KillerWolverine's News Blog

SouthPeak Games and developer TimeGate Studios are pleased to announce their clan and statistics portal for the upcoming sci-fi first person shooter, Section 8.

This extremely robust online center offers players unprecedented information and coordination for everything they do in the game. It also allows for full clan management and recruitment. Everything will be accessible at www.joinsection8.com/stats and be available next week when the game ships in North America.

Features:

• Create a Section 8 clan
  • In game clan tags can be setup to automatically update from the portal
  • Ability to turn on/off recruitment status and review the statistics of your incoming applicants
  • Establish hierarchies within your clan (Recruit, Member, Officer, Leader, etc.) and manage rosters directly from the portal
  • Toggle viewing clan member’s e-mail address for coordination outside of the game
• Over 50+ unique Leaderboards not available in game, categorized by:
  • Career Statistics (XP, Kills, Deaths, Destructions, Combat, Teamwork, etc.)
  • “In a Life” Records (XP, Teamwork, Combat, Kills, Damage, Captures, Repairs, Defenses, Destruction)
  • Gear “In a Life” Records (Assault Rifle, Shotgun, Knife, etc.)
  • Badges (32x badges)
  • Feats (16x feats)
• All Leaderboards can be changed to best “overall” or best “within my clan”
• Overall community page that tracks the top players / top clans, as well as tracks continuously updated community wide statistics (ex: most popular map, popular gear, popular loadout, etc.)
• A unique player profile page for each user that tracks over 100 unique in-game statistics to the individual that can be set to rank either best “overall” or best “within my clan”
• Mutually exclusive statistics for each platform (Xbox 360, PC)
• Supports players from all regions  (EFIGS)

Section 8 will be available for Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft on September 1, and for Windows PC on September 4 in North America. Both the Xbox 360 and Windows PC versions will be available on September 11 in the UK and Asia Pacific, and September 18 in the rest of Europe.

For more visit www.joinsection8.com.

Video game developers with their sights set on winning some of the $300,000 in prizes and a chance to present their games to top publishers in the Indie Game Challenge are in luck.

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS), GameStop Corp. and The Guildhall at Southern MethodistUniversity today announced the entry deadline has been extended from Oct. 1 to Oct. 31, 2009.

“Since we announced the kick-off of the Indie Game Challenge on July 15, the response from the development community has exceeded our expectations,” said Joseph Olin, president, AIAS. “However, a consistent request we’ve heard from developers is that they want more time to create and refine their betas and pitch videos in order to create the highest-quality entries possible. Given that the overall goal of this inaugural competition is to allow as many people as possible to participate, the three partners agreed that extending the contest period a month makes perfect sense. We’re confident the AIAS’s panel of judges will have more than enough time to review and evaluate each entry on its own merits to ensure the best of the best is duly rewarded.”

Olin points out new, as well as previously developed, games are eligible for entry so long as they have not been professionally published in accordance with the complete rules found atwww.indiegamechallenge.com. This includes the eligibility of games previously submitted to other awards competitions, whether or not those games received awards or not, including online or self-published games that appear in the Apple store so long as they are not from a major publisher.

Mike Hogan, senior vice president of marketing, GameStop Corp., said the Indie Game Challenge is the preeminent competition for video game developers. “Winners will split up almost $300,000 in prize monies and scholarships, including $100,000 grand prize awards for both the winning professional and non-professional games,” he said. “Even more important for the finalists is the exposure they will receive. Their pitch videos will be posted on GameStop.com and GameStop TV where they will be seen by millions of people and be eligible for additional prize money and People’s Choice Award voting. For aspiring game developers, such visibility is priceless.”

Judging will be conducted by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences after Oct. 31. Up to 12 finalist teams will be announced on or about Jan. 15, 2010, and up to five members of each finalist team will be flown to an awards reception Feb. 19, 2010, at the Red Rock Casino Resort Spa in Las Vegas following AIAS’s D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit.

