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Xperia Play to be exclusive launch device for Gameloft's BackStab action game
It has begun. The Xperia Play, a device that promises to take mobile gaming to its next level of awesomeness, just scooped itself a one-month exclusive on a brand new action adventure game. BackStab, produced by mobile game makers Gameloft, has a "free roaming 3D environment" (old school 3D, not the fancy new stuff), filled with some decidedly yummy-looking graphics and what appears to be an emphasis on battling multiple enemies at once. All we're seeing here reminds us of desktop or console games, not the usual mobile fare, so we're most intrigued to see this game in action. It'll hit all of Android eventually, but for the first 30 or so days after its launch in Q2 2011, it'll be only on Sony Ericsson's Xperia Play. Check it out in the gallery below.
Gameloft brings WoW-like 'Order and Chaos Online' to iOS
Earlier this week, Gameloft revealed a new MMORPG intended for distribution on the iOS App Store -- a first for the French copycat developer. Not a first, however, is the game's concept and art style, which more or less directly ape Blizzard's behemoth, World of Warcraft. As seen in the game's first trailer, Order & Chaos Online pits the forces of Order against those of Chaos in a massive, multiplayer setting. The forces of both sides, it seems, are on vacation from Azeroth ... and they like vacationing somewhere very similar to home. Gameloft hasn't given its first mobile MMO a release date, but does say it's "coming soon" to the iPod Touch, iPad, and iPhone.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Shadow Vanguard infiltrates iOS
An iOS version of Rainbow Six from Gameloft launched on the App store today, the first iOS entry in the series ever: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Shadow Vanguard. The game is available to download for $6.99 and has a single-player campaign of 11 missions, online co-op support for up to three players, and a ten-player versus mode. As a skilled operative, we'd never expect you to go into this without as much intel as possible. Thus, we've got some screens in the gallery below and a trailer available past the break for you to check out.%Gallery-119235%
Play Rainbow Six: Shadow Vanguard (kind of) with this interactive trailer
This is a new one -- in order to promote its new iOS title, Rainbow Six: Shadow Vanguard (coming to the App Store tomorrow), Gameloft has put together this interactive trailer over on YouTube. Not only does the trailer show off some gameplay of the upcoming title, but it also allows you to actually make decisions as you watch about how exactly to play the game. I can't say it's entirely successful (though the game looks pretty good -- Gameloft is doing well at aping most gameplay styles for the iPhone, and in this case, they're doing it officially), but it's a really interesting way to market a title, and when it comes to the App Store, that's often one of the biggest priorities. You can see the trailer in action after the break. [via 9to5Mac]
More iPad apps on sale, now and through the weekend
So you've picked up your brand new iPad and you need some new apps to install on it? You're in luck -- developers have seen your problem coming, and they'd like to offer you their apps specifically, at a discounted price of course. We posted about some iPad 2 sales yesterday, but there's a whole bunch more on today, and most of these will be running throughout the rest of the weekend. Coming in at just a buck, there's Worms HD, Homerun Battle 3D for iPad and the HD version of the great Spider: Bryce Manor. Gameloft also has a nice iPad sale on, with most of its titles for just a buck. The 7th Guest for iPad is on for just US$1.99, and there are a few other EA games out for a couple bucks more, as we mentioned yesterday. In short, if there's an iPad app you've had your eye on, give it a look this weekend. Developers are planning to sell plenty of apps as people come home with new iPads today, and dropping the prices tends to push those numbers even higher.
Dungeon Hunter: Alliance hacks and slashes onto PSN this April
In Gameloft's long-running series of ... borrowed game archetypes, we've yet to see a console dungeon crawler from the company. With Dungeon Hunter: Alliance, however, the French developer is setting its torch to "light" and confronting the diablos of the darkness head on. The neverending search for loot begins this April on PSN, and features both online and offline co-op play -- Gameloft promises "30 levels with an immense world of dungeons, villages and forests to explore." Perhaps "Dungeon/Village/Forest Hunter: Alliance" would've been a more apt title. It's also got a certain je ne sais quoi to it, no? That one's free, Gameloft. The next one'll cost ya.
