Category: News

More Violence Comes to the Wii

Mortal Kombat: Armageddon

This time it’s in the form of Mortal Kombat!!! For $49.99 you too can cut off people’s heads, set them on fire, and more!

“Mortal Kombat: Armageddon brings Midway’s top-selling and award winning franchise to the Wii expanding the experience to a broader audience with its simple and intuitive gameplay,” said Steve Allison, chief marketing officer, Midway. “The new control scheme makes it easy for the novice player or non-gamer to pull off special moves and fatalities just like a master martial artist.”

The control scheme in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon has been completely re-tooled to take advantage of the Wii’s unique WiiRemote and Nunchuk Controllers. With all of the infamous super moves and fatalities executed via the WiiRemote, even the most novice gamers will be creating their own fatalities. Mortal Kombat: Armageddon also supports the Nintendo GameCube™ Controllers and Classic Controllers.

Mortal Kombat: Armageddon boasts new, exciting content for the Wii, including a new character, Female Khameleon, and, appearing for the first time on console, a deeply enhanced Endurance Mode which allows gamers to test their true fighting stamina. An advanced Motor Kombat mode, complete with super moves and death traps, allows players to utilize the latest in WiiRemote driving technology when playing in single-player mode or with up to 4 players. Mortal Kombat: Armageddon also includes a customized Kreate-A-Fighter Mode, a unique Kreate-A-Fatality System, and an entirely revamped and improved Konquest Mode.

For more information about Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, please visit www.midway.com.

LOST on iPod Games

If this doesn’t get you excited, I don’t know what will…

Today Apple is extending the range to 14 games for iPod available on the iTunes Store adding LOST from Gameloft to its line up.

Join your favourite castaways in their quest to seek truth and survive in the official iPod game of the hit television series, LOST.

Help Jack search for dynamite, tend to the wounded, and avoid the black smoke. Relive the crash scene, open the hatch and ultimately try your best to escape from the Others. Immerse yourself into their mysterious world with authentic settings and a genuine storyline created by writers behind the hit show.

The official iPod game providing total immersion into the world of LOST.

• Storyline created by the writers behind the series
• Play Jack and interact with other main characters of the series: Kate,Locke, Sayid, etc.
• Production quality that measures up with the LOST phenomenon: faithfully reproduced settings, intuitive and extremely varied gameplay
• Explore the island’s main sites: The beach, the jungle, inside the Hatch, the Black Rock, etc.
• Relive the most eventful moments from the series: The crash scene, running from the black smoke, meeting the Others, etc.
• Take on a multitude of challenges: Exploration, hunting, helping the wounded, searching for dynamite, etc.

The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault On Dark Athena

Sierra Entertainment, a division of Vivendi Games, announced today that The Chronicles of Riddick will blast onto Microsoft’s Xbox 360, and debut on the PLAYSTATION 3 system, for the first time. Taking advantage of new hardware technologies, the game will present a reinvention of Escape from Butcher Bay, delivering 2004’s award winning experience in high definition with stunning enhancements. Also included is the Dark Athena chapter, an expansion of the original game with an exciting new story and new gameplay features. Scheduled to ship later in 2007, it is being produced under license from Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group, in association with Vin Diesel’s Tigon Studios, and is being developed by Starbreeze Studios, acclaimed developer of the original edition.

With The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, players will not only be challenged to survive Butcher Bay, but will also engage in a new single-player experience and, for the first time in the Riddick universe, take action in intense multi-player combat. The game introduces the ominous Merc-ship Dark Athena, which sits silent like a marauding spider, awaiting helpless prey in the dark reaches of the galaxy. Players must face a large, bloodthirsty operation led by the dreaded Captain Revas and her slaves-turned-controllable combat drones, storm though death-defying events and fight fierce enemies in a battle of malice and gore.

First released in 2004, The Chronicles of Riddick game features an original storyline that provides insight into the mythology of Universal Pictures’ films The Chronicles of Riddick and the cult classic Pitch Black, which first introduced Vin Diesel as enigmatic anti-hero Riddick. The game blends action and stealth elements, as players navigate Riddick through the harsh environments of dank tunnels, dimly lit corridors, and other hazardous areas filled with guards, savage inmates and deadly creatures that prowl the darkness.

“The Chronicles of Riddick is a genre defining game that helped shape the modern first-person shooter,” said Al Simone, senior vice president, global marketing for Sierra Entertainment. “We are proud to not only take this ‘Best in Class’ title to the next level for both the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3, but to create a new single-player experience and multi-player campaigns for a truly robust product offering.”

“When the original The Chronicles of Riddick game exploded on the scene, gamers were taken with its fantastic graphics and hard-hitting gameplay,” said Bill Kispert, Vice President and General Manager, Interactive, Universal Pictures. “We are excited to now introduce new players to this character and world, while thrilling existing fans with the surprises and additional features this edition will offer.”

“The Riddick universe is incredibly rich source material for creating on-going stories and games,” said Cos Lazouras, Head of Production, Tigon Studios. “This next chronicle will take us to new, dark corners of that universe, which when combined with Starbreeze’s fantastic next-gen techonology, will deliver the compelling player experience gamers have come to expect of Riddick.”
“We’re very happy to be working in the Riddick universe again.” said Ian Stevens, Lead Game Designer, Starbreeze Studios. “Assault on Dark Athena gives us an opportunity to revisit the original game and share it with a new audience, as well as offer a continuation of the Butcher Bay gameplay and storyline. We’re also thrilled to be bringing Multiplayer to the game.”
Moving and attacking in darkness is particularly effective for Riddick as his haunting “eye shine” gives him the ability to see without ambient light. However, stealth won’t serve every situation and players will be able to take the action up close and personal. As Riddick, players will be able to sneak up behind enemies and snap necks or fight face to face using fists, elbows and grapples. Additionally, players will be able to capture weapons such as shanks, shotguns, or assault rifles and use these to cut a swath of destruction through anyone who gets in their way.

