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The Hunter is coming February 2012

Madman have picked up yet another intriguing title for their new year movie releases. The Hunter is an Australian drama starring Willem Dafoe (Spiderman’s Green Goblin, Platoon), based on the original novel by Julia Leigh. Set in the wilds of Tasmania,The Hunter follows the expedition of Martin David, a mercenary hired by a mysterious biotech company to track down the last remaining Tasmanian Tiger.

Deep in the stunning wilderness of Tasmania, Martin finds himself involved with a grief stricken family trying to cope with the disappearance of their father and husband, activist Jarrah. A”powerful psychological drama”, The Hunter picked up plenty of critical acclaim and has been nominated for a massive 14 Samsung AACTA Awards (formely the Australian Film Industry Awards) including Best Film and Best Leading Actor.

The film is released on DVD and Blu-Ray on February 8, and will follow on digital platforms on February 22. Special features are set to include an audio commentary with director Daniel Nettheim and producer Vincent Sheehan (of Porchlight Films, previously behind another Aussie hit- Animal Kingdom), deleted scenes, an ATOM Study Guide, ‘Making Of’ documentary and soundtrack. The Blu-Ray will retail at $39.95 and the DVD at $34.95

The movie is still screening at a few select venues across Australia, and you can check out the trailer below.

Latest Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus screenshots are full of touch screen goodness

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Now that we know that Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus is going to be a PlayStation Vita launch title in North America the next step is to see just how well the game will look once it does get released. Until then we can simply satisfy our need for ninjas, blood and touch controls in the screenshots below which were released today by Tecmo Koei.

In the screens we see plenty of normal combat screenshots involving Ryu Hayabusa dealing out death with his swords but we also see some of the touch screen elements. One such touch screen control can be seen below where the player must tap the enemies they want to shoot at. Plus we even get to see a few images of Ayane and Rachel. Seems interesting, though perhaps we should hold our opinions until we see all of these features in action.

Give the gift of Tekken 3D Prime Edition this Valentine’s Day

It seems that fans of the Tekken series worldwide won’t have to wait very long before they get their hands on Tekken 3D Prime Edition. Today Namco Bandai has revealed when fans can expect to see the title in stores and it seems that those in North America may just be able to give their Valentine a fighting game for the holiday as the title is set to be released on February 14th.

Those in Europe and Australia will need to wait just a little bit longer as the title is expected to see release in those regions on February 17th. The title will have 40 selectable fighters, online multiplayer and the full 3D movie of Tekken: Blood Vengeance right there on the cartridge. Sounds like quite a bundle, especially considering a brand new portable Tekken title is easily enough to warrant a purchase for most.

Modern Warfare 3’s first DLC to arrive January 24

Anyone who is enrolled in the Call of Duty Elite program may already know this information, but on the program called “Roll Call” on the service Infinity Ward’s Robert Bowling revealed when fans of Modern Warfare 3 can expect to see the first batch of DLC for the title. The first piece of DLC will be released on January 24th exclusively on the Xbox 360 for about a month as usual. Then it will be available on the PC and PS3 afterwords.

The DLC hasn’t been priced or detailed heavily, though fans can expect to pay 1200 MSP ($15) for the map pack if they aren’t members of Call of Duty Elite Premium. The above image is of the multiplayer map known as Park. Expect to hear more in the coming weeks about this DLC.

Legend of Zelda timeline revealed?

This could be it, the answer to one of the longest running questions in video game history. How exactly does each Legend of Zelda title tie together into the same supposed timeline. Well, Nintendo has released the Hyrule Historia, which is a Legend of Zelda encyclopedia in Japan which has not only artwork from each game in the series but also the history of Hyrule in every title.

The biggest inclusion in this book however is the highly debated timeline. A fan of the Legend of Zelda has picked up the book and has reported the timeline here. Then Siliconera has created a rough timeline showing how each game ties together which can be seen below. Does this breakdown make sense to you? Personally it is quite confusing, but if is the true storyline then a lot of debating has been put to rest.

Fenix Rising map pack dlc coming to Gears of War 3 on January 17

Those who have picked up the Gears of War 3 season pass are definitely getting some bang for their buck lately. Gears of War 3 is set to get its third add-on content since the game has been released and this time around it is some more multiplayer DLC. This DLC is titled Fenix Rising and is set to be released on January 17 for 800 MSP.

The pack will contain four character skins, five new maps and a prestige type mode to unlock special weapon skins. Players can prestige three times and unlock a bronze skin, a red one, a green one and finally a gold one. See below to see the various stages and characters included in this add-on content.

The maps:

  • Academy –The lineage of the Fenix family can be traced back along a distinguished line of military officers.  Officer training at the Oracle Academy was simply the expected path for Marcus, and he had visited the grounds many times in expectation that he would walk the same path as his ancestors.  But it was not to be, and Marcus broke with tradition to be with his best friends Dom and Carlos.  Like any number of fine Seran traditions, the Academy is now lost to the invasion of the Locust Horde.
  • Anvil – The fortress of Anvegad was called Anvil Gate because its impenetrable walls were forged in the fires of war.  Huge cannons sat atop battlements that guarded sprawling walls running the line of the UIR borders.  Marcus went there to find Hoffman, and they both thought that Anvil Gate would offer protection from the incoming forces of Locust and Lambent.  They were wrong, and little remains other than the ruined shell of a once mighty fortress.
  • Depths – The excessive opulence of Azura defied all normal reasoning.  But Adam Fenix could see the cracks in the veneer of splendor from the moment he arrived at this underwater processing center.  And all that beauty mattered not at all once he was held captive by the Locust.  Out of options, he had to find a way to contact Marcus, and finally reveal the truths he’d been keeping to himself for all these many years.
  • Escalation – Haldane Hall has been the home of the Fenix family for countless generations.  But the only history that matters to Marcus’s are his memories of warm summer evenings spent with his mother, Elain, relaxing in the estate’s gardens.  Sadly, all the estate’s history and beauty was lost when the Locust destroyed it in an attempt to kidnap his father.
  • The Slab – Convicted for insubordination and treason, Marcus was incarcerated in Jacinto Maximum Security Prison.  Known as “The Slab”, this prison is not a correctional facility – it’s a place where Sera’s worst offenders are locked up and forgotten.  The inmates are brutal, parole is not an option, and the average life expectancy is about two years.  But that was before the Locust showed up, and what couldn’t get worse, suddenly did.  Now your life expectancy there is around 2 minutes.

