If you’ve played the original, you’ll known that Kane & Lynch: Dead Men was an entertaining but rough-edged game (it was littered with controversy, most notable the firing of Jeff Gerstman). But, with all the hope in the world, maybe they can address these issues in the sequel, Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days.

Square-Enix Europe have announced today that Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days will be releasing sometime next year on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. The sequel “is a raw and brutal crime shooter designed to take players on an even more intense story experience, following two of gaming’s most disturbed criminals, through the gritty Shanghai underworld.”

However, they aren’t calling Kane and Lynch 2 a sequel. They’re calling it “[a game] inspired by documentary filmmakers and the user-generated era,” meaning that it could be a game played documentary style, or something like that. Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days will be released under the Eidos games label  in 2010.

Pandemic Studios were known for their excellent properties; most notability the the Star Wars: Battlefront series. However, sadly, it was revealed this morning that the studio would be closing its doors for good, something that comes as a huge surprise seeing Pandemic Studios were one of Electronic Arts’ major developers.

That said, EA has since confirmed that it did send out the order to terminate Pandemic. But, don’t worry, EA hasn’t complete gotten rid of the team. According to the publisher, the “core IP team” has been moved to their Los Angeles office, including Andrew Goldman, formerly the studio’s CEO; Josh Resnick, formerly the studios president; and Greg Borrud, vice president of product development.

“Today we informed employees at Pandemic that development on all the Pandemic franchises is being consolidated at EALA. As a result, we are eliminating roughly 200 positions at Pandemic,” said EA vice president of corporate communications, Jeff Brown. “That said, EA is very committed to the Pandemic brand, and a core team of Pandemic developers will be developing existing franchises and other projects at EALA.”

Final Fantasy XIII will be hitting North American stores on March 9th, announced its developer Square Enix today – just so that you guys know, that’s the same exact month that God of War III will be hitting stores, meaning that March is going to be an amazing month for gaming.

Along with this announcement, Square Enix have also released a new video for the game showcasing the new battle system, the Paradigm system; just for fans to get a better understanding for the new system. Final Fantasy XIII will release on both the Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 March of next year, the Japanese will be getting the game on December 17th.

This holiday season is a huge one for video games; with games selling a number of millions within weeks or, even, a day. However, there are a good number of “underdogs” within this holiday season, who sadly have little public awareness – therefore, they’re producers of low sales. But, it seems that these two underdogs (Brutal Legend and DJ Hero) are, actually, doing very will for their first month on the market.

Released on both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, Brutal Legend sold over 215,000 units in the month of October, compared with DJ Hero’s 122,300 units on the 360, PS3, Wii, and PlayStation 2 within the same month. Which is, somewhat, a surprise seeing that, one, they’re both holiday underdogs and, two, DJ Hero’s prices range from $100-$200, $200 being the games “Renegade Edition” – the highest edition.

OCTOBER US SALES:

1. Brutal Legend (360) – 150,000 units
2. Brutal Legend (PS3) – 66,000 units
3. DJ Hero (360) – 62,000 units
4. DJ Hero (PS3) – 39,000 units
5. DJ Hero (Wii) – 19,000 units
6. DJ Hero (PS2) – 3,300 units

[Thanks to GameSpot]

Much like what we’ve seen with Dead Space, a survival horror title, Dante’s Inferno, a game based on a “definitive view of the afterlife”, will be getting the animated treatment in the form of a animated feature; this is no new announcement, Electronic Arts announced the animated feature along time ago, however, this is the first trailer.

Tracking Dante’s decent into hell, the upcoming animated feature follows his pursuit to retain the soul of his beloved, Beatrice. In which, Dante encounters “many gruesome forms of evil” that dwell within circles of hell. This animated feature will release in February 2010, the same month that Dante’s Inferno is unleashed upon the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and the Sony PSP. Enjoy the very entertaining trailer.

Activision’s Modern Warfare 2 has become the biggest launch title in entertainment history; something that comes as no surprise, seeing that Activision is the worlds biggest video game publisher because of the Call of Duty franchise.

In its first day, the game sold an estimated 4.7 million copies in North America and in the UK, reports internal Activision estimates, with estimated sell-through sales of $310 million in North America and the UK alone in the first 24 hours. Meaning that, this could mean that Modern Warfare 2 did sell the recent estimated 7 million copies worldwide on day one - this report only covers the UK and North America sales, not the entire planet’s day one sale of the game.

“The Call of Dutyfranchise has become a cultural phenomenon showing the power of video games as an entertainment medium,” said Mike Griffith, CEO, Activision. “The shattering of these entertainment records is a testament to the compelling, cinematic and uniquely engaging experience that the Call of Duty brand delivers. Modern Warfare 2 has taken interactive experience to unprecedented heights setting a new standard for entertainment.”

But, the question still remains. How much did Modern Warfare 2 sell worldwide on day one?

Modern Warfare 2 is estimated to sell a total of 12 million units within the remaining year; that’s between the months of October and December. That said, this morning, it was revealed that Modern Warfare 2 sold over 1.23 million units in the UK in 24 hours.

According to GameSpot, using the UK sales estimation, Broadpoint AmTech analyst Ben Schachter stated that the overall first day sales of Modern Warfare 2 could total 7 million units worldwide. “While the two-times week-one tally for GTA IV may seem aggressive, the bottom line is that we believe current consensus estimates of around 12 million for the December quarter may end up being conservative,” he told analyst.

I’ll explain this for those that need help understanding it how he got the total. Seeing that most UK sales portion that of those in the United States, he did a rough estimation coming to the total of 7 million units sold worldwide on its first day. However, if this estimation is true, this would mean that Modern Warfare 2 is the fastest selling video game, period. Along with that, VGChartz are reporting that the game sold 7 million units worldwide on its first day.

A month before the release of God of War III, players will have the chance to enter the “gates of hell” with the Dante’s Inferno, the video game adaptation of Dante Alighieri’s epic poem, The Divine Comedy. However, the public awareness of Dante’s Inferno is…  a little slim. That said, Electronic Arts has announced a public sample for Dante’s Inferno in the form of a demo; in which they plan to release in December.

Entitled the “Gates of Hell” demo, the demo will allows players to “experience fast-paced hack-n-slash combat as they fend off waves of enemies before taking on the ultimate battle against Death.” Upon the defeat of Death, Dante, who’s the main character in Dante’s Inferno, will be armed with Death’s scythe, and a powerful holy cross. Then, tearing open the Gates of Hell – thus the name.

“Our main goal from the start of this project has been to create a journey that will make gamers truly feel like they are going through hell,” said executive producer Jonathan Knight. “The demo will give everyone some insight into how we are treating the story and a taste of the gameplay. And with nine more circles of hell to explore once the game comes out in February, we are literally just scratching the surface.”

Dante’s Inferno is slated to launch in North America for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PSP on February 9, 2010. However, the demo will only be available for the PS3 and 360.

While we’re waiting the for release of Modern Warfare 2, Activision has confirmed that yet another Call of Duty title will be headed our way in 2010.

In a conference call, Activision president, Mike Griffith stated that, “In [calendar year] 2010, Activision Publishing is expected to release strong, innovative new titles,” and that “The diversified lineup will include titles based on the best selling franchises including Call of Duty, Guitar Hero, Shrek, [and] Spider-Man.”

With that said, it comes as no surprise that Activision would milk its most popular franchise, but, as for another World at War Call of Duty title, Activision hasn’t revealed any details about the next Call of Duty title, or if it’s a sequel to World at War.

Playing any wrestling game for a standard amount time feels like a chore; feeling like an eternity, when its only been a couple of hours. But, shockingly enough, I never felt that way when playing through WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2010. I actually really, really enjoyed it. You see, year after year, THQ updates the series in a small fashion; adding new modes, or couple a of extra moves. However, never has the series felt this new.

This year’s SvR feels like a total overhaul, meaning that THQ and Yuke’s made improvements on everything. The most noted addition, the game’s Story Designer mode. In Story Designer mode, the player is given the creative freedom to create, or recreate any wresting television event/show they want. However, there isn’t any dialog for this mode. Instead, you’ll use text and animations to tell your story. The good news is, your story can be as long, or as short as you want it to be.

However, there’s one major limitation. Being only a limited amount animations, your story has to fit within the given animations, which is something that gets in that way of “true” story customization. Luckily, with the given animations, you can still create a large amount of creative stories. But, if you can’t seem to create the “prefect” story, the convenient “Road to Wrestlemania” mode returns from last year.

This year’s Road to Wrestlemania follows six well known WWE Superstars in their quest to became “imprinted into the WWE Hall of Fame”. These Road to Wrestlemania stories play out well, for the most part. However, these stories aren’t complex, they mainly hold back until the big show down at Wrestlemania. This is the main problem with the Road to Wrestlemania mode because, at some points, the events feel boring and slow; giving them an unbalanced feeling. But, overall this years Road to Wrestlemania is very good.

They’ve also the revamped Ceate-A-Superstar mode. In SvR 2010, the game finally receives 3D clothing, meaning that everything actually fits; there’s no more hovering clothing. Along with that, there’s also the all new point system, adding more options in key areas via a point bar. However, because of the point bar. It feels like the developers took a huge step backwards because the taxing on the points feels unfair; Yuke’s put a large amount of points on the most used accessories. But, where it really matters is character customization and, BOY!, is it good.

They’ve also added a Paint Tool; in association with the revamped Ceate-A-Superstar mode. With the Paint Tool, players can create, or recreate any logo or design they want. However, there’s a huge downside. You’ll need to be very skilled using the controller if you what to draw a logo free hand because it’s difficult to write anything; making a name like Adventure Dave look like “Advtue Daue”, or something like that. Personally, I don’t know why Yuke’s didn’t incorporate some kind of drawing aid. However, overall, Yuke’s has done a great job with the Paint Tool, and we can’t wait to see what they do next year.

Closing Statement:

Although I haven’t touch on gameplay, it’s obvious for me to state that not much has changed from the previous wresting titles; there’s a new grappling position, an expanded move gallery, and a one button counter system. However, I believe that presentation is SvR 2010 strongest quality; everything has been reinforced from past Smackdown vs. Raw titles. Don’t get me wrong, WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 has its many downsides, like poor hit detection, and in-game HUD glitches. But, it goes without saying that this years Smackdown vs Raw is very impressive; even going as far as to say that this is the best in the series.

Final Score: 8.9

No Doubt is suing Activision for un-permitted use of their avatars within Band Hero, and they’re seeking damages for their avatars being turned into “virtual karaoke players”.

The band argues that it “agreed to place avatars containing their name and likeness performing three No Doubt songs”. However, the band never allowed use of their avatars beyond their three songs within the game; Band Hero allows their use in more than 60 other songs – along with that, individual band members can be “isolated into solo performances of these cover songs and placed randomly in countless variations”.