Each finalist team will be rewarded with the opportunity to pitch their game idea face-to-face to executives from top publishers such as Sony, Nintendo, Electronic Arts, Capcom, Microsoft, Namco/Bandai, THQ and Ubisoft. These meetings will allow teams to receive valuable input from industry icons and have the opportunity to pursue commercial avenues for their games.

Dr. Peter E. Raad, founder and executive director of The Guildhall at SMU, said he is already aware of several student teams creating IGC entries for the non-professional category. “We have heard from a number of our friends at other game development educational programs, and weexpect a number of student games to be entered,” he said. “The Challenge provides a tangible opportunity for students across the country to bring their ideas to fruition while developing their aptitude for teamwork and collaboration. We’re looking forward to seeing some of the fresh ideas these teams are capable of creating.”

For additional information, visit www.indiegamechallenge.com

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Monolith Studios are pleased to announce that a playable demo for F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn, the next F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin DLC pack, is available for free download via PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Marketplace today.

This free demo provides the first chance to get a hands-on look at the upcoming single-player campaign, featuring four all new levels. F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn immerses gamers in the aftermath of Alma’s destruction with a mysterious new point-of-view: that of Replica Soldier Foxtrot 813. Be careful, not all is as it seems.

Download now and get the first look at F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn today!

The complete F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn experience will be available for purchase on September 3 via PlayStation Network for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, and Xbox LIVE for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and Windows™ PC. Additionally, patches for PlayStation 3 and PC and a title update for Xbox 360—all including Slow-Mo Deathmatch mode capabilities—will be made available for free on September 3.

Leading video game developer BioWare, a division of Electronic Arts Inc., has secured a star-studded voiceover cast for its upcoming blockbuster game, Dragon Age: Origins. Featuring Tim Curry, star of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Broadway’s Spamalot, as well as Kate Mulgrew, well-known for her role as Capt. Kathryn Janeway in “Star Trek: Voyager”, Dragon Age: Origins also includes notable cast members Tim Russ (“Star Trek: Voyager,” “Samantha Who?”), Claudia Black (“Stargate SG-1,” “Pitch Black”) and Steve Valentine (“Estate of Panic,” “Crossing Jordan”). Dragon Age: Origins marks BioWare’s return to fantasy, created from the ground up to take players through a dark epic tale filled with violence, lust, and betrayal.

Tim Curry will play the villainous Arl Rendon Howe. Howe is the calculating villain, cultured and charming, with an insatiable lust for power, who never hesitates to harm anyone who gets in his way. Kate Mulgrew will lend her vocal flair to Flemeth, a powerful witch who maintains her immortality through the darkest of means, and who plays a pivotal role in the player’s survival. Both roles provide the actors with the opportunity to bring their considerable talents to bear in their portrayal of these characters.

“Dragon Age: Origins has the largest cast of characters of any game BioWare has ever made,” said Mark Darrah, Executive Producer, BioWare. “By working with an incredibly talented cast of actors we are able to bring reality and depth to the characters, their back stories, motivations, and dreams that our talented writers have created for them.”

In Dragon Age: Origins, players take on the role of a Grey Warden, one of the last of an ancient order of guardians who have served as protectors throughout the centuries. Only they have the power to unite the shattered lands, defeat the Archdemon and drive back the darkspawn that threaten to destroy the world. Players will interact with many interesting characters who may join them in their quest, and they will choose whether these characters become friends, foes, or even a romantic interest. Featuring a deep and compelling story where every choice can have a dramatic impact on the game, Dragon Age: Origins is scheduled to release on November 3, 2009 in North America, for the PC and Xbox 360 videogame and entertainment system and later in November for the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system.

Dragon Age: Origins is rated M by the ESRB. For more information about Dragon Age: Origins, visit www.dragonage.com. Pre-order the game now at www.eastore.ea.com.

Digi Ronin Games announced today an agreement with New York Times bestselling author Mary Kay Andrews to develop and distribute a casual game for the PC and Mac based on her novel, The Fixer Upper.

The game, “Mary Kay Andrews: The Fixer Upper”, is expected to be available for release just in time for the holiday season in December 2009.

