CC2010 - Gaming News: Konami offers hands-on with upcoming Fall & Winter 2010 releases

 

Konami sequestered the media in a hotel suite Friday during 2010’s San Diego Comic-Con to offer some hands-on time with an array of their upcoming fall and winter releases. Here are some facts, impressions and observations of the games shown.

 

SAW II (Fall, 2010)

Common wisdom these days holds that high scores (mid-70s and above) on game review aggregation sites like Metacritic or Gamerankings are required to greenlight sequels. Not so for the Saw franchise, it seems. Aggregate review scores for the original Saw, released in October 2009, hover around 60. Saw II, scheduled for release one year to the month after the first, is the second such game from developer Zombie Studios in what Konami sees as an enduring franchise and spiritual successor to their perennial survival horror juggernaut Silent Hill.

The Saw II demonstration begins the story in medias res, with protagonist Michael Tapp already a prisoner of The Jigsaw Killer. The game wastes no time getting to the gore by making your first act putting a scalpel to your own eyelid. You control the scalpel with a series of button presses and analog stick manipulations until you’ve carved a long slice along the underside of your eyelid, blood streaming out with every motion. Much of the game controls this way.

The player interacts with objects and the environment using a variety of simple button-and-stick combinations on the controller. Quick-Time-Events (QTEs) also crop up now and again, just to keep you from completely zoning out while playing. Other environmental obstacles are defeated using puzzles and mini-games that were, for the most part, not very difficult. The most bizarre was the game’s take on the customary lock-picking mini-game, which had the player flying POV through a series of apertures without colliding with any of the rotating plates. One intriguing aspect of the game is the lack of a traditional HUD, which buttresses the eerie atmosphere by doing away with any artifacts that might remind you you’re playing a game. Only the occasional intrusions from Objective markers, hints and inventory messages break the spell.

The game is an obvious love letter to fans of the Saw series. Script approval by the franchise overlords at Lionsgate assures fans that the story in Saw II will at least be canon. However, one can’t help but wonder if the simplistic gameplay and moderate gore level will be enough to slake the thirst of devotees yearning for a fix of whatever Saw supplies them. We will have to wait until October 2010 to find out.

 

RUSH’N ATTACK: EX-PATRIOT (Fall, 2010)

I hate to say it, but I’m old enough to remember the original arcade version of Rush’n Attack, Konami’s side-scrolling action platformer from 1985. This fall, Konami is bringing back the Cold War with Rush’n Attack: Ex-Patriot, a downloadable title for XBLA and PSN that looks to tap into a market revitalized by the success of Epic’s Shadow Complex.

Like the previous arcade iteration — which was re-released on XBLA in 2007 — Ex-Patriot stars a commando who has snuck into Russia to liberate POWs, relying largely on a knife for dispatching enemies. The side-scrolling gameplay is reminiscent of Twisted Pixel’s’Splosion Man in some ways, with its combination of lateral combat and vertical platforming. The game varies the combat nicely by providing mechanisms for both stealth kills and wild frontal assault combos that are unlocked as you go, many that end with satisfying finishing moves. The controls are responsive, which is just as well since survival often relies on finely timed maneuvers to avoid triggering alarms or alerting guards and spoiling the substantial point bonus opportunities gained from stealthy kills.

The single player-only game has three large, multi-stage levels that associate producer James Wong estimates should take most players an average of six to eight hours to finish. The levels themselves are elaborate, with power-ups like night vision goggles and body armor scattered in out-of-the-way places, which encourages exploration. The presentation has a graphic novel aesthetic; cut scenes are presented with static comic panels and dialogue balloons. Achievements for the game will reward the stealthy approach as well as speed runs, though Wong admits they are weighted more toward stealth play.

Rush’n Attack: Ex-Patriot’s gameplay will invite inevitable comparisons to Shadow Complex, but Wong is quick to point out that development on Ex-Patriot began before Shadow Complex was released. “This is not an imitator,” he says. But he does admit that the success of Shadow Complex offers encouraging insight into the viability of his game’s particular market niche. Only the game’s fall release will tell if the gaming world is ready to fight the Cold War once again.

 

HARD CORPS: UPRISING (Winter, 2010)

These days it seems everybody is getting into the downloadable games business; and cousin, business is a boomin’. XBOX Live Arcade, Playstation Network, Virtual Console, Steam, Apple’s App Store; business on these established delivery platforms is growing all the time while new platforms debut at regular intervals. Konami is looking to cash in with the Contra-in-all-but-name Hard Corps: Uprising, a side-scrolling shooter from Arc System Works of Guilty Gear and BlazBlue fame.

Anyone with any familiarity of Contra will know what to expect from Hard Corps: Uprising. The game begins with a lavishly illustrated anime sequence from Studio 4°C, the animation studio behind the feature film Spriggan and shorts included in both the Animatrix and Halo: Legends collections. The sequence provides backstory and motivations for the two playable characters. Once done, the game beings and involves fighting from left to right through wave upon wave of alien baddies, jumping or going prone, dodging incoming fire and avoid environmental hazards along the way. Some enemies drop power-ups when they’re killed that alters the nature of your attack, such as multiple rockets or area-of-effect mortars. The game, itself, is pretty to look at; a vibrant color palette reinforces its anime influences.

The side-scrolling genre has a notorious reputation for difficult gameplay that extends from the days when a high difficulty was meant to motivate a larger investment of quarters in coin slots. With that consideration no longer relevant, ball-busting difficulty is now more a matter of nostalgia than anything else. To that end, Arc System Works has attempted to provide an entry point for novice players in the form of the “Rising” mode that allows players to “train” their character and purchase power-ups to help blunt the fierce nature of the gameplay.

As a genre, the side-scroller is experiencing something of a renaissance and if Hard Corps: Uprising is any indication, the future looks bright and colorful. Players can expect to beat the arcade mode of the game in about ten hours, but “Rising” mode will greatly lengthen the experience if folks take time to level up their character. Konami is looking to breathe new life into the side-scrolling shooter genre this Winter 2010 on XBLA and PSN.

 

GLEE: KARAOKE REVOLUTION (Winter, 2010)

I confess I know almost nothing about Glee the TV show, but what I do know makes news of a karaoke game based on it a no-brainer. Glee: Karaoke Revolution is built on the painfully familiar paradigm of any rhythm game while feeding players a steady diet of footage from the TV show.

Associate producer Niais Taylor demonstrated what he called “straight-up fan service” by allowing two journalists to sing a duet in the game’s two-player co-op mode. While notes and lyrics streamed along the bottom of the screen, the rest was filled with video from the show as its stars performed the same song. Taylor said the show’s editors worked extensively with the game’s developers to deliver a thoroughly authentic Glee experience and added that, as an extra bonus for fans, some of the clips included were unused footage from the show. All the video is rendered in high-definition 1080p.

Glee: Karaoke Revolution will be available this Winter 2010.

 

CASTLEVANIA: LORDS OF SHADOW (Fall, 2010)

Castlevania games have been around almost as long as there have been consoles to play them on. Since the original was released on the NES in 1987, the series has transformed from a modest side-scrolling platformer into Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, a triple-A action title with gorgeous 3D graphics and deep combat system to help tell the latest chapter in the saga of the vampire-hunting Belmont family.

Actor Robert Carlyle (Full Monty) stars as Gabriel Belmont, the newest member of the Belmont clan to get in on the vampire slaying act. The game begins with a compelling and artfully rendered opening cinematic that lays the groundwork for the narrative, showing Belmont traveling through the mountains to a village beset by savage wolf-like creatures. Gameplay begins here, with an exciting and well-constructed tutorial introducing the basics of combat. The graphics are stunningly beautiful, though you should know that this is a dark game best played with either the gamma turned up or the lights turned down. The controls are responsive, especially when fighting and there seems to be a wealth of combos to unlock and weapons to add to the arsenal.

Konami is obviously swinging for the fences with Lords of Shadow, sparing no expense with Carlyle and fellow thespians Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter), Natasha McElhone (Californication), and Patrick Stewart (like I have to tell you who he is). Presentation-wise, Konami’s lastest Castlevania is a complete package. This Fall 2010, we’ll find out whether they hit it over the fence or merely flied out when the game is released for XBOX 360 and PS3.

 

CASTLEVANIA: HARMONY OF DESPAIR (August 4, 2010)

Konami is also adding another Castlevania game to the XBLA line-up this August with the release of Castlevania: Harmony of Despair. The developer is promising massive 2D, side-scrolling levels and six-player online co-op for 1200 Microsoft points. The game will be available for download on August 4th, 2010.

 

PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2011 (Fall, 2010)

In the world of console soccer two companies, EA and Konami, duke it out year after year to offer fans the preeminent soccer experience. Wealthy EA, as is their wont, has spent its way past Konami by purchasing exclusive licensing agreements with some of the world’s most popular soccer leagues in North America and Europe. Konami’s answer this fall will be Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 (Winning Eleven in Japan).

Because FIFA can’t be all things to all people, Konami has specifically targeted its vulnerabilities. They cite design philosophies as the fundamental difference between the two games. Konami sees EA’s offering as “arcadey,” aimed at the casual crowd, while positioning PES as more of a soccer sim, with deeper controls and customization for the more detail-oriented hardcore soccer fan. Preset formations can be tweaked on the fly. Do you think your wingers are playing too far forward? Want them to stay closer to midfield? You can enter the formation editor, click on individual players and positions, and drag their icon anywhere within their area-of-responsibility on the pitch to adjust their default positioning. This level of detail may go over the ahead of the average soccer agnostic, who only gets revved up for the game during the World Cup, but for the football devotee, this kind of control will feel empowering.

On the pitch, the controls feel solid and familiar and were no doubt designed to make FIFA veterans feel comfortable. Passing felt natural and the ability to freely control through passes rather than rely on the software to interpret your intentions is a welcome relief. Triggering runs and run-on passes now look and execute like they should. Animations, on the other hand, feel a little stiff and transitions between them don’t blend together as smoothly as its competitor. The presentation has been upgraded to feel more like a match broadcast, with stadium views, crowd shots, national anthems, and the like. Stat tracking has also been upgraded to give the math geeks a little love. A stadium editor has been included to allow for custom arenas and Konami has done it’s best to secure what licenses it can; COPA, Libertadores, UEFA Champion and UEFA Europa are among the leagues and tournaments licensed and included. Messi fans rejoice!

Even though PES plays like sim, Konami is mindful of new or less sophisticated players. Careful attention seems to have been paid to ensure that the complexities of the game are presented instructively. Numerous tutorials and practice modes are said to be included, and simple touches like animated formation diagrams help teach novices about the dynamics of the 4-4-2 versus the 3-4-3 and so on. It remains to be seen, however, whether this will be the kind of soccer game a newbie can cut his teeth on when _Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 _ debuts this Fall 2010 on the XBOX 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Nintendo Wii and PC.

 

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CC2010- Game News: Bungie emphasizes full customization at Halo: Reach panel

Halo: Reach developer Bungie made some news and showed off some new features of the upcoming game at a San Diego Comic-Con panel Thursday evening. Among the new features demonstrated was a greatly expanded version of Forge, Halo 3’s sandbox map editor, called Forgeworld.

Forgeworld is a massive environment stocked with a dizzying array of editing tools wherein players can customize their Halo playing environment to their heart’s content. Customization is something of a watchword for the new game. Multiplayer designer Lars Bakken told the crowd that the design philosophy for the game centered around players being able to make the game whatever they wanted it to be. To that end, Bungie simply constructed a huge world teeming with different variations of topography, provided a complete set of map editing tools and is content to sit back, get out of the way, and let the dedicated Halo community do their thing. And the customization philosophy doesn’t end with the environment.

From avatar creation to match-making, Halo: Reach is seemingly sparing no expense in allowing players to make the game experience exactly what they want it be. Every facet of the game appears customizable, from avatar skins to match mutators and more. Want to play for five minutes? Done. Want all the enemies to be Hunters? Can do. Want to play as the Covenant? What’s that, you say? Yeah, you can do that, too. To great fanfare, Bakken announced to the crowd that the Covenant would be playable in a new Firefight mode and proceeded to demonstrate by spawning on the map as a Covenant Elite surrounded by a squad of other Elites, complete with Covenant weapons and unique abilities.

Bakken also stated that while Forgeworld maps would only be available in competitive match modes, the game would make custom content easier to distribute, thus helping the best content “rise to the top” and propagate throughout the Halo community by avoiding the pitfalls of incompatibility. Though this is sad news for Firefight aficionados, it was confirmed that all the Firefight maps will be taken from the single player campaign and maintain the co-op emphasis established in Halo: ODST.

Halo: Reach is Bungie’s swan song for the storied Halo franchise that tells the story of Noble Team, a squad of Spartan soldiers fighting to defend the human colony of Reach from an assault by the alien Covenant hordes in events that take place before the events in the first Halo game released in 2001. To commemorate the game’s release, Bakken also announced a special Limited Edition version of the new XBOX 360 slim console, with a Halo: Reach aesthetic and two matching wireless controllers, as well as special editions of the game. A Limited Edition will contain a printed version of Dr. Halsey’s Journal, pages of which are items found in the game, and a Legendary Edition that will contain a statue of Noble Team designed by Todd McFarlane. Both editions will also come with unique in-game items. The game will also ship with a number of maps made by Bungie designers using nothing more than the tools and techniques available using Forgeworld. Expect to fight for Reach on September 14, 2010.

Keep coming back to ComicsOnline for all of your San Diego Comic-con 2010 updates!

CC2010: DC Universe Online Trailer (MUST WATCH!)

Thanks to Gametrailers.com for the video! Stay tuned to ComicsOnline for more news from Comic-Con 2010!

CC2010: Twisted Metal is back!

Today the Twisted Metal panel offered a glimpse of what when the series gets a reboot next year. For starters, David Jaffe, the founder of developer Eat Sleep Play revealed to the crowd that they would be using live actors for the cut scenes and story-telling elements within the game.  This time, they are primarily focusing on three main characters for the campaign - Sweet Tooth, Dollface, and Mr. Grimm - with three separate endings for each character.  The Preacher would also be involved in the story, but may not be a playable character at the start of the game.   

The footage of the live action portions here is extremely rough and taken with a small digital camera.



After revealing the initial footage, Jaffe showed off a portion of the Rooftops level along with a long winding desert highway level that may or may not make it into the final game.  The Rooftops level took place at night and had a large central area with a tall spire smack dab in the middle.  From there, multiple ramps led to various buildings with plenty of destroyable objects and hidden areas to find.  The Highway level feels similar to something pulled out of Mad Max and despite its length, actually impressed me more than the Rooftops level. 

The footage of the demo here is extremely rough and taken with a small digital camera. 



Jaffe revealed that there would be two player split-screen online support along with four player local split-screen.  To the crowd's pleasure as well as mine, there will NOT be 3D support or Move compatibility.

Keep it here at ComicsOnline.com for more impressions and previews along with Everything Geek Pop Culture.

Console Gaming News: "Rock Band Live" Tour kicks off this summer!

RELEASE YOUR INNER ROCK STAR THIS SUMMER!

CEDAR FAIR TEAMS UP WITH MTV GAMES FOR “ROCK BAND™, LIVE”

Cedar Fair Entertainment Company (NYSE:  FUN), a publicly traded leader in regional amusement parks, water parks, vacation resorts and entertainment, has announced a summer-long, multi-dimensional partnership with MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks  (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B) and the leading publisher of interactive music gaming worldwide.

An all-new interactive experience, called “Rock Band™, Live,” will pile into the tour bus and travel across nine Cedar Fair parks this summer. In addition, a summer-long version of the show will blast the speakers at Canada’s Wonderland near Toronto and the Company’s flagship park, Cedar Point in Sandusky.

The high-energy, concert-like stage show features talented singers from across North America. But the cast will be missing one key piece of the show – YOU!

Prior to each show, guests will have the unique opportunity to engage and play the Rock Band™ video game and compete against their “band mates.” Guests will compete playing the guitar, bass and drums gaming accessories.  The rockers with the top score will be invited on stage during the live show to play Rock Band songs (on Rock Band instruments) along with the live singers. (The winners will play on a gaming accessory with the singers.)

The show will feature numerous songs straight from the Rock Band video games ranging from classic to contemporary rock.

“We’re extremely excited to merge the popular Rock Band video game with a unique, interactive live show for our guests this summer,” said Jack Falfas, chief operating officer for Cedar Fair. “Rock Band is a pop culture phenomenon and we know families have enjoyed playing the game together at home. But now it’s time for them to take it to the next level – on stage at one of our parks in front of a live audience.”

Christina Glorioso, vice president of marketing partnerships for MTV Games added, “We are very excited for Rock Band to contribute to the fun at Cedar Fair parks this summer.  Music fans of all ages will have an opportunity to either rock out themselves or sit back and enjoy watching other park-goers transform into rock stars on stage!”

The “Rock Band™, Live” tour will kick off Memorial Day weekend at Dorney Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania and will travel to the Company’s other parks throughout the summer. The summer-long shows at Canada’s Wonderland and Cedar Point will kick off in May and June, respectively.
“Rock Band™, Live” is a collaboration between Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, MTV Games and RWS & Associates, a full service entertainment firm that provides custom-produced world-class events and live shows worldwide.

RWS will hold private auditions for the touring show on Thursday, March 4 at Ripley Grier Studios, 520 8th Ave (16th Floor) between 36th and 37th Streets (Press Room: 17B) in New York City. Auditions are open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Media representatives are invited to attend to learn more about the show, view story boards and concepts and speak with show representatives. For more information, or to inquire about an interview opportunity, please call 212.391.1795, ext. 26.

A workshop preview of the show will be held in April for invited guests and media representatives. Details on this event will be released at a later date.

For more information, check out the official website.


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Console Gaming News: 47 Song Tracklist Available for Green Day: Rock Band

Welcome to Paradise: Green Day, MTV Games, Harmonix Music Systems and Reprise / Warner Bros. Records Reveal 47 Song Tracklist for Green Day: Rock Band™
 

Setlist to Feature Songs from the Iconic Punk Band's Career Including Three Standout Albums: Dookie, American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown

Multi-platinum selling and Grammy® Award-winning group Green Day, along with Harmonix, the leading developer of music-based games, MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), and Reprise / Warner Bros. Records today announced the entire list of 47 on-disc tracks that will be featured in the standalone music video game Green Day: Rock Band™. As previously announced, the game will launch worldwide on June 8, 2010 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Sony PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and the Wii™ system from Nintendo.

“Seeing ourselves through the lens of this videogame has been mind blowing,” said Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong.  “From the soundtrack setlist and venues to the unlockable video footage and photos, Green Day: Rock Band undeniably manages to capture the best moments and work of our insane careers. We can’t wait for our fans to experience it.”

The Green Day: Rock Band track list includes a collection of greatest hits and fan favorites, including two of the band’s most iconic albums: Dookie[1] and American Idiot. A third album, 21st Century Breakdown, can also be played in its entirety when paired with the six tracks from that album already available as downloadable content in the Rock Band Music Store for Rock Band™ and Rock Band 2™.

The 47 on-disc tracks are featured via three separate venues, each representing a different iconic period in the band’s remarkable career including:

The Warehouse: A fictional venue that captures the feel of early Green Day shows and performances.

· Dookie (1994)
“Burnout”
“She”
“Having a Blast”
“Sassafrass Roots”
“Chump”
“When I Come Around”
“Longview”
“Coming Clean”
“Welcome to Paradise”
“Emenius Sleepus”
“Pulling Teeth”
“In the End”
“Basket Case”
“F.O.D.”

Milton Keynes: The UK concert made famous by Green Day’s 2005 movie for “Bullet in a Bible”.

· American Idiot (2004)
“American Idiot”
“She’s a Rebel”
“Jesus of Suburbia”
“Extraordinary Girl”
“Holiday”
“Letterbomb”
“Boulevard of Broken Dreams”
“Wake Me Up When September Ends”
“Are We the Waiting?
“Homecoming”
“St. Jimmy”
“Whatsername”
“Give Me Novacaine”
 
·Warning (2000)
o    “Minority”
o    “Warning”
 
·Nimrod (1997)
o    “Hitchin’ a Ride”
o    “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)”
o    “Nice Guys Finish Last”
 
·Insomniac (1995)
o    “Brain Stew” / “Jaded”
o    “Geek Stink Breath”

The Fox Theater, Oakland: The place where Green Day performed an intimate show for the band’s most recent album.

· 21st Century Breakdown (2009)
“Song of the Century”
“¿Viva La Gloria? (Little Girl)”
“21st Century Breakdown”
“Restless Heart Syndrome”
“Before the Lobotomy”
“Horseshoes and Handgrenades”
“Last Night on Earth”
“The Static Age”
“Peacemaker”
“American Eulogy”
“Murder City”
“See the Light”
 
 
Downloadable Content
The following tracks are already available in the Rock Band Music Library of downloadable content giving players the chance to complete the full 21st Century Breakdown album, view unique performances and venue visuals, and unlock exclusive collectible content!
 
“21 Guns”
“Last of the American Girls”
“Know Your Enemy”
“¡Viva La Gloria!”
“East Jesus Nowhere”
“Christian’s Inferno”

Featuring the likenesses of Green Day members Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool, Green Day: Rock Band covers everything from the band’s earliest punk hits to the epic scope of their latest albums, giving players the unique chance to experience the music of this pioneering band in a whole new environment featuring select venues and art specific to the band’s history. Green Day: Rock Band lets players perform vocals, guitar, bass and drums, as well as featuring the three-part vocal harmonies Harmonix first introduced with The Beatles: Rock Band, not only with the on-disc setlist but also when importing Green Day DLC tracks from the Rock Band Music Library of downloadable content. As they progress through the game, players gain access into the band’s media vault, where they can unlock collectible images, and rare and unreleased video footage of the band.

Green Day: Rock Band will ship simultaneously worldwide June 8 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and other territories. The full track list will be fully exportable, giving players the opportunity to play the songs in Rock Band and Rock Band 2 on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, as well as Rock Band 3™, coming this holiday.  In addition, the six Green Day tracks already available in the Rock Band Music Store as downloadable content can be played in Green Day: Rock Band with added vocal harmonies, unique performance visuals, and exclusive archival material. The game is compatible with all Rock Band instrument controllers, as well as most Guitar Hero® and other third-party music video game peripherals and microphones.

Green Day: Rock Band pricing is as follows:
Green Day: Rock Band standalone game for Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 system - US MSRP $59.99

Green Day: Rock Band standalone game for Wii system - US MSRP $49.99

Green Day: Rock Band Plus for Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 system (US/Canada only) - US MSRP $69.99.  Includes special packaging, free export ($10 value) and six Green Day DLC tracks (overall $22 total value)


Green Day: Rock Band is rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB.

For more information on Green Day: Rock Band or to gain access to new screenshots, video trailer, pack fronts and other art please visit the official website.

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Console Gaming News: Activision announces first details of Spider-man Shattered Dimensions

ACTIVISION ANNOUNCES FIRST DETAILS OF
SPIDER-MAN™: SHATTERED DIMENSIONS

First Trailer Revealed!!!

Activision Publishing, Inc.  (Nasdaq: ATVI) and Marvel Entertainment (NYSE: MVL) have released the first details of Spider-Man™: Shattered Dimensions, the newest entry of non-stop heroic action to star the iconic wall-crawler.  The video game is scheduled for release in September 2010 and will allow players to travel through four different worlds as distinctly different versions of Spider-Man from four universes across Marvel lore, two of which are announced today: The Amazing Spider-Man and Spider-Man Noir.

 
As Spider-Man, players will experience a wide variety of gameplay and dramatic environments.  The Amazing Spider-Man experience delivers innovative web combat and visuals in a world that pays tribute to the classic era of the legendary Super Hero.  In contrast, Spider-Man Noir features a cunning and covert depiction of Spider-Man, who utilizes shadows to perform stealth takedowns in a 1930's-influenced, black-and-white cinematic environment.


 
“Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions delivers an original storyline that bridges four unique worlds,” said Rob Kostich, Head of Marketing, Activision Publishing, Inc.    “Each action-packed universe will have its own detailed art design and thrilling missions, challenging gamers to use new skill sets to defeat enemies as they unlock powerful new moves and progress through the game.”


 
Penned by acclaimed Marvel comic book writer Dan Slott, the story takes players on a mission to capture the magical energy of the Tablet of Order and Chaos, which has been shattered and scattered across parallel universes. Gamers are challenged to battle fan-favorite villains such as the lethal Kraven and a custom, never-before-seen Noir version of Hammerhead, in a quest to restore the fabric of reality. 



Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensionsis developed by Beenox and not yet rated. Fans can learn more about Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions and the next worlds to be revealed by visiting www.SpiderManDimensions.com.

 

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Console Gaming News: Activision's Singularity Now Available

 

 

New First Person Sci-Fi Action Title Weaponizes Time
To Fight a World Altering Conspiracy
 

Another great surprise from Activision.  Don't let this amazing summer game slip through the cracks.  There's no need to go outdoors when you can stay in the cool air conditioning and play Singularity.

Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) announced today that its eagerly-awaited new first-person action titleSINGULARITY™ is now available across the globe.  Published by Activision and created by acclaimed developer Raven Software, who is celebrating their 20^th anniversary in videogames, SINGULARITY, throws players into the heart of a conspiracy that sends players hurtling through time.
 
“SINGULARITYseamlessly combines a heart-racing, story-driven experience with epic sci-fi combat and gameplay,” said Brian Raffel, studio director, Raven Software.  “This new title reflects our heartfelt passion to bring an all-new, fresh experience to the first person action community.  We can’t wait to take the action online!”
 
 Thrust onto the mysterious Russian island base of Katorga-12, filled with Cold War secrets that threaten time itself, players must fight their way through an ever-shifting environment, haunted by time-ravaged creatures and mysteries. Armed with an arsenal of high-powered weapons and the Time Manipulation Device, players must contend with sudden time waves that hurl them back and forth between 1955 and the present day. In addition to a story-driven narrative, SINGULARITY offers players a unique multi-player experience, where Russian Special Forces with individual powers take on a team of creatures from another time including the powerful Radion, the gravity-defying Phase Tick and the time-altering Zek.
 
SINGULARITY is developed by Raven Software and is rated M (Mature) by the ESRB due to blood and gore, intense violence and strong language. SINGULARITY is available for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system for a suggested retail price of $59.99, and Windows PC for a suggested retail price of $49.99.
 
About Raven Software
Founded in 1990 and based in Madison, Wisconsin, Raven Software boasts a state-of-the-art motion capture facility, 3D-scanning department, Foley sound recording studio, and a Hollywood-quality cinematics department. Refusing to be defined by creating games for a single genre, the studio focuses on a range of projects that push the conceptual and technological boundaries of the digital entertainment world.  Raven is known for many hit titles, including Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, the Soldier of Fortune series as well asJedi Knight II, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Wolfenstein.
 
About Activision Publishing, Inc.
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.
 
Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea, China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com. 
 

Buy Singularity on Xbox 360 or PS3 or PC at Amazon.com now

 

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Console Gaming News: Backbreaker Football Demo Downloaded 1,000,000+ Times

Backbreaker Demo Breaks One Million Downloads

Pigskin Pugilists Prove Huge Demand for a New Take on Football

The jury is in! Today football enthusiasts in search of a new way to dominate on the virtual gridiron have voted with their controllers by downloading the Backbreaker demo more than one million times. Backbreaker, the groundbreaking euphoria-powered football game from 505 Games and NaturalMotion Games, is available now for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.

This milestone comes on the heels of the release of the massive “Greathouse” update, which introduced new features, tweaks and improvements, including a brand-spankin’ new replay system, the addition of more than 110 new plays, enhanced quarterback view, and a user-catch system giving  players an even greater level of control over the on-field action.



Backbreaker, developed by NaturalMotion Games and published worldwide by 505 Games, is the world’s first truly live sports title. Utilizing the studio’s own euphoria engine, Backbreaker brings a revolutionary in-game animation system to the on-field action, meaning no two tackles will ever be alike. Backbreaker is available on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system.

Want it for yourself?  Buy it on PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 today!

Keep coming back to ComicsOnline for more console gaming news and everything geek pop culture!

Console Gaming News: Bioshock Infinite Trailer Released!

 

With Bioshock 2 having been just released Summer of 2009, Irrational and 2K games are back with a non-direct prequel/sequel to either of the first two Bioshock games. This third installment in the series takes place in 1912 in a collapsing air city, and the player controls Booker DeWitt as he tries to save a girl named Elizabeth. Although there are many more details now available, I will keep it limited for those gamers who don't want the story spoiled for them.

Bioshock Infinite has a been announced to have a release date of sometime in 2012, and will be released on the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC.

Console Gaming News: Call of Duty: Black Ops to Include Zombies!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CALL OF DUTY^®: BLACK OPSCO-OP TO INCLUDE ZOMBIES

The Call of Duty Community’s Favorite Un-Dead Make Their Return in

The Year’s Most-Anticipated Entertainment Launch

Santa Monica, CA – September 29, 2010– Taking the wraps off one of the most anticipated features and worst kept secrets, Treyarch revealed today that the community-favorite “Zombies” is coming to Call of Duty®: Black Ops which hits stores worldwide on November 9^th , by Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI).  Zombies were originally introduced in Call of Duty®: World at War and became an instant hit. Call of Duty: Black Opsfans can combat the zombie apocalypse in up tofour-player co-op gameplay.

