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No PS4 Announcement Coming at E3, Sony Claims
Date: 11 January 2012
Shooting down a report from last week that suggested the PlayStation 4 (and third Xbox) would be announced at this year's E3, Kaz Hirai has denied Sony plans to make any such announcement in June.
Pointing to Sony's dedication to having a 10-year life cycle with its gaming systems, Hirai -- the current chairman of Sony Computer Entertainment who is rumored to soon be Sony's next president -- said there isn't any hurry to bring out a new console. He echoed what was said by SCE president Andrew House, who recently stated Sony is "just entering into this great period for PS3," adding, "I don't think we're contemplating talking about anything to do with future console iterations at this point."
Gary Oldman Shows What it's Like to Record Videogame Voiceovers
Date: 04 January 2012
Gary Oldman is a well-respected actor who has, for much of his career, been best known for playing the bad guy. In recent years he's taken on a number of roles that placed him on the other side, most notably that of James Gordon in Christopher Nolan's Batman movies. He's also assumed the role of "the good guy" in some videogames; while he's reprised the role of Ignitus in Spyro more often, the best-selling of the games he's appeared in are Treyarch's two most recent Call of Duty games.
Oldman was a guest on Conan last night, and during the interview O'Brien brought up Oldman's performance as Viktor Reznov in World at War and Black Ops. In addition to providing a small sampling of Reznov saying things such as, "Viktor Reznov! He talks a little like this," Oldman went on to demonstrate what it's like to record voiceovers for a videogame.
Modern Warfare 3 Reaches $1 Billion in Sales Faster Than Avatar
Date: 12 December 2011
Even before it sold 6.5 million units on its first day in the United States and United Kingdom, it was clear that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was going to sell tremendously well. With Battlefield 3 presenting it with competition it hasn't faced in years past (sorry, Medal of Honor), though, there was some question as to whether MW3 sales would suffer at all as some gamers opted to pick up BF3. While DICE's shooter has done well -- it was the best-selling game in the U.S. during October and third-best in November -- MW3 is still managing to exceed the records set by Black Ops.
Activision today announced that Modern Warfare 3 sales exceeded $1 billion in 16 days. That my sound like a long time after it did over $400 million in the U.S. and U.K. on day one and $775 million after five days, but that 16 days is a record -- Avatar took 17 days to reach the $1 billion mark.
Halo Anniversary Kinect Voice Support Lets You Throw Grenades, Reload, and "Analyze"
Date: 17 October 2011
Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary looks nicer for sure but is still largely the same game we first played ten years ago. Kinect support is a non-visual feature that has the potential to really differentiate the remastered game from the original Xbox FPS. A big part of what Kinect provides is voice control support which may not immediately sound compelling, but one component of it will be of particular interest to fans of Halo lore.
Franchise development director Frank O'Connor told 1UP last month that an example of the Kinect voice support is allowing players to switch between the original and updated graphics by saying, "Classic" or "Remastered." He said more actions would be revealed in October, and true to his word they now have been, including some that replace simple button presses and others that provide an all-new experience.
New Men in Black Game to Release Alongside Third Film
Date: 13 October 2011
Today's press release promises the game -- simply titled Men in Black, at least for now -- "will feature action-packed, yet light-hearted gameplay mixed with edge-of-your-seat shooting excitement from the universe's most elite peacekeeping force." Activision Publishing executive VP David Oxford expanded upon that by claiming it will be a "genre-bending" experience with Hollywood-level production values.
"More details," which is to say, any details, will be announced soon along with details on characters. It wasn't mentioned if Smith and Jones would be voicing their characters of Agents J and K, respectively. Hopefully Rip Torn would also reprise his role if he can take some time away from breaking into banks while intoxicated and armed with a gun.
Perhaps you were unaware that Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones were planning to save the world again. A release for Men in Black III was announced last month as May 25, 2012, and now Activision has revealed plans to launch a game around that same time.
