Joystiq [PlayStation]

Ubisoft: EndWar sequel on hold

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 06:30:00 EST

The news, as presented in EndWar voice-command style:

-- VG247, report, EndWar sequel, halted.

-- Ubisoft, elaborate, "on the backburner."

-- Joystiq, clarify, "on the backburner?"

*END TRANSMISSION*

Ubisoft: EndWar sequel on hold originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fancy schmancy Tomb Raider art book

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 06:00:00 EST

The Art of Tomb Raider is looking like a must-have hard-edged coffee table book for any fan of the series and its curvy protagonist. Published by Dreams and Visions Press, the 568-page book actually comes in two volumes, with the first covering "every significant piece of Tomb Raider art" through Angel of Darkness, and the second featuring Legend to Underworld.

The set is priced at $110 and only 2,000 copies of the book are being printed. It appears that pre-orders are still being accepted and the books should ship in late February. Guess we can put this right next to our The Splendid Magic of Penny Arcade: The 11½ Anniversary Edition book.

[Via Big Download]

Fancy schmancy Tomb Raider art book originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Former EyeToy exec warns of the difficulties facing Natal, 'Arc'

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:00:00 EST

In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Jamie MacDonald, former Vice President of Sony Worldwide Studios (the company responsible for EyeToy), gave out a few pointers to Sony and Microsoft regarding their respective motion controllers. MacDonald warned that gamers are expecting more from the 360 and PS3's motion gaming than they do from the Wii, due to both consoles' beefier hardware. However, he also warned about implementing "traditional long-form gameplay," lengthy sessions of which would leave players "completely knackered."

MacDonald's wisest words came when speaking about pricing the two pieces of hardware. He suggested they follow Sony's strategy with EyeToy, where the peripheral and a piece of software came bundled for the price of a normal game, which kept consumers from "paying a premium for the hardware." That's a sweet thought, but it's a little presumptive -- after all, we've yet to hear a price for the two devices. (Hell, we haven't even heard a name for one of them.)

Former EyeToy exec warns of the difficulties facing Natal, 'Arc' originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Peter Moore excited about PlayStation 'Arc,' unsure about OnLive

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST

In a time-honored Peter Moore tradition, the EA Sports head recently opened up for an interview on a variety of subjects in the game industry. This time, the oft fake-tattooed gentleman exposited on the future of OnLive and his company's investment in the upcoming PlayStation Motion Controller (supposedly named "Arc"). "I don't know about OnLive," Moore told CVG, responding to the question of whether or not the cloud gaming service will become the "iTunes of gaming." He does, however, see opportunity in burgeoning distribution and pricing methods. "If a consumer's got five bucks to spend on some cool DLC; if they love Tiger Woods but want to be able to play online and invest $10 or $15 over a period of time ... those are the things we need to look at."

As far as his interest in the "Arc" goes, he says that he's seen the hardware in action and thinks it'll be a "great complement to what's out there." He directly points out its distinction from the Wii's motion controller and reconfirms EA Sports' development of games with Sony motion in mind -- he even names tennis and golf as prime contenders as each sport lends to an "authentic sports motion" (at least with what he's seen on the Wii). Frankly, we're just about as excited as could be to finally show off our lacking sports skills as games based on sports creep closer to reality.

Peter Moore excited about PlayStation 'Arc,' unsure about OnLive originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gran Turismo PSP helps series top 55 million units sold

David Hinkle — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:30:00 EST

We hate to be all Captain Obvious about it, but there's good reason the Gran Turismo series is still doing laps around the virtual track. People are voting with their cash, as the latest figures from Polyphony Digital show that Gran Turismo PSP has managed to sell 1.8 million copies. And through its success, it's hit one hell of a milestone for the Gran Turismo series at large. Here's the rundown of the franchise's success:

The original Gran Turismo has sold 10,850,000 units
Gran Turismo 2 has sold 9,370,000 units
Gran Turismo 3 A-spec on the PS2 managed to sell 14,890,000 units
Gran Turismo Concept Series sold 1,560,000 units
Gran Turismo 4 "Prologue" invaded 1,350,000 homes
Gran Turismo 4 has been a heck of an earner, selling 10,980,000 units
Gran Turismo 5 "Prologue" brought the series to the PS3 by selling 4,650,000 units
Gran Turismo PSP recently recorded sales of 1,800,000 units

That brings the total to 55,450,000 units. It seems impressive enough -- over five million units sold in the last year-and-a-half ain't too shabby -- though there are some caveats.