Gameloft developing 4 multiplatform, Unreal Engine games for iOS, Android, PSN and set-top boxes
Gameloft's getting cozy with Unreal Engine 3, as the company has made known its plans to develop four new, unannounced games (well, we guess they're kinda announced now) powered by Epic's development suite. It's all part of a "long-term" deal between Epic and Gameloft, spanning multiple platforms. Two of these proposed titles will be available this year, while the other two are planned to drop in 2012. "Gameloft is very pleased to partner with Epic, especially with their ability to stay ahead of the curve and continually place the best game engine technology in developers' hands at any given point in time," said Julien Fournials, Gameloft VP of production, in what we could only assume was one long, long breath. "Using Unreal Engine 3 allows us to push game visuals with remarkable lighting and high-fidelity environments. We are confident that players will enjoy the games powered by Unreal Engine 3." Gameloft will release these games on "multiple mobile and downloadable" platforms, including iOS, Android, PlayStation Network and "set-top boxes."
Gameloft working on four Unreal Engine games
We have some wicked awesome news on the iOS gaming front today -- Gameloft, the developer of popular 3D mobile games such as N.O.V.A and Asphalt, has announced a partnership with Epic Games that will allow Gameloft to use Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3 in four new titles, two of which are expected by the end of 2011. Unreal Engine on Apple devices first became a talking point when Epic Games debuted its tech demo of the engine, titled Epic Citadel, at Apple's iPod event last September. The game displayed graphics that far surpassed anything previously seen on iOS, raising eyebrows around the world. Epic later went on to release the full version of the game, which is now known as IGN's iPhone Game of the Year for 2010 -- Infinity Blade. I, for one, am very excited about this announcement. Between this partnership and its entry into the Mac App Store, Gameloft has been showing some serious ambition. Let's hope we see some great games on the Unreal Engine 3 later this year.
Gameloft library, Battleheart and more discounted on App Store this weekend
Need to load up your iPhone with fodder to occupy your dreary school days/work days/both? You should do so this weekend -- a ton of titles, including over 30 Gameloft titles and the super charming RPG Battleheart -- are discounted out the wazoo this weekend. (That is to say, discounted a lot.)
Lots of App Store sales going on this weekend
I can't think of anything really special about this weekend (though GDC is coming up next week), but quite a few app developers have put their apps on sale for some reason. Here are some of the deals in Apple's App Stores this weekend: 148Apps has a list of free apps, including an interesting card game called Shadow Era. Gameloft has put its whole library on sale, more or less, for just 99 cents each. iSlash is completely free over the weekend. The great Lemmings-like Spirits (and its iPad counterpart) are on sale for 99 cents as well. The minimalist writing app, WriteRoom, is on sale on the Mac App Store for just $4.99. It's usually $24.99, but this sale is a great deal, designed for those who already have a WriteRoom license to transfer their purchase over to the MAS. An app called FX Photo Studio has dropped its price to 99 cents, and Translation Fire, which will do a variety of translations for you, is free for the next few days. Finally, Grokion, which does a pretty good impression of a Metroid game on iOS, has also gone free for GDC. Here's one more late arrival: Battleheart is on sale for the amazing price of 99 cents. That's a must-buy at that price -- here's why. Some great deals in there for sure. As always, stay tuned to our Twitter and Facebook pages, as we tweet and share great App Store sales and deals all the time.
