Archive for July, 2007

Assassin’s Creed

assassins-creed-logoAssassin’s Creed is the next-gen game developed by Ubisoft Montreal that will redefine the action genre. While other games claim to be next-gen with impressive graphics and physics, Assassin’s Creed merges technology, game design, theme, and emotions into a world where you instigate chaos and become a vulnerable, yet powerful, agent of change.

The setting is 1191 AD. The Third Crusade is tearing the Holy Land apart. You, Altair, intend to stop the hostilities by suppressing both sides of the conflict.

You are an Assassin, a warrior shrouded in secrecy and feared for your ruthlessness. Your actions can throw your immediate environment into chaos, and your existence will shape events during this pivotal moment in history.

Key Features

  • Be an Assassin

Master the skills, tactics, and weapons of history’s deadliest and most secretive clan of warriors. Plan your attacks, strike without mercy, and fight your way to escape.

  • Realistic and responsive environments

Experience a living, breathing world in which all your actions have consequences. Crowds react to your moves and will either help or hinder you on your quests.

  • Action with a new dimension – total freedom

Eliminate your targets wherever, whenever, and however. Stalk your prey through richly detailed, historically accurate, open-ended environments. Scale buildings, mount horses, blend in with crowds. Do whatever it takes to achieve your objectives.

  • Relive the epic times of the Crusades

Assassin’s Creed immerses you in the realistic and historical Holy Land of the 12th century, featuring life-like graphics, ambience, and the subtle, yet detailed nuances of a living world.

  • Intense action rooted in reality

Experience heavy action blended with fluid and precise animations. Use a wide range of medieval weapons, and face your enemies in realistic swordfight duels.

  • Next-gen gameplay

The proprietary engine developed from the ground up for the next-gen console allows organic game design featuring open gameplay, intuitive control scheme, realistic interaction with environment, and a fluid, yet sharp, combat mechanic.

Product Specifications:
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Ship Date: November 2007
Category: Action
Web: www.assassinscreedgame.com
Rating: Rating Pending (expect M)

Sony E3 line-up

SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA UNVEILS EXTRAORDINARY SHOWING OF FIRST PARTY SOFTWARE AND NEW FRANCHISE AT E3 2007 MEDIA & BUSINESS SUMMIT

Attendees Given Hands on Access to More than 30 Exclusive Games

Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA) today showcased an impressive line up of software for PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™), PSP® (PlayStation®Portable), PlayStation®2 and PLAYSTATION®Network during a press event at the annual E3 2007 Media & Business Summit. In addition to unveiling new content for over 30 first-party software titles previously announced this year, attendees caught an advanced glimpse of the highly anticipated Killzone 2, the next installment of the Gran Turismo series and new franchise Infamous.

“We know implicitly that what is most on the minds of gamers right now, as we head into the important holiday season, are the games themselves,” said Jack Tretton, president and chief executive officer of SCEA. “Today, we more than delivered what those consumers have been looking for. During just our press conference today, we showed 50 first- and third-party games for all our platforms, including incredibly high profile games like God of War: Chains of Olympus, Killzone 2 and Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. Add to that new franchises like Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Heavenly Sword, and Infamous and you can see why we are very well positioned to maintain our role as a leader in this industry.”

During the press conference, Phil Harrison, president of SCE WorldWide Studios, officially unveiled a new franchise for PS3. Infamous, developed by Sucker Punch Productions, the creators of the smash Sly Cooper franchise, finds players discovering extraordinary super powers. As the players power grows they will feel what its like to either be a Super Hero or wreak havoc in a city and population that will evolve and react depending on the choices the player makes.

After the presentation, SCEA gave attendees the opportunity to preview over 40 first and third party games scheduled to be on display at their software showcase in the Le Merigot hotel. At an invitation-only arcade that consisted of titles for all PlayStation systems, SCEA demonstrated their commitment to the market leading PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system with Hot Shots Tennis and the socially engaging franchises Buzz!™ and SingStar™, providing additional content for the more than 40 million PlayStation 2 owners in North America.

