Looking for your next Playstation Portable fix? Ubisoft may be bringing you the next PSP hit in the form of Lord of Arcana. You will will be able to battle a giant monster made of magma. But why must you do such a thing? You want the powerful Stone of Arcana, don’t you?! It is said that the Stone is the source of all order in the universe. Only by destroying everything in your path in many environments, like deserts, caves and marshes, will you be able to obtain this power. Plus, the battles look good. But don’t take my word for it. Watch the great trailer below to find out more.
Nintendo’s president Satoru Iwata shared another new announcement for the Nintendo Wii during a financial briefing today, it’s Pandora’s Tower.
A teaser site is already open, but the details are pretty vague. It looks like a rpg, but could be anything as we don’t have any real information about it yet. The site opens with a girl saying “Dying and becoming beautiful, or living though ugly. Which will make you happier?”. There’s some random phrases too, check it out:
The game’s full name is Pandora no Tou: Kimi no Moto e Kaeru Made, which translates into Pandora’s Tower: Until I Return To Your Side.
Pandora’s Tower will be released (in Japan) in the next months. Until now there was no talk about a localization.
As a huge Kirby fan, I am very excited about this piece of news. Nintendo of Japan has some coming attractions on their website, and out of nowhere a new Kirby title for the Wii has been shown. Instead of being made of yarn this time though, Kirby is going back to his roots of sucking up enemies in standard fashion. There is no title and very little information other than a very short clip on the website, but it also does mention an upcoming film for the pink hero that will be releasing later this year.
I have a good feeling Nintendo will be at least giving this title a mention at E3 this year as the clip seems to come from a very polished looking game (with many new powers in tow) that is drawing back some nostalgia of Kirby 64 from myself. It is also mentioned for 2011 release at least in Japan, so this one may be a lot closer than we think.
Click Here to check out the clip yourself and we will be following this title more as Nintendo releases more information on it.
Over the past couple of days, we have reported the announcement of Platinum Games’ new project, Max Anarchy here and we also brought you the news the following day that the title had now been given its Western name, and that Max Anarchy was the game’s Japanese title, which can be found here
And now to match these announcements, Anarchy Reigns has been given its first trailer, a teaser trailer to promote the reveal. As it is still very early days, with Platinum Games planning a late 2011 release for the game, the trailer doesn’t give much away. It does show Madworld’s Jack for anyone who played that on the Wii, although his inclusion was something that had already been confirmed.
Razer, specialists in top quality gaming peripherals, have announced that they are pleased to welcome Ed Fries to its Board of Advisors. Ed brings 28 years of gaming industry expertise to the company which should prove invaluable in helping Razer stay on top of its game in delivering professional products to gamers across the world.
Ed Fries created his first videogames for the Atari 800 in the early 80s and from here, he moved to Microsoft where he played a key role in the creation of Excel and Word. He then went on to pursue his passion for videogames, leaving to form Microsoft Game Studios. Over the next 8 years the team grew and published over 100 games, as the rest, as they say, is history. In 2004, Ed Reins retired his position as Microsoft Vice President and went on to fill a range of roles among the games industry making use of his experience: from board member and advisor, to consultant.
Ed Fries has this to say about his new position at Razer: “Razer is a company developing some of the most advanced gaming technologies in the industry right now. I look forward to working with the team and providing guidance to continue their successful line of gaming products and developing new growth opportunities.”
Hopefully gaining this industry veteran will help Razer to deliver even better products in the future.
Modern Combat: Domination Publisher & Developer: Gameloft Platform: PlayStation 3 (Reviewed) Genre: Online FPS Release Date: January 18th 2011 Price: $7.99 (USA), £6.29 (UK)
Overview:
Take a minute and pause that expensive FPS and take a quick look here as we have another FPS entering the gaming world. Now don’t walk away quite yet, sure there are plenty of different FPS out there to take a look at, and it’s definitely hard to make a splash in the current market but this game here, Modern Combat: Domination only costs $8 and also has Move support. Gameloft has made two Modern Combat games before except those were only available on cell phones. Will Gameloft’s Modern Combat survive the jump to consoles?
Story:
Modern Combat: Domination has absolutely zero story to stand behind the action that is going on, especially considering the fact that the game was designed primarily for online multiplayer. There is a mode that can be played offline but this mode does not change the actual gameplay at all other than have the player face off against bots, with bots on their team as well. The teams played by the players are named generically, such as Mercenaries vs Special Forces, and the objective of every match is of course, to win.
