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Xbox Game Room pricing, partners detailed
The pricing structure for Microsoft's newly announced Avatar-occupied Game Room has been detailed in an online fact sheet, and we'd suggest you stock up on Microsoft funny money. Players have three options: 400 ($5) grants a dual-platform license for one game (for unlimited play on Xbox 360 and PC), 240 ($3) gets you the virtual arcade cabinet on one platform (Xbox 360 or PC), or, for the old-fashioned types, 40 ($0.50) is just "two quarters" worth of playtime on a select title -- for the authentic arcade experience, minus the sticky floors. Additionally, when visiting friends' game rooms, you can "try" their games before you pump in Microsoft Points of your own. The Game Room itself -- developed by third-party outfit Krome Studios (Viva Piñata: Party Animals, Star Wars: Republic Heroes) -- will be free for users to download. Customization options are mentioned in the fact sheet, but pricing for these features is not addressed. At launch the service will include 30 original arcade titles -- with "over 1000" planned for the future -- from multiple publishers, including Atari, Activision, Intellivision, and Konami. (A list of 31 confirmed titles is posted after the break.) Games will be presented in 1080p (because that's why you bought that HD set) and will support multiplayer for up to two players, as well as cross-platform leaderboards and Achievements. Microsoft's Home Game Room is slated to launch this spring. %Gallery-81971% Source - "Game Room" Fact Sheet [.doc]
Havok announces discount program for indie devs
Havok, developer and distributor of the powerful middleware engine of the same name, recently announced a new, altruistic initiative that should fill indie devs with gallons of holiday cheer. The aptly named Independent Developer Program offers the engine's entire software suite (Havok Physics, Havok AI, Havok Cloth, etc.) to developers at a "flexible and affordable" rate. Rather than licensing the tools directly, these developers sign up for an annual agreement with Havok, which allows them to prototype the tools, picking and choosing which ones they want to leverage for the creation of their latest opus. The recently downsized Krome Studios is the first outfit to benefit from the program. We really hope Sony Santa Monica is the next team to utilize the software, if only so we can make the following joke: "Sony tried Havok, and let slip the God of War." We're not certain it qualifies as "independent," unfortunately. Shucks.
Krome Studios lays off 'undisclosed number' of staff
It's always sad when our layoffs tag claims another victim and, today, Australia-based Krome Studios is the latest. The developer responsible for the PS2, PSP, Wii and DS ports of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, and who recently wrapped up development on Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Republic Heroes, has been forced to release an "undisclosed number" of its staff, Industry Gamers reports. Krome CEO Robert Walsh attributes the action to declining game sales industry-wide and says the company has "worked really hard to minimize the impact" on its staff. Walsh does give some of these ex-employees hope, stating that he's currently "pursuing several business opportunities which, if secured, will enable Krome to reemploy some of the staff given notice."
The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes pushed back to October 6
While certainly not the most anticipated Star Wars title coming down the pipe, there's plenty of folks looking forward to the release of Krome Studios' Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes -- folks who are about to be somewhat disappointed. During yesterday's Star Wars panel at San Diego Comic Con, LucasArts Senior Marketing Manager Matt Shell talked about the game, and mentioned an October 6 release date for the title. That's a bit of a delay from the initial launch date of September 15.The crowd at the Comic Con panel didn't react unfavorably to the release bump, however. Perhaps they were placated by Olivia Munn, who was apparently cosplaying as "short-shorts Leia."[Via Big Download]
LucasArts details The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes
It's true, last week's peek at Krome Studios' upcoming take on Cartoon Network's Star Wars: The Clone Wars left our midichlorian count at an all-time low. Now publisher LucasArts has made things official, laying out what we can expect from The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes.The game, which will force grip retail shelves on September 15, will feature "run-and-gun" gameplay and 30 different missions, each plucked from "key" events in the animated series' debut run. Republic Heroes will also support two-player online and offline co-op, as well as the ability to drop in and out of multiplayer matches "seamlessly."Lastly, LucasArts adds that its Singapore branch is handling on the DS version of the game, something we already suspected. Now, with our force powers slightly charged, we're going to see if we can lift our expectations out of the Dagobah swamp. %Gallery-63185%%Gallery-63184%
Not cloned screens of Clone Wars: Republic Heroes
LucasArts has released the first screens of The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes and we have them all for you to enjoy. The company has released screens for the Xbox 360 -- which we presume will be identical to the PS3 release -- Wii and DS versions, so pick your platform of choice from the galleries below and peruse. All of the versions look pretty decent, though we imagine the stylized look of the game helps in that regard.We've also embedded the release trailer above for those of you who couldn't be bothered to click the link in the announcement post last week.%Gallery-63184%
The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes confirmed, trailer released
After rumors last week claimed Krome Studios to be working on an upcoming multiplatform Star Wars game, tentatively titled The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes, Entertainment Weekly has since confirmed the game's existence. In the same aesthetic vein as the Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the trailer focuses on a poorly voiced Yoda and -- big surprise! -- the possibility that failure means "all will be lost." Dare we say it? The graphics just aren't that impressive, especially compared with last year's The Force Unleashed. Still, the game's only out (on every system ever) by September 15th. Perhaps it'll catch our eye before then!