The character skins:

  • Recruit Clayton – Clayton was born a Gear, grew up a Gear, and on the very day he became eligible, he signed himself up to become the capable, confident, and devoted Gear he’d always known he could be.
  • Thrashball Cole (Limited Edition) – The Cole Train prefers to take the most direct path to the Locust Horde in any situation. What he lacks in finesse, he makes up in raw energy.
  • Savage Marauder – Locust Marauders were the first to form any sort of organization outside of the Hollow – if their brutal infighting and bloodthirsty raiding parties could truly be called organized
  • Savage Kantus (Limited Edition) – The Savage Kantus were profoundly impacted by the loss of the Hollow.  They have reverted to a primal, shamanistic state, and their battle cries have taken a dark, melancholy turn.  Few sounds are as terrifying to human ears.

Skyward Sword fix available on Japan’s Wii Channel

Nintendo was quick to acknowledge that they had a potentially game ending bug in their headline Wii title this year, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. The good thing is, they have also been quick to work on fixing it for people. While this is currently only available to those in Japan, it is a sign of good things to come, especially for those in North America suffering from glitched saves.

Nintendo’s fix will be a bit different from what 360 and PS3 users are used to. Instead the fix will be a Wii Channel download that will patch and repair save files affected by the glitch. The channel is called the “Zelda Data Restoration Channel.” Expect to see something similar to this from Nintendo of America soon.

Madman Screening Room – What’s New?

You may recall that Madman Entertainment made several acquisition announcements earlier this year. As part of that announcement they confirmed that some of the titles licensed would eventually be given Madman Screening Room treatment.

Starting this week, three new titles have begun weekly streaming in the Madman Screening Room. These three new titles will be joining the already streaming; GOSICK and Last Exile – Fam, The Silver Wing, which update on Mondays and Tuesdays respectively.

You can now watch the following titles in the Madman Screening Room:

  • Nichijou – My Ordinary Life (Updated Wednesdays)
  • Steins;Gate (Updated Thursdays)
  • Deadman Wonderland (Updated Fridays)

You will be able to view these titles over at Madman’s official website now. As for the titles release on physical media, it is currently up in the air. It has also been confirmed that Persona 4 and Future Diary will begin streaming at some point in 2012. Be sure to stay tuned for more Madman Screening Room updates.

Software Update Fixes Sony Playstation Vita Issues

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Sony recently released a software update that fixes technical issues confronting the PlayStation Vita. The Vita, PlayStation Portable’s successor, sold over 300,000 units in over two days in Japan, currently the only country where the portable gaming device is available. Soon after its successful release, glitches ranging from freezes, crashes, and unresponsive touch screens have been popping up on Youtube and Twitter.

Along with the software update was a firmware upgrade that owners need to install to be able to continue going online using their Vitas. Sony issued a statement regarding the matter, apologizing for the mishap and advising users on how to handle technical glitches. Complaints from new Vita owners added controversy to Sony’s release, which is already estimated to be about 50,000 units short of Nintendo 3DS’s 371,000 tally last February (when it launched on a weekend).

However, Sony is looking to beef up the Playstation Vita releases with a lineup of 24 games, including a new LittleBigPlanet version and the latest Uncharted title, to stave off further potential sales slumps in the coming weeks. In February, two models of the gaming device will launch in the UK, and by then the lineup will include 33 titles. Gamers in the UK and Europe will also be pleased to know that existing glitches and technical issues have already been resolved.

The new Playstation handheld bests its predecessor with a system that makes use of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and even an electronic compass under the 5inch OLED screen. It also sports front and rear cameras. The Vita models to be released in the UK will be able to connect to the Internet via 3G and Wi-Fi, or via Wi-Fi alone.

Doctor Lautrec and the Forgotten Knights out now!

Doctor Lautrec and the Forgotten Knights has now been released on the Nintendo 3DS by Konami Digital Entertainment. A great idea for a stocking stuffer, Doctor Lautrec is an awesome puzzle solving adventure game that combines challenging riddles, exploration, imminent danger and history to create an exciting narrative.

Doctor Lautrec is set in 19th Century Paris, on a mission to uncover the hidden treasures of Louis XIV. You assume the identity of Doctor Lautrec, a curious archaeologist with a penchant for adventure. Trying to get past all the puzzles to get down to the truth and uncover the mystery of this infamous King.

Doctor Lautrec utilizes the Nintendo 3DS to the full extent of all the 3DS features. Use your memory and skills to beat the puzzles and solve the mystery!

Doctor Lautrec and the Forgotten Knights is available on Nintendo 3DS for $29.96. Grab it HERE.