q1-2011
Latest
MicroBot wiggling to PSN on January 4
There you were just last week, frustrated at all your Xbox 360 pals getting together to play co-op antibody-battling twin-stick shooter MicroBot -- without you. If you're still looking to play MicroBot on your PlayStation 3, the game's heading to PlayStation Network tomorrow, January 4, for $10. MicroBot has you piloting a tiny ship inside of a human body (read: Innerspace), destroying diseased enemies and working with a partner to complete objectives. We'd suggest meeting some new friends before jumping into the co-op, though. These fair-weather folks don't sound very nice and, frankly, you deserve better.
DC Universe Online enlisting recruits Jan. 11 in NA, Jan. 14 in UK
Since being pushed to an amorphous "spring 2011" release window back in October, DC Universe Online has been given a solid launch date once and for all: January 11 in North America and January 14 in the UK. Sony Online Entertainment confirmed the dates in an interview with IGN, also announcing the game's $199 lifetime subscription price (a bit over 13 months worth of sub. fees), as well as it's main pricing structure: $49.99 on PC / $59.99 on PS3 with one month subscription, $14.99 for subsequent months. "We're going to be here for far more than a single year. We've got a lot of universe to build, and we're not going to stop anytime soon," game director Chris Cao said of the lifetime subscription pricing. Cao also detailed an end-of-the-world event that will take place within DCUO before it launches in January. "Jim Lee and our friends at DC are going to join us in a live, end-of-beta event where players will fight alongside and against the iconics as Brainiac's menace yet looms," he explained, adding, "It will be an epic end and thank you for beta. And it will set the stage for the real struggle to come in live." Another struggle to come alongside the game's launch? How to get players to choose another mentor -- as expected, Superman was the favorite "by far." Of course, we'll be bucking the trend with a super villain mimicking hip-hop personality MF Doom. Too obvious?
Mario Sports Mix shoots for Feb. 7 debut in North America
Nintendo is publishing two Dragon Quest games this February: Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation on February 14 ... and Mario Sports Mix on February 7. It's got Slimes in it, so it's a Dragon Quest game. That's how it works. Even if Nintendo of America hasn't shown any of the Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest characters, we know they're there. In addition to crossover content, Mario Sports Mix features Mario-style hockey, dodgeball, volleyball, and basketball games for up to four players, with familiar Mushroom Kingdom items altering the gameplay, and each character possessing an outrageous special move. Check out the full box art after the break.
Cladun 2: This is another RPG
According to Siliconera, Dengeki magazine has the first details on an upcoming PSP sequel to Cladun: This is an RPG. With only a translation of a blurb from a magazine scan, we don't know much about "Classic Dungeon 2," but Siliconera reports that it will feature more spells, weapons and jobs. The game will be released in Japan on March 24. We can safely assume that the 8-bit aesthetic of the first game will be used again for the sequel -- otherwise it would just be "Dun 2."
Double Fine's first 'Action Cast' reveals 'early 2011' release for Stacking
Tim Schafer and his perfect-for-radio vocal stylings have taken to the casting of pods, releasing the first ever Double Fine "Action Cast." For the inaugural episode, Schafer talks Costume Quest with the game's creative leads (Tasha Harris and Gabe Miller), among other topics. Of note, Schafer says that DF's next downloadable title, Stacking, is "essentially done" and "should be out in early 2011," a more specific launch window than we had previously heard. Also potentially of note, Tasha Harris says she's animating a "super secret project" right now. What could it be?! As the first show is a pilot, the studio is basing its decision to make more on listener response, so go get vocal in the post's comment section. We quite like the show and are hoping for more .... not that we're trying to influence your opinion or anything.
Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation arrives in North America on Feb. 14
15 years ago, Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Reverie launched in Japan, with a Nintendo DS remake of that game arriving last January. This coming February 14th, Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation will launch in North America, effectively ending the 15-year exclusivity the game has endured and completing the trilogy of DQ remakes on Nintendo DS. The game arrives for Nintendo DS on Valentine's Day, bringing with it "new character options and enhancements." Nintendo gets more specific in the announcement, citing updated graphics as the main difference between the original release and the forthcoming update. But then, if the North American release is the same as the Japanese re-release on Nintendo DS, we expect to see an improved map system, a slime curling minigame, and several other revisions. Oh, and of course, there will be plenty of slimes. Relax.%Gallery-111712%
Knights Contract signed, sealed, delivered on Feb. 22, 2011
The odd pairing of Heinrich, everlasting executioner, and resurrected witch Gretchen will arrive on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 next year, on February 22. Developed by Game Republic, Knights Contract is set in an upheaved fantasy realm in which witches (those witches) are hunted and executed. That's bad news for Heinrich, who must defend Gretchen and rely on her magic to overcome a world of opposition. Knights Contract appears to have a heavier focus on action than Namco's other recent partnership game, Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom -- and this time, you play as the big guy. He should have little problem carrying around a duck-weight like Gretchen.%Gallery-111614%
BlackBerry PlayBook will ship in March, assuming inertial momentum
RIM dropped an intriguing hint about a likely release date for the BlackBerry PlayBook during its Q3 earnings call this week -- namely, that the company expects the first revenue from the dual-core tablet to arrive in the first quarter of the company's fiscal year. "There are no PlayBook revenues included in our Q4 guidance, and we expect the first revenue impact from PlayBook will be in RIM's first quarter," a RIM spokeswoman said, adding that the PlayBook is still slated to ship in the first quarter of the calendar year. If that still sounds like financial gibberish, let us clarify a tad -- RIM's first fiscal quarter doesn't start till March, which happens to be when the first calendar quarter ends. Oh, RIM can certainly revise its guidance to shareholders and launch the BlackBerry PlayBook earlier or later if that's what execs deem fit, but if both of RIM's statements remain true, then March is when the PlayBook will ship. Isn't logic wonderful?
Yakuza: Of the End begins in March
Despite the fact that Yakuza: Of the End violently breaks from series tradition, it's hewing pretty closely to the previous games' schedules. According to Siliconera, Famitsu magazine has revealed the Japanese release date for the gangland zombie shooter: March 17. The date follows tradition, apparently, as Yakuza 4 was released in Japan this past March (along with Yakuza 3 in North America and Europe), and Yakuza 3 debuted in Japan in late-February 2009. In addition to next March's release, Sega has a new Yakuza game coming this winter: a mobile social game called Yakuza Mobile for GREE, in which players raise and train Yakuza characters, earning weapons that can be transferred into Of the End.%Gallery-102455%
Mass Effect 2 lands on PS3 Jan. 18 in US, Jan. 21 in Europe
Speaking exclusively to IGN, Electronic Arts has given Mass Effect 2 on PlayStation 3 a solid release date of January 21 18 in North America and January 21 in Europe (that's in twenty eleven, folks). As previously revealed, BioWare is including a gaggle of bonus content with the Blu-ray version, not to mention a brand new "interactive comic" that fills players in on the story of Mass Effect 1. Given what we heard today about Mass Effect 3, we're just hoping everyone has enough time to catch up before a whole new outerspace epic arrives.
Trinity: Souls of Zill O'll unite for Feb. 8 release
Having been delayed back in February, Tecmo Koei's fantasy action-RPG, Trinity: Souls of Zill O'll, finally has its official release dates. North America will be able to battle through hordes of monsters as a team of three warriors on February 8, 2011, while Europe will be able to follow on February 11. Unfortunately, though the release date has changed for the Omega Force-developed PS3 game, the name hasn't: It's still called "Trinity: Souls of Zill O'll." We wish it the best of luck.%Gallery-102565%
Renegade Kid takes DS on an ATV Wild Ride
Now we get to see what Renegade Kid's "Renegade Engine," used for the Dementium games and Moon, can do with a game that isn't a first-person shooter. The developer has announced ATV Wild Ride, its new decidedly non-spooky DS game for publisher Destineer. ATV Wild Ride is a racing game featuring 24 courses in six countries, a trick system and wireless multi-card multiplayer. It's like an extreme racing game, but shrunk down to manageable DS size. Destineer announced plans to take it on the wild ride to retail in early 2011 -- but the trailer after the break (courtesy of Destructoid) further specifies January.%Gallery-109511%
Neo Geo games coming to PSN with online play
Nine months after the ESRB listed Neo Geo games for PS3 and PSP, publisher SNK Playmore has announced plans for a "Neo Geo Station" on PlayStation Network. Starting December 21, games from the Neo Geo's library will be released on PSN in both PS3 and PSP versions, costing $8.99 and $6.99 each, respectively. The pricing on the PS3 versions is equivalent to the cost of buying Neo Geo games on the Wii Virtual Console. Unlike the Virtual Console releases, these aren't just emulated versions of the originals. SNK has added features like online co-op and versus play on PS3 (and Ad-Hoc Party support on PSP), along with other unspecified enhancements. Check after the break for all ten games hitting PS3 on December 21, and the two PSP games arriving at the same time. The other eight are scheduled to arrive on PSP sometime in January.
