Archive for January, 2007

Atari Just announced that thier Bullet Witch pre-order program is now underway. Customers who pre-order Atari’s upcoming third person shooter Bullet Witch at GameStop will receive an original, limited edition comic book that further explores Bullet Witch’s catastrophic world. Bullet Witch is on schedule to ship to stores in North America on February 27th and will be available exclusively for the Xbox 360 for a suggested retail price of $49.99. 

Developed by Japan-based Cavia, Bullet Witch is set on a bleak planet Earth in the year 2013 with human kind on the brink of extinction and hideous demons creating a tidal wave of destruction and havoc.  All hope of mankind’s survival rests with Alicia, a witch blessed with magical skills and a swift trigger finger.  Players take control of Alicia in her heroic quest to prevent the decimation of mankind through using her fearsome weaponry and spectacular powers with which she can manipulate natural phenomena in her environment.

Midway Games Inc. A leading interactive entertainment industry publisher and developer, today announced BlackSite Area 51, an action packed, first person shooter experience which pits gamers against alien enemy forces using the infamous U.S. government landmark, Area 51, and the surrounding areas as the battlefield backdrop. BlackSite Area 51 is currently in development for the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and for the PC.

Developed by Midway Studios – Austin, BlackSite: Area 51 is a next-generation game that will redefine the first person shooter (FPS) genre.  While other FPS titles claim to feature  “action-packed, highly realistic gameplay,” BlackSite: Area 51 takes next-gen gaming to an all-new level integrating cutting edge technology, game design and story writing to create the ultimate entertainment experience. The player’s modern-day emotions and fears are driven into a world charged with grave responsibility affecting lives hanging in the balance and eventually finding himself torn between his professional orders and his own ethical standards. In the end, only the actions of the player and his squad can shape the outcome of BlackSite: Area 51 during this potentially pivotal moment in history.

“BlackSite: Area 51 gives players the opportunity to experience next-generation, first person shooter action in one of the world’s most intriguing and mysterious environments,” said Denise Fulton, studio head, Midway Studios – Austin. “Gamers will be instantly immersed in the game’s seamless storyline, set in the desert and small towns surrounding Area 51 that feature highly detailed environments that transform themselves into awesome battlefields. Without question, BlackSite: Area 51 will raise the bar in the next generation FPS genre with its stunning visuals, life-like squad interactions and its multitude of online multiplayer modes.”

Midway Games Inc. A leading interactive entertainment industry publisher and developer, today announced that Hour of Victory, a new cinematic, first person shooter experience set in World War II, is currently in development exclusively for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and is expected to be available this summer.

Built using the powerful Unreal Engine 3.0, Hour of Victory combines authentic details from historic World War II battles and adds in frenetic and cinematic gameplay. Gamers are able to play each level in the style they choose, whether as a covert operative, specializing in stealth and sabotage; a British commando proficient in the guns-blazing frontal assault; or an Army ranger who excels in sniping and demolitions. Players will also be able to take control of any vehicle on the battlefield as they sharpen their skills to impact the key battles from the European and North African Theaters.

“Hour of Victory is an entirely new World War II experience designed exclusively for the Xbox 360 that will place players in a pivotal role during key battles using the gameplay style they choose,” said Matt Booty, senior vice president, worldwide studios, Midway. “Using the powerful Unreal Engine 3.0 we’re able to create exciting, cinematic moments that allow players to feel like a hero, not just another cog in the war machine.”

About Hour of Victory:

Hour of Victory, scheduled to be available exclusively for Xbox 360 in Summer 2007, allows you to play a key role in the pivotal and cinematic battles from the European and North African theaters of World War II, using the skills and gameplay style you choose. Built with Unreal Engine 3.0, Hour of Victory allows you to sneak into enemy territory as a covert operative, storm the gates as a British commando, or snipe from afar as an Army ranger.

Each character’s unique attributes will be needed for the fulfillment of the overall objective. Only with all these skill working closely together will you be able to say that you helped define the Hour of Victory.

Microsoft Game Studios today announced that the highly anticipated action title Crackdown has gone gold. From developer Realtime Worlds and the mind of acclaimed creator Dave Jones, Crackdown is poised to raid retail throughout North America on Feb. 20.

Boasting an immersive  and highly explosive  three-dimensional world in which players can rain down justice from rooftop to road, Crackdown offers gamers the opportunity to take down the gangs of Pacific City in a massive, single-player campaign or with a friend over the title’s cooperative mode via Xbox Live.

The excitement for Crackdown is evident through the significant number of pre-orders and affirms the continued Xbox 360 momentum in 2007, said Jeff Bell, corporate vice president of Global Marketing in the Interactive Entertainment Business Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft Corp.

Those gamers anxious to get an early glimpse at the title will be able to enjoy the Crackdown demo available through Xbox Live Marketplace this month. And, as previously announced, Crackdown fans will be offered a special bonus with the purchase of each specially marked copy: access to the coveted Halo 3 multiplayer beta program.

From Realtime Worlds, Crackdown pushes the action-driving hybrid genre into the next generation with the first ever truly 3-D playground. Gamers will level up their Agent’s strength, agility, firearms, explosives and driving skills while scaling the fully vertical world of Crackdown. This M-rated game incorporates revolutionary co-op gameplay throughout the entire freeform campaign. Creating a volatile cocktail of judicial oppression, players will clean up the streets of a truly interactive world when Crackdown hits store shelves at an estimated retail price of $59.99.

Note: Co-op play on the Crackdown demo and Halo 3 multiplayer beta requires Xbox Live Gold and hard drive.

Gears of War has gone triple platinum, reaching the 3 million-units-sold milestone in just 10 weeks on store shelves, ending 2006 as the top-selling game among all platforms during December.

Expanding on its reign as the fastest-selling title of 2006 and the fastest-selling original exclusive Xbox game of all time, Gears of War has captivated gamers across the globe with its action-packed single-player campaign, thrilling online modes and recently released multiplayer maps, Raven Down and Old Bones. Since the downloadable content release via Xbox Live Marketplace less than two weeks ago, the new maps have garnered an astounding 750,000 downloads. There have been more than 1.5 million total downloads of all Gears of War content currently available via Marketplace, including the maps, themes and video walkthrough, by gamers who can t get enough of Delta Squad and the Locust Horde.

Like blockbuster titles from Microsoft’s Halo franchise and the Grand Theft Auto and Zelda franchises, Gears of War is tracking to be one of the best-selling video games of all time and has established itself as the most successful new IP of the next generation, said Jeff Bell, corporate vice president of Global Marketing, Interactive Entertainment Business Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft Corp.

Gears of War continue to wow consumers and critics alike, garnering more than 20 nominations for game of the year. The game is a truly global phenomenon: prestigious Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu recently gave Gears of War the coveted Platinum award; Gears of War joins Blue Dragon as the second Microsoft Game Studios title in the past two months to receive this high honor.

Not just a gaming sensation, the acclaimed Gears of War: Mad World cinematic trailer was featured in Advertising Agents Book of Tens as one of the top creative concepts of 2006. With more than 2.4 million views of the trailer online, the campaign