In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort’s defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information.
Capcom’s new survival-horror opus is closer than ever, and the staff of GamePro got unprecedented access to the game.
In GamePro’s exclusive reports, we detail the shocking shifts in gameplay in a new Resident Evil 5 preview, dissect vile new Resident Evil 5 enemies, including giant bats and bloodthirsty crocodiles, and engage in desperate shoot-outs in an oil refinery and a desolate mountain pass. Also check out our new Resident Evil 5 Q&A and new Resident Evil 5 screens. Read more
Not long after LucasArts loosed Star Wars: The Force Unleashed on a galaxy not so far away, the publisher said it was already melding a fresh batch of downloadable content for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 editions. Included in the pack, according to LucasArts, would be an all-new level featuring the Secret Apprentice that augments the single-player campaign. Without much of a warning this week, LucasArts said that the content is now available.
The aforementioned new mission will be set in the Jedi Temple, former center of the vanquished order’s power, on the city-world Coruscant. Playing as Darth Vader’s understudy, players will explore the ruins for clues to his origins in general–and his father in particular. The download will also include nine new character skins, letting gamers play through the single-player campaign as a variety of Star Wars staples ranging from purple-lightsaber-wielding Mace Windu to the sinister Darth Maul.
A press release out of Tokyo provided PS3 owners with more details regarding the upcoming Lumines Supernova, the latest iteration of the greatly loved Lumines franchise. Combining music, sharp, colorful backgrounds and addictive puzzler gameplay, Supernova is sure to please long-time Lumines fans eagerly awaiting the game’s arrival on the PS3.
We already knew that Q Entertainment would be bringing the game to the PSN, along with new modes (including a Sequencer mode for creating your own music) and a whole bunch of new skins, but a surprising bit of news came out of the press release as well. LittleBigPlanet’s Sackboy will be making a guest appearance in Supernova, in the form of a Challenge mode skin filled with Sackboys and Sackgirls.
At this year’s Tokyo Game Show, executives from Square Enix, Capcom, and Namco Bandai engaged in a roundtable discussion about Japan’s diminished role in the gaming industry. As a result, the publisher and many of its fellow Japanese outfits are putting a greater emphasis on the West, both in selling and developing their games there.
Square Enix recently set up a development studio in Los Angeles. Capcom is “actively pursuing friendly acquisitions and partnerships” with foreign outfits, and developing games like Dead Rising and Lost Planet with a more Western audience in mind. And today Namco Bandai established Surge, a new publishing label “dedicated to providing cutting-edge, genre-defining games that are targeted at satiating the appetite of western gamers.” Surge will produce games across a variety of genres and platforms.
Harmonix has announced that thirteen of ska pop band No Doubt’s greatest hits will be making their way to Rock Band. The new song pack will be available for download on Tuesday, December 9th on Xbox Live and Thursday, December 11th on PSN.
The thirteen songs come from the “Rock Band Edition” of the band’s compilation album, The Singles 1992-2003. How’s does the “Rock Band Edition” of The Singles differ from the normal album? Well, it’s missing two songs: “New” and “Trapped in a Box.” Also, you can play it with plastic instruments. Other than that, same album. You can buy the entire bundle for 1600 Microsoft Points ($20) or scoop up individual tracks for 160 MS Points ($2).
Downloadable content hasn’t traditionally been one of the main selling points for Activision’s Guitar Hero series. That stance has perceptibly changed with World Tour, due in part to the fact that Activision now has a studio whose professed purpose it is to create DLC for the rhythm-game franchise. Examples thus far released for World Tour include tracks from the likes of Jimi Hendrix, The Raconteurs, R.E.M., Boston, Foreigner, and Oasis.
Today, Activision laid out Guitar Hero World Tour’s DLC lineup for the month of December, injecting the game with a number of new songs from legendary rockers. Leading the show on December 4, The Smashing Pumpkins will reprise their on-disc performance of “Today” with “G.L.O.W.” from their new album, as well as “1979″ and “The Everlasting Gaze.”
Gene Simmons and the Interactive Game Group have come together to offer gamers the chance to play their very own ‘Axe Guitar’ in Guitar Hero, or Rock Band. Gene Simmons commented on the videogame accessory adaptation of his iconic guitar:
“I never do anything half way. My AXE controller is the closest thing you can have to being onstage in KISS. I created and designed the Gene Simmons AXE bass guitar and I can’t wait for the fans to experience it for themselves. The Gene Simmons AXE guitar is such a recognizable symbol – people have been asking for a gaming replica ever since Guitar Hero was first introduced.”
Hey All! We’ve had a lot of email over the last few months asking about Trophies for Blast Factor, so I’m very pleased to announce that a new updated version of Blast Factor with that sweet Trophy goodness will be winging its way to your PS3 this Thursday!
We’ve had a lot of fun putting the Trophy challenges together, and we reckon that we’ve got a good selection for Blast Factor fans of all abilities. Watch out though, there are a couple that are going to be a challenge to even the most hardcore of Blast Factor players!
The venerable Atari brand has fallen on hard times recently, although signs are starting to suggest the possibility of a comeback. Sony alumn Phil Harrison recently took the reins of the beleaguered publisher, hoping to help turn business around. The recently-released Alone in the Dark Inferno on PS3 is the first step in a company makeover aimed at restoring the high level of quality we expect from this 30-year-old brand.
The company today announced its lineup of games due this coming spring 2009. There are a variety of console and handheld titles on the menu, suggesting that Atari will retain a broad publishing focus going forward. We are particularly interested to see how The Chronicles of Riddick and Ghostbusters turn out, after Atari snapped these franchises up in the fallout of the Vivendi-Activision merger.
