Sony preps Develop 3D showcase as Japan freezes on TV upgrades

Sony is preparing to stake its case for 3D gaming at Develop in Brighton this month, despite a Japanese survey today showing that nearly 70 percent of those questioned have no intention of upgrading to 3D TVs this year. Why? Because the glasses are turning them off.

Japanese hardware charts – DS goes top as 360 receives Slim boost

Another week, another win in Japan for P… hold the phone. Best sit down for this.

DSi LL’s new colour scheme has properly done the trick for Nintendo: sales of it rocketed, giving the handheld the top spot with 41,000 last week.

Apple Responds To iPhone 4 Signal Problems

The launch of iPhone 4 yesterday was somewhat spoilt by concerns over a potential design flaw that can lead to reduced signal reception.

Jaffe: Twisted Metal in development for 18 months

David Jaffe has revealed that Twisted Metal has been in development by Eat, Sleep, Play for around 18 months.

Lost Planet 2 patch incoming for PS3 and 360

Capcom has announced that a patch for Lost Planet 2 is to be released.

The update will include difficulty recalibration, balancing, various bug fixes, and re-spawn check points have been added to each section of a map and the boss area.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution is “a fresh start on the franchise”

Deus Ex: Human Revolution’s game director Jean-Francois Dugas has said that the development team behind the game are “dedicated to re-creating” the Deus Ex experience “for a new generation of gamers” that missed out on it previously.Speaking with Gamespot, Dugas said that as action RPG, the game has a “compelling narrative”, a “great cast of characters” and will allow you to play it the way you want.

Epic gives Gears of War 3 audio tour

Gears of War 3 executive producer Rod Fergusson and design director Cliff Bleszinski have provided an audio tour of Gears of War 3 in video form.

Each video includes screens and art from the game and are rather large, so they may take a while to load. But if you are a Gears fan, it should be worth the time and effort – depending upon your perspective.

Source: games news and review

Rumor – Sonic Free Riders coming, has Natal support

Looks like SEGA has a new Sonic Racer game in the works for Natal, and it’s to be launched via XBL and announced at E3.

Battlestar Galactica composer to score SOCOM 4

Battlestar Galactica composer Bear McCreary will compose the original score for SOCOM 4.
McCreary announced the news on his blog.He’s no slouch when it comes to soundtracks in games, however: he composed the scores for Dark Void as well as its spin-off, Dark Void Zero.For SOCOM 4, though, he say’s he’s written “”musically, a franchise re-boot” that features over eight hours worth of original stuff.
“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve dreamt of a video game score that would feel as if it were being composed specifically for each player, adapting and shifting perfectly to capture the mood of the individual gamer,” said McCreary.
” Thanks to the powerful technology available today, and the talented artists and programmers at Sony and Zipper, I was able to write a score that fulfills this promise.
”Good stuff.
SOCOM 4’s out this fall for PS3.

Source: games news and review

Guild Wars 2 blog details dynamic events

Over on the Guild Wars 2 site, ArenaNet has revealed some of the dynamic events its toying with for the MMO.

Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow hitting PS2 in June

John Garvin, creative director at Bend Studio, has announced over on the US PS Blog that Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow will be made available for PS2 on June 1.

Bethesda: Doom 4, Rage will show id’s “true potential”

Bethesda’s Pete Hines has said that id’s “true potential” will be shown soon, thanks in part to Doom 4 and Rage.

EA trademarks Darkspore

nother day, another gaming trademark filed.

This time, it’s EA and the trademarks filed are for something called Darkspore.

Three filings popped up on the USPTO  website, for “online computer games”, “hand held units for playing video games”, and “downloadable computer game software via a global computer network and wireless devices”, which, per usual, also cover toys, film, and general merchandise pertaining to the property.

Euro PSN update, May 5 – UFC 2010 and Split/Second demos

Sony has updated the European end of PSN, and two rather nice demos are available – note the headline and you got it.

Other highlights include the Flower soundtrack, some sales, and quite a few premium themes.

Get more below, and as usual, be sure to check for availability before getting too excited over something.

Mass Effect 2 getting Equalizer Pack DLC today

BioWare’s announced more additions to the Cerberus Network for Mass Effect 2 in the form of new gear.