“Activision has deceived and confused the public into believing that No Doubt authorized the use of its name and likeness for the Character Manipulation Feature of Band Hero and that No Doubt approves and endorses the appearance of its members individually performing songs that are wholly inappropriate and out of character for No Doubt,” reads the complaint. We’ve contacted Activision to get its side of the story.

With the recent speculation about a third Killzone, a dutch television shows’ commentator made it known that Guerrilla Games is indeed working on another Killzone on PlayStation 3; stating that a “the commentator said something remarkable”, reports dutch gaming site PSFocus.

Along with that, the VideoJug commentator also stated that fans could expect the sequel within the next two years – sometime within 2010-2011. “At this moment in the greatest secrecy worked on the sequel to Killzone 2. The release is expected in 2011, perhaps even in 2010,” said the commentator, translated by Google.

Personally, I would love to see another Killzone. Along with that, I would love to see a Killzone 3 with cooperative play. Sony has yet to comment on the rumors.

Heavy Rain is, undoubtedly, one of our most anticipated games of next year. However, like I stated so many times, fans need something for waiting so long, and for Heavy Rain being delayed so many times.

With that said, Quantic Dream head, David Cage, told G4 that “[they're] currently working on a demo” for Heavy Rain, and that “finding one scene that can convey what we are trying to achieve with Heavy Rain is something really difficult.”

“If we show an action scene, some players will think that this is what Heavy Rain is all about, and it is the same thing if we show an exploration scene,” he continued to tell G4. “The problem is that each scene of the game offers contextual game play, which is something very difficult to explain and convey in a single demo. Demos are often a double-edge thing: if you don’t release one, players may think that you have something to hide.”

As for a release date for the demo, it’s still unknown. But, here’s a question. Why don’t they just use the E3 demo? Heavy Rain is scheduled to launch early in 2010, exclusively for the PS3.

When the newly revamped Prince of Persia released, it easily began one of most impressive games this current generation. However, it left many of us wanting more. With that said, recent speculation has pointed to a sequel. And, with the trademarking for “Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands“, speculations has been raising, even more.

At the “The Sands of Time” trailer preview event at Bruckheimer Studios, the movie team left losses that Ubisoft is planning to announce a new Prince of Persia game in spring of next year. However, as for details, they haven’t revealed anything about the new game; making it clear that it’s not their place to give out any details.

[Thanks to NeoSeeker]

This hasn’t been officially confirmed yet. After the recent speculation about Gran Turismo 5 featuring a track editor, Polyphony Digital has “confirmed” that the sequel will indeed feature a track editor; allowing players to edit and create tracks.

“Yes it will have a track editor. You will be able to rebuild a track from scratch or edit the tracks that are already put in Gran Turismo 5,” a Polyphony Digital spokesperson confirmed to Everything 4 Gamers. However, any other details about the track editor haven’t been revealed, but, hopefully, soon we’ll see some details.

They then when on to talk about the game receiving a “simultaneous release” worldwide. Responding: “Sorry, we can’t give out any of that information at the moment. You will just have to wait and see.”  We’ve contacted Sony to see if any of these details are true.

When it comes to video game stories, nothing can even come close to that of the God of War franchise; with its well written and intelligent story. However, many may argue that, story-wise, the franchise has explored everything within the world of Greek mythology leaving nothing for God of War III.

When being interview by GamePro, God of War III’s Director Stig Asmussen reassured fans that they’ve still have plenty to explore within the world of Greek mythology. “When we first started, we didn’t really set out to limit ourselves to Greek mythology or simply the story of Greek mythology. That’s why we created Kratos to build our own story around that. We didn’t want to just hold true to everything and to be too really realistic,” he told the magazine.

“We wanted to be able to visually and conceptually do anything we wanted. If we wanted to make a prison level, we made a prison level. If we wanted hostages in a ship, we can do that. We just have to put the Greek column on and some Greek trim in there so it kind of looks Greek, but beyond that, we can go anywhere we want.” God of War III releases in March 2010.

There’s going to be a Dead Space sequel, Electronic Arts even confirmed that there’s going to be another one – that isn’t Dead Space Extraction. And, according to Reuters, the Dead Space sequel is due to hit next year, evidence given by the “advanced state of preparations for Dead Space 2’s development”.

In a Halloween themed feature on horror video game sales, Reuters reported that the Dead Space sequel will be shipping next year. Sadly, there’s isn’t any other details, nor did EA respond happily to the news statement. ”This comment by the Reuters reporter is speculative,” an EA representative told GameSpot. “There is no announcement for a Dead Space sequel (or in this case, prequel) beyond Dead Space Extraction.”

As for the original, Dead Space was widely accepted by critics. However, that didn’t translate into high sales. According to the NPD Group, the game shifted just 9,200 units during its first week at retail in the US. Which, back in may, translated into 1.4 million units worldwide.

This is what happens when you receive a 25 kill streak in Modern Warfare 2, you’ll an enormous super weapons in which there’s no escape even for the person that releases it. Modern Warfare 2 releases on November 10. Enjoy!

[Nuke Your Opponents in Modern Warfare 2 Multiplayer [Spoilers] via Hot Blooded Gaming]

Spoiler Warning: Leaked footage of Modern Warfare 2 showcased a playable art of terrorism; in where the player would shoot innocent civilians in an airport. Activision has since explained the propose of the scene stating that it’s “designed to evoke the atrocities of terrorism”.

However, those that aren’t sure they can handle the scene, they’ve revealed that the scene is completely skippable. “At the beginning of the game, players encounter a mandatory ‘checkpoint’ in which they are warned that an upcoming segment may contain disturbing elements and they can choose not to engage in the gameplay that involves this scene,” an Activision spokesperson told IGN.

This means that players can “opt-out” of the level entirely – we won’t know for sure until MW2 releases in November . However, Activision has made it clear that “[this] is not representative of the overall gameplay experience in [MW2]“, meaning that this will be the only time you’ll be killing citizens in the game.

Today we’d like to offer you a glimpse into this world of despair with a trio of new screenshots from the Sony PSP version of EA and Visceral Games’ gruesome action-adventure, Dante’s Inferno. However, be warned; there’s are somethings better not seen.

In perpetration for the latest GameTrailer TV episode, they’ve started to unveil some of the details that will be “broken out” during tomorrows episode, and you won’t believe what they’re revealing this time around.

Returning back into the presents of Rapture for another showing of BioShock 2, Geoff Keighley and crew are set to publicly unveil the newest Big Daddy model – other then the ones we’ve already seen. Along with that, they’ll also be joined by the game’s creative director to talk about the game’s moral choices, and how they shape its story.

But wait there’s more! GameTrailers TV will also, exclusively, unveil the first footage of a new Splicer. Along with, the debut of the game’s major villain, and a first look at a new location within the world of Rapture. This episode will debut on Thursday the 22nd. With that said, this latest episode is going to be awesome.

Electronic Arts revealed today that the Need for Speed franchises has surpassed 100 Million units sold worldwide – making the Need for Speed franchise the best-selling racing brand in the gaming history. Along with that, the publisher also revealed that the franchise has generated a total of 2.7 billion in sales.

“Few video game franchises ever reach the 100M units mark, so this is a huge honor. We have millions of fans to thank for driving us to this milestone,” said Frank Gibeau, president, EA Games Label. “With the launch of Need for Speed Shift and the upcoming release of Need for Speed Nitro, we hope to continue to deliver the most entertaining, action-packed racing experiences.”

EA also noted that if Need for Speed boxes were laid out end-to-end, it would span 173,609 football fields. With that said, in all, the Need for Speed brand brought us 15 titles for over 14 platforms, which were released in 22 languages in more than 60 countries.

Update: The reports are incorrect. According to a picture taken of the magazine (click to view NSFW), Beyonetta didn’t actually get that “prefect score”. Instead, Beyonetta manage at total of 38 points out of 40 – 40 being the highest that any game can receive from the magazine.

Original: While we’re anticipating its release here in the United States, over in Japan, Famitsu has handed Bayonetta a “perfect score” – which isn’t a honor handed out freely by the magazine.

Until today, only eleven (well, now twelve) games have ever been given that honor by the magazine. So this kind of a big deal. However, within the last two years [2008-2009] three games have been given this honor, which leaves one to question the scoring by Famitsu.

[Famitsu Awards Bayonetta A Perfect Score via Kotaku]

Forget about Resistance 3, it’s about Killzone 3. According to E4G (Everything for Gamers), in the December ‘09 issue of the Official PlayStation Magazine, a source close to the mag reveals that Killzone 3 is “deep in development” over at Guerilla Games.

Along with that, the magazine also hints at a Call of Duty: World at War sequel, much like what Infinity Ward did with Modern Warfare 2.

“Insider slips reveal three big names you can already pencil for the next year. Killzone 3 is reportedly deep in development, Insomniac’s Full Moon Show podcast hints at a project we can only conclude is Resistance 3,and a Treyarch employee’s online mentions a Call of Duty: World at World sequel,” reads the magazine.

If Killzone 3 is actually “deep in development”, this would mean that we could expect an announcement of somekind within 2010. Let the speculation begin.

While we’re still wondering when, or if, the PlayStation 3 version of Tales of Vesperia would be making its way stateside, Namco Bandai is, already, considering a Tales of Verperia sequel, reports Andriasang.

At a The First Strike event, questions concerning a possible sequel for the original Vesperia popped up. Answering the questions, Makoto Yoshizumi, Namco Bandai Games general manager, said that during staff meetings, the staff would ask him, “Will you be making Vesperia 2?” to which he would respond, “Don’t talk like a fan!”.

“It appears that [within the company] there’s a desire to make part 2,” he said. “We’re thinking about it.” With that said, it looks like the Vesperia story is far from finished with the Xbox 360 version, and the PS3 version, which is only in Japan.

Alpha Protocol is a contender, none the less. However, with such heavy holiday competition, it needs the cutting edge tools to impress potential buyers; seeing that it’s a freshman in the presents of senors. With that said, SEGA revealed that Alpha Protocol has stepped back into the shadows, and that it won’t release this year.

The reason behind its delay, is to fulfill its “AAA potential,” states SEGA of America’s President Masanao Maeda. “Since the inception of Alpha Protocol, Sega has recognized the potential for the game to establish itself as an AAA title,” said Maeda. “We’ve worked in conjunction with Obsidian Entertainment in making the decision to move Alpha Protocol’s ship date to spring 2010 to ensure that we have the best game possible at launch.”

We think that it’s great that their not rushing the Alpha Protocol out the door. However, this means that there’s one more game that we won’t be playing by Christmas. Alpha Protocol is, now, do out in “Spring 2010″, which is more then enough time for them to fulfill its “AAA potential”.

With a series of them releasing in the UK, Sony today revealed a 250GB PlayStation 3 Slim bundle for North America – basically, toping the PlayStation 3’s holiday competition in terms of hard dive space.

