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Geometry Wars 2 achievements leaked, ZOMG!
Well, well, well, looky what we have here. Somehow, the achievements for Geometry Wars 2 have been leaked onto the internets. Funny thing is, the game hasn't even been confirmed to exist. Crazy exciting super! But crazy exciting super in a good way. The achievements (viewable after the jump) detail what sounds to be some sort of collection of various new and old Geometry Wars game modes including Geometry Wars: Waves which was included in PGR4. We say this only because the game's Phobia and Surf achievements mention Waves in their descriptions, but other achievements mention different game modes including "King" and "Deadline". We guess the most obvious proof that Geo Wars 2 will feature a compilation of new modes is the ever straight forward Unlock All Modes achievement. We're pumped! We're excited! Bring on another round of Geometry Wars and another 200 Gamerscore! W00t! [Thanks, Dynamo Matt]
Bizarre to scale Mount Kinabalu for charity
Continuing their 2008 charity efforts, Bizarre Creations' Ben Ward just sent word that they plan on sending two unlucky souls gracious employees up 13,435 feet to the top of Borneo's Mount Kinabalu all to raise charity cash for the Marie Curie Cancer Care fund. This is the third of five money raising events that Bizarre has planned for 2008 with both lighthouse abseiling and parachuting still on the calendar. If you have a few extra dollars lying around, please help Bizarre help the Marie Curie Cancer Care fund by making a donation via their justgiving website. Who knows, if Bizarre reaches their money raising goal they may take donor suggestions for a sixth '08 charity event. We vote to see Ben Ward dressed up as a human Bizarre pumpkin themed piñata!
New Bizarre racer set for 2009
While Bizarre Creations may be done with the Project Gotham Racing series, there's nothing stopping them from creating a brand new racer. Lo and behold, Activision Publishing CEO Mike Griffith has revealed that Bizarre is developing a new racing IP scheduled to be released during Activision's 2010 fiscal year, which begins April 1, 2009. The revelation was made during a conference call (at 29:55) with Griffith stating, "Bizarre is deep in development on two multi-platform titles and we are looking forward to the release of our first new racing IP in fiscal 2010, which already looks very strong." Now all we need is a cool new name for the new franchise. It should be something cool like ... um ... Moject Protham Racing. Yeah, that's the ticket.[Via Joystiq]
Bizarre Creations's new racing IP due FY 2010
Note: Image from PGR4, not new Bizarre IP Activision-owned Bizarre Creations' new racing franchise -- which is not PGR5 -- is due out in the 2010 fiscal year, which begins on April 1, 2009. In a conference call (start at 29:55 mark), Activision Publishing CEO Mike Griffith said, "Bizarre is deep in development on two multi-platform titles and we are looking forward to the release of our first new racing IP in fiscal 2010, which already looks very strong." Bizarre just recently said goodbye to its Project Gotham Racing series, handing off PGR4 downloadable content duties to IP owner Microsoft.
Geometry Wars: Galaxies price's volume decreases by a third
We've gone over why Geometry Wars: Galaxies was worth its full $30 price several times already despite its cheaper Xbox Live Arcade predecessor -- portability, a robust campaign, a cooperative mode, touchscreen support, drones, etc. Now that the game has seen a universal price drop, bringing its retail price to $19.99, right in that budget-title range, you'll have a tougher time arguing that the added features aren't worth the price. Basically, if you're a fan of multi-directional shooters and if you have twenty bucks just laying around, pick this up! %Gallery-11043% See also: DS Fanboy Review: Geometry Wars: Galaxies [Via CAG] Read - Geometry Wars: Galaxies at GameStop Read - Geometry Wars: Galaxies at Amazon
Bizarre ends their PGR4 support, no more DLC
Bizarre Creations' own Ben Ward hopped onto the official Project Gotham Racing 4 forums to address questions regarding any planned PGR4 DLC. And, sadly, we got an answer that we weren't prepared to hear.Ward informed everyone that Bizarre has handed the PGR4 "reigns" over to Microsoft and confirmed that "you won't see any more PGR4 DLC from Bizarre Creations". Though, Ward did leave a minuscule possibility of future PGR4 DLC being released, but it would have to come from Microsoft. Poor PGR4 DLC, we barely knew you but the time we shared was and forever will be some of the best gaming moments of our life ... rest peacefully.[Via ConsoleTECH]
Geo Wars and BBR leaderboards now online
Bizarre just sent word that they've completed their Spring website cleaning (thankfully, we kept tripping on the pile of boxes stacked up at the front door) and with it comes the ability to view leaderboards for Geometry Wars and Boom Boom Rocket online! To get your online leaderboard search on, simply make your way to either the Geometry Wars leaderboard or Boom Boom Rocket leaderboard pages on Bizarre's offiicial website and you're in. Once there, you'll be able to view leaderboards for each game and even search for own gamertag to see where you fit in the mix. You'll also be able to fully comprehend how horrible you are at video games and how sad your "high scores" really are. Personally, we think anyone who scored higher than us on Geometry Wars cheated. They're all just a big group of cheaters ..
