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Patapon 3 trailer reveals eight-person multiplayer
We have to imagine the sound of eight people playing any Patapon game collectively could be a bit on the overwhelming side. But that's exactly what Patapon 3 will feature when it arrives sometime "between now and December." The latest trailer of the game comes from Gamescom and gives us a much better idea of all the new features the game will come with. New enemies? You bet! New skills and weapons? No doubt! Eight-person multiplayer? For sure! Pink and fluffy bunnies? Okay, you've gone too far.
New LEGO Universe trailer: "Bring your world to life" [Updated]
The newest trailer from the team at LEGO Universe gives a closer look at what most players consider to be the core of the game: building and customization. Developers Ryan Seabury, Mads Purup, Randall Furino, and Scott Brown lead us through the different building models that offer varying amounts of freedom and creativity, along with some interesting LEGO twists on character customization. Among other things, the game allows you to decide how you want to die. Do you want to fall apart into a pile of LEGO bricks, or something else? Want to see all the options for yourself? Follow along after the jump for the newest look at LEGO Universe! [Editor's note: At the request of NetDevil, we've replaced the European version of the trailer with the US version. Enjoy!]
First video of Guild Wars 2 gameplay released [Updated]
reddit_url='http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/08/17/first-video-of-guild-wars-2-gameplay-released/' Tweet var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/First_video_of_Guild_Wars_2_gameplay_released_Massively'; It's what every Guild Wars fan has been waiting to see for what feels like forever: gameplay. We've seen the videos of in-game footage, and while they are beautiful, the first live demo is a completely different story for most fans. It's a chance to see Guild Wars 2 in action, and Italian gaming site Multiplayer.it won the race with an uploaded video of the public demo. The video is of the charr territory, presumably near the Dragonbrand given the corrupted charr below, and we get our first look at map travel as well as a few other things. With no further delay, let's get to the good stuff: follow along after the jump to see the Guild Wars 2 live demo. [Editor's Note: The Multiplayer.it stream is being hammered right now. If your video has trouble loading, please be patient, or perhaps try again later!] [Editor's Note 2: Flipped the video over to the YouTube version, as the prior stream was failing to launch.] [via Multiplayer.it]
Gran Turismo 5 arriving in Europe on November 3
If you're willing to believe any Gran Turismo 5 date announcement, you'll be glad to know that the game will -- allegedly -- be racing to retailers in Europe on November 3. Sony announced as much at its Gamescom presser this morning.
InFamous 2 Gamescom trailer takes us to the house of the rising cyclone
Set to the tune of "House of the Rising Sun," the InFamous 2 Gamescom trailer (embedded past the break) gives us the lowdown on the current state of turmoil that has befallen the town of New Marais. Fret not: though the majority of the trailer shows "slice of life" panoramic stills of the city, we do get a sampling of MacGrath's power at the conclusion. It would seem the dude's battery hasn't lost its charge since 2009.
Hyperspace Beacon: Don't be surprised if your website is mentioned here
The Hyperspace Beacon is your guide through the various twists, turns, and barrel-roles of the yet-to-be-released game Star Wars: The Old Republic, which is being produced by the super-duper developers at BioWare-EA. As we all wait anxiously for the open scroll of Star Wars: The Old Republic, more fansites are donning their Jedi robes and igniting their lightsabers. Some have have been around for a while now, and others are just getting off the ground, but all these holocrons of SWTOR lore are finding their true destiny in webspace. Some of these websites stand out as potential Jedi Masters, and I would like to take a moment to take note of them. A few months back, the first Hyperspace Beacon was launched. It recognized sites like Darth Hater and the Jedi Archive. Since then, more have proven to be beacons of light in the blackness of cyberspace. So, in an effort to keep the SWTOR community page up to date, I have explored the reaches hyperspace to find beacons of new hope. Set your navicomputer to follow me after the break. As Matt from TOROCast may say: Don't be surprised if your website is mentioned here.
Dragon Age 2 arrives March 8 in US, March 11 in Europe
Dragon Age 2 has been given a March 8 release date for the US and March 11 in Europe at this morning's EA press conference at GamesCom. That's about one month late, according to the liner provided with Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening! GamesCom attendees will be among the first folks to get their hands on the game, as it's publicly available to try out at the event this week in Germany. With any luck, the PS3 folks who have yet to play BioWare's other epic RPG sequel -- Mass Effect 2 -- will be ready to move on to DA2 by the time March rolls around.
Waging WAR: Gamescom and Mythic's anti-hype
In light of Gamescom coming next week (August 18th - 22nd), this week WagingWAR looks forward to what could be coming for Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. But beware: Since Mythic has been so secretive about the future of WAR, we've been forced to compromise and offer mere conjecture. Unchained by reason or fact, we follow in the wake of that terrible beast known only as "Greg's Imagination." With less than a week left until Gamescom, I find myself more and more excited by the potential of what Mythic could be set to reveal, regardless of the fact that it's given me nothing to chew on. I am hyped by the anti-hype. What follows is the result of that hype. There are no facts, rumours, hints, or tips to back up what amounts to totally unbarred speculation. I have organized the aftermath of my brainstorm in terms of what would excite me, from most to least, followed by why I believe these additions could make sense, and how they might be implemented. Keep in mind that some of what follows could simply be passed off as madness; it might be totally unfeasible, even by the most adept and well-financed of development teams. I'm fully aware of that. The point here was to just "let it go." And I did. Crazy, or uncanny -- you decide. Follow along after the break.