Going on sales on November 3rd, the 250GB model will feature the same “slim look” and feel as the recently released 120GB slim system, which is currently going on sale for $249.99. However, the new 250GB model will come packing at the total price of $349.99 - actually $100 more then the regular Slim.

With this new space, players can now store more of their favorite games, movies/TV shows, music, photos and PlayStation Network downloads.

With Among Thieves not even out the door, Naughty Dog has already started talking about another Uncharted sequel. Well, it’s actually a prequel to the first Uncharted, Drake’s Fortune. However, it’s not the kind of prequel you play, it’s the type you “receive”.

During the live chat for Uncharted 2: Among Thieves on the PlayStation.blog, the game’s Lead Designer Neil Druckmann revealed that Naught Dog is planning a prequel motion comic called Uncharted: Eye of Indra - featuring voice talent from the cast of the video games – that goes into Drake’s adventures before the first game.

“We actually started [Among Thieves] game with an idea for a prequel story that we eventually cut,” said Druckmann. “However, you’ll get to see that story fleshed out in the upcoming Uncharted Motion Comic.”

Also, when responding to a question about his favorite female character, Druckmann replied stating that, “I’m gonna go with Rika… You’ll meet her in Uncharted: Eye of Indra - the upcoming Motion Comic.” Sounds exotic. More information should be revealed soon.

While it’s still unsure when we’ll be getting Gran Turismo 5 in North America, Kazunori Yamauchi has stated that they could release Gran Turismo 5 right now. However, Polyphony Digital won’t be doing that. You see, the studio wants to make sure that it has “that classic GT feel”, the studio head explains Famitsu.

“We could release it any time we want,” he tells Famitsu. But, Polyphony Digital is more interested in making the overall experience prefect for everyone that’s going to be buying the game, translates 1UP. However, although “daily progress is slow,” the Japanese developer insures that “[the game's] still going forward at a steady clip.”

With that said, this is excellent news, even if we still have to wait for a solid release date.

[Thanks to Joystiq]

In the credits for Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Naughty Dog thanked so many developers, including rival system developer Bungie – which is probably one of the most surprising things about the game’s credits. However, what’s the key meaning behind Naughty Dog thanking all those developers?

Today, Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann took his time explain, during a live chat session with fans, why they decided include Bungie and other development studios in the game’s thank you credits. “We try to be quite open with our technology and our process,” he said. “We exchanged technology and ideas with other developers. We wanted to make sure we thanked everyone that helped us out in some way.”

We recently sat down with Martin Wahlund (CEO, Fatshark) to talk about their upcoming downloadable title, Lead & Gold: Gangs of the Wild West – a third person multiplayer-oriented shooter aiming to give players “a chance to relive the thrills of a gunfight in classic western settings.”. Enjoy.

GCO: What’s the general idea behind Lead & Gold?

Martin Wahlund: To deliver a fun and good looking multi-player game with strong game modes that suits the western setting well. This, at a very good price for the players.

GCO: People have called Lead & Gold “Team Fortress meets the old west”, what do you have to say about that?

MW: It is not that far off. Team Fortress is great and there are many common elements in the games but also many differences.

GCO: Lead & Gold is a team based multi-player experience. Please describe some key elements in the game.

MW: Team play. You win as a team or lose as a team. Another key element is the class that you chose to play, it dictates the way you play in each scenario.

The in-game leveling system is also something that stands out; you get experience from completing mission objectives or killing enemies. The character then, evolves by gaining improved synergies.

GCO: Does Lead & Gold have some kind of perk system, much like that in the Call of Duty games?

MW: Not directly. The closest thing is the synergies that the characters get when you level up your character in each scenario.

GCO: We’ve noticed that Lead & Gold uses the same engine as GRIN’s Bionic Commando. Were there any setbacks caused by GRIN’s closing during development?

MW: Well, we worked close with GRIN and it was a shame to see the studio close down but we are still alive and kicking.

GCO: Is there support for dynamic (explosive) environment in the game?

MW: In some sense, yes. You can destroy certain objects with a well placed powder keg. It could be a wind mill or a door.

GCO: Going back to perks. Is there a class system?

MW: Yes. There are 4 main classes in the game at release, the trapper, the blaster, the deputy and the gunslinger. All of them have a special ability for example the trapper can set traps. We hope to release more characters as downloadable content in a near future.

GCO: When can we expect Lead & Gold to release?

MW: Q1 2010.

GCO: Thanks for your time.

First things first, Sucker Punch hasn’t announced that they’re developing another inFamous title. However, according to voice actor David Sullivan, he’s auditioning for the re-casting for Cole for the inFamous sequel. “Re-casting” in the sense of Sullivan replacing Jason Cottle, who originally played as Cole in the first game.

“First voiceover/motion capture audition today for a video game,” said actor David Sullivan over Twitter this morning. “Re-casting of Cole in the sequel of inFamous. ‘I’ll melt your face.’ e.g” However, back to the fact at hand, according Cottle’s IMDB profile, it reveals that Cottle’s currently not working on anything. Leaving one to wonder what’s going on with Cottle’s placement as Cole (maybe it has something to do with money?).

Anyway, Sullivan is best known for his role in 2004’s independent time-traveling film Primer, and according to actress Yvette Nicole Brown, who voiced Moya in the first game, “[Sullivan] would be AWESOME as ‘Cole’!”

[Sucker Punch Auditioning For inFamous 2, Possibly Recasting Main Character via G4TV]

CCP Games, the people behind the popular EVE Online PC game, today released the first trailer for their massive multiplayer FPS, Dust 514.

DUST 514, featuring first-person shooter and RTS-style gameplay, will interact directly with EVE Online, CCP’s critically acclaimed flagship MMO. This interplay between the two games opens the EVE universe to console gamers and gives them a chance to become part of one of the most massive cooperative play and social experiences ever. Enjoy the trailer.

With “A Crack in Time” recently turning gold, Insomniac has already revealed that it has started development on another title. The big shocker being that a billboard, spotted somewhere in Louisiana, is advertising a third installment into Insomniac’s Resistance series. Here’s the story:

When driving past the exploded Gas Station set for Battle: Los Angeles, an upcoming movie, avid NeoGAF user goldsoundz spotted a billboard advertisement (linked) of Resistance 3. However, long story short, he/she took a picture, and now it has people questioning if Insomniac is developing another Resistance title.

Here’s to why: if this Resistance 3 billboard is to be used as in film advertisement, this would suggest that we should expect to see R3 somewhere in 2011. However, Insomniac Games has yet to comment.

When first showing the Modern Warfare 2 teaser trailer (shown below), there was an underwater snippet shown, which left many questioning if there was going to be an underwater level of some kind playable in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

However, in a recent interview with GameTrailers TV, Infinity Ward cleared those questions right up. “It’s mostly… the opening to a level,” Infinity Ward’s CCO Vince Zampella told GameTrailers TV. “There’s not any underwater combat or anything… That’s how the CO’s generally infiltrate.”

We knew that it was coming, but you can’t say for sure until the product strikes gold. Today, Insomniac Games revealed that R&CF: A Crack in Time has gone gold, and that it has sent out to manufacturing to be printed and shipped out across the country for its release on October 27th.

“It’s been an incredible experience seeing this game come together at Insomniac over the last year,” says James Stevenson, Community Relations Manager at Insomniac Games on the PlayStation.blog. “From our earliest prototypes of Clank’s time gameplay, to the final space exploration levels that allow Ratchet to land on and explore spherical moons, there has been a ton of effort and love put into this game by the team here at Insomniac.”

A Crack in Time is destined to be yet another huge exclusive for Sony’s machine and, as always, Insomniac is destined to produce a quality title, as you can tell.

Namco Banbai revealed today that it has completed the development of Tekken 6 and that it’s one step closer to its release on October 27th (in North America). Along with that, Namco Banbai also detailed the games online component for the very first time. Details are as followed:

Ranked Match and Player Match: Rank up or work to improve your fighting skills by battling opponents worldwide in online versus mode with voice chat functionality.

Data Upload and Download: Create and upload customised ghost characters which accurately replicate your fight style; Any player in the world can download your ghost to take on your virtual self in a one-on-one battle even when you’re not online; Upload replays of killer matches to share with friends and opponents around the world.

Scenario Online Co-op: New feature coming this winter as a free post-launch downloadable update; Jump into intense two player online co-op campaigns against AI controlled enemies and experience the dramatic large-scale action with friends around the globe.

Leaderboards: Battle Points - online only, split between World, Asia, America and Europe; Rank: overall on and offline ranking, from Beginner to Tekken God; Additional rankings include Ranked Match, Scenario Campaign, Time Attack and Survival.

There are also some exclusive PlayStation Network online features.

Tekken 6 Title Lounge: Host Versus and Co-op Sessions: Gather friends and start matches from the Lounge within PlayStation Home; Online Scenario co-op mode coming free this winter; Home Rewards: Players have the chance to win exclusive costume pieces and furniture at the Lounge for their personal space.

Hitman: Blood Money is a game that came out on PS3 and Xbox 360 around three years ago making it the forth installment of a series that I hold very close to my heart.

The Hitman series chronicles the life and works of professional killer clone Agent 47 – a largely silent protagonist who has never had any reason to regret his chosen line of work. In previous titles, Agent 47 laid waste to many unfortunate souls, including a number of his clone brothers, as well as his creator, before running away to Sicily in order to get away and become a gardener in Hitman 2: Silent Assassin. The events of Blood Money come some time after the events of Hitman 2: Silent Assassin and deal with what 47 does best; killing silently without leaving a trace. Outside of the character himself, the story of the Hitman series has always been a hit and miss. Blood Money’s over-arcing plot of a journalist with stupid haircut talking to an ex-FBI agent about cloning and super soldiers does little to inspire. However, as a means to revisit all 47’s high points of the previous years, it serves its purpose.

Surely the story shouldn’t matter as long as the gameplay remains solid. Unfortunately the gameplay is the most likely aspect the divide people who play the Hitman series. On the face of it, Blood Money appears as a fairly broken third person shooter with stealth mechanics. To play the game as a balls to the wall shooter is a largely unsatisfying affair. Then again to play it like a balls to the wall shooter is somewhat against its design philosophy. The best way to approach these games is as a macabre set of contextual puzzles. As has always been in the Hitman series, at the start of each mission you are given one or several targets; people who must be dead by the end of the mission, preferably without anyone noticing. The formula is largely unchanged in Blood Money, although this is the first title where 47 can platform somewhat. The levels are well thought out and provide plenty of creative ways to achieve your goal beyond shooting the place up. It is a lot like a point and click adventure game where you rub up against different objects in the hope chandeliers will fall, or a barman will give you an aphrodisiac. All of this without mentioning unbridled joy the garrote.