Graphics:
Gameloft surprisingly handles the jump to full size televisions surprisingly well considering they are used to working on screens smaller than a dollar bill. Of course that doesn’t mean that things don’t look a bit drab either. While the game does look good enough for the price tag attached to Modern Combat: Domination, the visuals are clearly not the best you can find out there. The five different maps are designed well enough but unfortunately the horrible spawning system only makes matters worse when it is combined with the fact that level design leaves much to be desired, meaning many players will spawn only to die quickly once again.
Audio:
The guns actually sound pretty good when they are fired and explosive grenades sound just as good as if they were in a fully priced retail game. It also seems that every gun carries a decent enough kick so that players actually will be able to hear and see their gun acting as it would in a real life situation. The music however is easily forgettable and more often than not I found myself not even realizing that there was music playing due to the fact that it is not memorable, or noticeable, in the slightest.
Gameplay:
Now Modern Combat: Domination provides players six different game modes to play on five different maps and also allow them to use thirteen different weapons to kill one another. Put this together with the fact that players will always be placed within a 16 player battle and it definitely asks for a closer look.
Modern Combat: Domination takes the whole weapon system and puts a different spin on things. First of all there are no killstreaks to be had. Rather the more kills a player gets in a row the more money they will make. The reason players receive money for kills, headshots, melees, etc. is that players must use money to buy their equipment every time that they die and unless they do so, they will only spawn with a pistol to use. This feature actually makes it quite balanced for new players to shoot at one another, and even if a level 1 faces off against a level 72 they will find themselves with just as much of a chance to take the level 72 down.
Now the fact that money is used to buy guns is also a setback. The reason that this is a setback is because of the spawning system within the game. The spawn system is absolutely terrible within MC:D. Countless times during nearly every match that I experienced there was a time that my player spawned, only to be shot from behind by either a camper, or an enemy player who spawned a few feet away just out of screenview. The reason that the spawn system makes the money system so terrible is the fact that once the player dies, all of the equipment purchased that they had on is lost immediately. The fact that many of the advanced guns and gear costs upwards of $3,000 at least for a moderate set, that dying cheaply as soon as you spawn is a very big letdown.
Now where exactly where all of this shooting be going down? Well GameLoft’s five different maps are called: Sandstorm, The Hideouts, Souks, Headquarters and Factory. Now any of these maps can be used to play Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and Domination and each of these game types are so familiar that it isn’t worth mentioning. Boom and Bust is a new gametype where players will have to escort bomb carriers to blow up a specific target, but this game mode is only available to be played on maps Sandstorm and The Hideouts. Another game mode, called Extraction, sees players capturing a brief case on the map before the enemies do. Finally there is Escort mode which randomly selects a player that the rest of the team must escort to a certain point on the map alive, if the selected player dies then the enemy team wins and the match switches sides.
Perhaps the most interesting game mode is the Escort mode as it requires lots of team work. Going off in random directions will only result in allowing the player you are supposed to be escorting, die in a corner somewhere. On the opposite end of the spectrum players on the enemy team must work together or fall to the stream of bullets that a well-organized escort group can produce.
Now MC:D may be mainly an online game, players do have the option to face off against bots in single player mode. All of the different game modes are available but players will not be able to level up and unlock better weaponry for purchase. Another thing worthy of mention is the fact that, no matter what, every match that you play will have 16 players in it. If there is not enough players for an 8 vs. 8 match then bots will fill the online slots instead. The bots AI is relatively smart and does not hurt the teams score often in my experience. There were a few hiccups regarding teammate bots simply standing in one place and being shot repeatedly by the enemy but this is rare in occurrence.
Now earlier I mentioned that MC:D is Move compatible, but this option is not forced on players. The Move support is able to be selected in the option menu and if used, will see players using the navigational stick to move around, while aiming on the screen using the Move itself.
Another thing worth taking notice of, and you will in spades, is the fact that Modern Combat: Domination takes quite a bit of time to load. There are long load times, half a minute or more, in simply starting the game up from the PlayStation 3, which then transfer into long load times inside of the game itself, whether it be loading up a match online or offline.
Overall:
Modern Combat: Domination proves that Gameloft can actually make the jump to consoles without losing the fun in translation. MC:D isn’t without its flaws; primarily the spawning system, the fact that some AI bots stutter and become a drag on the team and very long load times. But regardless of that fact there is plenty of enjoyment to be had and battling against your friends and random people online for only an $8 price tag easily places Modern Combat: Domination as a great budget online FPS.