For one, the Gran Turismo series has been around for over 10 years -- much longer than any of its competitors. Secondly, it's been the definitive diehard simulation racing experience on Sony's consoles, effectively making it the only show in town. Finally, the series has over seven Guinness World Records. Basically, when you have the world record for "Largest Instruction Guide for a Racing Game," it's, like, a guarantee people are going to buy it.

[Via GI.biz]

Gran Turismo PSP helps series top 55 million units sold originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Global PS3 market share increasing

JC Fletcher — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST

You may have assumed this from the climbing PS3 sales Sony reported last week, but a report from Research and Markets provides further confirmation that the system is increasing in popularity around the world.

"The PS3 is dominant in Japan and Korea," the report notes, "and as of June 2008, has begun to outsell the Xbox 360 in Europe. It is also steadily increasing its market share in all other regions across the globe, including in the North American market." The Xbox 360 is still ahead of the PS3 in North America. It's worth noting that the increase in sales in Europe predates the price drop and introduction of the PS3 Slim.

Research and Markets also provided a bit more information about the distribution of console sales. Though North America remains the largest market for consoles, "The high population density and rapid uptake of technology in countries such as Japan and Korea, and to a lesser extent in Singapore and Hong Kong, see a disproportionately high level of console sales compared to the rest of the world," the report reads." Console sales are also fairly high in Western Europe and are growing considerably in the emerging markets of Eastern Europe, Latin America, and other areas in Asia."

Report: Global PS3 market share increasing originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA: Rock Band deal with Viacom only through March 2010

JC Fletcher — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:20:00 EST

If you're wondering where Rock Band 3 is, a year and a half after Rock Band 2 and five months after the launch of The Beatles: Rock Band, it seems EA isn't sure it's going to get to publish it. During an investor conference call, EA execs revealed that the publisher's deal with Viacom (the company that owns MTV, Harmonix, Rock Band and maybe you as well) is only active through fiscal year 2010 (which ends March 31).

Presumably the deal somehow includes the yet-to-be-released Green Day: Rock Band -- but EA's unlikely to announce any more Rock Band games until it knows it has the license locked down for another year.

EA: Rock Band deal with Viacom only through March 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dead Space 2 and EA's Epic shooter slated for early 2011

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:30:00 EST

EA's tentative release schedule for Q4 of its fiscal 2011 (or, as us normal people call it, January-March 2011) contains more than a few intriguing entries. You already heard about the new Dragon Age game -- but listed just below that is an untitled "Shooter from Epic TBA." Of course, this can only mean one thing: Gears of Madden 2012 is within spitting distance of becoming a sweet reality! Wait -- what's that? Oh, right, the listing more likely points to new speculative details about that possible "Bulletstorm" project from Epic's People Can Fly studio. How ... unofficial.

Also listed under the early 2011 releases is Dead Space 2, which EA had previously promised would drop before next March. The excitement level of the remaining games drops off like the deep end of a pool: The list includes (deep breath) a new Need For Speed on consoles and PC (in addition to an apparent Holiday 2010 release), a downloadable "action" game, a new fighting game designated as a "sports" title, a new Hasbro game (more Family Game Night?), and new installments in the Sims and Spore franchises.

Dead Space 2 and EA's Epic shooter slated for early 2011 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Crysis 2, Sims 3 on consoles, NBA Jam due Holiday 2010

Justin McElroy — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:25:00 EST

Thanks to today's EA earnings report (EArnings?) we're starting to get an idea of how the company's holiday season is going to shape up. This is all subject to change, of course, but as of right now it would appear you can look forward to Crysis 2, NBA Jam and EA Sports MMA sometime between October and December of 2010.

Filling out the holiday quarter are some yet-to-be-formally-announced titles like The Sims 3 on consoles, a new Need For Speed game (perhaps the Criterion-developed one?) and a new Harry Potter game (likely tied to this November's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I). Want to come up with your own wild speculation? Peruse the list here.

Crysis 2, Sims 3 on consoles, NBA Jam due Holiday 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Medal of Honor, APB dated for Summer 2010

JC Fletcher — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:20:00 EST

According to EA's list of upcoming titles in its latest earnings report, a couple of high-profile games are going to be released this summer between July 1 and September 30: Realtime Worlds' crime-themed MMO APB (which is likely to be the "major MMO" to whose spring release John Riccitiello referred to previously), and ... a "TBA" Medal of Honor title -- possibly the one with the beard. EA did say that game would be out before March 2011! The summer release is listed for consoles, PC and handhelds.