Rumor: Co-op Clone Wars game coming to Xbox 360, PS3
A rumor posted over at Destructoid points to a new Clone Wars game in the works for Xbox 360 and PS3. Titled Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes, the game is described as a third-person action title featuring two-player co-op, with separate "Jedi" and "Clone" storylines featuring Anakin Skywalker and Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano, respectively.The game's focus is supposedly on melee combat, with mention of some form of upgrades available throughout the game. Jedi characters will purportedly have some access to Force powers (gasp!), such as the ability to control droids (Dtoid's post mentions rolling Droideka).Krome Studios has had plenty of experience with the Star Wars franchise. The company handled porting Star Wars: The Force Unleashed to the Wii, PS2, and PSP, and was responsible for the Wii-exclusive Star Wars The Clone Wars: Lightsaber Duels. Let's hope the third time's the charm here.
Transformers: Nintendo Versions of the Fallen
Activision released new assets for the upcoming Wii and DS adaptations of the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen movie. If the last movie is any indication, these games will be your best shot at actually seeing some Transformers instead of just Shia LeBeouf with a talking car.Revenge of the Fallen on DS, like the last DS Transformers game, is divided into Autobot and Decepticon versions, both of which are developed by Vicarious Visions. The last Wii game was developed by Traveller's Tales, but the new one is being made by Krome Studios and appears to be much more of a brawler than the somewhat sandbox-style Transformers: The Game. At least, we hope it's as brawl-y as it looks. What could be better than huge robots just beating each other up?%Gallery-50047%%Gallery-50048%
Scene It? BOS to test your Award Winners knowledge with new DLC
Capitalizing on the movie award season, Microsoft will be releasing the first set of downloadable content for Scene It? Box Office Smash. The 560 Award Winners pack, as it's called, will be available Friday, February 13th and come packed with over 300 questions that are targeted towards over two dozen award winning films. But that isn't all, the Award Winners DLC will also add a new bonus-round game called "Pop Quiz" that's said to feature around 600 true or false questions. That's some box office smashing news, no?
Buzz! Scene It? Box Office Smash demo on XBLM
Up for download off the Xbox Live Marketplace is a new Scene It? Box Office Smash demo that's aimed at testing your movie knowledge and convince you to part with your cash come its release. The 447MB (nice and light) demo features a sampling of video and textual movie questions all while promoting the game's Live features, big button controller capabilities and New Xbox Experience integration. Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
The Force Unleashed video dump may 'blow your mind'
We can only imagine how dejected you must feel right now, sitting at home with a tummy full of popcorn and a heart brimming with disappointment. Your friends and family inquire about the reason for your sorrows, until they notice the tear-soaked ticket stub for Star Wars: The Clone Wars lying on your dresser. No amount of playing with your highly collectible Mego Han Solo seems to help -- your infatuation with George Lucas' epic space opera is dwindling, flickering like a candle in the unforgiving wind.Allow us to offer you this minor consolation -- a sextuplet of videos from Lucasarts' upcoming dark side frolic, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, via GameTrailers. The trailer above is one of the best pieces of media we've seen from the title, showing some familiar faces from the series and ... what's this? A romantic sub-plot? After the break, we've got five videos which apparently highlight one of the first levels from the game. Before pawning your collection of X-wings in protest, we highly suggest checking them out -- they might just rekindle your once unflappable Lucas-love.
Spyro and Guilty Gear Originals now available
Hopefully you are prepared (we did give you enough of an advance warning), because today it's time for another amazing Xbox Originals release! Celebratory vanilla cake and party poppers for all! And this week's Xbox Originals are none other than Arc System Works' Guilty Gear X2 #Reloaded and Krome Studios' The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning. Each will cost you 1200 Microsoft points and some hard drive gigage, but also a cautionary note. Those who decide to jump into the Xbox Originals mix, be on the look out for "some minor irregularities with audio/video for brief periods" while playing. Hey, we're just saying.Source - Guilty Gear X2 #ReloadedSource - The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed gets multiplatform exclusives
As with any multiplatform release, fanboys will no doubt be arguing about why their respective system is most suitable for LucasArts' latest entry in their midichlorian-infused franchise: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. However, owners of last-gen systems, handhelds, and Wiis wont be left without their fair share of ammunition in the fracas, as this video shows the exclusive content these sometimes ill-respected systems will have access to. We're still a little apprehensive towards the DS control scheme, but everything else fills our wallets with fear -- we may have to buy a few copies of this gem. Fanboyism aside, on which console will you be effortlessly chucking stormtroopers through the air come September 16?
