NCsoft and ArenaNet announced today that gamers will be able to pre-purchase Guild Wars 2 starting April 10, 2012! Not dependent on which version you decide to choose, all versions will provide exclusive access to the upcoming beta events, three days head start access, and Hero’s Band in-game item.
Here are the details for all three pre-order editions:
Digital Edition
Digital Deluxe
Collector’s Edition
Guild Wars 2 game
Guild Wars 2 game
Guild Wars 2 game
X
Summon Mistfire Wolf Elite Skill
Summon Mistfire Wolf Elite Skill
X
Rytlock Miniature
Rytlock Miniature
X
Golem Banker
Golem Banker
X
Chalice of Glory
Chalice of Glory
X
Tome of Influence
Tome of Influence
X
X
10-inch figurine of Rytlock
X
X
112 page Making of Guild Wars 2 book
X
X
Custom Art Frame
X
X
Art Portfolio and Five Art Prints
X
X
Best of Guild Wars 2 Soundtrack CD
The only price that is given is the Collector’s Edition for $149.99 with digital prices soon to come. To access the pre-purchase website, click on the following link: Pre-Purchase for Guild Wars 2. Truly brace yourselves for this epic venture!
Dragon Ball Z Kai: Part 7 Studio: Toei Animation Publisher: FUNimation Versions: Blu-ray, DVD (reviewed) Release Date: March 20, 2012 Price: Blu-Ray $34.98 – Available Here, DVD $29.98 – Available Here
Overview: The Dragon Ball Z series is one that nearly every anime lover has seen. In fact, even non-anime fans have probably watched the entire series at one point during their lives given the fact that the series has been broadcasted multiple times and released multiple times for English audiences. However there is one thing that DBZ was always notorious for, and that was plenty of filler and moments of downtime.
However work began to create a revised version of Dragon Ball Z that would provide the same level of action without a stop in-between. As such, Dragon Ball Z Kai was born. FUNimation has brought over the past six releases of the series, and have continued with this trend by releasing part seven to North American audiences. Has nostalgia road been paved smooth with this new release or have pot holes made it a bumpy ride?
Story: When we last left the Z warriors, things were looking a tad grim. The strange and extremely powerful Cell had arisen to dash any hopes that the fighters had in defeating Dr. Gero’s creations. In fact, with the absorption of Android 17, Cell has only one more step to take until he reaches his perfect form and that is to find Android 18 and absorb her as well.
Though things aren’t going to be easy for him, as three forces converge to stand in his path, the arrogant Vegeta and the mysterious boy from the future Trunks have been training and discovered a new level of Super Saiyan that far surpasses anything previously thought possible. To make things even more difficult, Krillin approaches the hidden 18 and 16 with a remote that will force 18 to shut down, allowing for easy disposal. With Krillin’s heart uncertain of what action to take and the arrogance of Vegeta growing faster than his power level, what will happen to the Z warriors if Cell reaches his perfect form?
While nearly everyone will know how things turn out, there are still those out there who have never seen Dragon Ball Z before, and obviously Kai provides the simplest and most streamlined way possible to introduce a new viewer to the series. Though dropping them in at this point would be extremely counterproductive as it starts right in the middle of the Cell Games story arc.
In Part Seven we are able to see Cell’s perfect form as he demonstrates his nigh invincible powers by single handedly defeating their strongest warriors. With the fall of the Androids early in Part Seven we are given nearly a full release of Cell battles and training to defeat Cell. Obviously this makes Part Seven one of the best parts of the series for fans of Cell’s perfect form, but makes things a bit disappointing as they face off against this one opponent, with only a momentary change in enemies throughout the entire episode set.
Unfortunately those hoping to see the fast paced action of “The Cell Games” will only be able to catch a brief glimpse of that action as Part Seven ends just as Goku and Cell begin trading blows with one another. As it stands on its own, Part Seven is the turning point in the Cell saga where Cell finally becomes a true threat instead of just a possible one. However it is clear to see that this release can be seen as a stepping stone for the height of action viewers can expect in Part Eight.
Visuals: One of the major advantages Kai has over all other releases of Dragon Ball Z is the fact that the animation has been cleaned up and given a more crisp look. This means that a lot of scenes have been fixed up with some modern animation methods in an effort to provide the best looking Dragon Ball Z possible, though one brief glance at the opening and ending animations still leave us wishing for a full HD treatment, as the disparity between these sections and the show itself is quite obvious.
There are also a number of scenes where the quality can significantly shift between shots. More so than in the past release, there are a number of times that viewers will be seeing something that has been touched up for the Kai release of the series, and then see a scene that was left alone and this fluctuating quality will likely hinder viewers’ experience with this release.
Audio: As in past releases, Dragon Ball Z Kai Part Seven contains both an English and Japanese voice track, with each one containing quality voice acting. While some may choose to view this release in Japanese, many will take to the English release which contains nearly all of the same voice actors that we knew and loved from our childhoods. It is worth noting that a few characters sound a bit different than they did originally, but the differences are miniscule at best.