Also due out in the quarter: the expected spate of annual sports franchises (Madden, FIFA, FIFA Online, NHL), a Monopoly game for consoles and handhelds, and a new MySims title -- we're guessing MySims Sky Heroes.

Medal of Honor, APB dated for Summer 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A whole mess of LittleBigPlanet Valentine's DLC coming this week

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:45:00 EST

The world of LittleBigPlanet is scheduled to become a much more loving place this Thursday, when a few Valentine's Day-themed content packs arrive on the PlayStation Store. The PSP iteration of the game is getting a free costume (the one on the left in the above image), as well as the "Luvre Theme Pack," which adds four costumes and 15 romantically-inclined stickers for $2.99. The PS3 version of the game will see the return of last year's Valentine's Day Mini-Pack, which adds a Cupid costume and a few new materials and stickers to the game for $2.99.

Oh, Media Molecule is also making the free Chinese New Year costume pack available until February 25. Just imagine: You can finally fuse Valentine's Day and the Chinese New Year into the single, unstoppable uber-holiday they were meant to become.

A whole mess of LittleBigPlanet Valentine's DLC coming this week originally appeared on Joystiq Playstation on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brand sparking new Rocket Knight art

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:20:00 EST

click to rocket-size

We're going to level with you: There's not a lot of new info to be found in the latest batch of character art from Konami's upcoming reboot of Rocket Knight. The press release does mention a few of Sparkster's abilities. While most should be familiar to players -- wall ricochet jumps, etc -- one new addition is the "burst vortex," which can reflect projectiles back toward enemies. Beyond that, however, we're left only with images of Emperor Sweinhart and Sparkster's nemesis, Axel Gear, both of whom can be seen above. Konami has also released a high resolution version of Sparkster himself.

Yes, it's not much but, when it comes to Rocket Knight, we'll take what we can get.

Brand sparking new Rocket Knight art originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Free Realms hits 8 million players

Justin McElroy — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:45:00 EST

It's been a while since we last checked in on the user tally for Sony's Free Realms, but that all came to an end today when the company announced that the family-friendly online game had reached the eight-million user milestone.

As you may remember, Free Realms got off to a speedy start, garnering around five million players in its first three months, but as the market has become more saturated with free-to-play MMOs, growth has understandably slowed. That said, look for a big bump when the title finally makes its way to PS3 in the middle of the year.

If you're already among the Free Realms faithful, you can look forward to the Festival of Hearts, "a special month long event that celebrates love, friendship and kindness," according to Sony. ... Boy, gang, we're not going to lie -- that sounds terrible.

Free Realms hits 8 million players originally appeared on Joystiq Playstation on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq set to overtake G4 in Folding@home leaderboards tonight

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:45:00 EST

Were you aware that Folding@home (now called Life With PlayStation) isn't just an altruistic distributed computing network, but also a brutal team sport? It's true -- reader Chilly_Willy recently pointed our attention to Joystiq's ranking on the F@h leaderboard and reported the delightful news that Team 'Stiq is set to overtake fellow games media outlet G4TV within the next 24 hours. We received the news with dignity, knowing that rankings don't matter -- all we care about is contributing to the scientific community's fight against disease.

We're kidding, of course -- we're purely in this thing for the thrill of victory. In fact, it would be great if you guys could go turn on your PS3s and lend a hand in destroying G4. We want Adam Sessler and Morgan Webb to feel absolutely crushed with defeat at some point during the day, but not know why. We want to run into Olivia Munn and Kevin Pereira at PAX East, and have them be too afraid to make eye contact with us. Please, please, dear readers -- won't you help make our dream a reality?

Joystiq set to overtake G4 in Folding@home leaderboards tonight originally appeared on Joystiq Playstation on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Age of Zombies blasts onto PSP and PS3 Minis Feb. 25

David Hinkle — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:45:00 EST

Halfbrick Studios, the Minis-producing development factory in Brisbane, has announced a new title: Age of Zombies. Not to be confused with the Age of Aquarius or the beloved children's film Ice Age, Halfbrick's game is decidedly more macabre -- with a pinch of cute tossed in. (We never thought we'd call zombies both those things, but there it is.)