If there’s one aspect of the Hitman games that I can’t gripe about at all, it’s the way they present themselves. Without the thick layer of context and setting, the games would quickly fall victim to their list of shortcomings. Granted, there’s the odd character movement here and there and rag-doll physics could be viewed as a little grotesque, but it all pales into insignificance the moment Jesper Kyd’s soundtrack rumbles in, rising and falling with the action. The glacier engine that has powered the Hitman games before returns in Blood Money looking better than ever. Most importantly of all is that 47 is still the character we know and love; its been proven time and time again that accomplished voice acting is all it takes to transform a character into something so much more – see Captain Price for another perfect example.

Closing Statement:

In summation, I’d be the first person to admit there was a lot wrong with the Hitman games previous to Blood Money. What returns in Blood Money is the dark heart of the series which made the gameplay so very rewarding. Its’ more prevalent than ever; the sheer amount of replay value to be found in constantly re-exploring some of the levels is astounding, and silent assassin ranks don’t come easy, making them all the more satisfying. It’s a mixed bag and definitely not one that going to please all, but those who persevere will be rewarded.

Score: B

With its recent release, it’s time for 2K Games to start promoting NBA 2K10. However, with its competitor NBA Live 2010 having the keen eye of NBA fans, it’s time to teach the rest to “respect the technique”. Enjoy.

If you were wondering how much motion control Resident Evil 5: Alternative Edition would use, Capcom’s PR (Public Relations) boss Chris Kramer relayed to GameTrailers that Alternative Edition, the motion controlled version of Resident Evil 5 for PlayStation 3, will use motion control “from top to bottom” – meaning for all movement featured in the game.

“They’re going to be using motion controller on PS3 from top to bottom, going in from movement to combat,” Kramer told GT. “I’ll be very interested to see it in practice.” During the interview, Kramer did note that he hasn’t seen Resident Evil 5: Alternative Edition fully using motion control, however, he did say that, that’s what they told him.

Kramer then went onto talk about Capcom using Natal in future games. “I haven’t heard anything about Natal right now,” he continued. “The team’s said it’s focusing on motion control support for the PlayStation 3 platform, and they’re thinking very hard about what they can offer to be of an equal level of interest for 360 players.”

[Thanks to VG24/7]

Prepare for the ultimate invasion! The most anticipated game of the year and the sequel to the best-selling first-person action game of all time, Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare 2 will strike worldwide on November 10, 2009. And, MAN!, November 10th can’t come soon enough.

Kirsten Bell will indeed return as Lucy Stillman in the sequel to Assassin’s Creed, UbiSoft announced today. Kirsten’s character Lucy is… well, boring, but you don’t want to mess with Veronica Mars and her “expressive enthusiasm”.

Anyway, Lucy Stillman was one of the few people protagonist Desmond actually got on with the original Assassin’s Creed, and she seemed to actually care about him. And it looks like she’ll be returning to do the same thing in the sequel, Assassin’s Creed II.

“Being a part of the first Assassin’s Creed video game was an amazing experience. Video games is such a creative entertainment medium, and to be able to see and play myself as a video game character was surreal,” said Bell. “As an actress, it’s both challenging and rewarding to play a complex character with this mysterious background.”

Rush to your nearest console because Electronic Arts has revealed today that the Need for Speed: SHIFT demo is available for download via the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Marketplace right now.

The demo will give players the chance to sample this year’s most intense authentic racing game by pushing one of four cars, including the BMW M3, 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10, and 2008 Nissan GT-R, to its limits on the world-famous Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps and the tight city circuit of London River. Players that dominate each track and collect enough stars will also unlock the ultimate racing machine; the Pagani Zonda F.

Dead Space, hands down, has to be one of the best horror titles this console generation; with its cold atmosphere and intertwining storyline. It just seems right that EA would producer a sequel. However, EA did say that there’s going to be another Dead Space title – other then the one for the Wii – but they never said that it’s in development.

You see, with the Dead Space sequel in the pre-production stages, Visceral Games is looking for a Lead Combat and Controls Designer to help jump start the titles full development, reveals a job listing posted by EA. Along with that, its senior recruiter Jeff Ballard says that “the core team is in place”, and that it’s ready to start development.

With that said, it seems that Visceral is putting an emphasis on gameplay with the Dead Space sequel – because in the job listing it reveals that gameplay is one of the teams first values, which is very exciting news to hear. Anyway, we can’t wait to hear more about the sequel, and its development – which is said to start in the “next few months”.

Now that Street Fighter IV has done series justice, Capcom is looking to expand the series with a new title called Super Street Fighter IV, reports GameSpot. In which Capcom plans on improving everything about the original, meaning more playable characters, new ultra combos, improved online features, and rebalanced characters.

However, this isn’t a downloadable add-on for Street Fighter IV. You see, when Street Fighter IV was in development, certain aspects of code weren’t laid out in a way to support the features being added to Super Street Fighter IV. As a result, SSFIV will be released as a standalone disc that won’t be sold at full price.

But, don’t get rid your copy of Street Fighter IV just yet. According to its producer, Yoshinori Ono, SSFIV offers SFIV owners a bonus content that Capcom hasn’t revealed yet. As far as what to expect from the new game, Super Street Fighter IV will be a mix of feedback by Street Fighter IV fans, and a mixture of new content that the team had originally planned to add to Street Fighter IV.

As a result, the game’s original roster of 25 characters is being bumped up by roughly eight new playable characters, including T. Hawk and Juri, as Capcom is looking to add both new and retro characters to the mix. Super Street Fighter IV is slated to ship in spring of 2010 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Released during the Tokyo Game Show, the newest The Last Guardian trailer is home to the a “hidden message” that Fumito Ueda, founder of Team ICO, would like to convey to the fans. In an interview with Dengeki, Ueda said that the hidden message that he wanted to convey to the fans was Toriko’s “natural movement”.

“This trailer’s all about the giant eagle Toriko, as you can see,” Ueda told Dengeki. “I wanted to show how it moves naturally. I don’t know whether you’ve noticed or not, but every body part is animated. Toriko’s whiskers move and after a while its ears move independently. I wanted fans to notice those movements.”

Reviewing the TGS trailer, he wasn’t lying about the characters natural movement. Even in the announcement trailer back at E3, the characters natural movement was very explicit. Obviously, Ueda’s art is sometimes hidden, but he’s a true artist none the less. We can’t wait to see more on The Last Guardian.

There’s no doubt in our mines that Heavy Rain is totally going to kick butt when it releases next year; its developers Quantic Dream are very primed on delivering an adult story with an adult narrative. And what wouldn’t be a better way of doing so. Then to do so.

As you can tell by the title, this article is obviously about a “nude scene” that takes place during one of the levels in Heavy Rain – in where the player control a female character who has a gun pointed at her by a mysterious character who is telling her to take off her undergarments (you can view the video by clicking here).

Just to note: Heavy Rain is a game made for the adult gamer. However, this is most likely to draw attention from many “active parents” who are likely going to try an get the games rating reinforced to an “A” – instead of “M” – or they’re going to try and halt the games release, altogether. Anyway, don’t let me ruin your day with this nonsense that’s mostly promoted by FOX, just kidding.

You ever wonder how Ezio looks like as a man? Well, in the latest Assassin’s Creed II trailer from the Tokyo Game Show it features Ezio as a man, not as a assassin.

In Assassin’s Creed II, Ezio Auditore da Firenze is a young Italian noble who will learn the ways of the assassins after his family was betrayed and he looks to seek vengeance. He is a lady’s man, a free soul with panache yet has a very human side to his personality. Through him, you become a master assassin.

The world as we know it is coming to a end! You don’t believe me? Then check out the multiplayer trailer (entitled “Terror is Reality”) for Capcom’s Dead Rising 2, and witness that this terror is actually a reality.

Dead Rising 2 is set several years after the infamous zombie invasion of Willamette. Unfortunately, the zombie virus was not contained at the conclusion of Dead Rising, spreading unchecked throughout the United States and Dead Rising 2 depicts a country where zombie outbreaks continue to strike.

Probably one of the most prominent features on the PSPgo is the ability to transfer UMD games onto the digital-only system. However, according a SCEA spokesperson, owners of PSPgo will NOT be able to transfer the UMD disc-based titles onto the system on its launch date – as previously thought.

“We were evaluating a UMD conversion program, but due to legal and technical reasons we will not be offering the program at this time,” the SCEA spokesman reported Kotaku. If you go back to this year’s E3 Expo, Sony did state that they were hoping to allow UMD games to be transferred over to the PSPgo by its launch. But, that didn’t turn out as we hoped.

Sony has dropped a massive bombshell for PlayStation Portable owners today. During their TGS press conference, Sony announced a miniature version of PlayStation Home called Room – the two “o”s are actually an infinity symbol (”R∞M”).

“PlayStation Room” (shown above) features avatars, live blogs, photo albums and social networking. Along with, Chat, mini-games, and real-time communication. Room is being tested in Japan right now because Room is more inline to what Japanese gamers want, however, we’re fairly certain that it will come to North America, sometime in the future.

Activision revealed today that Blur, the company’s highly anticipated foray into the racing genre, is now scheduled to ship in 2010. Stating that they’re moving Blur from 2009 to give the development team at Bizarre Creations more time to enhance the game’s online multiplayer gameplay component.

“We are committed to making Blur a great new racing franchise, and we are very encouraged by the game’s design,” stated Mike Griffith, President and CEO, Activision Publishing. “The additional time will allow the studio to fully optimize the vision they set out to create for Blur including a distinctive and groundbreaking multiplayer mode that will appeal to a broad audience.” Blur is now scheduled to release sometime in 2010.

Today, 2K Games announced that BioShock 2, the highly anticipated sequel to 2007 Game of the Year, will be available worldwide on February 9, 2010. The good news being that BioShock 2 stayed within the first half of 2010 time frame – as stated when they delayed the game. The bad news, we’ll still have to wait a bit longer.

Currently in development for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, “BioShock 2 will deliver two unique, yet intertwined experiences that form the perfect blend of explosive first-person shooter combat, compelling storytelling and intense multiplayer action” – reads the press release. Once again, BioShock 2 will be available worldwide on February 9, 2010.

In an interview with 1UP, Jun Takeuchi, Resident Evil 5 producer, stated that other developers are happy about Sony’s wand motion controller technology because it’s now possible for Wii games to be ported onto the PlayStation 3.

“Speaking to other developers in Japan, I’ve heard a few of them say they were delighted by the Sony motion controller because they can just port over their Wii titles to the PS3,” Takeuchi told 1UP. However, this doesn’t confirmed that Capcom’s working on a Wii-to-PS3 port, but this opens the room for a No More Heroes port on PlayStation 3.

In the shadow of the recent announcement of Star Ocean on PlayStation 3, Square Enix confirmed that its upcoming action-RPG NieR will release in two versions; NieR Gesthalt for the Xbox 360, and NieR Replicant for the PlayStation 3. However, during the past couple of weeks, the names recently made an appearance, but no clarifications were made, at that time.

