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Play tank sim 'Battlezone' without a VR headset May 1st
A few PSVR launch titles, like Here They Lie and EVE: Valkyrie, have gracefully released non-VR versions, and now VR tank sim Battlezone will follow suit. The revival of the same-named 80s classic debuted on the PSVR and was later ported to the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, but now it will shed its vivid virtual world for a two-dimensional version. Battlezone: Gold Edition will be released on PC, PS4, Xbox One on May 1st for $30 -- and later in the summer, it will come to the Nintendo Switch.
PSVR's latest demo disc is a free download on the PlayStation Store
If your PlayStation VR has been collecting dust for awhile, Sony might have a few reasons for you to jack back in. Starting today, the contents of the demo disc that comes with new PSVR bundles are up for grabs on the PlayStation Store for free. Headlining the offerings are samples of the mousey Zelda-esque adventure Moss, horror offering The Persistence and Star Child, the 2.5D side-scroller from Playful. None of those are out until next year, so if you want to try something brand new, those are good places to start.
Old-school tank shooter 'Battlezone' comes to Oculus and Vive
If you grew up in the age of arcades, you probably played Atari's seminal first-person tank game, Battlezone. In the arcade version, you'd play the game with your face stuck into a set of faux goggles that helped you feel like you were in the sweaty confines of an actual tank. It felt like stepping into a virtual world. When developer Rebellion rebooted the classic for PSVR, that 1980 promise of actual virtual reality was fulfilled. Battlezone is now making the leap from PlayStation to the PC via the VR goggles of the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive.
'Battlezone' Classic Mode fulfills the promise of '80s VR
It's been 36 years since Atari released Battlezone and effectively created the first-person shooter in the process. The game's immersive periscope viewer and vector graphics influenced decades of game design and provided arcade goers with an early glimpse of what a virtual reality world could look like. While we've argued here that Battlezone's PSVR reboot is the ultimate fan service and a great first leap into VR gaming, it was still missing one key thing: the old-school, glowing green cathode-ray tube vibe of the original. That'll change next week, when Rebellion Studios adds a free Classic Mode update as their "faithful homage" to the title that arguably started it all.
The PlayStation VR demo disc has 17 games in North America
Last week Sony outlined the eight demos that will be bundled with PlayStation VR for European customers. Now, the company has revealed a bigger lineup of free games that'll be included on the VR demo disc in the US and Canada.
PlayStation VR's launch lineup looks impressively diverse
Sony isn't letting up with the PlayStation VR news. In addition to the price and release window announcement, and what comes in the $400 box, the gaming juggernaut wants you to see what you'll be playing in virtual reality come October. As clichéd as it sounds, it does really look like there will be something for everyone. And if none of these strike your fancy, remember that Sony's promising some 50 games will release in the two months between launch and December of this year.
Battlezone's PSVR reboot is the ultimate fan service
It could be argued that Atari's 1980 arcade classic Battlezone was the first virtual reality game. In a simple duel of tanks, players looked through a small opening in the cabinet to maneuver their lumbering vehicle, firing at a single enemy and avoiding being struck by projectiles. The game's wireframe design was graphically simplistic, but stenciled in thin green lines on the horizon was a single object that drew the attention of fans: an erupting volcano. Rumors swirled of a secret route that would lead players to the volcano's crater where a castle lay awaiting brave explorers. "Of course, none of this was true," Atari engineer Lyle Rains pointed out in Van Burnham's 2001 book Supercade. But that didn't stop the dreamers. In one case, a fan even wrote to Atari to tell the company he'd reached the mythical castle. After decades of speculation, developer Rebellion, best known for the Sniper Elite series, is rebooting Battlezone for Sony's PlayStation VR and taking players into the heart of the volcano.
The 1998 'Battlezone' remake is getting remastered
The trends of remaking and remastering classic games just kicked into overdrive. Rebellion (best known for its Sniper Elite games) has revealed that it's developing not just a virtual reality version of the original Battlezone, but a refresh of the 1998 Battlezone title for PCs -- yes, it's a remake getting a remaster. It's too soon to know what this new version will entail, although it'll probably be fun if it maintains the 'original' mix of tank-based action, real-time strategy and an alternate-history space race. Let's just hope that someone doesn't try to re-do the remaster a decade from now... that would be a bit much.
Star Trek Online dev blog outlines three-faction Dyson Sphere battlezone
Star Trek Online developers are cranking out the dev blogs lately. Last night we got a look at the Solanae Dyson Sphere Adventure zone whereas today we'll be reading up on the Solanae Dyson Sphere Battlezone. What is the Battlezone? It's a persistent ground zone featuring Starfleet, Klingon, and Romulan combatants. Players must be level 50 to enter, and the area currently supports up to 20 players, each of whom can bring two bridge officers. The primary objective is to take and hold 18 out of 21 Voth-controlled points located in three different regions. And yes, there are plenty of rewards for doing so, including Dilithium and Dyson Sphere Marks. Read all about it at the official STO website.