ArenaNet preparing for gamescom and PAX
As gamescom and PAX approach, a fair amount of attention is on ArenaNet -- specifically Guild Wars 2. The prospect of being able to play GW2 for the first time is an exciting one for fans. ArenaNet has released a few details of what we'll see during gameplay over the past week, including the information that we'll be playing with some staff back at the ArenaNet offices. In the most recent blog post, we hear directly from four of those staffers. Bob Green, Joe Belousek, Anthony Ordon, and Joe Longworth are members of the Guild Wars 2 QA team, the group working to make sure the demo runs smoothly. Check out the latest ArenaNet blog entry to see what they're most looking forward to in the demo. While the demo is easily the main focus of ArenaNet's presence at these events, there is more to check out while you're there. The event schedule for PAX Prime was finally released yesterday, and it includes a Saturday morning presentation entitled "Guild Wars 2: Designing Dynamic Events." Eric Flannum and Colin Johanson will give insight into how the dynamic event system in GW2 was created -- it's a talk that fans won't want to miss. It's a ticketed event, so be sure to check the schedule for details on how to attend.
Frogster announces gamescom activities
Gamescom is just a few days away, and Frogster has big plans for the event. Whether you're interested in TERA, Runes of Magic, or Mythos, Frogster will have something for you to enjoy. Frogster will have 30 terminals set up to play all three games, but there's much more to the schedule. There will be planned RoM raids, a costume contest, a live performance from VanCanto, and more. The events will take over two exhibition stands, and if you can't attend don't feel too bad. The events will be streaming live from the booth beginning on the 19th to keep even those at home up on the latest news. Check out the full schedule of events, and have fun!
Play a lot of new Nintendo games at GamesCom
Nintendo announced its lineup for this month's GamesCom event (August 18-22). Finally, those of you attending the convention in Cologne will have something to do there! And that something is "see Charles Martinet." Or, you know, play The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Metroid: Other M, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Wii Party, Professor Layton and the Lost Future, Tetris Party Deluxe, Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, Kirby's Epic Yarn, Art Academy, and Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Miniland Mayhem. If Mr. Martinet is busy. Nintendo is showing pretty much its whole E3 lineup, with the exception of Mario Sports Mix.
Final Fantasy XIV confirmed for Gamescom 2010
So, despite your best efforts, you still are not currently able to play Final Fantasy XIV. Not that your computer can't handle the system requirements -- no, it's simply an issue of the release date being painfully distant and your need for the game not subsiding. You've applied for the beta, but no luck. You entered the fansite contests for beta keys, and still nothing. You tried building a time machine, but you ran into problems when you went shopping for a DeLorean. What else can you possibly do? Well, you could try running off to Europe. Specifically, Cologne, where Gamescom 2010 will be held. Square-Enix has confirmed that they will be presenting several games at the convention in a playable state, one of which will be Final Fantasy XIV. Most likely it will be from the newest testing build, although there's no word on whether or not the game will be playable by the public or just for press. Keep your eyes peeled to see if any new information comes out of the convention, taking place between the 18th and the 22nd of this month.
Michael Jackson: The Experience will be playable at GamesCom
If you're anything like us, you've been wandering the streets at night ever since Ubisoft announced a Michael Jackson game at its E3 2010 presser, waiting for news on when you can get some time with the "experience." Here's hoping you've been wandering around Cologne, Germany, as that's the first place anyone will get a chance to go body-on with Michael Jackson: The Experience during this month's GamesCom 2010. Sure, Ubisoft will also be bringing Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Driver: San Francisco and Raving Rabbids: Travel in Time, but those are all, like, games about other stuff. Aren't you more excited to play a game featuring the King of Pop? Maybe you'd be more interested to know that Just Dance 2 will be playable? Oh ... right ... Europe -- you're definitely more excited about Just Dance 2 than anything else. Who're we kidding?
Flameseeker Chronicles: Guilds, grind, and Gamescom
Thursday evening was fairly eventful for me. Thursday is our regular Massively night in Guild Wars, so [MVOP] arrived in The Wilds and began setting up for our run through the mission. We found a few players waiting for us, extended guild invites, sorted out our grouping, and off we went. We made it through the mission with only one hitch -- which I'll address in a moment -- then headed over to the Eye of the North to begin tackling the Asura storyline. The plan was to make the full trek through Vloxen Excavations to the Asura Gate, but once we arrived at Umbral Grotto, certain party members (me) were falling asleep in their seats and had to bow out and get some rest. The plans for this week are all set, and everyone is welcome to join us. Now, about that little hitch. We were traipsing around the jungle in The Wilds when I got an IM telling me that the level cap had been set for Guild Wars 2. What? No way. A quick check confirmed it, and my wonderful group sent me off to a safe corner to leech and knock out a quick news story while they continued the mission. They even came back to find me after I returned and demonstrated my truly dismal navigational skills, because they are wonderful like that. The leveling and progression information was pretty big news, so there was no question that I'd look into it a bit more deeply for this week's Flameseeker Chronicles -- follow along after the jump.