Details are incredibly light at the moment on the two versions. But, what we do know is that both versions have their NieR character attempting to find a cure for a character who has a mysterious illness. Hopefully, all will be cleared up at next week’s Tokyo Game Show, where the Xbox 360 version will be playable.

The upcoming month of October is loaded with potentially excellent titles, one of those titles, absolutely, being Codemasters‘ Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising. However, little is known about the games Multiplayer component, until know.

In a report posted by The Lost Gamer, it revealed that the entire campaign can be played cooperatively; you can enlist “up to three other online Marines and take on the opposition.” Each mission can be played with a different fire team so don’t worry about leading one team through the entire campaign, which is a plus – if there’s quitters.

Dragon Rising is home also to a PVP (Player Vs Player) system. In this mode, you can set yourself up with three AI controlled Marines and go head to head against a friend or foe. The game also features two other modes of play called Annihilation and Infiltration, which will see you and your merry band of soldiers engage in the ultimate wargame across Skira Island.

Annihilation will see both teams start at either end of the battlefield with the ultimate arsenal of weaponry at their disposal and then its a fight to the death with the winning team being the last man standing. Infiltration on the other hand will see one team holding a location on the map whilst the other team will take on the role of a covert Special Forces squad and its their job to take over the location. Dragon Rising releases on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC on October 6th.

Team Ico’s Project Trico recently – I mean that in no sense of the word - received a name face lift, and here’s the reasons as to why. According to Kotaku, Yasuhide Kobayashi, SCEE senior vice president, stated that The Last Guardian (Project Trico) was given a English title so that it would appeal more to the US and European markets.

“There are so many issues we have to solve, and the biggest challenge is that the market in Japan is shrinking — they key is gaining success in the US and Europe,” stated the exec. “At the time of the original PlayStation the Japanese market was one third of the global market, and production costs weren’t that high — so we were able to generate profit from that market alone.”

“But now we’re in the era of the PlayStation 3, and the Japanese market is only one fifth of the global market — when it comes to production costs, those are swelling, so it means that unless we gain success in the overseas market our studio will go bankrupt,” said Kobayashi. “It’s a crisis we recognize.”

Plastic guitars, used in the popular Guitar Hero titles, are Activision’s hammer in its crusade as ” the most successful game publisher on the planet”. However, with Guitar Hero sales on a recent decline, the next step is to ditch consoles and their licensing fees altogether.

During a Q&A session at Deutsche Bank Securities Technology Conference, Bobby Kotick, Activision Blizzard CEO, said that Activision is now exploring the option of selling Guitar Hero and games of its kind as plug-in-and-play products.

“I think what the untethered ‘Guitar Hero’ does is it maybe equals the playing field a little bit more and gives you leverage with first parties on downloadable content and the business model,” said Kotick. “You should expect to see many of our products to be playable on the television independent of a console.”

There’s innovative, and then there’s craziness. And I think that Bobby Kotick may have just crossed the line between the two because this would be a bad move on Activision’s part.

[Activision’s ‘Guitar Hero’ and Others May Ditch Consoles via MTV]

I thought that Electronic Arts wasn’t going to do this, but it looks like the “Skate” series is turning into a yearly thing, which isn’t a move that I condole – I’ll talk more about that later. Anyway, Electronic Arts announced the third installment into their “Skate” franchise, Skate 3. And, unlike the first two games, Skate 3 centers more around forming a skate crew and taking on rival crews.

Scheduled to release in May 2010, “players can now team up with one an other to build the ultimate skate crew in the definitive skateboarding co-op experience” – reads the press release. In a move to depart from the past Skate titles, Skate 3 lets players leave their mark on the all-new skater’s paradise, Port Carverton. “We’re giving gamers a very unique experience by providing them with the tools they need to build their ultimate team or to create a team comprised entirely of their online friends. From there, it’s all about proving yourself – teaming up, and throwing down,” added Senior Producer, Jason DeLong.

Featuring an all-new co-op mode in where teammates can complete challenges together while advancing each other’s careers, the game will retain some of the classic features the rewarding epic bails and fails with a beefed up Hall of Meat mode to honing your craft with the all-new skate.School, in were players of all skill levels have multiple ways to “kill it” in the game. The franchise also continues to raise the bar for user created content with the skate.Create feature suite, an innovative toolset that empowers gamers to truly express their skate style by creating their own graphics, videos, and skate parks. Being developed by Black Box, an Electronic Arts studio, Skate 3 will be released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in May 2010.

Remember the news about free downloadable content coming to Batman: Arkham Asylum? Well, it looks like Warner Bros. has something to reveal. Today, Warner Bros. and Eidos revealed the additional downloadable content for Batman: Arkham Asylum entitled the Insane Night Map Pack, which offers players two new Challenge Maps to hone their FreeFlow Combat skills and test their Invisible Predator prowess.

In the Totally Insane FreeFlow Combat map, players’ will be tested to their fullest as scores of escaped lunatics bear down upon Batman as they make their escape through the asylum’s secure records facility. These fast-moving foes will challenge all but the most practiced players, with quick reactions and expert timing needed to fend off wave upon wave of insane inmates, bent on taking down the Dark Knight.

In the Nocturnal Hunter Invisible Predator map, players take on a wholly different approach, practicing their predatory skills to remain in the shadows, utilizing the Arkham watchtowers and Batman’s arsenal of gadgets to gain the upper hand on The Joker’s army of goons patrolling below. The Insane Night Map Pack will available on September 17.

Looks like Joe Wilson isn’t the only one shouting “you lie!” In a response to Courtney Love’s allegations of suing the “S” out of Activision because of Kurt Cobain’s likeliness being used in Guitar Hero 5, Activision pushed out a statement, stating that Courtney Love is lying.

“Guitar Hero secured the necessary licensing rights from the Cobain estate in a written agreement signed by Courtney Love to use Kurt Cobain’s likeness as a fully playable character in Guitar Hero(r) 5,” states Activision to Joystiq. However, in the original report, it said that Activision played a “Bully['s] part”, and that she never gave her approval for Kurt Cobain to be used in Guitar Hero 5. Anyway, it looks like someone has some explaining to do.

Taking a momentary break from his “fast paced” third-dimensional action, SEGA revealed their plans to take Sonic back to his two-dimensional (2D) roots. In order to answer the fans demands for a new 2D Sonic game, SEGA stated that this is a Sonic game for “old-school Sonic fans”, and that it’s briefly named “Project Needlemouse“.

“Old-school Sonic fans have long asked to see Sonic return to a more 2D style of gameplay,” said Ken Ballough, associate brand manager at Sega America. “Many liked the daytime stages in “Unleashed,” but wanted to see a game that plays purely similar to the early games of the Genesis. “Project Needlemouse” is that critical first step that brings Sonic back to his 2D roots.”

Although the new Sonic game wasn’t explicitly named, the trailer features many signature sounds and effects from the original games, which showes that the game is really being made for ”old-school Sonic fans”. The new game will viewed in 2D and in HD, however, no platforms were announced. So we’re left wondering if “Needlemouse” will be a traditional $60 boxed game or a download-only title. I guess we’ll see when the game releases in 2010.

During the Final Fantasy XIII premiere party, Square Enix announced the Japanese release date for Final Fantasy XIII, which is this December the 17th. However, we’re located  in America, and we want to know when we’ll be able to get our hands on the game. So here’s the question Square, what’s Final Fantasy XIII’s North American release date?

Answering the question, Yoichi Wada, president and CEO of Square Enix, told the press that they’re aiming for an “international release [next] spring”. But, seeing that he said “international”, not American. This gives hope to the Europeans that they may actually see the game at the same time as Americans, which is a very good thing. Once again, the game has been confirmed for a December 17th release in Japan and goes on sale at about ¥9240.

Ratchet & Clank have always been know for their array of entertaining weaponry, and in the upcoming installment, it’s no different. At a panel entitled “Weapons 101″ at PAX, Insomniac creative director Brian Allgeier revealed some of the new weaponry that will be featured in Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time.

The most entertaining of the weaponry had to be the Rift Inducer 3000. The Rift Inducer 300 summons tentacles from an interdimensional portal, which in turn grasp enemies and abscond with them through the vortex. Which, as you can tell, is very entertaining to watch.

Another weapon is the Chimp-O-Matic. The Chimp-O-Matic turns your enemies into adorable monkeys, and robotic enemies into robotic toy monkeys with cymbals – which is a gut buster. “Has there been a time when a weapon felt more ‘Resistance’ than ‘Ratchet’?,” Insomniac stated during the panel.

Sony has announced that stereoscopic 3D technology will be headed the PlayStation 3 in 2010. The technology will be placed in a future firmware update for the system – which Sony is planning to release sometime next year – and you won’t need a special 3D television to utilize it. Instead, you’ll only need the stereoscopic glasses with a normal, or High Definition television.

Along with that, they’ve also revealed that the improvements will be capable with “all” of their existing titles. “3D is clearly on its way to the mass market through technology, distribution and content,” Sir Howard Stringer, Sony chief executive, at the IFA Consumer Electronics show. “As with high definition a few years back, there are a variety of issues yet to be addressed. But the 3D train is on the track, and we at Sony are ready to drive it home.”

[Thanks to Kotaku]

Funcom today revealed new details on its upcoming modern-day, real world massively multiplayer online game The Secret World. As a teaser for more reveals to come out of the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle this week, Funcom unveiled three secret societies – the Illuminati, the Dragon and the Templars – all of which will be central to gameplay and the storyline in The Secret World.

Gamers everywhere can also visit the official website at www.darkdaysarecoming.com and complete a unique personality test that will reveal to them what secret society they are most suited to join. Completion of the test will not only allow them to become an initiate of that secret society and thus an important member of the official The Secret World community, it also gives them the chance to win exclusive future beta access to the game. Initiates will also be kept up-to-date on the development of The Secret World.

“The secret societies are integral to The Secret World,” says Producer and Director Ragnar Tørnquist. “Players must eventually pick a side in the conflict. By revealing the three societies – and at the same time keeping some exciting new features under wraps – we provide players with the opportunity to dig deeper into the conspiracies and urban legends, and to learn more about these famous secret societies, before making their final decision when the game launches.”

Sony’s Sixaxis motion controller technology hasn’t been gaining much limelight as of lately. But, Team Ninja has announced something that’s about to change that. And that’s, that Ninja Gaiden Σ (Sigma) 2 will feature the Sixaxis tech for boob jiggling.

Not only will players have the chance to refined neck breaking ninja combat, but Team Ninja has implanted (sorry, I could resist) a feature that allows you to control over the overflowings of the ladies of Ninja Gaiden Σ 2. ”We can, proudly announce that Ninja Gaiden Σ 2 will have Sixaxis compatibility,” a spokesperson told the TheSixthaxis. “You waggle the pad, the girl’s tits bounce.”