“Watching my characters and stories being spun into a casual game for my fans to continue to enjoy in their leisure time is an amazing experience,” said Mary Kay Andrews. “Digi Ronin is the best possible gaming company to design such a project, and I can’t wait to play the game along with my fans.”

“Mary Kay Andrews: The Fixer Upper” will transform the author’s vividly depicted characters and charming, cleverly woven story into a hidden object game featuring over 20 scenes from the book and over 10 mini-games. Join fledgling lobbyist Dempsey Jo Killebrew, framed for a crime and then fired by her unsavory boss, as she flees the high-powered world of Washington D.C. for the hilarious surprises of small-town Guthrie, Georgia. Here, the now unemployed Dempsey Jo is tasked by her father with restoring the family’s recently inherited, and definitely fading, Victorian mansion into a real-estate cash cow.

Upon Dempsey Jo’s return to Guthrie in “Mary Kay Andrews: The Fixer Upper”, you must guide her through the house renovation process, as well as bring her boss to justice. As you search for items and clues to progress in the game and reveal the story, you will encounter “mini-games” based on events from the book, as well as meet characters from the book who will reveal key information and assign important tasks.

“We are thrilled and honored to be working with an author the caliber of Mary Kay Andrews,” said Jay Powell, co-founder of Digi Ronin Games. “Her style and stories are a perfect match for the casual game market, and we intend to do her and her legions of fans proud.”

Please email for the official game logo. For more information on “Mary Kay Andrews: The Fixer Upper” visit http://digironingames.com/projects/mary-kay-andrews-the-fixer-upper/

Playlogic announced today it will be giving consumers and members of the press hands-on demonstrations of Fairytale Fights at PAX in Seattle, Washington (Playlogic will be located at PAX Booth #28).

In addition, attendees of the show can visit the Playlogic booth to enter daily for a chance to win a $100 gift card to a variety of gaming retailers.  The drawing will take place at the Playlogic booth everyday of the show at 2:00pm.  Three gift cards worth $100 each will be given away on a daily basis.

Fairytale Fights is a truly twisted hack n’ slash platform adventure where players assume the role of a much-loved fairytale character whose glory days have long since passed.   Using the Unreal Engine 3 like never before, Fairytale Fights takes popular characters and tales from the pantheon of well known fairytales and turns them on their heads as players must fight their way through hordes of bloodthirsty enemies on a quest to restore their own personal honor and re-establish peace in the land of fairytales.

Inspired by twisted cartoons like Happy Tree Friends and Itchy and Scratchy, and featuring a wildly colorful and distinct art style, players can cooperatively complete quests in the single-player storyline or compete in chaotic multiplayer battles with up to 4 players.

Key Features include:

• Volumetric Liquid System – Developed by Playlogic Game Factory, the Volumetric Liquid System allows multiple liquids to blend together.  Deep Red Blood will drench the lush surroundings (and the players!), as you slice up the enemies not once, not twice, but multiple times in a frenzied attack! Slide through the pools of blood, creating a blood stained platform in seconds (hell you can even write your name!)
• Real-Time Dynamic Slicing Technology (codenamed Salami Violence) – For the first time ever assume full control over how and when to slice and dice your enemies in real time as your drench the lush surrounding in a sea of limbs and blood!
• Based on the Unreal Engine 3 – Fairytale Fights is based on the Unreal Engine 3, utilising the engine like never before!
• Multiplayer Mayhem! – Fight with friends and foes both on and offline with drop in drop out gameplay.  Fight your friends and family for the best weapons and collectables in story mode, or play till the death in one of our many PVP battle grounds
• Depth of Gameplay – Fairytale Fights isn’t just a hack and slash platform adventure.  Featuring a wealth of content spread across more than 20 spectacular playable areas built from the remains books and fairytale memorabilia.
• Huge Arsenal of Weapons! – Featuring over 140 weapons, (each with multiple uses), eliminate foes in multiple ways from slicing and dicing, to freezing, or fire! Burn skin from their bones with Acid Attacks or shove them into oncoming trains!
• Multiple Difficulties – Fairytale Fights features 3 difficulty levels, with multiple enemies.  Increase the enemy count to increase the gore factor!
• Accessibility – Fairytale Fights is one of the most accessible Platform Adventure games ever offering a mix of visceral bloody violence & adventure with fantastic platforming elements for the more discerning gamer!

