Square Enix has released the official launch trailer for their new Hitman: Absolution – enjoy!
Author - Jerry Paxton
NEW YORK – November 16, 2012 – A year ago, Sword of the Stars II: Lords of Winter was released and while full of potential, didn’t quite meet expectations, including those set by the developer and publisher. Since its release, the main focus from publisher and developer has been to serve all of those that purchased and believed in Sword of the Stars II. Paradox Interactive has financed and distributed updates, giving Kerberos Studios the opportunity to continue patching the game to get it into a state where everyone can be proud of the product.
Now, a year later, Paradox Interactive and Kerberos Studios are finally happy to declare the game in good condition and are celebrating by revealing a brand new expansion “End of Flesh”, alongside new content and improvements in Sword of the Stars II: Enhanced Edition.
As a token of appreciation and “thank you” for their patience, Paradox Interactive will arrange for existing Sword of the Stars II owners to receive “End of Flesh” for free on release. Sword of the Stars II: Enhanced Edition is scheduled to release on November 30th.
The “End of Flesh” expansion to “Sword of the Stars II” introduces players to the Loa, a shape shifting artificial intelligence that can settle some of the most foreboding of landscapes. A former slave race, they now have freedom and an incentive to use their powerful and unique vessels to teach their old masters a lesson.
| Features of the Sword of the Stars II Enhanced Edition include: | ||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||
|
November 15, 2012 — Snail Games is excited to announce the first Closed Beta of its martial arts inspired, massively multiplayer online role playing game, Age of Wushu, will begin Thursday, November 15th. Taking place from the 15th to the 25th of November, this exclusive online event represents the first time that players in the United States and Canada will be able to play and experience the highly anticipated title inspired by the Chinese literary genre of Wuxia.
Entry into this Closed Beta was originally offered only to members of the press and to players who pre-ordered exclusive editions of the full game. However, to mark the occasion, Snail Games is extending Closed Beta access to those players who not have yet pre-purchased Age of Wushu. Those who are interested in experiencing the game should act soon; access will be limited based on supply and codes will be given on a first-come, first-served basis. Additionally, these access keys will not extend to the game’s 2nd Closed Beta in December or for the game’s full launch in February 2013. To request an access key for this event, please email beta (at) snailgamesusa (dot) com.
“We were truly overwhelmed by the North American response to Age of Wushu,” says Shi Hai, Founder and Chairman of Snail Games. “As a show of gratitude to the fanbase who have been anticipating and awaiting the game’s release, we decided to treat them to a sneak preview of the full majesty of Age of Wushu. We believe it will completely surpass their expectations.”
Endorsed by martial arts icon Jet Li—who also serves as the Global Spokesman for the title—Age of Wushu is set in a fantastical and mythical version of Ming Dynasty-era China. The game features dynamic aerial battles and swordplay, replicating the fighting styles seen in blockbuster Chinese martial arts films such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero. The game’s innovative combat engine draws on the strict logic behind real-world martial arts. Each attack can be countered and exploited; it is skill—not armor— that will determine the victors. The game also offers players seventeen different unique professions, allowing players the choice to create their own niche in this virtual society.
For more information, assets, or to arrange interviews please email: pr (at) snailgamesusa (dot) com
For more information on the game and purchase details, please visit: http://www.ageofwushu.com
Snail Games
Based in Los Angeles, CA, Snail Games is committed to delivering the highest-quality interactive experiences to gamers worldwide. To learn more about Snail Games, please visit: http://www.snailgamesusa.com
Snail Game China
Named as one of the “Top Game Developers Worldwide,” Snail Game is a leading developer of MMO and interactive online games in China. Founded in October 2000, Snail Game’s growing library of titles includes 5 Street, Age of Armor, Voyage Century, Heroes of Gaia, and the upcoming MMORPG Black Gold. Snail Game’s wildly popular titles are currently sold and distributed worldwide. To learn more about Snail Game, please visit:http://www.snailgame.net
New York, NY, November 15, 2012 – Spike TV today announced the nominees of “VGA TEN” (#VGA) – the network’s tenth annual live televised event to celebrate the best in video games. “VGA TEN,” hosted by Samuel L. Jackson, will feature exclusive world premieres as well as musical performances by Linkin Park and Tenacious D. The interactive multiplatform special will premiere LIVE from Sony Picture Studios in Culver City, CA on Friday, December 7 at 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PT on Spike TV. Additionally, “VGA TEN” will simulcast on MTV 2, MTV Tr3s, Xbox LIVE, Spike.com and GameTrailers.com.
Spike TV and Microsoft also unveiled plans to broadcast the 2012 Video Game Awards to Xbox LIVE users in multiple countries this December. Fans will be able to view the “VGA’s” on Xbox consoles in the United States and additional countries to be confirmed at a later date.* The show will also be streamed internationally on Spike.com and GameTrailers.com.
Airing alongside the tenth anniversary television broadcast, the U.S. Xbox LIVE stream of the VGAs will showcase groundbreaking interactivity that lets users “play” the show as it happens live in Los Angeles. Responses to poll questions will be tabulated in real time on screen for the Xbox LIVE audience and users with Xbox Smartglass will get a unique second-screen experience that updates in real time alongside the show content.
