PlayStation Mobile Meets Wikipad, announced at Gamescom

Aug 14, 2012

Wikipad announced today that it passed the Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCE) PlayStation™Certified license program (*1) and will feature PlayStation®Mobile games. The collaboration with Wikipad, makers of the first tablet to offer a patented attachable, console-quality gamepad controller, further enhances SCE plans to deliver the PlayStation®-like experience to even more users around the world.

“Wikipad is the first true video game tablet built with an attachable gamepad controller that enables a mobile console experience. As we head into our upcoming launch we are partnering with the industry’s leading players.   PlayStation’s commitment to delivering innovative entertainment experiences that captivate gamers is unparalleled and we are thrilled to partner with them,” said James Bower, chief executive officer, Wikipad.

PlayStation®Mobile will offer content on the Wikipad developed by award-winning SCE Worldwide Studios as well as a vast array of third party developers and publishers. The partnership is an example of SCE’s continued expansion across mobile devices through content development and delivery of compelling entertainment experiences as well as the expansion of PlayStation Certified devices through PlayStation Mobile.

PlayStation Mobile will make it easy for mobile gamers to discover and download great content, while enabling a wide range of developers to produce PlayStation-like game experiences in a simple, time-efficient development environment. Wikipad will launch its mobile console tablet with a full suite of the latest immersive entertainment features and enhanced specifications including its patented gamepad controller, a premium 10.1” screen, ultra-light chassis, a quad-core Nvidia processor and an optional 3G antenna version for mobile carriers. Wikipad will announce its official launch date very soon.

New Gamescom Screenshots and Trailer for Star Trek

Aug 14, 2012

Fresh from Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, Paramount Pictures and NAMCO BANDAI Games are pleased to share a new set of assets for Star Trek, the upcoming video game inspired by J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek (2009) film reboot.

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FORGE shows off Alpha Gameplay with Pyromancer and Pathfinder Classes

Aug 14, 2012

Dark Vale Games’ showed off their upcoming indie multiplayer shooter FORGE. View the trailer and new screenshots below.

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Buy a RIFT subscription for One Year, Get the Storm Legion Expansion FREE

Aug 14, 2012

The new Rift expansion Storm Legion, launching later this fall, can be yours at no cost by purchasing 12 months of game time, Trion Worlds announced today. The new Storm Chaser edition gives those purchasing a year’s worth of game time the full expansion at no additional cost.  In addition, players are instantly granted two exclusive bonuses: the “Stormbringer” in-game title and fearsome “Landslide” mount, both of which can be used immediately. Available until Storm Legion launches later this year, the Storm Chaser edition can be purchased now from players’ riftgame.com account page.

“We like finding ways to reward loyalty,” said Scott Hartsman, Trion Chief Creative Officer and Executive Producer on the game. “This new edition is the perfect way to do that.  Storm Legion is the biggest thing we’ve ever created for Rift. We have a feeling players are going to enjoy exploring the immense continents of Brevane and Dusken, and customizing their own personal Dimensions. Now they can do it in style.”

Purchase the Storm Chaser edition now and receive:

• 12 months of Rift game time
• Storm Legion™ expansion
• Exclusive “Stormbringer” title
• Exclusive “Landslide” Mount

Announced earlier this year, Storm Legion, is the first expansion pack for Trion’s immensely popular MMORPG. Adding ten more levels, a dozen sprawling new zones, four new souls, and customizable spaces called Dimensions, the expansion nearly triples the size of the world, giving players more of Telara to explore as they quest to defeat the remaining dragon lords. Storm Legion is currently scheduled for launch later this year.