“Zombies have been such a hit with our community that we were committed to bringing brand new zombie experiences to Call of Duty: Black Ops,” says Treyarch Studio Head, Mark Lamia. “We’ve taken extra special care to retain the essential ingredients of our Zombie game, and have also crafted a nice surprise for the fans.”

Today’s news follows the announcement that four updated co-op maps from Call of Duty: World at War will be made available as part of the Call of Duty®: Black Ops Prestige and Hardened Editions, along with the premium edition Steelbook^tm Case, custom Black Ops limited editionmedal and an exclusive Black Ops Avatar outfit.

Gamers can also experience an all new co-op game in Call of Duty: Black Ops Multiplayer with Combat Training. Up to six players can rank up in this dedicated and exclusive multiplayer mode battling against enemy AI.

Call of Duty: Black Opswill release worldwide on November 9^th.  Pre-orders for the title are available now. Call of Duty: Black Ops for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation® 3 computer entertainment system, Nintendo Wii™ and Windows® PC israted “M” (Mature – Blood, Drug Reference, Intense Violence and Language).Also scheduled for release is Call of Duty: Black Ops for the Nintendo DS™ family of hand-held systems, which is rated "T” (Teen) by the ESRB and in development by n-Space.

Additionally, fans who can’t wait for the November 9^th release of Call of Duty: Black Ops can hone their zombie combat skills on iPhone and iPod Touch starting tomorrow with the newest map release for Call of Duty: ZOMBIES, Der Riese (“Zombie Factory”), which is an adaptation of the popular downloadable content originally released for Call of Duty: World at War.  Call of Duty: ZOMBIES is developed by Ideaworks Game Studio for the iPhone and iPod touch, based on Treyarch's console version, and now all four maps from the original game are available for $4.99 from the App Store at www.itunes.com/appstore/.

For more Call of Duty information, visit www.callofduty.com/blackopsand also via Twitter @JD_2020.

Console Gaming News: DJ Hero 2 Pre-Order Bonus Gifts

DJ HERO® 2 PRE-ORDER AND GIFT WITH PURCHASE OFFERS DETAILED

 

Turntable Controller Bag by PUMA®, Turntable Controller Stand, Character Unlock Cheat, MP3s of On-Disc Mixes and Deadmau5 exclusives Among Offers

 

DJ Hero 2, the ultimate mixer of music and friends, will spin, scratch and crossfade into stores nationwide on October 19, 2010, and fans who reserve their copies early or purchase right at launch can take advantage of a variety of valuable pre-order and gift-with-purchase opportunities at major North American retailers including GameStop, Wal-Mart and Amazon.

 

·         Eager fans that pre-order a DJ Hero 2 Turntable Bundle or Party Bundle at Gamestopwill receive an exclusive turntable controller bag by PUMA®.  Stylish, durable and valued at $45 MSRP, the exclusive turntable controller bag is perfect for carrying your gear to a friend’s house for late night battles or when you’re on the road.  Visit Gamestop.comnow to take advantage of the valuable offer now.

 

·         Pre-order any version of DJ Hero 2 from Amazon.comand receive two free remixes from the game’s on-disc soundtrack in the form of MP3s. Deadmau5 and Kaskade have teamed up with Activision to give gamers MP3s of the exclusive remixes of “I Remember” and “Move for Me” – straight from the game. Click hereto pre-order from Amazon.comand get your free MP3s!

 

·         For a limited time only and while supplies last, Best Buyand Activision are giving away a premium hard-shell turntable carrying case that converts to a performance-ready DJ stand as a gift with the purchase of a DJ Hero 2 Turntable Bundle or Party Bundle.  Start the party right by transforming your living room into the ultimate DJ Hero 2 nightclub.

 

·         Gamers who pre-order or purchase any version of DJ Hero 2 at launch from Best Buywill score a code to unlock the Deadmau5 in-game playable character straight out of the box.  Experience the best soundtrack in entertainment with one of dance music’s elite exclusively at Best Buyand BestBuy.com.

 

·         At WalMart, consumers that pick up a DJ Hero 2 Party Bundle on Wii or Xbox 360 at launch will also receive a copy of DJ Hero®, while supplies last.  That’s over 170 original, exclusive mixes sure to transform any living room into an instant party filled with spinning, scratching and crossfading. 

 

·         Last, but definitely not least, from DeadMau5 and the folks at EMI, fans of award winning producer and electronic music sensation can order DJ Hero 2 with a host of exclusive DeadMau5-themed goodies, including a chance at winning a fly away trip to play DJ Hero 2 with the legend himself.  Score a t-shirt, bag, silicone wristband and Deadmau5 collectibles by ordering at: http://www.gomerch.com/deadmau5/djhero2/.

 

 

DJ Hero 2will deliver the definitive way for players to come together and party with a host of new multiplayer modes – including DJ Battles that pit DJ against DJ in mixes produced specifically for battle gameplay – and invite vocalists into the spotlight with integrated on-screen singing and rapping of lyrics and rhymes while bringing the party to life with jump-in/jump-out Party Play gameplay.  Featuring the biggest dance, pop and hip-hop hits by the hottest artists everyone knows and loves remixed by world-class DJ’s in an all-new way, the game’s soundtrack delivers 83 unique creations only available in DJ Hero 2.  Further immersing players into the music, the game offers a heightened level of creative input and allows everyone to add their own touch, directly impacting the beats they’re spinning with freestyle scratching, crossfading and sampling.  The game will also feature an all-new career-based Empire Mode where players start out as an up-and-coming DJ on the road to becoming the head of a major entertainment empire, all of which is founded solely on their success as a DJ.

 

DJ Hero 2will invite a wave of new digital disc jockeys to the turntables as the game will be available as a Party Bundle which will include a copy of the game, two turntable controllers and a microphone, offering the ultimate “party-in-a-box.”  Gamers who experienced DJ Hero, the #1 new videogame intellectual property of 2009, can pick up DJ Hero 2 as a Turntable Bundle featuring one turntable controller and a copy of the game or as standalone software.  The game is in development by FreeStyleGames for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION®3 and the Wii™ system from Nintendo.  The game is rated “T” (Teen – Mild Suggestive Themes, Lyrics) by the ESRB.  For more information about DJ Hero 2, please visit www.djhero.com, www.facebook.com/djheroand www.twitter.com/djhero.

Console Gaming News: Deus Ex: Human Revolution Trailer

Square Enix has released a new official trailer for the much anticipated sequel to Deus Ex and Deus Ex: Invisible War. For the first time, see footage of Deus Ex: Human Revolution in action and discover the perils of Lower Hengsha, a city in turmoil.

As you talk, sneak, and shoot your way through the seedy underbelly of the city, you will soon discover that some actions have irrevocable consequences. Once you dive in, there is no going back.

Check out the new trailer here.



Deus Ex: Human Revolution is also available for pre-order, set to ship February 2011.

And don't forget to keep ComicsOnline at the top of your favorites for all the latest in Geek Pop Culture!

Console Gaming News: Dungeon Defenders Releases This Fall!

REVERB PUBLISHING and TRENDY ENTERTAINMENT SET TO INVADE YOUR LIVING ROOM THIS FALL WITH
DUNGEON DEFENDERS

Fight for Team and Territory in an Epic Mash-up of Action, RPG, and Tower Defense

Reverb Publishing, an initiative of Reverb Communications, cdv Software Entertainment USA and Trendy Entertainment today announced that Dungeon Defenders will march onto the PlayStation®Network for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows-based PCs on Steam, Direct2Drive, IGN Entertainment’s digital retail game site, Impulse and GamersGate this fall.  

Click Read More to check out the trailer!



Developed by Trendy Entertainment using Epic Games’ award-winning Unreal Engine 3, Dungeon Defenders throws action-RPG and tower defense gameplay into the proverbial blender to create a seamless mix of leveling, looting and high-action territorial combat for casual and core players alike.

“We’ve worked with the Trendy team members on numerous games in the past and couldn’t be happier about launching the publishing side of our business with such a strong partner,” said Doug Kennedy, general manager of Reverb Communications.

“Dungeon Defenders turns the tower defense genre on its head and adds a degree of depth seldom seen in a digital title,” said Jeremy Stieglitz, development director of Trendy Entertainment. “There is meaty character leveling and customization, awesome loot drops and plenty of team-oriented defensive strategy to manage, but then you have this action-packed wave-based standoff that gets continually more intense. It’s as deep as it is instantly fun.”

Dungeon Defenders features a lovingly-rendered watercolor art style and allows up to 4 players, online or locally, to take one of four distinct classes into fierce battle against ever-increasing waves of baddies and bosses across 15 arenas and multiple modes.

Dungeon Defenders will be available for Xbox 360, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and Windows-based PCs on Steam, Impulse, & GamersGate this fall. Dungeon Defenders is one of the first games to take advantage of GameSpy Open, GameSpy Technology’s independent developer program, allowing Trendy access to several pieces of GameSpy technology, including server and network tools, voice chat and stat tracking services.

For more information, please visit dungeondefenders.com. Follow Dungeon Defenders on Facebook and Twitter.

Keep coming back to ComicsOnline for more gaming news and everything geek pop culture!

Console Gaming News: Grateful Dead and The Smithereens Added to Rock Band Library

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that a six pack of songs from the legendary Grateful Dead, as well as singles from The Smithereens, will be available next week in the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™.

With more than 400 artists, including Jimi Hendrix, The Who, AC/DC and Green Day, who are exclusive to Rock Band, as well as more than 1,100 songs available through the Rock Band platform and 65 million songs sold through its download store alone, Rock Band is the undisputed sales and content leader in the interactive music space, providing the deepest and best selection of artists, songs and albums.

Rock Band DLC additions for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii
Six songs from the quintessential jam band, Grateful Dead, will be added to the Rock Band Music Library next week, with “Beat It on Down the Line,” “Cumberland Blues,” “Scarlet Begonias,” “Throwing Stones,” “Touch of Grey” and “U.S. Blues.” This brings the number of Grateful Dead tracks in Rock Band to a whopping 19. Grateful Dead formed in 1965 in San Francisco and had one of the most long-ranging and successful touring careers in rock history, fueled by their followers, “Deadheads.” The band, led by Jerry Garcia, exhibited influences of jazz, rock, bluegrass and blues, among other musical stylings, and was named one of Rolling Stone’s “The Greatest Artists of All Time.”

American rockers The Smithereens make their Rock Band debut next week. The band is offering up “A Girl Like You” from 1989’s 11 and “Only a Memory” from 1988’s Green Thoughts. The Smithereens are working on a new album, due out later this year.

Available on Xbox 360, Wii and PlayStation 3 system (May 18):

·         Grateful Dead – “Beat It on Down the Line” +

·         Grateful Dead – “Cumberland Blues” +

·         Grateful Dead – “Scarlet Begonias” +

·         Grateful Dead – “Throwing Stones”

·         Grateful Dead – “Touch of Grey” +

·         Grateful Dead – “U.S. Blues” +

·         The Smithereens – “A Girl Like You”

·         The Smithereens – “Only a Memory” +

(All tracks are original master recordings)

(These tracks will be available in Europe on PlayStation 3 May 19)

These tracks will be available for purchase as “Grateful Dead Pack 03,”as well as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, and as individual tracks only on Wii. Tracks marked with “+” are also available for download in the family-friendly LEGO® Rock Band Music Store.

Price:            
- $1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track
- $9.99, £4.99 UK, €7.99 EU (800 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “Grateful Dead Pack 03”
- $2.00 USD (200 Wii Points™) per track

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **

Website Links:
For more information, please visit:

Rock Band Website

Grateful Dead Website

The Smithereens Website

Keep coming back to ComicsOnline for more Rock Band news and everything geek pop culture!

Console Gaming News: Green Day: Rock Band Hits the Shelves!

Green Day, MTV Games, Harmonix and Reprise / Warner Bros. Records Bring Grammy® Award Winning Group to Rock Band with 47 Tracks, Including Full Dookie, American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown Albums

Multi-platinum selling and Grammy® Award-winning group Green Day, along with Harmonix, the leading developer of music-based games, MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks, and Reprise / Warner Bros. Records today announced that Green Day: Rock Band™ is making its North American debut on Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™ console from Nintendo, and on June 11, 2010 in Europe.

Rock the stage and sing-a-long in this brand new extension of the Rock Band platform. Play up to 47 songs as Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt or Tré Cool go through their expansive career from their humble beginnings with Dookie to full blown stardom with American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown, with unique visuals and venues all inspired by Green Day.

“I think people will hopefully be impressed with the pictures and video we’ve included from throughout our career,” said Billie Joe Armstrong, vocalist and guitarist for Green Day. “The blackmail MTV has over Green Day is insane!”

“We thought we could have a lot of fun making a Rock Band game and highlight different times in our career, since we’re using so many songs,” said Mike Dirnt, bassist for Green Day. “We just thought it was a cool way to show people something different.”

“There will be some people who know every single song on the disc, which is awesome,” said Tré Cool, Green Day’s drummer. “But for those who don’t, it’s a great way to discover some of the older material.”

“Green Day’s instantly recognizable songs play incredibly well in Rock Band," said Paul DeGooyer, Senior Vice President of Electronic Games and Music, MTV Networks. "Collaborating with the band to bring so much of their music to our platform, including three of the most important albums of the last two decades, has been a fantastic experience.”

Green Day: Rock Band features 47 on disc songs, including Dookie and American Idiot, as well as the entirety of 21st Century Breakdown, with the added support of six previously released downloadable songs for Rock Band™ and Rock Band™2. The game takes place in three unique venues that capture the raw energy from Green Day’s early punk years to the explosive arena shows that the band is known for all over the world.

The 47 on-disc tracks represent a different iconic period in the band’s remarkable career including:

Dookie (1994)

“Burnout”

“She”

“Having a Blast”

“Sassafrass Roots”

“Chump”

“When I Come Around”

“Longview”

“Coming Clean”

“Welcome to Paradise”

“Emenius Sleepus”

“Pulling Teeth”

“In the End”

“Basket Case”

“F.O.D.”

American Idiot (2004)

“American Idiot”

“She’s a Rebel”

“Jesus of Suburbia”

“Extraordinary Girl”

“Holiday”

“Letterbomb”

“Boulevard of Broken Dreams”

“Wake Me Up When September Ends”

“Are We the Waiting?

“Homecoming”

“St. Jimmy”

“Whatsername”

“Give Me Novacaine”

    * Warning (2000)
          o “Minority”
          o  “Warning”

    * Nimrod (1997)
          o “Hitchin’ a Ride”
          o “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)”
          o  “Nice Guys Finish Last”

    * Insomniac (1995)
          o “Brain Stew”
          o “Jaded”
          o “Geek Stink Breath”

21st Century Breakdown (2009)

“Song of the Century”

“¿Viva La Gloria? (Little Girl)”

“21st Century Breakdown”

“Restless Heart Syndrome”

“Before the Lobotomy”

“Horseshoes and Handgrenades”

“Last Night on Earth”

“The Static Age”

“Peacemaker”

“American Eulogy”

“Murder City”

“See the Light”

Downloadable Content
The following tracks are already available in the Rock Band Music Library of downloadable content giving players the chance to complete the full 21st Century Breakdown album, view unique performances and venue visuals, and unlock exclusive collectible content!

“21 Guns”

“Last of the American Girls”

“Know Your Enemy”

“¡Viva La Gloria!”

“East Jesus Nowhere”

“Christian’s Inferno”

On top of the expansive track-list and unique venues, Green Day: Rock Band brings back the 3-part vocal harmonies previously pioneered in The Beatles™: Rock Band™, allowing you to sing with up to 3 people, all at once, as well as exclusive collectible images and videos, such as a sound check performance of “Geek Stink Breath” before the broadcast, the band’s first-ever MTV News interview filmed inside their customized Bookmobile prior to Dookie’s release and a Know Your Enemy performance video from a tour stop on the MTV World Stage, Munich.

Green Day: Rock Band is available in two versions, the standalone game and Green Day: Rock Band PLUS, which includes special packaging, a song export key to export all songs on disc to your hard drive to be played in Rock Band, Rock Band 2 or the forthcoming Rock Band™3 as well as the six Green Day DLC tracks, which is a $22 value.

Price
    * Green Day: Rock Band standalone game for Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 system
          o US MSRP $59.99, continental Europe MSRP €59.99, UK MSRP £49.99

    * Green Day: Rock Band standalone gamefor Wii system
          o US MSRP $49.99, continental Europe MSRP €39.99, UK MSRP £34.99

    * Green Day: Rock Band PLUS for Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 system (US/Canada only)
          o US MSRP $69.99


Quick!  Purchase Green Day: Rock Band for Xbox360, PlayStation3 or the Wii today!

Keep coming back to ComicsOnline for more gaming news and everything geek pop culture!

Console Gaming News: Green Day: Rock Band Releases June 8, 2010!

Green Day, MTV Games, Harmonix and Reprise / Warner Bros. Records Unleash Green Day: Rock Band™ on the World June 8, 2010

Full standalone music video game experience features 47 exportable tracks, rare access to the Green Day media vault, artist likenesses and more!

Multi-platinum selling and Grammy® Award winning group Green Day, along with  Harmonix, the leading developer of music-based games, MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), and Reprise / Warner Bros. Records today announced that Green Day: Rock Band™, the full standalone music video game experience that celebrates Green Day’s historic career and genre-defining albums will launch worldwide June 8, 2010, for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and the Wii™ system from Nintendo. 

Green Day: Rock Band allows players to step onto the stage and into the shoes of Green Day, the multi-platinum, Grammy® Award-winning band that jump-started the punk-pop revival and has continued to pave the way for American rock music into the 21st century. Taking on the likenesses of Green Day members Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool, players progress through the story and history of Green Day, gaining access into the band’s media vault, where they can unlock more than 100 collectible images, and more than 40 minutes of rare and unreleased video from interviews, outtakes and performances. 

Featuring the three-part vocal harmony technology Harmonix introduced with the award-winning The Beatles™: Rock Band™, Green Day: Rock Band gives players access to an incredible setlist of 47 tracks that span the band’s career including “Brain Stew,” “Jaded,” “Hitchin’ a Ride,” “American Idiot,” “Wake Me Up When September Ends” and “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.”  All 47 tracks are fully exportable, providing players with the opportunity to play the songs in Rock Band™, Rock Band 2™ and the recently announced Rock Band™3![1]  In addition, the six Green Day tracks already available in the Rock Band Music Store as downloadable content can be played in Green Day: Rock Band with added vocal harmonies, unique performance visuals and exclusive archival material.

Green Day: Rock Band pricing is as follows:

Green Day: Rock Band standalone game for Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 system
   - US MSRP $59.99

Green Day: Rock Band standalone game for Wii system
   - US MSRP $49.99

Green Day: Rock Band Plus for Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 system (US/Canada only)
   - US MSRP $69.99
   - Includes special packaging, export and six Green Day DLC tracks ($22 total value)

Green Day: Rock Band will be released simultaneously in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and other territories on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system and Wii. The game is compatible with all Rock Band™ instrument controllers, as well as most Guitar Hero® and other third-party music video game peripherals and microphones.

This latest Rock Band title aims to encapsulate the spirit and energy of a band that has sold more than 50 million records worldwide and been hailed as one of the best live acts touring today. Green Day has won critical acclaim and numerous accolades, including Grammy Awards for Best Alternative Music Performance for Dookie, Best Rock Album for American Idiot and Record of the Year for their smash hit "Boulevard of Broken Dreams.” Earlier this year, Green Day released their eighth studio album, 21st Century Breakdown, on Reprise Records. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, as well as on the Rock, Active Rock and Alternative charts, fueled by the alternative radio No. 1 single “Know Your Enemy,” and won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album.

Green Day: Rock Band is rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB.

Green Day: Rock Band is published by MTV Games and developed by Harmonix, the world’s premier music video game company and creators of the best-selling Rock Band. Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) is serving as distribution partner for the game.

For more information on Green Day: Rock Band or to gain access to new screenshots, video trailer, pack fronts and other art please visit http://www.rockband.com/press/greenday.

Wanna pre-order?  Head over to Amazon now to reserve your copy of Green Day: Rock Band on Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and Playstation 3!

Keep comin' back to ComicsOnline for more Console gaming news and everything geek pop culture!

Console Gaming News: Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters - Press Release and Covers

Check out the new press release for the upcoming Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters video game:

 

GREEN LANTERN: RISE OF THE MANHUNTERS

AS ITS DEBUT NINTENDO 3DS™ TITLE

Inspired by Upcoming Green Lantern Film – Also set for 3D Release

For the Xbox 360 and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system

Beginning June 7

Burbank, Calif. – March 24, 2011 – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment today announced their debut title for the Nintendo 3DS™ handheld system: Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters.  The action-adventure game will also be released in 3D, as well as 2D, for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.

Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters is set to invade the third dimension in North America beginning June 7 in conjunction with Warner Bros. Pictures’ epic superhero feature film Green Lantern scheduled for release June 17. The upcoming game title will also be available in standard 2D only for the Wii™ system and Nintendo DS™ handheld system, delivering an immersive experience across all platforms for Green Lantern fans that the entire family will enjoy.

The Nintendo 3DS version of the game is designed specifically to take advantage of the system’s stereoscopic 3D capabilities and deliver multi-plane graphics that delve players further into the Green Lantern universe. 

Players on Xbox 360 and PS3™ will be given the option to play in anaglyphic 3D with technology that is compatible with all standard and high definition TV sets and visible to players wearing the 3D glasses that will be available for the video game.  Fans can also enjoy the game in stereoscopic 3D when playing on any 3D HDTV while wearing active shutter glasses that are compatible with the television. 

Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters is inspired by Warner Bros Pictures’ upcoming “Green Lantern” film, which brings the enduringly popular DC Comics Super Hero to the big screen for the first time and stars Ryan Reynolds in the title role as Hal Jordan, the newest member of the Green Lantern Corps.  In the videogame, gamers can utilize an arsenal of amazing constructs and take flight across the deepest parts of the universe to restore intergalactic order by wielding the ultimate weapon: the Green Lantern Power Ring.  Gamers playing the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 versions will also have the option to join forces with a friend to play as Hal Jordan or Sinestro to battle the Manhunters. 

Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters is in development for Wii, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo DS by Griptonite Games and for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 by Double Helix Games. For more information and updates, become a fan at http://www.facebook.com/GreenLanternVideogame.

About the Green Lantern Feature Film

“Green Lantern” stars Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Angela Bassett and Tim Robbins.  Also starring are Jay O. Sanders, Temuera Morrison, Taika Waititi and Jon Tenney,.  Martin Campbell directs the film from a screenplay by Greg Berlanti & Michael Green & Marc Guggenheim and Michael Goldenberg, story by Greg Berlanti & Michael Green & Marc Guggenheim, based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics.  The film is being produced by Donald De Line and Greg Berlanti.  Herbert W. Gains and Andrew Haas serve as executive producers.  The film will open in 3D and 2D on June 17, 2011.  “Green Lantern” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. www.greenlantern.com.

About DC Entertainment
DC Entertainment, home to such iconic DC Comics properties as Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Flash, MAD Magazine, and Fables, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating across Warner Bros. and Time Warner.  DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its superheroic characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment, and interactive games. Publishing over 1,000 comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Comics is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world. 

About Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, is a premier worldwide publisher, developer, licensor and distributor of entertainment content for the interactive space across all current and future platforms, including console, handheld and PC-based gaming for both internal and third party game titles.

 

Stay tuned to ComicsOnline for everything geek pop culture!

Console Gaming News: Guitar Hero: Warrior of Rock in stores today

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

              

GUITAR HERO®: WARRIORS OF ROCK’S EPIC QUEST BEGINS TODAY

AT NORTH AMERICAN RETAIL OUTLETS

 

For a Limited Time Consumers Can Score a Copy of

Soundgarden’s Telephantasm Album

with Purchase of Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock

 

Gamers to Experience the Largest Guitar Hero® Set List to Date

 

Santa Monica, CA – September 28, 2010– Join the quest to save rock, as Activision Publishing, Inc.’s(Nasdaq: ATVI) highly-anticipated Guitar Hero®: Warriors of Rock hits store shelves nationwide today.  Featuring the largest on-disc set-list ever in a Guitar Hero® game, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock’s furious finger-fretting rock music collection is headlined by some of the largest bands in rock and includes original tracks, re-records and bands making theirGuitar Hero debut.  With the all-new, rock inspired guitar controller,gamers will embark on an epic journey from the halls of punk music to the lava fields of rock treachery in the first ever Guitar Hero story-driven Quest Mode narrated by KISS front man Gene Simmons.  Additionally, challenge hungry achievement junkies will find the game’s all-new Quickplay+ up to par as they strive to master the 13 star challenges packed into every one of the 90+ on-disc songs as well as every song in their Guitar Hero music library.  Heightening the rock experience, the first album from Soundgarden in over 10 years, Telephantasm, will be bundled with one million Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock launch units.

“Guitar Hero:  Warriors of Rock delivers the ultimate rock fantasy – from the all-new guitar controller, the epic Quest Mode and the incredible soundtrack, this game gives fans what they love and expect from Guitar Hero,” said David Haddad, Chief Operating Officer, Guitar Hero.  “The innovative features and rewards combined with the biggest Guitar Hero on-disc set list ever, make Warriors of Rock the best Guitar Hero experience to date.”

With over 550 downloadable and importable songs available at launch, the Guitar Hero music library provides gamers with hundreds of hours of additional, upgraded content that utilize all of the new features from Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock.  Additionally, Soundgarden and Guitar Hero fans alike can purchase the full Telephantasm album as downloadable content playable in Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock starting today.

In Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, join with friends on an epic journey to save rock.  Featuring an impressive 90+ track set list and a host of all-new gameplay features, living room legends and their friends can strum, drum and wail in the most immersive music videogame experience to date.  Delivering a rock music collection that focuses on guitar shredding hits from bands such as Black Sabbath, Slipknot and Megadeth and larger-than-life band anthems from Queen, Muse and KISS, players can unleash more rewards and unlockable content than ever before in Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock’s Quest Mode and Quickplay+. Virtual rock stars can also deliver the ultimate smack talk to opponents with the built-in Hero Feed, which brings bragging rights to the game by allowing players to challenge and track their friends’ accomplishments, whether the friend is online or offline.   Returning this year, the critically acclaimed Party Play allows gamers to jump in and out of gameplay seamlessly while challenge mode invites up to four players local and eight players online to compete in a series of gameplay competitions to prove who rules the stage. 

Available now, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock was developed by Neversoft Entertainment for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and by Vicarious Visions for the Wii™ system from Nintendo.  The game is rated “T” (Teen – Lyrics, Mild Fantasy Violence and Mild Suggestive Themes) by the ESRB.  For more information about Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, downloadable content and disc imports,please visit GuitarHero.com, facebook.com/guitarheroand twitter.com/guitarhero.

Activision Broadcast Media Center

Members of the media can visit Activision Publishing’s Broadcast Media Center to download broadcast quality video, web-ready video and high-resolution images.  Broadcast Media Center:  http://www.activisionvideo.com/

About Activision Publishing, Inc.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea, China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com. 

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements:Information in this press release that involves Activision Publishing’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Activision Publishing generally uses words such as “outlook,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “might,” “remains,” “to be,” “plans,” “believes,” “may,” “expects,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “estimate,” future,” “plan,” “positioned,” “potential,” “project,” “remain,” “scheduled,” “set to,” “subject to,” “upcoming” and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause Activision Publishing’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include, but are not limited to, sales levels of Activision Publishing’s titles, shifts in consumer spending trends, the impact of the current macroeconomic environment, the seasonal and cyclical nature of the interactive game market, Activision Publishing’s ability to predict consumer preferences among competing hardware platforms, declines in software pricing, product returns and price protection, product delays, retail acceptance of Activision Publishing’s products, adoption rate and availability of new hardware (including peripherals) and related software, industry competition including from used games and other forms of entertainment, litigation risks and associated costs, rapid changes in technology, industry standards, business models including online and used games, and consumer preferences, including interest in specific genres such as music, first-person action and massively multiplayer online games, protection of proprietary rights, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, customers, licensees, licensors, vendors, and third-party developers, including the ability to attract, retain and develop key personnel and developers that can create high quality “hit” titles, counterparty risks relating to customers, licensees, licensors and manufacturers, domestic and international economic, financial and political conditions and policies, foreign exchange rates and tax rates, and the identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities and potential challenges associated with geographic expansion, and the other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Publishing and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

 

###

 

Guitar Hero and Activision are registered trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc.  All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved. 

 

"PlayStation" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.  Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. Wii is a trademark of Nintendo. All rights reserved.

Console Gaming News: Gun Loco Music Contest

Framed for a crime he didn't commit, Maddox is a career criminal in an organized syndicate who has just been sent to the universe's most notorious prison. A planet completely inhabited by convicted felons. Fueled by a desire for payback, Maddox must fight for survival in an all-out onslaught of out-of-control combat, and find a way to escape the planet.

Ever wanted to be a part of a video game? Do you love music? Well here is your chance to be a part of a Square Enix game with the GUN LOCO music contest. It takes one parts skill and two parts passion so listen up! When the contest opens on September 9, grab up the base music and the Lyric sheet, take a long hard listen and read, and then go and make it your own! Send us your best shot at making this song yours and you could be a part of GUN LOCO by having your song as the stage music for one of the levels.