PS3 titles on hand included the emotionally charged Heavenly Sword™ from Ninja Theory Ltd; the action-adventure Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune™ from Jak & Daxter® developer Naughty Dog; Ratchet & Clank® Future: Tools of Destruction™ from the highly acclaimed Insomniac Games; and the trading card based THE EYE OF JUDGMENT™, produced in conjunction with Hasbro® and its Wizards of the Coast subsidiary. Attendees also had the opportunity to get hands-on time with LittleBigPlanet which allows players to design, shape and build entire levels for others to play and share then via PLAYSTATION Network, and NBA’08 featuring the most realistic basketball gameplay available in true high definition in 1080p.

Additional games and services available through PLAYSTATION Network were also demonstrated, granting guest access to previously unreleased content for MotorStorm™, Blast Factor™, High Velocity Bowling using SIXAXIS™ wireless controller, and racing Power GP in addition to previously unannounced games like echochrome and Wipeout HD. New content was also shown for PlayStation®Home, a 3D avatar-based community for PS3, including four new living spaces and a new Home Square.

For the portable gamer, the PSP system was on display with Syphon Filter®: Logan’s Shadow, the sixth installment in the critically acclaimed Syphon Filter® series; the first strategy role-playing game (RPG) for PSP to come from Level-5, Jeanne d’Arc, loosely inspired by the historical tale of Joan of Arc; and SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Tactical Strike designed specifically for PSP featuring a unique interface that allows players to control and coordinate different members of the fireteam while experiencing the action from each soldier’s perspective.

First party games and services shown during the event included:

PLAYSTATION®3
THE EYE OF JUDGMENT™
Heavenly Sword™
Infamous
NBA ‘08
Lair
LittleBigPlanet™
Folklore™
Ratchet & Clank® Future: Tools of Destruction™
SingStar™
SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation
Uncharted: Drakes Fortune™
Warhawk™

PLAYSTATION®Network
Blast Factor™ expansion 2
echochrome
High Velocity Bowling
PlayStation Home
HotShotGolf 5
MotorStorm™ Map Packs
PAIN
Resistance: Fall of Man™ Map Pack
Snakeball
Super Stardust HD
Wipeout HD

PSP®
God of War®: Chains of Olympus
Jeanne d’Arc
NBA ‘08
Pursuit Force™: Extreme Justice
SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Tactical Strike
Syphon Filter®: Logan’s Shadow
Wipeout® Pulse

PlayStation®2
Buzz!™ The Mega Quiz
Buzz!™ Junior: Jungle Party
Hot Shots Tennis™
NBA ‘08
SingStar™: Amped
SingStar™: 80’s
Syphon Filter®: Dark Mirror

About Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. continues to redefine the entertainment lifestyle with its PlayStation® and PS one® game console, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, the ground-breaking PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system and its online and network services the PLAYSTATION®Network and PLAYSTATION®Store.

Recognized as the undisputed industry leader, Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. markets the PlayStation family of products and develops, publishes, markets and distributes software for the PS one game console, the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and the PSP system for the North American market. Based in Foster City, Calif. Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. serves as headquarters for all North American operations and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Wii E3 line-up

Nintendo Reveals Incomparable Breadth Of Upcoming Games For Wii

Classic Franchises, Amazing Games and Cool Accessories Keep Wii on Top

Consumers take note: Cancel your vacations, postpone your weddings and skip your class reunions. New games for the record-selling Wii™ video game system continue to set new industry standards for fun and adventure, even as they draw new players into the ever-expanding world of Wii. Nintendo announced these new offerings for Wii today during its media briefing at the E3 Media & Business Summit in Santa Monica, Calif.

“In less than eight months Wii has proved itself the video game system for everyone, and we’re not letting up,” says Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “We’re producing hit after hit after hit, supported by a long line of third-party publishers who have shifted their resources to help make Wii the most distinctive video game system in history.”