Announced in Japan last month, Sony Computer Entertainment America announced their newest installment to the growing list of “Entertainment Pack” bundles for the PSP, the Limited Edition Gran Turismo Entertainment Pack for North America.

The limited edition entertainment pack includes a “Mystic Silver” PSP-3000 system, Gran Turismo PSP on UMD, PlayStation Network downloadable movie voucher (title to be announced), a 2GB Memory Stick PRO Duo, and a music voucher good for 10 downloadable songs from Sony Music Pass. The Entertainment Pack will release on October 20 for $199.99 in North America.

“Gran Turismo is one of the most successful gaming franchises in history, so what better way to mark Gran Turismo’s premiere on the PSP system than by offering it with the only portable device that can deliver its rich, true-to-life graphics and unrivaled driving experience,” said John Koller, Director, Hardware Marketing, SCEA.

If you can’t remember, some time during this year Sony released a survey asking the fans what they would like to see in a God of War III collectors edition, and, in the survey, an overwhelming amount of the community members wished for the previous God of War titles to be available on the PlayStation 3.

With that said, Sony has announced that the critically acclaimed God of War franchise will be headed to the PlayStation 3 in a collaboration of all the previous God of War titles. The collaboration is entitled God of War Collection.

Scheduled for release this holiday season, God of War Collection will feature reworked versions of both God of War and God of War II on a single Blu-ray Disc at full 1280 x 720 resolution. Both critically acclaimed games, which were originally developed for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, have been remastered with anti-aliased graphics running at 60 frames per second for a smooth gameplay experience on the PS3 system. Additionally, the Blu-ray Disc compilation will bring PlayStation Network (PSN) trophy support to the franchise for the first time (included for both games).

“We are excited today to announce God of War Collection,” said Scott Rohde, vice president, Worldwide Studios America. “Our fans spoke and we listened; thanks to our partnership with Bluepoint Games, fans and newcomers to the series can experience the epic God of War and God of War II saga in stunning 720p on PS3. This Blu-ray Disc compilation brings Kratos to PS3 even earlier than expected.”

The game will go on sale this holiday for $39.99.

Today, Sony Online Entertainment released images of Green Lantern as depicted in the new game DC Universe Online. Hal Jordan, aka the Green Lantern, acquired the power ring and lantern from a dying alien whose spaceship crashed on Earth. The alien’s objective was to find an individual who is “utterly honest and born without fear” all which describes the character of Hal Jordan.

Hal is the premier Green Lantern in the famed Green Lantern Corps, an intergalactic police force. Armed with his ring, which creates hard light constructs powered by his imagination, Hal patrols Earth with his mantra:

“In brightest days, in blackest night,
No evil shall escape my sight.
Let those who worship evil’s might
Beware my power, Green Lantern’s light!”

[Show as slideshow]

Gee willikers Batman! Today, the highly anticipated, Batman: Arkham Asylum, was awarded a Guinness World Record for the “Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game Ever”. Arkham Asylum broken Guinness World Record in this category by achieving the highest average score of 91.67 from reviews, and reviewers, around the world.

When awarding the development team over at Rocksteady Studios, Gaz Deaves from Guinness World Records states that, “[They] are so pleased to be awarding Batman: Arkham Asylum a Guinness World Record. It is a fantastic new game and due to the reaction of gaming experts we believe it has a well deserved place in the Guinness World Records book.”

With the Japanese release of Final Fantasy XIII slowly coming upon us, it’s time for Square to start revealing the heavy details on Final Fantasy XIII. In the latest issue of Famitsu, Square Enix did exactly that by revealing two new characters that will be featured in the game – reports the Examiner. The first, of course, is the lovely lady pictured, Jill Nabato.

When first shown, Jill was quickly dubbed as the female version of Sephiroth. But, officially, Jill is a lieutenant of the government who controls the PSICOM soldiers, and is said to be a cold-blooded, heartless woman. The second character revealed is Yaag. Like Jill, Yaag is also a lieutenant. He has a strong sense of justice and carries a very serious demeanor. One of his primary concerns is protecting the people of Cocoon. Since Cocoon is his primary concern, he views Lightning and her companions as pests that are trying to bring unrest to Cocoon.

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We were a bit disappointed when Sony confirmed that the PSP Go wouldn’t come bundled with Rock Band Unplugged like we previously heard. Now, we know as to why Sony didn’t bundle the game with the PSP Go. Anyway, instead of the full game, you’ll receive a “voucher” for an exclusive demo of the title. But, wait there’s more.

Sony has stated, on the PlayStation.Blog, that Rock Band Unplugged Lite – yes, that’s what the demo’s called – is basically a demo of the game that allows you to play five tracks from the complete game. However, it will accept downloads from the Rock Band Unplugged store, effectively allowing players to build a track list of their own, which is great news.

Presented by Timbaland and developed by the studio behind Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, Rockstar Games has revealed that its music application, Beaterator, will release in North America on September 29 for the PlayStation Portable and the PlayStation Network. But, that’s not all. They even released a video of Timbaland showing the game – shown below.

“I’ve worked closely with Rockstar Games to make something completely unique,” said Timbaland. “Beaterator is like taking my music studio and turning it into a suite of tools anyone can use. We can’t wait to hear the beats people make and share with the world.”

Initially created in 2005 as a Flash application on Rockstar’s website, Beaterator quickly took on a life of its own. Featuring thousands of loops and sounds made by both Timbaland and Rockstar, Beaterator puts the power to make professional-level music at your fingertips in a format that’s portable, accessible and fun.

Leading video game developer BioWare, a division of Electronic Arts Inc., has secured a star-studded voiceover cast for its upcoming blockbuster game, Dragon Age: Origins. Featuring Tim Curry, star of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Broadway’s Spamalot, as well as Kate Mulgrew, well-known for her role as Capt. Kathryn Janeway in Star Trek: Voyager“.

Dragon Age: Origins also includes notable cast members Tim Russ (”Star Trek: Voyager,” “Samantha Who?”), Claudia Black (”Stargate SG-1,” “Pitch Black”) and Steve Valentine (”Estate of Panic,” “Crossing Jordan”). Dragon Age: Origins marks BioWare’s return to fantasy, created from the ground up to take players through a dark epic tale filled with violence, lust, and betrayal.

Tim Curry will play the villainous Arl Rendon Howe. Howe is the calculating villain, cultured and charming, with an insatiable lust for power who never hesitates to harm anyone who gets in his way. Kate Mulgrew will lend her vocal flair to Flemeth, a powerful witch who maintains her immortality through the darkest of means, and who plays a pivotal role in the player’s survival. Both roles provide the actors with the opportunity to bring their considerable talents to bear in their portrayal of these characters.

“Dragon Age: Origins has the largest cast of characters of any game BioWare has ever made,” said Mark Darrah, Executive Producer, BioWare. “By working with an incredibly talented cast of actors we are able to bring reality and depth to the characters, their back stories, motivations, and dreams that our talented writers have created for them.”

Like if you needed more of a reason to watch all of the information that will be coming out of the Tokyo Game Show this year. According to the Examiner, Capcom, one of the biggest game publishers and developers to date, has been teasing on it Twitter of the new titles that it will be revealing at the Tokyo Game Show this year.

“Hard at work on Tokyo Game Show plans,” said the publisher via its twitter feed. “Several new games to be announced in Japan, lots of new content for [Lost Planet 2], [Tatsunoko vs. Capcom], [and Dead Rising 2]. Exciting!” Tokyo Game Show 2009 will be held from September 24 to the 27.

I know that we’re a little slow on the outtake of this information, but it’s news none the less. Anyway, during Sony’s GamesCom press conference, Sony announced the 3.0 firmware update for PlayStation 3.

The update will change the way you navigate the system such as adding animated themes, a redesigned friends list, premium avatars, new Trophy features, and a new status indicator at the top-right hand corner of the screen – that will now show how many friends you have online, and how unread many manages you have.

Firmware 3.0 will also include a “What’s New” section, and TV services such as BBC iPlayer. These features will release on September 1.

He is vengeance. He is the night. He is BATMAN! And now, he’s yours! Coinciding with the launch of the hotly-anticipated and highly-reviewed Batman: Arkham Asylum, retailers across the country will begin letting gamers into Arkham Asylum, and this trailer will definitely help to captivate your readers’ interest as they delve into the madhouse themselves!

In all the recent videos, not including the ones at E3, Final Fantasy XIII has been featured with it’s translated English dialog. However, we can now confirm that, that should no longer be an issue. Because Square Enix has revealed that they have completed the remainder of all the English dialog for Final Fantasy XIII.

“Sweet! English VO for FFXIII is complete,” stated Square Enix’s Klee Kuo twitter feed.

Today, BioWare, a division of Electronic Arts, announced the mystical City of Haven, which will be featured in their upcoming title Dragon Age: Origins.

Information about the city: Some years ago, a lone traveler paid a visit to a tavern in Denerim, and after imbibing a great quantity of ale related a tale of his travels to the tavern-keeper. The traveler claimed to have stumbled upon a strange village high in the Frostback Mountains. The village was peaceful, he said, and the villagers polite, if a little aloof.

They fed him and watered his horse, and then urged him to be on his way. When he lingered too long, suddenly their mood changed. Their faces grew cold and knives appeared, and the traveler was told that what was to happen next “was done in Andraste’s name and for the good of all.” He fled in a panic and could not afterwards retrace his path. The traveler took a room at the tavern and yet never slept there. He disappeared that night and was not heard from again.

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Amadeus Arkham, celebrated doctor or demented murderer? You be the judge! With a new video vignette, Eidos Inc. and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today reveal the “History of Arkham Asylum” as featured in the upcoming Batman: Arkham Asylum videogame, coming out August 2, 2009 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.

When talking to IGN, Hideo Kojima confirmed that he has several titles under development over at Kojima Productions, in which one of them he has wanted to do for a very long time.

When talking about the teams newest game engine, Kojima started to list all of the titles under development at Kojima Productions. ”First of all I can name Metal Gear Solid Rising – that’s going to be on the preparation list. Also there’s a new title that we haven’t announced that I’ve wanted to make for a long time – that’s on the list as well. And also a couple of other new titles we’re preparing now,” he said.

“The one that I said that I’ve been wanting to make – this is a new franchise and a new title. For the other couple of titles, it could be something that you always wanted to have. It could be, or it could be something else. It’s a matter of the timing of when we can get it out,” he continued at a future point during the interview.

With the overwhelming power it will take to run Final Fantasy XIII, Square Enix producer Yoshinori Kitase confirmed that the 360 version of Final Fantasy XIII will ship on multiple discs, as previously thought.

“This is not the final count as we’re still working on it, but we’re aiming for about three discs for the Xbox 360 version,” he stated when talking about the number of discs. After that, he then when on to assure that the two versions of the game will be practically identical, although he did concede that there will be “subtle differences” between the two.