Entries should be sent in by October 4, 2010 so HURRY UP! 'Cause opportunities like this don't happen very often!

Click here to visit the website!

And be sure to keep ComicsOnline at the top of your favorites for all the latest in gaming news and everything Geek Pop Culture!

Console Gaming News: Harmonix and MTV Games Highlight Emerging Artists Through Rock Band!

For more information and official “Artist-of-the-Month” contest rules, please visit www.rockband.com/t-mobile

Console Gaming News: John Daly at E3 to promote ProStroke Golf!

O-Games™ is proud to announce that none other than John Daly himself will be in the O-Games booth at this year’s E3 demoing John Daly’s ProStroke Golf! “The Lion” will be on hand, challenging players to “Grip it and Rip it” and showing off the innovative ProStroke™ control. Announced last week, John Daly’s ProStroke Golf  is coming to Xbox®360 video game and entertainment system for Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PC this fall.

“E3 is the first chance for journalists and gamers alike to experience John Daly’s ProStroke Golf, the next generation of golf videogames,” said Jim Scott, CEO of O-Games. “We wanted John to be a part of the first unveiling of the game and to showcase the realistic control and authentic gameplay.”

O-Games will be in the West Hall in Booth #5544 showing off all their summer and fall titles. Games for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, and Nintendo DS/Dsi/XL platforms will be available for demonstration and play.

Keep coming back to ComicsOnline for more gaming news and everything geek pop culture!

Console Gaming News: John Daly's ProStroke Golf Coming to Consoles This Fall!

O-Games is Letting the Lion Loose With John Daly’s ProStroke Golf!

O-Games™, a publisher of mainstream, lifestyle and sports videogames and part of OG International Ltd., announced today that world famous PGA golfer John “The Lion” Daly will star in the upcoming golfing game, John Daly’s ProStroke Golf.  Developed by Gusto Games, sports enthusiasts and gamers alike should get ready to “Grip it and Rip it” with John Daly’s ProStroke Golf, coming to Xbox®360 video game and entertainment system for Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PC this fall!

John Daly’s ProStroke Golf features the unique and critically-acclaimed ProStroke™ control that allows players to shape and control real golf shots like never before in a golf videogame.

“John Daly is the perfect golf player for our game; ProStroke’s control system is all about control, precision and power, and nobody backs that up better than John. In addition to his talent, his eccentric style and great personality make him the perfect partner for ProStroke Golf,” said Jim Scott, CEO of O-Games. “Our game delivers an authentic yet fun-to-play golfing experience for players, and there’s no better way to light up the course than with the legendary John Daly.”

John Daly’s ProStroke Golf will feature fully licensed courses which John has played on, bringing the real PGA experience into your home. John Daly’s ProStroke Golf will also include many different game modes, realistic golf physics and commentary by the famous voices of golf, delivering the complete golfing experience to golf fans, sports fans and gamers alike.

“John Daly’s Prostroke Golf is a great golf game that everyone can play and enjoy,” said PGA legend John Daly. “For too long, the golfing genre has been dominated by one franchise, but with ProStroke Golf’s great gameplay, control scheme and realism, that’s all about to change. I’ve had the time of my life gripping and ripping it on the PGA Tour, and now gamers everywhere can see what it’s like to step into the Lion’s Den and bomb it down the fairway!”

John Daly’s ProStroke Golf:  delivers an authentic golf videogame experience that will bring the competition and excitement of golf to every home. For more information about O-Games and John Daly’s ProStroke Golf, please visit: www.og-international.net

Keep coming back to ComicsOnline for more console gaming news and everything geek pop culture!

Console Gaming News: Lady Gaga New 4 Pack for Rock Band!

**ROCK BAND MEDIA ALERT** 

LADY GAGA MAKES HER DEBUT ON ROCK BAND WITH A HOT FOUR PACK! 

PLUS A SPECIAL SOUTH PARK TRACK, THE SUBWAYS AND MORE

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that a four pack of songs from pop sensation Lady Gaga, as well as singles from 3 Doors Down, Mute Math, The Subways, and a special Lady Gaga cover by COMEDY CENTRAL’S South Park’s own Eric Cartman will be added next week to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™.

These are among the more than 400 artists currently available through the Rock Band platform. With more than 1,100 songs available, Rock Band is, without question, the industry leader in providing the best selection of interactive musical content, songs and artists.

Rock Band DLC Additions for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 System and Wii

Musical maven and international fashionista Lady Gaga makes her Rock Band debut next week with a four pack of songs from both her Grammy® Award-winning and Diamond-certified album The Fame and her latest release The Fame Monster.  Lady Gaga became the first artist in Billboard history to chart four No. 1 singles when her smash single “Paparazzi” reached No. 1 in 2009. Recently named creative director for a specialty line of Polaroid® products, Lady Gaga has proven herself to be an innovative powerhouse outside the music realm as well. “Lady Gaga Pack 01” will include “Bad Romance,” “Just Dance,” “Monster” and “Poker Face.” Lady Gaga is touring Europe and the United States this spring and fall, as part of her successful Monster Ball tour. For more information on tour dates, please visit www.ladygaga.com.

Also coming next week are singles from 3 Doors Down (“It’s Not My Time”) and Mute Math (“Control”), as well as two songs from The Subways – “Oh Yeah” and “Rock & Roll Queen.” Additionally, a special version of Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face,” by South Park’s Eric Cartman, will also be available in the Rock Band Music Store next week.

Available on Xbox 360 and Wii (March 16) and PlayStation 3 system (March 18):

·         Lady Gaga – “Bad Romance”

·         Lady Gaga – “Just Dance”

·         Lady Gaga – “Monster”

·         Lady Gaga – “Poker Face”

·         3 Doors Down – “It’s Not My Time”

·         Mute Math – “Control”

·         South Park – “Poker Face (Cartman version)”

·         The Subways – “Oh Yeah”

·         The Subways – “Rock & Roll Queen”

(All tracks are original master recordings)

These tracks will be available for purchase as “Lady Gaga Pack 01”as well as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, and as individual tracks only on Wii. Tracks marked with “+” are also available for download in the family-friendly LEGO® Rock Band Music Store.

Price:  
          
- $1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track

- $6.99, £3.49 UK, €5.29 EU (560 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “Lady Gaga Pack 01” 

- $2.00USD (200 Wii Points™) per track

*Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change.*

Website Links:

For more information, please visit:
Rock Band Website
Lady Gaga Website

Rock Band 2 is available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and Wii system. Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii versions support downloadable content. 

Downloadable content for Wii is purchased via the in-game Rock Band Music Store using Wii Points™ purchased through the Wii™ Shop Channel and can be downloaded to the system memory or to an SD card for additional storage.  The tracks stream directly from the SD card for seamless play. 

With these additions, there are now 1,119 tracks available to date via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at www.rockband.com/music).  Rock Band continues to satisfy music fans’ and gamers' voracious appetite for rock with more than 65 million paid downloads since its launch Nov. 20, 2007.  The Rock Band Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks and packs from the vast selection of offerings available to date without ever leaving the game.

Rock Band and Rock Band 2 are rated "T" for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB.  Music downloads are not rated by the ESRB.

Keep comin' back to ComicsOnline for more console gaming news and everything geek pop culture!

Console Gaming News: Mortal Kombat - New Characters, New Environments REVEALED!

 

With the announcement of a brand new Mortal Kombat coming to the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2011, the newest chapter of the iconic fighting game franchise marks a triumphant return to the series’ mature presentation and a reinvention of its classic 2D fighting mechanic combined with the latest technology to up the gore factor a few notches. Today, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and NetherRealm Studios are unveiling two new characters who will join the fight in the upcoming Mortal Kombat – Cyrax and Kitana.

 

Cyrax, the robotic ninja warrior returns to the fray just as deadly as ever. Kitana, is back as well, always ready to stand in opposition to her evil clone Mileena and her fiendish ways. In addition, two new environments in the game are also being revealed – The Desert and Bell Tower. Both levels will prove to be dramatic backdrops to the many punches, kicks, slices and fatalities that gamers will seek to execute in the new Mortal Kombat.

 

 

Make ComicsOnline your destination for all your video game news and reviews!

Console Gaming News: New Artists in the Rock Band Music Store

 

**ROCK BAND MEDIA ALERT**
 

SERJ TANKIAN, SMASH MOUTH AND THE USED IN THE ROCK BAND MUSIC STORE NEXT WEEK

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that six singles from artists Serj Tankian, Smash Mouth and The Used will be added next week to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™.

With more than 400 artists, including Jimi Hendrix, The Who, AC/DC and Green Day, who are exclusive to Rock Band, as well as 1,100 songs available through the Rock Band platform and 65 million songs sold through its download store alone, Rock Band is the undisputed sales and content leader in the interactive music space, providing the deepest and best selection of artists, songs and albums.

Rock Band DLC Additions for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii
Two tracks from Serj Tankian’s first live album, Elect the Dead Symphony, will be available in the Rock Band Music Store next week. “Empty Walls” and “Sky is Over” are both featured on Elect the Dead Symphony, which was released March 9 and features the Aucklund Philharmonia Orchestra from New Zealand. The album reached No. 2 on the U.S. Classical Albums chart.

Also available next week is the ubiquitous pop classic, “All Star” from Smash Mouth, as well as three singles from American hard rockers The Used, who are touring the United States this month. “Blood on My Hands” and “Born to Quit” from the band’s 2009 album Artwork, as well as “The Taste of Ink” from the band’s self-titled 2002 debut album, will be available for download in the Rock Band Music Store next week.

Available on Xbox 360 and Wii (April 13) and PlayStation 3 system (April 15):

·         Serj Tankian – “Empty Walls”

·         Serj Tankian – “Sky is Over” +

·         Smash Mouth – “All Star” +

·         The Used – “Blood on My Hands”

·         The Used – “Born to Quit”

·         The Used – “The Taste of Ink”

(All tracks are original master recordings)

These tracks will be available as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, and as individual tracks only on Wii. Tracks marked with “+” will also be available for download in the family-friendly LEGO® Rock Band Music Store.

Price:          
- $1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track
- $5.49, £2.49 UK, €3.99 EU (440 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “The Used Pack 01”
- $2.00 USD (200 Wii Points™) per track

**Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change.**

Website Links:
For more information, please visit:
Rock Band Website
Serj Tankian Website
Smash Mouth Website
The Used Website

Rock Band 2 is available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and Wii system. Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii versions support downloadable content.

Downloadable content for Wii is purchased via the in-game Rock Band Music Store using Wii Points™ purchased through the Wii™ Shop Channel and can be downloaded to the system memory or to an SD card for additional storage.  The tracks stream directly from the SD card for seamless play.

With these additions, there are now 1,154 tracks available to date via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks here). Rock Band continues to satisfy music fans’ and gamers' voracious appetite for rock with more than 65 million paid downloads since its launch Nov. 20, 2007.  The Rock Band Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks and packs from the vast selection of offerings available to date without ever leaving the game as they build their own custom Rock Band library.

Rock Band and Rock Band 2 are rated "T" for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB. Music downloads are not rated by the ESRB.

Keep coming back to ComicsOnline for more Rock Band gaming news and everything geek pop culture!

Console Gaming News: New Marvel Super Hero Squad Game Announced!

THQ HERO’S UP WITH THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF
MARVEL SUPER HERO SQUAD: THE INFINITY GAUNTLET

Game Follows Second Season of Hit Animated TV Series and Features All-New Gameplay, Tricky Puzzle Elements, New Super Heroes, Super Villains and Super Powers

The legendary Marvel Super Hero Squad is back with an even larger team of Super Heroes, as THQ Inc. today announced Marvel Super Hero Squad: The Infinity Gauntlet, the sequel to its highly popular Marvel Super Hero Squad video game of 2009.  An all-new adventure for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Wii and Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DS™ systems, Marvel Super Hero Squad: The Infinity Gauntlet has players using their super powers and super smarts to battle Doctor Doom’s Lethal Legion and search out the locations of the six lost Infinity Stones.

“We are excited to announce the next game in our Marvel Super Hero Squad franchise to an eager fan base,” said Martin Good, Executive Vice President, Kids, Family, Casual Games, and Global Online Services.  “The new co-op Challenge Mode, super-powered action-combat and integrated puzzles truly elevates the series and further broadens the audience.”

Marvel Super Hero Squad: The Infinity Gauntlet continues the excitement of the original Marvel Super Hero Squad with an all-new storyline that follows Season 2 of the hit animated TV series as shown on Cartoon Network.  Players can “Hero Up” with friends in cooperative play master the unique Factor Power of each of the Marvel heroes in three game modes: Story Mode, Freeplay Mode and Challenge Mode.  The game also boasts a brand new puzzle component, in which players will need to utilize the characters’ unique abilities to move or destroy objects, traverse through certain environments, and summon specific strengths to overcome obstacles.  With new adventures, tricky puzzles, an expanded selection of Marvel Super Hero Squad members to unlock and play as, Marvel Super Hero Squad: The Infinity Gauntlet is set to thrill gamers from here to Super Hero City.

For more information about this game, please visit the official website.

Console Gaming News: New Mortal Kombat Trailer Released!

Today, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and NetherRealm Studios are unleashing an all-new trailer for the highly-anticipated video game Mortal Kombat releasing in 2011 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The rocking trailer features several classic Mortal Kombat fighters hidden in the shadows preparing for their next vicious attack. Even in the darkness, players will recognize the blue blaze of Raiden’s electricity and the iconic spear attack of Scorpion.  You’ll find these kombatants are just as brutal, if not more, under the veil of darkness.

Click Read More to watch the trailer!



The new Mortal Kombat trailer’s soundtrack is provided by the single “Another Way to Die” from the new album Asylum from hard rock band Disturbed.  Asylum is the fifth studio effort from the multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated hard rock band and is available everywhere now. The band has 11 million albums and six million digital tracks worldwide, and has scored eight No. 1 singles at Active Rock radio over the course of their career. For more information on the band please visit www.disturbed1.com.

Keep coming back to ComicsOnline for more Mortal Kombat news and everything geek pop culture!

Console Gaming News: New Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions Vulture Trailer

Prepare for awesome.  New Vulture trailer!!!

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions is a thrilling action-packed adventure set in four dramatically different universes from legendary Spider-Man lore, each with a distinct Spider-Man armed with unique skills and strengths, in one original storyline.  Players will be transported to new locations never before seen in a Spider-Man game, from lush jungles and dusty deserts to various urban terrains.  Acclaimed Marvel comic book writer Dan Slott takes players on a mission to contain the magical energy of the Tablet of Order and Chaos, which has been shattered and sent hurtling across parallel universes, and battle fan-favorite villains in a quest to restore the fabric of reality.  For more info and assets, check out the game's official site at www.SpiderManDimensions.com.

 

Pre-Order Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions on Xbox 360 or PS3 at Amazon.com now

 

Keep it here at ComicsOnline.com for more gaming news and everything geek pop culture.

Console Gaming News: Nickelback Comes to Rock Band

 

**ROCK BAND MEDIA ALERT**

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that Canadian rockers Nickelback will make their Rock Band debut next week in the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™.

With more than 400 artists, including Jimi Hendrix, The Who, AC/DC and Green Day, who are exclusive to Rock Band, as well as more than 1,500 songs available through the Rock Band platform and 70 million songs sold through its download store alone, Rock Band is the undisputed sales and content leader in the interactive music space, providing the deepest and best selection of artists, songs and albums.

Rock Band DLC additions for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii
Alternative rockers Nickelback, formed in 1995 in Canada, are the 11th best-selling act of the 2000s, with more than 30 million records sold worldwide. The band will make their debut in Rock Band next week with a six pack of songs.

“Nickelback Pack 01” will include “Burn It to the Ground” and “This Afternoon” from 2008’s album, Dark Horse, which has held a place in the Top 100 of the Billboard 200 since its release last year. Also included are “Photograph” and “Rockstar” from 2005’s All the Right Reasons, which was certified eight-times platinum in the United States in October 2009, making it one of the best-selling albums in U.S. history. “Figured You Out” from 2003’s three-time platinum The Long Road and “Never Again” from 2001’s six-time platinum Silver Side Up will also be featured in “Nickelback Pack 01.”

Available on Xbox 360, Wii and PlayStation 3 system (June 29)
· “Burn It to the Ground”
· “Figured You Out”
· “Never Again”
· “Photograph”
·  “Rockstar”
·  “This Afternoon”
 
(All tracks are original master recordings)

(These tracks will be available in Europe on PlayStation 3 system June 30)

These tracks will be available for purchase as “Nickelback Pack 01” as well as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, and as individual tracks only on Wii.

Price             
- $1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points) per track
- $9.99, £4.99 UK, €7.99 EU (800 Microsoft Points) for Nickelback Pack 01
- $2.00 USD (200 Wii Points™) per track

**Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change.**

Keep coming back to ComicsOnline for more gaming news and everything geek pop culture!

Console Gaming News: Pantera Songs Added to Rock Band

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that Pantera’s metal masterpiece, The Great Southern Trendkill, will be available next week in the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™.

Pantera released a greatest hits collection in March 2001, titled 1990-2000: A Decade of Domination, which is available exclusively at Walmart and contains 10 remastered tracks. Additionally, former Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul is set to release an album called Stampede from Hellyeah, his collaboration with members of Mudvayne, Damageplan and Nothingface, in July.

Available on Xbox 360, Wii and PlayStation 3 system (May 25):

·         “The Great Southern Trendkill”

·         “War Nerve”

·         “Drag the Waters”

·         “10’s”

·         “13 Steps to Nowhere”

·         “Suicide Note Pt. II”

·         “Living Through Me (Hell’s Wrath)

·         “Floods”

·         “The Underground in America”

·         “(Reprise) Sandblasted Skin”

(All tracks are original master recordings; “Suicide Note Pt. I” is not included in this pack.)

(These tracks will be available in Europe on PlayStation 3 system May 26)

These tracks will be available for purchase as “The Great Southern Trendkill (Album),”as well as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, and as individual tracks only on Wii.

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **

Website Links:
For more information, please visit:

Rock Band Website

Pantera Website

Keep coming back to ComicsOnline for more Rock Band news and everything geek pop culture!

Console Gaming News: Rock Band 3 Announces Features for Holiday 2010 Release!

 

Harmonix, the world’s premier music video game developer, and MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), today announced features for Rock Band™3, the next generation of the ultimate social and interactive music gaming platform.

Featuring an incredible 83-song setlist and access to far more music than any other music game, as well as innovative new gameplay modes and instruments, Rock Band 3 will change the way fans think about and play music games. This next iteration in the Rock Band platform has something new for everyone and also supports traditional Rock Band gameplay with players’ existing instruments.

The Most Music. Period.
The Rock Band 3 disc soundtrack contains 83 of the best bands from around the world, including bands that have never appeared in a music game, as well as support for existing Rock Band tracks (Rock Band and Rock Band 2 discs, downloaded songs, track packs, AC/DC Live: Rock Band™ Track Pack, LEGO® Rock Band and Green Day: Rock Band™).

Additionally, Rock Band 3 will give players immediate access to a music library approaching 2,000 songs by launch, with new content added regularly. Rock Band’s gigantic music selection dwarfs that of any other music game on the market.

Announced Tracks:

2000s:

·         Metric, “Combat Baby”

·         Rilo Kiley, “Portions for Foxes”

·         Them Crooked Vultures, “Dead End Friends”

·         The Vines, “Get Free”

·         The White Stripes, “The Hardest Button to Button”

·         Phoenix, “Lasso”

·         Ida Maria, “Oh My God”

·         Juanes, “Me Enamora”

1990s:

·         Jane’s Addiction, “Been Caught Stealing”

·         Smash Mouth, “Walkin’ on the Sun”

·         Spacehog, “In the Meantime”

·         Stone Temple Pilots, “Plush”

1980s:

·         Dio, “Rainbow in the Dark”

·         Huey Lewis and the News, “The Power of Love”

·         Joan Jett, “I Love Rock and Roll”

·         Night Ranger, “Sister Christian”

·         Whitesnake, “Here I Go Again”

·         The Cure, “Just Like Heaven”

·         Ozzy Osbourne, “Crazy Train”

1970s:

·         Queen, “Bohemian Rhapsody”

1960s:

·         Jimi Hendrix, “Crosstown Traffic”

·         The Doors, “Break On Through”

Redesigned Library for Better Music Management
Rock Band 3 allows players to create and save setlists and share them with friends, both in-game and through RockBand.com. New song filters make it easier to find the types of songs fans want to play and hide the songs they don’t, while a built-in song recommendation system will suggest tracks from Rock Band’s colossal music library, based on personal fan preference.
 
Expand the Band
In addition to guitar, bass, drums and solo vocals, Rock Band 3 adds three-part vocal harmonies that were introduced with The Beatles™: Rock Band™ and, for the first time ever, a keyboard peripheral to the band.  Up to seven players can rock together for the ultimate social gaming experience.
 
Go Pro: Play Just for Fun or Rock for Real with Rock Band Pro
Rock Band 3 empowers players to develop actual musical skills through the fun of fully scalable Rock Band Pro gameplay. Fans can dive in on Easy to try out basic skills and work their way up to Expert for real mastery.

    * Pro Drums supports three expansion cymbals, with gameplay differentiation between toms and cymbals.
    * Pro Keys features pitch-accurate keyboard performance across a two-octave range, displayed on an easy-to-read keyboard track.
    * Pro Guitar features notated guitar and bass performances, available for play with either the new Fender™ Mustang™ PRO-Guitar™ simulated guitar controller from Mad Catz or the Rock Band 3 Squier® by Fender Stratocaster® Guitar Controller that is a real guitar/controller hybrid. The Rock Band 3 Squier Stratocaster is a fully functional, full-sized, six-string electric guitar that also functions as a game controller.

 
Something for Everyone (New Gameplay Modes!)
For the casual player, Rock Band 3 has great new party modes that allow fans to get rocking with friends quicker than ever, including party shuffle and persistent drop-in/drop-out and difficulty selection from any gameplay screen.For the serious player, the revamped Career Mode features 700+ goals and rewards and seamless leaderboard integration for an endlessly deep campaign experience. Rock Band 3 also adds a suite of social networking tools to the game so fans can engage friends and fellow rockers over Facebook, Twitter and more. Whether players want to jump in for a quick song or take their band to the top, Rock Band 3 has a mode for everyone.

Developed by Harmonix, the world’s premier music videogame company, published by MTV Games, and distributed by distribution partner Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), Rock Band 3 will ship simultaneously worldwide this Holiday 2010 in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and other territories for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, the Wii™ system from Nintendo, and Nintendo DS™. Rock Band 3 will be compatible with all Rock Band and The Beatles: Rock Band peripherals, as well as most third-party instrument and microphone controllers.  Mad Catz is the official peripheral manufacturer and distributor for Rock Band game controllers.

Keep coming back to ComicsOnline for future Rock Band 3 news and everything geek pop culture!

Console Gaming News: Rock Band 3 Releases Their Full Set List!

MTV Games and Harmonix Unleash the Complete, Mind-Blowing Rock Band 3 Setlist

Highly Anticipated Soundtrack Unveiled, Featuring 83 Songs from Jimi Hendrix, Avenged Sevenfold, Paramore, The White Stripes, Jane's Addiction, Phish, Anthrax, The Cure, Bob Marley, Def Leppard, Ozzy Osbourne, Dire Straits, The Smiths, Foreigner, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Doors and Many More

Harmonix, the world’s premier music video game developer and MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), today confirmed the entire 83 song on-disc soundtrack for the highly anticipated Rock Band™3 music video game, including new tracks from Jimi Hendrix, Avenged Sevenfold, Paramore, The White Stripes, Jane's Addiction, Phish, Anthrax, The Cure, Bob Marley, Def Leppard, Ozzy Osbourne, Dire Straits, The Smiths, Foreigner, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Doors and many more.  Rock Band 3 will be released Oct. 26 in North America and Oct. 29 in the rest of the world for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Nintendo Wii™ and Nintendo DS™.

“The Rock Band 3 soundtrack represents the strongest, most diverse collection of music ever assembled for a video game,” said Paul DeGooyer, senior vice president of electronic games, music and programming for MTV Games. “The addition of keyboards and vocal harmonies to the Rock Band platform massively broadens the music selection available to our players. You haven’t sung Queen's epic "Bohemian Rhapsody" unless you’ve sung the harmony parts - and you can’t do that unless you have Rock Band 3.”

Without further ado, here is the entire, jaw-dropping Rock Band 3 setlist:

2000s:

·         Amy Winehouse, “Rehab”

·         At the Drive-In, “One Armed Scissor”

·         Avenged Sevenfold, “The Beast & the Harlot”

·         Dover, “King George”

·         The Bronx, “False Alarm”

·         The Flaming Lips, “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1”

·         HIM (His Infernal Majesty), “Killing Loneliness”

·         Hypernova, “Viva La Resistance”

·         Ida Maria, “Oh My God”*

·         Juanes, “Me Enamora”

·         Metric, “Combat Baby”*

·         Paramore, “Misery Business”*

·         Phoenix, “Lasso”*

·         Poni Hoax, “Antibodies”

·         Pretty Girls Make Graves, “Something Bigger, Something Brighter”

·         Queens of the Stone Age, “No One Knows”

·         The Ravonettes, “Last Dance”

·         Rilo Kiley, “Portions for Foxes”*

·         Riverboat Gamblers, “Don't Bury Me...I'm Still Not Dead”

·         Slipknot, “Before I Forget”

·         The Sounds, “Living in America”

·         Tegan & Sara, “The Con”

·         Them Crooked Vultures, “Dead End Friends”

·         Tokio Hotel, “Humanoid”*

·         The Vines, “Get Free”*

·         The White Stripes, “The Hardest Button to Button”*

1990s:

·         Faith No More, “Midlife Crisis”*

·         Filter, “Hey Man, Nice Shot”

·         Jane’s Addiction, “Been Caught Stealing”*

·         Maná, “Oye Mi Amor”

·         Marilyn Manson, “The Beautiful People”

·         The Muffs, “Outer Space”

·         Phish, “Llama”

·         Primus, “Jerry Was a Racecar Driver”

·         Rammstein, “Du Hast”

·         Smash Mouth, “Walkin’ On The Sun”*

·         Spacehog, “In the Meantime”

·         Stone Temple Pilots, “Plush”

·         Swingin’ Utters, “This Bastard’s Life”

1980s:

·         Anthrax, “Caught in a Mosh”

·         Big Country, “In a Big Country”

·         The Cure, “Just Like Heaven”*

·         Def Leppard, “Foolin’”

·         Devo, “Whip It”

·         Dio, “Rainbow in the Dark”

·         Dire Straits, “Walk of Life”

·         Echo & the Bunnymen, “The Killing Moon”

·         Huey Lewis and the News, “The Power of Love”

·         INXS, “Need You Tonight”*

·         J. Geils Band, “Centerfold”

·         Joan Jett, “I Love Rock N’ Roll”*

·         Night Ranger, “Sister Christian”*

·         Ozzy Osbourne, “Crazy Train”*

·         The Police, “Don’t Stand So Close to Me”

·         Roxette, “The Look”*

·         The Smiths, “Stop Me if You Think You’ve Heard This One Before”

·         Tears for Fears, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”

·         Whitesnake, “Here I Go Again”*

1970s:

·         The B-52’s, “Rock Lobster”*

·         Blondie, “Heart of Glass”

·         Bob Marley, “Get Up, Stand Up”

·         Chicago, “25 or 6 to 4”

·         Deep Purple, “Smoke on the Water”

·         Doobie Brothers, “China Grove”*

·         Elton John, “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting”

·         Foreigner, “Cold As Ice”*

·         Golden Earring, “Radar Love”

·         John Lennon, “Imagine”

·         Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Free Bird”

·         Queen, “Bohemian Rhapsody”*

·         Ramones, “I Wanna Be Sedated”

·         Steve Miller Band, “Fly Like an Eagle”

·         T. Rex, “20th Century Boy”

·         Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, “I Need to Know”

·         War, “Low Rider”

·         Warren Zevon, “Werewolves of London”

·         Yes, “Roundabout”*

1960s:

·         Beach Boys, “Good Vibrations (Live)”

·         David Bowie, “Space Oddity”

·         The Doors, “Break on Through (To the Other Side)”*

·         James Brown, “I Got You" (I Feel Good) – Alternate Studio Version*

·         The Jimi Hendrix Experience, “Crosstown Traffic”*

·         The Who, “I Can See for Miles”

*Songs available on Rock Band 3 for Nintendo DS

With more than 30 awards and nominations following its impressive E3 2010 debut, including multiple Best Music and Best Casual/Social Game accolades, Rock Band 3 features an incredible 83-song setlist and access to far more music than any other music game, as well as innovative new game play modes and instrument controllers. In addition to guitar, bass, drums and solo vocals, Rock Band 3 adds three-part vocal harmonies and introduces a keyboard peripheral to the band, allowing up to seven players to rock together for the ultimate social gaming experience.

Want to pre-order a copy for yourself?  Head over to Amazon today to order on the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii or Nintendo DS!

Keep coming back to ComicsOnline for more console gaming news and everything geek pop culture!

Console Gaming News: Rock Band Adds More Songs to Library!