Ash Gets Groovy in the Marvel Universe

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Hey everybody. It’s me, Todd. I am writing what will hopefully be the first of many articles on this Mecca of a website. Something occurred to me recently: Geeks and Nerds like comics. Why isn’t there comic coverage on the site? Is it because David doesn’t like Superman, Batman or The Legend of Zelda? No. It is merely that I have not yet been born. But I have.

So, what’s a good read these days? Well, a recent personal favorite of mine has been the combination of three of the sweetest things on Earth: Bruce Campbell, Marvel Superheroes and Zombies. “Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness” pits Ash and his trusty chainsaw against classic heroes like Spider-Man and Wolverine. Of course the heroes are in zombie form, and hungry for flesh, so there’s no reason to get upset over them being killed. That was a crappy sentence. I wish I could word it better but who has time? Anyways, Ash goes around trying to save the world from the diseased heroes with the help of non infected super vixens, Dazzler and Scarlet Witch. The first 3 issues have been a good read, with such shocking events as, Donald Duck being blown away by a shotgun and Ash walking down a sidewalk. So if you get the chance pick one up today. It may be the single best comic ever created. By humans.

And remember:
Always cut away from yourself.

Nintendo Rules America

Already riding a streak as America’s No. 1 seller of video game consoles, No. 1 seller of portable game systems and No. 1 publisher of video games, Nintendo added more chips to its pile in April — with not just one, but the country’s four best-selling games.

According to independent sales data gathered by the NPD Group, the two best-selling games in April were Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl, exclusively for the Nintendo DS hand-held game system, followed by Super Paper Mario and Wii Play for the Wii home video game system.Combined sales for the two related Pokemon titles exceeded 1.75 million units in just 14 days of availability during the reporting period.

The DS remained the most popular game system of any kind in April, with projected sales of more than 470,000 units. At the same time, the Wii from Nintendo, despite nearly universal sold-out status, was still purchased by twice as many consumers as any other home game console, according to the NPD data. Unit sales of 360,000 Wii systems in April bring the console’s installed base in America to nearly 2.5 million in less than six months on the market.

“Nothing is more valuable in the entertainment world than an evergreen franchise,” says Reggie Fils-Aime, president and COO, Nintendo of America. “These new Pokemon titles have cemented their place alongside the most enduring intellectual properties of the book, music and movie industries. And that appeal will expand even further with the introduction of PokemonBattle Revolution to our Wii home console next month.”

GameTap Goes All Out for Lara Croft

Not only will they be adding the new Tomb Raider: Anniversary game to the library of almost 1,000 titles – they’ve released a retrospective documentary and they will also be releasing a new animated series called “Re\Visioned” airing July 10th on GameTap TV!

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Not only will they be adding the new Tomb Raider: Anniversary game to the library of almost 1,000 titles – they’ve released a retrospective documentary and they will also be releasing a new animated series called “Re\Visioned” airing July 10th on GameTap TV!

“10 Years of Tomb Raider – A GameTap Retrospective” profiles the creators, the games, the live-action models, and the fans who have collectively made Tomb Raider a pop culture phenomenon. The documentary will be available for free for all fans to view at www.gametap.com/tombraider and new segments will be added each week through June 7th.

“The Retrospectives series explores the most beloved game franchises and their impacts on pop culture. With ‘10 Years of Tomb Raider,’ we show the history of this legendary series of games,” said Ricardo Sanchez, GameTap’s vice president of content. “Fans of Tomb Raider will get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at one of the industry’s most successful game franchises.”

“We wanted to do something special for Lara’s 10th anniversary,” said Larry Sparks, Eidos’ head of brands management. “Working with GameTap allowed us to tell the Tomb Raider story like never before, complete with fan interviews from around the world and a first ever photo shoot that brought together the live action Lara Croft models.”

GameTap has also created a new original animated series, “Re\Visioned”, for GameTap TV. This all-new animated series explores and reimagines well known video game franchises. The first season features interpretations of video gaming’s leading lady, Lara Croft, by well-known animators, comic book artists and writers.

To create “Re\Visioned: Tomb Raider” GameTap commissioned Peter Chung, Jim Lee, Warren Ellis, Cully Hamner, Gail Simone, David Alvarez, Michael Stackpole, Brian Pulido, and Christos Gage, among others, to provide their ‘Re\Visioned’ view of the famous video game heroine. The first episode in this original animation series will debut on July 10th with new episodes running through August 23rd. There are 10 episodes in total and they will be available to view for free at GameTap.com.

“Lara Croft is an icon, so we brought in some of the most iconic creative talent of today,” continued Sanchez. “These writers and artists have created or worked with some of the best known characters from comics and animation and we’ve been honored to work with them to make the first season of our ‘Re\Visioned’ series a reality.”

Visitors to the newly launched micro-site, www.gametap.com/tombraider will get access to the new Retrospective documentary, “Re\Visioned: Tomb Raider” animated series, trailers and clips for both programs.

Fans can also purchase the PC version of Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary at GameTap.com’s new digital retail storefront and GameTap subscribers can play the game day and date when it hits retail shelves on June 5th, 2007.