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Modern Combat: Domination makes a Move on PSN
PlayStation Move owners looking to experience more motion-based gaming might want to consider Modern Combat: Domination, a new online multiplayer shooter -- with Move support -- coming to PSN in January. It's being developed by Gameloft, which probably explains the unfortunately generic name. There's a brief Gameloft-produced Q&A about the game over on the PlayStation Blog, discussing Domination's map design and some of the other non-Move details. The developer is counting on a "far less expensive" price and a focus on realism to help push it above other first-person shooters on PS3. %Gallery-111467%
NOVA 2 evolving mobile combat on Dec. 16
Things we learned this morning from GameLoft: NOVA 2, a sequel to last year's iPhone FPS NOVA, will be released on the iTunes App Store on December 16 (that's this Thursday), in case you don't have your 2010 Halo Clones novelty calendar handy. "NOVA" is an acronym that stands for "Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance" (which is totally different from an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper or the First Encounter Assault Recon folks). The game was also given a fully featured trailer (found after the break), with everything from vehicle combat to landspeeder chases. If it doesn't prove to you that these dudes are totally vanguards, we're not sure if anything will.
Altair's Chronicles leaps through the air, stabs iPad App Store
Ubisoft isn't quite done launching games in this, the year 2010 AD quite yet -- the publisher recently posted the iPad version of Assassin's Creed: Altair's Chronicles to the App Store. The game's description on the iTunes marketplace boasts an "iPad-optimized camera" and "impressive HD graphics," apparently remedying two of the biggest problems with the original, almost three-year-old DS version of the game. Man, it's practically a retro throwback at this point, isn't it? You can relive Altair's Chronicles for $9.99, which is much, much more cost efficient than exploring the dude's history using an Animus. We haven't checked the latest Sharper Image catalog, but we're pretty sure those things are wicked expensive.
Shadow Guardian preview: Among thieves
Welcome to "Uncharted" on iPhone. As with so many of Gameloft's games, Shadow Guardian sticks to the script of its inspiration. This is not a homage, but a clone, right down to the smart-mouthed protagonist, facing off against an army of mercenaries in a search for treasure. What Shadow Guardian lacks in originality, it makes up for in production values. This is one of the best looking games I've seen running on an iPhone 4, and it's undoubtedly one of the most complex as well. None of the fundamentals of Uncharted's gameplay has been sacrificed in the basic design's transition to a portable device: You'll be platforming, gunning and punching your way through some impressively large levels, with a fully-voiced story to boot. Shadow Guardian's platforming will be immediately recognizable to Uncharted players, offering the same skill-free approach to leaping and climbing around environments. Like Nathan Drake, the game's main character has super-human hand strength, and the virtual analog stick effectively guides his remarkable acrobatics, which "look" a lot more difficult to perform than in practice.%Gallery-109249%
Gameloft's holiday iOS releases: NOVA 2, Asphalt 6 and Shadow Guardian
Gameloft kindly allowed TUAW to sit in on a preview yesterday of the games it's planning on releasing later this year, and we got to see three new iOS titles. NOVA 2 (seen above) is the sequel to the very popular first-person shooter for iPhone. Asphalt 6: Adrenaline is the latest in Gameloft's high-quality racing series and Shadow Guardian is a brand new IP that borrows a lot from popular action/exploration games like Tomb Raider and Uncharted. After the break, you'll find descriptions of all three titles. They will be available for both iPhone and iPad sometime later on this year. Gameloft is also releasing three more titles this year that we didn't get to see: Dungeon Hunter 2 (which is the sequel to the popular Diablo-style hack-and-slash RPG), and two games called Eternal Legacy and Space Fracture. We'll have more about those games soon, and we'll likely see them live on the App Store before long anyway.
Gameloft Advent promo offering free mobile games
Gameloft is having a Twitter Advent event, with an e-chocolate based piece of information or free game every day up until December 24. The free games will be available globally (unless specified) for iOS and Android devices, with "a little bit more in the end." All you have to do is follow @Gameloft on Twitter to partake in the goodies. Yesterday's treat was Driver for free, today was a sneak peek at StarFront: Collision. Yeah, we're hoping for more stuff like the former too.
Wings of Liberty ripped off, sewn onto Gameloft's StarFront: Collision
Gameloft has announced a "new" RTS for iOS. Entitled StarFront: Collision, the game bares a striking resemblance to StarCraft. For one, it features three races: A human mining group known as the Consortium, a bug-like alien race called the Myriad and a race of sentient robots referred to as the Wardens. And these three factions, you see, they're all embroiled in a battle to obtain a precious mineral known as (wait for it) Xenodium. There's also a gruff hero named Tim Gaynor and his elite psychic operative friend, Kara Serrigan. Okay, we made that last one up, but you get the picture. StarFront: Collision will feature online or local multiplayer for four players as well as a campaign with 20 missions. More details on the game, including its price, will be revealed "soon." Check out the first trailer after the break.
