Author - Jerry Paxton

Konami Unveils Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2

2012/06/01
Jerry Paxton
E3, News

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – June 1, 2012 – Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. today announced that Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 is in development for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Building on the critically acclaimed action-adventure title, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 expands upon the series-favorite with a new storyline, villains and visuals.

“Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 underscores KONAMI’s commitment to bringing only AAA titles to the market,” said Tomoyuki Tsuboi, President of Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. “The rich storyline, vibrant graphics and series surprises are unparalleled – making Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 one of the biggest titles to look out for next year.”

In Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, the origin of Dracula and his legendary connection with the Belmonts was revealed. In Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, fans can expect thrilling new twists and challenges. In the shocking conclusion to the Lords of Shadow saga, Dracula returns once again, weakened and yearning for release from his immortal bonds. Facing a new and powerful threat, the vampire lord must reacquire his old powers, and only his castle holds the key.

“We are pleased to announce the development of the conclusion to the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow saga, giving players an all-new gameplay experience within the Lords of Shadow universe,” said Dave Cox, Producer on the title and Head of Product Planning and Development for Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH. “Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is the most successful Castlevania game to be released in the franchise’s history, and we are looking to provide series fans yet another nail biter, complete with Dracula’s resurrection and the Belmont clan’s desire for his final destruction.”

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 will be available for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft in 2013.

For more information, please visit http://www.konami-castlevania.com/

Screenshots

Dark Souls: Artorias of the Abyss Announced

2012/06/01
Jerry Paxton
News

SAN JOSE, Calif. (June 1, 2012) – Leading videogame publisher, NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc., today announced the Dark Souls®: Artorias of the Abyss downloadable content (DLC) pack for Dark Souls®, the critically acclaimed action role-playing game (RPG) developed by FromSoftware. The DLC pack will be available this winter in North America for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft through Xbox LIVE® for 1200 Microsoft Points and on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system through the PlayStation®Network for $14.99. Dark Souls®: Prepare to Die™ Edition for PC will be able for purchase in North America through Steam and Games for Windows® — LIVE beginning August 24.

Dark Souls: Artorias of the Abyss for consoles and Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition for PCs will include sprawling new maps and environments, new boss characters, enemies, non-player characters (NPCs), an arsenal of new weapons and armor and additional challenging content for stalwart heroes to face as they return to the deadly world of Lordran. Players will also experience an untold chapter in Dark Souls. Darkness born in the forests of Oolacile is expanding and engulfing the kingdom and all of its people. Only the strongest players will be able to stop the spread of darkness.

Both titles will include an online match-making feature that creates one vs.one, two vs. two and four-player battle royale scenarios; allowing gamers to showcase their skills against other Dark Souls players around the world.

“Dark Souls fans are a highly determined group of gamers, they’ve earned their stripes through countless melee encounters and challenging boss battles; releasing new content with Artorias of the Abyss will extend their adventures even further,” says Carlson Choi, Vice President of Marketing at NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. “NAMCO BANDAI has also been actively listening to the PC community and we are excited bring Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition to PC gamers via Steam and Games for Widows Live.”

The tense dungeon crawler, dragon brawler, features fearsome enemy encounters in an intertwined world full of extreme battles, rewarding challenges, nuanced weaponry and magic, and the flexibility to customize each character to suit any desired play style. The innovative online component allows gamers to draw from the collective experience of the Dark Souls community as they either help or sabotage each other on the journey through the world of Lordran to save the land from darkness. With a massive, open world design, Dark Souls encourages deep exploration and an adaptable gameplay experience.

will be available this winter in North America for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system. Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition will be available in North America and Europe on August 24, 2012 on PC through Steam and Games for Windows Live. For more information on both titles, please be sure to visit www.PrepareToDie.com and www.facebook.com/DarkSouls.

Screenshots

Relic Entertainment Turns 15

2012/06/01
Jerry Paxton
News

AGOURA HILLS, Calif.– THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) today announced that its award-winning development studio, Relic Entertainment®, is celebrating 15 years of innovation in the PC gaming market.

Founded in 1997 on a personal credit card and based out of a 1,600 sq. ft. office above a night club, Relic Entertainment began work on its first title. From these humble beginnings this strategy game went on to become the critically-acclaimed Homeworld®, which released two years later with an average Metacritic.com Metascore of 93 and winning PC Gamers’ Game of the Year award that year.