THQ partners with Innovative Leisure for digital and mobile
You gotta hand it to THQ, despite posting a $56 million loss last quarter, the publisher is still willing to take a risk on bringing a fresh-faced developer into the fold. Of course, when you take into account that said developer is staffed by a who's who list of classic game designers, the proposition sounds less risky.Innovative Leisure, the brand-new developer in question, touts Seamus Blackley, Ed Logg, Ed Rotberg, Rich Adam and others among its ranks. If those names sound slightly familiar, it's for a good reason: Blackley co-wrote the original Xbox proposal and helped shepherd the product into existence. Meanwhile, Logg was responsible for Asteroids, Centipede and Gauntlet, while Rotberg and Adam were responsible for Battlezone and Missile Command, respectively.The studio will focus on creating titles for mobile, downloadable and social platforms; THQ is applying Innovative Leisure's extensive collective experience in design-driven experiences to produce accessible titles that work well in small doses. Here's hoping for a Saints Row-themed Missile Command clone for iOS and Android.
Indie: Atari claiming copyright infringement on 'hundreds' of iOS games, Atari responds
Vector Tanks and Vector Tanks Extreme, two iOS games from Black Powder Media, have been pulled from the App Store after receiving a copyright-infringement claim from Atari. "Atari appears to be paving the way for a reissuing of their classics by putting the squeeze on hundreds of apps!" Black Powder Media's Kickstarter page reads. "Anything that has even a passing resemblance to an Atari classic has been issued a copyright infringement claim." Atari recently released updated versions of Breakout and Asteroids, and has had an Atari arcade app for some time. And a new Battlezone isn't a ludicrous thought, which is one reason Vector Tanks programmer Peter Hirschberg previously tried to secure Atari's permission to make a game inspired by Battlezone. Atari never responded, Hirschberg told Edge. "Now this," he said. "It's very depressing." When asked for comment, Atari released the following statement to Joystiq: "For companies like Atari, our intellectual property portfolio is our most valued asset. While we have great respect for the indie developer community and greatly appreciate the enthusiasm that they have for our renowned properties, we need to vigorously protect our intellectual property and ensure that it is represented in highly innovative games. We have been actively engaging with numerous established and up and coming developers to help us re-imagine our iconic franchises, and outside app developers have already helped us produce two top 10 mobile game successes in Asteroids: Gunner and Breakout: Boost. We look forward to further developing strong relationships with the indie app development community through additional games that we will be releasing in the future." Black Powder Media is now working on The Visceral Adventures of Vic Vector, a game that it believes "cannot fall under the Atari claw."
Play old Atari games at the new Atari.com
Atari has a new website. We know -- big deal, right? Actually, in this case it's worth checking out if you're a fan of the company's classic arcade and console games. That's because the site is offering up free-to-play browser-based versions of Adventure and Yar's Revenge for the Atari 2600 and the legendary coin-ops Battlezone, Crystal Castles and Lunar Lander. The site's Arcade page is at this link, should you not want to risk an encounter with dreaded marketing materials on your way to the good stuff. Remember: If your boss catches you blowing up vector tanks and space rocks while you're on the clock, you didn't hear about the site from us.
X3F TV -- XBLA in Brief: Battlezone and Rocky and Bullwinkle
It might not occur to all of our readers when they see the average episode of XBLA in Brief but, let us assure you, it is a public service. We play awful, awful games so that you don't have to. Rocky and Bullwinkle is just such a game. It is -- if there can be such a thing -- the perfect storm of bad game design. The license is used horribly, the graphics aren't good, and the game employs awkward (and unresponsive) vision camera controls. The misuse of the Rocky and Bullwinkle license is perhaps the worst offense. We hate to see a classic cartoon turned into something this awful.Check out our video of us checking out Rocky and Bullwinkle (along with Battlezone) and be glad it wasn't you.[iTunes] Subscribe to X3F TV directly in iTunes.[Zune] Subscribe to the X3F TV directly (Zune Marketplace link coming soon).[RSS] Add the X3F TV feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.[M4V] Download the M4V directly.