Age of Zombies follows time-traveling protagonist (and delicious side dish) Barry Steakfries, doing his best to eradicate the hungry undead looking to get a mouthful of his tasty vittles. The debut trailer nestled above gives us a vibe akin to a cross between Robotron and Zombies Ate My Neighbors, which kinda sounds like a good time. There's also the promise of zombified T-Rex dinosaurs, which hardly seems possible in the real world, but, hey, we'll take it.

Age of Zombies will be available to download from the PlayStation Store on Thursday, February 25 for $4.99. In the meantime, fight your way through a horde of new screens in our gallery below.

Age of Zombies blasts onto PSP and PS3 Minis Feb. 25 originally appeared on Joystiq Playstation on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mass Effect 2 remains atop UK charts, Dante debuts

Alexander Sliwinski — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:30:00 EST

Mass Effect 2 has maintained the top spot on Chart-Track's UK all-formats sales chart for a second week in a row. However, there seems to be some kind of Batarian flu loose on the isles, because Mass Effect 2 sales, which dropped by 64 percent this week, were "within touching distance" (850 units, to be exact) of Wii's Just Dance. Rounding out the unchanged top three for a second week was Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

EA's Dante's Inferno had one hell of a premiere on the charts, earning a somewhat sinful spot at fourth. In a good sign for MAG, the mega shooter slipped only three notches to seventh place. Meanwhile, the surprise return of other BioWare game Dragon Age: Origins to the top 40 last week has gained even more momentum, moving up another three spots to 28th.

Source - Mass Effect 2 leads an unchanged top 3 [GFK Chart-Track]
Source - Latest UK Software Charts [GFK Chart-Track]

Mass Effect 2 remains atop UK charts, Dante debuts originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Now Playing: February 8-14, 2010

James Ransom-Wiley — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:40:00 EST

Just relax -- you might feel a slight pinch.

Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:

Last updated: Monday, 12:40 PM

Continue reading Now Playing: February 8-14, 2010

Now Playing: February 8-14, 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: BioShock 2 (single player)

Justin McElroy — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST

BioShock didn't need a sequel.

I know it, you know it; heck, I'd bet if they were being totally honest, the staff of 2K Marin would tell you they knew it too. BioShock was that rare combination of a perfectly realized world, fresh yet refined action and a narrative that left me with no real burning questions. It didn't need a sequel.

But all that has very little to do with BioShock 2 because whether it needed to be made or not, it's here now. And the surprise isn't that someone other than Irrational had the chutzpah to make a BioShock sequel. The surprise is just how worthwhile it is.

Continue reading Review: BioShock 2 (single player)

Review: BioShock 2 (single player) originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Keighley: L.A. Noire coming this September

Justin McElroy — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:30:00 EST

We always assumed that Geoff Keighley's ability to secrete world exclusives only applied video games, but his power/curse seems to extend even to magazines about video games. Keighley says he got an early look at Game Informer's recently teased piece on Rockstar's L.A. Noire and let slip via his Twitter feed that the game is apparently slated to arrive in September.

According to legend, Keighley is often able to see pieces like this even before the electrical impulse makes its way from the "typing synapse" of the brain to the writer's fingers. That's our accurate, scientific way of saying we haven't seen the piece for ourselves yet, so we're going on Keighley's word at the moment. We know, we know, we dislike trusting a guy who misspells "Jeff" too.

Keighley: L.A. Noire coming this September originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars marching to multiple platforms this fall

David Hinkle — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST

And here we thought the well of Lego Star Wars material had dried up. Perhaps we've underestimated TT Games, which has revealed that it's constructing a new armed and fully operational entry in the series: Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars. Destined for an Autumn 2010 release on the Xbox 360, PS3, PSP, Nintendo DS and Wii, the game will focus on the events of the Cartoon Network animated series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Expect "brand new battle modes, giving players unique, head-to-head combat" and an expanded level editor, allowing potential Padawans and Seperatists the chance to construct their own "customized bases and in-game battlefields." You'll also be able to employ new tactics throughout the game, such as "Squad command, Lightsaber slicing, Lightsaber jumps, long distance Jedi attacks and Grapple Tie-Ups."

Wait, lightsaber slicing? Does that mean the obvious, or the radical ability to slice through lightsabers?

Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars marching to multiple platforms this fall originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ESRB outs WWII-based opening of Bad Company 2

Ben Gilbert — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST

The original Bad Company spinoff in the Battlefield series kept the franchise's setting firmly in modern times, but if the Bad Company 2 ESRB description is true, you'll be seeing a return to WWII in the sequel. At the very least, the game's opening will bring players back to the Pacific side of the war, with the ESRB description saying, "In single-player mode, players conduct missions on an unnamed Japanese island during World War II and then move into the modern day through jungles, deserts, and snowy terrain."

Just like we've discovered in our way too many hours with the game's multiplayer demo, the description details the inclusion of "melee attacks with a power drill" (yes, seriously) and the characters use of profanity "during cutscenes and in the heat of battle." And yes, we're just as excited by the former as you might imagine.
[Via BigDownload]

ESRB outs WWII-based opening of Bad Company 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 07 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sega cites 'tweaks' and release position for Alpha Protocol delay [update]

Ben Gilbert — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 21:30:00 EST

It would have been nice to hear more of an explanation way back in October when Sega's Alpha Protocol was "officially delayed" to the amorphous "Spring 2010," but, unfortunately, that didn't happen. Speaking with MTV Multiplayer this week, though, assistant producer at Sega Matthew Hickman explicitly detailed the reasons for the delay, saying, "We really wanted to polish the game up, make it everything Obsidian planned it to be, and give the consumer a very polished game."

He added that there's been some "tweaks in lighting here and there," and the inventory screen has been revamped a bit, but in general the team has been focused on "bringing the whole quality level up." The post's author also notes that the game is set for a "Summer 2010" release window now, and we've reached out to him (and Sega) for clarification.

Update: The post's author has responded that, yes, the game's current release window is set for "Summer 2010." Guess that's another delay then, eh? We'll update again if Sega responds.

Sega cites 'tweaks' and release position for Alpha Protocol delay [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 06 Feb 2010 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brock Lesnar makes the cover of UFC Undisputed 2010

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 18:30:00 EST

We knew the Ultimate Fighting Championship was open to all forms of combatants, but we think professional brawler Brock Lesnar's admittance to the league is just a little unfair. Our attention was turned to Lesnar by the recently revealed cover of UFC Undisputed 2010 (the full version of which is posted after the jump), which features his countenance. See, we don't have anything against Lesnar -- we just think it's a little one-sided to pit human fighters up against shaved kodiak bears.

We can't wait to scare the living crap out of all the other game cases on our shelf by placing this one near them when UFC Undisputed 2010 releases May 25.

Continue reading Brock Lesnar makes the cover of UFC Undisputed 2010

Brock Lesnar makes the cover of UFC Undisputed 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 06 Feb 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Red Dead Redemption screens go hogtie wild

Ben Gilbert — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:30:00 EST

We've already seen John Marston get himself into a whole mess of different being a cowboy-related situations before Red Dead Redemption's impending April release date, but today's are (as you might imagine) just a bit different. That's right, folks -- this time he's got a lasso. Rather than employing the ubiquitous Old West tool in cow wrangling, though, Marston drops some rope-based justice on fools and horses alike (okay okay -- we suppose it's possible there are also some fool horses). Peep the five new screens below in our hi-res gallery.

Red Dead Redemption screens go hogtie wild originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Atlus lets you pick your special V-Day event in Demon's Souls

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 14:30:00 EST

Atlus is an awfully empathetic company. It realizes that not everyone gets all sunshine and lollipops around the 14th of February -- in fact, some folks experience the opposite sensation: Darkness and ... salt-water taffy? We guess?

With this dichotomy in mind, Atlus is allowing players to vote on the special event which will overtake its hard-as-hell RPG Demon's Souls on Valentine's Day -- will it be the easy-going White Tendency which appeared during the holiday season? Or the extra difficult Black Tendency which destroyed players on Halloween? Only you, and your either loving or jilted heart, can decide.

Atlus lets you pick your special V-Day event in Demon's Souls originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 06 Feb 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BioShock 2 soundtrack song list revealed

Ben Gilbert — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 13:30:00 EST

Considering the upcoming digital release of BioShock 2's soundtrack is, well, digital, you could probably just procure the track list from Amazon and grab the individual songs before its announced February 9 release date. Sure, you're not gonna get your ... uhh ... eyes on the fancy digital packaging, but you could snag all those classy tunes a full three days before the other kids on your block. Think about that!