 

**ROCK BAND MEDIA ALERT** 

PUNK PIONEERS X MAKE THEIR ROCK BAND DEBUT, PLUS SINGLES FROM CARRIE UNDERWOOD, ONEREPUBLIC AND ACE FREHLEY 

THREE TRACKS FROM NEW ARTIST LITTLE FISH, INCLUDING FREE DOWNLOAD OF “AM I CRAZY?”

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that a four pack of songs from American punk rockers X, three singles, including a free track, from British garagerockers Little Fish, as well as singles from Ace Frehley, Carrie Underwood and OneRepublic will be added next week to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™.

These are among the more than 400 artists currently available through the Rock Band platform. With more than 1,100 songs available, Rock Band is, without question, the industry leader in providing the best selection of interactive musical content, songs and artists.


Rock Band DLC Additions for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 System and Wii
Los Angeles-formed punk rockers X make their Rock Band debut next week with “Blue Spark” and “The Hungry Wolf” from 1982’s Under the Big Black Sun, “I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts” from 1983’s More Fun in the New World and “Los Angeles” from the band’s 1980 debut album Los Angeles, which Rolling Stone named one of its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and 100 Greatest Albums of the 80s.

Three singles from British garage rockers Little Fish will also be available, including “Am I Crazy,” “Bang Bang” and “Darling Dear,” all from the band’s debut album, set to be released in July and titled Baffled & Beat. “Am I Crazy” will be available only on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system and will be a free track.  Baffled & Beat was produced by Linda Perry and released on her label, Custard Records. After successful opening slots for acts such as Hole, Alice in Chains and Eagles Of Death Metal, Little Fish is headlining their own UK tour in March in support of Baffled & Beat, when they also open for Them Crooked Vultures at the Royal Albert Hall.

Additional singles from Ace Frehley (“Outer Space”), Carrie Underwood (“All-American Girl”) and OneRepublic (“Stop & Stare”) will also be available in the Rock Band Music Store next week.


Available on Xbox 360 and Wii (March 23) and PlayStation 3 system (March 25):
·         X – “Blue Spark” +
·         X – “The Hungry Wolf”
·         X – “I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts”
·         X – “Los Angeles”
·         Little Fish – “Am I Crazy” +
·         Little Fish – “Bang Bang” *
·         Little Fish – “Darling Dear” *
·         Ace Frehley – “Outer Space”
·         Carrie Underwood – “All-American Girl” +
·         OneRepublic – “Stop & Stare” +

(All tracks are original master recordings)

These tracks will be available for purchase as “X Pack 01,” as well as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, and as individual tracks only on Wii. Tracks marked with “+” are also available for download in the family-friendly LEGO® Rock Band Music Store. “Am I Crazy” will be available only on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system and will be a free track.


Price:            
- $1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track
- $6.99, £3.49 UK, €5.29 EU (560 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “X Pack 01”
* Denotes $.99, £.59 UK, €.79 EU (80 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360)
- $2.00 USD (200 Wii Points™) per track

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **


Website Links:
For more information, please visit:

Rock Band Website
X Website

Rock Band 2 is available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and Wii system. Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii versions support downloadable content.

Downloadable content for Wii is purchased via the in-game Rock Band Music Store using Wii Points™ purchased through the Wii™ Shop Channel and can be downloaded to the system memory or to an SD card for additional storage.  The tracks stream directly from the SD card for seamless play.

With these additions, there are now 1,129 tracks available to date via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at www.rockband.com/music). Rock Band continues to satisfy music fans’ and gamers' voracious appetite for rock with more than 65 million paid downloads since its launch Nov. 20, 2007.  The Rock Band library Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks and packs from the vast selection of offerings available to date without ever leaving the game.

Rock Band and Rock Band 2 are rated "T" for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB.  Music downloads are not rated by the ESRB.

For more information on Rock Band 2 and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com  and www.harmonixmusic.com.

Keep comin' back to ComicsOnline for more console gaming news and everything geek pop culture!

Console Gaming News: Rock Band Announces New Artists!

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that a three pack of songs from Coheed and Cambria, as well as singles form Supergrass, Siouxsie & The Banshees and The Violent Femmes will be added next week to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™.

With more than 400 artists, including Jimi Hendrix, The Who, AC/DC and Green Day, who are exclusive to Rock Band, as well as more than 1,100 songs available through the Rock Band platform and 65 million songs sold through its download store alone, Rock Band is the undisputed sales and content leader in the interactive music space, providing the deepest and best selection of artists, songs and albums.

Rock Band DLC additions for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii
Rock Band favorites Coheed and Cambria are adding more tracks to the Rock Band Music Store next week with three songs from the band’s new album, Year of the Black Rainbow – “Guns of Summer,” “Here We Are Juggernaut” and “The Broken.” Year of the Black Rainbow is the fifth studio album from Coheed and Cambria and was released April 13 as a standard album, as well as a deluxe edition, featuring a 352-page novel of the same name, written by the band’s lead singer, Claudio Sanchez, and New York Times bestselling author Peter David. The band is currently touring the United States during April and May, which includes a performance at this year’s Coachella festival, during April and May.

Rounding out next week’s Rock Band Music Store additions are three pop singles. British rockers Siouxsie & The Banshees are upping their Rock Band presence with “Peek-a-Boo” from the band’s ninth studio album, Peepshow. Britpop outfit Supergrass is adding “Sun Hits the Sky,” the third single from the band’s second studio album, In It For the Money, and American alternative rockers The Violent Femmes make their Rock Band debut with “American Music” from the band’s fifth studio album, Why Do Birds Sing?

Available on Xbox 360 and Wii (April 20) and PlayStation 3 system (April 22):

·         Coheed and Cambria – “Guns of Summer” +

·         Coheed and Cambria – “Here We Are Juggernaut”

·         Coheed and Cambria – “The Broken” +

·         Siouxsie & The Banshees – “Peek-a-Boo”

·         Supergrass – “Sun Hits the Sky” +

·         The Violent Femmes – “American Music”

(All tracks are original master recordings)

These tracks will be available for purchase as “Coheed and Cambria Pack 01,”as well as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, and as individual tracks only on Wii. Tracks marked with “+” are also available for download in the family-friendly LEGO® Rock Band Music Store.

Price:            
- $1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track
- $5.49, £2.49 UK, €3.99 EU (440 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “Coheed and Cambria Pack 01”
- $2.00 USD (200 Wii Points™) per track

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **

Website Links:
For more information, please visit:

Rock Band Website

Coheed and Cambria Website

Supergrass Website

The Violent Femmes Website

Rock Band 2 is available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and Wii system. Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii versions support downloadable content.

Downloadable content for Wii is purchased via the in-game Rock Band Music Store using Wii Points™ purchased through the Wii™ Shop Channel and can be downloaded to the system memory or to an SD card for additional storage.  The tracks stream directly from the SD card for seamless play.

With these additions, there are now 1,160 tracks available to date via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks here). Rock Band continues to satisfy music fans’ and gamers' voracious appetite for rock with more than 65 million paid downloads since its launch Nov. 20, 2007.  The Rock Band Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks and packs from the vast selection of offerings available to date without ever leaving the game as they build their own custom Rock Band Library.

Rock Band and Rock Band 2 are rated "T" for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB. Music downloads are not rated by the ESRB.

Keep coming back to ComicsOnline for more Rock Band news and everything geek pop culture!

Console Gaming News: Rock Band Announces The White Stripes, The Futureheads and More DLC!

**ROCK BAND MEDIA ALERT**  
 
THE WHITE STRIPES ADD THREE MORE TRACKS TO ROCK BAND!
 
PLUS THE FUTUREHEADS, THE JAMES GANG AND MORE FOR ROCK BAND DLC

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that a three pack of songs from fan favorites The White Stripes, as well as singles from The Futureheads, The James Gang, Shaimus, and the one and only Hockey Theme Song, will be added next week to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™.

These are among the more than 400 artists currently available through the Rock Band platform. With more than 1,100 songs available, Rock Band is, without question, the industry leader in providing the best selection of interactive musical content, songs and artists.

Rock Band DLC Additions for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 System and Wii
Brother/sister duo The White Stripes will release a second three pack of some of their most loved songs on Rock Band next week. The band, composed of Jack White (of The Dead Weather and The Raconteurs, both featured in Rock Band) and Meg White, has sold more than 12 million albums worldwide and has won five Grammy Awards, including three for Best Alternative Music Album. “The White Stripes Pack 02” will feature “Fell in Love with a Girl,” from 2001’s White Blood Cells; “Seven Nation Army,” from 2002’s Grammy Award-winning Elephant; and “You Don’t Know What Love Is (You Just Do As Your Told),” from 2007’s Grammy Award-winning Icky Thump. A tour documentary titled “The White Stripes Under Great White Northern Lights” debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival September 2009 and is currently making the festival rounds to rave reviews.  The film, directed by Emmett Malloy, is a visual and emotional documentation of The White Stripes making their way through Canada where they played every province and territory, culminating with their 10th anniversary show in Nova Scotia. “The White Stripes Under Great White Northern Lights” is available to purchase as a standalone DVD/Blu-Ray or as part of a limited edition box set and will be released March 16. To pre-order either version and to find screenings of the film at a theater near you, please visit www.whitestripes.com.  

Post-punk English rockers The Futureheads, who are currently touring England, make their Rock Band debut next week with “Decent Days & Nights” and “Hounds of Love,” both from the band’s debut, self-named album. Sixties rockers The James Gang offer up “Walk Away,” and “All of This” and “Tie You Down” from Shaimus, as well as Neil Peart’s “The Hockey Theme” will also be available next week in the Rock Band Music Store.

Available on Xbox 360 and Wii (March 9) and PlayStation 3 system (March 11):

·         The Futureheads – “Decent Days & Nights” +
·         The Futureheads – “Hounds of Love” +
·         The James Gang – “Walk Away” +
·         Neil Peart – “The Hockey Theme” + *
·         Shaimus – “All of This” + *
·         Shaimus – “Tie You Down” + *
·         The White Stripes – “Fell in Love with a Girl” +
·         The White Stripes – “Seven Nation Army”
·         The White Stripes – “You Don’t Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You’re Told)” +

(All tracks are original master recordings)

These tracks will be available for purchase as “The White Stripes Pack 02”as well as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, and as individual tracks only on Wii. Tracks marked with “+” are also available for download in the family-friendly LEGO® Rock Band Music Store.

Price:            
- $1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track
- $5.49, £2.49 UK, €3.99 EU (440 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “The White Stripes Pack 02”
- $2.00 USD (200 Wii Points™) per track

Tracks marked with “*” are 99 cents per track

**Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change.**

Website Links:
For more information, please visit:

Rock Band Website

The White Stripes Website

The Futureheads Website

Rock Band 2 is available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and Wii system. Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii versions support downloadable content. 

Downloadable content for Wii is purchased via the in-game Rock Band Music Storeusing Wii Points™ purchased through the Wii™ Shop Channel and can be downloaded to the system memory or to an SD card for additional storage.  The tracks stream directly from the SD card for seamless play. 

With these additions, there are now 1,110 tracks available to date via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at www.rockband.com/music).  Rock Band continues to satisfy music fans’ and gamers' voracious appetite for rock with more than 65 million paid downloads since its launch Nov. 20, 2007.  The Rock Band library Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks and packs from the vast selection of offerings available to date without ever leaving the game.

Rock Band and Rock Band 2 are rated "T" for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB. Music downloads are not rated by the ESRB.

For more information on Rock Band 2 and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com and www.harmonixmusic.com.

 

Keep comin' back to ComicsOnline for more console gaming news and everything geek pop culture!

Console Gaming News: Rock Band Releases Spoon tracks and more DLC!

 

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that indie rock favorites Spoon and alternative metal rockers P.O.D. will make their debuts in the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™.

With more than 400 artists, including Jimi Hendrix, The Who, AC/DC and Green Day, who are exclusive to Rock Band, as well as more than 1,200 songs available through the Rock Band platform and 68 million songs sold through its download store alone, Rock Band is the undisputed sales and content leader in the interactive music space, providing the deepest and best selection of artists, songs and albums.

Rock Band DLC additions for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii
Indie rock heavy hitters Spoon will make their Rock Band debut next week with a four pack of songs spanning the band’s career. “Trouble Comes Running” and “Got Nuffin” will both be added to the Rock Band Music Store from the band’s seventh studio release, Transference, which hit shelves January 2010 and debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. Spoon Pack 01 will also include “I Turn My Camera On” from 2005’s Gimme Fiction, which was ranked by Rhapsody as No. 19 of the 100 Best Albums of the Decade; as well as “Don’t You Evah” from 2007’s Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, which was named in the Top 10 of both Pitchfork and Rolling Stone’s Top 50 Albums of 2007. Spoon is currently on a world tour in support of Transference.

Alternative metal rockers P.O.D. will also make their Rock Band debut next week with “Alive,” from the band’s fourth album, Satellite. It was released in September 2001 and debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. Satellite became the band’s best-selling album, selling more than 3 million copies in the United States, and “Alive” garnered a Grammy® Award nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance. P.O.D. have said that they are recording a new album, due out in 2010.

Available on Xbox 360, Wii and PlayStation 3 system (June 1):

·         P.O.D. – “Alive”

·         Spoon – “Trouble Comes Running”

·         Spoon – “Don’t You Evah”

·         Spoon – “I Turn My Camera On”

·         Spoon – “Got Nuffin”

(All tracks are original master recordings)

(These tracks will be available in Europe on PlayStation 3 system June 2)

These tracks will be available for purchase as “Spoon Pack 01” as well as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, and as individual tracks only on Wii.

Price:           
- $1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track
- $6.99, £3.49 UK, €5.29 EU (560 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “Spoon Pack 01”
- $2.00 USD (200 Wii Points™) per track

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **

Website Links:
For more information, please visit:

Rock Band Website

Spoon Website

Keep coming back to ComicsOnline for more Rock Band gaming news and everything geek pop culture!

Console Gaming News: Rock Band Wants YOU in Their Game!

The Rock Band Network Music Store Goes Live

More than 100 songs available from artists ranging from The Hold Steady to The Shins

More than 4,000 New Authors and Peer Reviewers Registered Since Open Beta Launch in January

Harmonix Music Systems and MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), today announced that the Rock Band Network Music Store opens to the public today, giving Rock Band fans and music lovers a new avenue to discover music and providing musicians and labels the opportunity to produce and promote tracks for the Rock Band platform. The Rock Band Network, announced in July, is a ground-breaking initiative that gives musicians, publishers and record labels the ability to author their original recordings into gameplay files to promote and sell their music as playable Rock Band tracks through the Rock Band Network Music Store (RBN Store).

In addition, it was announced today that T-Mobile has signed on as launch partner of the Rock Band Network to develop an “Artist-of-the-Month” feature beginning in April 2010 to help fans identify and connect with new talent in the Rock Band Network.

“The Rock Band Network Music Store gives artists at any level the opportunity to reach new fans through our deeply engaging interactive platform,” said Paul DeGooyer, senior vice president of Electronic Games and Music for MTV Networks Music Group. “This new pathway for discovery is a huge win for passionate music fans, as well as an opportunity for artists to promote themselves while positively impacting their bottom line.”

Artists who submit songs for the Rock Band Network Music Store are able to choose from multiple pricing tiers for individual tracks and receive a royalty of 30 percent of the retail selling price (excluding tax) for every track purchased through the RBN Store. There are currently more than 100 songs available for purchase in the Rock Band Network Music Store from artists including The Shins, The Hold Steady, The Main Drag, Bang Camaro, of Montreal, Jonathan Coulton, Skeleton Witch, 3 Inches of Blood, Lacuna Coil, Stroke 9, and Steve Vai*. There are more than 300 artists in the RBN pipeline, with additional tracks already on the way from Flight of the Conchords, The Smashing Pumpkins, Twin Atlantic, All That Remains, Clutch, Prong, The Gaslight Anthem and many more coming soon.

*see below list for full day one track listings!

With more than 1,100 tracks available to date in the original Rock Band platform, the Rock Band Network Music Store will immediately boost the number of available songs, further securing MTV Games and Harmonix’s position as the leading provider of downloadable content for music-based video games.

“The response to and interest in the Rock Band Network has been even greater than we originally expected,” said Alex Rigopulos, CEO and co-founder of Harmonix Music Systems. “We’re very excited about the number of bands and labels who have geared up to participate in the Rock Band Network, as well as the number of enthusiasts who have signed up to participate in the Peer Review and Playtest processes.”

Since launching the Rock Band Network open beta in January, more than 4,300 new users have registered as authors and peer reviewers on http://Creators.RockBand.com, the site where songs are submitted before they are approved to be sold. Authors create Rock Band song packages and submit them to the site to go through two processes: Playtest, where the community delivers feedback on a work in progress track, and Peer Review, where revised and final drafts are vetted and approved for sale. During Peer Review, songs are tested for playability, adherence to the authoring standards of Rock Band and checked to check for violations of XNA Creators Club Online community standards (vulgarity, adult content, original content, etc.).

Peer reviewers have the unique opportunity to play Rock Band Network content for free, well in advance of a track’s commercial release. These fans can help shape the track’s final versions, providing crucial feedback and flagging issues throughout Playtest and Peer Review that ensures songs are up to the high standards set by Harmonix. Any music fan with Rock Band 2 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and an internet connected PC can join the Playtest and Peer Review processes by purchasing an XNA Creators Club Online Premium membership through http://creators.xna.com/membership.

Once tracks are approved, they are transferred to the Rock Band Network Music Store, an in-game music marketplace where the millions of Rock Band fans will be able to explore this constantly growing set of new content. In an exciting turn of events, for the first time in the Rock Band franchise, users will be able to download sample gameplay of each track to try before they buy! Songs will debut exclusively on Xbox 360 for 30 days. A selection of standout tracks will then be made available on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system from Sony Computer Entertainment America and the Wii™ home videogame console from Nintendo.

How to get started:

 - Wondering How to Submit a Song? http://creators.rockband.com/docs/Website Scroll down to “Adding a song to the pipeline."
 - Want to Become a Peer Reviewer? http://creators.rockband.com/docs/Playtest_Process


Keep comin' back to ComicsOnline for more console gaming news and everything geek pop culture!

Console Gaming News: Rock Band now has a new Disturbed Three Pack, Silversun Pickups and More DLC available!

Harmonix and MTV Games have made available today a three pack of songs from American rockers Disturbed, as well as singles from Silversun Pickups, The Mother Hips and TRUSTcompany, will be added to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™.

These are among the more than 400 artists currently available through the Rock Band platform. With more than 1,100 songs available, Rock Band is, without question, the industry leader in providing the best selection of interactive musical content, songs and artists.

Also available in the Rock Band Music Store next week are two singles from alternative rockers Silversun Pickups, who are touring North American in March and April and are nominated for Best New Artist in the 52nd Grammy® Awards. “Panic Switch” and “Sort Of,” from the band’s second studio album, Swoon, will both be available next week. Additionally, “Third Floor Story” and “White Falcon Fuzz” from The Mother Hips’ new album, Pacific Dust, which was released in October 2009, will be available for download next week. The band is currently touring North America. “Downfall” from TRUSTcompany will also be available for download next week in the Rock Band Music Store.

Available on Xbox 360 and Wii (March 2) and PlayStation 3 system (March 4):

·         Disturbed – “Meaning of Life”

·         Disturbed – “The Game”

·         Disturbed – “Voices”

·         The Mother Hips – “Third Floor Story”

·         The Mother Hips – “White Falcon Fuzz” + *

·         Silversun Pickups – “Panic Switch”

·         Silversun Pickups – “Sort Of” +

·         TRUSTcompany – “Downfall” +

(All tracks are original master recordings)

These tracks will be available for purchase as “Disturbed Pack 02”as well as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, and as individual tracks only on Wii. Tracks marked with “+” are also available for download in the family-friendly LEGO® Rock Band Music Store. Tracks marked with a “*” will come out in Europe only on March 11.

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **

Website Links:

For more information, please visit:

Rock Band Website

Disturbed Website

Silversun Pickups Website

Rock Band 2 is available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and Wii system. Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii versions support downloadable content. 

Downloadable content for Wii is purchased via the in-game Rock Band Music Storeusing Wii Points™ purchased through the Wii™ Shop Channel and can be downloaded to the system memory or to an SD card for additional storage.  The tracks stream directly from the SD card for seamless play. 

With these additions, there are now 1,101 tracks available to date via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at www.rockband.com/music). Rock Band continues to satisfy music fans’ and gamers' voracious appetite for rock with more than 65 million paid downloads since its launch Nov. 20, 2007.  The Rock BandRock Band library. Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks and packs from the vast selection of offerings available to date without ever leaving the game as they build their own custom

Rock Band and Rock Band 2 are rated "T" for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB. Music downloads are not rated by the ESRB.

For more information on Rock Band2 and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com  and www.harmonixmusic.com.


Keep it here at ComicsOnline.com for more gaming news and everything geek pop culture.

Console Gaming News: Songs from No Doubt, Orianthi and More Released on Rock Band

Plus Singles from Orianthi and Picture Me Broken

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that beginning next week, the entirety of No Doubt’s seminal album, Tragic Kingdom, as well as singles from Orianthi and Picture Me Broken, will be available in the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™.

With more than 400 artists, including Jimi Hendrix, The Who, AC/DC and Green Day, who are exclusive to Rock Band, as well as more than 1,100 songs available through the Rock Band platform and 65 million songs sold through its download store alone, Rock Band is the undisputed sales and content leader in the interactive music space, providing the deepest and best selection of artists, songs and albums.

Rock Band DLC additions for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii
California rockers No Doubt return to Rock Band next week, rounding out their Tragic Kingdom offering in the Rock Band Music Store. Next week, the remainder of the ska-pop revivalists’ seminal, diamond-certified 1995 album will be available for download, joining “Don’t Speak,” “Spiderwebs,” “Excuse Me Mr.,” “Sunday Morning” and “Just a Girl,” which are already available in Rock Band. For Rock Band fans who already own these tracks in their Rock Band Music Library, the tracks next week will be offered as “No Doubt Tragic Kingdom: The Deep Cuts.” And for Rock Band fans who have yet to add the pop pleasures of Tragic Kingdom to their Library, the full album will be available as “No Doubt Tragic Kingdom: The Complete Album.”

Australian singer-songwriter and guitar protégé, 24-year-old Orianthi, makes her Rock Band debut next week, after reaching worldwide fame as the guitarist for Michael Jackson’s This Is It tour and performing with Carrie Underwood on the 2009 Grammy® Awards. The first single from her 2009 debut album, Believe – “According to You,” which reached No. 6 in Australia and No. 17 in the United States – will be available for download in the Rock Band Music Store. The female-fronted melodic metal band, Picture Me Broken, which features the daughter of Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Gregg Allman, will also make their Rock Band debut next week with “Dearest (I’m So Sorry).” This band, made up of 16- and 17-year-olds, has played more than 100 shows, including at SXSW and The Warped Tour.

Available on Xbox 360, Wii and PlayStation 3 system (May 4):
· No Doubt – “Different People” +
· No Doubt – “End It on This” +
· No Doubt – “Happy Now?” +
· No Doubt – “Hey You” +
· No Doubt – “Sixteen” +
· No Doubt – “The Climb” +
· No Doubt – “Tragic Kingdom” +
· No Doubt – “World Go ‘Round” +
· No Doubt – “You Can Do It”
· Orianthi – “According to You” +
· Picture Me Broken – “Dearest (I’m So Sorry)” *

(All tracks are original master recordings)

(These tracks will be available in Europe on PlayStation 3 May 5)

These tracks will be available for purchase as “No Doubt Tragic Kingdom: The Deep Cuts” and “No Doubt Tragic Kingdom: The Complete Album,”as well as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, and as individual tracks only on Wii. Tracks marked with “+” are also available for download in the family-friendly LEGO® Rock Band Music Store.

Price:
- $1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track
     *Denotes $0.99 USD, £0.59 UK, €0.79 EU (80 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360)
- $14.99, £6.16 UK, €9.25 EU (1200 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “No Doubt Tragic Kingdom: The Deep Cuts”
- $19.99, £9.99 UK, €14.99 EU (1600 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “No Doubt Tragic Kingdom: The Complete Album”
- $2.00 USD (200 Wii Points™) per track

 ** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **

Website Links:
For more information, please visit:

Rock Band Website
No Doubt Website
Orianthi Website

Rock Band 2 is available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and Wii system. Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii versions support downloadable content. Downloadable content for Wii is purchased via the in-game Rock Band Music Store using Wii Points™ purchased through the Wii™ Shop Channel and can be downloaded to the system memory or to an SD card for additional storage. The tracks stream directly from the SD card for seamless play. With these additions, there are now 1,174 tracks available to date via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at www.rockband.com/music). Rock Band continues to satisfy music fans’ and gamers' voracious appetite for rock with more than 65 million paid downloads since its launch Nov. 20, 2007. The Rock Band Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks and packs from the vast selection of offerings available to date without ever leaving the game as they build their own custom Rock Band Library.

Rock Band and Rock Band 2 are rated "T" for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB. Music downloads are not rated by the ESRB.

Keep coming back to ComicsOnline for more Rock Band news and everything geek pop culture!

Console Gaming News: Supremacy MMA To Be Revealed at E3 This Year

505 GAMES AND KUNG FU FACTORY STEP INTO THE CAGE AS SUPREMACY MMA MAKES ITS DEBUT AT E3 2010

505 Games, a global videogame publisher, along with Kung Fu Factory, an independent videogame developer specializing in hand-to-hand fighting games, today announced that Supremacy MMA will throwdown at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) from June 15-17.

Headed to Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Supremacy MMA raises the bar in the MMA space by bringing an unprecedented level of fluid combat, intuitive controls and true-to-the-sport brutality under the guidance of the talent behind titles like the original UFC (Dreamcast), The Warriors, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Scarface and most recently UFC Undisputed 2009.

“We're excited to partner with 505 Games to launch the Supremacy MMA brand,” said Ricci Rukavina, creative director for Kung Fu Factory. “Kung Fu Factory's vision is to make an MMA game that is as authentic and realistic as possible that will introduce an entirely new type of experience to gamers. The team has an enormous amount of passion for the genre and has been relentlessly researching every aspect of the sport to deliver an MMA game unlike any other. When gamers play Supremacy MMA, we think it will absolutely knock them out."

“Years of honing our proprietary animation tools and technology have put us in a unique position to create a groundbreaking MMA game,” said Daryl Pitts, executive producer of Kung Fu Factory. “Our vision is to adapt real-life martial arts strategies into fun and intuitive game mechanics.  We want players to easily be able to enjoy the deep level of satisfaction that comes from mastering MMA techniques.”

“The team at Kung Fu Factory have proven over the years that they alone have the expertise to bring a fighting game of this caliber to life, and we are thrilled to be collaborating with them on this project”, said Adam Kline, president of 505 Games (US).

E3 2010: Donkey Kong Country Returns

Most of us growing up with a Super Nintendo in our homes were amazed in December of 1994 when one of the best looking platform games ever fell into our video game consoles.  It brought stunning pre-rendered 3D sprites and mindblowing music into our living rooms with some of the greatest gameplay ever brought to a home system. That game was Donkey Kong Country. It was immedately a smash hit and catapulted the then-little studio known as Rare into the big leagues. The years followed with 2 sequels expanding upon the original title and the Donkey Kong Country Trilogy for the SNES became legendary for always providing a solid and jam packed gameplay experience.

After Donkey Kong Country 3, Rare decided to try and make lightning strike once again and bring the Gorilla into full 3D with Donkey Kong 64 - sadly, their efforts fell short, especially when compared with their own in-house 3D platformer Banjo-Kazooie. After 1999, not much was heard from the family of Kongs aside from a few gimmicky spin off titles.

Flash forward to 2010, an entire decade later, and it seems that Donkey Kong Country is set to make its triumphant return to gaming! Brought to us by Retro Studios, best known as the team who brought Samus and the Metroid franchise back to life with their amazing Metroid Prime series, they are set to do the same with revitalizing yet another timeless classic franchise on the Nintendo Wii!

Right off the bat, you know what Donkey Kong Country Returns aims to once again deliver. Instead of trying to bring the series into full three dimensional gameplay once again, this title returns the series to its roots of masterful precise 2D gameplay. You control Donkey Kong or Diddy Kong (or both if you and a friend decide to play co-op!) and make your way through jungle-themed enviroments out to stop King K. Rool's evil plot. Jumping on baddie's heads, making perilous jumps with precise timing, finding well hidden secret paths through levels, and collecting all the letters in the word KONG - This is Donkey Kong Country exactly how you remember it.

The game seems to take full advantage of the Nintendo Wii's graphical horsepower, with levels taking place in the foreground and the background, continually jumping between the two in order to reach the ending.

The game supports the Wiimote + Nunchuck control style which takes a bit to get used to - especially using the analog stick to move - but once you get used to it, it becomes second nature. Here's to hoping Nintendo and Retro implement support for the Classic Controller for all of us older gamers to use, fully bringing us back to the days of our childhood!

Donkey Kong Country Returns is set to debut this winter on the Nintendo Wii.

Stay tuned to ComicsOnline for screens and video and everything geek pop culture!

