week. Look over El33tonline’s previous coverage of the title for tons of excellent screenshots, videos and extra information to catch yourself up.

Source: Kotaku

Intense Medal of Honor trailer reveals Tier One’s ‘sledgehammer and scalpel’ approach to warfare

oliver@el33tonline.com (Oliver) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:49:00 +0200

The upcoming Medal of Honor reboot from EA will feature the exploits of soldiers from the US military’s ‘Tier One’ special forces unit, a breed of warrior that is able to execute orders and remedy ‘situations’ with precision and finesse (the ‘scalpel’), or explosions and pomp (the ‘sledgehammer’).

By the looks of the gameplay footage on offer in this new Medal of Honor trailer, the game is shaping up very nicely indeed, so find out about that Tier One unit, and see the impressive visuals from Medal of Honor in the trailer below:

Medal of Honor: Tier One Trailer

Medal of Honor is due out in the Fall of this year on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

You can find out more about the title through El33tonline’s handy and easy to follow previous coverage, for more videos, some screenshots and extra information.

Modern Warfare 2 becomes second biggest selling game in the UK

oliver@el33tonline.com (Oliver) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:08:00 +0200

According to the latest data released by UK sales tracking firm Chart Track, this previous week saw Infinity Ward and Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 finally edge past Rockstar and Take Two’s GTA: San Andreas in terms of overall sales, and become the second biggest selling game of all time in the region.

After being hailed as the biggest entertainment launch in the history of ever, and grossing over a billion dollars since launch last November, Modern Warfare 2 went on to conquer the UK and become the biggest selling game in the region for 2009, selling 2.8 million units in a very short space of time. But it still wasn’t the best selling game ever.

That honour goes to Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training on the DS, which by mid-2009 had sold over three million units, and by now must have sold many more than that.

Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training, as the best-selling game in the UK, joins its US counterpart, Wii Play, as the best-selling game in that country.

Final Fantasy XIII is the fastest selling game in the UK for 2010, console sales split is close

oliver@el33tonline.com (Oliver) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:28:00 +0200

As is to be expected (it’s only the middle of March after all), newly released videogame titles are constantly jostling for position in sales charts and bragging rights, breaking sales records left and right in different regions around the world, and the UK sales chart is no different, constantly crowning a new ‘fastest selling’ title almost every week.

Last week, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 snatched the honour away from Aliens VS Predator, which had in turn taken the crown from Bioshock 2 (which had been stolen from Mass Effect 2). According to Chart Track, which game is the new fastest selling title in the UK for 2010 so far?

Why, the newly released Final Fantasy XIII, of course!

The console sales split in the UK is very interesting indeed – 54% of Final Fantasy XIII sales were made on the PS3, while 46% were found on the Xbox 360… close.

Final Fantasy XIII only just released around the world last week, and easily topped the UK Software Sales Chart in the process, appearing ahead of last week’s No. 1 selling game, Battlefield: Bad Company 2.

UK Software Sales for week ending 03/13: Final Fantasy XIII casts a spell on the competition

oliver@el33tonline.com (Oliver) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:58:00 +0200

In its debut week on sale, Final Fantasy XIII has managed to shoot straight to the top of Chart Track’s UK Software Sales Chart to become the top selling game in the region, ahead of last week’s No. 1, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, and chart stalwart Just Dance.

Of note is the fact that, according to Chart Track, Final Fantasy XIII has gone on to become the UK’s fastest selling game for 2010 so far, beating previous record holders Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Aliens VS Predator, Bioshock 2 and Mass Effect 2.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (sales down 38%) drops to No. 2, Just Dance (sales down 9%) steps down to No. 3 from No. 2, while Heavy Rain (sales down 8%) is a non-mover at No. 4.

Wii Fit (sales up 11%) takes a walk up from No. 6 to No. 5, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (sales up 2%) also skips up a place to No. 6 from No. 7, as Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing drops to No. 7 from No. 5 last week.

Aliens VS Predator drops a long way down to No. 8 from No. 3, Wii Sports Resort slips from No. 8 to No. 9, and New Super Mario Bros. Wii is another non-mover at No. 10.

The Top Twenty All Format UK Software Sales Chart follows below:

1.) Final Fantasy XIII (Square Enix)
2.) Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (EA)
3.) Just Dance (Ubisoft)
4.) Heavy Rain (SCE)
5.) Wii Fit Plus (Nintendo)
6.) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Activision Blizzard)
7.) Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing (SEGA)
8.) Aliens VS Predator (SEGA)
9.) Wii Sports Resort (Nintendo)
10.) New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Nintendo)
11.) Fifa 10 (EA)
12.) Bioshock2 (2K Games)
13.) Ben 10: Alien Force – Vilgax Attacks (D3P)
14.) Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II – Chaos (THQ)
15.) Grand Theft Auto IV (Take-Two)
16.) James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game (Ubisoft)
17.) Lego Batman: The Videogame (Warner Bros. Interactive)
18.) Professor Layton and Pandora’s Box (Nintendo)
19.) Forza Motorsport 3 (Microsoft)
20.) Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo)

Source: Chart Track

Latest EA Sports MMA screenshots take us into the ring with pyrotechnics and blood

oliver@el33tonline.com (Oliver) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:52:00 +0200

The mixed martial arts (MMA) fighting videogame scene is set to hot up a little later this year with no less than two entries to the genre, as both EA Sports’ MMA and THQ’s offering are due for release in the coming months.

Just to remind us that EA Sports MMA is on the way, EA has released a new batch of screenshots to show off a few of the characters we’ll find in the game, as they make grand entrances into the ring (complete with pyrotechnics), get beaten to a pulp, and face off against one another in a variety of arenas.

You can flick through the rest of the latest EA Sports MMA screenshots below:

NBA Jam debut trailer brings back crazy moves, “Boom Shaka Laka!” is uttered

oliver@el33tonline.com (Oliver) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:14:00 +0200

EA Sports’ new and upcoming NBA Jam arcade basketball game for the Wii looks to be making all the right moves to win back fans of the original game, while inviting new players onto the court to partake in some crazy two-on-two dunking madness.

Watch the debut trailer for NBA Jam below as players jump meters into the air, basketballs burst into flame, and the announcers utter (Read: Shout) classic phrases that only franchise fans could love:

NBA Jam debut trailer

Peter Molyneux: Project Natal is ‘definitely’ in Fable 3

oliver@el33tonline.com (Oliver) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:43:00 +0200

How sure is Lionhead boss and director of the Fable series of games, Peter Molyneux, that Fable III will include support for Microsoft’s motion sensing technology, Project Natal?

Molyneux is so sure that Lionhead’s upcoming RPG epic will support the tech, that he’s forgotten how to spell, as according to a recent Twitter tweet, he says:

“Fable 3 we are defintly having natal”

OK, so I guess it’s unfair to pick on spelling mistakes made in Twitter by someone who’s dyslexic, but the fact remains: the next Fable (releasing this Holiday) will ‘definitely’ include support for Project Natal.

Everything is pointing towards Fable III being mighty indeed, so don’t hesitate to look through El33tonline’s previous coverage of the game for some screenshots, videos and more information.

Source: Twitter