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Ubisoft week kicks off on Steam with Prince of Persia discounts
Ubisoft's chosen to kick off its week-long series of discounts on Ubisoft titles with the company's most acrobatic franchise. For today only, shoppers can grab individual Prince of Persia titles for 66 percent off, or the Prince of Persia complete pack for 75 percent off.
Red Dead Redemption joins Games on Demand (for $60!)
Xbox Live Marketplace's Games on Demand has added Red Dead Redemption, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands and Narnia: Prince Caspian at prices one could kindly classify as "outrageous." Red Dead Redemption is listed at its full boxed retail price of $60. We've confirmed with Rockstar that the digital copy is just the original game and doesn't include any of the DLC. Obviously, we recommend purchasing this through the marketplace like we recommend a rattlesnake bite to the groin. Prince of Persia: TFS and Caspian are priced at $30 apiece (way above their Amazon prices). With all the deals we've seen leading up to Christmas, we can't in good conscience recommend any of these to you. If you have any interest in these titles, just wait and see what discounts will be available at retail after the holiday. [Thanks, Brian]
PoP: Forgotten Sands for $10 and more in Amazon's 'Stocking Stuffer' sale
If the nightmare-inducing image atop our website hasn't clued you in sufficiently, Black Friday is almost upon us, just days away from capturing us in its deal-filled maw. Amazon has spent the whole pre-Thanksgiving week offering themed sales, and today it's "Stocking Stuffers," which translates to "really cheap games." For example, you can get Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands on Xbox for $10 today, or Metal Gear Solid 4 for $13. In addition, today's Lightning Deal, beginning at 1PM EST/10AM PST, promises to tell "the story behind a legendary Nintendo protagonist" -- suggesting a deal on Metroid: Other M. See more deals after the break, and the full list at Amazon. And here's a stocking big enough to stuff all these game deals into.
Alan Wake, Epic Mickey among award-nominated video game scores
Set to be announced in advance of the Hollywood Music In Media Conference running November 18-20, 2010 in -- where else -- Hollywood, CA, the 2010 Hollywood Music In Media Awards nominees include nine video game scores under the category of Visual Media. The bombastic orchestral sounds of God of War 3 and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood are joined by the more moody fare of Alan Wake and -- a bit out of left field -- the score to Disney Epic Mickey. The winning score will be revealed on November 11, 2010, and you can find the complete list of nominees after the break. Cue dramatic end-of-post theme.
Halo: Reach tops UK charts, Sports Champions takes silver
Halo: Reach took the top spot on the UK all-formats sales chart last week. According to Chart-Track, Reach's first-week sales were 20,000 units ahead of Halo 3 and 200,000 more than Halo 3: ODST. The members of Noble 6 also had the fifth biggest launch ever in the UK, with the top four belonging to Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360 and PS3), GTA: San Andreas (PS2) and GTA IV (Xbox 360), respectively. Likely a distant, but still impressive, debut at the number two spot is PlayStation Move's Sports Champions. The only other Move-required games in the top 40 were Start the Party! (#29) and Ubisoft's Racket Sports (#32). Rounding out the top three was Mafia 2, which held the top sales spot for the three weeks prior. Ubisoft's Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands turned back time and went up the charts to fifth place last week, likely due to the movie's home video launch and retail promotions. Also, Ubi's Just Dance made it back into the top ten in eighth place. It gave us a good scare last week when the stalwart Wii-exclusive slipped to 11. Check out the UK top ten after the break.
GFW on Demand now offers day-and-date releases
When Games for Windows Live's Games on Demand service launched in December we said it was "marching onto the [PC digital distribution] field about an hour after the match ended." Three hours later (in metaphoric time), the service announced today it will offer day-and-date game releases from publishers 2K Games, Capcom, Microsoft Game Studios (what a coup!), Rockstar Games, THQ and Ubisoft. We can't help but imagine Steam, Impulse and all the other digital distribution players at their post-game parties laughing. The initial day-and-date offering by the service is Ubisoft's Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands. At the same time, the Prince of Persia games The Sands of Time and Warrior Within are each $2.50 -- which seem like much better deals than the aforementioned title. The service has also added several more games, which we've listed after the break.
PC 'deluxe edition' of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands includes Sands of Time
If you're considering a purchase of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands on PC, why not get a version that comes with one or two extra games? A pre-ordered copy of the Digital Deluxe Edition, available on Steam, includes a map, a soundtrack, two extra skins, and, most importantly, a free copy of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time to play while you wait for the June 8 release of Forgotten Sands. You'll also get a free copy of Sands of Time's sequel, Prince of Persia: Warrior Within. In fact, you'll get that freebie on Steam whether you buy the $60 deluxe version or the $50 regular version. The only reason you may not want to jump on either of these deals is that playing these games right before Forgotten Sands may make the new game seem even more lackluster.