“This unprecedented partnership with Xbox will make ‘VGA TEN’ the biggest worldwide gaming event ever; we’re thrilled to be the first awards show presented on Xbox where our fans play every day,” said Casey Patterson, Executive Producer of the “VGAs” and Executive Vice President of Production for Entertainment Group. “There is no more innovative producer than Mark Burnett to engage the fans on a whole new level in our big anniversary year.”
“I am blown away by how cool Xbox LIVE is. It brings the ‘VGAs’ to gamers in a completely new and innovative way,” said Mark Burnett, Executive Producer of the Video Game Awards. “Now viewers will not only watch the show but actually interact with it and our host Samuel L. Jackson in real time like a video game, creating a 360 degree conversation between the ‘VGAs’ and all of the fans watching at the same time. And the only thing cooler than Xbox is Samuel L. Jackson.”
“Xbox makes your entertainment more amazing, and we can’t wait to team up with Viacom and Mark Burnett to make the VGAs the first-ever interactive TV awards show to be broadcast on Xbox LIVE,” said Marc Whitten, Corporate Vice President, Interactive Entertainment Business, Microsoft. “Our teams are working together to create a groundbreaking interactive TV experience that will turn VGA viewers into VGA participants.”
Also revealed today, Grammy Award-winning recording artists Linkin Park will perform a show-stopping rendition of “Castle of Glass,” from their album “Living Things.” “Castle of Glass” is also nominated for “Best Song in a Game” for EA’s “Medal of Honor: Warfighter.” Tenacious D will also return to the VGAs with a live performance of “Rize of the Fenix.” This will mark the band’s second VGA performance to date.
Exclusive world premieres debuting at “VGA TEN” include Naughty Dog’s “The Last of Us,” Epic Games’ “Gears of War: Judgment” and Obsidian Entertainment’s “South Park: The Stick of Truth,” with additional exclusive World Premieres to be announced in the weeks to come. “You will freak out at this year’s short films,” said Burnett, who then added, “Can you say, ‘Sam Jackson Mode?’”
Leading “VGA TEN,” with seven nominations each are “Borderlands 2” (2K Games/Gearbox Software), “Halo 4” (Microsoft Studios/343 Industries) and “Journey” (Sony Computer Entertainment/thatgamecompany). Ubisoft’s “Assassin’s Creed III,” is not far behind with six nominations while Bethesda Softworks’ “Dishonored,” EA’s “Mass Effect 3,” and Telltale Games’ “The Walking Dead: The Game” all have five nominations each.
Nominees for Spike TV’s “VGA TEN” were determined by the VGA Advisory Council, made up of a group of some of the most well-respected video game journalists from media outlets such as Entertainment Weekly, Game Informer, Joystiq, Kotaku, Polygon, IGN, GameTrailers, Gamespot, Wired.com, USA Today and Associated Press.
Below are several of the nominees and categories for Spike TV’s “VGA TEN.” For a full list, please go to VGA.spike.com.
Game of the Year
- “Assassin’s Creed III” (Ubisoft/Ubisoft Montreal)
- “Dishonored” (Bethesda Softworks/Arkane Studios)
- “Journey” (Sony Computer Entertainment/thatgamecompany)
- “Mass Effect 3” (Electronic Arts/BioWare)
- “The Walking Dead: The Game” (Telltale Games)
Best Action Adventure Game
- “Assassin’s Creed III” (Ubisoft/Ubisoft Montreal)
- “Darksiders II” (THQ/Vigil Games)
- “Dishonored” (Bethesda Softworks/Arkane Studios)
- “Sleeping Dogs” (Square Enix/United Front Games)
Best Shooter
- “Borderlands 2” (2K Games/Gearbox Software)
- “Call of Duty: Black Ops II” (Activision/Treyarch)
- “Halo 4” (Microsoft Studios/343 Industries)
- “Max Payne 3” (Rockstar Games)
Studio of the Year
- 343 Industries
- Arkane Studios
- Gearbox Software
- Telltale Games
Most Anticipated Game
- “BioShock Infinite” (2K Games/Irrational Games)
- “Grand Theft Auto V” (Rockstar Games)
- “South Park: The Stick of Truth” (THQ/Obsidian Entertainment)
- “The Last of Us” (Sony Computer Entertainment/Naughty Dog)
- “Tomb Raider” (Square Enix/Crystal Dynamics)
For additional information about other “VGA” world exclusives and announcements, fans can log onto VGA.spike.com and get updates via Twitter @SPIKETV as well as the hashtag #VGA.
Mark Burnett, Casey Patterson and Carol Donovan will serve as executive producers of Spike TV’s “VGA TEN.”
*Xbox LIVE Gold subscription required.