“The 360 version and the PS3 version should be pretty much equal, both in terms of content and the visuals as well,” he continued. ”Since the hardware is different, there might be some subtle differences if you compare screenshots side by side, but the team’s being very careful about the compression of the data and the visuals, so that it’s exactly the same on both.”

Fans have been demanding a reason as to why Konami and Kojima Productions would release the next installment of the Metal Gear Solid saga on to the PSP, instead of releasing  it on the Playstation 3. During the latest episode of the Kojima Productions podcast, Sean Eyestone explained the teams decision to develop Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker for the PSP.

“We want people to go out and socialize with other people. You know physically take your PSP with you, go to your friend’s house and hang out together,” said Eyestone. ”Of course, we could have done co-op, maybe, on PS3 or something like that. But, whenever you do online co-op, that actually, in a way, kind of discourages people from playing together.”

He later stated that, “So not just going home to your respective houses playing online but actually physically coming together, enjoying yourself and kind of recapturing that old-school feel of playing together, enjoying a game together.”

When you put it that way, I’m actualy very happy they did this. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker will release exclusively on the PSP sometime in 2010.

[Konami explains why Peace Walker is only for PSP via Examiner]

It’s official! DICE announced today that Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will be available March 2, 2010 in North America and March 5, 2010 in Europe.

“The variety of weapons, choice of vehicles and scale of destruction in the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 sandbox environment generates countless unscripted and unforgettable moments,” said Karl Magnus Troedsson, Executive Producer Battlefield Franchise, DICE. “When Battlefield: Bad Company 2 ships in March, it will deliver the best online multiplayer experience ever.”

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will deliver a level of destruction, vehicular warfare, squad play and open world environments never before experienced in a modern warfare action game. By pushing destruction to new heights and delivering a host of land, sea and air vehicles, players will soon witness the best-in-class online warfare experience.

Update: The PlayStation 3 Slim doesn’t play PS2 games. “Note: This product is not compatible with PlayStation 2 games,” reads the release.

Original: Kaz Hirai, head of all things PlayStation, announced today, during GamesCon, that the long rumored and awaited PlayStation 3 Slim will be available in the first week of September. Hirai detailed the system stating that the system will feature a 120 GB drive. Along with that, he said that it will be 33 percent smaller, 36 percent lighter then the current PlayStation 3.

The PlayStation 3 Slim will be priced at $299 in the U.S., 299 euros, 29980 yen. Sony also announced at their GamesCom conference that it will add e-reader technology to its PSP handheld devices, introducing digital comics from Marvel and other publishers. The e-reader technology PSPs will release in December.

Well-known British humorist and author Danny Wallace will be cast as one of the key roles in Assassin’s Creed II, Ubisoft announced today. The voice and likeness of Wallace will be cast for the character of Shaun Hastings. A pivotal character in the game, Shaun will serve as a historian, guide and source of information for the player as he proceeds through the game.

“When the UK suggested Danny to us, we were completely open to the idea. Danny has been fantastic to work with, and his manner and particular style of humor has worked out perfect for the role of Shaun” said script writer Corey May. Speaking on his own involvement in the game, Wallace said “Going right back to my days of working on Sega Power, I’ve always been a keen gamer, and being involved – and actually being in a game like Assassin’s Creed II is amazing! I have to say, I’m rather excited.”

With the recent re-configuration of Splinter Cell: Conviction, Ubisoft needed more time to make things prefect. According to Ubisoft’s Production Manager, they gave it time by using Assassin’s Creed as a way to make money, and to continue with the games development.

“Because actually we felt that the game wasn’t well received [at Ubidays] and some of the critics were actually saying that we were missing the gameplay, when we started having maybe a bit of trouble bringing back the core gameplay, and we saw the success that Assassin’s was going to have, Ubisoft made the decision to say, ‘look guys, take the time you need to do this game, we’ve got someone bringing in the money for the next year so we’re okay, we won’t ship a game that’s not good, so go ahead and take the time to do it’,” said Andréane Meunier to Eurogamer.

“That took the pressure off us and allowed us to rework the core values that we wanted to bring out,” he continued.

You won’t believe this. Raven Software’s Manveer Heir has posted a message on his Twitter stating that if Wolfenstein outsells Madden 10 in the month of August, he’ll pay for your copy of Wolfenstein. However, in order to receive your money back, you’ll need to keep your copy of the receipt.

“Here’s the deal folks: if Wolfenstein outsells Madden 10 in August I will personally pay for your copy (keep your receipt) – SPREAD THE WORD,” his Twitter feed read. He didn’t go into anymore details about the throwdown with Madden 10.

However, from a bussiness stand point, this doesn’t make much sense, seeing that if the game does outsell Madden 10 in the month of August, the company, along with him, will be losing more money than they’ll receive from the game. Because when you pay the $60 dollars for your game, it goes out to many places. But, I’m not going into detail.

I don’t know that much about fighting games, mainly because I grow up in household filled with shooter enthusiasts, but I know for a fact that The King of Fighters series has been around for along time. So long that, if I recall, KOF series played key part as the counter to the popular Street Fighter series. However, over the recent years, The King of Fighters series has lost some of its momentum, make that all of its momentum. Fortunately, The King of Fighters XII doesn’t disappoint.

Boasting a total of 22 fighters, this King of Fighters title is a radical departure from past titles. If you played previous KOF titles, you’ll know that there’s a large amount of fighters normally featured in a game of its kind, but this installment doesn’t have a large group of fighters. The main reason being, for such a low fighter count, is the amount of time the developers spent making a fighter – because all the fighters have been drawn by hand. But, SNK, the developers, have already stated that they’ll be working on more characters as DLC. However, compared with some of the other fighting titles out there, this isn’t a bad turn out.

This hand-drawn style took a lot of man power to create. So much, in fact. That SNK had to set aside a complete team to do the visuals. By doing this, SNK insured very detailed environments and characters. But, as you can tell, this style has a questionable side to it. One, obviously, being the time it takes to create one character. However, as I stated, this is a very good turn out for any fighting game today. Another thing about the characters in the game, KOFXII features a list with character that were in the early titles in the series, this was done with the plan to please fans of the series. And it works.

Speaking of visuals, The King of Fighters XII is absolutely gorgeous – thanks in collaboration to hand-drawn visuals – the game is smooth and stunning. Basically, making up for the series’ lowest franchise count, which, for a fighting title these days, isn’t a bad turn out. However, the key issue with the characters is pixilation. As you can tell, this hand-drawn style is meant for modern day arcades, and it doesn’t play out so will on consoles. Luckily, SNK realized this and added three selectable levels of character filtering options. These filters blur the still-pixilated models making them easier to look at in high-res. But, one can only wonder why KOFXII’s sprites weren’t featured in HD. But, The King of Fighter XII finds all of its triumphs in its combat.

Losing Tactical Shift, the game introduces a Critical Counter and Clash mechanic. Critical Counter mechanics is activated when one player counters an attack with a heavy punch or kick, giving the player that activated it a small window to preform a damaging combo. Along with that, the Clash system works like this, when both fighters strike simultaneously with the same attack, the game breaks the characters up. Anyway, the reactions made by both systems are very enjoyable and entertaining. These aspects are what make the game entertaining and, like I stated, this is were The King of Fighters XII finds its triumph. That and its control scheme.

Closing Statement:

The King of Fighters XII is a mixture of both pain and pleasure. The pain being some of the very poor presentation chooses, like the repetitive menu music, boring menu screens, and a barely functional online component. The pleasure being the awesome gameplay, which is the core of the game making put for almost everything. However, when you put aside all the pains, in which I didn’t list all, you’ll find a true to the heart fighting title. But, because you have to put aside so many mistakes, this game is bitter sweet but it doesn’t disappoint at its core.

Score: B-

Speaking at a Press Conference in Tokyo last week, Square Enix’s Yoichi Wada stated that a release date for long-awaited Final Fantasy XIII could be revealed in a matter of weeks.

Anyway, Wada told the Japanese press that he would make “an announcement in a few weeks”. However, if you look at the stated time, this could mean that Square Enix is announcing the game’s release at the Tokyo Game Show – scheduled for late September.

The title is due out in Japan this winter, with its Western debut, on PS3 and Xbox 360, expected sometime in 2010. However, we’re hoping to see more on the title at Tokyo because Square has confirmed that the tile will certainly be in attendance.

Update: Robert Bowling from Infinity Ward tells us that 50 Cent is “one of many squad voices” that will be featured in the multiplayer and Spec Ops modes in Modern Warfare 2. Expect to hear Fifty saying things like”Reloading,” “Watch your fire,” “I’m down, get me up!” and “Tango Down!” according to Bowling.

“He is one of quite a few casual cameos in the game, none of which I can name at this point,” Bowling says. “Benji and Joel of Good Charlotte NOT being one of them. They’re just good friends with Curtis and came along with him when he was here recently to check out his voice in the game.” – via Kotaku.

Original: 50 Cent is ready to make an appearance in yet another video game, but this time it isn’t his own. Instead, he’ll be making a cameo in Activision’s and Infinity Ward’s upcoming title Modern Warfare 2. However, it still unknown if 50’s going to continue his search for his diamond encrusted skull.

Anyway, half-a-dollar will lend is talents as one of the many voices featured in the Multiplayer positions of the game. The rapper dropped the news following a visit to Infinity Ward, during which he played Modern Warfare 2 with Good Charlotte’s Benji and Joel Madden.

There hasn’t been an official announcement, yet, but  Robert Bowling, the developer’s director of communications, stated on his twitter that 50 Cent will be “one of the squad voices in Multiplayer / Spec Ops” – no news on the other two yet.

“Everyone else is just mad ’cause I came from the bottom without them,” 50 states – this isn’t a real statement from 50 himself, but it does sound like something he would say. More news coming soon.

[Modern Warfare 2 Features Cameo From... 50 Cent? via Kotaku]

A backlash against modern day war game, Six Days in Fallujah, saw publisher Konami dropping support for the title, basically, landing Atomic Games, the developer, in hot water. However, without a new publisher for the title, Atomic Game today announced that they’ve, reluctantly, let there some of their developers go because of funding trouble for the title.

“Due to a mixture of fears about the edgy subject matter of Six Days in Fallujah, as well as low videogame sales this summer, we have been unable to secure full-scale funding from a major publisher for Six Days in Fallujah. This has caused us to reduce the size of our studio today,” reads word from the firm.

In the words of Marine officer Chesty Puller, “We’re surrounded. That simplifies the problem.” Development at Atomic will continue with a smaller team that will be funded by our sister company, Destineer – it continues to read.

Reports also emerged that creative director Juan Benito, founder of Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon developer Red Storm, is also leaving the developer.

EA CEO John Riccitiello is known for his opinions, which are often controversial, and in his latest outburst, it’s no different. During EA’s Q1 conference call, Riccitiello stated that a price cut will move more hardware, and that they’ll like to see a cut later this year.

