According to IGN the PS3 version of BlackSite will have less options than the 360 version. On the 360 \”players will be able to play ranked and unranked matches, and voice support will have constant chatter for teammates while everyone will be able to hear each other if they\’re close enough, regardless of which team they\’re on.\” However the PS3 version features none of those options.
Divineo.fr has put up in its catalogue the Memor 32 - an advanced 32MB PS2 memory card which is designed to be used for game saves and complete with an integrated USB port. It\’s currently on sale for
Speak to IGN, Chris Priestly commented that Mass Effect will take around 20 hours to complete, although those gamers with a romance plot style and get sidetracked with sub quests and the like it could take \’em at least 60 hours depending on the play style of the individual.
EA has confirmed that Army of Two will miss its original November release date as the company needs a few more months to polish the game for the new release date in early 2008. A statement read that the extra time will enable the team to polish the game and make it truly great.
Ever ones to cause problems, Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction may or may not make their next-gen debut on the PlayStation 3 this week. The game, which was originally slated for October 23, was bumped to October 30 even after Insomniac Games had laid the last line of code. With manufacturing complete, Sony has given retailers the go-ahead to put the last Lombax and his mechanical confederate in play as of its original ship date, October 23. Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older, Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction will wreck their mayhem on the PS3 for $59.99.
Insomniac’s platformer isn’t the only high-profile console-exclusive this week. PS3 owners scope out the fantasy-inspired The Eye of Judgment, where tangible cards are used to wage war in virtual environments. Powering the conflict is Sony’s latest camera, the PlayStation Eye, which is also available as a $39.99 stand-alone product this week. Namco Bandai’s supersonic arcade fighter Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation sets the Xbox 360 alight this week, available solo or in a $150 bundle with the first flight accessory for Microsoft’s console, Hori’s Ace-Edge Flightstick. The Wii gets a pair of anticipated exclusives as well, with Capcom bringing Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure and Tomy and D3 giving Naruto his next-gen debut with Clash of Ninja Revolution.
Exclusives aside, two very-much M-for-Mature multiplatform releases hit this week. Codemasters sounds the horns on its paranormal shooter, Clive Barker’s Jericho. With demented monsters aplenty, Clive Barker’s latest crossover into the interactive space spooks the Xbox 360, PC, and PS3. For those hankering to pillage and wench, THQ is bringing Conan to market. Robert E. Howard’s Cimmerian brute makes a mess of mangled bodies on the Xbox 360 and PS3.
A near-obscene number of Nintendo DS games are expected to hit retail this week as well. Tomy will be bringing Naruto: Path of the Ninja, originally released for the Game Boy Advance in Japan, to the Nintendo DS. Other headliners for the DS include Phoenix Wright’s return to the courtroom in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trials and Tribulations, as well as Square Enix’s Front Missions, a mech-centric strategy game originally released for the Super Nintendo.
The Wii’s Virtual Console continues the classic gaming. Lunar Pool, originally released stateside for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987, marries billiards with miniature golf and is available for 500 Wii points ($5). Originally released only in Japan, Ninja JaJaMaru-kun is an action game and carries the premium NES-port price of 600 Wii points ($6). Initially released in North America exclusively through Sega’s early experiment in digital distribution–the Sega Channel–Golden Axe III is available for 800 Wii points ($8).
With the PC version out a day earlier, Battlestar Galactica gives sci-fi gamers a valid reason to scream frak into their Xbox Live headsets on Wednesday. Accompany the multiplayer-centric space shooter on Xbox Live Arcade this week is Taito’s puzzler with an escape strategy, Exit. Both games are available for 800 Microsoft points ($10).
This week’s new releases are listed below (list taken from retailer information–actual dates may vary).