AUSTIN, Texas – Nov 15, 2012 – BioWare™, a studio of Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:EA), and LucasArts announced today that the new, Free-to-Play option for the critically-acclaimed, massively multiplayer online game, Star Wars: The Old Republic is now live. Now players can experience the complete storylines of all eight iconic Star Warsclasses, all the way to level 50 for free. This new option complements the existing subscription offering, providing players with maximum flexibility in how they choose to experience Star Wars: The Old Republic.
“We want to give our players the freedom to enjoy Star Wars: The Old Republic when and how they want,” said Matthew Bromberg, General Manager of BioWare Austin. “There has never been a better time to start playing with us.”
Also today, BioWare released Game Update 1.5: HK-51 Activated, which adds new areas to explore, a new Companion character and more, including:
· Get ready for an action-packed adventure to earn control of one of the galaxy’s most deadly Assassins, HK-51. Submerged beneath the icy surface of Belsavis lies a derelict ship and if you are brave enough to venture through the wreckage, you will embark on a mission that ultimately rewards you with a powerful new, yet familiar, ally the ruthless Assassin Droid, HK-51.
· Explore Section X, a previously untouched area of the prison world of Belsavis. The Dread Masters’ servants are searching for a powerful and ancient weapon. Fly to Section X and secure the target of their search to be richly rewarded.
· Travel to Denova to take on Operation: Explosive Conflict – now with a Nightmare Mode! Teams who complete in this new mode can earn the final pieces of the Dread Guard gear set and a brand new mount that will be sure to cause tank envy!
Star Wars: The Old Republic is a story-driven, massively multiplayer online (MMO) game with a Free-to-Play option from BioWare and LucasArts. Set thousands of years before the classic Star Warsmovies, players team up with friends online to fight in heroic battles, explore a galaxy of vibrant planets and experience visceral Star Warscombat, all set to a sweeping musical score. Players are asked to join forces with either the Galactic Republic or Sith Empire and choose one of eight iconic Star Wars characters, including the Jedi Knight, Jedi Consular, Smuggler, Trooper, Sith Warrior, Sith Inquisitor, Bounty Hunter and Imperial Agent.
For more information on the different ways players can now experience Star Wars: The Old Republic, including the Free-to-Play option, please visit www.StarWarsTheOldRepublic.com/FREE or Origin.com. As always, be sure to check StarWarsTheOldRepublic.comfor latest updates and follow us on Twitter®, Facebook®, andYouTube®.
Namco Bandai has released the launch trailer for its new Tekken Tag Tournament 2 on the Nintendo Wii U platform – enjoy!
Trailer
The good folks at Bethesda Softworks and Arkane Studios have released a very cool “kill moves” video from their new stealth-actioner, Dishonored. The video shows off some of the best fan submitted clips showing off power combos, kill moves, etc.
Video
November 15, 2012 — Racing around the globe to recover a volatile alien substance from a rogue paramilitary organization ain’t easy. That’s why EA and Insomniac Games are giving players who pre-order Fuse a head start when the 4-person co-op action game hits shelves Spring 2013. Starting today, players who pre-order Fuse, will be able to unlock special armor and weapon customizations for each of the game’s four elite agents: Izzy Sinclair, Naya Deveraux, Dalton Brooks and Jacob Kimble. In addition, players will be able to bolster their characters’ respective arsenals through increased damage on all one-handed weapons.
The pre-order bonuses include:
- · Four Hyperion Prototype Agent Armor Skins—Upgrade your agents’ look with four special, state-of-the-art armor skins discovered inside the top-secret Hyperion Base
- · Four Hyperion Prototype Weapon Skins—Customize your Fuse weapons with four skins based on each of the original prototypes developed inside Hyperion Base
- · Quickdraw Team Perk—Increase your damage with this team perk adding powerful Fuse elements to all one-handed weapons for all four characters in your squad
Fuse is a 4-person co-op story-driven action game that invites players to experience what happens when humans access alien technology they were never meant to have. The game follows the worldwide journey of four elite agents who battle a rogue paramilitary organization to prevent a global arms race from spiraling out of control. Even solo players can experience the unique attributes of all four agents by switching between them at will during combat via the game’s LEAP feature. The agents are equipped with unique skills and weapons not only integral for survival, but that also allows for unexpected and extraordinary results. Experimental Fuse weapons are powered by a volatile alien substance that gives players unique capabilities that expand their strategic options in and out of combat. Through lethal teamwork, players can complete objectives and kills to earn Fuse points for powerful upgrades. Players can experience Fuse online or offline and level up along unique character paths, allowing players to unlock more powerful Fuse-driven abilities as the game progresses. In addition, the game’s progression system is unified between different modes, allowing players to continue improving their agents regardless of play style.
Created and developed by Insomniac Games, Fuse is the studio’s first multiplatform launch. It will be available Spring 2013 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system. For more information on Fuse, please visit www.fusegame.com, and for the latest news visit www.facebook.com/fusegame or follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/insomniacgames
Bethesda Softworks has updated their website with and released publicly the first screenshots for their recently-announced Skyrim DLC lack, Dragonborn.
Screenshots
Focus Home Interactive and Spiders Games have released the first screenshots from their upcoming Mars: War Logs.