Storm Legion features:

A VAST NEW WORLD

• Adventure across a dozen huge zones across two continents that more than triple the size of the existing world
• Experience epic stories that reveal the true power in Telara … and the gateway to the planes
• Make your move to the island city of Tempest Bay, a new stronghold for both Guardians and Defiant

10 MORE LEVELS, 4 MORE SOULS

• A new Soul for each Calling expands the Ascended Class System – build the hero you want!
• Rise to new heights of power through 10 challenging levels, increasing the level cap to 60
• Play your way! Choose how you level with questing and Instant Adventure everywhere, onslaughts, rifts, events, and more

 BRAVE THE STORM

• • Achieve greatness with 7 new dungeons, 3 raids, a Chronicle, and more!
• • Join the Hunt: New rift gameplay propels you into battling increasingly-challenging planar bosses
• • Fight legions of fantastic creatures, including a Colossus that interacts with – and ravages – the world like you’ve never seen

MAKE TELARA YOUR OWN

• Dimensions: Customizable spaces allow players and guilds to own a sliver of Telara
• Take your professions to new heights with Grandmaster crafting
• Become the talk of the town and boost your stats with stylish new capes
• New puzzles, artifacts and collectibles, achievements, mounts, pets, titles, and much more

Learn more about Rift: Storm Legion at www.StormLegion.com.

Orcs Must Die! 2 introduces Weekly Challenges

Aug 14, 2012

Robot Entertainment has announced a new Weekly Challenge game mode will begin to test War Mages’ abilities later this week! Beginning this Friday and refreshing every Friday following, Orcs Must Die! 2 will issue a brand new challenge to players. Each challenge is playable in single-player or co-op and features a specific level, character, and trap loadout to master, all pre-defined by Robot Entertainment’s design team. Players will be challenged to defend the rifts in new and exciting ways, rethinking all of their tried and true methods of slaying orcs. Every Friday, a new Weekly Challenge will be issued. This Friday, August 17^th, select the current challenge from the game mode menu and battle for supremacy on customized single-player and co-op Weekly Challenge leaderboards!

Download Orcs Must Die! 2: http://store.steampowered.com/app/201790/

Orcs Must Die! 2 begins days after the ending of the original game. With the rifts closed and the magical Order dead, the War Mage finds himself suddenly thrust into a new battle against the mindless orc mob. He has a powerful, if questionable, new companion in the Sorceress, an ex-War Mage responsible for the destruction of the Order.

Orcs Must Die! 2 Features:

• Co-Op! – Play as the War Mage, the headstrong hero who charges into danger, or play as the more strategic Sorceress who keeps the mob at bay with mind-control and magic.
• Story-based Campaign – Pick up where the original game left off with a brand new story-based campaign that you can play in Single-Player or Co-Op!
• Endless Mode – Play alone or join a friend to put your skills to the test against endless waves of increasingly difficult enemies.
• Classic Mode – Steam players who own the original Orcs Must Die! will automatically unlock co-op versions of 10 fan-favorite levels from the original game featuring new enemies!
• Over 20 Deadly Enemies – Face an army of vile new creatures like Earth Elementals, Trolls, and Bile Bats. And they’ve brought all of your favorite trap-fodder from the original Orcs Must Die! along with them!
• More than 50 Traps, Weapons, and Guardians – Choose from an enormous armory of new and classic defenses, including an all new assortment of magical trinkets.
• Massive Upgrade System – With more than 225 persistent trap and weapon upgrades to unlock, you can build an arsenal perfectly suited to your slaying style.

Orcs Must Die! 2 is an action-strategy game that challenges players and their friends to team up and defend a world constantly under siege. Orcs Must Die! 2 is available exclusively as a digital download on personal computers this. For more information about Orcs Must Die! 2, please visit http://www.OrcsMustDie.com.

Battlefield 3 Premium Edition announced at Gamescom

Aug 14, 2012

The battle continues as DICE, an Electronic Arts Inc. studio, today announced the ultimate Battlefield 3 game pack: Battlefield 3 Premium Edition coming on September 11th for $69.99. This all-encompassing offer combines the original Battlefield 3 game, all Battlefield 3 Premium content including five themed digital expansion packs, and a Battlefield 3 Multiplayer Head-Start Kit that is custom-designed to help jump start players who are new to multiplayer by automatically unlocking 15 different weapons, gadgets and vehicle upgrades. Battlefield 3 Premium Edition delivers more than 25 maps, over 70 weapons and vehicles and dozens of unlocks and upgrades, making it the perfect entry point into one of the top shooter games of this generation.