Counting downloadable Virtual Console™ titles, Wii already boasts more than 150 games. By the end of the year, that number will climb to about 350 in the United States alone. Just check out what Wii has to offer:
Wii Fit™: The active-play phenomenon started by Wii Sports™ now spreads to your whole body thanks to the pressure-sensitive Wii Balance Board (name not final), which comes packed with Wii Fit. The board is used for an extensive array of fun and dynamic activities, including aerobics, yoga, muscle stretches and games. Many of these activities provide a “core” workout, a popular exercise method that emphasizes slower, controlled motions. Family members will have fun staying active and talking about and comparing their results and progress on a new channel on the Wii Menu.

Mario Kart® Wii (name not final): The new version of Mario Kart, due in early 2008, features new vehicles and lets players near and far compete using Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection, Nintendo’s wireless gaming service. Mario Kart launches with the Wii Wheel™ (name not final), a steering wheel housing for the Wii Remote™ that brings new controls and challenges for veteran gamers, while making getting into a race easy and intuitive for newcomers.

Super Mario Galaxy™: The latest masterpiece by legendary video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto puts a smile on the face of everyone who plays it. Until now, no game has matched the sheer fun and sense of delightful awe produced by the groundbreaking Super Mario® 64. Using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk™, players navigate iconic hero Mario™ through a series of planets, each with its own gravity, chaotic challenges and power-ups. The game bursts through the screen in vivid artistic detail, and a second player can even provide some assistance along the way. It blasts off Nov. 12.

Super Smash Bros.® Brawl: Nintendo’s all-out smash-or-be-smashed franchise remains one of the most highly anticipated games of the year. Its predecessor became the No. 1 selling game of all time on Nintendo’s previous console. Super Smash Bros. Brawl ups the ante with new characters, new moves and new arenas. The game smashes into North American stores Dec. 3.

Wii Zapper™ (name not final): This new accessory combines the accuracy of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk in a single housing for a new experience for first-person shooters and targeting games. Players can hear the sounds of battle through the Wii Remote speaker when it is incorporated into the Wii Zapper. It arrives on store shelves later this year, packaged with Nintendo-developed software that shows off its versatility. The Wii Zapper also will be used with a host of third-party games, including Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles from Capcom, Ghost Squad from Sega and Medal of Honor from Electronic Arts.

Check Mii Out Channel (name not final): Launching in 2007, this free new channel builds on the huge phenomenon of Wii owners creating fun caricatures of themselves, their friends and celebrities. The two main components of the free channel include an area where users can post Miis they have created to let others vote on their artistic abilities, and a competition element that lets users test their skills to create the most accurate likeness of individuals or other themes suggested by Nintendo. The Check Mii Out Channel joins the lineup of cool channels on the Wii Menu, which includes the Internet Channel, the Everybody Votes Channel and the Forecast Channel, among others.

Metroid® Prime 3: Corruption: This final chapter of the Metroid Prime trilogy introduces unmatched first-person controls by letting players use the Wii Remote as an arm cannon for a feeling of complete immersion. Heroine Samus travels between planets to stop her nemesis, Dark Samus, from corrupting them. All the while Samus fights the spreading Phazon that is taking over her body while giving her incredible powers. It launches Aug. 27.

More to Come
: Other Nintendo titles launching this year for Wii include Mario Strikers™ Charged (July 30), Donkey Kong® Barrel Blast (Oct. 8), Battalion Wars™ 2 (Oct. 29), Endless Ocean™ (Oct. 29) and Fire Emblem™ (Nov. 5).