Gameloft announces NOVA 2 and the Uncharted-inspired Shadow Guardian
Mobile games publisher Gameloft is showing no signs of slowing down. The company announced its upcoming slate of iOS games at a press conference in Paris today, including sequels to some of the company's most successful properties, such as Asphalt 6: Adrenaline and NOVA 2, a follow-up to the company's Halo-inspired portable FPS. NOVA 2 adds new weapons and new enemies (with jetpacks!) and will offer multiplayer. Not only does it continue the story of the first game, but will reward players of the original with bonus XP. Perhaps of most interesting title was Gameloft's new IP, Shadow Guardian (pictured above). In typical Gameloft fashion, Shadow Guardian bears more than a little resemblance to other popular console games, notably Uncharted and Tomb Raider: You travel through a variety of locations, from temples to cities, climbing and leaping through the environment in search of treasure. In addition to the requisite puzzle-solving, you'll also be able to shoot your way through waves of enemies, taking cover, blind-firing, and rushing in for melee kills. Yes, you've seen all of this before -- but have you seen it running on an iPhone? All of these games should be available later this month, "before Christmas."
Gameloft Advent Calendar offers free iPhone, Android games until Christmas
Deals on iPhone and Android games aren't exactly hard to come by at this time of the year, but the folks at Gameloft have cooked up something a little extra special for the month of December. They've just kicked off an Advent Calendar on Twitter, which promises to reveal a free iPhone games, Android games, and a few other surprises every day until December 25th -- plus "a little bit more in the end." While there may be a few duds in there, things have gotten off to a pretty good start -- you can now grab the updated version of the classic PlayStation game Driver for the iPhone and iPod touch.
Samsung Galaxy Tab to ship with exclusive MTV content (update)
Looks like Samsung is hoping to tap into some of that magical magic that made Speidi and the Situation household names, and it's doing so by developing an app in partnership with MTV Networks International. Called Touch MTV, it will feature single episodes of various shows including The Hills and Jersey Shore, content from MTV Iggy, and regular updates that are sure to be of great interest to a certain "very lucrative and trend-setting audience." The app will be pre-installed on the Galaxy Tab, alongside games from Gameloft and more. Certainly not a bad idea, bulking up on the entertainment value of the device -- especially since there's at least one other tablet out there with a pretty big share of digital music and video sales. But we have one suggestion: someone, will you please bring back Ed Lover, Dr. Dre, and Fab 5 Freddy? PR after the break. Update: Since the deal was inked with MTV Networks International, it looks like the app's only being bundled with devices shipping in the Czech Republic, Germany, Croatia, Holland, Hungary, and Poland for the time being. America, you're safe -- for now.
Gameloft sells over 20 million units on App Store
The App Store has been good for mobile publisher Gameloft, as the company announced it's sold over 20 million games through the digital distribution network. The company claims that of the 47 iPhone and iPad games it launched this year, 42 reached the top five grossing list on the store, with 25 hitting number one. The publisher has released 100 games since the App Store launched in July of 2008. Although Gameloft didn't translate those unit figures into dollars (or Euros, as would be the case with the French company), the company's financials have shown significant increases over the past couple years. In July, it reported an 11 percent rise in sales during the first half of 2010 compared to the prior year, and a whopping 113 percent increase on the App Store in the second quarter. So, yeah, Apple's been very good to Gameloft.
Gameloft breaks 20 million paid apps
Gameloft has announced that it has broken the 20 million download mark across all of its paid apps. That's a huge number, and it shows that the company has really latched on to the iPhone as a huge market for its mobile games. Gameloft hasn't been slow on development at all -- the French company has released 47 games this year, and of those, 42 have hit the Top Grossing top five, and 25 have reached number one. Gameloft hits from the past include Hero of Sparta, the remade Oregon Trail, FPS title NOVA, and the mobile version of Assassin's Creed. They're not done yet -- Dungeon Hunter 2 is due out later on this year, as is the HD version of Assassin's Creed, and an interesting title called Star Battalion. Gameloft's titles are always very well made, and it's good to see that its popularity has landed it a spot in the growing pantheon of successful App Store developers and publishers.
