Remember that teaser where we first found out about Skyrim? That wall that we were shown is actually going to play a big part in the game, or at least the history written on the wall will. Game Informer’s website has the entire wall available and it is interactive as well. Users can highlight the different bulletpoints on the wall that detail the story involved with that picture on the wall.
The history details the rise and fall of Alduin and his eventual rise again to take revenge on Tamriel. From the events portrayed on the wall every Elder Scroll game has supposedly been leading up to the unleashing of Alduin. From the very first Elder Scrolls to the closing of the Oblivion gates everything has been set into motion by player’s hands over the years.
Bad news for fans of the JRPG genre outside of Japan. Nintendo currently has no plans of even attempting to release Mistwalker’s upcoming game, The Last Story, outside of Japan. It’s hard to understand exactly why they would decide to ignore a worldwide release when more lesser known titles have enjoyed a worldwide release to moderate success. To make us feel even more bad they have released a five minute trailer earlier today.
This news comes despite the fact that The Last Story has been quite popular among Western markets and also sports the developer Hironobu Sakaguchi who created Final Fantasy, Lost Odyssey, and Blue Dragon. Still regardless of this fact VG247 was told by Nintendo the following: “We have no plans at present.” This is very unfortunate news indeed for those who wanted a deep RPG for their Wii system. Bear in mind that although there are no plans at present for a worldwide release, they did not completely squash the idea so one can hope that as long as the sales figures are high in Japan then Nintendo may be more willing to look at the West to release The Last Story.
I think it’s safe to assume most of you have played GTA4 or at least know what it is and how it works. Big open world environment, free reign to do WHATEVER. Cars are a big thing in the game since they are wildly abundant and are your main form of transportation. People always find ways to do silly things in GTA games just because they have the capacity to do so, it’s a big game with lots of potential for tom foolery. Youtube user dot12321 discovered that by editing a certain file in the game directory (aka PC version editing) you can make the cars fly and swerve around with incredibly comedic effect. Words won’t do this justice so just scroll down and watch the video, it’s absolutely hilarious.
I think everyone is aware of the booming video game fitness trend that is out there, but if Zumba Fitness is any indication, it looks like the genre is getting even bigger. Majesco have recently announced that in just a little over a month, the title has sold 500,000 units since releasing back in mid-November for the Wii, Xbox 360 & PS3. For a fitness game, those numbers are nothing to sneeze at indeed.
Here is an official statement from Majesco:
“We are excited by the sales performance of the Zumba Fitness® video game, and are also encouraged by the continued post-holiday momentum for the title”, said Jesse Sutton, Chief Executive Officer, Majesco. “Zumba fitness programs are a worldwide phenomenon and growing. We believe people will be playing the Zumba Fitness video game at home 365 days a year, and as such expect to see continued reorders throughout the year. In ad0dition, we have extended our national marketing and PR campaign to maintain consumer demand and support retail momentum.”
It is interesting to see which titles can quickly catch on and Zumba Fitness with it’s easy to pick up and play party style seems to be hitting a note with certain gamers without a doubt. Throw in the discounted $49.99 price-tag ($39.99 for the Wii) and motion support on all three consoles and it is easy to see why 500,000 units have shipped since release. To check out more information about Zumba fitness you can visit the official site at www.ZumbaFitnessGame.com or join the community at www.Facebook.com/ZumbaFitnessGame.
Dead Space 2 has received its launch trailer, further hammering home that the game is on the horizon, approaching fast.
It is looking to be an atmospheric thriller that promises to scare the socks off anyone, and the trailer only further reiterates that this game isn’t for the faint-hearted . Better bring a spare pair of pants as it is looking like the scariest title in a while, and I expect that although “in space, nobody can hear you scream”, the neighbours will be able to hear your shrill squeals from a mile away.
Dead Space 2 will be available for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC on 25th January in the US and 28th January in Europe. Who’s already counting down the days?
The sequel to Need for Speed Shift has been given a release date by Electronic Arts. EA has dated Need for Speed: Shift Unleashed 2 for a release of March 25 in the UK and Europe, with the US getting the game a little later on March 29.
To celebrate the announcement of the release date, EA has also ‘unleashed’ a very nice looking trailer for the game. It shows the game in action, which, to be fair, is looking very sleek and impressive graphically. Come release, it will be available on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.
Will you all have recovered enough from Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit to get back behind the wheel in March?
EA’s recent Christmas sale on iTunes App store in which the majority of EA’s iPhone titles were dramatically discounted to $0.99 (USD) for 48 hours leading up to the Christmas buying frenzy, has caused much doubt in the rest of the mobile gaming industry over the “success” of the promotion. Controversy surrounds the officially promoted sale by Apple which saw EA dominate the top 10 App chart, due to the sudden drop in prices just before Christmas day. This essentially cut off sales from other game developers in a clear expression of publisher pushing power.
