Author - Jerry Paxton

Skylanders Spyro Adventures to be Truly Multi-Platform

Activision has announced that its upcoming Skylanders Spyro Adventures will be truly multi-platform, allowing gamers to play on just about every platform known to modern man. During console and handheld gameplay, each Skylander remembers skill advancements and level-ups, allowing players to take their leveled-up Skylanders to play on any of the other platforms.

“Imagine a kid taking his Skylanders toy and bringing it to life on his Xbox 360 one day, then bringing it to life on his friend’s PS3 the next day, then bringing it to life inside his 3DS and playing it in the back of his parents’ car the next day, then bringing it to life on the web the day after that, all the while, building his character’s strength and powers across all of those platforms,” said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing. “It brings the physical and virtual worlds of play together in a whole new way.”

 

Activision Unveils E3 Lineup, Call of Duty ELITE Beta Date

Activision has announced its lineup for the 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo. Their game lineup is impressive, with the upcoming titles Prototype 2, Spider-Man: Edge of Time, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 to name a few. The company also announced that its upcoming Call of Duty ELITE multiplayer pay service will go into an invitation-only beta test starting on July 14th, 2011.

Activision’s E3 Slate Includes:

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 – Co-developed by Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games, Modern Warfare® 3 is set in a world on the edge of annihilation as Makarov and his terrorist organization unleash destruction and chaos across the globe.  Playing as a member of several special-forces units and armed with the most advanced weaponry, players work with Delta operators and reunite with familiar characters to enter a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse as they race across the globe to stop a mad man before it’s too late.  Modern Warfare 3 advances the 60 fps Modern Warfare tech to deliver exhilarating, action-packed experiences across Single Player, Special Ops and Online Multiplayer modes.

 

Call of Duty Elite – Designed from the ground up to integrate with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3Call of Duty Elite gives players unprecedented control over their multiplayer experience, transforming it into a true social experience.  The innovative online service ups the ante of any free service by offering a range of innovations on well-established multiplayer features, such as leaderboards, heat maps, and rich player data.   Several other Elite features are completely new to the industry.   For example, with Elite’s new Groups feature players can join custom groups based on their likes, interests, or affiliations, and then have those groups follow you directly into the game.   Additionally, players can customize weapons, attachments and perks and push them directly into the game menu.  Those gamers who want to continue to play multiplayer out of the box, or purchase downloadable content à la carte throughout the year can continue to do so.

 

Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure – Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure is an innovative new universe that brings the world of toys, video games and the Internet together in an unprecedented way.  Through an inventive use of technology, players use the Portal of Power™ to bring their toys to life in a mystical new universe called Skylands. The Skylanders come to life inside the game across multiple gaming platforms including console, handheld and mobile devices and on the web, remembering achievements and level-ups wherever they go. The starter pack will include the game, three Skylanders figures and thePortal of Power™. The starter pack lets players experience the full adventure but there will be more than 30 other characters which further expand and enhance the experience. (Developed by Toys for Bob for the Wii™ and Nintendo 3DS™, Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Windows PC, mobile devices; not yet rated by the ESRB).

 

PROTOTYPE 2 – PROTOTYPE 2 takes the unsurpassed carnage of the originalPROTOTYPE and continues the experience of becoming the ultimate shape-shifting weapon.   As the game’s all-new infected protagonist – Sgt. James Heller – players will cut a bloody swath through the wastelands of post-viral New York Zero (NYZ) as they build up a genetic arsenal of deadly biological weapons and abilities, and hunt and consume their way toward the ultimate goal…to kill Alex Mercer.  For more information, please visitwww.facebook.com/Prototype. (Developed by Radical Entertainment for Xbox 360™, PlayStation®3 system and Windows PC; not yet rated by the ESRB.)

 

Spider-Man™: Edge of Time – Playing the roles of Amazing Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2099, Spider-Man: Edge of Time propels gamers on a high-octane, adrenaline-fueled adventure in which the two versions of the heroic web-slinger must urgently work together across time to save each other and prevent a disaster that ultimately leads to the death of Amazing Spider-Man.  Against the backdrop of a rich, tightly crafted narrative by acclaimed Marvel veteran Peter David, the game features two individual timelines evolving in parallel and narratively-driven “cause-and-effect” moments, uniquely utilizing “picture-in-picture” moments where the actions of one Spider-Man have immediate effects on the other Spider-Man and his surroundings.  For more information, please visit www.facebook.com/HeroHQ. (Developed by Beenox for Xbox 360™, PlayStation®3 system, Wii, and Nintendo 3DS™; developed by Other Ocean for Nintendo DS™; not yet rated by the ESRB.)