In 2004, following the release of Homeworld 2, Relic Entertainment was acquired by THQ. Later that year the studio released Warhammer® 40,000®: Dawn of War®, the first of a series of strategy games based on Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40,000 IP. This game secured critical acclaim with an average Metascore score of 86 and spawned three expansion packs. In 2009 a sequel, Warhammer® 40,000®: Dawn of War® II was released along with two expansion packs at later dates.

Relic secured its place as genre leader of PC strategy gaming in 2006 with the release of the revolutionary Company of Heroes®, a title that still holds the rank of highest rated strategy title on Gamerankings.com (with more than five reviews) with an average of 93.82% based on 56 reviews. The game features similar acclaim on Metacritic.com with an average Metascore of 93 based on 55 reviews.

Last month Relic Entertainment’s latest project, a sequel to the critically-acclaimed Company of Heroes, was announced and received with extensive fan fair. Company of Heroes® 2 will take players to the Eastern Front as they command the iconic Red Army in a struggle to repel the Nazi invaders from the gates of Moscow, and is scheduled for release in early 2013. Relic will be continuing to provide innovative, high-quality digital experiences for years to come with a robust online service plan to support the active Company of Heroes 2 community.

Alex Peters, General Manager at Relic Entertainment, commented, “We are delighted to be celebrating 15 years of success in delivering high quality games and look forward to many more years of innovation and gameplay excellence.”

Bohemia Interactive E3 2012 Lineup

2012/06/01
Jerry Paxton
E3, News

E3 Los Angeles – Bohemia Interactive will soon be loading up and shipping out to L.A., where they will be exhibiting the upcoming Carrier Command: Gaea Mission and Arma 3. Operating from the South Exhibition Hall, booth 457, visitors will get to go hands-on with an alpha build of Arma 3 (check out the new video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tOSjYgGvHw ), alongside a close-to-final version of Carrier Command: Gaea Mission.

Three operatives of the Arma 3 development team will be presenting a variety of showcases, such as diving, helicopters and night ops – using Camp Maxwell, a military outpost on Stratis, as the base of operations. They will also demonstrate a campaign mission, named ‘Deterrence’. Plus, people can expect more intel on the previously announced Community Alpha.

Also present at Bohemia Interactive’s E3 booth is Carrier Command: Gaea Mission, which is scheduled for a Windows PC and Xbox 360® release on 27 September 2012. Lots of people have already been enjoying the Strategy Game mode offered in the Play & Contribute Beta. The E3 presentation, however, will also peek at the game’s main and story-driven Gaea Mission campaign.

Among the party of Bohemian representatives is Dean Hall, the creator of the popular DayZ mod and one of the game designers on Arma 3.

Dean Hall:

“I think our line-up is very exciting and a strong indicator for the future of the studio; Carrier Command: Gaea Mission is really shaping up to be an excellent game and Arma 3 is a massive leap forward for the series. Through the unexpected success of the DayZ Mod, it is great to see the gaming media, and PC gamers in general, focus their attention on such a great product platform. I think it’s the start of a golden time and I am really looking forward to showing this all off at E3!” 

Be sure to watch the freshly released Arma 3 – E3 2012 Sneak Preview trailer and layout images for a glimpse of Bohemia Interactive’s E3 presentation!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tOSjYgGvHw

Images

Screenshots from Injustice: Gods Among Us

2012/06/01
Jerry Paxton
News

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Comics have sent out some screenshots from their upcoming fighter, Injustice: Gods Among Us – Enjoy!

Screenshots

New Omerta City of Gangsters Screenshots

2012/06/01
Jerry Paxton
News

Ridgewood, NJ, June 1, 2012 – Today Kalypso Media and Haemimont Games are giving players a closer look at their upcoming title, Omerta – City of Gangsters via a new set of images, taken directly from the game.  In Omerta – City of Gangsters, players will take on the role of a freshly arrived immigrant who is looking to make a name for himself in 1920’s prohibition-era Atlantic City. Money is power in the city, and you can earn “clean” money, or surround yourself in dirty money, earned through criminal activities that range from bootlegging to bank-robbery. Keep the police off your back through bribes, or by disguising yourself as a pillar of the community by opening soup kitchens and other civic–friendly businesses. Omerta – City of Gangsters will ship for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC this fall.