Third-Party Support: Third-party publishers are racing to see who can put the most resources behind Wii. By the end of the year, about 100 new Wii games will hit stores. EA brings Boogie and EA Playground, as well as online action for its Madden NFL and FIFA Soccer franchises; Mario and Sonic team up for the first time ever in Sega’s Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games; Sega shows off dreamy aerial acrobatics with NiGHTS Journey of Dreams; Activision jams with Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock; Namco Bandai puts the battle blade into players’ hands with SoulCalibur Legends; Disney Interactive belts out High School Musical: Sing It!; Square Enix brings Dragon Quest Swords in early 2008 – and that’s just a taste of what’s to come.

Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other Wii features, visit Wii.com.

The worldwide innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™, Nintendo DS™, Game Boy® Advance and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. Since 1983, Nintendo has sold nearly 2.4 billion video games and more than 409 million hardware units globally, and has created industry icons like Mario™, Donkey Kong®, Metroid®, Zelda™ and Pokémon®. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company’s Web site at www.nintendo.com.

Microsoft’s E3 line-up

Xbox 360 Showcases Greatest Holiday Lineup in Video Game History Headlined by “Halo 3,” “Grand Theft Auto IV,” “Madden NFL 08″ and “Rock Band”
Xbox 360 is home to the most exclusives and biggest blockbuster games of 2007.

On the eve of the E3 Media & Business Summit (E3), against the backdrop of the Santa Monica, Calif., night sky, Microsoft Corp. tonight demonstrated its leadership in interactive entertainment when it showcased an unparalleled lineup of holiday blockbuster hits and exclusives for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system. Microsoft delighted a live audience of thousands, and many more watching the live online broadcast, with titles such as the epic finale to the groundbreaking “Halo®” series, “Halo 3”; the successor to the seminal “Grand Theft Auto” franchise, “Grand Theft Auto IV,” featuring exclusive content for Xbox LIVE®; “Madden NFL 08” with stunning high-definition game play; and the widely anticipated “Rock Band,” where players can perform music from the world’s biggest rock artists with their friends as a virtual band.

The Best Place to Play the Most Exclusives and Biggest Blockbuster Games of 2007

Xbox 360 is a great place to play the next chapters of “Grand Theft Auto,” “Madden,” and “Halo” — the best-selling franchises of the last generation. In fact, “Halo 3,” “Grand Theft Auto IV” and “Madden NFL 08” are expected to account for one-third of all console new release sales in the U.S. during the second half of the year, according to a recent report by IGN Entertainment’s GamerMetrics. Xbox 360 has an unprecedented lineup of blockbuster titles available by holiday 2007, including these:

  • Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation” (NAMCO BANDAI Games). “Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation” takes players up to the sky and into the heat of realistic air combat with next-generation audio and visual effects and online multiplayer action.* Available this holiday, only on Xbox 360.
  • Assassin’s Creed” (Ubisoft). “Assassin’s Creed” is the next-generation game developed by Ubisoft that merges technology, game design, theme and emotions into a world where players will assume the role of the main character, Altair, and will have the power to throw their immediate environment into chaos and experience the art of a master assassin. Available this November.
  • Beautiful Katamari” (NAMCO BANDAI Games). Marking the debut of Namco’s beloved ball-rolling puzzle game on a next-generation platform, “Beautiful Katamari,” the fourth installment of the “Katamari” series, features levels of quirkiness, cosmic animations and musical stylings never seen before. Available this October.
  • BioShock” (2K Games). “BioShock” is the “genetically enhanced” first-person shooter set in the ruined undersea metropolis of Rapture. Available this August, only on Xbox 360 and Windows®.
  • Blue Dragon” (Mistwalker/Artoon Co. Ltd.). From famed game producer Hironobu Sakaguchi comes “Blue Dragon™,” a unique, epic role-playing game. Available Aug. 28, only on Xbox 360.
  • Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare” (Activision). The new action thriller from the award-winning team at Infinity Ward Inc., “Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare” delivers the most intense and cinematic action experience ever. The epic title also delivers an added depth of multiplayer action providing online fans an all-new community of persistence, addictive and customizable gameplay. Available this fall.
  • Dance Dance Revolution UNIVERSE™ 2” (Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.). The series’ encore performance on Xbox 360 delivers new gameplay options along with a mix of songs from the 1970s, ’80s, ’90s and today as well as online play, downloadable music, enhanced graphics and accessibility for players of all ages.
  • Grand Theft Auto IV” (Rockstar Games). “Grand Theft Auto IV” is the next chapter of the award-winning “Grand Theft Auto” franchise, available Oct.16. “Grand Theft Auto IV” will feature episodic content through Xbox LIVE exclusive to Xbox 360.
  • Guitar Hero III™: Legends of Rock” (RedOctane/Activision). Fire up the fret board, crank up the amp and get ready to rock out on the new wireless Les Paul guitar controllers. “Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock” includes star-studded tracks by such legendary artists as Guns N’ Roses, The Rolling Stones, Beastie Boys, Muse and Pearl Jam. Available this fall.
  • Halo 3” (Bungie Studios). The epic saga continues with “Halo 3,” the hugely anticipated sequel to the critically acclaimed “Halo 2.” Available Sept. 25, only on Xbox 360.
  • Madden NFL 08” (Electronic Arts Inc.). EA’s unstoppable football franchise returns for the ’08 season in Hall of Fame fashion, featuring new players, modes, rosters and rewards to create the ultimate touchdown for pigskin fans. Available this August.
  • Mass Effect” (BioWare Corp.). An epic science-fiction action and role-playing game, “Mass Effect” will deliver an immersive, story-driven experience presented in a cinematic style with high production values. Available this holiday season, only on Xbox 360.
  • Naruto: Rise of a Ninja” (Ubisoft). Relive the hit anime and manga and experience Naruto’s transformation from noisy ninja-academy dropout to respected ninja. Available in October, only on Xbox 360.
  • Project Gotham Racing 4” (Bizarre Creations Ltd.). “Project Gotham Racing® 4” will redefine the acclaimed “PGR®” franchise by delivering a unique, exciting racing experience complete with motorcycles and cars. Available this September, only on Xbox 360.
  • Rock Band” (MTV Games). “Rock Band” will allow gamers to perform music from the world’s biggest rock artists with their friends as a virtual band. Available this holiday season.
  • Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action” (Screenlife Games/WXP). “Scene It?” brings the fun of movie trivia to players of all ages with new movie clips in high definition as well as five new puzzle challenges never before shown in a “Scene It?” game. It also ships with four new Xbox 360 Big Button Pads and will be available this holiday season, only on Xbox 360.
  • Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction” (Ubisoft). In the latest installment of Tom Clancy’s coveted “Splinter Cell” franchise, players will experience an adrenaline rush of gameplay where hunted down as a fugitive, you have no choice other than using everything in your environment to survive. Available this holiday.
  • Virtua Fighter™ 5” (SEGA). This new installment in the critically acclaimed series brings intense, arcade fighting action, an all-star cast of 17 fighters and, a next-generation first for the franchise, online two-player versus mode only on Xbox LIVE.
  • Viva Piñata®: Party Animals” (Krome Studios Pty. Ltd.). An exciting new party game based on the critically acclaimed Xbox 360 exclusive and hit animated TV series, “Viva Piñata: Party Animals” brings back the familiar piñata animals and invites players to compete in a host of mini-games against friends at home or over Xbox LIVE.* Available this holiday season, only on Xbox 360.

“Thanks to our amazing partners and our own studios, no company in video game history has ever had a lineup of blockbusters and exclusives like we will have by this holiday,” said Peter Moore, corporate vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business in the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. “We have a monumental library of titles hitting stores by the end of this year for Xbox 360 that will strike an emotional chord with every type of customer.”

