It was curious that the Nintendo DSi XL still cost the same price as the Nintendo 3DS after the 3DS received its price drop but that curious pricing structure has changed as Nintendo has revealed a set of new prices for their older handhelds. Starting on May 20th the basic DSi will sell for only $100 while the DSi XL will go for $130.
Both of these handhelds will still contain the Flipnote Studio and the XL version will still come with the pre-installed versions of the two Brain Age games. Ironically, this price drop on these older handhelds coincides with the release of the Midnight Purple 3DS on the same day.
Today Bethesda revealed a solid release date for Arkane Studios’ first person assassin game Dishonored. Those who wish to pick up the game in North America can do so on October 9th while those in Europe will have to wait until October 12th when the game is released on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.
Those who are curious about what the game will play like will need to wait about a month to find out as Bethesda has stated that there will be a hands-on demo of the game available at E3 so you can expect us to be providing our impressions once we get some time with the game.
We’ve seen a few screenshots but never before have we seen any gameplay footage of Assassin’s Creed 3 minus a small teaser last week. However today the community has unlocked the first gameplay trailer for the game which can be seen below.
In the trailer we see Connor, also known as Ratohnhaké:ton, take out many Redcoats in brutal fashion including a number of new assassination animations and tricks. It even looks like you may be fighting against some wild animals as well, or at least a bear if nothing else. Also those who play close attention can catch the chain-blade in use as Connor strings up a Redcoat then proceeds to kill everyone else in the vicinity.
It seems that while the Japanese market for the PlayStation Vita is absolutely terrible, as it is nearly always outperformed by even the PSP, the system has done decently in the rest of the world. In fact, Sony’s Kaz Hairai believes that the handhelds had a good launch and is looking to sell quite a lot more systems by the end of the year.
Speaking with Eurogamer he went on to say that “a game platform, like Vita – the software is the key to success, how good the software is. We have to reinforce the software area in order to improve the business, that is the basic line.” Unfortunately at the moment, Sony has yet to reveal any major games for the handheld besides what was already known. Perhaps if they choose to release the above Hatsune Miku Vita worldwide instead of just Japan then those sales may get a decent boost.
Every few years a movie is released based on a video game franchise and occasionally this movie is sent straight to retail release, skipping over theaters entirely. Fans of the Dragon Age series may have thought that the upcoming Dragon Age movie, Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker from FUNimation would be given the same treatment.
However there is one night where anyone who wants to go see the movie will have the opportunity to do so on the silver screen. On May 24th four theaters spread across North America, two in California, one in New York and even one in Edmonton, Canada will be showing the movie for one day only. Those who are eager to pick up their tickets for the screenings or want to know if one of the theaters is close by can find out more information here.
EA Mobile has a plethora of information this week from game announcements to game updates.
First up, Trouble Makers a new iOS game is being released today for a multitude of territories for free download. Play to create monsters and design a personalized laboratory, which is funded by finding genes and engineering them to make your monster minions that will do your bidding. Once players have their lab to their liking, they can have friends visit as well as visiting theirs. Available now Australia, Brazil, UK, Canada, Germany, Spain, Singapore, Italy, Russia, Hong Kong, Turkey, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland territories.
With the movie nearing BATTLESHIP Free is releasing a new version today that includes cutscenes and alien ships to blend the experience of classic BATTLESHIP and the movie. Players can play on either the Human or Alien side to try and sink the others fleet. Multiplayer modes available for two player include wifi, bluetooth, and PASS-N-PLAY.
Next, The Sims FreePlay is adding even more content today by not only letting 20 Sims in a neighborhood, but also buy birthday cakes for the baby Sims and see them grow into toddlers, with their own outfits and toys from the Children’s Store. Sims that haven’t tied the knot yet can now pick from even more dresses and suits for the big day. Pets can get even more toys too from the Pet Store with the update today.
Lastly, EA and Insomniac Games have partnered together to bring a new IP of Insomniac’s first made for Facebook game. Outernauts is an adventure RPG where players capture and train alien creatures to uncover the secrets of the “ancients”, all while battling pirates and evil corporations out to control everything. Players will be able to explore different planets, gather loot, and fight midst or against their friends when Outernauts releases this Summer.
The Secret World is still prepping for its release on June 19th, but that doesn’t mean the players anticipating it have to sit idly by. To share the wealth and joy of the game the first Public Beta is coming this weekend starting May 11th titled “Kingsmouth Calling”. Those that have pre-ordered the game already will be getting in, but don’t fret if you haven’t put in for yours because you weren’t quite sure yet. GameSpot has a page offering 100,000 beta keys to players in US, UK, and Australia HERE, so try and grab one and check the game out.