WoW shown running on iPad via Gaikai

Got about $500 to spend of an iPad? Get World of Warcraft for it.

Or least wait until Dave Perry’s Gaikai comes out. He uploaded a picture over the weekend of the MMO running on the cloud service on his blog.

“Was walking through the office, saw this, thought you’d like to see…

Soon I’ll be able to play WOW with my Cornflakes!”

The future: it’s now officially here.

Molyneux: Fable III touch mechanic inspired by Ico

Ico was the inspiration behind Fable III’s touchy stuff, Lionhead boss Peter Molyneux’s told OXM.

Molyneux said the game’s touch feature is “not a gimmick and is actually quite a big part of the game.”

Mega Man Zero Collection hitting DS in June

Capcom has announced that the Mega Man Zero Collection for Nintendo DS will land in stores on June 8.

Blizzard cuts ties with Korean e-Sports Association

Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime has said that the company intends to find a new e-sports partner for StarCraft in South Korea, due to IP rights.

New Vanquish screens are action incarnate

If Vanquish was a food, it’d contain 1000000% of your daily value of gunsplosion action punches.
Also, a bit of calcium.

Yet more Alpha Protocol movies detail protagonist, old man, fit woman

Sony’s reportedly released a hardware update for PlayStation 3, adding in an improved, cheaper RSX graphics chip that makes the console less likely to be affected by YLOD and uses 15 percent less power.

US Supreme Court to decide future of violent games law

The US Supreme Court is to decide if a law that bans the sale and rental of violent videogames towards minors is against free speech.

Supreme justices in California agreed to a hearing following an appeal from an appeals court that’s based in the state.

Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead gets June release

Bohemia Interactive has announced a release date for Operation Arrowhead, the next expansion for Arma 2.

Out on June 29, Operation Arrowhead takes place in Takistan three years after the events of the core game.

Yoshinori Ono says to ask Capcom for another Darkstalkers

Super Street Fighter IV producer Yoshinori Ono has said that if you want another Darkstalkers game, start bugging the living hell out of Capcom.

Patch for StarCraft II Beta adds map editor, more

Blizzard has released a new patch for the StarCraft II Beta, and even if you are not involved in the testing process, but are eager for the game, the patch notes should keep you up-to-date on the overall progress.

Japanese software charts, April 12-18: NSMBW tops again

Media Create has published the Japanese software charts for April 12-18, and it looks like New Super Mario Bros. Wii is tops once more.

Fist of the North Star dropped from second to fifth, with it’s former position replaced by Tomodachi Collection.

Third Bad Company 2 map pack getting ready for release

Looks like Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is getting set for the release of a third map pack, going by the listing for any VIP owners online.

ModNation Racers PS3 to release on May 21 in UK

ModNation Racers for PlayStation 3 will release on May 21 in the UK, VG247 can exclusively reveal. Sony’s just confirmed the date to us via email just now. The firm insists that the date for the PSP version, announced back in February, is still “TBC”. The racer from United Front Games will now launch in the UK and Europe before it does in the US: it’s due to launch there on May 25.

Bungie: Halo: Reach almost “content complete”

Halo: Reach’s creative director Marcus Lehto has said the game is days away from being “content complete”.In the latest entry on the game’s development blog, he said the team at Bungie intends to make sure it will be “the best damn thing” that you’ll ever put in your 360 disc tray.

MGS: Peace Walker nabs 40/40 in Famitsu

Stop the presses! Famitsu’s given top marks to the latest entry in a big-name videogame franchise!What’s that? The sky is blue? Woah. No way.No, no, dear reader. We haven’t come down with a serious case of “how the world works” amnesia.

Police stops Splinter Cell PR stunt in New Zealand

When you start pointing fake plastic guns at civilians like you’re Sam Fisher, it’s not going to end well.

Police in New Zealand had to be called in after a man ran about the district of Viaduct Basin in Auckland pointing a weapon at people, who had to take cover as he was covering the area and aiming the weapon.

Activision exec Thomas Tippl speaks out on current Infinity Ward conditions

Ever since the private relationship between the ex-Infinity Ward heads and Activision management broke down and became a publicly debated matter (through two lawsuits), the state of affairs at IW have been up in the air. Various reports from "sources close to the studio" have arisen at Kotaku, with one alleged insider calling the studio "dead" and another giving a far less grim report.