A leading UK publisher of computer and videogames, Mastertronic, has signed a deal with casual games pioneer PopCap Games which promises to bring many PopCap hits to the shelves. As part of this deal, Mastertronic will publish and distribute a number of PopCap’s casual game franchises for PC, handheld and console formats to retail across the UK, Europe and PAL regions.
The first of these releases -PopCap Hits- arrives exclusively on Xbox 360 on February 18th and consists of four top titles: Bejeweled 2, Peggle, Feeding Frenzy and AstroPop.
A further release will then follow, PopCap Hits Volume 2, which will provide another burst of four of the best PopCap titles: featuring Plants vs. Zombies, Feeding Frenzy 2, Zuma and Heavy Weapon.
What’s more, thanks to Mastertronic, you can expect Plants vs. Zombies to arrive on the Nintnedo DS sometime in March, and the PC side of things also isn’t neglected with a compilation pack similar to that of the Xbox 360. Plants vs. Zombies, Bejeweled Blitz and Amazing Adventures: the Caribbean Secret will come to PC in February too.
2K Games’ Topspin series has been the tennis series to go to since it’s debut back in the days of the Xbox & PS2, and with the pending release of Top Spin 4, a new development diary has now been released detailing everything from the courts to the players. What makes this development diary different than others is that it is in text rather than a video, but it is actually jam packed full of information that should satisfy any tennis fan craving for details until the game is released in March.
So, I present to you the diary in 4 which was wrote by series’ producer, François Giuntini.:
Hello everyone. I’m François Giuntini, Executive Producer on Top Spin 4.
These past couple years have been quite interesting for the Top Spin development team. Development moved from Paris to lovely Prague while strengthening the team with dedicated and talented people. We have also taken the time to analyze Top Spin 3, gathering great feedback from our dedicated fan base, to define what tweaks, updates, and complete reworks we needed to do.
And here we are now. The brand new Top Spin 4 is releasing March, 15th 2011 in the US and March, 18th 2011 internationally, packed with revolutionary, exciting tennis goodness! Today I will talk about some of the cool content that makes Top Spin 4 THE Real Tennis Experience.
We focused a lot of effort and energy to ensure that every aspect of TS4 delivers the best of what makes tennis so thrilling and exciting. Let me present some of these elements to you:
All-Star Cast of Modern and Legend Players
TS4 features the who’s who of current and legendary tennis players: Andre Agassi, Bjorn Borg, Roger Federer, Jim Courier, Rafael Nadal, Boris Becker, Serena Williams, Patrick Rafter, Michael Chang, Dinara Safina, Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Ana Ivanovic, Ivan Lendl, Pete Sampras, Andy Roddick, James Blake, Caroline Wozniacki, Nikolay Davydenko, Gilles Simon, Bernard Tomic, Eugenie Bouchard, Stanislas Wawrinka, Vera Zvonareva, and Jelena Jankovic are available in TS4. At the end of the day, 2K has secured five of the top 10 on the ATP rankings, as well as four of the top 10 on the WTA rankings. All these great Pros have been faithfully implemented in the game with even more Signature Style; every detail from their look, attitude, attributes, strengths & weaknesses and play style. Each player has signature animations for their own swings and attitude, making every person more unique and exciting to play with.
This extensive list will allow you to re-enact some of the most exciting matchups in tennis history. Play as Nadal with his “lasso-whip” forehands or watch Djokovic pump his chest when celebrating a great point. Replay epic historic moments, such as Sampras’ last grand slam final against Agassi at the US Open or the 2010 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals between Nadal and Federer at the O2 Arena in London. Speaking of arenas…
The Best Venues Just Got Better
In TS4 you can play on the courts of no less than 42 different venues, ranging from playgrounds to the most prestigious arenas including:
– Rod Laver Arena (Australian Open)
– Court Philippe Chatrier (Roland Garros)
– The Arthur Ashe Stadium (US Open)
– Indian Wells Tennis Garden (BNP Paribas Open)
– Sony Ericsson Open in Miami
– BNP Paribas Masters of Paris
– The O2 Arena in London (Barclays ATP World Tour Finals)
The same extreme attention to detail that we put into creating the Pro players is put in the venues. We made sure to accurately reproduce those mythical tennis temples.
