The annual Electronic Entertainment Expo is just around the corner, and the gaming industry as well as the fans are excited to find out what major announcements software and hardware developers will make this year.
There will undoubtedly be some big new titles announced, as well as some nuggests of information about games we already know are in the works. Here are the five PS3 games that we are most excited about, as well as some questions that we hope developers can answer on the show floor in Los Angeles two weeks from now.
1. Fallout 3
This hybrid RPG/first-person shooter has players exploring the familiar post-apocalyptic universe of Fallout. Set in a creepy “what if” version of 1950s America, the series has garnered praise for its complex plot lines, incredible environments and interactions with NPCs. Fallout 3 will bring the experience into the next gen, with an epic, open world to explore, a new action-oriented battle system, and tons... More »
THQ has confirmed that Saints Row 2 has been pushed back from August 26 to October 14. According to Reuters, ‘a senior THQ executive’ has stated that this delay is ‘due to product quality and marketing considerations.’
Vivendi (soon to be a part of Activision Blizzard) has delayed PROTOTYPE until 2009. And now word has leaked out that Sony has cancelled The Getaway for the PS3.
What do these three stories have in common? Panic. Game company executives around the world have witnessed the success of Grand Theft Auto IV and have wet themselves in terror. Figuratively. As far as we know.
The thing is, they may have acted too soon. For all of GTA IV’s stellar sales and ground-breaking gameplay, consumer interest in the game has plummeted. Presumably, once the single-player game is completed, there is little left to hold their attention. Its position at the top of the online charts has slipped, too, with Halo 3 and CoD 4 reclaiming their righ... More »
The guys over at the GTAForums have been busy translating the Spanish issue of PSM magazine that includes a GTA IV feature.
There will be support for up to 16 player multiplayer and 15 online game modes including: Hangmans NOOSE, Car Jack City, Bomb da Base, Bomb da Base II, Mafia Work, Team Mafia Work, Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Turf War, Cops N Crooks, Race, GTA Race, Deal Breaker, Free Roam and one more unknown mode.
Other details include that you can drive a car or a helicopter with three friends and the host of the game decides rules such as the flow of traffic, the intervention of police and the weapons. To quote:
Game Modes:
Hangmans NOOSE
Car Jack City
Bomb da Base
Bomb da Base II
Mafia Work
Team Mafia Work
Deathmatch
Team Deathmatch
Turf War
Cops N Crooks
Race
GTA Race
Deal Breaker
Free Roam
and i believe there is one more.. its sa... More »
Take-Two reported a relatively weak quarter, posting a loss in the holiday quarter for the third consecutive year.
While new management is not to blame for the poor results, we think the weak performance reflects the extent of the turnaround required to restore the company to profitability.
Take-Two’s bottom line results were slightly better than we expected, with lower than expected R&D and marketing expenses accounting for most of the EPS upside.
On the top line, revenues were higher than expected due to significant contribution from the company’s distribution business. The company’s margins were slightly lower than we expected due to a higher mix of distribution revenues.
We think that it is important to point out that U.S. industry software sales have grown by over 58% from the November 2005 – January 2006 period through the November 2007 – January 2008 period, while Take-Two’s publishing revenues have declined by almost 2... More »
Publisher Take-Two has announced the results of its first quarter, showing sales of $240.4 million and losses up to $38 million, as it announces that BioShock 2 will be released during fall of 2009, and that it has acquired Mafia developer Illusion Softworks.
Sales fell from $277.3 million the year prior, due to what Take-Two says was a lighter holiday release schedule. Sales were mainly driven by BioShock, Carnival Games, NBA 2K8, and continued sales of its Grand Theft Auto releases, including the release of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories in Japan. Losses were up from $21.5 million the year prior.
Take-Two meanwhile announced that its recently opened 2K Marin studio was developing BioShock 2, currently planned for release at the end of 2009. The publisher says 2 million copies of the original BioShock have been sold worldwide to date.
The company also announced that it has acquired Mafia and Hidden & Dangerous developer Illusion Softworks, w... More »
If you thought 2007 was a kick-ass year for playing video games, you were right. And guess what? Things aren't going to slow down in 2008. The year 2007 saw numerous delays of major titles, and all those bad boys are coming out in 2008. We're counting down our 10 most wanted games of the year.
For a game to have been considered in our top 10, it must be a console/handheld game, officially announced and set with a release date for 2008 in North America. Without further ado, grab a bag of popcorn and join us as we count down to our most wanted game of 2008.
10) Ninja Gaiden II
Team Ninja's anticipated sequel to Ninja Gaiden (Xbox) is set to hit Xbox 360 in 2008, and as expected, it looks to be every bit as gorgeous as an Itagaki game should be. The bloody action game comes with new weapons, areas, enemies, bosses and an all-new storyline following Ryu's mission to save the race of humanity from extinction. Additionally, Ninja Gaiden II is expecte... More »
Publishing label Take-Two Interactive today announced that it has acquired Czech-based game developer Illusion Softworks. With a workforce of roughly 200 employees, Illusion Softworks will join Take-Two’s 2K Games publishing label under the name 2K Czech.
“Adding 2K Czech to our network of development studios demonstrates our strong commitment to creating great franchises and building world-class creative teams. The 2K Czech team is responsible for several very innovative and highly-regarded franchises and we look forward to continuing to develop new and existing IP together,” said 2K President Christoph Hartmann.
Established in 1997, Illusion Softworks’ past works include Mafia, Hidden & Dangerous and Vietcong. Currently the studio is working with 2K Games to develop Mafia II, the follow-up to the original Mafia.
We note that a Rockstar developer, Joseph Howell, 35, has died. According to his Moby Games bio, Howell was credited on a number of high-profile Rockstar titles, including Grand Theft Auto San Andreas as well as GTA III, GTA Vice City, and Manhunt. Howell’s obituary describes him as:
...a staunch defender of Civil Rights and Liberties especially for the underprivileged...
Howell leaves behind a wife and two children. Here are some of the games credited for:
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (Special Edition) (2005), Rockstar Games, Inc.
The Warriors (2005), Rockstar Games, Inc.
Grand Theft Auto Advance (2004), Rockstar Games, Inc.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004), Rockstar Games, Inc.
Manhunt (2004), Rockstar Games, Inc.
Midnight Club II (2003), Rockstar Games, Inc.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002), Rockstar Games, Inc.
Mafia (2002), Gathering
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2002 (2002), Electronic A... More »
(0) 