Family Album: Activision
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/The_Activision_Empire_starring_Infinity_Ward_Bizarre'; Thanks to a pending merger with Blizzard, the Activision family is going to be growing in the near future, but a look at its current development resources reveals that the company already has a pretty diverse galaxy of stars. With such a variety, how will you ever keep track of all the devs under the Activision bumbershoot? Worry not, dear reader.We've got you covered.(Also: Check out our other family albums.)
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 is really real
Snooping through the Australian OFLC's video game ratings website, a new and totally unannounced video game full of geometry has been discovered, resulting in us being uber excited. The OFLC just published a listing for Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2 today, which is super great news, except for the fact it doesn't look to be a 360 exclusive. According to the listing, the game is being published by Activision (and being authored by them as well) rather then Bizarre Creations and is categorized to be "multi-platform". That's about all the info we can pull from this ratings post and it's great to hear that we'll be treated to a true sequel (Geometry Wars: Waves doesn't count), even though we have to share with non-360 gamers. Bring on the geometry! [Via Game Stooge]
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 rated by OFLC
Geometry Wars: Waves and Galaxies have been interesting takes on the GW formula, but we all know in our hearts that they're not the true successors to the original XBLA classic. Now, it seems we may finally be getting just that after a rating was released by the OFLC (the Australian classification board) for Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2. Sadly, that's pretty much all we know, save for the fact the game will be multi-platform. Not much of a surprise, considering it's coming from the company that's currently trying to figure out how to make Guitar Hero compatible with pacemakers. [Via Xblah]
Win Bizarre swag in The Club Launch Competition
Ben Ward from Bizarre Creations dropped us a line to inform us that The Club will be hitting retail shelves rather soon and, to celebrate, they're cleaning out the Bizarre closets and giving away all kinds of goods. But you'll have to work for them.The Club Launch Competition is open to anyone who owns a copy of The Club (yes, our PS3 friends get to participate as well) and has the skills to rack up highest score. Simply put, Bizarre wants to find the best The Club player in the world and reward them with autographed goods and random studio bits. Anyway, let's get to the entry specifics. To enter the launch competition, simply play The Club's Warehouse location, choose Downtown Dash, play on expert difficulty and get the highest score possible. Then, if you think you've earned a high enough score, post your point total in the comments section of their post by March 31st and that's it. Also know that you must be connected to Xbox Live when attempting your scoring feat, because they'll be confirming players' scores via the online leaderboards. Download the demo, get practicing and hone your skills. We know you'll make us proud.
PGR4 DLC brings new cars, modes, achievements
Not content to let their premiere racer rest with just a release and a quick update, Bizarre Creations is offering up new downloadable content for Project Gotham Racing 4. The content is split into two downloadable packs:Free Challenge Pack (free download!) A playable, hydrogen-powered Peugeot Flux Tourist Mode - Just drive around the city and admire the scenery with no explicit goal "Free Roam" Cat and Mouse Mode - Implements the delayed updates previously discussed here Seven unlockable achievements Premium Challenge Pack (400 MS points)Includes all the content of the Free Challenge Pack, PLUS: Seven new cars - Including the "1987 BMW M3 E30 DTM," whatever that means World Challenge Arcade Mode - With 20 new events in three themed chapters Three more unlockable achievements The packs will be available for download on Feb. 14, just in time to play Cat and Mouse with your valentine.
Bizarre seeking level designer with shooter experience
A new job posting on Bizzare's website targets single-player level designers, preferably with 1st/3rd person shooter experience. The call-out adds to growing speculation that the studio's action-oriented wing (which just wrapped up The Club) has been assigned to develop Activision's next Bond game. We know, at least, that the team will likely work with an existing IP owned by its publisher parent; and with Bizarre actively seeking 'shooter' talent, the options appear considerably narrowed. With nearly every Activision shooter closely tied to a developer (including Call of Duty 5 to Treyarch), our money's on the currently orphaned 007 franchise. Update: The next Bond game is in Treyarch's hands, according to the studio's website. So, uh, all bets are off... [Thanks, Nima] [Via VideoGamer]
More shooters in the cards for Bizarre?