Fall Update to Let Players Turn PlayStation Home Into a Game
Date: 23 August 2011
PlayStation Home has changed a number of times over the years. This fall, it's getting what may be its most drastic redesign yet.
The new Home will feature what's described as a "'hub and districts' design." It's intended to better integrate all of Home's content -- particularly the games -- so that all of it is better organized and more easily accessible.
The new Hub area seen above will feature a rotating selection of games you can play, with indie PC title Cogs planned to be among what's located there when the update first goes live later this year. Also new is the Activity Board where you'll find all of the games you can play, rewards, and a user-generated content "events system."
Top 10 Trailers of Gamescom 2011
Date: 17 August 2011
Coming off E3 just two-and-a-half months ago, it seems like there shouldn't be an abundance of awesome new trailers ready in time for Gamescom. That notion is entirely wrong, as there's no shortage of top-notch videos promoting the latest and greatest games on display in Germany.
For many, trailers are the best part of industry events like this. Without being able to go hands-on with the games themselves, trailers give us a visual demonstration of what to expect. Other times, the game itself is nowhere to be seen in the trailer, but that sort can serve its purpose, too.
We've compiled a list of the ten best trailers (well, eleven, if you count the Dark Souls one above) from this year's show and embedded them below for your viewing pleasure. They're listed in no particular order but feel free to let us know which are your favorites and which we missed in the comments below.
PlayStation 3 Price Dropped to $249.99
Date: 16 August 2011
It's been quite a while since the last PS3 price cut. Along with the unveiling of the PlayStation 3 Slim in 2009, the price of all older models were dropped to $299 to match the Slim's new price -- where the system has remained until today.
This now puts additional pressure on Microsoft, which has also gone without a price drop for some time and now has less of a barrier between 360 and PS3. There was a great deal of speculation that it would be slashing the 360's price at E3, but with the system selling very well in the United States as of late, it may not have made sense to do so then. With the PS3 now available at a lower price, that could cut into 360 sales as we approach this holiday season. Nintendo, meanwhile, cut the price of the Wii just a few months ago.
Reports from June that Sony would drop the price of the PlayStation 3 at Gamescom have turned out to be accurate. Sony announced moments ago that it's dropping the price of its 160GB console to $249.99 effective immediately.
FIFA Street Makes a Return in 2012
Date: 16 August 2011
In addition to its line of simulation soccer games, EA has announced a revival of its FIFA Street franchise to be released next year.
FIFA Street, as it's simply titled, is being developed at EA Canada, the same developers of the FIFA sim series. It's the first Street game since Street 3 came out in 2008 and is planned for release on both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
"This is the first time our award-winning FIFA development team is creating a street soccer game, and we are going to deliver a level of authenticity never before seen in this genre, along with amazing gameplay," said EA Sports VP and GM of soccer Matt Bilbey. "FIFA Street will appeal to new fans that are looking for a unique, fun soccer experience, and long-time FIFA fans looking for an authentic street soccer experience with the level of quality that they know and love from the FIFA franchise."
Spoil Gears of War 3, Risk Getting Banned at Launch
Date: 15 August 2011
Gears executive producer Rod Fergusson reiterated in an interview with Edge earlier this month that what was leaked is an early, pre-beta version of Gears 3. He noted that it's fortunate Gears is a 360 game because, unlike leaked PC games, where there is no real restriction to playing a pre-release game, the number of people with a capable 360 is much smaller.
In addition to calling it "frustrating," he said, "So we're extremely diligent about getting that stuff taken down and issued a call to the fans to not perpetuate it because it's not helping anybody to perpetuate that. And just keeping track of those who do. I don't think everybody's always aware of the potential repercussions of those types of actions so it's just a matter of being diligent."
An early, unfinished copy of Gears of War 3 was leaked onto the Internet more than a month ago. This led to countless, spoiler-filled videos ending up on YouTube. Besides trying to get these videos pulled as they go up and investigating the leak, Epic has also plans to punish those who are going around, spoiling the game for series fans.