Codemasters offering free LotRO store points at Gamescom
If you're attending Gamescom this year, you've probably got a pretty heavy schedule planned. There will be plenty to do, but you might want to carve out some time to head to the Lord of the Rings Online booth, because Codemasters has a nice gift for those attending. The news of LotRO's impending free-to-play status was pretty big, and Codemasters will be offering signups at its booth this year. If you've not signed up to join the game when it becomes F2P, do so at the Codemasters booth in hall 8.1, booth A31 and get a little thank-you gift in the form of 10 € worth of LotRO store points. The offer is available every day of Gamescom.
Heading to Gamescom? Massively is looking to pay for fan coverage
Are you attending Gamescom in Cologne, Germany next month? If you'd like to make a bit of your money back from the event, we want to help you out. We're paying for the best coverage we can get without actually doing it ourselves! Not only is this a way to recoup some of your expenses, but it's also a great way to have your article or photography viewed by millions of MMO gamers. Sound like something for you? Follow along after the jump for all the details.
New Xbox 360 Arcade unit revealed by Amazon Germany?
Looking for a new, slinky Xbox 360 but don't have 250GB worth of stuff to archive on there? Sprechen Sie deutsch? Sehr gut! Amazon Germany has posted up what appears to be solid details about the cousin of the new Xbox 360 revealed at E3. Where that model has a 250GB HDD stuffed up inside, this one appears to have 4GB of some sort of flash memory and a price listed as €148.99 -- about $190. It's also listed as being a "bundle," meaning it's likely there's a game, extra controller, or novelty hat included as well. And, the thing is said to be shipping on August 20, which just so happens to be when Gamescom 2010 takes over Cologne. Finally, Cologne just so happens to be in Germany. Another surprise unveiling and announcement of units shipping immediately? We wouldn't bet against it -- except for the "surprise" bit.
GDC Europe returns to Cologne on Aug. 16, 2010
With America's Game Developers Conference 2010 only a few short weeks away, it has now been announced that GDC Europe 2010 will be taking place in Cologne, Germany again this year. The conference will open its doors on Monday, August 16 and run until Wednesday, August 18. The event will include a new area, the GDC Europe Business Lounge, which will "host a VIP lounge area for GDC Europe Plus members to convene and conduct business." Once again, GDC Europe will be taking place alongside GamesCom, which runs August 18-22. In case you don't remember last year's coverage of the two events, GamesCom and GDC Europe constitute a positively massive gaming event. Expect them to generate lots of late summer gaming news in the lull between E3 and TGS.
GamesCom 2010 takes aim at 'Games Convention Online,' first details revealed
Europe's ginormous GamesCom in Cologne, Germany looks like it's trying to eliminate whatever possible competition it may have from Games Convention Online in Leipzig this year. The first details about the 2010 convention reveal that organizers are planning an "area dedicated to online and browser games," which was kinda Leipzig's thing for its 43,000 visitors that attended GCO last year. Beyond that, GamesCom already has its website set up for companies to start registering for the show and for people to start booking their travel arrangements. Last year's inaugural edition of GamesCom welcomed an astounded 245,000 attendees and event organizers are planning on having even more people this year.
More DUST 514 info revealed in video interview with CCP Games CEO
The DUST 514 announcement from CCP Games pretty much lit up the internet during Gamescom. In case you missed it, the creators of the space-based MMO EVE Online announced that DUST 514 is a console MMO that combines a first person shooter with elements of a real time strategy game. Console gamers will play as mercenaries in DUST 514, hired guns that conquer territories, cities, even entire planets for the EVE Online players who employ them. These are the very same planets found in EVE Online. The ever-shifting solar system borders between player alliance (guild) territories in EVE means there will be an endless supply of lucrative contracts, and presumably military hardware, rolling in for DUST mercs. To simply call this intertwining of two separate MMOs "ambitious" would be an understatement. This is really new ground in the industry, and no one's certain how this is going to work out. Many are skeptical. Quite a number of people wonder about what DUST 514 is going to mean for MMOs and for FPS games. Can a console MMO really integrate with EVE Online? Will EVE players accept that gamers who've never flown a single day in their New Eden galaxy will be able to affect their control over solar systems? There are so many questions. Fortunately, a video interview with CCP Games CEO Hilmar Pétursson at Gamona sheds a little more light on the game and its integration with EVE Online. Stick with us after the jump for a video embed of Hilmar discussing DUST 514.