“We think pricing will move hardware,” he said. “We anticipate price cuts at some point and we’d like to see them later in the year.” However, so far, the Xbox 360 is the only system to see major price cuts. But, Nintendo hasn’t hinted at a price drop since the sales of its consoles have been going strong, and, recently, Sony has been in the spotlight about thier comments of a price drop for the PlayStation 3. We cant help, but think the comment may have been a clue to Sony to drop the price of its console soon.

Anyway, EA is a big player in the gaming industry and are convinicing enough to change minds of a console manufacturer like Sony. However, if you don’t remember. A few months back, Activision threatened Sony about the price of the PS3, and the lack of a price cut.

It goes without saying that movie games suck. They do. If you’ve ever purchased one, you know that nine out of ten times, you regret that purchase, and the ten remaining percent you can’t decide whether it was actually worthwhile, or not. While it’s bad enough the GI Joe movie looks like it could very well be crap nobody wants to see, the game has remained a bit more mysterious. Until now.

The GI Joe game is similar to the recently released Wolverine title; players pick a character from the GI Joe universe and fight off bad guys. It’s much more linear, so everything is literally pointing you where to go, like Advent Rising, except without the openness. It is, in fact, an extremely closed game, but playing it by yourself is the reason why it would feel ridiculous.

GI Joe is meant to be played cooperatively. Or, more specifically, competitively for points. Two players are supposed to, with different characters utilizing different strengths and weaknesses, gather as many points as possible by fighting off the enemy, finding secrets, and stealing kills. This is tremendous fun, especially when your adversary can hear your roar of victory.

In my play-test, I wielded a sword and a pathetic pistol, while my opponent had a giant gun. Because I learned everything mentioned earlier while playing, I ran around shooting everything, and slashing the occasional bad guy when they came near. Only then did I realize my opponent had double the points I did, because his bigger gun was just wrecking the playing field. No fair!

The rest of the game was I playing catch up, and I did. I slashed everyone and everything, shot last-second and guys who had no health and stole kills like a 10 year old playing Halo 2. At one point, the developer told us both to push the Y button, and suddenly both our guns got a massive boost for a cooperative strike. Giant tanks started rolling in and we were dodging equally giant rounds that would look unseemly in the tight clothes our characters wore.

After all this, GI Joe is fun. By yourself…I can only imagine how lonely one must be to play a cooperative game alone, not even competing against an AI. As someone who didn’t grow up with GI Joe because Transformers was better, I didn’t get all the references, which the developer pointed out each and every time, to which I insincerely nodded “oh yes, I remember that. Fond memories!” Like a rail shooter, it’s fun in a quick-action sort of way, and like Wolverine, you can sit back and relax while tearing the guts out of, well, just about anything. Plus it’s great for kids!

Speaking exclusively to Gamesindustry.biz, Ubisoft Game Designer Michael de Plater acknowledges that the festive holiday season is a “brutal” duration to release new IPs and that many good games could fall wayside as a result.

“It’s a bit tough to launch a new IP exactly at Christmas when you’re head-to-head with blockbuster sequels. It’s interesting to see a number of big titles, like Heavy Rain, being targeted at 2010 to avoid the Christmas rush,” he explained. “And Ubisoft’s got Ruse coming out in 2010. Even God of War 3’s in 2010, that’s how brutal it is. I mean, you’ve got Assassins Creed 2, Modern Warfare 2, Mass Effect 2.”

“To me, it’s been a period of enormous change, and the last four years I would say has been the time when games have actually surpassed movies as the premium blockbuster entertainment,” he continues.

Speaking of, the summer is basically an empty season for video games. I don’t know why developers and publishers can’t just space things out because, like I said, the summer season is basically empty for video games.

Arriving on September 15 is WET, a third-person shooter from Bethesda Softworks for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. Even though few details about the game have been revealed, we know that in WET players take the role of Rubi Malone, a woman who is on a mission to hunt down the man that left her for dead.

“We are extremely excited to bring WET to gamers on September 18th,” said Vlatko Andonov, president of Bethesda Softworks. “A2M has created an explosive gaming experience and the action is non-stop from start to finish.”

“We’ve worked really hard to make WET different from any other action game available”, said Patrick Fortier, Creative Director at A2M. “When players experience the game’s unique blend of gunplay, sword combat and acrobatics, they won’t want to put the controller down.”

When revealing the special editions for Modern Warfare 2, there was the mention of a downloadable version of the original Call of Duty. However, it was said that you’ll have to buy either the Hardened or Prestige editions be given a token for the game. But, people have been wondering if Activison would be selling the game as a stand-alone arcade game.

“Prestige and Hardened Edition buyers will be getting access to Call of Duty: Classic first. It’ll eventually be coming out for both Xbox Live Arcade and PSN as a stand-alone arcade game,” Community Manager Robert Bowling confirmed to IGN.

Bowling also added that the game will have working multiplayer. “However, price and release date are unknown at this point. It’s the true original Call of Duty including full multiplayer.”

With the recent release of Battlefield 1943, it’s likely that the title would release at $15 to contend with Battlefield’s price.

In an interview with Tim Schafer, it revealed that Brütal Legend will have a unique feature not presented in many M-Rated games, a profanity filter. This profanity filter will allow the players of Brütal Legend to turn on and off a filter that censors in-game profanity, “bleeping out” swear words, and putting shields over improper visuals.

“But there’s a certain age where – there are certain players who are old enough, but just don’t really like playing with all that stuff. So we actually put two things up: there’s a profanity filter in the game, where you can actually turn it on and it’ll actually bleep all the language out, and it’ll actually cover certain profane things with the ‘parental advisory’ sign, which is in itself is a reference to the PMRC, right, which is part of the history of heavy metal,” said Schafer when speaking to Planet Xbox 360.

“It’s optional, so you can turn it on if you want. There’s also a gore filter, which you can turn off, and you won’t be dismembered and there won’t be blood. It’s for those people who like playing with their kids, or who just don’t like it.”

This filter will open the option for parents to play Brütal Legend with their kids, while protecting their innocents for the time being. Schafer also mentions that bleeping out swear words in the game adds the possibility of making the in-game jokes funnier, and make your imagination run wild with the options of what the person is actually saying.

Activision have unveiled the full song-list for Guitar Hero 5. The list is full of hits from artists such as Megadeth, Blink 182, and 3 Doors Down. Anyway, it’s not a terrible list for a GH game, but its contents came as no surprise. When Guitar Hero 5 ships this September, your inner rock star will be able to rock to its heart’s content with this explosive set-list, including the following tracks:

Newly Announced:

• 3 Doors Down – “Kryptonite”
• Arctic Monkeys – “Brianstorm”
• Blink-182 – “The Rock Show”
• Dire Straits – “Sultans Of Swing”
• Jimmy Eat World – “Bleed American”
• Johnny Cash – “Ring Of Fire”
• Megadeth – “Sweating Bullets”
• Mötley Crüe – “Looks That Kill”
• Muse – “Plug In Baby”
• Nirvana – “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
• Queen & David Bowie – “Under Pressure”
• Stevie Wonder – “Superstition”
• The Killers – “All The Pretty Faces”
• The Raconteurs – “Steady As She Goes”
• TV On The Radio – “Wolf Like Me”

Previously Announced:

• A Perfect Circle – “Judith”
• AFI – “Medicate”
• Attack! Attack! UK – “You And Me”
• Band Of Horses – “Cigarettes, Wedding Bands”
• Beastie Boys – “Gratitude”
• Beck – “Gamma Ray”
• Billy Idol – “Dancing With Myself”
• Billy Squier – “Lonely Is The Night”
• Blur – “Song 2″
• Bob Dylan – “All Along The Watchtower”
• Bon Jovi – “You Give Love A Bad Name”
• Brand New – “Sowing Season (Yeah)”
• The Bronx – “Six Days A Week”
• Bush – “Comedown”
• Children Of Bodom – “Done With Everything, Die For Nothing”
• Coldplay – “In My Place”
• Darker My Love – “Blue Day”
• Darkest Hour – “Demon(s)”
• David Bowie – “Fame”
• Deep Purple – “Woman From Tokyo (’99 Remix)”
• The Derek Trucks Band – “Younk Funk”
• The Duke Spirit – “Send A Little Love Token”
• Duran Duran – “Hungry Like The Wolf”
• Eagles Of Death Metal – “Wannabe In L.A.”
• Elliott Smith – “L.A.”
• Elton John – “Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)”
• Face To Face – “Disconnected”
• Garbage – “Only Happy When It Rains”
• Gorillaz – “Feel Good Inc.”
• Gov’t Mule – “Streamline Woman”
• Grand Funk Railroad – “We’re An American Band”
• Iggy Pop – “Lust For Life (Live)”
• Iron Maiden – “2 Minutes To Midnight”
• Jeff Beck – “Scatterbrain (Live)”
• John Mellencamp – “Hurts So Good”
• Kaiser Chiefs – “Never Miss A Beat”
• King Crimson – “21st Century Schizoid Man”
• Kings Of Leon – “Sex On Fire”
• Kiss – “Shout It Out Loud”
• Love and Rockets – “Mirror People”
• My Morning Jacket – “One Big Holiday”
• Nirvana – “Lithium (Live)”
• No Doubt – “Ex-Girlfriend”
• Peter Frampton – “Do You Feel Like We Do? (Live)”
• The Police – “So Lonely”
• Public Enemy Featuring Zakk Wylde – “Bring the Noise 20XX”
• Queens Of The Stone Age – “Make It Wit Chu”
• Rammstein – “Du Hast”
• The Rolling Stones – “Sympathy For The Devil”
• Rose Hill Drive – “Sneak Out”
• Rush – “The Spirit Of Radio (Live)”
• Santana – “No One To Depend On (Live)”
• Scars On Broadway – “They Say”
• Screaming Trees – “Nearly Lost You”
• Smashing Pumpkins – “Bullet With Butterfly Wings”
• Sonic Youth – “Incinerate”
• Spacehog – “In The Meantime”
• Sublime – “What I Got”
• Sunny Day Real Estate – “Seven”
• T. Rex – “20th Century Boy”
• The Sword – “Maiden, Mother & Crone”
• Thin Lizzy – “Jailbreak”
• Thrice – “Deadbolt”
• Tom Petty – “Runnin’ Down A Dream”
• Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – “American Girl”
• Vampire Weekend – “A-Punk”
• Weezer – “Why Bother?”
• The White Stripes – “Blue Orchid”
• Wild Cherry – “Play That Funky Music”
• Wolfmother – “Back Round”

There is pretty much a good mix of everything featured throughout this list. I strongly suggest the game if you’re your 70’s and 80’s rocker because that seems to be what it’s most composed of. Once again, the game will ship on September 1st and it will offer downloadable tracks after its release.