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed on PSP by Sept. 16
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is hitting the PSP this coming September 16. In case you didn't hear about it yesterday over on PS3 Fanboy, Force Unleashed lets players run amok as Darth Vader's secret apprentice. That means feel free to kill any and all younglings your dark heart so desires.The PSP version of Force Unleashed is not being developed by LucasArts but is under the care of Krome Studios. The portable version will also not be featuring the Digital Molecular Matter and Euphoria engines that make the PS3 version so life-like; however, it will include exclusive levels. Expect this title to ship out to Southeast Asia and Australia by Sept. 17, and Europe on Sept. 19.
The three physics engines of The Force Unleashed
If you don't feel like watching an awesome, six-and-a-half minute long tech demo of the physics engines featured in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, allow us to briefly summarize the above video -- things are going to move around very fancily in this game. With the Havok engine controlling the movement of objects, the DMM engine regulating what objects are made from what substances, and the Euphoria engine deciding how enemies react to their environment, the game appears to push the boundaries of physics in gaming. Now we just have to wait until its summer release date to find out whether or not the rest of the game is absolute schlock.
Party Animals Achievements hide gamer in-jokes
We're not sure exactly where to file this story. We've got "sneaky developers" and "sneaky marketers." We're pretty sure it should go in one of those files. We're just not sure which. Microsoft has sent out a list of the achievements available in Viva Piñata: Party Animals, and they contain a few surprises for the older gamers out there. There are a few pop culture references in there, such as the "Coulda Been a Contender," "Do You Feel Lucky, Piñata?" and "Int'l Piñata of Mystery" achievements. What really surprised us, however, were the handful of gamer in-jokes. First up is the "Classic Gamer Reward" which states, "Enter the classic gamers code while on the START screen. For a hint, go right into your manual..." We can only assume it refers to the Konami Code. Then there is the "All Your Game Are Belong To Us" achievement. Then there is our favorite achievement, "So Awesome!," the text of which reads "You, the master of unlocking." A Penny Arcade reference and a Resident Evil reference in the same achievement? Wow. Considering Party Animals is aimed squarely at younger gamers, we're betting these achievements were tossed in to bring a smile to all the dedicated gaming parents out there.
Viva Pinata Party Animals demo now live
Ask and ye shall receive. It looks like the Viva Piñata Party Animals demo promised by Piñata Island has made its way onto Xbox Live Marketplace. Unlike the original Viva Piñata game, Party Animals makes more use of the licensed characters, endowing them with the voices and personalities that viewers have become accustomed to on the television show. As a party game, it also takes a simpler approach than its predecessor, which was arguably a little to complicated for its target audience. But, enough talk of marketing and design decisions, go give the game a try and see what you think.
Viva Pinata Party Animals demo inbound? [update]
[Update: The Viva Piñata Party Animals is now available, for more details, click here.] According to Piñata Island, the source for all things Viva Piñata, a demo for Viva Piñata Party Animals should be on the Marketplace today. Actually, according to them, the demo should be available right now. Considering that it isn't available right now, we're guessing one of two things: A) Piñata Island got some bum info or B) something has gone awry. Seeing as Piñata Island has some close friends in the Viva Piñata circle, we're betting on column B. Here's hoping we'll see it sooner rather than later. If you're unfamiliar with the title, check out our impressions of the E3 demo (which is likely the same demo being prepared for XBLM). [Thanks, xenocidic]
Party Animals demo will be available "soon"
There's a short and sweet (zing!) interview over on PinataIsland with Viva Piñata: Party Animals lead designer Cameron Davis where he talks a little bit about the game and confirms that a demo will be hitting the XBLM soon. When chatting it up about the game, who it's targeted towards, and its achievements, Davis was asked about plans for a Party Animals demo to which he responded "It should be out very, very, very soon, if not already". And after taking a look at the old XBLM and seeing no Party Animals demo available, we're going to have to hold Mr. Davis to his "very, very, very soon" answer. So, watch the Marketplace for some mini-game fun when the Viva Piñata: Party Animals demo drops "soon". [Thanks, jimmcq]