E3 2010: Pokemon PokePark Preview

To those who don’t know me, I love Pokémon. It’s been a part of my childhood and many others who were hit by the phenomenon when it started in 1998. To this day, I cannot resist playing and awaiting new games involving these little critters. I can now say I have witnessed something that could be the start to revolutionizing the way Pokémon fans have battled, making it as close to realistic as it does to the Anime.
 

Poke Park for the Wii is a step in the right direction. They're talking, moving, flying, running and even doing their attacks just like they do in the show. Even when you talk to one, it’s given a cute little animation, giving it a wonderful charm to the game. The graphics and models for the Pokémon are great. We're given beautiful, detailed Pokémon way better than even the last Colosseum game. It's not known if every single Pokémon will be in this game, but so far it contains a plethora of them from various generations. 193 of the little critters are confirmed to make an appearance in the game. 

Here, you start out as Pikachu; wandering the various forests, beaches and so on, having recreational fun with other Pokemon. You must complete different challenges and quests in order to collect these special Poke crystals in which you can use to help your cause. Later in the game, you can befriend other Pokémon to help complete quests that Pikachu may not be able to handle, such as a swimming competition where you need to befriend a fast swimming Pokémon to help you. You will also be able to play as that Pokémon during those challenges, giving you the chance to be anything you want. The controls are smooth and are really simple to use as you explore all these places and play various games with the Pokémon living in these locations.

 The game is said to release this holiday season. This is a definite buy for any Pokémon fan and here's hoping that the good reception on this game can help develop an even greater one in the future.

Keep it here at ComicsOnline - more coverage including pictures coming soon!

E3 2010: Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 Preview

Its been a while since we have seen the ol' blue blur in top form but it's looking more and more like 2010 will finally be the year of the 'hog with no less than 5 completely different Sonic titles coming out within the next few months. Leading the charge of returning the way past cool rodent to the front of the pack is a return to 2D platforming awesomeness where he belongs.


Sonic the Hedgehog 4 brings back the original gameplay of the old Genesis titles that made them so loved and made Sonic a household name.  That’s not to say this game doesn’t have anything to keep the classic gameplay fresh with new ideas and techniques. Along with all of Sonic’s old moves, the Homing Attack from the 3D titles makes the transition over, and while other 2D Sonic games have implemented the maneuver, this is the first time it feels right and not just tacked on as a holdover from the 3D games.

Another first is the entire game is being released episodically over XBLA, WiiWare, PSN, and iPhone with each episode delivering a bit of the adventure.  Episode 1 has 4 zones and a final stage which is a nice bit of content to get through.

The game looks and feels great to play and really takes you back to playing Sonic back in the day, especially if you are playing on the Wii and using the Wiimote.


Look for Episode 1 to hit in the Fall with the subsequent episodes following along shortly after.

Keep an eye on ComicsOnline for an exclusive interview coming shortly!

E3 2010: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword News

 

First Details!

For many a generation of gamers who have owned Nintendo consoles, Zelda has always been a household name, bringing with it great adventure, stunning gameplay and head scratching puzzles (HATE THE WATER TEMPLE!! HATE! HATE!!!!!!! HAAAAAATTTTTTEEEEEEE!!!!!!!). They are the games which make the hardcore drool with anticipation just knowing that when it arrives, we will be in pure gaming nirvana for the next 20 or so hours 'til it is complete and are left staring at our television screens, controller firmly gripped in hand, mouth wide open in awe. These are the games that make it completely worth it to be a gamer and justifies our hobby's existance.

Nintendo is now set to bring us yet another epic tale starring Link, Zelda, the Gorons, the Zoras, and the whole gang with the first Wii Zelda game: Skyward Sword.

Now I know what a lot of you are saying: "But Kroze, Zelda had a Wii game already! Twilight Princess! Remember?". Well, you are right and you are wrong.  Although Twilight Princess was on the Wii and was a launch title, it was just a (mirrored) port of the Gamecube version. It was not built to take full advantage of the Wii and was always meant to be the GC's second Zelda. Skyward Sword is very much different. Using the Motion Plus adapter for the Wiimote, this game focuses on combat heavily with close to 1:1 sword movements and attacks as well as learning how and when to strike your foes. I was quite surprised with how much strategy the combat took and how complex it was, especially after the rumors going around about how this Zelda would have simplified controls.

The graphical style is very unique, taking the best from the cell shaded style of Wind Waker and combining it with the grown up look and feel of Twilight Princess which gives it a very Don Bluth-esque feel to the game world. Characters and enemies are extremely well animated and it feels great to swing the Wiimote and watch Link swing it exactly the same way. It really makes you feel like you ARE Link on this epic quest.

So far there is not much word on what the story is or its release date other than 2011, but I am more than ready to be once again sucked back into the world of Hyrule for another timeless journey!

Stay tuned to ComicsOnline for screens and video and everything geek pop culture!

Gaming News: "All You Need Is Love" Coming As DLC To The Beatles: Rock Band Wii and PS3

MTV Games and Harmonix has just announced more love for The Beatles Rock Band for PS3 and Nintendo Wii. Read more for the details.

Apple Corps, Ltd., MTV Games and Harmonix, the world’s leading developer of music-based games and a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), today announced that The Beatles’ track “All You Need Is Love” will be available for purchase as downloadable content in The Beatles™: Rock Band™ Music Store for Wii™ system on Feb. 16, 2010, and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system on March 4, 2010.

“All You Need Is Love” was released exclusively in The Beatles: Rock Band Music Store for Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft simultaneously with the game’s launch in September 2009. As previously announced, Apple Corps Ltd, MTV Games, Harmonix and Microsoft donated proceeds from the sales of the downloadable track to Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), generating more than $200,000 for the charity organization.

Available for Wii (Feb. 16):

Track:  “All You Need Is Love”

Price:   $2.00 US (200 Wii Points™ US / UK / EU)

Available for PlayStation3 System (Mar. 4):

Track:  “All You Need Is Love”

Price:   $1.99 US / £.99 UK / €1.49 EU

“All You Need Is Love” and other downloadable content for The Beatles: Rock Bandis available for purchase on Xbox LIVE, PlayStation®Network and via the in-game The Beatles: Rock Band Music Store for Wii™ using Wii Points purchased through the Wii™ Shop Channel.

The Beatles: Rock Band offers players an unprecedented, experiential progression through the music and artistry of The Beatles and is available for Xbox 360, PlayStation3 system and Wii. The game is compatible with all The Beatles: Rock Band and Rock Band™ instrument controllers, as well as most Guitar Hero® and other authorized third-party music video game peripherals and microphones.
 
The Beatles: Rock Band marks the first time that Apple Corps, along with EMI Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Harrisongs Ltd and Startling Music Ltd has presented The Beatles music in an interactive video game format. The Beatles: Rock Band is published by MTV Games and developed by Harmonix, the world’s premier music video game company and creators of the best-selling Rock Band. Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) serves as distribution partner for the game. In addition, Giles Martin, co-producer of The Beatles’ innovative LOVE album project, provided his expertise and served as Music Producer for this groundbreaking Beatles project.

The Beatles: Rock Band is rated “T” for Teen with the descriptors “Mild Lyrics” and “Tobacco Reference” by the ESRB.
 
For more information on The Beatles: Rock Band, please visit http://www.thebeatlesrockband.com/press.

For more information onRock Band 2and Harmonix Music Systems please visitwww.rockband.com and www.harmonixmusic.com.

Keep it here at ComicsOnline.com for more gaming news and everything geek pop culture.

Gaming News: Acclaimed director-designer Shinji Aramaki discusses "The Package" episode of Halo Legends

Halo fans hoping to get more details on the February 16, 2010 release of Halo: Legends, the new Blu-ray and DVD anthology of episodic Halo based anime won't have to look any further! We here at ComicsOnline.com has posted an interview with director-designer Shinji Aramaki as he discusses "The Package" episode.

Renowned Director Shinji Aramaki puts Master Chief
in the spotlight for action-packed CG Anime episode
“The Package” within Halo Legends
 
Warner Home Video to Distribute Compilation DVD on Feb. 16, 2010
 
 
Acclaimed director/designer Shinji Aramaki takes anime to an altogether new level with an all-CG episode featuring Master Chief entitled “The Package,” one of the seven stories within the highly-anticipated Halo Legends.
 
Warner Home Video will distribute Halo Legends on February 16, 2010 as a Special Edition 2-disc version on DVD and Blu-Ray™, as well as single disc DVD, On Demand and Digital Download. The DVD anthology of episodic films based within the mythology of the popular game Halo is produced by 343 Industries, a unit within Microsoft Game Studios.
 
Aramaki’s Halo Legends episode, “The Package,” was produced at Casio Entertainment. The episode finds Master Chief and four specially-selected Spartans launched on a stealth cruiser and into the heart of a giant Covenant fleet in a bid to recover a valuable intelligence asset. While any Halo fan knows of the Spartans’ unparalleled ground battle superiority, “The Package” gives Aramaki the opportunity to exhibit the Spartans’ impressive fighting abilities in zero-G and while piloting never-before-seen light attack vehicles (packed with a multitude of surprising weapons). Beyond the space battle, the episode also features plenty of hand-to-hand combat aboard a Covenant command vessel.
 
A pioneer in CG animation, Aramaki is renowned for his direction and mechanical design on powered exoskeletons and his mecha and CG design on several anime series. He has also designed several Microchange toys that became Transformers. Aramaki’s most notable credits range from the visually stunning Appleseed and its sequel, Appleseeed Ex Machina to the innovative creative designs behind Robotech: Mospeada, Transformers (original designer of Soundwave, among others), Bubblegum Crisis, Full Metal Alchemist and Naruto.


 
As one of the group companies of the world-wide famous "Casio" brand of watch and digital camera, Casio Entertainment was founded in October 2004 for the purpose of planning and developing entertainment contents. The studio’s resume includes VFX productions like Hitoshi Matsumoto’s Dai Nipponjin(2007) and Symbol(2009), and CG work on the SquareEnix production Final Fantasy Advent Children and Final Fantasy Dissida.
 
Aramaki answered a few questions about the making of The Package. Without further ado …
 
Question:
How does Halo lend itself to anime/animation?
 
Aramaki :
Halo belongs to the battle-action genre as well as to Sci-Fi and most of its visual scenes look as exciting as the images from Sci-Fi illustration library. This makes the property suit to Anime/animation quite well. One more point why I think Halo suits Anime is that it is a story of a super hero named Master Chief in a vast background of Galaxy Wars which seems to be a grand epic.
 
 
Question:
What was the inspiration for your artistic vision in your episode of Halo legends?
 
Aramaki:
Master Chief is a super hero who is invincible on the ground battle. My utmost motivation in creating my episode is to see Master Chief also invincible in the aerospace.
 

 
Question:
Were there any particular images within the Halo realm that helped shape or drive your creative vision?
                                                  
Aramaki :
The design of Master Chief itself inspires me the most.
 
 
Question:
Who were the other key individuals that brought this episode to life?
 
Aramaki:
Mr. Dai Sato, the script writer of The Package, is a guy who has a vast knowledge about Sci-Fi and videogames and also has an edgy creativity. I have wanted to have an opportunity to work with him for a long time.
 
Mr. Atsushi Takeuchi, who has designed the ONI stealth ship, is the only mecha designer whom I can rely on to ask to design things which I cannot design. When I am in a trouble, he can always help me and the result is more than I expect.


 
Question:
What did you set out to accomplish in this episode, and why do you think you achieved or exceeded your goals?
 
Aramaki :
I always wanted to make my own episode a non-stop action movie with a considerable density. For this purpose, Master Chief and his several colleagues are the most suitable heroes/heroin.
 
I owe the complete realization of my visions to the continuous efforts and the wonderful talent of the creative staff at Casio Entertainment, Inc. – and especially to Mr.Teruaki Shiraishi, CG Director of the episode. He is quite an enthusiast of Halo games and contributed a lot in increasing the quality of the episode especially in recreating the scenes from the videogames.   
 
 
Question:
How important was having Halo gaming experience to bringing the world to life in anime?
 
Aramaki :
Since a long time before I became involved in this project, I have been a Halo player. After I got involved, I have played all versions many times for the purpose of knowing the details of which I was not sure, and I have noticed that there have been so many discoveries even in the replay.
 

 
Question:
Did you include any hidden images or behind-the-scenes “Easter eggs” within your episode for the devout Halo fans?
 
Aramaki :
The viewers will see other Spartans than Master Chief and a certain important character (you’ll have to watch and see). The viewers will find out that a machine gun turret can come out from a very unexpected place. I hope that everyone will enjoy it.
 
For more information please go to WWW.HALOLEGENDS.COM

Buy Halo: Legends on Blu-ray or DVD at Amazon.com now

Keep it here at ComicsOnline.com for more movie news and everything geek pop culture.

Gaming News: Becoming A Dragon Knight Just Got Easier With Divinity II – Ego Draconis Reduced Price

As if we didn' have enough reason to pick it up already, Divinity II – Ego Draconis is now available for only $39.99 on both the Xbox 360 videogame and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC.

Check out www.honorofrivellon.com for tons of game and contest info!

For more information about Divinity II – Ego Draconis, which is rated “M” for “Mature” by the ESRB, please visit www.cdvus.com orwww.divinity2.com.

Final Gameplay Vignette

The sequel to the critically acclaimed action-RPG Divine Divinity, Divinity II - Ego Draconis transports players back to the wide-open, war-torn world of Rivellon where they will battle the forces of evil not just as a human warrior, but also as a powerful Dragon Knight! Developed by Larian Studios, Divinity II boasts a robust fantasy adventure of more than 60 hours, teeming with massive dungeons and outdoor spaces to explore.  It offers deep on-the-ground and aerial combat, and an intrigue to unravel that could reveal hidden truths and revive forgotten evils, changing the face of Rivellon forever.

Buy Divinity II: Ego Draconis on Xbox 360 or PC at Amazon.com now.

Keep it here at ComicsOnline.com for more gaming news and everything geek pop culture.

Gaming News: BioWare and FUNimation Entertainment Sign Anime Movie Deal for Award-Winning Dragon Age Franchise

 

Anime Leader to Create Home Video Adaptation of Award-Winning "Dragon Age"
 

(GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) --BioWare(TM), an Electronic Arts Inc. (Nasdaq:ERTS) studio, and FUNimation Entertainment, the leading distributor of Japanese animation in North America, announced today an agreement to create an anime feature film adapted from BioWare's critically-acclaimed fantasy Action RPG franchise Dragon Age(TM). Production of the Dragon Age anime movie is slated to begin this month with a home video release in 2011. Executive producing the film are BioWare's Executive Producer Mark Darrah and Creative Director Mike Laidlaw, as well as FUNimation's president and CEO Gen Fukunaga and Director of Original Entertainment Chris Moujaes.

"Anime is a great medium for us to continue the robust Dragon Age story," said Mark Darrah, Executive Producer for the Dragon Age franchise. "Partnering with FUNimation ensures that we are delivering the exceptional quality and entertainment value that our Dragon Age fans expect."
"We are thrilled to be working with EA and BioWare on the production of the Dragon Age anime feature," said Fukunaga. "We are going to be bringing the classic visual and storytelling techniques found in anime to create a film that will extend the narrative of the world BioWare has created."

Dragon Age has been selected as the first title in FUNimation's slate of major anime movies to be developed through FUNimation's Original Entertainment team since the announcement of the company's co-production initiative in November 2009.

When originally released in 2009, Dragon Age: Origins won over 30 critics awards and was named "RPG of the Year" by the Academy of Arts and Interactive Sciences, Game Informer, G4, SpikeTV, and PC Gamer. Seth Schiesel of The New York Times described the game as " . . . perhaps the best electronic game made yet."

For more information on Dragon Age, please visit http://dragonage.bioware.com/.

Keep it here at ComicsOnline.com for more gaming and Anime news and everything geek pop culture.

Gaming News: Capcom Announces Launch Dates for Spring Line-Up

Gamers looking for something to occupy themselves until the big summer months of gaming should look now further than our friends at Capcom for their necessary fix.  We now have the launch dates for their amazing spring line up. Check em' out!

Capcom Entertainment, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today announced release timing for its most highly-anticipated Spring titles including Monster HunterTri, Lost Planet2, Final Fight: Double Impact and Super Street Fighter IV forNorth America and Europe. 

Western Wii™ owners can join the hunt of Monster Hunter Tri the hit Japanese phenomenon makes its debut for Wii™ in North America and Europe in April. Showcasing the full power of Wii™ with some of the most strikingly beautiful graphics seen on the platform, Monster Hunter Tri puts players in the role of hunter co-existing in a dynamic, living ecosystem where monsters interact not only with players but other monsters as well. New environments, such as underwater and volcano, present fresh challenges as the hunt can happen on dry land or underwater- a first for the franchise.  Monster Hunter Tri features one of the most robust online experiences to be found on Wii with four player online co-op and two player co-op arena quests. For the first time ever, a new Story Mode will ease players into the world of Monster Hunter through quests that introduce game mechanics slowly. Offering varied control configurations to suit their style of play, players can choose between various controllers and schemes to slay the majestic beasts that inhabit the world.

Pre-Order Monster Hunter Tri for Wii at Amazon.com now

 

                Breathtaking environments, new weapons, unique vital suits and larger-than-life bosses surface in both North America and Europe on May 18, 2010 in Lost Planet 2. Launching on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PlayStation 3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system, the game is the next installment in the popular action series Lost Planet. Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, the landmark third-person shooter that debuted on Xbox 360, went on to sell over 2.3 million units worldwide after its release. Lost Planet 2will offer deeper insight into the world of E.D.N III and the uncertain fate of future mankind. Players will control their heroes across 6 interconnected episodes, creating a truly unique interactive experience that changes depending upon the actions of the players involved. The intense and action-packed campaign mode comes with the ability to form teams of up to four players on Xbox LIVE or PlayStation Network and utilize teamwork tactics, new weapons and a variety of vital suits to fight larger-than-life bosses.

Pre-Order Lost Planet 2 for Xbox 360 at Amazon.com now

Pre-Order Lost Planet 2 for PS3 at Amazon.com now

Known for its popular fighting titles, Capcom is happy to also present two strong fighting games for the Spring including Final Fight: Double Impact and Super Street Fighter IV.  Final Fight: Double Impact is a dual release of two classic arcade side-scrolling beat-em-ups due to launch as a downloadable title on the PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE . First up is Final Fight™, where players follow the heart-pounding adventures of Cody, Guy, and Haggar – three heroes fighting their way across crime-ridden Metro City in hopes of saving Haggar’s daughter from the evil clutches of Mad Gear. Cody and Guy will also be playable characters in Super Street Fighter IV giving fans the chance to take a trip down memory lane and experience these characters in their first appearance before playing them in the new Street Fighter game. 

In Magic Sword, users will take on the role of the "The Brave One," a fierce warrior who bears the daunting responsibility of cleansing evil forces by defeating the dark lord Drokmar. Accompanied by eight allies who will lend their assistance by bringing specific skills and talents to contribute to the fight, Magic Sword is an amazing side-scrolling action game illustrated in classic fantasy stylings.
 

Super Street Fighter  IV will be coming to the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft  and PS3 system on April 27, 2010 in North America and April 30, 2010 in Europe. The follow-up to the critically acclaimed Street Fighter IV will further redefine the 2-D fighting genre with a host of new features including new characters, new ultra combos, new online modes, the return of the famed bonus stages and retuned online and offline gameplay.  Super Street Fighter IV’s new characters include Street Fighter’s first Tae Kwon Do-styled fighter - the deadly female fighter Juri - classic Street Fighters such as Cody, Guy, T. Hawk, Dee Jay, Adon and more to complement the full roster of returning fighters from Street Fighter IV.  Featuring all new user-selectable Ultra Combos and advancements to the online gameplay and matchmaking, Super Street Fighter IV is the ultimate vision of Street Fighter. 

Pre-Order Super Street Fighter IV for Xbox 360 at Amazon.com now

Pre-Order Super Street Fighter IV for PS3 at Amazon.com now

Keep it here at ComicsOnline.com for more gaming news and everything geek pop culture.

Gaming News: ComicsOnline at E3!

Hell yeah, E3 is finally here! Kroze and I are on the scene, getting the inside scoops and previews of the newest video games and systems and *sighs* Microsoft Kinect.

We'll get as much live footage, interviews and coverage as you can possibly imagine. If any of you are attending E3, be sure to give us a shout out! I'll also be posting quick updates via twitter  so check those out as well.

Stay tuned to ComicsOnline for all the latest E3 info!
 

Gaming News: Dante's Inferno animated movie releasing alongside game features Spectacular Spider-Man director Vic Cook!

Pre-Order Dante's Inferno on Blu-ray or DVD at Amazon.com now

Gaming News: Divinity II- Ego Draconis Announces Final Gameplay Vignette Available Now

Gamers needing an RPG fix during the drought that is the first quarter should look no further than CDV Software's and Larian Studio's January 5th release of Divinity II - Ego Draconis.  Although the title has been on the shelves for a few weeks, we have a new video showing off some of the amazing story this game offers. 

 

The sequel to the critically acclaimed action-RPG Divine Divinity, Divinity II - Ego Draconis transports players back to the wide-open, war-torn world of Rivellon where they will battle the forces of evil not just as a human warrior, but also as a powerful Dragon Knight! Developed by Larian Studios, Divinity II boasts a robust fantasy adventure of more than 60 hours, teeming with massive dungeons and outdoor spaces to explore.  It offers deep on-the-ground and aerial combat, and an intrigue to unravel that could reveal hidden truths and revive forgotten evils, changing the face of Rivellon forever.
 

Buy Divinity II: Ego Draconis on Xbox 360 or PC at Amazon.com now

 

Keep it here at ComicsOnline.com for more gaming news and everything geek pop culture.

Gaming News: Fairytale Fights DLC Treasure Pack Hits PlayStation Network on Feb 11th

Fans looking for more crazy fighting action will be happy to hear that Playlogic is expanding Fairytale Fights with more characters and arenas! Read more for details.
 

 

Bloodthirsty Characters and Gruesome PvP Arenas Available to Download February 11th

Playlogic Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq OTC: PLGC.OB), an independent worldwide publisher of entertainment software, today announced that starting February 11th,  Fairytale Fights™ fans will be able to download Treasure Pack 1 in the PlayStation®Store through the PlayStation®Network on PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.  Treasure Pack 1 will be available for Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft in the XboxLIVE® Marketplace at a later date. 

Treasure Pack 1 is the first downloadable pack released for Fairytale Fights, the hack n’ slash platform-adventure game developed by Playlogic Game Factory.  The pack includes new characters playable in story mode and the new PvP arena’s.  New characters include:

·        Bones: a two foot tall calcium lover

·        Princess Afia: the mysterious princessfrom a sparkly land far far away

·        Grandma Red: Little Red Riding Hood’s grandma

·        Puss in Boots: everyone’s favorite feline

Treasure Pack 1 also features three new awesome arenas to paint red with the blood of your foes!  Each arena is carefully designed to test players’ combat skills.  The new Pvp arenas include:

·        Time to Die

·        Rooftop Rumble

·        Cannon Ball Bay

For more information about Treasure Pack 1 or Fairytale Fights, sign up to get the latest breaking news at www.fairytalefights.com.

Fairytale Fights is rated “M” for Mature by the ESRB.

Follow Fairytale Fights on Twitter, Facebook and Hyves.

Want to see our trailers: Come join us at http://www.youtube.com/playlogicnl.

Buy Fairytale Fights for PS3 at Amazon.com now.

 

Keep it here at ComicsOnline.com for more gaming news and everything geek pop culture.

 

Gaming News: Film Roman brings together six animation studios' visions of hell in Dante’s Inferno: An Animated Epic

What is hell?

Throughout the years, artists have tried to answer that question and through their eyes, we've been able to match images to a "place" that we hope to never see for ourselves.

Two new interpretations of hell are about to be introduced, both based on one of the most classic: Dante's Inferno. A video game named after Dante Alighieri's 14^th Century epic poem, is being released by EA on February 9 simultaneously with Dante's Inferno: An Animated Epic, from top animation studio Film Roman (part of Spartacus: Blood and Sand producer Starz Media). Both follow Dante as he literally takes a journey to hell and back, visiting the nine circles of the inferno in order to save his true love, Beatrice, who has been taken from him by the devil.

Film Roman, a studio known for it's work animating Fox’s The Simpsons and Cartoon Network’s Marvel Superhero Squad (in addition Hellboy Animated and a prequel film in conjunction with EA's 2008 hit game Dead Space), brought together some of the top anime/animation talent in the world to create the film. Different studios including Production IG (Kill Billanimated sequence), Dongwoo (Batman: Gotham Knight), Manglobe (Ergo Proxy, Samurai Champloo), JM Animation (“Avatar: The Last Airbender”) in fact contributed their visions of the nine circles of hell - Limbo, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Anger, Heresy, Violence, Fraud, and Treachery - and the end result is amazing.

By employing a range of animation studios steeped in the anime tradition, Film Roman and EA created a completely unique vision of this epic, with each circle of hell having a distinct look and tone. While this gives it a modern twist, the feature still stays true to the original elements of the poem.  To highlight the feature’s unique artistic signature, the Dante’s Inferno: An Animated Epic DVD and Blu-ray™ - being released February 9 by Starz Media company Anchor Bay - boasts six limited edition customized covers specially created by the six participating animation studios.
 
Dante’s Inferno: An Animated Epic is sure to delight all gamers and fan boys as well, but voice-over work by Mark Hamill (Star Wars), Victoria Tennant (Legend of the Mummy), Vanessa Branch (Pirates of the Caribbean), and Graham McTavish (Prison Break) as Dante, give this production extra dramatic depth and the literary source material makes this a project that will appeal to an unusually broad range of adult audiences.

Pre-Order Dante's Inferno on Blu-ray or DVD at Amazon.com now

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Gaming News: G4TV's X-Play shows off the best of its 1000th episode with a sweet music video!

G4TV has been gracious enough to offer us a sweet music video of the best of its 1000th episode.  What are you waiting for? Check it out!

 

Keep it here at ComicsOnline.com for more gaming news and everything geek pop culture.

Gaming News: Greed Corp Release Date Confirmed for February 24, 2010

Xbox Live Arcade and PSN fans won't have much longer to wait for some turn-based strategy game love. 

After months of build-up and anticipation, W!Games are happy to announce that Greed Corp, their fresh and innovative turn-based strategy game, will be released on February 24th on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft for 800 Microsoft Points, and February 25th on PlayStation®Network for $9.99.

The first in a series of games based in the rich Mistbound universe, Greed Corp is set in a world of feudal warfare and environmental destruction through industrial consumption. As one of four warring factions, your aim is territorial domination; but at what cost? Can you find the delicate balance between harvesting the land for resources and preserving it to stay alive? Will you defend your territory or sacrifice it to keep it out of enemy hands?

Featuring an innovative land collapsing mechanic which constantly alters the strategic landscape, you must destroy your enemies or the very land they stand on before they do it to you.  Build Harvesters to reap your land for credits and spend them on armouries and cannons. Manufacture walkers to conquer enemy territory and order carriers to transport your troops across the map. Ultimately, defeat your enemies by eliminating their troops and destroying or capturing their structures.

For more on Greed Corp go to www.greedcorp.com

Keep it here at ComicsOnline.com for more gaming news and everything geek pop culture.

Gaming News: Halo Legends Heroes Journey Sweepstakes begins today!

Warner Home Video has provided an opportunity of a lifetime for fans of the Halo universe with the Halo: Legends Heroes Journey Sweepstakes! Fans can now compete online to win a behind-the scenes trip to Microsoft’s 343 Industries, Xbox 360 Elite & Blu-rays/DVDs copies of the film in conjunction with Feb. 16 release of Halo Legends. Read more for the details and start winning!

Halo fans can dip even further into the mythology of the upcoming episodic Halo Legends film release by participating in the Halo Legends Heroes Journey Sweepstakes. Starting January 26, 2010, fans are invited to make an active search for special codes on the film’s social networking pages, and entrants will be eligible to win the coveted grand prize – an exclusive, behind-the-scenes trip to Microsoft’s 343 Industries, the production company behind Halo Legends. Other prizes include the Xbox 360 Elite, as well as Blu-rays and DVDs of the film, which will be released by Warner Home Video on February 16, 2010.



Fans can enter the sweepstakes through http://HLSweeps.com. The sweepstakes centers around a virtual trading card game hosted as a Facebook application. Collecting up to four distinct codes each day provides access to Halo Legends virtual trading cards and additional
sweepstakes entries. The cards are organized into sets which, upon
completion, grant to exclusive content (video clips, still images,
information) from the Halo Legends movie.  In addition, each card
expands in size and provides additional details about its place in the
episodic film.

Daily codes are available on http://HaloLegendsDVD.com,
http://facebook.com/HaloLegendsDVD,
http://myspace.com/HaloLegendsDVD
and http://twitter.com/HaloLegendsDVD.
Each unique code equates to two additional cards and one sweepstakes entry.  Fans can invite their Facebook friends to their Heroes Journey Squad to trade virtual cards and help complete collector sets – in order to more quickly unlock the exclusive content.  Facebook participants can also crate a wish list of up to five cards, and feed an alert about the cards on the wish list to friends.

Collector cards offer fans new insight into Halo Legends. The collector cards are created from both character models and still images from the film, and are displayed across 40 + individual, beautifully-designed virtual cards.