European PSN releases for May 19
Happy ModNation Racers day, everyone! A healthy portion of the European PSN update this week focuses on United Front's customizable racer on both its big and tiny platforms. There's also the launch of downloadable versions of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands and Armoured Core 3 Portable on the PSP, the addition of the "Darkspawn Chronicles" DLC for Dragon Age: Origins and Aerosmith's "Love in an Elevator" finally gets added to Guitar Hero 5. We can sleep well tonight with that knowledge in our brains. Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list: (Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
Review: Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands (Xbox 360)
When I think about it, Ubisoft really couldn't have chosen a more appropriate subtitle for the latest Prince of Persia outing, "The Forgotten Sands." It really does feel as if the game was in development years ago and perhaps shelved in favor of the dramatic series "reboot" in 2008 -- and then forgotten. Until, that is, a movie based on the franchise was due in theaters and happened to draw from the Sands of Time motif. The Forgotten Sands certainly isn't a movie game (aside from its conveniently timed release), but it hasn't sprung from a well of creativity, either. %Gallery-80265%
Prince of Persia Forgotten Sands launch trailer covers the bases
Here's the launch trailer for Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands. It's essentially a primer for anyone who has somehow missed the copious coverage of the game so far. Let's run down the bullet points, shall we? Platforming -- check! Puzzles -- got 'em! Combat -- yup. Elemental magic -- of course. Ancient, angry sand demon -- you'd better believe it! For those that require something more substantial than this primer before leaping into the Prince's latest adventure, watch out for our Forgotten Sands review -- which we'll remember to post tomorrow afternoon.
Joyswag: Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
Update: The entry period has closed. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands revisits the Sands of Time universe, taking place between the first and second games in the celebrated, last-gen trilogy. Ubisoft has sent us two copies of the game, which will be released this week; one of which you could win by following the rules for entry below. To enter this giveaway: Leave a comment telling us the first Prince of Persia game you played (if any); and also indicate your preferred platform, should you win: PS3 or Xbox 360 You must be 13 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec). Limit 1 entry per person. This entry period ends at 3:00PM ET on Tuesday, May 18. At that time, we will randomly select 2 winners. One winner who indicated the "PS3" platform in a winning comment will receive Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands for PS3, a Prince of Persia beanie and Prince of Persia iPhone skin (total ARV $59.99); and one winner who indicated the "Xbox 360" platform in a winning comment will receive Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands for Xbox 360, a Prince of Persia beanie and Prince of Persia iPhone skin (total ARV $59.99). Please note: Games, beanies and iPhone skins are promotional items not for resale. For a list of complete rules, click here. What is Joyswag? Since we don't keep the games and merchandise we receive for review or promotional purposes, it becomes "Joyswag," which is passed along to our readers. Please note that Joyswag may be in "used" condition. For more info on our policy, click here.
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands returns to 2D gameplay on PSP
Excuse the pun, but we had nearly forgotten about the PSP version of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands. While Ubisoft has been busy promoting the PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii counterparts, it's only now that it has unveiled the PSP version. Joel Vignola, Ubisoft producer, debuted a new video on the PlayStation.Blog (embedded after the break) and emphasized that the PSP version is a "unique game built from the ground up" and "is not a port from any other system." While the console versions are full 3D adventures, the PSP version appears to play on a 2D field, akin to Prince of Persia Classic. However, Vignola clarified a bit further, describing the game as a "3D sidescroller, because the world itself is 3D and we play with depth ... the Prince [is] not always locked onto an axis." As with Assassin's Creed Bloodlines, The Forgotten Sands is promising connectivity between the PS3 and PSP versions of the game. By connecting the two, you'll be awarded bonus XP in the PS3 version and the original Sands of Time costume for the PSP version. Hopefully, the similarities with the PSP Assassin's Creed end there -- Bloodlines wasn't exactly a critical darling. The PSP version of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands will be available on UMD and PSN on the same day as its console counterparts: May 18.
Prince of Persia Flash game is better than you think
For all the vitriol we hurl at Wii shovelware and farming-centric Facebook games, we often forget the class of electronic entertainment most deserving of scorn: The Flash promotional game. No, not a game promoting The Flash (honestly, dude could use some love right now) but rather those diminutive, ugly trifles that litter official sites of movies and (in some cases) fast food restaurants. So understand that when we say, "This Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands Flash game is actually kind of good!" it comes from people who expect the worst from this particular breed. That said ... it is kind of good, right? In an overly complicated Canabalt sort of way?
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands trailer has some good elements
Whether you're a big fan of Captain Planet, or a proficient Pokémon battler, or a secret lifetime member of the Illuminati, or you really love funk -- you're probably familiar with the four main natural elements: Earth, Fire, Wind and Water. The latest trailer for Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands shows how each of these elements plays a part in combat and platforming. That includes the Prince's ability to dash through the air, or freeze and climb upon jets of water. Be warned -- we've watched it about seven times now, and we've yet to see any representation for the greatest element of all: Heart.