Gameloft founder and CEO Michel Guillemot, expresses concerns over EA’s recent practices “There is a high uncertainty for the future anytime somebody can steal the market at Christmas” said Guillemot speaking at CES 2011, “driving down recommended retail prices to such a degree will foster a ‘good enough’ attitude from developers, innovation and quality stifled as they look to offer games at 99c”. The consequence of discounting on such a large level will surely have long term impacts on a consumer’s perception on what mobile games are really worth. In short, this could mean the demise of the iPhone and mobile gaming as a ‘viable handheld gaming console’ as opposed to just a ‘casual experience’ for people on the go.
EA’s Christmas sale in December was specifically timed to coincide with the release of several Triple-A titles from publishers who saw their games such as Real Racing 2, N.O.V.A. 2 and Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light sidelined by EA’s discount frenzy. The majority of EA’s iOS games still remain at a low price. However looking at the bigger picture, EA’s Christmas sale may be a reflection of their financial performance which Q2 figures show that their sales were down by 4% year on year, whilst Gameloft sales were up by 15% in the same period. Whether or not the recent sale was a good move from EA, we will just have to wait and see the long term effects on the gaming market and on the quality of games in general to fully assess the impact of this.
Ahead of the North American February launch of the game, SEGA have created a new trailer of the game. Showcasing more gameplay than you can shake a stick at, this teaser reveals some gargantuan bosses and some seriously improved graphics.
When the original Conduit came out, SEGA had hyped up its visuals so much that the game had a lot to live up to. As a result, when it was released it seemed rather generic and didn’t live up to extravagant claims. Thankfully, SEGA have kept fairly quiet about this and it appears instead, they are letting the game do the talking.
No news of a release date for the rest of the world, but hopefully this will change soon. Any US residents picking it up on the 15th February, and anyone from elsewhere anticipating its slightly later release in your respective regions?
Coming Soon from adventure game maker Wadjet Eye Games comes Gemini Rue, a sci-fi neo-noir tale of adventure and redemption spanning two characters across an entire galaxy.
The game follow the quest of two characters, Azriel Odin and Delta-Six – the first of which is an ex-assassin looking to find someone while the second awakens from a hospital with no memories, across a dark and bleak galaxy largely controlled by the Boryokudan crime syndicate in a tale of redemption and self discovery.
What’s an adventure game without an amazing cast? The cast of this game seem interesting and are as follows –
Azriel Odin – For most of his life, Azriel was a ruthless, emotionless, killer for the galaxy’s biggest crime syndicate – the Boryokudan. But several years ago he had a change of heart. He turned himself in and began fighting on the side of law and order; working to bring the syndicate down, one family at a time. He is currently on the planet Barracus, hoping to aid other defectors who want to escape the Boryokudan.
Delta-Six – Deep inside a strange facility called Center 7, a man wakes up with no memory. Your name is Delta-Six, he is told. There is no chance of escape. Follow orders, they say, and you go free. Disobey, and you could lose everything. As Delta-Six explores the facility, he is soon thrust into a struggle not only his life, but for his very identity.
Matthius Howard – A wisecracking ex-criminal who escaped the crime world in order to raise a family and live a “proper” life. He’s currently on Barracus, helping his old friend Azriel out with a job.
Kane Harris – An upright, moral starship pilot who is more comfortable sitting at the controls of his ship than on the solid ground of any planet. Against his better judgment, he has teamed up with Azriel to clean up the syndicates. He believes the job is important, but can’t shake the feeling that Azriel’s loyalties might still be with the Boryokudan.
Epsilon-Five – Like Delta-Six, she is a resident of the mysterious Center 7. She has always been terrified of the place and she looks to Delta-Six for protection. Is her scared-little-girl act for real? Or just a lie? And why hasn’t she chosen a name for herself?
Balder – This resident of Center 7 spends most of his time working out at the center’s gym, dealing with old demons from a past that even he doesn’t remember. Friendly and affable, he claims to be Delta-Six’s friend. He seems likable enough, so why doesn’t anybody else want to talk to him?
Giselle – Another resident of Center 7, Giselle is tired of being ordered around. She doesn’t know why she’s here or what is in store for her, but her life has narrowed down to one single-minded purpose: escape. Don’t get in her way, because she plans to get out no matter what the cost.
The Director – Never seen, only heard over a loudspeaker, this mysterious man seems to be in charge of the residents of Center 7. But who is he? Does he have his own agenda? Or does he actually have the residents’ best interests in mind?
The game is set to be released on the 24th of February and is available for pre-order on the official page.
It looks like it’s to be download only, but they’re releasing a limited run of physical copies.
Prices are –
$14.99 US for the Download version.
$24.99 US for the Limited edition CD.
After the stellar launch of Civilisations V, Bioshock 2 and Mafia 2 last year, 2011 is shaping up to be another massive year for 2K games with several major titles set to be released later this year. The lineup includes the next instalment of the Top Spin tennis series Top Spin 4, as well as the next instalment of the long running Spec Ops series, Spec Ops: The Lineand the highly anticipated first person shooter reboot of XCOM, and after thirteen years of uncertain development, several engine changes and a lawsuit, believe it or not Duke Nukem Forever will finally see the light of day in 2011!
2011 looks to be a great year of gaming thanks to 2K!