These new screenshots show some of the scenarios the player will face during their rise to power, such as setting up a drive-by shooting to eliminate some unwanted competition and sending your henchmen to crash a fundraiser for the local KKK.

Screenshots

Fray Cinematic Trailer Released

2012/06/01
Jerry Paxton
News

PARIS – June 1, 2012 – Brain Candy, the high fructose independent game developer from France, today released a new cinematic trailer for their upcoming simultaneous turn based strategy game, Fray. The trailer zooms in on combat as well as a release date of June 19, 2012. See it now on YouTube!

Players can soon enter the dystopian future of 2098 where Earth’s remaining resources are controlled by mega-corporations and a desperate humanity seeks refuge in virtual realms. In combat module Fray, players control a squad of 4 characters and fight in turns comprised of a definition phase and a resolution phase. Players give each member of their squad orders during the definition phase: shoot, move, deploy equipment, use personal bonuses or powerful team bonuses and then watch the results of their actions during the resolution phase: seeing how opponents strike back and who best anticipated and trapped the other teams.

Get in on the beta here: http://www.fray-game.com/en/other/join-beta/

Trailer

Aliens Colonial Marines Collector’s Edition is Real

2012/06/01
Jerry Paxton
News

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–SEGA® of America, Inc., Gearbox Software and Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products today announced a Collector’s Edition and a GameStop-exclusive pre-order offer for its highly anticipated blockbuster Aliens: Colonial Marines™ video game, launching February 12, 2013 worldwide. Offering players a multitude of unique and exclusive content from the ALIENS universe, including four playable characters from the original 1986 movie for competitive multiplayer, the Collector’s Edition and the GameStop exclusive are available for pre-order today.

GameStop (North America) Exclusive Pre-Order Content for Competitive Multiplayer*:

  • Four Playable Movie Characters
    • Players will be able to fight for their squad’s survival and confront hordes of enemies as the original ALIENS film icons Private Hudson, Corporal Hicks, Private Drake and Sergeant Apone.
  • Additional Marines Character Customization Options
  • Ripley’s Flamethrower

The Aliens: Colonial Marines Collector’s Edition (US $99.99) is set to bring the ultimate ALIENS experience in one box.

Collector’s Edition*:

  • High Quality Resin Powerloader Figurine in Limited Edition Xeno Hive Box
  • Four Playable Movie Characters
    • Players will be able to fight for their squad’s survival and confront hordes of enemies as the original ALIENS film icons Private Hudson, Corporal Hicks, Private Drake and Sergeant Apone.
  • Additional Marines Character Customization Options
  • Ripley’s Flamethrower
  • Exclusive Multiplayer Weapons
    • Sonic Electronic Ball Breakers
    • Phase Plasma Rifle
  • Exclusive Game Level
    • USCM Academy Firing Range
  • USCM Dossier
    • Mission Brief
    • USS Sephora Schematic
    • Recruitment Card
    • LV-426 Recon Photo
    • USCM Iron-on Badges
    • USCM Graduation Certificate

To preorder Aliens: Colonial Marines from GameStop with the exclusive pre-order bonus or the Collector’s Edition, please visit http://www.gamestop.com/browse?nav=16k-Aliens+Colonial+Marines.

In partnership with Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products and developed by critically acclaimed studio Gearbox Software, Aliens: Colonial Marines will bring new levels of bone-chilling suspense and adrenaline-filled action to the renowned franchise. As the authentic addition to the ALIENS franchise canon, the game’s stunning visuals and adrenaline pumping action will deliver a breathtakingly immersive 4-player drop-in drop-out cooperative campaign and expansive competitive multiplayer mode. Providing for an innovative asymmetrical competitive multiplayer experience, Aliens: Colonial Marines lets players fight in first person as the ultimate badasses – the United States Colonial Marines, or in third person as the universe’s deadliest killers – the Xenomorphs. Plunging into familiar and new environments from the iconic film franchise, players will have to fight the fear and face the true horrors of the ALIENS universe.

Aliens: Colonial Marines will be available in stores across the globe on February 12, 2013 on PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC. A release date for the announced Wii U™ version will be revealed at a later time.

For more news, follow SEGA on Twitter @SEGA, Gearbox Software on Twitter @GearboxSoftware or like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/aliensgames.