Done thinking? Good, 'cause we've got more BioShock 2 music info for you -- there's also a way to enjoy the soundtrack this very second. How's that, you ask? Well, simple: just grab this iTunes music file or this WIndows music file and enjoy a taste of "Rapture Radio." To be clear, the tracks listed are no bearing on the game's official score which comes with the game's special edition. Head past the break for a breakdown of both the standard and deluxe editions (no prices are available yet).

[Via Destructoid]

Continue reading BioShock 2 soundtrack song list revealed

BioShock 2 soundtrack song list revealed originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 06 Feb 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Final Fantasy XIII producers: Traditional RPG towns are tough to do in HD

Mike Schramm — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 23:15:00 EST

Lots of fans think it would be great to see the classic Final Fantasy VII remade in full HD glory on a platform like the PS3, but Final Fantasy XIII producers Yoshinori Kitase and Motomu Toriyama say it would be really tough to do. In a recent interview with Ultimania, they say that the limit isn't the HD technology, it's the amount of artisanship. "Considering the amount of work to make graphics that deserve HD, it is hard to make towns in the conventional style," said Toriyama. FFVII's graphics were beautiful at the time, but when you consider that we all played them on a 4:3 TV SD screen rather than the 1080p HD behemoths we're all playing games on today, you realize that it's a lot more work for artists to put in to make the game look as epic as Final Fantasy should. That's one reason why FFXIII doesn't have conventional RPG towns.

Kitase agrees, saying that "it is very hard to make games on PlayStation 3 in the same style the games in that era had. Making graphics will take enormous time." So score one for standard definition and the limits of the old pre-HD consoles. Note that neither producer says it's impossible, just a lot of work. So maybe some enterprising young developer will come along and make a solid, HD JRPG in the old-school fashion.

Final Fantasy XIII producers: Traditional RPG towns are tough to do in HD originally appeared on Joystiq Playstation on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 23:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No strings attached with Echoshift demo this month

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:15:00 EST

Echoshift, a PSP-ified second-cousin to PS3 puzzler echochrome, will have a demo out sometime in February. A post on the PlayStation Blog notes the game will have 56 levels, with additional downloadable levels through PSN. Hopefully the game will receive the same extensive community support bestowed upon echochrome.

As we noted in our hands-on, if you're looking for a primer to the game, feel free to try Yoshio Ishii's Cursor*10 or its sequel.

Gallery: echoshift

No strings attached with Echoshift demo this month originally appeared on Joystiq Playstation on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Industry survey shows iPhone growth, console development preference

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:00:00 EST

Alright, alright, calm down -- before you break out the bottle of kerosene for a completely baseless flame war, we're going to point out that the following survey results are from a "comprehensive 55 question survey" of "more than 800 video game professionals from North America and beyond who read Gamasutra, subscribe to Game Developer magazine, or attend Game Developers Conference." We'd also like to note that the not-quite-recovered economy is likely playing a larger role than we can tell at the moment. All that said, the 2009/10 State of Game Development Survey shows that small development houses ("50 employees or fewer") have grown seven percent in the last year -- a statistic pretty much directly tied to the 25 percent of developers now working on "mobile platforms" (nearly 75 percent of which name the iPhone directly).

We're hoping that, by this point in the post, any potential console warriors have moved on and won't notice us pointing out the breakdown of development percentage for each home console. Of the developers working on home consoles, 69 percent said they're developing for Xbox 360, while 61 percent claimed PlayStation 3. Maybe more interestingly, Wii console development dropped from 42 percent of respondents last year to 30 percent this year. Soft sales of third-party Wii titles last year likely didn't help to persuade devs to work with Nintendo. We'll see how that translates to the console's releases in the coming year.

Industry survey shows iPhone growth, console development preference originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Latest Aliens vs. Predator trailer has disco fever

David Hinkle — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:00:00 EST

There are plenty of things worth highlighting in this Aliens vs. Predator trailer. The foreboding "blip ... blip ... blip" of the motion tracker and the lone marine with only a pistol to protect himself from the onslaught of scurrying Xenomorphs are just a few, but what irks us most is the digital lady dancing on the pole of the disco. Is that, like, really the future of t3h pr0nz? We were hoping for some kind of Star Trek Holodeck-type action.

Latest Aliens vs. Predator trailer has disco fever originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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JBO: Joystiq Box Office, February 1 - February 5

Kevin Kelly — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST

We can't be gaming all the time, despite our best efforts, and from time to time we'll actually take advantage of the movie-playing abilities on our gaming systems. JBO features our top picks for XBL, PSN, Netflix's Watch Instantly and Blu-ray each week.