Fairytale Fights will launch in North America on October 27, 2009 for Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system. Fairytale Fights will be available for PC in 2010.

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

For more information about Playlogic and to sign up to get all the latest breaking news regarding Fairytale Fights please visit www.fairytalefights.com.

Leading videogame publisher, SouthPeak Games, announced today a new Nintendo DS title, Crime Scene, is scheduled for release during this holiday season.

Crime Scene puts players in the role of a detective, giving them a full arsenal of police tools to solve crimes and ensure justice is served.

“People love a good ‘whodunit’, so we’re about to give them a bunch of head-scratching crimes to solve,” said Richard Iggo, VP of Marketing at SouthPeak. “Whether you are a fan of police dramas on TV, classic detective fiction, or just tricky puzzles, Crime Scene allows players to take part in their own tense, high stakes investigation and get involved in forensic work.”

Crime Scene turns Nintendo DS into a weapon of justice. Players are tasked with combing through crime scenes and untangling suspense-filled scenarios by using the stylus, breath and voice features, and their own eye for detail to condemn wrongdoers. All the police tools are at the players’ disposal as they study bodies, take blood samples, collect fingerprints, use voice recognition software, identify murder weapons, conduct DNA analyses and more.

Crime Scene is scheduled for release in Holiday 2009. For more information, visitwww.southpeakgames.com.

Xbox 360 today invites you to experience more fun, more entertainment and more ways to connect with friends and family at an even better value. Beginning Aug. 28, the price of an Xbox 360 Elite console will drop by $100, now priced at just $299.99 estimated retail price (ERP) in the United States. On top of that, the Xbox 360 Pro console will now be priced at $249.99 (ERP), reflecting a price reduction of $50, while supplies last. Starting at just $199.99 (ERP) for the Xbox 360 Arcade console, Xbox 360 puts all your entertainment in one place so you can play games, watch movies and TV shows, listen to music, and, coming this fall, keep up with your Twitter and Facebook social circles, all from your Xbox 360. (1) And, as announced earlier this year, the Xbox 360 you buy today will work with code-named “Project Natal” and controller-free gaming in the future.

“With the holiday season right around the corner, it’s already time to start looking for entertainment and gifts that everyone will enjoy,” said Shane Kim, corporate vice president of strategy and business development for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft Corp. “If you’re looking for deep experiences that don’t require deep pockets, now is the time to purchase an Xbox 360. We’ve got the best games, a vast library of TV shows and movies, new music experiences, more ways to connect friends and family, and so much more on the horizon including ‘Project Natal’ — no controller required.”

Having an Xbox 360 at the center of your living room provides entertainment for any occasion. Whether you’re a casual or hardcore gamer playing single player or with friends, you can enjoy hundreds of titles that fit your gaming style. Watch thousands of movies and TV shows, listen to music, and view photos in the comfort of your home. And share the fun with friends and family around the world through Xbox LIVE:

• Games for everyone. Enjoy Xbox 360 game favorites such as recently released EA SPORTS “Madden NFL 10” in high definition and continue the fun through the holidays with a lineup that is sure to entertain every type of gamer. Families and friends can get together to build a famous foursome and relive the music of the Fab Four with “The Beatles: Rock Band.” For those who crave action, players can tear up the tracks of “Forza Motorsport 3”; jump back into the “Halo” universe as an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper in “Halo 3: ODST”; or deploy for combat with this year’s highly anticipated title from Infinity Ward, “Modern Warfare® 2,” the sequel to the best-selling first-person action game in history, “Call of Duty® 4: Modern Warfare.”