The Real Tennis Atmosphere
To bring the most realistic tennis simulation to the market, it is important to provide the most accurate tennis atmosphere we can. In order to do so, we put a lot of attention into faithfully reproducing the ‘sound’ of tennis.
More than ever before, the crowd will react to what happens on court during and after each point, giving instant feedback to what players do and adding to the thrill of the most spectacular rallies. From the playground to the Grand Slam tournament, you will hear the crowd cheer for their favorite player, explode on the most impressive points, or even hold their breath during the tense moments that set tennis apart.
Racket swings, ball impacts, slides on clay and all player efforts and grunt sounds have been implemented to further immerse users into a realistic professional tennis match.
Tennis Authenticity
Of course, the most important aspect may be in the in-game animations. All the movements and swings in TS4 have been motion captured (more than 8000 animations in all), after watching and analyzing hundreds of matches, to gather the best animations behind what makes tennis such an exciting and spectacular sport. All the situations occurring during a tennis rally have been implemented. This mass of data insures every shot, move, and reaction is perfectly suited for what is happening on the court.
As far as the arsenal of shots and actions, well you basically get it all! All the shots and spins are faithfully reproduced, whether you choose a devastating power shot down the line or a cross-court top-spin shot. More cool actions have been implemented or revamped: let shots, drop shots, smashes, returning a lob, diving for a difficult passing shot, sliding on clay, performing inside-out shots, slowly preparing a powerful winner when receiving a weak shot, and many more. We will go into more details on the gameplay in a future Diary.
The match presentation has also been updated: players wait in the tunnel and enter the court while the speaker announces the matchup, cameras are placed around the courts as they would be for a television broadcast, on screen statistics appear at key moments… everything is there to make the user feel like they’re playing a live tennis match.
Lots more to talk about but that’s it for today guys; stay tuned for more info in the upcoming Diaries.
– François Giuntini
Top Spin 4 Producer
Top Spin 4 by the sound of it is shaping up to be a tennis fan’s dream and all of the work that went into animations and the visuals is definitely shining through from what we have seen so far. I am not a huge sports title fan, but then again, Top Spin 4 isn’t your average sports title as the series doesn’t see a yearly release like most in the genre, and judging by the diary, it seems like this could very well be the top shelf tennis title that fans have been craving since the last Top Spin invaded consoles back in 2008. Top Spin 4 will be available for the Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, and Playstation 3 on March 15, 2011 in the states and March 18 for Europe. No Australian date has been given as of yet, but I expect one to come forward very soon.
Swarm, the upcoming XBLA and PSN game from Hothead Games, has had an episode added to its “Ask Dr. Mike” video series ahead of its release. The “Ask Dr. Mike” videos are designed to give you a good look at swarm and all the gameplay mechanics inside with a chat sessions where some of the game’s designers and producers walk you through this inventive title.
It seems as well as being the spice of life, variety is also the spice of death as this episode focuses on the many ways your swarmites can be killed. The team behind the game clearly have a sense of humour due to the countless ways a swarmite can meet his end in ever more inspired, eccentric ways, but they also seem a little sadistic. I mean, how could you kill such a cute, vunerable blue guy?
Hopefully we’ll see Swarm coming to Xbox Live Arcade and PSN very soon. It looks promising and there’s nothing quite like it available on the respective download services.
Anyone who takes PC gaming seriously has probably heard about the DeathAdder mouse. Razer’s most popular and perhaps one of its most widely known gaming mice is turning 5 years old today and Razer isn’t going to let that milestone pass uncelebrated. They have released a brand new DeathAdder mouse, called the Black Edition, and have put even more love into the already top of the line mouse.
Razer has simplified the design of the mouse by providing a simpler form factor design and also by placing non-slip rubber sides that give users better grip and comfort for those intense gaming sessions. Featuring an entirely black Razer Logo this mouse will be a must have for PC gamers. Catch the features below.
Ergonomic right-handed design
3500dpi Razer Precision 3.5G infrared sensor
1000Hz Ultrapolling / 1ms response
5 independently programmable Hyperesponse buttons
On-the-Fly Sensitivity adjustments
60 – 120 inches per second and 15g of acceleration
The DeathAdder Black Edition is currently available now for purchase on the RazerZone website for $59.99 US, $79.95 AU and €59.99 Europe. The worldwide release to retailers is expected for some point next month.