Dungeon Hunter gets HD remake for PS3
Gameloft is porting yet another one of its iOS games to the PS3 for release on PlayStation Network. Dungeon Hunter, a classic hack-and-slash adventure is getting an HD remake exclusively for Sony's console. According to GamerBytes, the PS3 version features a "dramatic artistic makeover" over the iPhone original, inviting comparisons to Torchlight. In addition to new visuals, the PS3 version of Dungeon Hunter will boast four player cooperative multiplayer, both online and off, making it one of Gameloft's most ambitious PSN games yet. Get a glimpse of the iPhone original after the break.%Gallery-101625%
Gameloft's N.O.V.A. orbiting PSP soon
N.O.V.A., Gameloft's first-person shooter for smartphones, is headed to PSP as part of the publisher's plan to have every game it's ever made on every platform in the universe. Gameloft announced via Facebook that the game -- currently available on iPhone, iPad, Android and Palm Pre -- will soon be released as a PSN download for PSP. Gamerbytes speculates that the title will be released as a Mini, which means that, like all Minis, it won't have any kind of multiplayer functionality. The mobile version supports both online and local wireless play. N.O.V.A. is the story of a once-retired member of a military group dedicated to protecting "near-orbital" Earth colonies from aliens called "Judgers." Yes, Judgers.%Gallery-99915%
TUAW's Daily App: NFL 2011
Madden is usually the word in football video games around this time of year, but just in case you don't want to spend that $8, Gameloft has a deal for you. Even before the season starts, it's dropped the price on NFL 2011 to just 99 cents. The Gameloft version doesn't quite have as much polish or flair as the EA game, but it's more than serviceable as a football game, and it includes all of your favorite NFL brands and players. If you just want to throw the pigskin around and see if your team can grab a few touchdowns or hold the line, Gameloft's version is great. If you're a real football junkie, Madden's version is probably worth the extra scratch; in addition to that aforementioned polish, it's got a full management game, and Gameloft's game has you sticking with whatever team they give you. Additionally, Madden's got a playoff mode and a nice community behind it, and obviously, since Gameloft's dropping the price, they're basically declaring a surrender to the bigger EA title. That's fine, though. The cheapskates among us who don't mind a pared-down pigskin experience still win. You can grab NFL 2011 for just a buck "for a limited time."
Earthworm Jim HD wriggles onto PSN August 3
PS3 owners who've been jealous of nearly every other platform's chance to get their hands on the unbridled power of "puh-laaazmuh" will be pleased to learn Gameloft's HD remake of Earthworm Jim, appropriately titled Earthworm Jim HD, will hit the PlayStation Store next Tuesday, August 3. So, what bonus features has Gameloft injected into this version of the game as an apology for its tardiness? Well, it's available for $9.99, which is ... the exact same price as the Xbox 360 version. However, you don't have to do any conversions to arbitrary "Microbucks" -- it's just ten dollars, plain and simple. That's what the PS3 version offers: Convenience.
Gameloft Q2 sales up 15% (thanks, Apple!)
Reporting its second quarter financials for 2010, the unassailable Gameloft appears to remain unassailed. The company reports sales of €33.6 million ($43.6 million) for the second quarter, a gain of nearly 15 percent over the same period last year, which saw sales of €29.3 million ($38 million). Taking the first half of 2010 as a whole, sales have reached the devilish amount of €6.66 million ($8.65 million), an 11 percent increase over the €60.1 million ($78.1 million) earned in the first half of 2009. Gameloft pins the increase in sales on "increased market share in traditional Java and Brew phones as well as by the massive success enjoyed by Smartphones around the world." More specifically, the company's sales in the Apple App Store increased by a staggering 113 percent. With more smartphones (and devices like the iPad) on the way, and with digital distribution becoming more popular, Gameloft expects to sustain its growth through the end of 2010.
TUAW's Daily App: Dungeon Hunter
Gameloft's Dungeon Hunter is probably the best Diablo-esque action RPG on the App Store right now -- it looks great, and plays just about as well as any touchscreen controlled action game can. As a Warrior, Mage, or Rogue, you can hack and slash your way through a fantasy world, picking up armor, earning XP and exploring a serviceable (if not particularly gripping) story. The save system is a little annoying, and the inventory can be a bit overwhelming, but the presentation does justice to the genre on Apple's small screen. In accordance with an ongoing sale, Gameloft has the title priced at just 99 cents. For cheap action gaming thrills on the iPhone, things don't get much better than that. There's no word on exactly how long the game will be so cheap, but if the idea of a portable Diablo clone appeals to you, open this treasure chest right away.
XBL deal of the Week: PoP Classic for $5
The crux of the following post is this: Prince of Persia Classic is on sale for 400 ($5) this week. There are some other things on sale as well, but you don't really need to know about them. You can just proceed directly to the bottom of this post and follow the Xbox Live Marketplace link to Prince of Persia Classic. ... Okay fine, if you really want to know what the other deals are, here we go. First, you can pick up some Transformers 2 DLC for 400 ($5). Second, Watchmen: The End is Nigh is available for 800 ($10) instead of the usual, ridiculous 1600 ($20). There. Happy? Now go buy Prince of Persia Classic. Xbox.com: Add Prince of Persia Classic to your Xbox 360 download queue ($5) Xbox.com: Add Transformers 2 Character and Map Pack Plus to your Xbox 360 download queue ($5) Xbox.com: Add Watchmen: The End is Nigh to your Xbox 360 download queue ($10)
Earthworm Jim HD trailer wriggles out
So there's a trailer out for Earthworm Jim HD. Don't worry, it looks just fine. Gameloft was even kind enough to toss in some footage of the game's new co-op levels. Heck, we even get to see some entirely new single-player levels, replete with jet-packing grandmas and ... keyboard cat. That's all well and good, but what is up with Jim's voice? Maybe it's just the difference between old, muffled 16-bit samples and the modern sound clarity we enjoy today, but something seems off. Like "someone just grabbed the janitor and told him to say 'groovy' into a microphone" off. Come on, Gameloft. Surely someone over there has Tommy Tallarico's number*. *Or Dan Castellaneta's.
