News
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Bethesda parent company says upstart Swedish studio from founders of Starbreeze is working on AAA game using id Tech 5.
Last week, Swedish business records revealed that ZeniMax Media had acquired Uppsala-based MachineGames, a fledgling development house started by the founders of Chronicles of Riddick maker Starbreeze Studios. While all parties kept quiet about the acquisition at the time, ZeniMax today officially confirmed its latest pickup. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
For its first project, MachineGames will be working on a new “AAA” title using id Tech 5, the game engine behind id Software’s upcoming Rage. It will also serve as the technology behind the long-awaited Doom 4.
MachineGames is the latest in a string of notable acquisitions for ZeniMax. This year has already seen the company acquire Arkane Studios and Shinji Mikami’s Tango GameWorks to fill out a roster of studios also including Fallout 3 and Elder Scrolls maker Bethesda Game Studios, as well as Doom and Quake developer id Software. The company also has an online division currently working on an unnamed massively multiplayer project and recently received $150 million in funding from a private equity company.
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“ZeniMax confirms MachineGames pickup” was posted by Brendan Sinclair on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 14:10:02 -0800 -
Talks up potential Christmas boost.
Nintendo of America boss Reggie Fils-Aime has revealed how many consoles the platform holder has shifted in the US to date compared to rivals Sony and Microsoft.
As reported by Gamasutra, citing NPD data, Fils-Aime told the BMO Capital Markets Annual Digital Entertainment Conference in New York that the Wii has sold 30.4 million units in the US and 43.1 million DSes.
In comparison, Microsoft has sold 21.9 million Xbox 360s, while Sony has moved 13.5 million PlayStation 3s and 17.7 million PSPs.
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Latest trailer reveals window for film noir-inspired crime game’s debut on the Xbox 360 and PS3; new trailer inside.
L.A. Noire has been quite a while in the making. First teased at the 2005 Electronic Entertainment Expo as a PlayStation 3 exclusive, the game was picked up by Rockstar Games a year later. After being announced for the Xbox 360 as well, the game largely disappeared from headlines until August of this year, when Rockstar parent Take-Two Interactive revealed it would miss its projected 2010 release date.
Today, Rockstar released a new trailer for the game (below), which contained a nugget of information at its end. Namely, the open-world game would launch in spring 2011, generally accepted as being the second quarter of the year.
Other than the date, the new trailer shed little light on the film noir-inspired game, which is the debut effort from Australia-based Team Bondi. The snippet did give a taste of the game’s main storyline, which follows a detective entangled in a violent web of vice, corruption, and crime in 1940’s Los Angeles. Players jump into the seedy underworld of the metropolis and are tasked with solving a series of murders in what Rockstar describes as an “open-ended challenge.”
For more on L.A. Noire, check out GameSpot’s previous coverage.
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“L.A. Noire due spring 2011” was posted by Tor Thorsen on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 12:58:37 -0800 -
Hi5 president Alex St. John rails against Facebook’s apparent hegemony over social gaming.
“I love ragging on Facebook, but they’re going to kick my butt as a utility for keeping up with your kids and grandparents. They will always have a gaming business, but they will never be great at it,” he said during a panel discussion about alternative social networks to Facebook at the Social Gaming Summit in London today.
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Knotty iPhone puzzler out this month.
Acclaimed iOS puzzler Zen Bound 2 is making the jump to the PC this month, with a 16th November Steam release date lined up.
Developer Secret Exit doesn’t appear to be adding any additional content over and above the iOS version, but the PC version will feature enhanced visuals.
The Mac version will support multi-touch controls for those with trackpads.
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Microsoft Store Update: Role-playing game from Focus Home Interactive hits download space next to The UnderGarden and Guwange.
Get the full article at GameSpot
“Faery: Legends of Avalon flutters onto XBLA” was posted by Eddie Makuch on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 12:03:58 -0800 -
Sega to release Creative Assembly’s latest Sengoku-era action strategy title on PC early next year.
Sega cashed in on the 2010 Electronic Entertainment Expo hype to announce the latest installment in Creative Assembly’s long-running Total War franchise, Shogun 2, for the PC. A return to its roots, Shogun 2 will revisit the era that launched the franchise in 2000, and Sega announced today just when gamers can begin brandishing their bushido blades: March 15, 2011.
