TEKKEN 3D PRIME EDITION Release Date

Leading video game publisher and developer NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc., today announced  TEKKEN 3D PRIME EDITION™ is releasing in North America on February 14, 2012 for the portable Nintendo 3DS™ system. The unique functionality of the 3D system takes the famous King of Iron Fist Tournament into the third-dimension for the first time, delivering a more immersive and dynamic TEKKEN® experience with more than 40 characters.TEKKEN 3D PRIME EDITION will make the most of the Wi-Fi functionality of the Nintendo 3DS, delivering fast-paced dynamic battles with impressive graphics at 60fps. And with the Nintendo 3DS system's StreetPass™ feature, nearby players can exchange collectable TEKKEN cards even when their systems are asleep. "TEKKEN has a rich 16 year legacy, with the franchise first appearing on the Nintendo platforms in 2001 with TEKKEN ADVANCE™ for GAME BOY™ ADVANCE," says Carlson Choi, Vice President of Marketing, NAMCO BANDAI Games America. "With the unique abilities of the Nintendo 3DS, we're able to show the characters of the epic franchise in a way that has never been seen before, and fans are going to love how TEKKEN's return to Nintendo systems has taken the series to new levels." As an industry first, the Game Card will also include the full-length CG animated feature film TEKKEN: Blood Vengeance™, produced by Digital Frontier (Resident Evil: Degeneration, Death Note, Appleseed) and directed by Youichi Mouri (opening movies for TEKKEN 5 and TEKKEN 6: Bloodline Rebellion). For more information on  TEKKEN 3D PRIME EDITION, please visit: www.namcobandaigames.com;  http://www.facebook.com/tekken; http://www.twitter.com/Harada_TEKKEN; or  http://www.twitter.com/FilthieRich.

BioShock 2 Surfaces on the Mac Jan 2012

Feral Interactive announced that the genetically enhanced role-playing shooter, BioShock™ 2, will be released for the Mac in January 2012. Developed by 2K Marin, 2K Australia, 2K China and Digital Extremes, and published by 2K Games for games consoles and PC, BioShock 2 is a sequel to the legendary BioShock. The game provides fans with an unsettling storyline, dazzling visual design and the evolution of BioShock's genetically enhanced shooter gameplay. Set almost a decade after a cruel civil war consumed the once magnificent city of Rapture, evil reverberates through its halls and a wickedness once thought gone forever returns along the Atlantic seaboard. An unspeakable series of kidnappings from local seaside communities by an unseen monster leads to the repopulation of Little Sisters in Rapture's failed utopia under the ocean. Players must step into the boots of one of gaming's most iconic characters, the Big Daddy, as they traverse through the fallen city, fending off attacks from an army of genetically modified Splicers, while searching for escape and the key to their survival. The Mac edition of BioShock 2 will also include an entirely separate multiplayer game, The Fall of Rapture, set prior to the original BioShock. Players will take on the role of mutated test subjects for the opportunistic plasmid manufacturer Sinclair Solutions, and engage in the civil war that tore Rapture apart. "BioShock 2 shows Rapture in a completely new light," said David Stephen, Managing Director of Feral Interactive. "By allowing players to be a Big Daddy, it explores the emotional consequences of the Rapture project." BioShock 2 for the Mac will retail in North America for US $34.95, £24.95 (inc. VAT) in the UK and €29.95 (inc. VAT) throughout Europe. It will also be available online for direct download from a variety of digital partner sites worldwide including http://www.feralinteractive.com and the Mac App Store. The boxed version of the game is now available to pre-order through Feral's online store (http://www.feralinteractive.com/?section=buy&game=bioshock2) and there is also a mini-site dedicated to the game (http://www.feralinteractive.com/bioshock2). Minimum system requirements call for a 2.0 GHz Intel Mac with at least 4GB RAM, Mac OS X 10.6.8 or later, and 256MB of graphics memory. The following graphics cards are not supported: ATI X1xxx series, ATI 2400, NVIDIA 9400, NVIDIA 7xxx series and Intel GMA series. The following cards require will require 4GB of system RAM: NVIDIA 320M and Intel HD 3000. These requirements are subject to change before BioShock 2 ships.

Activision Proceeds With Jury Trial In Suit Against EA

Motions Filed for Summary Judgment by Electronic Arts, Former Employees West and Zampella Denied SANTA MONICA, Calif. - Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI),  announced that the Los Angeles Superior Court has denied a motion brought by Electronic Arts, Inc. (EA) for summary judgment, thereby permitting Activision to proceed to trial on its $400 million contract-interference suit against EA..  At a hearing held yesterday, December 21, 2012, Judge Elihu Berle denied EA's motion, finding that the evidence presented by Activision supplied a basis for a jury to potentially conclude both that EA had intentionally interfered with Activision's employment agreements with former Call of Duty game developers, Jason West and Vince Zampella, and that EA had aided and abetted West and Zampella's breach of fiduciary duties to Activision.  A related summary judgment motion put forth by West and Zampella was also denied. In the suit Activision alleges that West and Zampella breached their contracts and duty of loyalty to Activision by conduct that was insubordinate and otherwise improper and that West and Zampella's misconduct was caused, at least in part, by EA's unlawful tampering.  A jury trial in the case is scheduled to begin on May 7, 2012.