One treat that viewers will be happy to see is that the opening and ending songs for Part Seven have been dubbed completely in English, as in past releases of this series. However the opening animation is now sung by two male voice actors as they perform a duet, providing a little variety from what was seen in Part Six.
Extras:
Unfortunately the release itself has barely any extras except a clean version of the opening and ending and some trailers for past and upcoming FUNimation releases, with a lack of any other extra feature minus a nice slip-case and two slim-pak cases.
Overall: Dragon Ball Z Kai: Part Seven provides us with a stepping stone in the Cell Saga as we draw close to the end of the series. It gives us the entire set-up for the big showdown at the Cell Games and leaves us wanting more. Kai still provides us with the most streamlined and action packed Dragon Ball Z experience ever, though Part Seven unfortunately does not deliver the same quality of action fans have grown used to.
Boy Loves Girl Developer: Grubby Hands Publisher: Grubby Hands Platforms: iPad (Reviewed), iPhone, iPod Touch Release Date: March 9, 2012 Price: $0.99 – Available Here
Overview
Boy Loves Girl is a whimsical, if not slightly creepy, adventure to please the girl of his dreams. This girl never seems to be pleased with anything and asks for a multitude of creatures she finds cute. Not to disappoint, our hero goes across many lands, dragging his moon on a string around to chase down and collect the animals of the girl’s desires.
Visuals
Boy Loves Girls is simply drawn and colored. There are very little details to speak of and feels like a slightly more polished version of doodle style games. The enemies in the game are extremely cartoony and are probably the most interesting thing visually in the whole game.
The clouds feel inspired by the Super Mario series and on a whole look great. The game is said to run at 60 fps and definitely feels like it. The game runs extremely smooth with no hiccups or slowdowns.
Audio
The music and the sound effects are simple and whimsical in Boy Loves Girl which fits into the whole theme perfectly. The game relies heavily on sound effects and ambient noise during game play, as music tends to be extremely limited in the game. Some sound effects could be vastly improved, a good example being the sounds used for footsteps.
It sounds more like a space marine in 300 pounds of armor trampling through a flower patch than a dainty young boy chasing after the girl he loves. Worst of all, there seems to be very little variation with sound effects. This is one of those games where players are not missing anything by playing the game muted or with their own music in the background.
Gameplay
Boy Loves Girl’s game play is very simple. Swipe up and down to move the moon on a string into one of four possible lanes while dodging a variety of clouds bent on ruining the boy’s dreams, all while collecting smiles that drift from the boy’s head when you successfully clear the obstacles. There are a variety of clouds, some will rocket forward like Bullet Bill in Super Mario or are thunder clouds that will destroy the moon with lightning if you pass under it. These clouds can be disabled, destroyed, or temporarily hindered by tapping on them.
Each level comes with three optional goals that can be completed for bonus points. At the end of the level, players are presented with a daisy and the traditional “she loves me” and “she loves me not” option, successfully ending with a “she loves me” will net players with a heart for the level. The controls are tight and on a whole extremely responsive. There is no real difference between playing this game on the iPad or the smaller screens. I feel rather torn about this game. On one hand I find the gameplay rather boring and uninspiring. On the other hand, something about the game is a little addictive, as once I start a level I feel this desire to constantly go back and complete every level in its entirety with three stars and the heart. Finishing a level with the bare minimum requirements does not feel like finishing a level at all.
Overall
Boy Loves Girl is an interesting case. If you are looking for simple game play and something naively charming, Boy Loves Girl is a perfect game. It is by no mean the next Fruit Ninja or Angry Birds, but there is an innocent charm with Boy Loves Girl that is hard to deny. Unlike something like Fruit Ninja, I struggle to find real replay value in Boy Loves Girl. Though it is only 99 cents, I feel there are much better games at the same price point. I suspect I am not alone in saying there are better things to do than to chase the girl around.
We have a special guest this week from 100.1 Triple H FM’s The Weekly Geek, Christof Bogacs and we talk about Mass Effect 3, lots of iOS titles, 3DS sales don’t seem to be so bad, Microsoft shows off their spring showcase, Double Fine continue to do crazy things with Kickstarter numbers and trademark a new title and Apple announces a new iPad.
Cast: Alexis Ayala, Luke Halliday, Matt Vella & Special Guest Christof Bogacs
In addition to releasing a few new screenshots for their upcoming game last week, 343 Industries also answered a plethora of burning questions about the sequel to one of the most beloved shooters ever. They revealed that the Battle Rifle will make a return and that there would be a new enemy in Halo 4. Frank O’ Connor also said there would not be a beta, stating: “While we are testing Halo 4 code, gameplay, and systems at significant scale to get excellent data, input, and feedback, we are focused on polishing and shipping our experience for the duration of the year, and splitting resources to manage and build a beta is not on our schedule.”
Check out all the details on the Halo Waypoint article. There you will find the newest screenshots, the latest video and all the questions that Frank O’Connor was able to answer.