Gameloft VP: 'There is room for premium games at a premium price on the iPhone'
PocketGamer got to chat with Gameloft's vice president of worldwide publishing Gonzague de Vallois at last week's Mobile World Congress, and he paints a pretty grim picture for small developers and small games on the iPhone. When the platform first started out, he says, gamers were happy with casual games put together by small teams, but as gamers' tastes are maturing and developers are getting better at utilizing the hardware, "there is already immense pressure on the prices but there is room for premium games at a premium price on the iPhone." Case in point is EA -- its premium games are selling very well, and even when they're not, the company has learned how to make them profitable with well-timed sales. de Vallois does want to keep prices higher than 99 cents, and he says about EA's sale that Gameloft wasn't "that happy with the Christmas promotion because it was backed by Apple and they highlighted it on their store worldwide." Instead of simply dropping prices, de Vallois advocates finding new ways to make games profitable. "We try new models. There are new opportunities emerging with iOS to try, and you can expect more of these trials from us. You will see freemium, free to play, in-app purchase -- you will see the types of new models coming to our games this year." Gameloft already started doing that -- its Sacred Odyssey action RPG is a free download that serves as a trial version, with a $6.99 in-app purchase to open up the rest of the content. We'll likely see more experiments from them in the future, as well as more premium content aimed towards a more experienced iOS gaming audience. It'll be interesting to see how this platform develops further -- devs both big and small are starting to put together very viable strategies for selling their games.
Ten Gameloft games available at Xperia Play launch
We've heard plenty of numbers regarding Sony's Xperia Play launch games, but few details about what each of its 20 supporting publishers have planned. Gameloft has cleared the air and filled 10 of the potential 50 launch game spots. Beyond Asphalt 6: Adrenaline and Star Battalion, you'll see Assassin's Creed, UNO, Let's Golf! 2, Spider-Man: Total Mayhem, Modern Combat: Black Pegasus, Real Football 2011, Brothers in Arms 2 and Splinter Cell: Conviction at launch on March 29. Trailers for the two packed-in games, Asphalt and Star Battalion can be found after the break, both of which were briefly shown during Sony's (leaked) Superbowl commercial. None of the games have been priced yet.
TUAW's Daily App: Rayman 2: The Great Escape
For a few different reasons (the recent Verizon iPhone release probably being the primary one), Valentine's Day has become another holiday for big sales on the App Store. We covered quite a few titles on sale last week, and of those, Rayman 2 is the one I'll recommend today. It's a port of an old Ubisoft title, so the controls aren't quite perfect, but it's an excellent platformer, and if you've never played through this game but like the genre, you should definitely give it a shot. There's no Game Center integration or any extra features, but if you just want to explore your way solo through the 45 different levels, the game is great. Plus, for Valentine's Day, it's only US 99 cents on the App Store, along with a bunch of other EA, Gameloft, Capcom, Sega and other developers' titles. Even if you don't have a big date planned tonight, odds are you'll find something on the App Store that you'll love.
TUAW's Daily App: UNO
Everybody knows UNO, the classic card game where you have to match cards going around a table and try to clear out your hand before someone else clears out theirs. Gameloft produced the iPhone version, and it's a respectable recreation of the card game that's available in single or multiplayer. The game even has some extra rule sets, so if you're tired of the core game, you can try some others. Unfortunately, there's no Game Center integration, but the app was updated for Retina Display recently. In celebration of the game's 40th anniversary, it's on sale at 99 cents for a limited time, so head to the App Store and grab it while it's cheap. There's also a free version to try if a dollar is somehow too much, and there's an iPad HD version as well, though it's still at its normal US$4.99 price.
Gameloft working to patch hacked Modern Combat
Gameloft's Modern Combat: Domination draws some heavy inspiration from another big FPS franchise. And ironically, it's facing the same problem as its higher-profile counterpart. Available exclusively via the PSN, Modern Combat has been struggling against cheats and hacks almost immediately since its release -- "a result of the PS3 jailbreak situation," a Gameloft representative told us. A YouTube video demonstrates how the game "is going to get f***d hard," as the poster describes it. Cheaters are able to enable a few tricks, including smokeless smoke grenades, bullet tracing, the ability to walk through walls and even "God Mode." A new patch, coming in a few weeks, will attempt to rectify the situation by implementing "anti-hacking protection," in addition to other tweaks. "We are confident this fix will eliminate hacking and add to the player experience on Modern Combat: Domination," the rep added. "The anti-hacking pretty much means that people using a modified code (including cheaters) won't be able to access the game." A full list of changes can be found after the break.