Musician mentions “Sony” and “LittleBigPlanet 2″ in tweets

A tweet from musician Ochre has said he’s licenced a song for an upcoming first-party PS3 game. The game in question: LittleBigPlanet 2. The tweet in question seems to have been deleted since then, but LittleBigLand screencapped the tweet before being removed. “Pleased to announce the licencing of ‘Infotain Me’ to Sony for Little Big Planet 2 on PS3,” the tweet reads.

LOTRO is three, celebrates with goodies and a subscription sale

Lord of the Rings Online has turned three, and to celebrate Turbine has some niceties in store for players. Starting on April 21 and running through June 30 the third anniversary party gives players a Writ of Virtue, that gives you 20 percent off with the Bards of Middle-earth – they be the folks you purchase or rearrange traits with and whatnot. Also, all nasties around the land will drop tokens that allow you to trade for anniversary gift boxes.

Study says violent gaming doesn't have a major impact on sleep

A team of Australian researchers recently conducted a study to determine what effect -- if any -- late-night violent gaming sessions have on a young person's sleep cycle. Two groups of teenage boys were either made to play 50 minutes of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare or watch March of the Penguins while lying in bed. The results showed that the group who played Modern Warfare took only a few minutes longer to fall asleep than those watching the movie, causing the researchers to think presleep gaming's negative effects "may be more modest than previously thought."

Crytek taking 3D “very seriously”, working close with Move, Natal

Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli has revealed that the developer is working “very closely” with Microsoft and Sony’s new motion controls. While he admitted that the firm was working with Move and Natal, an NDA forbade him from speaking further on the matter. He revealed as well that the CryEngine platform supports the technology.

Nolan North: Uncharted 3 is “common sense”

Uncharted 3 is an almost certainty, yes? Nathan Drake himself Nolan North isn’t going to come out and say it, but he tells us to use “common sense” on it.

“I’m not supposed to talk about that,” North said on the most recent episode of the PlayStationChat podcast when asked if a sequel from Naughty Dog was inevitable.

“I’ve been told I can’t say one way or another. But I will ask a question back: Do you think it would be financially responsible of Sony to not make a third game that has made hundreds of millions of dollars for their company?

“You’ve just got to use your common sense. What do you think? I’m not supposed to say one way or the other. I would encourage everyone to tap into their common sense.”

North further added: “I’m sure if we all used our common sense, I’m sure that decision from Sony will be very, very soon.

“Not that I would know anyway. I would think that we would just have to hope that our senses are finely tuned into how the industry works. Not that I’m saying anything one way or the other. You should understand that… You should all think about what would be sound decisions.”

So it’s “common sense” to assume there will be Uncharted 3, then? Would it be “common sense” to see it at E3 as well, eh? Please do, Sony.

Via PSU.

Uncharted 2 “the perfect example” of storytelling, says Crysis 2 writer

Halo? “Bullshit”. Modern Warfare 2? “An immense disappointment”. Uncharted 2? According to Crysis 2 writer Richard Morgan, it was “the perfect example” of storytelling in games.

“There is absolutely no reason why you can’t weld a really good narrative to a really cool shooting game,” Morgan told NowGamer.

“Uncharted 2 is the perfect example…it’s tongue-in-cheek, but it’s a compelling story and it’s a very straight-forward gameplay dynamic.

“Crysis 2, fine, it is fundamentally about firefights – about shooting stuff – but so was BioShock. The whole point about BioShock was the texture that made it.

Crysis 2 releases this Holiday season for PS3, 360 and PC.

Four more development vets flee Infinity Ward

When it rains and your old bosses open up a new studio, it pours. Or at least, we’re pretty sure that’s how the saying goes. Another day, another troop of Infinity Ward veterans packing their bags.

Gears of War 3 formally announced

Gears of War 3 has just been formally revealed live on US TV.The announcement was made by Epic Games’ lead designer Cliff Bleszinski on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. A teaser was also shown, confirming an April 2011 release.It brings to an end nearly half a year of speculation as to when we’d see the final chapter in the Gears trilogy. Last September, Epic president Michael Capps said if Gears 3 happened, it’d be on the next-gen consoles.