• More ways to connect. Xbox LIVE, the industry-leading online gaming and entertainment network, will soon offer its 20 million community members even more blockbuster partners and features, introducing a whole new era of social entertainment in the living room. Starting this fall, you can interact with friends on Facebook and share photos and real-time status updates right from your television, or stay connected to Twitter by reading, posting and replying to Tweets. (1)

• Movies and music. For the first time, you’ll also have access to high-quality streaming songs from Last.fm using the best speakers in the house. Plus, Zune video on Xbox LIVE will offer the selection of a video megastore in 1080p clarity for many videos and the convenience of on-demand, coming this fall. (2)

• Your Xbox, your way. In the meantime, visit the Xbox LIVE Avatar Marketplace for the latest fashions, download full Xbox 360 titles to your hard drive through Games on Demand, and with a Netflix unlimited membership and an Xbox LIVE Gold Membership, browse and add movies and TV episodes to your instant Queue, and connect with friends for a Netflix Movie Party (3) — all from your Xbox 360. With all of these experiences available for the holidays and the future addition of “Project Natal,” which will work with every Xbox 360 sold today and tomorrow, the Xbox 360 system provides more fun for less.

(1) Xbox LIVE Gold Membership will be required for Twitter and Facebook when they are available, and is required for Netflix. Games, media content and Netflix membership are sold separately; a hard drive is required for storage.

(2) Xbox LIVE Gold Membership will be required for Last.fm and LIVE Party.

(3) Netflix Movie Party available with supported titles.

Leading video game developer BioWare, a division of Electronic Arts Inc.  today announced the launch of Mass Effect: Pinnacle Station, a new Game Add-on for the original Mass Effect game, the first episode in the epic trilogy. The Game Add-On for the 2007 award-winning Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and downloadable pack for the PC title introduces an intense combat challenge to the epic Mass Effect universe. Picking up where the first game ended, players will enter Pinnacle Station, a top-secret Alliance training facility. Featuring 13 scenarios ranging from fast-paced combat simulations to high-stakes winner-takes-all wagers, players will push their combat skills to the limit. The Mass Effect: Pinnacle Station Game Add-On is available today for 400 Microsoft points on Xbox LIVE Marketplace. It is also available for the PC version at $5 and can be found at http://eastore.ea.com.

In Pinnacle Station, players will encounter aggressive simulated enemies and unlock a mysterious new location. In the station players will acquire rare weapons and special armor available exclusively in the Pinnacle Station Game Add-On. With each successful mission, players are rewarded with Xbox 360 Achievement points.

“At BioWare, we’re committed to providing ongoing support for all our franchises. With Mass Effect: Pinnacle Station, you’ll execute challenging new combat missions that will allow you to reenter the Mass Effect galaxy with a bang!” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, Group General Manager and Senior Vice President, Electronic Arts, and co-founder and CEO, BioWare. “Regardless of whether you choose to start Mass Effect 2 as a standalone adventure, or import your Mass Effect saved games, we know that you will enjoy Episode 2 for all of its intense action, dramatic plot twists and memorable characters.”

Pinnacle Station for Xbox 360 is now available for download on LIVE Marketplace for 400 Microsoft points at http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/. To download the PC version visit the EA store at http://eastore.ea.com.

The 1.02 patch for Mass Effect is required for the installation of Pinnacle Station and is available for download today on http://masseffect.bioware.com/.

The Mass Effect trilogy is a masterful science fiction adventure set in a vast universe filled with dangerous alien life and mysterious uncharted planets. Mass Effect 2 is scheduled for release on Xbox 360 and PC in early 2010. Follow Mass Effect on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/masseffect2.

According to Kotaku, Raven Software, developers of recently released Wolfenstein and soon to be released Singluarlity, let 30 to 35 go from their Wisconsin studios, sources tell Kotaku.

In a prepared statement released to Kotaku today, Activision confirmed that Raven, a subsidiary of the company, had laid people off today, but declined to confirm or deny the number of people impacted.

“With the recent completion of both X-Men Origins Wolverine, based on the summer blockbuster movie, and Wolfenstein, the next chapter of the famed franchise, Raven Software is slightly reducing its workforce to better reflect the studio’s upcoming slate,” the Activision statement read.

Full story here