Recommendation of the Week:

Zombieland (Blu-ray: $39.95, much lower at retailers)
What goes perfectly with Zombieland on Blu-ray? Twinkies. Or Sno Balls, depending which side of the Hostess line you fall on. Although I have to agree with Woody Harrelson on this one: Sno Balls are disgusting. When I first heard about Zombieland, I didn't think I'd care for it much, but it ended up being fairly irresistible. The combination of Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin fighting zombies is a post-apocalyptic, abandoned United States just works extremely well, and it makes you wish you had the same playground to explore. (Zombie-free, of course.) Between Eisenberg's essential rules for zombie survival and an extremely hilarious cameo appearance (don't spoil it for people who haven't seen it yet!) this movie rides the comedy-horror line perfectly. There's also a sweet Zombieland PS3 theme on the disc, just move to the game tab and you'll see it there to download. It's not advertised on the package, but it's a nice extra.

Read on after the break for the rest of our recommendations, and let us know what you're watching!

Continue reading JBO: Joystiq Box Office, February 1 - February 5

JBO: Joystiq Box Office, February 1 - February 5 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PS3 worldwide sales cross 30 million

JC Fletcher — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:30:00 EST

Adding up Sony's quarterly sales numbers for the PS3, including the 6.5 million Q3 sales it announced yesterday, Shacknews arrived at a new estimate for the console's life-to-date sales total: 33.71 million units. That's just about half of the Wii's most recent total of 67.45 million, and about 86% of the Xbox 360's recently-announced 39 million. The gap is narrowing!

The year-over-year sales of the PS3 are increasing (or, at least, they increased), with 13 million sold worldwide in fiscal 2009 versus 10.1 million in fiscal 2008. That's only going to increase in 2010, as everyone is forced to buy a second PS3 so the console will appear in stereoscopic 3D even while no 3D games are being played.

PS3 worldwide sales cross 30 million originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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God of War III Ultimate Trilogy Edition: The Ultimate Box

JC Fletcher — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:30:00 EST

Sony Europe has released an image of the European box for the God of War III Ultimate Trilogy Edition -- which, like the American God of War III Ultimate Edition, contains another box within. The European packaging is much more colorful (at least much more red) than the North American box, though, and features an all-important acetate window, through which shoppers can gaze upon the majesty of the replica Pandora's Box that comes with the set.

Aside from the colors and the view, the European set also includes one other thing that the American bundle doesn't: the God of War Collection, which features HD remakes of God of War and God of War II for PS3, and plenty of logos.

God of War III Ultimate Trilogy Edition: The Ultimate Box originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BioShock 2 props surface ... and you can buy them

Randy Nelson — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST

You've wanted one ever since seeing it in the very first trailer for BioShock 2. You even have one for your Xbox Avatar. Now you can buy a real, official replica of the cuddly "hand-made" Big Daddy plush doll that's featured in the game.

Toymaker NECA has announced that the collectible is now available for $20 from various retailers, along with a highly detailed, 8" replica of an EVE syringe* ($16) that lights up blue when you push in its plunger. We realize these items are but a small consolation for 2K deciding not to release the $15,000 "Über Edition" of the game, but you have to admit they're pretty darn cool.

[Via Toy News International]

*EVE not included.

BioShock 2 props surface ... and you can buy them originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Just Cause 2 trailer focuses on 'Freedom and Chaos'

Griffin McElroy — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST

Look, we were going to start off this post by making some ham-fisted joke about how the Just Cause 2 trailer posted above shares a moniker with our rippling biceps -- that is to say, "Freedom and Chaos." We're not going to do that, though. We're simply going to advise you to press that little play button (assuming you're of age, of course), and skip ahead to the 35 second mark. Don't even watch the beginning of the trailer -- just skip to that point, and watch it. We'll wait.

Holy crap, right? Okay, feel free to watch the rest of the video. There's some pretty great stuff in the remainder; but nothing quite as rad as an improvised personal space shuttle.

Just Cause 2 trailer focuses on 'Freedom and Chaos' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Demon's Souls replacement guides ship next week

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:15:00 EST

If you were among the unlucky number of gamers to suffer printing issues on the Demon's Souls strategy guide, we have some good news. Atlus has announced that the replacement guides will begin shipping this Monday, February 8. Late last year, after discovering that many Demon's Souls collector's edition guides had "unusual cover ink wear / fading" problems, Atlus opened a replacement program.