More High-Definition Content Coming to Xbox LIVE Marketplace, Global Expansion Announced

In a move that will add to the incredible popularity of Xbox LIVE Marketplace, Microsoft announced an agreement with Disney-ABC Domestic Television to make high definition and standard definition feature films from Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Miramax Films, and Hollywood Pictures available for rent on demand to members of Xbox LIVE in the U.S. A growing catalogue of current and library titles will be available this July with more blockbusters to come. Microsoft also announced the highly anticipated rollout of the high-definition video store on Xbox LIVE Marketplace for customers around the globe. Microsoft will begin bringing content to living rooms in Europe and Canada by the end of this year. Currently offering more than 2,350 hours of premium entertainment content from 28 networks and studios, and nearly 500 hours of HD content alone, this puts the U.S. on-demand, high-definition library for Xbox 360 at more than twice the size of the nearest cable provider.

In addition, Microsoft will be adding several new Xbox LIVE Arcade titles sure to be a hit this summer, including these:

  • Bomberman Live.” A bomb-dropping action title featuring eight person multiplayer from Hudson Entertainment
  • Golden Axe.” The classic action-adventure game with two-person multiplayer from SEGA, available for download now from Xbox LIVE Arcade*
  • Hexic® 2.” Experience head-to-head competition in this action puzzler sequel to “Hexic HD” from Carbonated Games
  • Marathon: Durandal.” The first-person shooter that was the precursor to “Halo” from Freeverse*
  • Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords.” An engaging action RPG puzzle game from D3Publisher of America.
  • Sonic The Hedgehog.” The classic platform game updated in HD from SEGA, available for download now from Xbox LIVE Arcade
  • Undertow.” An underwater shooter with multiplayer for up to 16 people from Chair Entertainment Group

New Special Edition “Halo 3” Xbox 360 and Family Fun Accessories

The Xbox platform of hardware and accessories is thriving with American consumers spending more money on Xbox 360 than on any other next-generation platform (NPD, May 2007). At E3, Microsoft announced European availability of the premium Xbox 360 Elite starting Aug. 24 and unveiled several new additions to the Xbox 360 hardware and accessories lineup, all available this holiday season, including these:

  • Xbox 360 Halo 3 Special Edition Console. In anticipation of this year’s largest blockbuster gamer launch, Microsoft will offer the Xbox 360 Halo 3 Special Edition console. The console features an authentic Spartan green and gold finish and comes with matching Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, 20GB Hard Drive, Headset, Play & Charge Kit, and exclusive “Halo 3” Gamer Pics and Theme available via Xbox LIVE download. Available in September.
  • Xbox 360 Messenger Kit. Chatting with friends and family on Xbox LIVE and Windows XP- and Windows Vista®-based PCs can now be done using the Xbox 360 Messenger Kit. This device easily connects to any Xbox 360 controller and provides thumb-stroke chat capabilities while maintaining gameplay functionality in one easy-to-hold device. The Xbox 360 Messenger Kit includes a Chatpad and Xbox 360 Headset, and will be available beginning Sept. 6. ERP $29.99 (U.S.).
  • Xbox 360 Wireless Controllers available in festive new colors. Gamers can express their identity with new pink, dark blue and light blue Xbox 360 Wireless Controllers. These new colors will be available in October. ERP $49.99 (U.S.).

Overlord (Xbox 360)

overlord.jpgOverlord is a groundbreaking action adventure, set in a seriously warped fantasy world, launching for PC and as a console exclusive for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.

Controlling a mysterious figure that has inherited the legacy of the evil, long-dead Overlord, the player emerges, near death, from the ruins of the old Overlord’s Dark Tower. Only the player’s actions will determine if they will rise to become the new all-powerful Overlord; it’s all down to how much of a bad ass they want to be in order to succeed…evil or really evil! Played out with plenty of black humour and dark irony, the game will immerse players in twisted parodies of classic fantasy scenarios and characters.

Overlord’s key innovation is the introduction of an array of impish creatures – the Minions. They believe you are the old Overlord reborn and will use their unique skills to fetch, fight and die for you. Throughout the game players will actively control a horde of these gremlin-like critters and they’ll follow your every instruction no matter how despotic or, for the Minions, life threatening it is.