For Shogun 2, Creative Assembly will be returning to 16th-century Japan, during the tumultuous Sengoku period. Players assume the role of a Daimyo, or clan leader, who must engage with fellow warlords, be it through conflict or diplomacy, to reunite the sundered island nation.
As for changes under the hood, Creative Assembly noted that it has made substantial refinements to the game’s artificial intelligence, “developed according to Sun Tzu’s principles in the Art of War.” Those who prefer matching their battle acumen against living, breathing opponents will also have a number of new multiplayer modes, which support up to eight in competitive and cooperative engagements.
The studio has also introduced a new character progression system with Shogun 2, allowing gamers to assume leadership of one of nine clans and level up their own warlords and emissaries through battle. Other features played up by the studio include deformable terrain based on weather conditions, as well as coastal battles in naval combat.
For more information, check out GameSpot’s previous coverage of Shogun 2: Total War.
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“Shogun 2: Total War marching out March 15” was posted by Tom Magrino on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 11:07:17 -0800 -
Chairman Strauss Zelnick advises developers to address trade-in problems with great DLC and high-quality titles, not punishments for buying second hand.
Used-game sales have been a big issue for all publishers, especially as more retailers jump on the second-hand bandwagon. Once the domain of specialty retailers, such as GameStop, in 2010 firms including Toys ‘R’ Us, Target, and Best Buy have all added used-game offerings in an attempt to boost their own bottom lines.
As a result, publishers have become increasingly strident in their attempts to stem the second-hand sale of their titles. EA and THQ have started including one-time use codes to unlock online multiplayer modes in new copies of games, with Ubisoft promising to follow suit.
Talking in New York this morning, Take-Two’s chairman and soon-to-be-CEO Strauss Zelnick said he did not think this was the right approach. Saying that given the law clearly established that used-game sales were acceptable–thanks to the first-sale doctrine–he said the focus should be on making quality games that players want to keep. “It’s irrelevant to be critical of the used-game marketplace,” Zellnick said.
Attempting to dissuade players from selling their games through punitive measures wasn’t the right approach, he said. “You don’t want to use a stick punishing users for buying used; you want to give them a reason to buy new,” he said. “You want to create something that’s of benefit to consumers.”
It is the first six weeks that are particularly important for used sales, said Zelnick. He believes the way to combat such sales in this period is all about making quality games and informing gamers that there is more quality content in the pipeline–be it free or paid for. “By letting consumers know there’s more stuff to come, it stands to reason they’d hang on to their titles,” Zelnick said.
He also indicated that a Western massively multiplayer online game was not part of Take-Two’s plans in the near future. Managing servers and call centers was something the company “knew nothing about.” The idea of making a $100 million investment to launch something into the US marketplace was too risky and “isn’t consistent with our approach to business,” he said.
“How many MMOs have worked in US market? WOW and Everquest. How many have been launched?” he asked. “We didn’t like those odds.”
However, the door is not shut forever. The company recently launched NBA 2K Online in China in partnership with local social media company Tencent, with an official license from the NBA and an “exceedingly modest investment.” If the project works, Zelnick said, Take-Two would look at expanding the game into Korea. If that venture is successful, the company would consider moving it into the US, having built up expertise in managing a persistent online world and keeping a large customer base happy.
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“Take-Two: Quality key to combating used sales” was posted by Alex Sassoon Coby on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 10:09:41 -0800 -
Plus, Halo: Reach, Crackdown 2 DLC dated.
Alien Breed 3: Descent launches on Xbox Live Arcade on 17th November, Microsoft has confirmed.
The final part of Team 17’s retro-inspired bug shooter trilogy will set you back 800 Points.
This follows Alien Breed: Evolution and Alien Breed 2: Assault, both of which scored 7/10 when released earlier this year.
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Plus, EA responds to buy-out rumours.
Viacom’s decision to sell Harmonix will have no knock-on effect on support for Rock Band 3 and Dance Central, the games’ developer has insisted.
Harmonix spokesman John Drake posted on the official Rock Band forums, “This morning’s announcement does not affect the ongoing work at the studio as we continue to support our existing franchises, Rock Band and Dance Central.
“As stated earlier, Viacom is in discussions with several potential buyers and will continue to fully support the business until a sale is completed.”