Activision Going After ModernWarfare3.com
Date: 18 July 2011
Earlier this month, ModernWarfare3.com went from hosting anti-Call of Duty content to directing visitors to the official website of the franchise's biggest competition, Battlefield 3. This was possible because the domain is owned not by Activision, publisher of the Call of Duty series, but by someone else who has used the domain registrar's privacy settings to keep his/her/their identity unknown. Battlefield publisher EA has denied it's responsible, despite initial speculation that it might be behind it all.
Since then, Fusible notes the site briefly reverted to its old ways, but with the addition of a notice that a complaint (PDF) had been filed by Activision seeking it be granted the domain. It paid $2,600 (an insubstantial amount for a behemoth like Activision Blizzard) for a three-person panel to determine the validity of its accusations.
Activision is none too pleased by the actions of whomever owns ModernWarfare3.com, and it's making an attempt to have control of the the domain transferred to it.
Black Ops Annihilation Map Pack Out July 28 on PS3 and PC
Date: 15 July 2011
This is the third map pack release for Black Ops. Like the others, it contains four competitive multiplayer maps (in this case, Hangar 18, Drive-In, Silo, and Hazard) and a new Zombies level (Shangri-La) for $15. If World at War, Treyarch's last CoD game, is any indication, this will be the final map pack for Black Ops. That hasn't been announced officially, but with less than four months to go before Modern Warfare 3 is out, that doesn't leave time for much more. As it stands, those who have picked up the game at full price and every map pack have spent $105 before tax on Black Ops thus far.
The Annihilation map pack is slated to be released on PC and PlayStation 3 later this month, exactly one month after it came out on Xbox 360. While PS3 owners have to wait a bit longer before being allowed into the Elite beta (PC players don't get in at all), the new map pack will provide Call of Duty players with something new to do on July 28.
Call of Duty Elite Beta Launches on 360, Ditches PC
Date: 14 July 2011
Although the plan had been to include PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3, at this point only the two consoles will be supported during the Call of Duty Elite beta that began today.
No reason for the decision was cited. An updated version of the beta FAQ states, "Currently, we do not plan to launch a version of the beta for the PC version of Call of Duty: Black Ops."
The FAQ also reveals that the beta is launching only on Xbox 360, but will soon bring PS3 players into the fold. There is no exact date for when PS3 players will get in, but at this point, the large majority of 360 players who signed up to participate aren't in either, so there's no reason to get angry over alleged console bias.
Halo Anniversary Gets at Least One Addition: Kinect Support
Date: 20 June 2011
Original Story: Besides the graphical improvements, there will be at least one big change in Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary -- it'll be the first title in the Halo series to support Kinect.
In listing examples of first-party games that show Kinect is important to all genres, Microsoft Game Studios GM Phil Spencer told GameSpot, "Even games like Halo Anniversary has Kinect integration." He also mentioned Forza and Ryse, two games that are well-known to support Kinect, but it's the first time we've gotten official confirmation of it being included in the remastered Halo.
Update: 343 has offered up some reassurance. A forum post reads, "Just to let everybody know, the Kinect features we're exploring with Halo: Anniversary are optional and won't affect your core gameplay experience. Our mission, from day one, has been to deliver a faithful recreation of the original game, and we remain dedicated to seeing that through to completion." That still doesn't clarify what form it'll come in (voice or motion), just that the game won't force you to use your hands when trying to melee attack an enemy or something along those lines.
1UP's Best Games of E3 2011
Date: 10 June 2011
Feature
By 1UP Staff
Every year, the gaming press stuffs into auditoriums and demo rooms at E3 to see what fancy new things developers are cooking. And amongst all of the hype and fascination, we managed to pick out the best for our E3 awards below.
JUMP TO: Platform Awards | Genre Awards | Best 3D | Best Motion Control | Most Innovative | Best Trailer | Best of Show
Best E3 Game by Platform
Gears of War 3
Epic seems to be pulling out all of the stops this time around. The campaign mode looks to be a kitchen-sink affair, with multiple playable characters and set-pieces galore, and Hoard 2.0 just might be the biggest time-suck of 2011. The list of reasons to love this game is vast, but honestly, we just couldn't find it in our hearts to disappoint Ice-T.