Confrontation: Now Begins the Hostilities!

    Confrontation, the new Tactical RPG from Cyanide (Game of Thrones, Blood Bowl) today unveiled an epic first video teaser! Confrontation is the video game adaptation of the famous board game universe by Rackham. Deftly combining role-playing game elements with strategy, Confrontation offers a rich and unique experience that focuses on intense and extremely tactical battles. This video teaser will immerse you in the heart of Aarklash, the world of Confrontation, while the Rag'narok, announcing the end of this world, has just begun. The Path of Light (the Griffin), Path of Destiny (the Wolfen and Orcs), and Path of Darkness (the Scorpion) are preparing for battle: lead by their champions, the Incarnate, the armies of each faction are getting ready for a merciless war. The reward? The winners will impose their own vision of the Rag'narok… and will survive the others races. Confrontation will release exclusively for PC early 2012. - Visit the website  

An Affordable Green Stand for your Portable Device

Green Stand for your Smart Phone, Tablet & E-Book Let's talk tech… better yet Green Tech. Many people (like myself) are always looking for ways to display our gadgets. I hate just sitting my android phone and my tablet on a flat surface, I want it to be displayed on a stand so that when I get a text, e-mail, call or want watch a movie it's sitting right in front of me. I also don't like to spend money on something big and bulky or something that is proprietary to the phone especially when I'm only using it to sit my device on. Those things are expensive and not so eco-friendly and usually come in 2 colors… white or black. So what's the alternative? Sure you can make on (if you're a handy man) and I've seen some real fail homemade stands. So what's a tech guy or gal to do? On this episode I'll be taking a look at an environmentally friendly solution. To do this I have Garret Moore with Pliant Designs and a new product called E-Sill. Find their web page here    

The Last of Us, PLAYSTATION 3 Exclusive

Sony Computer Entertainment today announced The Last of Us, a new franchise created exclusively for PlayStation®3.  Developed by Naughty Dog Inc., creators of the highly acclaimed and best-selling Uncharted™ series, The Last of US was unveiled in a world premiere trailer at the Spike TV 2011 Video Game Award Show. The Last of Us is a genre-defining experience that blends survival and action elements to tell a character driven story about a population decimated by a modern plague. Abandoned cities are being reclaimed by nature and the remaining survivors are killing each other for food, weapons and whatever they can get their hands on. Joel, a ruthless survivor, and Ellie, a brave young teenage girl who is wise beyond her years, must work together to survive their journey across what remains of the United States. "We are excited to finally unveil The Last of Us, a project the team has been working hard on for some time," said Evan Wells, co president of Naughty Dog Inc. "Naughty Dog's mission is to change the way people experience videogames. We are confident The Last of Us will take a leap forward in cinematic gaming and storytelling, providing gamers with an experience unlike anything else in the industry." The Last of Us is developed by some of the industry's most talented game designers including Bruce Straley, game director and Neil Druckmann, creative director. Naughty Dog Inc. advanced to the forefront of the videogame industry in 1996 with the successful introduction of Crash Bandicoot on the original PlayStation.  The developer extended the franchise with Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped and Crash Team Racing, selling 22 million copies worldwide leading to Naughty Dog Inc. becoming the most successful video game developer in the United States for that console generation. The team then created the Jak and Daxter franchise including Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy®, Jak II™, Jak 3™ and Jak X: Combat Racing™.  In 2007 Naughty Dog Inc. released Uncharted: Drake's Fortune®, this was followed by Uncharted 2: Among Thieves™ and most recently Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception™. Having currently sold over 13 million units worldwide, the Uncharted franchise represents some of the most impressive graphics, sound and processing capabilities found on PS3.

STAR WARS: The Old Republic Launches Soon

All Systems Go for Launch on December 20 with Early Game Access Program* Beginning December 13 for those who Pre-Ordered

 