SAW 2 announced for an autumn release from Konami

Konami has announced SAW 2 for release on 360 and PS3.SAW 2 takes you back to that sicko Jigsaw’s world, and according to the PR is full of traps and puzzles, combat, and an all-new storyline that takes place between the second and third movie.It is currently being developed by Zombie Studios (Blacklight: Tango Down), and in it players walk in the shoes of Detective Tapp’s estranged son Michael, who is trying to understand his father’s death.In order to make it through Jigsaw’s games, players must use their intelligence and desire to live in order to survive.It’s expected to be released sometime during the fall.We know you are excited.
Source: game news and review

Conviction started out much different than final product, says producer

Splinter Cell: Conviction’s creative director Maxime Beland has revealed that the original idea of the game was lot different than it turned out.Speaking with GamePro, Beland said that originally, the team wanted to make an “anti” Splinter Cell game.

Ubisoft drew inspiration from Uncharted, Max Payne for Conviction

Splinter Cell: Conviction’s game director, Patrick Redding, has revealed the development team’s inspiration for the game to OXM, citing games like Max Payne and Uncharted.Chatting about gameplay elements and invisibility, Redding said looking at other popular games gave the team an idea of what the player spent their time doing.

Blacklight: Tango Down has normal multiplayer modes, mini-games

Ignition Entertainment’s lead designer and project lead for Blacklight: Tango Down, Jared Gerritzen, has revealed some of the multiplayer aspects gamers can expect to delve into once the game is released.Speaking during an interview with D’toid, Gerritzen says that while the multiplayer bits should be familiar to shooter fans, the teams gave the normal offerings a bit of a fresh spin – including mini-games.

Red Dead Redemption is “our most ambitious game to date”, says Rockstar

Rockstar’s UK general manager Neil Stephen has said that Red Dead Redemption is the developer’s “most ambitious game to date” and “incredibly beautiful” at that.Speaking with MCV, Stephen revealed that game is also Rockstar’s biggest release of the year.“Red Dead Redemption is our most ambitious game to date and our biggest release this year,” said Stephen.

Rumor: Gears of War movie loses director as story, budget “scaled way back”

Remember how the Doom movie was sort of about Doom, but not really? This is probably going to be kind of like that. But worse.Or better, depending on your level of loathing for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

BioWare on lack of homosexuality in ME2: “We view it as a PG-13 action movie”

Mass Effect 2’s a game of choice. But even though your choices determine the fate of the entire galaxy, Shepard’s sexuality is firmly set in stone.

Splinter: Cell Conviction’s Mark & Execute feature detailed

Pumped for Splinter Cell: Conviction? We are, and you should too. This new video showing off its Mark & Execute feature proves it.

It shows how the concept of the feature works out in the game. Pick a weapon that has the ability to pick off more enemies or effectively have more power in a gun that has less marks? It’s up to you.

The footage is below, thanks to IGN.

Splinter Cell: Conviction releases next Tuesday in the US for Xbox 360, with a release a couple of days later on April 16.

“Big Peace Walker announcement” coming on Wednesday, says Kojima

Are you on the edge of your seat? Get even edgier by Wednesday for a “big” Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker announcement, according to Hideo Kojima. The MGS creator is holding a press conference for the game then, but did tweet that something will be going down during aforementioned media briefing. “On Wednesday, there will be a big Peace Walker announcement. I don’t think you can understand the enjoyment of Peace Walker until you’ve played it, but I believe you’ll feel a hint of sorts about ‘where is it a new Metal?’. ”All we’ll say is your guess would be as good as ours as to what the announce will be.Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is out on June 18 in the UK for PSP, with a US release a week earlier on June 8.
Source: game news and review

Nelson’s announced this week’s Live Deal of the Week will be Bizarre’s very popular Arcade title, Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2.The game is half-price on Marketplace for one week only at 400 MS points, down from 800 MS points.Remember, kids: deal’s for the Golden lot only.May as well anyways: it’s Easter Monday, you’ve got nothing else and it’s not like Bizarre are going to do GW3 in the forseeable future anyways.
Source: game news and review