The developer of The Secret World, Funcom, has also said that there are currently more than one million players signed up to beta test, making it easy to confirm that it is the most anticipated MMOs. But besides just beta signups, the website for the game has had more than 2 million unique visitors and its social media experience has had nearly 250,000 registered users. Definitely keep your eyes out for more information on this.
After 15 years Stainless Steel Games has regained the Carmageddon IP and unveiled Carmageddon: Reincarnation, a modern take on the brutal racer come pedestrian pancaker of yesteryear. Not a great deal has been revealed about the game as yet but we do know that the hallmarks of old: action replay and multiplayer are returning with new features for the social media age, for example; you’ll be able to upload your replays to Youtube, Facebook or Twitter through in-game integration and play with friends online without the old frustrations of LAN cables and hours of “but it should be working?”
While we wait with baited breath, the games website provides us with a few tasty tidbits of whats to come. There are: developer blogs, news updates and in a move I can only term as amazeballz, Stainless Steel Games are accepting input from fans on what to put into the game via the websites forum but the fan involvement doesn’t stop there. Stainless Steel Games have opted to open the game up to pledges on Kickstarter to raise money towards giving the title the rebirth they feel it so rightly deserves. Their are tiered rewards based on how much of a kick you want to give the game and with the success through Kickstarter of Double Fine Adventure, Wasteland 2 it only makes sense that the Stainless Steel Games as an independent studio tap Carmageddon’s cult following to allow them full creative control of the game as an in-house project.
With Kickstarter behind them and a cult classic formula to build on it should only be a matter of time before we’re back behind the wheel in our sandbox of mayhem racking up points by creatively dispatching pedestrians (now with rag doll physics!) and releasing our rage whether it be from: being trolled, a frustrating drive home Carmageddon is making its return and will be released for digital download across various platforms.
With the fall of Melbourne Games Expo a few years ago, the gaming audience of Australia needed an expo for their gaming fix. EB Games answered that will with the EB Games Expo. The press event made its debut last year and it took place in the Gold Coast, getting a large attendance from gamers and journalists all over the nation and achieving quite the success. It’s now set to be an annual tradition with this year’s event taking place at the Olympic Park in Sydney. The event will be held at the Sydney Showground from 5 October 2012 till 7 October 2012.
Last year’s event featured incredible live presentations from Playstation, Bethesda, Ubisoft, THQ, EA and more, revealed the most anticipated gaming titles of 2011 including Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3, Battlefield 3, Assassins Creed Revelations, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and Batman Arkham City, with a keynote address from EA CEO, Peter Moore.
This year will be even bigger as more than 30,000 people are expected to attend.Offering access to the hottest upcoming games of 2012, celebrating gaming culture in a dedicated environment. The event will host a range of venues and spaces, which will allow the event to such as the EB Arena Spectacular, with a new stage, freestyle motorcross, live pyro techniques, performers. A new Grand Finale show featuring the EB Expo Choice Awards 2012, allowing gamers to vote on their favourite games and presentations. Furthermore, cosplayers will be present in full force, with a dedicated performance stage has been set aside for the Cosplay competition. The event will also host a special Fanmade exhibition space will feature in the Badgery Pavilion, featuring fan art, E-Sport tournaments, Australian developers and other new exhibitors. Finally, there will be the EB Twilight Spectacular on 5 October 2012 and 6 October 2012.
Tickets will go on sale on 24 May 2012. Categories of tickets include Family Passes, Express, and Ultimate Gamer, with only 100 Ultimate Gamer tickets available. You can get more details about the events, tickets, and the lineup at the official website here. In the meantime, check out our full coverage of EB Games 2011 and get an idea of what to expect from the Australian gaming spectacle. You can check out our series of articles for last year’s event here.
Rockstar Games Social Club recently received a major reboot, and registration are now open, allowing players to set up their Social Club Crew. This online social media network will be integrated with the multiplayer component of Rockstar video games, mainly the highly anticipated Max Payne 3.
Players can create their Crew Clubs and join up to five separate crews, and engage in multiplayer mayhem against other Crews. Players can also design their own Emblems for their Crew and designate their squads as either All-Stars, Soldiers, Rebels, Thrill Seekers, or Charrer Boxers. There will be an Experience points system that will allow you to unlock awards, further more the Social Club service will be integrated across PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC platfroms.
Players who create a Crew between now and 15 May 2012 will receive the title of ‘Founder Crew’ and have access to special awards and benefits. You can check out the new and improved social club in the link below