OCTOBER 22, 2007
Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights (PS3)
Escape From Paradise City (PC)
The Sims 2: Castaway (PS2, PSP, DS)
Deal or No Deal: Secret Vault Games (PC)
EA Playground (Wii)
Ninja Jajamaru-kun (Wii VC)
Lunar Pool (Wii VC)
Golden Axe III (Wii VC)
OCTOBER 23, 2007
Balloon Pop (Wii)
World Series of Poker 2008: Battle for the Bracelets (PC)
Imagine Animal Doctor (DS)
High School Musical: Sing It! (PS2)
Napoleon Dynamite (DS, PSP)
SpongeBob’s Atlantis SquarePantis (PS2, DS)
Imagine Babyz (DS)
EA Playground (DS)
Puppy Luv (Wii)
Dancing with the Stars (PS2, Wii)
Nicktoons: Attack of the Toybots (PS2, Wii, DS, GBA)
Ratatouille (PS3)
Rhythm ‘n Notes (DS)
Zoo Hospital (DS)
Backyard Football (DS)
Luxor: Pharaoh’s Challenge (PS2, PSP)
Ed, Edd & Eddy: Scam of the Century (DS)
Chessmaster: The Art of Learning (DS)
Imagine Fashion Designer (PC, DS)
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (PS3 - check local retailers for availability)
Backyard Football 2008 (PC)
Spanish for Everyone (DS)
Cake Mania 2 (PC)
Assault Heroes (PC)
Warriors of the Lost Empire (PSP)
Conan (X360, PS3)
Battlestar Galactica (PC)
Clive Barker’s Jericho (X360, PS3, PC)
Tomb Raider: Anniversary (X360)
Flight Simulator X: Acceleration (PC)
Dawn of Magic (PC)
Naruto: Path of the Ninja (DS)
Mega Man ZX Advent (DS)
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (PSP)
Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties (PC)
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trials and Tribulations (DS)
MotoGP ‘07 (PS2)
Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation (X360)
The Eye of Judgment (PS3)
Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure (Wii)
The Sims 2: Castaway (Wii)
Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution (Wii)
The King of Fighters XI (PS2)
Culpa Innata (PC)
Front Mission (DS)
Namco Museum Remix (Wii)
Victorious Boxers: Revolution (Wii)
OCTOBER 24, 2007
Exit (XBLA)
Battlestar Galactica (XBLA)
Solitaire Overload (DS)
OCTOBER 25, 2007
M&M’s Kart Racing (Wii)
Crash of the Titans (DS)
OCTOBER 26, 2007
Painkiller: Overdose (PC)
Power Rangers: Super Legends (DS)
Hannah Montana: Music Jam (DS)
Interactive Storybook Series 2 (DS)
Interactive Storybook Series 3 (DS)
A rough-around-the-edges group of ragtag military misfits might be able to make the grade in theaters (Stripes, In the Army Now, and Delta Farce), but “rough around the edges” just doesn’t cut it in the latest volley of console wars. As a result, Electronic Arts has delayed the release of its co-op-focused third-person shooter Army of Two, according to a report from Reuters.
Previously expected to see release on November 13, Army of Two has been shuffled back into EA’s early 2008 lineup, with the publisher saying it needs the extra time to polish the shooter. The game will be one of three semi-comic military-themed titles from EA next year, along with Bad Company and Mercenaries 2, which were both delayed from 2007 release dates themselves.
In recent years, EA has delayed a number of games for quality concerns, although the final products have delivered mixed results. Most notably, the publisher pushed back 2006’s Superman Returns–only to have it become critical kryptonite. The Godfather, which missed the lucrative holiday sales season in 2005, landed respectable reviews upon its release in 2006.
The game has been under development at EA’s Montreal studio since 2005. For more on Army of Two, check out If Its Games’s previous coverage.
Amid increasing analyst speculation that the company would miss its financial forecast, THQ today revised its projections for its fiscal year 2008 (which ends March 31, 2008). The revisions came as a result of underperforming sales of Stuntman: Ignition and Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights, combined with newly announced delays for much of its early 2008 product lineup.
Originally planned for release by the end of March, Destroy All Humans!: Path of the Furon for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 has been bumped sometime into the publisher’s fiscal 2009 (April 1, 2008 to March 31, 2009). The Wii and DS game de Blob has also been moved back to fiscal 2009, along with the PS3 edition of Kaos Studios’ Frontlines: Fuel of War. The Xbox 360 and PC versions of the game were not included in the delay, and have been previously announced as launching in January 2008.
“We are disappointed that our latest editions of Juiced and Stuntman did not perform to expectations,” THQ CEO and president Brian Farrell explained in a statement. “Because of THQ’s commitment to delivering quality products, we have moved the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Destroy All Humans!, and the PS3 version of Frontlines into fiscal 2009. We believe the additional time will enable us to create the best products for our customers.”
Previously, THQ expected to rake in full-year revenues between $1.12 billion and $1.15 billion, with $240 million in sales for the quarter ended September 30. Given the poor sales and delays, the company revised those estimates to $1.06 billion for the full year, and $229 million for the recently concluded quarter.
The revised projections apparently came as little surprise to investors, as THQ shares were up slightly in after hours trading. Indeed, the revision comes right after several major analysts warned the publisher would be lowering its guidance. However, many of those same analysts still recomend the stock.
“Despite the lower estimates, we remain confident about the company’s long-term prospects,” said Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter in a statement sent out at the start of the weekend. “THQ has a strong lineup of games next year, and we believe that the company have the potential to grow in line with the industry in fiscal ‘09, after losing some marke
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