The sweepstakes features a Grand Prize for one (1) lucky winner plus
one (1) guest to take a 3-day/2-night journey of their own to 343
Industries in Redmond, WA for a private screening and a chance to meet
some of the creative team behind Halo Legends. In addition, the Grand
Prize winner will receive an Xbox 360 Elite and Halo Legends on 2-Disc
DVD or Blu-ray. There will also be three (3) First Prize winners who
will receive an Xbox 360 Elite and a Halo Legends on 2-disc DVD or
Blu-ray. Ten (10) Second Prize winners will receive a Halo Legends
standard edition DVD. The sweepstakes is open to all residents of the
United States and Canada (excluding Quebec).

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER.  Sweepstakes begins at 12:00:01 AMEastern Standard TIME (“EST”) on January 26, 2010 and ends at 11:59:59 PM EST on March 2, 2010.  Open to individuals who are, as of Entry, registered users of Facebook, 18 years of age or older; legal residents of, and physically located within the 50 U.S. (including D.C.) and Canada (except Quebec). This Sweepstakes is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by FACEBOOK, nor is FACEBOOK associated with the Sweepstakes in any way.  Any questions, comments or complaints regarding the Sweepstakes must be directed to the Sponsor or Administrator, and not to FACEBOOK.  Void in Quebec and where prohibited. Go to: http://HLSweeps.com/Rules.html for Official rules and regulations.

Buy Halo: Legends on Blu-ray or DVD at Amazon.com now

Keep it here at ComicsOnline.com for more movie news and everything geek pop culture.

Gaming News: Hannah Teter, Gretchen Bleiler, and Lindsey Jacobellis Featured in New Snowboarding Game for Wii

Wii owners looking for another way to use the fitness board will be excited to hear about Destineer announcing Triple Crown Championship Snowboarding.  Check out the details and some screenshots of the game.

 

Just in time for the world to celebrate prime snowboarding season, Destineer announces the imminent release of Triple Crown Championship Snowboarding for Wii™ starring Hannah Teter, Gretchen Bleiler, andLindsey Jacobellis. The game features three of the national snowboarding team's biggest female athletes in their natural element, strapped onto snowboards that are rocketing down mountains or pulling off physics-bending tricks in the halfpipe. Teter, Bleiler, and Jacobellis have captured title after title in events like the X Games, US Open, World Championships, and the Winter Olympic Games along with awards and accolades for their sportsmanship, activism and all-around domination of the snowboarding world.  



Gold Medalist Hannah Teter says of Triple Crown Championship Snowboarding, "We are all friends yet are super competitive, especially when we are riding againsteach other at contests around the world. Triple Crown Championship Snowboarding lets gamers everywhere test themselves against us in fun re-creations of our specialty events. The game being on Wii allows you to do maneuvers to challenge riders like me!"
Triple Crown Championship Snowboardingputs these amazing women front and center, sharing the spotlight with the top two male snowboard cross riders Nate Holland and Seth Westcott in Snowboard Cross, Halfpipe, and Slopestyle events. With a nail-biting sensation of speed, players can choose to master the mountain and ride with the best using traditional Wii controls or use the Balance Board for an extra layer of riding simulation. Triple Crown Championship Snowboarding is priced at $29.99 and will be released exclusively for Wii in February 2010.
 
Keep an eye out for each of the pros in Triple Crown Championship Snowboarding as they compete in the nailbiting 2010 snowboarding season. Good luck to Gretchen, Hannah, Lindsey, Nate, and Seth!


 
About Hannah Teter
As the reigning Olympic Gold Medalist and 2010 Olympic hopeful in women's halfpipe, Hannah Teter's riding speaks for itself. Strong performances and victories in the Winter X Games, Grand Prix (Lake Tahoe), the Burton US Open, and the Australian Open have put Teter in solid standing as one of the greatest snowboarders currently competing. Outside of the halfpipe, Teter has started a charity called Hannah's Gold that raises money for safe water infrastructure in Kenya. Teter is also the first athlete to have a flavor of Ben & Jerry's ice cream named after her, has been nominated for three ESPY awards, and won Best Sports Female in 2006.


 
About Gretchen Bleiler
A native of Ohio, Gretchen Bleiler found her passion in winter sports by the age of eleven. She is a three-time X Games Gold Medalist, an Olympic Silver Medalist and 2010 Olympic hopeful. In 2008, Oakley launched the Gretchen Bleiler collection of outerwear, clothing, goggles, and accessories - their first athlete-dedicated line. Bleiler is also an active spokesperson in the fight against global warming and works closely with StopGlobalWarming.org.
 
About Lindsey Jacobellis
The all-time leader in World Cup victories (with 20total as of this year), Lindsey Jacobellis is also an Olympic Silver medalist, a five-time X Games Gold Medalist, and is a 2010 Olympic hopeful. Born in Connecticut, Jacobellis currently lives in Stratton, Vermont and has appeared in everything from the Abercrombie & Fitch catalog to Sports Illustrated to Glamour. She can currently be seen in national TV spots for Visa and Vicks DayQuil/NyQuil.

About Nate Holland
Nate Holland saw Critical Condition when he was 11 years old, and that was all it took. Holland has gone on to win X Games snowboard cross Gold Medals from 2006 through the current season, the 2005 World Cup, and was named Boardercrosser of the Year in 2004. In July 2008, Holland visited U.S. troops stationed in the Middle East as part of an X Games themed meet-and-greet. While currently pursuing a spot on the 2010 US Olympic Snowboard Team, Holland has also been featured in Playboy, Men's Journal, Sports Illustrated, and on USA Today.


 
About Seth Westcott
The first Olympic Gold Medalist in boardercross, Seth Westcott is currently the top U.S. rider in the event and is ranked 3rd in the world. Westcott has won Olympic Gold, World Cups, World Championship Gold and Silver, and has been profiled in two Warren Miller feature films. Westcott is also a spoksperson for his home state of Maine's "Take it Outside" program that's designed to fight obesity by encouraging outdoor activities and is on the Board of Directors for the Huts and Trails program, which is building a 180-mile corridor of environmentally sound trails and recreation in the state.

About Destineer
Destineer publishes affordable family-friendly video games for home consoles, portable digital devices, and PC and Mac computers through our Destineer, Bold Games, and MacSoft brands. Destineer is a privately owned corporation based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. More information about Destineer is available at www.destineergames.com.

Pre-Order Triple Crown Snowboarding for Nintendo Wii at Amazon.com now.

 

Keep it here at ComicsOnline.com for more gaming news and everything geek pop culture.

Gaming News: Ion Assault Update Features New Modes and Controls

DLC Space action game Ion Assault now includes new game mode and alternative control setup. Read more for details.

Update for Germany's first Xbox LIVE Arcade title available now

Black Inc. and developer Coreplay from Munich, Germany, are releasing new gameplay features for the space shooter Ion Assault. An automatic update will add the high score "survival" mode and an alternative control setup to the first German-made arcade game for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®.

The new controls enable the player to handle targeting directly: Using the right stick, the player is now able to align the spaceship immediately, instead of rotating it around its axis as before. This is much easier for fans of similar games, while veterans of Ion Assault can continue to use the classic controls in both the campaign and multiplayer modes.

The newly added survival mode demands faster reactions and more stamina than the campaign. The player is confronted with more and more increasingly dangerous enemies within a certain time limit. When destroyed, enemies drop Score Orbs which not only yield points, but also valuable extra seconds, making them essential for anyone aspiring to beat the high score.

In the new mode, the ion particles the player uses to fire at enemy spacecraft do not have to be collected as they are in the campaign. The particles are automatically bundled from the beginning, and can be fired in a focused beam. The constant ion flow allows the player to concentrate fully on evasion and targeting. Thrill-seekers looking to set a new high score will find the new game mode a fast, intense experience. Moreover, Ion Assault pilots all over the world get to compare their Achievements in the "Survival" rankings. Players can also choose to explore the trial version of the new game mode first. 

Visually, the developer Coreplay continues to make the most of Ion Assault's spectacular particle effect system in the survival mode: The particles' colors and the lighting change depending on the enemies who appear, creating a visually dynamic world.

Ion Assault can be downloaded from Xbox LIVE Arcade for 800 Microsoft Points. The update including the new game mode and control setup is installed automatically.

Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

Gaming News: Lollypop Chainsaw coming your way

by Caleb Paullus, Media Editor Games

In a very short, but sweet announcement WB Games, Kadokawa Games, and Grasshopper Manufacture have announced a partnership and game called "Lollipop Chainsaw".

Lollipop Chainsaw is the ‘un-deadly’ story of sweet and killer zombie hunter Juliet Starling and her quest to uncover the root of a colossal zombie outbreak.  With her wickedly awesome chainsaw in hand, Juliet slices, dices and splits her way through hordes of the undead, but soon realizes the horde is only the opening act to a festival of zombie rock lords determined to kill the chainsaw wielding cheerleader. 

Checking out their site I can tell this is something you might enjoy. That is if you like chainsaws, cute cgi girls and upskirts.



I can only hope they do the right thing and make this as GORY AS POSSIBLE.

Follow Juliet on  twitter and check them out on facebook when you have time to wish your girlfriend looked like Juliet.

Stay tuned with ComicsOnline for more info on this lethal blonde babe and everything geek pop culture!

Gaming News: Namco Bandai Games Announces Dragon Ball: Origins 2 Exclusively for Nintendo DS

Comic mischief and adventure await as the next handheld chapter of popular anime series unfolds with new features, several playable characters and co-op gameplay. Read more for details.

Leadingvideo game publisher and developer NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc., announced today that Dragon Ball®: Origins 2 exclusively for Nintendo DS™ will be available in North America this summer. A follow-up to the original Dragon Ball: Origins for DS, Dragon Ball: Origins 2 continues the story of series hero Goku’s early years as he and his friends search the world for the seven enchanted Dragon Balls. The new action-adventure game includes an array of features including the ability to play as different characters along the way and the option to team up with a friend for co-op multiplayer challenges.
 
In Dragon Ball: Origins 2, players battle through the Red Ribbon Army saga covering Goku’s first encounters with the nefarious Red Ribbon Army up to the resurrection of Upa’s father, a member of the native tribe who serve as the guardians of the mystical Korin Tower. Players have the chance to play not only as Goku, but also the added variety of familiar faces he encounters as the journey progresses including Krillin, Bulma, Yamcha and more, each with their own abilities and power-ups. The whimsical and beloved graphical style of the series comes to life as animated cut-scenes unfold the story.
 
A challenging mix of action and exploration awaits, as Goku and friends must use a wide range of skills to solve puzzles, find treasure chests, and defeat armies of baddies. A situation-based camera adapts with the changing gameplay to bring players closer to the action. An overhead view allows players a broad perspective as they jump, swing and charge through forests, underwater areas and more. Meanwhile, key boss battles switch to side-view to emphasize the signature fighting style of the Dragon Ball series. With support for both stylus and button input options, players are free to choose their preferred control style.
 
In addition to an exciting single-player mode, two players can join up for satisfying co-op multiplayer challenges via a wireless local connection. By playing the single-player adventure, special multiplayer stages including challenging boss fights unlock and become available. Players are also able to carry over their saved character from the single-player mode as they battle alongside friends in co-op mode.
 
Dragon Ball: Origins 2 for Nintendo DS™ will be available in summer 2010. For more information about the game, please visit www.namcobandaigames.com or http://dragonball.namco.com. To join the official fan community, please visit http://www.gokuscorner.com.

Keep it here at ComicsOnline.com for more gaming news and everything geek pop culture.

Gaming News: Rock Band Adds Megadeath and More DLC!

MTV Games and Harmonix keep giving us more awesome reasons to fire up Rock Band and Rock Band 2.  Read more for the details.

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that the entirety of the seminal metal album Rust In Peace from Megadeth, will be added next week to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation® 3 computer entertainment system and Wii™.

Megadeth is among the more than 390 bands currently available through the Rock Band platform. With more than 1,000 songs available, Rock Band is, without question, the industry leader in providing the best selection of interactive musical content, songs and artists.

"This record is one of my favorites from my catalogue, and you will see the twists and turns that make Rust In Peace the quintessential Thrashterpiece that it is!" said Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine.

Available on Xbox 360 and Wii (Feb. 9) and PlayStation 3 system (Feb. 11):

·         “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due”

·         “Hangar 18”

·         “Take No Prisoners”

·         “Five Magics”

·         “Poison Was the Cure”

·         “Lucretia”

·         “Tornado of Souls”

·         “Dawn Patrol”

·         “Rust in Peace… Polaris”

(All tracks are original master recordings)

These tracks will be available for purchase as “Rust In Peace (Album),” as well as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, and as individual tracks only on Wii.

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **

Website Links:

For more information, please visit:

Downloadable content for Wii is purchased via the in-game Rock Band Music Storeusing Wii Points™ purchased through the Wii™ Shop Channel and can be downloaded to the system memory or to an SD card for additional storage.  The tracks stream directly from the SD card for seamless play. 

With these additions, there are now 1,077 tracks available to date via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at www.rockband.com/music). Rock Band continues to satisfy music fans’ and gamers' voracious appetite for rock with more than 60 million paid downloads since its launch Nov. 20, 2007.  The Rock BandRock Band library. Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks and packs from the vast selection of offerings available to date without ever leaving the game as they build their own custom playlists.

For more information onRock Band 2and Harmonix Music Systems please visitwww.rockband.com  andwww.harmonixmusic.com.

Keep it here at ComicsOnline.com for more gaming news and everything geek pop culture.

Gaming News: Rock Band Announces HIM, Marilyn Manson, The Police and More!

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that a three pack of songs from Finnish rockers HIM, as well as singles from KSM, Marilyn Manson, One Night Only and The Police, will be added next week to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™.

These are among the more than 400 artists currently available through the Rock Band platform. With more than 1,000 songs available, Rock Band is, without question, the industry leader in providing the best selection of interactive musical content, songs and artists.

Rock Band DLC Additions for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 System and Wii

Helsinki-formed rockers HIM make their Rock Band debut next week with a three pack of songs, including “Heartkiller” and “Ode to Solitude,” from their latest and seventh studio album, Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice, Chapters 1–13, which was released Feb. 9 in the United States, debuting as No. 1 Hard Rock Record and No. 25 overall on the Billboard 200. The pack also includes “Wings of a Butterfly,” from 2005’s Dark Light. The band is currently touring worldwide through August 2010 in support of their new album.

Also available in the Rock Band Music Store next week are singles from KSM (“Distracted”), Marilyn Manson (“The Dope Show”), One Night Only (“Just for Tonight”) and The Police (“Walking On the Moon”).

Available on Xbox 360 and Wii (Feb. 23) and PlayStation 3 system (Feb. 25):

·         HIM – “Heartkiller” +

·         HIM – “Ode to Solitude”

·         HIM – “Wings of a Butterfly”

·         KSM – “Distracted” +

·         Marilyn Manson – “The Dope Show”

·         One Night Only – “Just For Tonight” +

·         The Police – “Walking On the Moon” +

(All tracks are original master recordings)

These tracks will be available for purchase as “HIM Pack 01”as well as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, and as individual tracks only on Wii. Tracks marked with “+” are also available for download in the family-friendly LEGO® Rock Band Music Store.

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **

Website Links:

Rock Band 2 is available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and Wii system. Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii versions support downloadable content. 

Downloadable content for Wii is purchased via the in-game Rock Band Music Storeusing Wii Points™ purchased through the Wii™ Shop Channel and can be downloaded to the system memory or to an SD card for additional storage.  The tracks stream directly from the SD card for seamless play. 

With these additions, there are now 1,093 tracks available to date via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at www.rockband.com/music). Rock Band continues to satisfy music fans’ and gamers' voracious appetite for rock with more than 65 million paid downloads since its launch Nov. 20, 2007.  The Rock BandRock Band library. Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks and packs from the vast selection of offerings available to date without ever leaving the game as they build their own custom

Rock Band and Rock Band 2 are rated "T" for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB. Music downloads are not rated by the ESRB.

For more information on Rock Band 2 and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com  and www.harmonixmusic.com.

Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Wii is a trademark of Nintendo. © 2006 Nintendo.

Keep it here at ComicsOnline.com for more gaming news and everything geek pop culture.

Gaming News: Rock Band Announces Otis Redding DLC

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that a five pack of songs from Otis Redding, known as the “King of Soul,” as well as singles from All Time Low, Alphabeat, Brian Setzer and The Chemical Brothers, will be added next week to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™.

These are among the more than 400 artists currently available through the Rock Band platform. With more than 1,000 songs available, Rock Band is, without question, the industry leader in providing the best selection of interactive musical content, songs and artists.

Also available in the Rock Band Music Store next week are singles from All Time Low (“Weightless”), Alphabeat (“Fascination”), Brian Setzer (“Stray Cat Strut”) and The Chemical Brothers (“Let Forever Be”).

Available on Xbox 360 and Wii (Feb. 16) and PlayStation3 system (Feb. 18):

·         Otis Redding – “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” +

·         Otis Redding – “Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)” +

·         Otis Redding – “I’m Sick Y’all” +

·         Otis Redding – “I’ve Got Dreams to Remember” +

·         Otis Redding – “Love Man”

·         All Time Low – “Weightless”

·         Alphabeat –“Fascination” +

·         Brian Setzer – “Stray Cat Strut” +

·         The Chemical Brothers – “Let Forever Be” +

(All tracks are original master recordings)

These tracks will be available for purchase as “Otis Redding Pack 01”as well as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PlayStation3 system, and as individual tracks only on Wii. Tracks marked with “+” are also available for download in the family-friendly LEGO® Rock Band Music Store.

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **

Website Links:

For more information, please visit:

Rock Band Website

Otis Redding Website

Rock Band 2 is available for Xbox 360, PlayStation3 system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and Wii system. Xbox 360, PlayStation3 system and Wii versions support downloadable content. 

Downloadable content for Wii is purchased via the in-game Rock Band Music Storeusing Wii Points™ purchased through the Wii™ Shop Channel and can be downloaded to the system memory or to an SD card for additional storage.  The tracks stream directly from the SD card for seamless play. 

With these additions, there are now 1,086 tracks available to date via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at www.rockband.com/music). Rock Band continues to satisfy music fans’ and gamers' voracious appetite for rock with more than 60 million paid downloads since its launch Nov. 20, 2007.  The Rock BandRock Band library. Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks and packs from the vast selection of offerings available to date without ever leaving the game as they build their own customplaylists.

For more information onRock Band 2and Harmonix Music Systems please visitwww.rockband.com  andwww.harmonixmusic.com.

Keep it here at ComicsOnline.com for more gaming news and everything geek pop culture.

Gaming News: Rock Band Announces The Who Super Bowl S-Mashup Available Sunday

MTV Games and Harmonix keep giving us more awesome reasons to fire up Rock Band and Rock Band 2.  Read more for the details.
 

 

MTV Games and Harmonix, the world’s leading developer of music-based games and a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), today announced that a special recording of the performance The Who plans to play during the Bridgestone Super Bowl XLIV Halftime Show will be made available following the game to purchase, download and play in the groundbreaking music video game,Rock Band.  “The Who Super Bowl S-mashup” will be available in theRock BandMusic Store immediately after the game on Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Wii console from Nintendo and coming soon to PlayStation^®3.Scheduled to headline the halftime show during the Indianapolis Colts vs. New Orleans Saints Super Bowl showdown at Sun Life Stadium in South Florida on Sunday, February 7, The Who have commemorated this historic event by recording a special version of the performance they plan to play at the game. Tune in to see the prolific live halftime performance by The Who and then after the game, buy and play the specially recorded version in Rock Band!

“The Who Super Bowl S-mashup”

• Price:  $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360)

 “The Who Super Bowl S-mashup” joins 15 previously released tracks available in theRock Bandmusic library (Press Release Link), from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees.  Those songs include “Won’t Get Fooled Again” featured on the originalRock Banddisc and “Pinball Wizard” featured on theRock Band 2disc, as well as “Amazing Journey,” “Baba O’Riley,” “Behind Blue Eyes,” “Eminence Front,” “Going Mobile,” “Leaving Here,” “Magic Bus,” “My Generation,” “Real Good Looking Boy,” “Sea and Sand,” “Summertime Blues,” “Who Are You” and “Young Man Blues,” all released as downloadable content in theRock BandMusic Store. 

Rock Bandcontinues to satisfy music fans’ and gamers' voracious appetite for rock with more than 1000 songs available to play via disc and download as well as 60 million paid song downloads since its launch Nov. 20, 2007.  TheRock BandMusic Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks, packs and albums from the vast selection of offerings available to date without ever leaving the game as they build their own customRock Bandlibrary.

Rock Band 2is available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system, PlayStation^®2 computer entertainment system and Wii system. Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii versions support downloadable content. Rock BandandRock Band 2 are rated "T" for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB. Music downloads are not rated by the ESRB.

For more information onRock Band 2and Harmonix Music Systems please visitwww.rockband.com  andwww.harmonixmusic.com.

Keep it here at ComicsOnline.com for more gaming news and everything geek pop culture.

Gaming News: Rock Band DLC Adds More Country Hits!

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that a six pack of songs from country greats including Kenny Chesney, Willie Nelson, Rascal Flatts and others will be added next week to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation® 3 computer entertainment system and Wii™.

These artists are among the more than 390 bands currently available through the Rock Band platform. With more than 1,000 songs available, Rock Band is, without question, the industry leader in providing the best selection of interactive musical content, songs and artists.

Available on Xbox 360 and Wii (Feb. 2) and PlayStation 3 system (Feb. 4):

·         Kenny Chesney – “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy”

·         Montgomery Gentry – “Gone”

·         Rascal Flatts – “Me and My Gang”

·         Sara Evans – “Suds in the Bucket”

·         Trace Adkins – “Swing”

·         Willie Nelson – “On the Road Again”

(All tracks are original master recordings)

These tracks will be available for purchase as “Going Country Pack 03,” as well as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, and as individual tracks only on Wii.

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **

Website Links:

For more information, please visit:

Rock Band Website

Kenny Chesney Website

Montgomery Gentry Website

Rascal Flatts Website

Sara Evans Website

Trace Adkins Website

Willie Nelson Website

Rock Band 2 is available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and Wii system. Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii versions support downloadable content. 

Downloadable content for Wii is purchased via the in-game Rock Band Music Storeusing Wii Points™ purchased through the Wii™ Shop Channel and can be downloaded to the system memory or to an SD card for additional storage.  The tracks stream directly from the SD card for seamless play. 

With these additions, there are now 1,068 tracks available to date via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at www.rockband.com/music). Rock Band continues to satisfy music fans’ and gamers' voracious appetite for rock with more than 60 million paid downloads since its launch Nov. 20, 2007.  The Rock BandRock Band library. Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks and packs from the vast selection of offerings available to date without ever leaving the game as they build their own custom

Rock Band and Rock Band 2 are rated "T" for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB. Music downloads are not rated by the ESRB.

For more information on Rock Band 2 and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com  and www.harmonixmusic.com.

Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Wii is a trademark of Nintendo. © 2006 Nintendo.

 

Keep it here at ComicsOnline.com for more gaming news and everything geek pop culture.
 

Gaming News: Triple Crown Championship Snowboarding's Featured Riders Dominate at X Games

Wii owners should be further excited about Destineer Games' upcoming Wii title Triple Crown Championship Snowboarding.  Each of the featured riders won medals at X games 14! Read more for the details.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – February 3, 2010– Destineer is proud to congratulate each of the riders featured in its forthcoming Wii™ video game Triple Crown Championship Snowboarding for their terrific performance at Winter X Games 14 this past weekend in Aspen, CO. Hannah Teter took bronze and Gretchen Bleiler won gold in an amazing half pipe competition. Seth Westcott got his eighth career X Games medal with a silver in snowboard cross (SBX) and Nate Holland became the first athlete to five-peat in the Winter X Games by winning his fifth consecutive gold in SBX. Lindsey Jacobellis took her third straight X Games win with gold in the same event.
 
On top of those amazing performances, the final roster for America’s 2010 Olympic Snowboarding team has been announced, and Destineer is very proud to congratulate each of the riders featured in Triple Crown Championship Snowboarding for earning slots on the team!
 
In a few weeks, players will be able to compete against each of them in their best events in Triple Crown Championship Snowboarding for Wii™ from Destineer.
 
With full Wii Balance Board™ accessory support, Triple Crown Championship Snowboarding features four core event types with an additional matching number of variants:
 
·        Half pipe: The ideal setup to show off the most breathtaking tricks, Triple Crown Championship Snowboarding drops you in the pipe alone to rack up the highest score, but also offers two variants – Endless Half Pipe (where good tricks earn extra time to keep the run going) and Dual Half Pipe for head-to-head splitscreen competition.
·        Snowboard Cross (SBX): A breakneck race to the finish, SBX features four riders at a time launching themselves down the mountain, trying to find the optimal path. Some friendly shoving might be the only way to clear your chosen line, so don’t worry about being gentle!
·        Slopestyle: Combining the tricking of half pipe with slalom’s white-knuckle precision speed, the Slopestyle events test players on all fronts.
·        Slalom: Speed is your friend, but accuracy getting around the gates correctly will earn you the top slot in Triple Crown Championship Snowboarding’s slalom races. One alternate challenge gives you precious time with each successfully-navigated gate to see how long you can make the ride last and another adds the friendly aggression of SBX’s shoves!
 
Each of the main event types also feature multiplayer (for two to four local players) and Wii Balance Board support.
  
About Destineer
Destineer publishes affordable family-friendly video games for home consoles, portable digital devices, and PC and Mac computers through our Destineer, Bold Games, and MacSoft brands. Destineer is a privately owned corporation based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. More information about Destineer is available at www.destineergames.com.

Pre-Order Triple Crown Championship Snowboarding on Nintendo Wii at Amazon.com now.

 

Keep it here at ComicsOnline.com for more gaming news and everything geek pop culture.

Gaming News: Warner Home Video provides new clip from Halo Legends episode "The Prototype."

Less than a week to go and it's almost here! To get us ready, Microsoft and Warner Bros. have given us with another sweet clip from Halo: Legends, the new Blu-ray and DVD anthology of episodic Halo based anime releasing on February 16, 2010. Check out the first 91 seconds of "The Prototype."
 

 

"Halo Legends," an all-new, CG and traditional anime PG-13 experience
that presents enthralling new stories from one of the world’s most
popular video game franchises, will be distributed February 16, 2010
by Warner Home Video as a Special Edition 2-disc version on DVD and
Blu-Ray™, as well as single disc DVD, On Demand and Digital Download.
"Halo Legends" is produced by 343 Industries, a part of Microsoft Game
Studios.

In "The Prototype," human marines struggling to defend a secret
weapons research facility from invading Covenant troops are finally
ordered to destroy everything rather than let the weapons and valuable
navigational data fall into the hands of the Covenant. In a desperate
but noble sacrifice, a war-torn officer dons the prototype suit of
powered armor being developed at the facility in a last-second gambit
to buy time for his soldiers to escape. The episode plays to the
strengths of Bones’ impressive ability to represent aerial and
mecha-style combat.

"The Prototype" is one of seven stories -- told across eight episodic
films -- within "Halo Legends," which will release on Feb 16 of next week.

 

Gaming News: Warner Home Video releases lengthy "Halo Legends" clip from "The Babysitter" episode

Microsoft and Warner Bros. have once again hooked us up with another sweet clip from Halo: Legends, the new Blu-ray and DVD anthology of episodic Halo based anime releasing on February 16, 2010. Check it out!
 

 

"Halo Legends," an all-new, CG and traditional anime PG-13 experience
that presents enthralling new stories from one of the world’s most popular video game franchises, will be distributed February 16, 2010 by Warner Home Video as a Special Edition 2-disc version on DVD and Blu-Ray™, as well as single disc DVD, On Demand and Digital Download.

“The Babysitter” focuses on the intense rivalry between the ODST
(Orbital Drop Shock Troopers) and the Spartans. When given an assignment to assassinate a high-ranking Covenant Prophet, a four-man team of ODSTs must accept a Spartan Sniper to their strike force. Each
discipline learns something important about the other as the mission progresses into hostile territory - and old rivalries must be reexamined if the mission is to succeed. The episode emphasizes the differences in ability and style between the two soldier types, and features a few familiar faces – Dutch from Halo 3: ODST and his teammates Private O'Brien, Master Sergeant Cortez and Corporal Checkman.

Produced by 343 Industries, a part of Microsoft Game Studios, "Halo
Legends" is a seven-story anthology – told across eight spectacular episodes – that explores the origin and historical events of the Halo universe and its intriguing characters. Halo Legends has been created in the same breakthrough format as The Animatrix and Batman Gotham Knight with each individual episode imagined by a cutting-edge, renowned Japanese anime director/animator.

 

Gaming News: Warner Home Video releases new images from all eight "Halo Legends" episodes

Halo fans who can’t seem get enough won’t have to wait until the release of Halo: Reach for their next fix.  Microsoft and Warner Bros. have announced the release of Halo: Legends, the new Blu-ray and DVD anthology of episodic Halo based anime. The title releases on February 16, 2010 and to gear you up, ComicsOnline.com has posted images from each of the episodes.  Click and enjoy. 

