With the announcement of XCOM: Enemy Unknown by the cover of next month’s Game Informer, it only makes sense that Game Informer is the first company to give us a bit of information in the title. To be more specific, Game Informer has published an interview with developers Firaxis and in this interview the developers state that Enemy Unknown will be a blend of turn-based and RTS gameplay.
The video game will be switching between the two modes, where players will need to manage research and development at the XCOM secret base in real time while combat is turn based. The R&D can be done whenever the player feels like and involves securing funding for XCOM, intercepting UFOs with jet fighters, leveling up soldiers, etc. The title is currently planned to be released sometime in the fall of this year. So expect more news in the coming weeks.
Warner Brothers Entertainment has made it official and announced that the Mortal Kombat Komplete Kollection will indeed be released in both Europe and North America in the coming months. To be more specific, the North American version of the package will be released on February 28th and March 2nd in Europe.
The Mortal Kombat Komplete Kollection will contain all the DLC released for the title to date. This includes all the 15 classic character skins, three classic Fatalities for Scorpion, Sub-Zero and Reptile and finally brand new characters such as Skarlet, Rain, Kenshi and Freddy Krueger. The package will also contain a music CD named “Mortal Kombat: Songs Inspired by the Warriors” and a digital copy of the 1995 Mortal Kombat movie.
With the new year comes the next house party of games held by Microsoft on the XBLA. This time around it seems like they are trying to market the games like they are a real house party, at least that is how it looks from the video released today that announced the entire lineup for House Party 2012.
The games which will be released during the House party promotion include Alan Wake’s American Nightmare, EA’s Warp, Nexuiz and the long-awaited I Am Alive. Obviously the two highly anticipated titles of this line-up are Alan Wake and I am Alive. Currently there is no release date for these titles nor when we can expect the House Party to begin. Though considering the last House Party occurred in the later half of February it is safe to assume somewhere around there.
While it may have been expected by most, Sony has officially come out and given Twisted Metal a release date for the UK. While North Americans will be able to play the title on February 14th, those in the UK will need to wait until February 17. This follows most predictions, as the international release of most titles usually does not vary greatly from region to region.
This news comes from a Sony representative responding to an inquiry by MCV. It is worth noting that expected buyers who pick up the game at release will also be receiving a voucher that will allow them to download Twisted Metal Black the 2001 PS2 game for free.
The release of 38 Studios, Big Huge Games and EA’s ambitious RPG Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is growing very close, in fact it is only a month away now in North America as the title will be released on February 7th in North America and February 10th in Europe. The title is seeing a multiplatform release, so while console owners do not need to worry about what they will need to run the title, PC gamers will need to know just how strong their gaming rig will need to be to even run the title. As such 38 Studios released the minimum and recommended PC specifications for the title which can be seen below. It is also worth noting that an internet connection is required to register and activate the title as well.
MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
OS:
Windows XP with Service Pack 3
Windows Vista with Service Pack 2
Windows 7 with Service Pack 1
CPU:
Intel Core2 Duo (or equivalent) running at 2.2GHz or greater
AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (or equivalent) running at 2.6GHz or greater
RAM:
At least 1 GB for Windows XP
At least 2 GB for Windows Vista and Windows 7
Disc Drive:
CD/DVD ROM drive (required for installation only), 8x or faster CD/DVD drive
Hard Drive:
At least 10.5 GB of free space
Video Adapter:
NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT 512MB or better
ATI Radeon HD3650 512MB or better
Supporting Pixel Shader 3.0
Minimum Resolution Supported is 1280×720
DirectX:
9.0c Compatible
RECOMMENDED SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
OS:
Windows XP with Service Pack 3
Windows Vista with Service Pack 2
Windows 7 with Service Pack 1
CPU:
Intel Core 2 Quad (or equivalent) running at 2.4GHz or greater
AMD Phenom X4 (or equivalent) running at 2.6GHz or greater
RAM:
At least 3 GB for Windows XP
At least 4 GB for Windows Vista and Windows 7
Disc Drive:
CD/DVD ROM drive (required for installation only), 8x or faster CD/DVD drive
Hard Drive:
At least 10.5 GB of free space
Video Adapter:
NVIDIA GeForce GTX260 1GB RAM or better
ATI Radeon HD4850 1GB RAM or better
Supporting Pixel Shader 3.0
The internet contains a wealth of information, even information that some companies weren’t planning on revealing quite yet. Such is the case with this possible Aliens: Colonial Marines special edition. The image was discovered on Gamekyo and being that Sega has yet to confirm any special edition or make any statement about there being a special edition this news can best be seen as a rumor, but a very hopeful rumor at that.
The special edition as seen above, contains a resin figure of a xenomorph attacking a Power Loader, a USCM dossier, a wrap around display and digital content such as the M240 Flamethrower, M577 A2 Smart Gun, M414 Pulse Rifle Upgrade, and the “USCM Academy Firing Range” game mode. To be honest this special edition looks to be the real deal, but also could simply be a very elaborate fake. We’ve reached out to Sega for their stance on this special edition.
It appears that those hoping to get their hands on the HD versions of the older Silent Hill titles may need to wait a little bit longer as multiple retailers have changed the release date of the title once again. It should be noted that the Silent Hill HD Collection has already been delayed once, from November 2011 until January 24 2012.
However it has come to our attention that multiple retailers, including Amazon, GameStop and online rental service GameFly have all changed that release date to March 6th instead of the previously announced release date. Konami themselves have not made an announcement about this delay yet and we have reached out to them for confirmation of the delay.
It seems that despite the usually well-informed and trustworthy reporting of Nikkei, Kazuo Hirai has not taken a step up the Sony ladder to becoming the new president of the company. At least not yet anyways. Sony has issued a brief and to the point statement saying that currently “nothing has been determined.”
Now while this may seem like a downright refusal, the fact that Sony’s own statement fully says that they have “made no announcement in this regard and nothing has been determined at this time” makes it seem like there could possibly be something moving behind the scenes at Sony, but the company may not want it revealed just yet. Or Nikkei’s report could simply have been false. Time will tell.
Some of you may remember back when the PlayStation Vita was officially revealed at E3 2011 Sony stated that the North American version of the PlayStation Vita 3G version would make exclusive use of AT&T’s3 3G network. Both companies have been very quiet about this since that announcement but today AT&T finally came out with some information and data plans for those who will be picking up the 3G version of the handheld.
There will be two options available for those who want to play their Vita online anywhere. There is a $14.99 plan with a limit of 250MB per month, and a $25 plan with a limit of 2GB per month. AT&T also revealed that anyone who signs up for the Vita data coverage will also be able to download a free game from a certain list of titles, however that list has not been revealed. It is also worth noting that those pricing plans are for monthly payments, not long term coverage.
The hype has grown immensely for the next installment of Resident Evil because players will have a chance to take on the roles of Umbrella team. In the latest trailer, we find Umbrella Security Services team intercepting Spec-Ops soldiers. With the mentality of eliminating all survivors, Umbrella shoots to kill. While both sides are aggressively attacking each other, a zombie horde drops in to say “hello”.
If gamers can take anything away from the cinematic, it would be that this game is hardcore. Even if there is no visible gameplay in this trailer, the cinematic is unbelievably mouth-watering. Watch the entire trailer below, and decide for yourself whether or not you should pre-order immediately (here).