Many Xbox Live gamers who attempted to sign into their accounts today likely found a foul error on their profiles: gamerscore and achievements had been wiped!
However, Microsoft quickly got to work and had all their support teams tweeting and helping out customers. Eventually, a fix was found, and now if you are affected you merely need to sign out and then back in, or you can try to re-download your profile. If the issue persists, ask @XboxSupport on Twitter.
REDMOND, Wash. — March 13, 2012 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that Phil Harrison, video games luminary and former Sony executive, has joined the Interactive Entertainment Business (IEB) leadership team as corporate vice president with an emphasis on growing the division’s European business.
As the senior IEB leader in Europe, Phil will not only lead the Microsoft Studios European organization directly, but will also influence the broader performance of IEB’s European business through strategic partnerships and by bringing culturally relevant entertainment experiences to Microsoft platforms, now and in the future.
In addition to the wealth of experience Harrison has in the console gaming space, he has immersed himself in new business models and technologies, particularly in the mobile and social space and will bring that market perspective to bear in the new role. He will also tap his deep experience in studio leadership to grow Xbox’s development efforts in Europe, including overseeing UK-based developers Lionhead Studios, Soho Productions and Rare Ltd.
“I am excited to be joining the senior team at Microsoft at a pivotal time for our industry,” said Harrison. “I am really impressed with the company’s long-term vision for growing the market for interactive entertainment globally and also with the incredible wealth of talent, technology and resources the company has available to succeed.”
“We are honored to have Phil join a team that boasts a wealth of talent from across the industry,” said Phil Spencer, corporate vice president at Microsoft Studios. “Phil is one of video gaming’s true visionaries, and his experience overseeing global studios and deep industry relationships make him the ideal person to lead our European efforts. Under his leadership, we look forward to continuing cultivating the best talent and growing our business in the region.”
“Phil has played an instrumental role in shaping modern console history through his keen insights into both hardware and software strategy,” said Don Mattrick, president, Interactive Entertainment Business. “His addition to our leadership team will impact our global business in innumerable ways, as he aligns our studio development and growing portfolio of entertainment experiences in Europe to drive our continued growth worldwide.”
Harrison brings 25 years of games industry and development experience to his new role as the senior leader for IEB Europe. He was a long-time leader at Sony Computer Entertainment, where he held various senior executive positions within the company, most recently as president of Worldwide Studios. After leaving Sony, Harrison joined the board of Infogrames, as president of Atari, where he led the company’s transition into online gaming. Most recently, Harrison is co-founder and General Partner of London Venture Partners, LLP the venture capital firm focused on the web, mobile, social and cloud game sector, where he will continue as Special Advisor.
A recent post on Reddit indicates that new multiplayer DLC for ME3 may be on the imminent horizon. The post includes the image you see above and describes how a user supposedly downloaded “test DLC” from a developer server. The “test DLC” allegedly contained all the DLC for Mass Effect 3. The image above shows that the Geth Infiltrator and Engineer, Batarian Soldier and Sentinel, the Krogan Battlemaster and the Asari Justicar may be coming soon.
This DLC might be what was included with the ME 3 action figures and other peripherals, or it could be entirely new content. What would you like to see added to the game?
The next title in the Total War series is surprisingly not going to be on the PC. The Creative Assembly is re-imagining the game to work exclusively on mobile platform devices. We should expect a completely different game and not a direct port from the PC version.
Mike Simpson, Creative Director, offers us the following quote:
We’re thrilled to bring Total War’s compelling real-time battles to mobile devices. We’ve designed a fresh new interface, combat mechanics and visuals specifically for mobile platforms through the Unity engine. Players will face absorbing new tactical challenges across an extensive narrative-driven campaign, with numerous side missions to explore.
Following a similar storyline to Total War: Shogun 2, players will take control of a young samurai vying for control of the Shogunate. In order to increase influence across the nation, the samurai’s army must not falter. Unlocking buildings as well as units will well further the cause of the rising leader.
As the visuals and interface are quite different from the PC version, the tactical gameplay remains as you fight in real time battles across medieval Japan. Total War Battles: Shogun will provide over 10 hours of campaign, bonus challenge missions, and a head-to-head multiplayer. Don’t miss this excellent adventure when Total War Battles: Shogun hits the iTunes App Store and Android marketplace on April 19, 2012!
Despite the fact that Battlefield 3 has been out for quite a long time, there hasn’t been much DLC released for it, besides the ‘Back to Karkand’ pack a few months ago. However that is all going to change soon as fans can expect the next DLC pack to drop for Battlefield 3 in June.
This piece of DLC will be called the “Close Quarters” map pack and today EA has released the below trailer to give us a little taste of what we can expect from the DLC when it is released in the summer season. No price has currently been announced for this package, though one can expect it to cost anywhere between $10-$15 when all is said and done. Don’t forget though, PlayStation 3 owners will be able to purchase it a week earlier then everyone else… yay?