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Dead Space 3 releases February 8th, 2013

Aug 14, 2012

Surviving violent, subzero conditions while fighting gigantic creatures, human enemies and blood-thirsty Necromorphs won’t be as easy as it sounds! Gamers can go it alone, or fortunately for fans everywhere, they will have the chance to face these terrors with a friend when Visceral Games, an Electronic Arts Inc. studio launches Dead Space 3in Europe on February 8, 2013 (5 February 2013 in North America).

From the lonely depths of space, to a graveyard of derelict spaceships, to a frozen planet with brutal conditions, Dead Space 3takes action and terror to incredible new heights. In Dead Space 3, the fate of mankind rests in the hands of engineer Isaac Clarke and his new merciless co-op partner, John Carver. Survival is more difficult than ever before, but Visceral Games announced today that fans who pre-order the Dead Space 3 Limited Edition at participating retailers will have the advantage of using two bonus* suits and weapons, right when they start the game.

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Need For Speed: Most Wanted – Multiplayer Trailer

Aug 14, 2012

This isn’t the first time I’ve seen the Multiplayer in action, my E3 2012 Preview covers the craziness and quick-transitioning events that occur.

Witness Need For Speed like you’ve never seen it before in fast and fun 12-person multiplayer action. Jump into the open world of Fairhaven City and prove your driving skills against your friends. Drive a huge variety of cars and compete in a series of action-packed challenges. Race, Drift, Jump and Takedown your friends in a battle to become Most Wanted.

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SimCity coming to Mac, Sign-Up for the Beta and New Gameplay Trailer

Aug 14, 2012

The king of city-builders is making its triumphant return to the Mac! Electronic Arts Inc. today announced that SimCity will be coming to Mac as a digital download via Origin in February 2013. With development being led by the creative team at Maxis, the Mac version of SimCity will feature the same deep, rich gameplay that will define the PC experience as players on both platforms compete or collaborate to create a new world, together.

“Whether you owned a Macintosh or a DOS PC, we all have memories of laying down zones and reticulating splines from our youth,” said Lucy Bradshaw, Senior Vice President and General Manager of EA’s Maxis Label. “To the millions of SimCity fans out there, we’ve been listening and can proudly say that your calls have been answered.SimCity has a long legacy on the Mac and the team at Maxis is ensuring that it will be the deepest, richest and most accessible SimCity game yet.”

Attendees of gamescom 2012, taking place at Cologne Messe from August 15 – 19, can be among the first in the world to go hands-on with SimCity for PC. Future mayors will be able to experience the next generation of city-builders through a guided hands-on demo where they will also catch their first look at the SimCity World. This new feature set is the connective tissue that allows players to boast about their progress through CityLog, compete in Global Challenges, compare their accolades in Leaderboards and affect the global economy in the Global Market.

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KickBeat – New Gameplay Trailer and Screenshots from Gamescom

Aug 14, 2012

KickBeat is an experimental rhythm game featuring fully 3D characters and combat and high-energy music. The game is being demoed in the Zen Studios meeting room this week at GamesCom.

A new KickBeat gameplay video is available. This video demonstrates how KickBeat is played using the D-pad controls, and highlights how fully 3D models have replaced arrows and colored buttons as gameplay cues:

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KickBeat features a hard-hitting soundtrack comprised of 18 licensed tracks, and today we are happy to reveal a partial track list:

• Pendulum – Self vs. Self
• Marilyn Manson – The Beautiful People
• Rob Zombie – Scum of the Earth
• Voicians – The Construct
• Shen Yi – War Dance
• Celldweller – I Can’t Wait
• Styles of Beyond – Nine Thou
• Southpaw Swagger – It’s Showtime
• Blue Stahli – Ultranumb

Additionally, KickBeat features a music analyzer tool that allows players to generate new KickBeat tracks with their existing music library!