 

Produced by 343 Industries, a part of Microsoft Game Studios, the
exciting tales-beyond-the-games explore the origin and historical
events of the Halo universe and its intriguing characters. Halo
Legends has been created in the same breakthrough format as The
Animatrix and Batman Gotham Knight with each individual episode
imagined by a cutting-edge, renowned Japanese anime director/animator,
including Shinji Aramaki, Mamoru Oshii, Hideki Futamura, Tomoki Kyoda
and Yasushi Muraki. The stories are inspired and produced by the
creative minds of 343 Industries, including Halo franchise development
director Frank O’Connor and managing editor Kevin Grace.

"Is it a bird, a plane? No it's ComicsOnline!"

The individual episodes fall within Halo’s 26th Century mythology as
the battle between humanity and aliens rages on in an attempt to
protect Earth and mankind’s expansive number of space colonies. The
dramatic, action-packed stories feature characters and locales
familiar to Halo fans, and episodes range in length between 10 and 17
minutes –  resulting in nearly two hours of animated adventures.
 

The episodes are animated by some of the world’s most respected
studios and directors in anime today. The studios range from
Production I.G. (Ghost in the Shell, Batman Gotham Knight), Bones
(Cowboy Bebop, Fell Metal Alchemist) and Toei Animation (Dragonball Z,
Digimon) to Studio 4oC (The Animatrix, Batman Gotham Knight) and Casio Entertainment. The stellar roster of animation talent on Halo Legends
is highlighted by creative supervisors Shinji Aramaki (Appleseed) and
Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell); directors Shinji Aramaki
(Appleseed), Hideki Futamura (The Animatrix), Daisuke Nishio
(Dragonball Z), Hiroshi Yamazaki (Karas), Toshiyuki Kanno (Black
Lagoon), Koichi Mashimo (Blade of the Immortal) and Koji Sawai
(Patlabor); directors/action designers Tomoki Kyoda (Eureka Seven,
Evangelion 1.0) and Yasushi Muraki (Macross Plus, Vampire Hunter D);
and writer Dai Sato (Cowboy Bebop).

Halo is a centerpiece in the world of video games, selling more than
27 million units to a devoted legion of fans – including the latest
hit Halo 3:ODST. The Halo franchise has driven more than $1 billion in
revenue from its award winning Xbox games, New York Times best-selling
novels and comics and a wide variety of other merchandise.

Buy Halo: Legends on Blu-ray or DVD at Amazon.com now

Keep it here at ComicsOnline.com for more movie news and everything geek pop culture.

Handheld Gaming News: 8BallAllstars Coming Soon to Nintendo DS & DSi!

O-Games Announces 8BallAllstars Coming to Nintendo DS and DSi in May!

Chalk Up Your Cue and Rack ‘em Up with Tons of Gameplay Variations

O-Games, Inc., a publisher of family, social and sports videogames and part of OG International Ltd., announced today that 8BallAllstars is coming exclusively to Nintendo DS™ and DSi handheld device on May 11, 2010. With eight rule sets, seven table types and real pool physics, 8BallAllstars brings you and your friends the best pool game on the Nintendo DS and DSi!

8BallAllstars is a game of concentration and accuracy as you play to unlock new levels, tables, and environments.  Challenge your friends to a head-to-head or doubles match, play on authentic tables, kick it up a notch in challenge mode, track your record statistics and enjoy wireless play in this unique multiplayer pool game!

8BallAllstars Game Features:

    * Seven game types, including 3, 6, 8, 9 and 10 ball, straight pool and rotation
    * UK & American rule sets
    * 12 A.l. opponents, each with multiple levels of playing ability
    * Unlock different shaped authentic tables and unique environments!
    * Get creative when you customize and sketch your avatar and table signature
    * 15 contemporary environments
    * Send messages to your opponents during play with DS Wireless Communication and Multiplayer Chat
    * Realistic table physics give you the best, most authentic pool game on DS and DSi!

Rated “E” for Everyone by the ESRB, 8BallAllstars is a family friendly video game that will test your accuracy and challenge your abilities as you unlock new and more difficult levels and tables.  For more information about O-Games and 8BallAllstars please visit the official website. 

Keep coming back to ComicsOnline for more Wii gaming news and everything geek pop culture!

Handheld Gaming News: Award Winning Apps Available on the new iPad!

Pangea Software Delivers Award-winning Apps for iPad Including Enigmo Deluxe, Cro-Mag Rally and More

Pangea Software, one of the leading game developers for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch, announced today the release of five apps for iPad on the App Store. Available now as the first of Pangea’s planned apps for Apple’s new iPad are Enigmo Deluxe, Cro-Mag Rally, Bugdom 2, Otto Matic, and Nanosaur 2.

“Our plan is to eventually release iPad versions of every one of our iPhone apps,” says Brian Greenstone, President of Pangea Software.  “The iPad has huge potential to change the portable video game industry, and we’re really excited to be involved with it.  I think we’re on the cusp of something truly revolutionary.”

Enigmo Deluxe: Based on the award-winning puzzle-game Engimo for iPhone, Enigmo Deluxe for iPad has major new features, including a built-in level editor that allows users to create, edit, and play their own levels.  Friends can share Level Packs so they can play levels that they create or exported them for play on the Mac, PC, or iPhone versions of Enigmo.  The game now comes with over a dozen free Level Packs including two “Kid Packs” which were paid add-on’s in the original Enigmo. Together with the 50 original Enigmo levels, Enigmo Deluxe comes with over 400 free levels.

Cro-Mag Rally: One of the best selling racing games for the iPhone, the new iPad version now has 6 cars instead of just 4, and the visuals and gameplay are optimized for iPad.

Bugdom 2, Nanosaur 2 and Otto Matic: In Pangea’s action-adventure games Bugdom 2, Nanosaur 2 and Otto Matic there are more enemies, improved graphics, and a new feature that allows players to customize the game control layout on the screen.  This feature is really useful on the iPad’s large screen allowing each user to position the controls to best fit their hands. In addition, Otto Matic also has new control physics that greatly improve the playability.

Enigmo and Cro-Mag Rally for iPhone were named in the “Top 20 All-Time Paid Apps”by Apple. Enigmo was also recognized as a “Showcase Winner” at the Austin Independent Games Festival, voted “Best iPhone Game” at Apple’s 2008 World Wide Developer Conference and was honored as the “Best Puzzle Game” at the 2008 Best App Ever Awards.

iPad version of Enigmo Deluxe, Cro-Mag Rally, Bugdom 2, Nanosaur 2, and Otto Matic are each available on the App Store for $9.99. To view all of Pangea Software’s iPhone and iPad apps in the App Store visit the official website.

For more information about Pangea Software, please visit www.pangeasoft.net

Keep coming back to ComicsOnline for more iPad gaming news and everything geek pop culture!

Handheld Gaming News: Grandia to be re-released on the PSN

Finally! Grandia will be available for download on the North American PlayStation Network for PlayStation 3 and PSP this Thursday for $9.99!

Since the title launched on the Japanese PlayStation Network in April of 2009, we have received many inquiries about the North American launch. And it wasn’t so easy to keep our lips zipped under such circumstances, but the day has finally come!

*Character design and illustration by Takuhito Kusanagi

Well, let me tell you a bit about the game.

Grandia is an unforgettable journey with over 80 hours of gameplay, and it was released over 10 years ago for the PSOne and became one of the most critically acclaimed RPG games. The player assumes the role of Justin, a young boy obsessed with becoming a great adventurer, who inherits a magic stone that leads him on an epic journey to uncover the mystery of a long lost civilization. And, he meets other adventurers who join him on his quest and as he unravels the threads of the ancient legend, he draws the attention of the Garlyle Forces who devise diabolical schemes to stop him.

The fight for the truth takes place across the world, with over 200 weapons, enemies, and items to collect plus over 80 magic spells and techniques to master. The title was released with two ROMs a decade ago due to the volume of the game, but you can download the same game from PSN on your PS3 and PSP only for $9.99!

I believe Grandia is ideal for RPG fans who missed the original version and those gamers who want to recapture the magic of their gaming past, and it can be appreciated by players young and old, men and women, casual and hardcore because this is a timeless game.

*Illustration by Toshiaki Hontani

 

This is one of the first game development projects I was involved in after entering the company, and I was in charge of sound direction for the PSOne Grandia. Mr. Nobuyuki Iwadare has composed the soundtrack throughout the Grandia series, and the kind of work I carried out back then was explaining the atmosphere of the game to Mr. Iwadare. Then, he could compose the music suitable for the game and synchronizing the sound effects and his music with the game or the movie parts.

The performance of videogame hardware in those days wasn’t as good as it is today, and there were limitations to the methods of musical or sound representation back then; however, we continued to be particular about musical/ sound representation in laborious details and developed our first Grandia by trial and error.

So, I have a certain fondness for this title, and I was very thrilled when I learned that the PlayStation Network was willing to add our classic game to the lineup. And, all the staff including myself who were involved in the development of Grandia are very happy that the game can be played by both a new generation of gamers and those who played the game when it was first released. Thank you, Sony Computer Entertainment of America! :)

*Illustration by Toshiaki Hontani

Are you ready to enter (or re-enter) the world of Grandia, brave adventurer? Your quest awaits! Check it out this Thursday when it launches on PlayStation Store for only $9.99!

Coming this week to PSN: Grandia PSOne Classic [Source]

Handheld Gaming News: Lunar: Silver Star Harmony goes Gold

Torrance, Calif., (February 17, 2010) – XSEED Games announced today that Lunar: Silver Star Harmony has gone gold, and will start shipping to retailers across North America beginning March 2nd. The standard edition of Lunar: Silver Star Harmony will be available for a suggested retail price of $29.99, while the Limited Edition version, which includes a CD soundtrack and a set of 13 exclusive "bromide" collector cards highlighting the girls of Lunar, will be available for a suggested retail price of $39.99 from Amazon.com, EB Games, GameStop, Game Crazy, and other fine retailers. A digital download version of the game will also be available on the PlayStation®Store for a retail price of $29.99 starting March 4th. An entirely revamped iteration of the classic RPG, Lunar: Silver Star Story, Lunar: Silver Star Harmony was developed by Game Arts and will launch exclusively on the PSP®(PlayStation®Portable) system on March 2nd, 2010.

As a reminder, players who previously completed the demo of Lunar: Silver Star Harmony will have bonus starting equipment when playing the full version of the game when it is released. New and old fans alike are invited to visit www.lunarsilverstarharmony.com for more information.

Following the epic journey of a young boy whose adventures to become the Dragonmaster eventually set him on a path to save the world of Lunar, this classic RPG masterpiece has been reborn on the PSP system as Lunar: Silver Star Harmony. With all new graphics, added gameplay features, and a re-mastered soundtrack, this re-imagined entry welcomes a new audience to the unforgettable series, with added story elements sure to intrigue returning fans. Lunar: Silver Star Harmony is rated "T" for Teen by the ESRB.
About GAME ARTS Co., Ltd.:
GAME ARTS Co., Ltd. was established in 1985 and has been in the industry for more than 20 years, becoming one of the most prestigious development companies in Japan with role-playing games such as the "Grandia" and "Lunar" series, the shooter series "Silpheed" and the mechanized shooter series "Gungriffon." Currently developing titles for next gen home consoles, portable devices as well as PC, the technology gained through their vast development experience working on first-party and original titles across a wide range of platforms has prepared them to tackle every new project dynamically and professionally. GAME ARTS Co., Ltd. is a subsidiary company of GungHo Online Entertainment, Inc. For more information, please visit http://www.gamearts.com/ .

About XSEED Games:
XSEED Games was formed in November 2004 by a small group of industry veterans led by president Jun Iwasaki with a common vision: to cross pollinate the avid gaming cultures of Japan and North America. Delivering unique, innovative titles across multiple platforms and genres, XSEED Games is dedicated to publishing products that appeal and enrich the North American market. More information on XSEED Games can be found at http://www.xseedgames.com

©1992 GAME ARTS /Toshiyuki Kubooka/Kei Shigema. ©1996 Kadokawashoten/GAME ARTS/JAM.

©2009 GAME ARTS. Original character design/Toshiyuki Kubooka Licensed to and published by XSEED Games.

Handheld Gaming News: New Mystery Game to Release for Nintendo DS!

Uncover clues as you travel through time to solve the ultimate mystery!

O-Games, a new publisher of family, social and sports videogames, and part of OG International Ltd., announced today that Mystery Tales Time Travel™ is coming to the Nintendo DS™ system on September 14, 2010. Travel through time while exploring some of the world’s most exotic places as you piece together the puzzle in the hopes to solve the ultimate mystery!

Players find themselves on the trail of a French writer who has stumbled upon an old diary of a long lost relative.  Setting out on this magnificent adventure in the hope of solving the mystery, players must find the path that will lead them back home. With clues to uncover and riddles to solve, Mystery Tales Time Travel is a thrilling and exciting game the whole family is sure to love!

Mystery Tales Time Travel Game Features:
    * With various story modes to choose from, players can search for the Hidden Objects before time runs out, locate the Hotspots, and complete Logic and Reverse levels in specific order
    * Mini-games challenge players to exercise their mind with Memory and Decryption games
    * Use Magic Spells to travel through time, Dimension Gates to enter new worlds, and Spirit Sights invoked by the witch
    * Mystery Tales takes you to 30 unique locations across the world in China, Italy, France and Egypt
    * Train your brain with memory games, puzzle games, and interesting drawings
    * Search for over 1,000 Hidden Objects

Rated “E10+” for Everyone by the ESRB, Mystery Tales Time Travel is a family-friendly videogame offering a fun experience to all. 

For more information about O-Games and Mystery Tales Time Travel, please visit http://usa.og-international.net/default.asp

Want to make sure you get a copy?  Pre-order Mystery Tales Time Travel on Amazon today!

Keep coming back to ComicsOnline for more gamine news and everything geek pop culture!

Handheld Gaming News: Super Scribblenauts Adjectivizes Gamescom

 

To celebrate Super Scribblenauts’ presence at Gamescom, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is proud to release a brand new trailer showcasing some of the more descriptive updates to the game, like a giant, purple, flying, flaming car. Super Scribblenauts, available October 2010, will include 120 brand new levels, hundreds of new objects in a robust dictionary and an adjective system with thousands of adjectives.

Click "Read More" to check out the trailer!

 

Created and developed by 5TH Cell, Super Scribblenauts offers hours of original entertainment, upgraded controls and innovative new gameplay mechanics. Players will be able to write any object that comes to mind and modify it in any way they desire, using adjectives that change the color, size, elements, behaviors and many other aspects of objects in the game. Multiple descriptors can be combined to produce inventive new items, allowing players imaginations to run wild for a truly unique and individualistic experience.

 

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Handheld Gaming News: Titanic Mystery to Set Sail on Nintendo Wii, DS and PC!

O-Games Announces Titanic Mystery Coming to Nintendo Wii, DS and PC September 28, 2010!

Set Sail on This Maiden Voyage of Mystery and Adventure at Sea

O-Games, a new publisher of family, social and sports videogames, and part of OG International Ltd. announced today that Titanic Mystery™ is coming to North America on Nintendo Wii™,  DS™ and PC, September 28, 2010! Set sail on the maiden voyage of Titanic II to mark the 100th anniversary of the original ship. Filled with adventure and suspense, this is sure to be a game the whole family will enjoy.


Titanic Mystery is a game of exploration and mystery in the search for a hidden bomb on the new ocean liner, Titanic II. Join in the journey to try and locate the bomb to save the ship and all the passengers on-board. Along the way players will uncover clues and investigate the ship while learning secrets of the original Titanic. With 30 intricate levels each containing challenging mini-games, players will encounter elaborate twists and turns around every corner.

Titanic Mystery Game Features:
    * Explore the ship and meet different members of the crew along the way
    * Investigate clues and get closer to uncovering the ultimate mystery
    * Search for hundreds of objects containing timeless secrets about the original Titanic
    * 30 intricate levels
    * 30 challenging mini-games

Rated “E10+” for Everyone by the ESRB, Titanic Mystery is a family-friendly videogame that will bring excitement into every home.  For more information about O-Games and Titanic Mystery, please visit: http://usa.og-international.net/default.asp

Can't wait for September to order?  Order your copy on Amazon today!

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Handheld Gaming News: Turf Wars: Livin' Large Releases on iPad for Free

The Only Geo-Based Mafia Game On Apple Handhelds Debuts on iPad With Localized Leaderboards, In-App Purchase Updates and a Limited Time Respect Point Bonus

MeanFreePath LLC., developer of innovative, location-based social games for major mobile devices, has announced the release of Turf Wars Livin’ Large for the Apple iPad, one of only a few hundred free applications available at the device’s launch April 3rd, 2010.  The critically-acclaimed geo-based landgrab game hits iPad with a variety of updates, including in-app purchase and city, state, and national leaderboards, further enhancing the already rich experience Turf Wars has to offer. For a limited time as well, downloading the free application includes 10 Respect Points to use on buffing your mobster, grabbing more turf or whatever your mafia-minded heart desires.

 “Turf Wars Livin’ Large on Apple’s iPad makes building your mob and growing your turf look and play better than it ever has,” said Nick Baicoianu creator of Turf Wars and founder of MeanFreePath LLC. “Getting the application ready and approved for the iPad launch wasn’t easy, but now Turf Wars Livin’ Large is really a one-of-kind app across all of Apple’s handheld platforms.”
 
Nominated for both “Best Use of Location Services” and “Best MMO Game” by 148 apps, Turf Wars is a geo-based crime app that utilizes the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch’s GPS capabilities allowing players to grab real turf on a map adding a more realistic feel to the gameplay. Complete missions to level up and take control of turf with one goal in mind, being the top dog or “Capo” of your town.

Keep coming back to ComicsOnline for more iPad gaming news and everything geek pop culture!

Handheld Gaming News: Wallace & Gromit: The Last Resort Releases for iPad!

Telltale Releasing Globally Popular Wallace & Gromit Game to
Celebrate iPad’s International Growth

Crafty inventor and his craftier pet will bring new kind of fun to revolutionary device
 

Telltale Inc, the leading independent digital publisher and developer of episodic interactive entertainment, today announces a new game for iPad: Wallace & Gromit: The Last Resort!  Audiences of all ages around the world will soon have the inventive, fun and engaging adventure of Aardman Animations’ Wallace & Gromit at their fingertips with the iPad.

“Each Telltale Wallace & Gromit game is like an interactive film for players to immerse themselves in and guide the on-screen action, solving conundrums and experiencing the story,” said Dan Connors, CEO of Telltale Games.  “The iPad is one of the most exciting gaming platforms to design and develop games for as it allows us to bring a unique kind of storytelling and experience to our fans, which they can interact with directly on the vast iPad screen.”

In The Last Resort, Wallace and his faithful pooch Gromit, embark on an ambitious new venture laced with unexpected (and always amusing) complications.  When foul weather throws a spanner into their holiday plans, Wallace & Gromit bring the beach to 62 West Wallaby, constructing a makeshift resort (complete with waterslide) — in their basement!  It’s a lovely holiday but keeping customers satisfied is tricky business, especially when one of them is clocked on the head by an unknown assailant.  It is up to Wallace & Gromit to find the clues and solve the mystery and figure out whodunnit, with a little help from Wallace's latest invention, the Deduct-o-matic (and your iPad!). 

This family friendly game will be available at the affordable price of $4.99 USD, £2.99 and €3.99.

Wallace & Gromit: The Last Resort will join Telltale’s recently released Sam & Max: The Penal Zone on iPad, which leading journalists have acclaimed as a “must-have” iPad app.  Wallace & Gromit is expected to join Sam & Max at the iTunes App Store in the near future. 


For our previous review of the game on PC, click here.

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Handheld Gaming News: Wallace and Gromit: The Last Resort Releases on iPad!

Telltale Game’s Popular Wallace & Gromit Game Now Available on iPad

Aardman Animations Inventive Duo Now as Close as the Nearest Touch Screen

Telltale Inc, the leading independent digital publisher and developer of episodic interactive entertainment, is pleased to announce that Wallace & Gromit: The Last Resort is available on the AppStore for iPad! Now, fans of Wallace & Gromit can download the game and immediately experience the adventure, fun and humor of Aardman Animations’ most famous inventors via the touch screen of the iPad.

Wallace & Gromit: The Last Resort joins Telltale’s recently released Sam & Max: The Penal Zone and the upcoming Puzzle Agent on the iPad as part of Telltale Games slate of AppStore releases.

Wallace & Gromit: The Last Resort is fun for the whole family and is available at the affordable price of $4.99 in the US and for £2.99 and €3.99 “across the pond”.

In The Last Resort, Wallace and his faithful pooch Gromit, embark on an ambitious new venture laced with unexpected (and always amusing) complications. When Wallace & Gromit construct a makeshift resort (complete with waterslide) in their basement, the shenanigans begin! It’s a lovely holiday but before long there is the mystery to solve and misadventures to happen upon. It is up to Wallace & Gromit to find the clues and solve the mystery with a little help from Wallace's latest invention, the Deduct-o-matic (and your iPad!).

To read our previous PC review of this game, click here.

Follow the link to go directly to the Wallace & Gromit: The Last Resort page on the AppStore: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wallace-gromit-the-last-resort/id374089452?mt=8

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Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 - New DLC

We have another glimpse at an upcoming Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 downloadable character for you today – Cable. Along with other recent characters such as Black Panter and Psylocke, Cable is the newest addition to this action-packed game. Check out more screenshots featuring this new mutant from the future: 

PSN Gaming News: Blue Toad Murder Files Released as Virtual Box Set

'Toad-ally' Good Value

Relentless Software® announces the global release of the Blue Toad Murder Files™ Virtual Box Set and up to 80% off Episode 1

Relentless Software® today announces the global release of the Blue Toad Murder Files: The Mysteries of Little Riddle™ ‘virtual’ box set. Episodes 1-6 can be purchased together from the PlayStation®Store in North America now for $26.99. The European, Australian and New Zealand launch will follow today priced at £17.99.

To celebrate the launch, Episode 1 will also be reduced in all stores to $1.49/99p. Customers can enjoy up to 80% off for a limited time only. And for those customers who trial the game in the sale, they can upgrade to the Box Set for $25.49/£16.99 so there’s no reason not to try Blue Toad Murder Files out!

The first episodes of Blue Toad Murder Files were released in December 2009 with the PlayStation®Network exclusive receiving praise from across the media. Eurogamer awarded the game 8/10 saying: “Murder has rarely been so pleasant as it is amidst the tidy hedges, twitching curtains and flocking geese of Little Riddle, while videogames have almost never left their comfort zones behind with such breezy assurance.”

Danny Isaac, Studio Manager, at Relentless commented: “Throughout Blue Toad’s lifetime we’ve thought of it as somewhere between a videogame and a murder mystery TV show so it seems fitting that we should release a virtual Box Set. With a summer of sport to look forward to, Blue Toad Murder Files offers an alternate activity for all the family to play together.”

Check out my previous reviews of these episodes here and here.

Visit their official website at www.bluetoadmurderfiles.co.uk

Head over to PSN to download the Blue Toad six episode bundle today!

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PSN Gaming News: Superstars V8 Racing to Release in October 2010!

O-Games™, Inc., a publisher of family, social and sports videogames and part of OG International LTD., announced today that Superstars V8 Racing, the most intense track-based racing game of the year, will launch exclusively on PlayStation®Network in October 2010. With dozens of official tracks, and head-to-head online play with up to seven other players, this amazing racing title offers all the action of a full length retail game through digital download for only $19.99.

Click Read More to check out the trailer!



“The breadth, depth and quality of Superstars V8 Racing make it one of the best racing games available on PlayStation Network,” said Greg Lanz, general manager of O-Games, Inc. “Our original plan was to release this game at retail, but after considering all the options, we decided to release it exclusively through PlayStation Network. Superstars V8 Racing delivers a first-class multiplayer race experience with world-renowned cars that will thrive with this audience. In addition, O-Games can sell Superstars V8 Racing for a lower price since we do not have to pay the costs to manufacture, package, and ship the product to retail. The bottom line? Gamers can now own a $40 game for half the price they would pay in-store.”

Superstars V8 Racing provides players a near limitless amount of replayability, pick up and play mechanics and adjustable settings that offer plenty of fun for fans of arcade, sim and everything in between. Racing fans can enjoy dozens of official circuit tracks including name brand European and American vehicles. Drivers can modify cars from BMW, Audi, Mercedes, Cadillac, Jaguar, and more, letting players compete online against up to seven other drivers. The simulation and arcade-style gameplay throws players behind the wheel in one of the most intense European racing competitions, leaving only their wits and reactions between them and the Superstars Championship title.

Superstars V8 Racing is rated “E” for everyone by the ESRB. For more information on the game visit www.reverbinc.com/ogames

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PSN Gaming News: Zombie Tycoon on Sale at the Playstation Store for 50% Off!

Frima’s Smash Hit Zombie Tycoon Now On Sale!

Let the “Summer of Minis” continue! Frima Studio, a leading and award-winning multiplatform game developer based in Quebec, announced today that Zombie Tycoon is on sale on the PlayStation Store for only $2.49 all the way through August 9, 2010! Normally $4.99, Zombie Tycoon is one of the most successful PlayStation Minis of all time and unlike any zombie game you’ve played before! Check out the details.


Frima's team thought that it was about time to turn the tables on those living dead stereotypes…again and again, you find yourself having to survive some kind of undead apocalypse. Well, no more! In Zombie Tycoon, you get to control your very own horde of ravenous zombies! This unique tale of intrigue and betrayal spans over 10 challenging levels, complete with animated cutscenes, in-game dialogs, and a bunch of humorous references. Equip your slavering, putrescent swarm of undead minions with over 100 quirky items and send them shuffling after humans like wolves on cattle, laying waste to town after town as they spread their blight across the globe!

As a PlayStation Mini title, playable on both the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, Zombie Tycoon is yet another fantastic effort from Frima Studio, which launched Widgets Odyssey, Young Thor and Widgets Odyssey II all this summer!

PlayStation3 News: Tales of Monkey Island Series Available for $19.99 on PSN & PC/Mac

Tales of Monkey Island^® Sails to the PLAYSTATION^®3 (PS3^TM) June 15
 

Telltale Supporting Award-Winning Series’ PlayStation®Network Debut with Special Price

Celebrating the long-awaited release of Tales of Monkey Island on the PlayStation®3 (PS3TM) system, Telltale – a leading independent digital publisher and developer of episodic interactive entertainment – announced today that the entire Tales of Monkey Island five-episode series will be available for $19.99 on PlayStation®Network and on Telltale’s website www.telltalegames.com.

Tales of Monkey Island can be purchased and downloaded in North America from the PlayStation Store at this great price starting June 15, 2010.  In celebration of the release, PC and Mac customers can also purchase the full series now from Telltale’s website for $19.99!

“Tales of Monkey Island has been an incredible hit, and we’re excited to bring it to PS3 gamers next week,” says Telltale Senior VP of Marketing Steve Allison. “If you haven’t grabbed Tales of Monkey Island yet, now is a great time.”

Tales of Monkey Island will also be released on PlayStation Network in Europe, with final dates to be announced shortly.

Keep coming back to ComicsOnline for more gaming news and everything geek pop culture!

Playstation News: Blue Toad Murder Files Available on PlayStation Store

Relentless Software® announces the release of Blue Toad Murder Files: The Mysteries of Little Riddle ™ in North America

Brighton, UK, Thursday 25th March 2010 - Relentless Software® announces that Blue Toad Murder Files: The Mysteries of Little Riddle™ will launch on the PlayStation®Store in North America today. The PlayStation®Network exclusive murder mystery series begins with episodes 1 to 3.

Blue Toad Murder Files: The Mysteries of Little Riddle is a one to four player co-operative episodic download game published by Relentless Software, creators of the hugely popular Buzz!™, exclusively for PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system. Following a successful European launch, episodes 1 to 3 are available as a bundle for only $14.99 with individual episodes costing $7.49. Episodes 4 to 6 will follow on 29th April 2010.

Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/blue_toad.

Join us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blue-Toad-Murder-Files/130052047666.

·         Episodes 1 to 3 are released on Thursday 25thMarch 2010

·         Episodes 4 to 6 will be released on Thursday 29 thApril 2010

·         Episode bundles of 1 to 3 and 4 to 6 will be available for $14.99

·         Individual episodes will be available for $7.49

·         Episode 1 must be installed to play subsequent episodes

About Blue Toad Murder Files: The Mysteries of Little Riddle:

Blue Toad Murder Files is set in the quintessentially English village of Little Riddle where murder is in the air. As one of the famous Blue Toad detectives you solve puzzles, interrogate suspects, use your powers of observation and investigate clues to uncover the strange goings on in this quaint and sleepy village.

You and your fellow detectives are taking a welcome break in Little Riddle following a particularly gruelling investigation. Whilst exploring the village - someone is shot right in front of you! Dum-dum-daaaaaaa! A suitable case for the Blue Toad detectives, so a new murder file is opened and you decide to stay in the village to solve the crime, much to the annoyance of the village’s Chief Inspector.

The main aim of the game is to follow clues to find the murderer. Along the way you’ll also encounter a variety of different and challenging puzzles which help you move through the peaceful world of Little Riddle.