Thankfully, the company didn't deprive gamers of their guides in the meantime, requiring that only the cover be sent as proof of the defect. It's a good thing too, because that game is effing hard. Seriously, look at that thing up there. You're supposed to kill that? With a sword? Hard!

Demon's Souls replacement guides ship next week originally appeared on Joystiq Playstation on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Final Fantasy XIII's soundtrack, now on vinyl

JC Fletcher — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST

Square Enix hasn't announced a release for the Final Fantasy XIII soundtrack outside of Japan. Instead, it has announced a second FFXIII music release in Japan that is going to make you even more jealous. On February 26, the publisher will release a collection of eight songs from Masashi Hamauzu's Final Fantasy XIII score on a 12-inch record, including an exclusive version of "Ragnarok."

The limited-edition vinyl record, W/F: Music from Final Fantasy XIII, is exclusive to Square Enix's E-store. Importer NCSX secured a shipment of the record through one of its vendors, but that has already sold out. Maybe we'll have better luck when Square releases the eight tracks on 8-track.

[Via VG247]

Final Fantasy XIII's soundtrack, now on vinyl originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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High Voltage Studios reveals The Grinder to be multiplatform

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:30:00 EST

Speaking exclusively with IGN, The Conduit developer High Voltage Studios has revealed its upcoming game The Grinder to be heading to the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, as well as the Nintendo Wii. Previously announced as another of HVS' exclusive games for the Wii aimed at teh hardcorez, the game will now end up on every console, which "allows us [High Voltage] to show off what our company can really do and get it into the hands of the most gamers."

While we're inclined to argue that most gamers' hands are in possession of a Wiimote and Nunchuk (at least that's what the numbers tell us), moving to the other consoles is a fairly understandable choice given the relatively low sales of HVS' previous Wiisclusive title. "We are extremely proud of the sales for The Conduit, with over 350,000 copies sold, numerous 'best-of 2009' nods, and over a million hours played according to the Nintendo Channel," noted CEO Kerry Ganofsky. From the interview, it appears that the studio's proprietary game engine ("Quantum 3") will also be heading to the other consoles. Does that mean a Conduit port to the 360 and PS3 is in the cards? Hopefully we'll find out when we next see HVS at the Game Developer's Conference this March. In the meantime, we've embedded a new trailer after the break.

Continue reading High Voltage Studios reveals The Grinder to be multiplatform

High Voltage Studios reveals The Grinder to be multiplatform originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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L.A. Noire no longer PS3 exclusive, also on Xbox 360, Game Informer says

Griffin McElroy — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:45:00 EST

At long last, the never-ending mystery of whether Rockstar's "gritty detective tale," L.A. Noire, will be a multiplatform release has ... well, ended. And in a pretty unspectacular way, to boot -- in the comments section of a Game Informer post teasing the magazine's in-depth print preview of L.A. Noire, editor Matthew Kato explained, "It's not a PS3-exclusive," later adding, "it was at one point, but it's coming out for the PS3 and 360." (We've contacted Rockstar to verify this apparent reveal.)

Now, we won't know whether this news is worth getting excited about until Game Informer's preview hits newsstands. We're getting tentatively pumped, though -- but that's only because of our pure, unswerving love of fedoras. Seriously, we can't get enough of 'em.

L.A. Noire no longer PS3 exclusive, also on Xbox 360, Game Informer says originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dragon Quest VI remake approaches 1m Japanese sales in first week

JC Fletcher — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:31:00 EST

The debut of the Dragon Quest VI remake for DS proves that a Dragon Quest game doesn't have to be entirely new to sell like crazy in Japan -- just new enough. In its first week at retail, January 25-31, the new version of the classic Super Famicom RPG sold 906,458 copies, according to Media Create, making it by far the top-selling game of the week.

A pair of other newly-released RPGs also did quite well: the PS3 version of tri-Ace's shooty-RPG End of Eternity (we call it "Resonance of Fate") landed in second place on the weekly software chart with 118,088 units sold (the Xbox version charted respectably at #8, selling 27,048 units) and Ar Tonelico 3 hit #4 with 81,633 copies sold. Even the Japanese release of MAG managed to make it into the top ten!

See the complete weekly top ten sales list after the break.

Continue reading Dragon Quest VI remake approaches 1m Japanese sales in first week

Dragon Quest VI remake approaches 1m Japanese sales in first week originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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