2009-releases
Latest
Ubisoft announces Call of Juarez prequel
Ubisoft has announced they will publish a new title in the Call of Juarez series later this year. Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood will take place before the events of the original title bringing players from a post-Civil War Georgia all the way to the Aztec Temples of Mexico. Returning to the Western themed first-person shooter is Polish developer Techland, who first introduced gamers to the franchise on the PC in 2006. According to the announcement release, Ubisoft has not cemented a firm release date but expects the title sometime in 2009 for current HD-consoles and PC.
Video: Star Ocean "Deadline" trailer defies all logic
We're going to say what needs to be said; no one named Edge should be that adorable. However, Star Ocean: The Last Hope stars an adorable character named Edge. The Deadline trailer above, released in Japan, showcases some of the locales gamers will visit when Star Ocean: The Last Hope hits the Xbox 360 on March 3, 2009. The latest trailer also shows off some impressive combat, combos and ... okay, seriously though a dude named Edge shouldn't make you want to hug him. Guys named Edge force you to hug them, awkwardly. On a related note, the game looks extremely pretty in cut scenes and in action. Definitely something to look forward to if you're down with Japanese role-playing games.
Skate 2 to ollie stores in January 2009
While rifling through their early retail copies of Mirror's Edge, IGN has discovered an advertisement that revealed Skate 2 will be released sometime in January 2009. Included with the retail copies of the upcoming first-person PK title was a sell-sheet that promoted Need for Speed: Undercover on one side and Skate 2 on the other. According to IGN, the Skate 2 side included a small tag in the bottom-corner that revealed, "Coming in January 2009."Electronic Arts has since confirmed the timing to IGN but has not placed a specific date on the return to San Vanelona. At least we know it's soon.
Video: The evolution of Resident Evil
They say, "Time heals all wounds." Unless those wounds are a zombie bite, in which case you are pretty much done-zos. Capcom's Resident Evil 5 is slowing inching toward a release and throngs of excited fans cannot wait. How has the series sustained itself for so many years? Evolving both graphically and technically, Resident Evil has set the standard for reinventing itself countless times while telling a long, sweeping story that has spanned the globe. From its humble beginings of scaring us with pixelated slow-walkers to the HD-era of online co-op zombie action. Resident Evil 5 looks better than ever and on March 13, 2009, we'll all find out if it will be worth the wait.
TGS 08: Halo 3 Recon trailer is dark and stealthy
After finally being confirmed as a standalone expansion for Master Chief's final ride, Halo 3 Recon is the talk of the town walking out of Microsoft's TGS 2008 press conference. Taking on the role as an elite Orbital Drop Shock Trooper for the UNSC, Halo 3 Recon follows a brand new hero in an all new storyline. Taking place between the story of Halo 2 and Halo 3 as Master Chief is away on butt-kicking business, players are in store for what Microsoft is calling "a top-secret mission with a gripping story." Featuring exclusive multiplayer maps, Forge items and four player co-op as well as saved films, screenshot capability and campaign scoring; Halo 3 Recon is sure to light up Xbox 360's when it releases in Fall 2009.%Gallery-34045%
TGS 08: Halo 3 Recon lands Fall 2009 [Update]
Microsoft has just confirmed the speculation that the teaser trailer released by Bungie a few weeks ago is in fact a storyline expansion to Halo 3. Taking place prior to the events of the Halo 3 story, Halo 3 Recon (its official title) will put gamers in the shoes of a UNSC marine trooper -- specifically an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper -- and marks the first time since players took on the role as the Arbiter to play through the Halo universe as a character other than the Master Chief.Halo 3 Recon, the standalone expansion featuring a new hero and new campaign, hits the Xbox 360 exclusively in Fall 2009.[Update: According to an Xbox.com News Flash, Halo 3 Recon will take place during the events leading to the return of Master Chief to New Mombasa in Halo 3. The game will feature a brand new campaign, four player co-op gameplay and new multiplayer content. Halo 3 Recon will include exclusive new multiplayer maps and Forge options as well as maintain what gamers loved from Halo 3 including Saved Films, screenshots and campaign scoring.]
TGS 08: Tekken 6 lands on the Xbox 360 in Fall 09 [Update]
Confirming a rumor that was hinted at long ago, Microsoft has just announced that another famed Namco Bandai fighter is hitting the Xbox 360. Landing in Fall 2009, Tekken 6 will find life on the Xbox 360.Originally revealed exclusively for the PlayStation 3 in 2005, Tekken 6 joins the brawling fray on the Xbox 360 late next year. Released in Japanese arcades on November 26, 2007, Tekken 6 marks the first time the famed fighter will find itself on a Microsoft console. No other details have been announced.[Update: Tekken 6 on the Xbox 360 will include the Bloodline Rebellion update that recently went live in Japanese arcades which introduces two new characters, Alisa Boskonovich and Lars Alexanderson.]
Resident Evil 5: Say hello to the Frightbike!
Sup, Left 4 Dead zombies? Consider yourself trumped. Resident Evil 5 has taken fear to a whole new level by giving zombies their own motorbike license; just when we thought things couldn't get scarier! The image from the upcoming survival-horror shooter is one of four new stills released by Capcom on Friday. Others include the bus tour from hell and some of the craziest explosions we've seen ... in a screenshot that is. While they all look nice we're really more interested in the Excitebike action going on above. Or, Frightbike. Yeah ... that sounds scarier. We should totally copyright that.%Gallery-32865%
Covenant playable in Halo Wars
Some guy over at Joystiq named Richard Mitchell, swear that name sounds familiar, was able to finagle some details from Ensemble Studios during a demo of the game. Ensemble confirmed that the evil Covenant will be playable in Halo Wars. The only catch is that the Covenant will not have a campaign mode and the option to play as them is in multiplayer only. Now, if they would just confirm the Flood already -- we could I go home! Halo Wars is set to release sometime during the Spring of 2009. Looking for more information? Read X3F's hands-on impressions with Halo Wars today!