Battlezone, Rocky and Bullwinkle arrive on XBLA
Available today (Wednesday or what we like to refer to as hump day) on the Xbox Live Arcade are two brand new games for you to try and possibly buy. First up is Atari's 400 Microsoft point remade classic Battlezone, which comes complete with a graphical overhaul, Xbox Live multiplayer support and so much nostalgia it'll make you get teary eyed. Also joining Battlezone on the XBLA today is the 800 Microsoft point Rocky and Bullwinkle that includes over 100 "micro-games" to enjoy with up to twelve players who can join the fun locally in the game's Hot Seat mode. Have a happy XBLA hump day!Read - BattlezoneRead - Rocky and Bullwinkle
This Wednesday: Rocky & Bullwinkle join Battlezone on XBLA
Flying squirrel and talking moose news now, with fondly remembered 60's cartoon, Rocky & Bullwinkle, returning in HD on Xbox Live Arcade this Wednesday. The classic characters return en moose in a collection of over 100 "micro games," 25 of which use the Xbox Live Vision camera in such heart-stopping activities as "rowing a boat, "throwing darts" and, presumably, tying a noose. The anthropomorphic duo can be yours for 800 MS Points ($10).The retro theme continues with Wednesday's other revamped release, Battlezone. Atari's wireframe warfare has been given a fresh coat of paint, along with online multiplayer modes and Xbox Live Vision camera support. Be tankful that the asking price is no more than 400 MS Points ($5).%Gallery-20529%%Gallery-20538%
Rocky & Bullwinkle and Battlezone this XBLA Wed.
Heads up XBLA fanboys, there's moose, squirrel and retro tank action headed to the Arcade this week with the release of both Rocky and Bullwinkle and Battlezone this Wednesday, April 16th.For 800 Microsoft points, you can own a piece of cartoon history with Rocky and Bullwinkle, which was actually confirmed for release by Zen Studios a while back. There's a slight chance casual gamers will enjoy what moose and squirrel have to offer, but for us, we're thinking not so much. Who knows though, it could end up becoming an arcade classic. Speaking of classics, the 400 MS point Battlezone will also be available this Wednesday, complete with a visual overhaul, Xbox Live multiplayer functionality, Vision support and lots of neon green lines. Lots and lots of neon green lines. And while you're hear, dive into the Rocky and Bullwinkle and Battlezone screenshot galleries we embedded after the break.
ESRB reveals 3 new XBLA games
With their usual knack, the ESRB has recently released the ratings for three XBLA games that we had never heard of. The games are Battlezone, Warlords, and Lost Cities. Battlezone is an old but popular arcade game with vector 3D graphics and a first-person perspective. It was later ported to computer, where the game was incredibly different, and which is the version that Live Arcade is likely to see. Warlords is another game that shares both an arcade and computer release, only the XBLA release is likely to be the arcade version. Lost Cities on the other hand, is completely different from the other two. Lost Cities was originally a two player card game revolving around doing, (what else?) exploring lost cities. While it's always great to see new games on XBLA, these three games aren't exactly new, as all of them existed in some form or another, and it does make one wonder what will happen to original XBLA titles if if games like these can prove to be money-makers ....
Atari announces new collection of Classics
Atari has just announced yet another retro compilation for PSP: Atari Classics Evolved will offer eleven updated games, including Asteroids, Asteroids Deluxe, Battlezone, Centipede, Lunar Lander, Millipede, Missile Command, Super Breakout, Tempest, Warlords and Pong. These "evolved" versions will include updated "up-to-date graphics," but will also be available in their original retro forms.In addition to these updated games, there will be more than 60 original Atari 2600 titles also included in the collection -- games such as: Yar's Revenge, Night Driver, Canyon Bomber and Crystal Castles.Online leaderboards will be provided for many of the games included in this compilation, developed by Stainless Games Ltd. Expect this to arrive on PSP this Fall.
Atari games on XBLA, holiday titles confirmed
Alongside the press release for Contra hitting XBLA, Microsoft sent another press release outlining a slew of Atari classics heading to Live Arcade next year. The six Atari games to be released are: Centipede/Millipede Battlezone Asteroids/Asteroids Deluxe Missile Command Tempest Warlords All of the games will feature both original and "evolved" versions. The evolved versions, similar to Konami's offerings, will feature revamped graphics and sound. All games will have leaderboards and achievements, and multiplayer games will have Live support. Surprisingly, many of these games are receiving some pretty impressive new features, including Live Vision support for Battlezone and Warlords. It looks like many of the games will receive three dimensional upgrades instead of simply using high definition sprites, too. Finally, and this is not a joke, Centipede evolved has motion blur. Motion. Blur. In Centipede. If that's not worth $5, we don't know what is.Also worth mentioning, the press release confirmed that the following titles should hit the Arcade before the end of 2006: Small Arms Assault Heroes Novadrome (?) Heavy Weapon Defender It should be noted that this isn't necessarily all the titles we'll be seeing by year's end (we're looking at you RoboBlitz). Full press release after the break.