Valentine's Day specials coming to the App Store
Ah, Valentine's Day, when Spring is just around the corner, love is in the air, and ... iOS games are on sale for 99 cents? Apparently -- since the holiday is largely made up by gift card retailers anyway, a bunch of big iOS developers are putting their games on sale for just a buck over the weekend. If you've been waiting to pick up games by Electronic Arts or Gameloft, this coming weekend will be your chance. There are actually multiple reasons for this -- not only is it Valentine's Day, but a lot of folks are receiving their new Verizon iPhones this weekend, so there's a lot of incentive to sell some games and break into the top paid and free app charts. We can probably expect to hear about more sales as the week goes on. Some games are also updating for Valentine's Day -- both Angry Birds and Cut the Rope have updates planned or shipping already, and we'll probably see a few more of those as well. Flower Garden is also going free starting Thursday for the holiday. Just be careful -- if your Valentine catches you playing any of this new content during your date next Monday, the rest of February might be a little more lonely for you.
Sony Ericsson Xperia Play ('PlayStation Phone') now has a commercial
We're all out of flabbergast over here. Sony Ericcson's still unannounced PlayStation-branded smartphone -- the "Xperia Play," or "PlayStation Phone" to us normal folks -- now appears in a commercial that found its way to YouTube. Beyond showing the (usually adorable) Android mascot having human thumbs sewn onto its arms, the advert depicts an unknown fighting game and two Gameloft titles. The two Gameloft titles -- a racing game and a space combat game -- look an awful lot like entries in the publisher's Asphalt and Star Battalion franchises. Check out the creepy commercial after the break.
Modern Combat: Domination trailer wants you to know the game costs $8
Is Gameloft's Modern Warfare 2 clone for PSN any fun? We'll find out when it hits today; however, for now we can derive from this trailer that it costs $8, an amount Gameloft says is on par with bus tickets or a foot-long sandwich. It also supports PlayStation Move. The game does, not the sandwich.
Gameloft boss defends company's clones
Cloning is a hot-button topic, the ethics of which continue to be explored by legislatures, theologians and George Lucas. In the games world, one company is at the forefront of the science: Gameloft. Its experiments -- including the recent Shadow Guardian, a facsimile of Uncharted 2 -- have been praised by some and reviled by others. Gameloft CEO Michel Guillemot says that's okay (and the sales numbers would agree). "The video game industry has always played around a limited number of themes," Guillemot proposed in an interview with IGN. "There is maybe one new idea a year." He further addressed Gameloft's detractors by saying, "The damaging thing is if you do a bad expression of a good idea." Hmmm ... We wonder if Guillemot was thinking about Capcom's MaXplosion when he said that.
New games flood App Store before impending holiday release freeze
The App Store is in constant danger of new release bombardments, sure, but many companies adhere to a regular, weekly bombing run beginning each Wednesday, through the wee hours of the night (UTC), dropping their new iPhone and iPad games on Apple's marketplace while many of us are snoozing. Last night was no exception -- actually, scratch that. It was exceptional! Pending the start of the "iTunes Connect Holiday Shutdown" next Thursday -- a six-day lockout period when developers will be unable to release or update apps, including games -- an army of companies, armed with their big holiday releases (for little iDevices), launched a massive attack on the App Store last night. What began as a few warning shots yesterday grew into a full-on assault, led by Gameloft's crisp clones, NOVA 2 and Shadow Guardian, and Square Enix's surprise (and apparently rushed) port of Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light. Even Sega couldn't resist launching a few more classics in Altered Beast and Sonic Spinball. And what's this ... Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3? Hey, if Street Fighter IV worked ... Pursue our complete list of new release highlights after the break, and then make double-sure "Santa" knows you've been good enough for an iTunes gift card this year.