 

X-Men™ Destiny – In X-Men Destiny, players control the fate of one of three brand-new mutant characters forced to choose between saving humanity or ensuring its destruction.  The game allows players to customize the path, powers and development of their character and to decide their role in the mutant cause alongside, or against, some of Marvel’s greatest X-Men franchise characters.  Gamers will evolve their mutant skills through a unique upgrade system that allows them to choose how they will mix and match the powers from their favorite X-Men and Brotherhood characters, then engage in fast and furious combat against a variety of opponents bent on defending their beliefs.  For more information, please visit www.facebook.com/HeroHQ. (Developed by Silicon Knights for Xbox 360™, PlayStation®3 system, and Wii; developed by Other Ocean for Nintendo DS™; not yet rated by the ESRB.)

 

The Transformers™: Dark of the Moon video game thrusts players directly into an original prologue storyline to experience the epic battles on Earth that will shape the events of the upcoming blockbuster film.  Armed with a new gameplay mechanic called Stealth Force™, fans will be able to instantly convert to a third, hybrid state that combines the weapons and firepower of Robot Mode with the agility and maneuverability of Vehicle Mode.  Set in unique environments around the world such as the Jungles of Central America, Siberian military facilities, Urban Cityscapes and more, the game lets players assume the roles of a diverse roster of favorite TRANSFORMERS characters from the movie through a heart-pounding campaign to save mankind.  (Developed by High Moon for Xbox 360™ and PlayStation®3 system; developed by Behaviour Interactive for Wii, Nintendo 3DS™, and Nintendo DS™; rated “T” for Teen on Xbox 360™ and PlayStation®3 system and “E10+” on Wii, Nintendo 3DS™, and Nintendo DS™ by the ESRB.)

 

Wappy Dog – The next evolution of virtual pets arrives on the Nintendo DS™ family of handheld systems this holiday season in Wappy Dog, a toy puppy that interacts with the player through the Nintendo DS.  Wappy Dog engages young gamers to raise their very own puppy in both the real and virtual worlds and teach it cool tricks, play mini-games together and even converse!  Each pet is a fully personalized experience, enabling players to determine their pet’s constantly evolving skills with every interaction and customize both the in-game version and physical dog with different colors and accessories.  For more information, please visit www.WappyDog.com. (Developed by SEGA TOYS for the Nintendo DS™; not yet rated by the ESRB.)

 

Pre-E3 2011 Image Gallery

Here are some pre-E3 2011 images from in and around the Los Angeles Convention Center. Enjoy!

Tomb Raider “Turning Point” E3 Trailer

Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix have released a brand-new, all-CGI E3 2011 trailer for their upcoming re-boot of the Tomb Raider franchise: Tomb Raider. Tomb Raider is due out next year and will re-tell the origin of Lara Croft into becoming the artifact hunter she becomes.

 

World of Tanks Brings Tanks to E3 2011

In order to promote their new online tank combat game, World of Tanks, Wargaming.net has done E3 2011 right by packing up and bringing three fully functional World War II era tanks to the convention center! In this video, Wargaming.net fires up a German tank-destroyer, loads it onto a flat bed, then unloads it into the convention center. Hooah!

 

Star Wars: The Old Republic E3 2011 Trailer

Bioware, LucasArts, and Electronic Arts have released the official 2011 E3 trailer for their upcoming Star Wars: The Old Republic. The trailer shows off some of the game features which include personal starships, space combat, ground vehicles/mounts, and a lot more. Enjoy and may the Force be with you!

 

Michael J. Fox To Appear in Back to the Future Episode 5

Telltale Games has just blown the lid off of the news that Michael J. Fox will be lending his voice to two characters in the upcoming Back to the Future Episode 5. According to the developer, Telltale Games, Fox will play in the role of an ancestor of Marty McFly and also one more, surprise character. The game is due out on the Windows and Mac PCs on June 23rd.

 

GamingShogun’s Top 10 Most-Anticipated Games of E3 2011

With the 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo mere days from now, I am taking a slight break of posting news articles to ponder which titles I am, personally, most-excited to see. Take a look at the entries on this list in detail, After the Break!

  1. Battlefield 3
  2. Aliens: Colonial Marines
  3. Dead Island
  4. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
  5. Hitman Absolution
  6. Take On Helicopters
  7. Prey 2
  8. Metro: Last Light
  9. ArmA 3
  10. Call of Juarez: The Cartel

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First Two Hitman: Absolution Screenshots

Looks like a couple screenshots of the upcoming Hitman: Absolution have been released before next week’s E3 expo. The screenshots show an Agent 47 hiding from the authorities as well as a “hero shot” of Agent 47 in disguise, walking around a factory or industrial building. Hitman: Absolution is due out next year on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Windows PC platforms.

Screenshots