E308: Halo Wars screens
Halo Wars, the unfortunately delayed RTS from famed PC developers Ensemble Studios, is looking better every time we see it. The latest screenshots are no different. Showcasing the epic battles of a world before a lone Spartan was called into action, Halo Wars is certain to be a blockbuster title when it hits in Spring 2009 exclusively on the Xbox 360. As an added bonus, Microsoft included a trio of stills from the awesome CGI trailer -- which you can watch now on X3F TV!%Gallery-27630%
E308: Halo Wars confirmed for 2009
Confirming a rumor we heard earlier in the day, 1UP.com is reporting that Halo Wars has indeed slipped to the first half of 2009. While we're upset we won't get the chance to destroy squads with our very own Scarab in 2008, we've anticipated this delay in the past. It's a shame gamers won't get to experience the game this year but with the recent announcements at E3 2008 of online cooperative play in Fable 2 and Gears of War 2 we don't anticipate anyone getting bored for a while.[Thanks, Tyler]
E308: Star Ocean: The Last Hope gameplay trailer
Available now on the Xbox Live Marketplace is a new trailer showcasing footage of Star Ocean: The Last Hope. Taking clips from its original release, the new trailer also shows off new in game footage as well as the recently announced 2009 release date for the role-playing title.
Star Ocean: The Last Hope announced for Xbox 360 [Update]
Update: An original trailer, using some of the clips in the footage above, for Star Ocean: The Last Hope (then referred to simply as Star Ocean 4) debuted with the PSP release of Star Ocean: The First Departure. This in mind, we can safely say the new RPG will be multi-platform (to be clear, Star Ocean going multiplatform is our uneducated guess, not a confirmation).Combining the West's love of space marines and the East's love of effeminate heroes, Square Enix and Tri Ace have announced that Star Ocean: The Last Hope will hit the Xbox 360 in 2009. The fourth in the popular Japanese role-playing series, Star Ocean: The Last Hope marks Microsoft's latest attempt to make a splash in the Japanese gaming market.Taking its heroes from a dying Earth and into deep space, Star Ocean: The Last Hope is the first established series brought to the Xbox 360 from popular publisher Square Enix since it introduced gamers to a ... somewhat ... hi-res edition of Final Fantasy XI. Based on the trailer above, the title looks like it could be an epic and hopefully gamers in the East will agree. Also, keep in mind no mention of exclusivity was made during the announcement of the title at Microsoft's Japanese RPG event.
2008 Yearbook: Microsoft Game Studios
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/xbox/2008_Yearbook_Microsoft_Game_Studios'; After a solid year for the Xbox 360 in 2007 many thought the system could never showcase the same amount of quality exclusives in a single year.In the 2008 Microsoft Game Studios Yearbook, we've compiled a list of this year's graduating class with a detailed account of each title's current status and the stories surrounding them.From heartbreaking cancellations, surprise feature announcements and expected sequels, the 2008 MGS Yearbook is filled with fun facts and information on your soon-to-be favorite titles. Also included in the yearbook are special joke awards given to each title that releases in 2008 that poke fun at the details most commonly argued about in the comments.From Ninja Gaiden II to Alan Wake, the 2008 Microsoft Game Studios Yearbook will have something for everyone.Ladies and gentlemen allow us to introduce the 2008 Microsoft Game Studios graduating class ...
New setting for Call of Duty 5, Bond game powered by Call of Duty 4 engine
After a recent earnings call, Activision outlined plans to release a new entry into the Call of Duty series by the end of its 2009 fiscal year, which ends March 31, 2009. "We'll launch on all four platforms we've participated on in fiscal [year] 2008," Activision Publishing CEO Mike Griffith said, refering to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare's debut on the Xbox 360, PS3, PC and Nintendo DS; a PS2 and Wii version are also in the works.Griffith also revealed that Call of Duty 5 will see the franchise move into a new "military theater." Long-standing suspicion has been that Call of Duty 3 developer Treyarch would return the franchise to its World War II roots but Griffith's comments seem to debunk that setting rumor. Griffith did not mention whether Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare developer Infinity Ward or rumored Treyarch would take the reins as the Call of Duty 5 developer.On the subject of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Griffith revealed the James Bond licensed title that is currently in development by Treyarch will be powered by the CoD4 engine and release around the time of the latest Bond film, Quantum of Solace, this fall.The only question to answer now is which war could Call of Duty 5 be based on. The answer? Civil. Muskets = Win.
Fight Night Round 4 announced, Mike Tyson included!
Two years since the last title in the series, and the closing of the development office responsible for the franchise, EA has announced plans to release Fight Night Round 4 sometime next year for the Xbox 360 and PS3.Few details on the new release exist besides the mention of a new physics and gameplay engine (will it bare the Freestyle brand too?). The most interesting addition to the series is the inclusion of former World Champion Mike Tyson, his first videogame appearance in over nearly a decade. Insert ear-biting joke here.[via Joystiq]
Huxley's character creation in action
We won't lie when we say Webzen's upcoming first-person MMO Huxley had dropped off our radar, and when new details came out about their Real Time Worlds developed All Points Bulletin (APB) we thought Huxley got the quiet ax. Well, while details are still light on the title we do know that the game is still slated to come out between now and the next leap year. However, the latest news comes to us from a Game Trailers user who swiped some footage of the character creation menus. In the video, the user goes through some of the various options available for those interested in creating a female warrior within Huxley, which is actually comes Stateside in 2009 for the PC and Xbox 360. We were joking about the leap year thing.[Thanks, Chris]