As one of the detectives you move around the village by selecting locations on the map. Choose your venue wisely - will you meet the Doctor and hear his flimsy alibi? Or unearth the Station Masters motivation? Each stop provides an opportunity to meet a different villager and question them on the minor misdemeanours taking place in Little Riddle.

With each step of the investigation a puzzle is played to help a villager or get further clues about the case. But pay attention, you will also be questioned by the Chief Inspector about events that take place after each chilling incident.

Whodunnit? At the end of each episode you will be asked to choose your suspect before they are revealed and exposed in all their criminal capacities!

Blue Toad Murder Files: The Mysteries of Little Riddle features:

·         Six separate episodes

·         A thrilling cliff hanger at the end of every episode

·         Over 90 puzzles, ‘Whodunnits’ and cross-examinations

·         Opportunity to play as one of four unique characters

·         1 – 4 co-operative multiplayer gameplay

·         A story of mystery and intrigue

For further information please visit www.bluetoadmurderfiles.co.uk. 

Playstation News: Planet MiniGolf Now Available on PSN!

ZEN Studios’ Planet MiniGolf Available Now Exclusively on PlayStation®Network!

ZEN Studios announced today that Planet MiniGolf is now available on PlayStation®Network for $9.99 / 7.99EURO!  ZEN has applied its acclaimed ball physics seen in their pinball titles to Planet MiniGolf, bringing the ultimate mini-golf experience to PlayStation.

“We are extremely pleased with how Planet MiniGolf turned out. We have a title that offers everything gamers want – fine-tuned game mechanics, beautiful graphics, social connectivity and serious competition,” said Zsolt Kigyossy, managing director of ZEN Studios. “Planet MiniGolf really represents what we pride ourselves in doing here at ZEN – building quality products and supporting them with a constant stream of DLC far after initial release. With that, keep your eyes out for new courses in the near future, as well as some revolutionary new support features (hint hint)!”

Planet MiniGolf delivers a deep single-player campaign with beautiful and intricate courses and over 140 challenging holes to play through, as well as a multitude of fun multi-player and customization options.

Planet MiniGolf features:
    * A deep and engaging single player campaign that takes players through fantastically designed courses with over 140 different holes
    * Worldwide Tournament Play – Set up personal tournaments with a group of friends or go online up against gamers from around the world!
    * Golf Course Editor – Build, manage and share golf courses…make them crazy, challenging and wacky and then upload to share them online!
    * Multi-national Game - Countries in the world are represented on the global leader boards – earn high scores for international bragging rights!

For more information regarding Planet MiniGolf please visit www.PlanetMinigolf.com. For more information about ZEN Studios, please visit www.zenstudios.com.

Keep coming back to ComicsOnline for more gaming news and everything geek pop culture!

Playstation News: Planet MiniGolf comes to Playstation

ZEN Studios is ready to set the course on fire today as it announced Planet MiniGolf will be coming exclusively to PlayStation®Network in Spring 2010! ZEN is applying its acclaimed ball physics engine used in top-selling ZEN Pinball to deliver the best golf experience on PlayStation!

Planet MiniGolf delivers a deep single-player campaign with beautiful and intricate courses and over 140 challenging holes to play through, as well as a multitude of fun multi-player options, from the local hotseat mode to weekly online tournaments and a Worldwide Competition mode.  

“Just as we have delivered the ultimate pinball experience with ZEN Pinball, Planet MiniGolf will serve as the ultimate arcade golfing experience on the PlayStation Network,” said Zsolt Kigyossy, managing director of ZEN Studios. “Planet MiniGolf gives casual players and golfing aficionados alike everything they could ask for in a golf game, with wacky courses, character customization, custom course builder and global competitions.”

Planet MiniGolf features:

· A deep and engaging single player campaign taking players through fantastically designed courses with over 140 different holes

· Worldwide Tournament Play – Set up personal tournaments with a group of friends or go online up against gamers from around the world!

· Golf Course Editor – Build, manage and share golf courses…make them crazy, challenging and wacky and then upload to share them online!

· PlayStation Move Functionality – Planet MiniGolf will be fully compatible with PlayStation 3’s upcoming motion control system, “Move”

· Multi-national Game - Countries in the world are represented on the global leader boards!


For more information regarding Planet MiniGolf and ZEN Studios, please visit: www.zenstudios.com.

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Playstation News: Playlogic Developing Projects for PlayStation Move

First Party Development for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) Extended on EyePet™  

Amsterdam/New York – 25th March 2010 – Playlogic Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq OTC: PLGC.OB), an independent worldwide publisher of entertainment software, announced today that its internal development studio, Playlogic Game Factory, is developing new motion control enabled products with Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.

Playlogic Game Factory, located in Breda, The Netherlands has worked on a great number of SCEE licenses in the past such as EyeToy™ Play: PomPom Party for PlayStation®2, Aqua Vita™, Tori Emaki™, Mesmerise™, and most recently EyePet™ for PlayStation®3.

Executive Vice President of Playlogic, Rogier Smit said: “We have increased the team size dedicated to these new projects to accommodate the extension of our partnership with Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. We have proved to Sony over the past 5 years that our team has the skills they require and we will continue to deliver the quality Playlogic Game Factory is known for.”

For more information about Playlogic and its range of products, please visit www.playlogicgames.com.

Check out our Playlogic Blog, follow us on Twitter or Facebook.

Playstation News: Sam and Max come to Playstation Network

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Playstation News: ZEN Pinball Releases Its Latest Expansion Table for PSN

 

ZEN Studios, the definitive leader in pinball videogames, announced today that the Excalibur table has launched as the latest expansion table for ZEN Pinball and is available on PlayStation®Network for 2.49 USD/ 1,99 EUR! Excalibur is your chance to earn a seat at the Round Table amongst the greatest knights in King Arthur’s court!

Excalibur follows in the footsteps of fellow expansion tables Ninja Gaiden Sigma II, Earth Defense and Street Fighter II in delivering a fast and exciting pinball experience. Participate in jousting tournaments for honor and defend Camelot against the Robber Knights! Earn and protect your seat at the Round Table and prove yourself to King Arthur!

Excalibur features include:
·         Duel with other Knights of Camelot and try to retain the “King’s Champion” title as long as you can

·         Follow Merlin’s guidance to lock balls in his tower in order to start Magical Multiball

·         Relive the legends of Arthur, Lancelot, Perceval, and other Knights of the Round Table

·         Hit swinging targets to open the hidden path that leads to Morgana’s sorceress lair

·         Sneak into Mordred’s dungeon, or lead a full siege against his fortress

·         Joust against rival knights in the royal tournaments

For the latest news and information on ZEN Pinball, please visit the official website.

ZEN Pinball: Excalibur is rated “E” for everyone by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB).

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Playstation News: ZEN Pinball: Earth Defense Table Expansion on PSN

ZEN PINBALL: EARTH DEFENSE TABLE LAUNCHES TODAY ON PLAYSTATION®NETWORK

ZEN Studios, the definitive leader in pinball videogames, announced today that the Earth Defense  table has launched as the latest expansion table for ZEN Pinball and is available on PlayStation®Network for 2.49 USD / 1,99 EUR!  Players can now experience the signature earth-saving tactics of Earth Defense paired with the fast-paced action, cutting-edge visuals and true-to-life ball and table physics from ZEN Pinball.

In Earth Defense, hordes of hostile aliens are attacking the planet, and it’s up to you to lead the united forces of Earth against the gigantic Flip-Bot and its minions. The fate of the world is in your hands! As the captain of the Earth Defense Special Forces, it will be your mission to rally the defense and rid Pinball City of the alien invaders, using multiple ball modes, drop targets, spiral flytowers, bonus multipliers and much more.

Developed by ZEN Studios, the Earth Defense table joins Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 and Street Fighter as the third PSN expansion table for ZEN Pinball with several more slated for release within the coming months.

For the latest news and information on ZEN Pinball, please visit the official website at www.zenpinball.com.

ZEN Pinball: Earth Defense is rated “E” for everyone by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB).

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TRON: Evolution Collector's Edition to Release December 7th!

DISNEY INTERACTIVE STUDIOS ANNOUNCES TRON: EVOLUTION COLLECTOR’S EDITION WITH ICONIC LIGHT CYCLE COLLECTIBLE TO BE AVAILABLE AT RETAIL

TRON Video Game Portfolio Release Date Set for December 7, 2010 in North America

Disney Interactive Studios today announced a collector’s edition of TRON: Evolution will be available at retail.  The TRON: Evolution collector’s edition package will include an exclusive TRON light cycle collectible based on the in-game model from TRON: Evolution. The light cycle model is being created by renowned collectibles manufacturer Sideshow Collectibles.  Available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, the collector’s edition will be packaged in a special protective casing with a drawer for the game.  

The company also announced December 7 as the North American release date for all its TRON: Evolution video games on popular platforms.  TRON: Evolution games will be available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system, Wii™, Windows PC, Nintendo DS™ and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system.  The Wii game’s title is TRON: Evolution – Battle Grids.

The TRON: Evolution collector’s edition will only be available in limited quantities and will have a suggested retail price of $129.99 in North America.  The collector’s edition will be available on December 7 with the rest of the TRON: Evolution video game portfolio before the “TRON: Legacy” film hits U.S. theaters on December 17 in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D.

Developed by Propaganda Games, Disney Interactive Studios’ action and role-playing game studio in Vancouver, British Columbia, TRON: Evolution is set during the era between the two TRON films, “TRON” (1982) and “TRON: Legacy.”  TRON: Evolution conveys the story of significant events within the TRON mythology.  The game features an epic adventure across a massive digital world filled with high-mobility disc-based combat and advanced light cycles.

TRON: Evolution is one of the keys to unlocking the TRON mythology.  The game’s story takes place before the “TRON: Legacy” events and provides insight into the film’s past.  As an integrated entertainment experience, the film will reference elements of the game’s story.  Fans will want to play the game to learn more about the TRON mythology seen in the film, but each entertainment experience will stand on its own.

“TRON has proven to be a franchise that inspires loyal fans and collectors and will continue with the holiday’s new entries,” said Craig Relyea, senior vice president of global marketing, Disney Interactive Studios.  “This collector’s edition will give fans of TRON: Evolution and the TRON movies a great opportunity to not only get the game but also a unique TRON collectible.”

TRON: Evolution is Rating Pending from the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB).

Disney Mobile’s TRON app (www.itunes.com/app/tron) for the iPhone® and iPod® touch is free to download and features an all-new version of the classic Tanks game from the Tron Arcade.  The app also features “TRON: Legacy” trailers, pre-sale order information for the TRON: Evolution game, and it will be updated as the premiere of the “TRON: Legacy” film in December draws closer with additional video, music, and free and premium games.

Want to pre-order the game?  Head over to Amazon to buy it on Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii or PSP or on PC.  Gotta have the collector's edition?  Pre-order it for Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 today!

Keep coming back to ComicsOnline for more console gaming news and everything geek pop culture!

The Tuesday Top Ten: Summer Video Game Releases

 

We Jump for video games, not you.
 

Welcome to the ComicsOnline Tuesday Top Ten!  I’ll pick the best of what’s out there each week and tell you about it.  This week, we’re highlighting the top ten summer video game releases.  So forget about heading outside with your pasty white skin and chillout inside with the sweetest games of the season. Without further ado...

10) Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4 (DS, Wii, PS3, Xbox 360, June 29th)

 

Players can look forward to some awesome Lego humor mixed with the incredible Harry Potter franchise this summer.  Expect to control all the heroes and villains in the HP universe as you play through levels based on all the major events throughout the first four movies and books.  If the same type of high quality featured in Traveler Tales previous Lego adventures provide any indication of what to expect with this one, HP fans as well as Lego fans will want to add this to their summer to-do list.  There’s a demo available on PSN as well as Xbox Live for those that want to give it a shot beforehand.

Pre-order Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4 at Amazon.com now.
 
9) MonkeyIsland 2: Le-Chucks Revenge Special Edition (Xbox Live Arcade, June 30th)
 

Guybrush Threepwood returns! Another Lucas Arts classic gets a facelift with this one. The classic humor mixed with puzzle elements formula of the first game returns here with newly updated visuals and added elements.  If this special edition is anything like the original, Xbox livers are in for a real treat this summer.
 
8) Mega Man Zero Collection (DS, June 8th)
 

When the original Mega Man Zero released on Gameboy Advance back in 2002, it changed the stale format that Mega Man had been using for years.  Zero not only looked cooler than Mega Man and Mega Man X, he increased abilities like his Z-saber, shield boomerang, an enhanced buster shot and the “Triple Rod”. This amazing collection contains all 4 Mega Man Zero games together on one cartridge with enhanced play on the Nintendo DS/DSi.  It’s certainly the best collection of the summer.

Buy Mega Man Zero Collection at Amazon.com now.
 
7) Metroid Other M (Wii, August 31st)
 

Developed by Ninja Bee, the re-envisioning of the Metroid series features 2D and 3D elements with new pre-rendered cut-scenes focusing on a heavier story-telling experience.  The potential that this one could be similar to the Super Nintendo Classic Super Metroid makes Other M one of the hottest games of the summer.

Pre-order Metroid Other M at Amazon.com now.
 
6) Crackdown 2 (Xbox 360, July 6th)
 

Another sequel makes the list with the follow up to Microsoft’s 2007 sandbox super-cop game.  Crackdown 2 promises more of everything you loved about the first but with more variety, a better physics engine and with four-player campaign co-op play.

Pre-order Crackdown 2 at Amazon.com now.
 
5) Sin and Punishment: Star Successor (Wii, June 27th)
 

The sequel to the original Japanese N64 game, this third person shooter on rails offers intense fast-paced action similar to the Sega’s Panzer Dragoon series.  You’re tasked using your targeting reticule to shoot everything on the screen while dodging everything thrown back on you.  Marry that concept with a deeper story line, massive boss battles and some very addictive gameplay and shooter fans will be hooked ‘til the final credits roll. If you’ve never played the original, download it on your Wii Virtual Console now.

Pre-order Sin and Punishment: Star Successor at Amazon.com now.
 
4) Dead Rising 2 (Xbox 360, August 31st)
 

Fans of the original should not shed a tear that Frank West and the town of Willamette are not returning here.  Instead, we are given Chuck and the small town of Still Creek.  His daughter was bitten during the outbreak and needs a short term remedy called Zombrex and Chuck must find enough of it to keep the virus at bay.  Featuring new controls along with the same core gameplay from the first adventure should make long term fans of the series very happy.  

 Pre-order Dead Rising 2 at Amazon.com now.
 
3) Transformers: War for Cybertron (PS3, Xbox 360, June 22nd)
 

Featuring a unique story unrelated to the atrocious movie release, War for Cybertron has players controlling their favorite Autobot or Decepticon in an epic battle that determines the fate of their planet.  On top of that, it features plenty of multiplayer modes including the new 4-player co-op survival mode called “Escalation.” An Xbox Live demo is currently available for those that want to test out what is sure to be one of hottest games of the summer.  

Pre-order Transformers: War for Cybertron at Amazon.com now.
 
2) Red Dead Redemption (PS3 Xbox 360, May 18th)
 

Because of its May 18^th release date, I normally wouldn’t include a May game in a summer release list, but Rockstar’s take of the Wild West genre is nothing short of epic.  Never has a game captured the look and feel of the Old West more, combining incredible dialogue with one of the best original stories you’ll ever play.  Crafted in the same vein as Grand Theft Auto IV, it features similar gameplay, graphics, and mission structures.  On top of that, it contains a pretty fun and engaging multiplayer mode. 

Buy Red Dead Redemption at Amazon.com now.
 
1) Star Craft II: Wings of Liberty (PC, July 27th)
 

Announced back in 2007, the long awaiting sequel to what is arguably the best strategy game ever is almost upon us.  If you call yourself an RTS fan and you’re not wetting your pants with excitement at finally playing this incredible sequel, I’m guessing you’re a vegetable.  The Protoss, Terran, and Zerg races return once more with new units, abilities and mechanics.  The story mode promises chapters focusing on each faction in the ongoing war between them.  Also, the new 3D graphics engine features more detailed units along with more realistic physics.  If this isn’t enough to convince you that this is the best game of the summer as well as the best RTS offering to date, nothing will.

Pre-order Star Craft II: Wings of Liberty at Amazon.com now.

There you have it, the top ten summer video game releases.

Like what you read?  Think something should or shouldn’t belong on the list? Have an idea for a future top ten list?  Just want to talk to me about cool stuff?  Leave a comment or hit me up at elliott@comicsonline.com.

Stay tuned to ComicsOnline.com for more weekly top ten lists and Everything Geek Pop Culture.

Wii Gaming News: Pong Toss Pro- Frat Party Games Arrives This Spring!

JV Games Announces Pong Toss Pro - Frat Party Games Coming to WiiWare Spring 2010!

JV Games, a unique and leading developer of frat party styled interactive video games, announced today that Pong Toss Pro - Frat Party Games®  is headed to the Nintendo’s WiiWare™ service near you this Spring! Following in the success of  JV Games’ Pong Toss, Pong Toss Pro will be coming exclusively to the Nintendo’s Wii™ system!

“Pong Toss Pro delivers a challenging and fun game packed with tons of competition,” said Jag Jager, project and design director of JV Games. “This is the ultimate all-around game for the Wii – you can play with your parents, grandparents, and going during a house or dorm party, get all your friends to join in!”

Pong Toss Pro-Frat Party Games game features include:

·         Traditional bracket style tournament play

·         Completely redesigned pixel accurate throwing system

·         Brand new audio engine

·         Completely redesigned graphics

·         One to four players in local hot-seat mode

·         Multiple gameplay modes including practice mode, free mode and tournament mode

·         Speed Pong mode- two or three players compete at the same time

·         Multiple environments to choose from

·         Select one of several tables to play on.

Pong Toss Pro- Frat Party Games is rated “E” for everyone by the ESRB.  For more information regarding Pong Toss Pro- Frat Party Games and JV Games, please visit www.jvgames.com or www.fratpartygames.com. 

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WonderCon 2011: Green Lantern- Rise of the Manhunters Game Preview

Here are some of the highlights from the Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters game preview at WonderCon 2011:

•    3D FX very crisp/clear – 3D glasses will be released with the game for non-HD TVs. Both games are compatible with either HD TVs or standard definition

•    The versions released on PS3 and 360 will be different, with different ratings (PS3: T, 360: E10T+).

•    12 constructs (weapons via the ring) are available throughout the game – about half are provided to the player from the beginning, the others can be unlocked or purchased via XP. Lots of special moves and combos.

•    The Nintendo 3DS version of the game takes advantage of the stereoscopic 3D capabilities via multi-plane graphics that delve players into the Green Lantern universe.

•    Many fans are speculating that there will only be ground play through the game, but Hal does fly. The levels have separate portions for ground play and sky play, to avoid confusing control options.

•    Release date: June 7

•    Ryan Reynolds provides voice talent for Hal Jordan.

•    Both of the games are a mixing of the comic book mythos and elements from the movie.

Stay tuned to ComicsOnline for more WonderCon 2011 news and for everything geek pop culture!

WonderCon 2011: Video Game Preview: Spider-Man: Edge of Time

Last year, Activision and Beenox brought us a interesting take on the spider man universe by showing us 4 different and unique takes on everyone's favorite webslinging hero in Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions. This year the developers take a more refined look at two of the versions of Spidey they toyed with last year with both Spider-Man 2099 and Amazing Spider-Man returning in Spider-Man: Edge of Time.

 

Both come together to stop an evil that has traveled back in time and is changing Miguel O'Hara's future... but he is powerless himself since he has no way to get himself to the past. He quickly finds a way to contact Peter Parker in present day and thus the two spidermen come up with a plan to infltrate the evil headquarters together to stop the corruption in both times.

While not exactly a sequel, Edge of Time borrows several gameplay elements from last year's title but brings a new take on Spider-Man's spidey sense power allowing the player to see a bunch of different outcomes depending on how you move.

A big focus in the game is how what happens in the present changes the future. During the game you will swap back and forth between both heroes in which you will continually assist your time shifted double. The enviroment will dynamically change while you play according to what happens in either timeline causing you to use all of Spidey's agile moves to keep from ending up in a suddenly appearing acid pool.

During the game, both Spider-Men will converse with each other bringing much humor and entertainment while you play. It helps each are brought to life expertly by returning  talent Josh Keaton (The Spectacular Spider-Man) and Christopher Daniel Barnes (Spider-Man: The Animated Series) as Amazing and 2099. In order to really make use of the Spider-Man 2099 universe, Peter David who was the writer on the original Spider-Man 2099 comic series lends his writing talents to the game.

Look for Spider-Man: Edge of Time coming this fall to Xbox 360 and Playstation 3!

 

Check back to ComicsOnline.com for more WonderCon 2011 coverage and for everything geek pop culture!

Xbox 360 News: Ignition Entertainment Announces Deadly Premonition Available Today!

 

Ignition Entertainment announced today that Deadly Premonition is available now exclusively on Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system from Microsoft.  Deadly Premonition is a third-person survival-horror action adventure game that places players in the role of Special Agent Francis York Morgan, the FBI agent in charge of investigating the brutal killing of a local beauty and solving the mystery of the “Red Seed Murders.” Deadly Premonition offers a unique and haunting gaming experience unlike any other and is competitively priced at $19.99.

Investigate the murders and unravel each series of interlocking mysteries in the small rural town of Greenvale, Washington while encountering numerous complex, unusual characters along the way.  The local townspeople hinder Agent York’s work with their eccentric behavior while supernatural creatures and a folkloric killer seek to end York’s investigation…permanently!

DEADLY PREMONITION GAMEPLAY FEATURES:

·         Large cast of eccentric characters, each with their own unique stories and agendas

·         Numerous side quests

·         Open world adventure- Can you survive the town of Greenvale?

·         Combination of over-the-shoulder shooter action, driving and 3rd person adventure/exploration offers a variety of gameplay

·         Profiling prowess to recreate the crime with the various clues and items found on the scene of each crime, unraveling the mystery of the “Red Seed Murders”

·         Multiple mini-games, including fishing and racing, which gain you experience points to upgrade Agent York’s arsenal

·         Dozens of melee, ranged and hidden weapons to choose from to battle the forces of evil

·         Over 20 hours of mystery, suspense and intrigue!

Deadly Premonition is rated ‘M’ for mature by the ESRB. For more information please visit www.deadlypremonition.com

ABOUT IGNITION ENTERTAINMENT LTD.
Ignition Entertainment Limited is a UTV Media Communication company. Ignition was created by a core team of gaming industry veterans with the purpose of building upon their successful track record to develop and publish within the international games industry. You can find more information about Ignition Entertainment Ltd. at http://www.ignitionusa.com

Buy Deadly Premonition on Xbox 360at Amazon.com now.

 

Keep it here at ComicsOnline.com for more gaming news and everything geek pop culture.

 

Xbox 360 Review: Spider-Man: Edge of Time

It's time to swing into action! Spider-Man: Edge of Time is now available to own on XBox 360, PS3, Wii, and Nintendo 3DS!

by Matt Sernaker, Senior Editor

The action kicks into high gear with our favorite wallcrawler in a follow-up game to Bennox's 2010 release, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, as he must face off against threats from his own time, not to mention enemies from the far off year of 2099! Luckily, Spidey gets some help from his old friend, Miguel O'Hara, aka Spider-Man 2099. The two heroes must work together to stop an evil mastermind from going back and time and altering history as we know it. Can the two Webheads stop time from unraveling?

Beware of spoilers!

Xbox LIVE Arcade News: Space Ark Releases This Spring!

Take your Space Ark scoring combos to the max in this year’s biggest fruit-stravaganza!

We all know that fruit is good for your health, but did you know that digital fruit is great for racking up ridiculously high scores?! Well, indie game developer Strawdog Studios has released a brand new video to show how getting more than your regular five-a-day can propel you to the top of the leaderboard in Space Ark, the classically addictive, yet digitally nutritious Arcade game to be released on Xbox LIVE® Arcade, the premier destination for digitally distributed games, this Spring.

Skilled Space Ark players wanting to beat their friends’ high scores must collect the longest combos, gather the best fruit, and reach the highest Level Ups to multiply their scores.

· Trigger a ‘Fruit Frenzy’: Collecting same-color combos of three or more DNA blocks to trigger a hail of falling fruit, all ripe for the gathering by your Arkonaut or Bounce Pad.

· Max your score with ‘Level Up’: Fruit fuels your Power Meter and each Level Up increases your score multiplier. Juicy!

· You want seriously huge scores? Longer combos yield better fruit to fill the Power Meter even quicker and reach the higher score-multiplying Level Ups. There are 21 different fruits to gather ranging from the modest cherry—created by a 3 block combo—to the magnificent melon—nabbed by the ultimate 15 block combo which fills your Power Meter by a whopping 33%.

· Want even more? Grab B O N U S to unlock the ‘Bonus Stage’ and feast on falling fruit to boost your score.

So remember: in Space Ark, it’s all about the fruit. Get all the best fruit and you’ll become the top banana!

For more on Space Ark please visit the official website at www.spacearkgame.com


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2009 Nintendo Wii Video Game Gift Guide

With the mass of video game titles pouring in over the holiday season, it can be hard to wade through the shovel ware and find the treasures hidden among the trash.  We here at ComicsOnline have done all the hard work for you and provided a list of the best Nintendo Wii games available to scribble on your Christmas list.  With our help, you’ll spend less time fighting soccer moms for parking spaces and more time with the best games of the season.
 

 
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Nintendo knows that if they stamp Mario on anything, it will sell.  This years Mario game, New Super Mario Bros Wii, is and incredibly fun and nostalgic title.  New abilities like the ice flower and penguin suit offer new ways to tackle the trademark P-switch and coin based puzzles that are part of the franchise. Fans of Super Mario World for the Super Nintendo will see an incredible similarity here and that is my only complaint. After seeing how beautiful Super Mario Galaxy was, it’s sad that Nintendo clearly took a step back graphically for this title.  The inclusion of multiplayer is the real reason this game shines.  Supporting four-players on the same screen (Mario, Luigi, and two toadstools) players are able to assist each other in the story mode by reaching that last level coin, or battle it out for the most coins. Prepare to lose a lot of lives fighting over coins, but be prepared laugh your ass off in the process.  New Super Mario Bros. Wii is by far the most fun you can have on the Wii this season. 
Buy New Super Mario Bros. Wii Now

 
Wii Sports Resort
Those wanting more of what you loved about the original Wii sports, (and this is every Wii owner) will be happy with what Wii Sports Resort offers. Looking to innovate the wii-mote controls further, Nintendo has included the new Wii MotionPlus accessory in the packaging. This new peripheral has additional sensors which allow fore more refined controls and better aiming capabilities.  There are 12 new(ish) mini games here, most notable being the Wave Race like Power Cruising and the Sword Play, (You use light sabers!) will keep you playing for hours.  This should and most likely will find its way into every Wii owner’s home this Christmas.  Let’s just hope Lucas Arts uses the MotionPlus accessory in the next Star Wars game. 
Buy Wii Sports Resort Now
 

Rabbids Go Home
As far as Quirky games go, this one takes the cake.  Placing you in the role of Rayman’s past nemesis, The Rabbids Go home has you controlling a shopping cart as it barrels through the city accumulating stuff. That stuff, of which there are many varieties, is used to get the Rabbids to the moon so they can finally sleep without being bothered.  As ridiculous as its premise sounds, Rabbids Go Home has an addictive play style very similar to Katamari Damacy.  The Rabbids themselves are a funny lot to watch and will inspire many laughs as you play through this one.  Players looking for an original and incredibly funny experience should put this on their list. 
Buy Rabbids Go Home Now
 

 
Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles
Capcom’s follow-up to Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles, is a “light gun” shooter controlling very similar to Sega’s House of the Dead series. Using the wii-mote as your weapon, you’ll gun down zombies and a slew of other monstrosities brought about by the Umbrella corporations many viruses. The Darkside Chronicles continues with a story that includes new elements as well as some borrowed from Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil: Code Veronica.  There aren’t many games out there that utilize this type of on-rails shooting mechanic since arcades are pretty much dead. Thankfully, Wii owners get another classic with this title.  Be sure to ask Santa for this one.   
Buy Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles Now

 
Metroid Prime Trilogy
I don’t really have to spend a lot of time defending this one.  Nintendo’s reboot of the Metroid series back on the Gamecube combined FPS dynamics with platform mechanics and a deep story telling experience.  It gave fans a new perspective on one of its most successful franchises and proved that the big N is capable of taking chances and succeeding.  Released back in August, this trilogy includes Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime 2: Echos and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.  All of the titles now have enhanced wii-mote controls and you can get it all for one low price.  This collection is a must have for any Nintendo Wii owner. 
Buy Metroid Prime Trilogy Now

 
Honorable Mention:

 
Naruto Shippuden: Clash of Ninja Revolution 3
Games based on anime franchises are much like games based on movies franchises, they generally suck.  Naruto Shippuden is an enjoyable, easy to play, and surprisingly deep fighting game that will appeal to hardcore fighters as well as fans of the show. Taking place during the Shippuden timeline, players can choose from every recognizable character in this universe, once you’ve unlocked them through the in-game store. The standard wii-mote controls are a bit lacking and force you to wiggle it repeatedly to form attacks. This can become frustrating very quickly.  Those that have invested in a classic controller will find most of the moves easy to pull off if you’ve played any other fighting game. Naruto Shippuden: Clash of Nin