Don't forget to watch the PoP: Forgotten Sands intro
Pre-rendered game trailers may not do a very good job of preparing us for actual gameplay, but it's hard to beat good CG for setting the mood. Case in point: The intro trailer to Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands. We've got the Prince, a mysterious woman, a massive battle, daring leaps and one of the faintest goatees in gaming history. See it all in the trailer above. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands hits consoles on May 18 with a PC version to follow in June.
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands trailer reminds us that Wii version exists
The Wii version of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands is distinct from the other, HD consoles' version. In this new trailer, you can see some of the unique elements in play, including the ability to use the Wiimote pointer to place "sand rings" on solid objects, creating handholds for the Prince. The Ubisoft Quebec–developed Wii game does have a few things in common with the PS3 and Xbox 360 Forgotten Sands game, as well. For example, they're both pretty! Ubisoft has worked some magic of its own to render such fine visuals on the Wii. All versions of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands are set for the same May 18 release date.
Bruckheimer explains why movie games 'fail'
Even with James Cameron's name attached to it, the Avatar video game simply wasn't good. While a few games (Goldeneye, Chronicles of Riddick) manage to escape the "movie game curse," most licensed games are plagued by mediocrity. Jerry Bruckheimer, producer of the upcoming Prince of Persia movie, explained to Gamasutra that studios have "this business model where they know they'll sell X amount of games on that opening couple of weeks, and a lot of them do that, rather than take their time and create a wonderful game." While such a conclusion is probably obvious to the average Joystiq reader, it's vindicating to hear a high-profile producer admit to such industry shortcomings. Bruckheimer does offer a reasonable solution: release licensed games alongside their movie counterparts' home video releases to give them more development time. "As long as it's a good game, people will play it," concluded Bruckheimer. "The problem is, to really make a good game, it really takes a long time," explained Bruckheimer, whose game studio is taking its sweet time (to even announce a title). "So by the time you green-light a movie, it's a year to a year-and-a-half until it's out. That's too short a period for a video game to be made. It's a three-year process to get a really good game made, and that's where they fail." Incidentally, Ubisoft's Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, which is tangentially related to Bruckheimer's film, will release ten days before the movie, following just about two years of development time.
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands pre-order freebies detailed by Ubisoft
Ubisoft has announced a fairly comprehensive roundup of the free junk you'll get from pre-ordering Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands from various American retailers. We say "fairly comprehensive" because only the bonuses associated with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game have been covered. Pre-ordering Forgotten Sands from GameStop will earn you the previously revealed "Forgotten Arena" gameplay mode. An Amazon pre-order will be $5 off and come with a free Prince of Persia mobile game. And Best Buy pre-orders will include a downloadable "SandWraith" character skin based on the Prince's transformation in Prince of Persia: Warrior Within. Ubisoft appears to have mistimed its jump with this announcement, however, as these offers have yet to appear on the Amazon or Best Buy product pages. Luckily, the company has possession of the Dagger of Time. Any second now ... %Gallery-90434%
Trailer reveals Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands 'Collector Edition' for Europe
Ubisoft has released a new gameplay trailer for Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands. First and foremost, the trailer should do quite a bit to please fans hoping for a return to the days of Sands of Time. The whole trailer is highly reminiscent of the game that brought the Prince back to gaming way back in 2003, which is no coincidence. At PAX East, Ubisoft told us quite a bit about the ways that Forgotten Sands will return to the roots of the series, something we got to experience with our own hands-on time with the title. You can check out the platform-filled, trap-laden video above. In other news, the video also announced the Collector Edition of the game. The Xbox and PS3 editions will include the XBLA and PSN versions of Prince of Persia Classic, confirming a rumor that began floating around earlier this year. The PC version will include a copy of Sands of Time. The Collector Edition will also feature bonus in-game content, including a survival mode, sand wraith skin and Malik skin. It's worth pointing out that this is a European trailer for the game, so it's possible that the Collector Edition won't make it to other regions. We've contacted Ubisoft for more details -- including the price -- and will update this post with any new information. The console versions of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands releases May 18 with a PC release following in June.
Interview: Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands' Michael McIntyre
Positioned as a new sequel to fan favorite Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Ubisoft Montreal's Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands is a clear return to tradition. It diverges from 2008's cel-shaded scurrier in more ways than one: platforming is more difficult; the time rewind is back; and the adventure is entirely linear. Though the game showed promise at PAX East 2010, we couldn't help but ask Level Design Director Michael McIntyre what this familiar entry means for fans and the franchise. Joystiq: Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands -- how is that being positioned to fans of 2008's game? Is it an apology? Michael McIntyre: Oh, not at all. Actually, this project was started before that game even released, so we had no idea how that game was going to be received. We knew that the PoP 2008 was a daring take on the Prince of Persia franchise. but we knew that there would be people that definitely liked it and we just weren't certain what fans of Sands of Time would take it, even though we knew it was quite different from Sands of Time. So, there was already an early plan to do a Sands of Time-type game, not at the same time but it was already in progress. %Gallery-80265%