KickBeat is expected to release Fall 2012, exclusively for PlayStation®Vita.

Catwoman revealed for Injustice: Gods Among Us

Aug 14, 2012

Today Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment revealed that Catwoman, DC Comics’ feline fatale, will be featured in the upcoming superhero fighter, Injustice: Gods Among Us. The new gameplay vignette featuring Catwoman is here:

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Sanctum now available on Mac

Aug 14, 2012

Coffee Stain Studios has announced that its hit PC FPS/tower-defense game, Sanctum, is now available on Mac. Mac gamers can download the intense hybrid shooter exclusively through Valve’s Steam Store currently for $8.99 (http://store.steampowered.com/app/91600/), 10 percent off of the regular price.

“We’re tremendously proud of how Sanctum has performed on the PC,” said Anton Westbergh, CEO of Coffee Stain Studios. “Creating a Mac version is something we’ve wanted to do for a long time, and we couldn’t be happier to now be able to bring our unique blend of hybrid gameplay to a brand new audience.”

In celebration of the Mac launch, Coffee Stain Studios has restructured Sanctum’s downloadable content, including three tower DLCs (Violator, Penetrator, and Killing Floor) completely free of charge, and grouping others together in the affordably bundled “Sanctum Map Pack 1”.

Sanctum is a fresh take on the tower defense genre and places the player right into the frenetic fray with tight first-person shooter gameplay mechanics. Gamers take the role as Skye, an elite soldier sent out to protect her home town, Elysion One, from hordes of mysterious alien creatures. To successfully defend land, players must construct and upgrade a labyrinth of defensive structures and towers. When the havoc starts and the wave of baddies is unleashed, gamers jump right into the action with fully-upgradeable weapons to play a key role in the defense. Sanctum has taken the best features from FPSs and tower defense games to create something totally unique.

For more information about Sanctum, please visit http://store.steampowered.com/app/91600/. For more information about Coffee Stain Studios, please visit www.coffeestainstudios.com.

PlayStation Plus Subscribers get Two Weeks of Exclusive Closed Beta Access to DUST 514

Aug 13, 2012

CCP Games is proud to announce a special closed beta event for Sony PlayStation Plus subscribers for its upcoming free-to-play massively multiplayer first-person shooter, DUST 514, exclusively on the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system. From August 21 to September 4, Sony PlayStation Plus subscribers will receive “exclusive” access to the DUST 514 closed beta. As always, Mercenary Pack purchases, and those who already have All-Access Passes can still access the closed beta, but new codes will not be distributed any other way during this time.

August 21 marks an important milestone in the DUST 514 beta as it ushers in the “Precursor” release. This update includes the first live DUST/EVE Online integration, Orbital Strike framework, instant battle matchmaking, new environments, keyboard and mouse support, and tons of other enhancements.

As a bonus, PlayStation Plus subscribers will receive a 50% discount on the Mercenary Pack for DUST 514 during the beta event. The Mercenary Pack gives players unlimited beta access, as well as in-game currency, skill boosts, and exclusive gear. Those interested can learn more about the Mercenary Pack by visiting www.dust514.com/mercpack/ 

One of the most anticipated titles of the year, DUST 514 brings intense infantry combat, large-scale warfare and deep character advancement to the PlayStation 3 in an exclusive free-to-play massively multiplayer shooter. Set in, and integrated with, the massive universe of EVE Online™, players wage war in the next generation of first-person shooters, where a single victory could prove the crushing blow to a galactic empire of thousands of online gamers.

DUST 514 is currently in closed beta and is set to enter Open Beta in 2012, exclusively on PlayStation 3. For more information, visit www.dust514.com and follow the game on Facebook and Twitter (@dust514).

Hotline Miami coming to Steam and playable at Gamescom

Aug 13, 2012

Today it was revealed that Hotline Miami is coming to Steam, Get Games, and other fine digital distribution platforms in 2012 – AND – plans for console versions are underway as well.

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Paradox announces Europa Universalis IV at Gamescom

Aug 13, 2012