A job listing posted on the Bizarre Creations website hints that The Club won't be the last shooter we see from the company. The job listing in question is seeking a level designer with "proven ability to design and create engaging gaming experiences (preferably a 1st/3rd person shooter)." The listing provides fuel for the rumor that Bizarre is working on a new James Bond title, a story that broke last month. Regardless of whether or not the game in question stars 007, it's clear that Bizarre is working on another shooter title. We'll have to wait and see just what they have in store.[Via Videogamer]
Geometry Wars: Galaxies drops to $20
Even with its new multiplayer mode, single-player campaign, and game-changing features (e.g. customizable drone), Geometry Wars: Galaxies is a hard sell for the people comparing the DS's $30 update to the original $5 download on XBLA. Meijer's $19.99 online sale for Galaxies is still a lot more expensive than five bucks, but when you consider all the extra content Kuju Entertainment threw in, that price doesn't sound bad at all. Besides, the DS version has a huge advantage over the old and crusty XBLA release that you shouldn't forget: portability! [Via CAG]
New bullet riddled footage from The Club
GameTrailers has posted some new footage from the upcoming Bizarre Creations arcade shooter The Club. A fast paced action game in the vein of Geometry Wars (with a few more polygons added), the game rewards players for dispatching enemies and dispatching them quickly. Featured prominently on the game's HUD is a score multiplier that increases with each successive kill. Wait too long and the multiplier drains fast. It's an interesting way to treat a third person shooter, and frankly it's a welcome change. Sometimes you don't want to bother with all that thinky-stinky stuff required by the likes of Rainbow Six and GRAW, you know? Also, given that the game's stages are really more like courses, leaderboard hogs should definitely be keeping an eye on The Club. Now where's that US demo? Find the footage after the break.
Possibly the most impressive Geometry Wars video you'll ever see
Bill Tangeman clearly has a pretty high tolerance of cramp, if his highest score on Geometry Wars: Galaxies is anything to go by. But what really gets us about the above video is that he could have gone on and on and on and on and Ariston, until he developed Carpal tunnel syndrome reached whatever score he damn well pleased. As it happened, he was happy to settle for a piffling 5,000,000,000, a total that saw Bill top the regional Galaxies leaderboard. We're slightly dismayed to learn there's a difficulty ceiling in the game, but it's safe to say that we're quite a distance from breaking it. [Via Aeropause]
The Club demo releases to UK XBLM tomorrow
This weekend we mentioned that The Club demo was headed to the Xbox Live Marketplace "soonish" and that it would have a staggered region release. Well, we didn't have to wait long for SEGA to confirm news that tomorrow morning, January 8th, The Club demo will release to the XBLM for our friends in the UK and Australia. You read correctly. The US, Canada, Mexico and every other Live region is being left out of demo goodness for the time being, so be proud fellow UK and Aussie Live subscribers. You're getting content first for a change. W00t for you.So, if you are in a region that the demo releases in, Bizarre already confirmed that you'll be treated to a The Club demo featuring the prison level "Escape from Newhaven", two single player game modes including Time Attack and Sprint as well as split screen multiplayer. Enjoy your demo and be sure to tell us what you think fellow UK and Aussie fanboys. You know, since we won't be able to download it and all.
Bizarre confirms The Club demo is coming soon
Ben from Bizarre Creations posted a little note on the Bizarre forums updating everyone on the status of The Club demo that is scheduled for release to the Xbox Live Marketplace. He confirms that they are indeed done with it, that they've handed it off to SEGA and are awaiting them (and presumably Microsoft) to announce the demo's release. He also mentions that the demo will rollout to the Marketplace as a "staggered launch for all of the regions", which means it will not be a worldwide release. Here's to hoping the US, Canada or Europe don't get shafted.The Club demo is coming soon fanboys, so get excited, keep your eyes open and your focus directed at the Xbox Live Marketplace for the time being. And don't blink either.
More Geometry Wars on the Wii is a possibility
Roger Carpenter, the Senior Producer at Vivendi Games, recently talked about the future of Geometry Wars (and whether it involved the Wii) in an interview with Cubed3. Carpenter said the decision to make a new Geometry Wars for the Wii would depend on "how much the public liked [Geometry Wars: Galaxies]," which we assume is a euphemism for "how well the game sells." Wii Ware is also a possibility for a new Geometry Wars, but Carpenter wants to wait and see how successful the service becomes before considering that option. For those of you who like Geometry Wars, would you want to see another version for the Wii? Or do you prefer the game on the DS and XBLA? [Via GoNintendo]