After successfully concluding one of the largest-ever Beta tests for an MMO, BioWare™, a Label of Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS), is now making final preparations for one of the biggest entertainment launches of the year as Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ reaches stores on December 20, 2011 in North America and on December 15^th in Europe. BioWare also revealed today that Early Game Access for players who pre-order the game will begin on December 13, 2011 at 12:00 PM, giving some players as  much as a seven-day head start to their personal Star Wars™ saga. To participate in the Early Game Access program, customers must pre-order any version of Star Wars: The Old Republic and redeem their code** at www.StarWarsTheOldRepublic.com/preorder before the official launch of the game. Pre-orders are still available in limited supplies at most participating retailers and via Origin.com. Die-hard MMO gamers and passionate Star Wars fans worldwide are gearing up for the launch of Star Wars: The Old Republic. During the weekend of November 25 – November 28, 2011, over 725,000 unique gamers participated in a highly successful Beta test for the game, logging in over 9 million hours of gameplay. With two weeks to go until launch, more than 78,000 guilds have participated in the Pre-Launch Guild Program and over 2.4 million players are registered on the game's official web site www.StarWarsTheOldRepublic.com. Critics around the world are equally excited, as Game Informer has proclaimed that "The Old Republic is poised to reshape the MMO landscape," and MSNBC has said that "Star Wars: The Old Republic is looking strong and the attention to story is paying off in a big way." "Star Wars: The Old Republic is a go for launch on December 20," said Dr. Greg Zeschuk, Co-Founder of BioWare and General Manager of the BioWare label's MMO Business Unit. "We are extremely humbled by the surge of players who have joined us on this journey and participated in the Beta Weekend. Their participation has given us the opportunity to stress test the game and allowed us to tune the experience, ensuring that we deliver the smoothest possible MMO launch later this month." Set thousands of years before the classic films, Star Wars: The Old Republic is a story-driven, massively multiplayer online game challenging players with epic quests, featuring dynamic combat across iconic worlds in the Star Wars galaxy such as Tatooine, Alderaan, Hoth and more. Each of the game's eight primary classes will enjoy their own unique storyline, all of which are fully voiced by a huge cast of actors and features a sweeping musical score. Included with the purchase of every copy of Star Wars: The Old Republic is 30 days of access to the game, after which players can continue to play through subscribing at either £8.99 per month, £25.17 for three months (£8.39 per month) or £46.14 for six months (£7.69 per month).  For more information on Star Wars: The Old Republic, please visit www.StarWarsTheOldRepublic.com, follow the game on Twitter at http://twitter.com/swtor or "Like" Star Wars: The Old Republic on Facebook at http://facebook.com/starwarstheoldrepublic.

Wizard101 "Chrismoose" Mount

As the weather outside turns frightful, Wizard101 is spreading winter warmth by kicking off 12 days of holiday events and surprises. To give this celebration a little more juice – Wizard101is starting off with a charity moose! "Over the last two years, KingsIsle and the Wizard101 community have raised over $180,000 for children's charities in Texas and around the country," said Elie Akilian, chairman and CEO of KingsIsle Entertainment. "This year, with the launch of a festive Chrismoose mount, we plan to raise another $50,000 to benefit two extraordinary Texas organizations." The Chrismoose charity mount will gallop into Wizard101's in-game Crown shop on December 9th and be available for a limited time. The charity mount will support two organizations devoted to helping children: the Austin Children's Shelter located in Austin, Texas, and Children's Medical Center at Legacy, a pediatric hospital located in Plano, Texas. Additionally, from December 9 until December 21, each day KingsIsle will unveil new ways to celebrate the season. There are many surprises planned, so be on the lookout for:

• Discounts on a variety of popular in-game items
• A slew of giveaways and some special celebratory offers
• A holiday-themed creative poetry contest
• New festive items and special surprises

Gotham City Impostors 2D Animation Trailer #2

  Today Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment released a new Gotham City Impostors animated video chronicling the latest tensions between the Bats and Jokerz. Gotham City Impostors is a download only title that will be available beginning January 10^th in the Xbox LIVE^® Marketplace for the Xbox 360^®video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®Network and Windows PC.  A console beta for the game is expected to go live worldwide this month.  Fans can go to www.GothamCityImpostors.com to register for their chance to take part in the beta.

NeverDead limb-ers up for February release

Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH will release its demonic action title NeverDead for PlayStation®3 and ® on February 3^rd, 2012, the publisher has confirmed. The brainchild of Shinta Nojiri, and co-developed with Rebellion Software, NeverDead stars an immortal hero called Bryce Boltzmann who, alongside his partner Arcadia, works for an agency tasked with dealing with demonic incursions. As demons from the dawn of time emerge on present-day Earth, so Bryce – armed with an arsenal of guns and a Butterfly-Blade – and the gun-toting Arcadia must locate and destroy the hostile invaders. As the malformed adversaries appear, the heavily-armed Bryce must protect his sidekick and work together to kill them all. However, as the monsters get larger and more vicious, the side-effect of Bryce's immortality is revealed. For, as the player is attacked by the various miscreants, Bryce can be torn limb from limb, but can simply reattach the parts to his body. Even when all limbs have been removed, Bryce can roll around as a head, looking to reattach his lost parts. He can even use his amputated body parts as weapons, throwing arms into clusters of monsters, and still firing the attached gun, or lobbing his head into seemingly impossible areas, to gain access to new parts of the map. "For NeverDead, we've gone all out to change the approach the player takes in battle," explained Shinta Nojiri, creator of NeverDead for Konami Digital Entertainment. "Losing a limb is a mere inconvenience and Bryce's physical skills allow a wealth of ways to take out the enemy – from close-range combat, to throwing limbs into clusters of monsters and shooting them remotely! This adds a level of humour to the game that brings the world-weary main character to life, while players can revel in game worlds that can are fully interactive and eminently destructible." KONAMI has also confirmed that NeverDead will also be the focus of DLC elements and add-ons, further details for which will follow soon.