RUNNERS-UP
Modern Warfare 3
Mass Effect 3
BioShock Infinite
Forza 4
Uncharted 3
In 2009, Uncharted 2 delivered one of the most seamlessly cinematic gaming experiences ever. Two years later, Uncharted 3 is looking to top its predecessor in every way imaginable -- some of the sequences we saw, such as Drake making his way onto a cargo plane, look absolutely epic. In short, Uncharted 3 is the reason to own a PS3 in 2011.
RUNNERS-UP
Resistance 3
Batman Arkham City
Sly Cooper
Twisted Metal
Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Rage Hit with a Delay, Now Coming in October
Date: 09 June 2011
The new date is listed on Rage's official website and is mirrored by GameStop. The game had originally been planned for release on September 13. The delay pushes Rage even further into the busy fall release period; there's no shortage of new shooters coming out later this year, with Resistance 3 on September 6, Gears of War 3 on September 20, Battlefield 3 on October 25, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 on November 8.
Source: NeoGAF
Rage is shaping up to look awfully nice. For whatever it reason, it looks as if the id Software-developed game has been pushed back by several weeks. It will now be out on October 4.
Top 10 Trailers of E3 2011
Date: 09 June 2011
E3 Top Trailers
Few
things stir gamers into a
frenzy more than a well-made trailer. With the right music, choice
gameplay clips, and the right amount of pre-rendered cutscenes, a
trailer could make a game look as epic as the next billion-dollar
Hollywood blockbuster.
We've compiled a list of what we felt were the top ten trailers
revealed at E3 2011. These are the cream of the crop, the showstoppers,
the ones that make you want to run to your local game retailer and
plunk your pre-order money down right away. The only other criteria we
had was that the trailer had to have been shown for the first time at
E3. And let us know which trailers you thought stole the show by
writing in the comments section.
So without further adieu, and in no particular order, here's our list.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Postcard From E3 2011: Modern Warfare 3 Draws a Crowd
Date: 08 June 2011
At this year's E3, Activision is using their booth space to throw game-related presentations. And they're showcasing them in a 360 degree production. We caught up with Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling for the Modern Warfare 3 event, and it was quite the show. 
Call of Duty Web Series Coming With Elite
Date: 01 June 2011
The Call of Duty Elite announcement made this week was met with a great deal of anger and confusion from players. It is, in actuality, a free service that charges a monthly subscription for certain content. The confusion stems from a number of things, including the way the news was made public, but it hasn't helped that Activision is unwilling to specify the exact cost of the service or which of its components will be free and which will be premium extras.
Falling into the latter category is a new Call of Duty web series that is set to be produced. In an interview with The Guardian, Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg said, "We have engaged some top Hollywood talent to create linear video content that will be exclusive to Elite members. That content is inspired by Call of Duty." He didn't go on to specify if it would be directly connected to the Modern Warfare games in particular.
Saying it's working with Hollywood makes it sound as if the series will be live action, not animated. Specifics aren't being shared as of yet so that detail remains up in the air. "We're not going to give much more detail until we have something to show. That'll be later in the year," Hirshberg said.
Darksiders II Puts You in the Shoes of Death
Date: 01 June 2011
The game has you assuming the role of another of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, as Bilson also previously indicated. Replacing War will be Death, whose story takes place at the same time as the original Darksiders'. A press release says the game will have a "dramatically larger world," a full upgrade system for weapons and armor, and bigger and tougher dungeons.
The artwork above (from comic book artist Joe Madureira) comes courtesy of Game Informer which is featuring the game on its upcoming July cover. GI mentions the game as having a "detailed loot system," but beyond that details are awfully scarce.
First said to be in production by THQ core games VP Danny Bilson last year, the publisher today formally announced that Darksiders II is in development.