Make a Body and Brain Connection Feb. 8
You'll be able to play the weird Kinect Pac-Man minigame on February 8. That's also when you'll be able to play the rest of Namco Bandai's Body and Brain Connection, the brain training/exercise collection from Brain Age consultant Dr. Ryuta Kawashima -- but it's more interesting to think about it as the Kinect Pac-Man thing, with bonus brain training and exercise-based minigames. Namco Bandai also sent out a bunch of new screens of the intellectually stimulating minigames contained within Connection. You get to work out with an animated light bulb! How many games let you do that?%Gallery-108683%
Kirby's Epic Yarn to wind up in Europe Feb. 25
While it still stings, we're sure, to have to wait until 2011 to play Kirby's Epic Yarn, Nintendo revealed a European release date today that isn't too far into next year: February 25. You won't be able to get it for Christmas, but you could conceivably have some gift cards left over from the holiday, at least. Perhaps it took Nintendo a while to translate all the cutesy descriptions of the collectible furniture items. Or perhaps it's taken Nintendo of Europe several months to stop hugging all the copies of the game long enough to get them into boxes.
Explodemon delayed until January
Apparently, a Q4 2010 release date was too precise a target for Curve Studios' volatile PSN action game, Explodemon. The developer sent a note out this morning to announce a delay for the title. Fortunately, the delay is teensy -- a mere bang snap of an announcement, really. Explodemon will burst onto PSN in January 2011. In the interim, Curve will release wallpapers, avatars and such PSN goodies, which were likely intended to accompany the game, but will now precede it. A new trailer is also forthcoming. And if you're really in the mood to play a Curve-developed game this month, Fluidity will be available on WiiWare December 6.
Give yourself a few minutes to read about Jikandia: The Timeless Land
Do you like games from Opus Studio that combine retro-style graphics, RPG gameplay and time-compression gimmicks? Well, good news: now you have more than just Half-Minute Hero through which to experience that unique combination. Aksys Games is localizing Jikan de Fantasia for PSP as Jikandia: The Timeless Land, due Spring 2011. Jikandia is a unique side-scrolling dungeon RPG in which players set the time limits for each dungeon -- which, in turn, affects the treasure quality and the difficulty of the dungeon. Players control a boy from our world drawn into Jikandia, a once-timeless place that is now experiencing linear time, as a "champion," searching for his missing friends. Of course, given the random-dungeon style of gameplay, you probably won't need to spend much time worrying about the story.%Gallery-108245%
Test Drive Unlimited 2 due on Feb. 8, pre-orders detailed
Test Drive Unlimited 2 developer Eden Games is betting you'll be all done with Gran Turismo 5 and ready for a new driving game by early next year, announcing plans to drop TDU2's opening flag on February 8. It appears the studio is using its extra half year of development time -- the game was pushed back from September to "Q1 2011" this past August -- to create an unbelievably complex pre-order incentive plan at several different retailers, broken down after the break. We'll parse it for you real quick right here, should you not have the time: GameStop pre-orders get the Casino DLC while every other retailer just gives you a car. Sure, Walmart's offer of an in-game Bugati Veyron Supersport 2010 is tempting, but it's not a whole freakin' game mode.
Atlus bringing DS RPG Radiant Historia to North America in Feb.
Radiant Historia, an original DS role-playing game from Atlus, came out in Japan at the beginning of this month. Atlus USA has revealed that the usually agonizing wait for localization will be shorter than expected, as it plans to release Radiant Historia in North America this February. In Radiant Historia, "Special Intelligence Agent Stocke" uses a magical book to travel backwards and forwards through time to alter history for the better. So, it's like a fantasy Quantum Leap! Mechanically, Historia uses a grid-based battle system that allows you to move enemies around on the field to help set up combos. It's not an Atlus DS release without "Spoils," and according to the publisher this one will include a soundtrack CD featuring piano arrangements of Yoko Shimomura's compositions from the game.
Phantom Brave takes PSP to The Hermuda Triangle in March
In case you missed out on the PS2 release of Phantom Brave, or the updated Wii port, NIS America has announced a more upgraded-er port, for PSP! Phantom Brave: The Hermuda Triangle, out this March on UMD and PSN in North America, and on PSN in Europe. This version of the isometric tactical RPG features all the new content, including characters and the "Another Marona" campaign, added to the Wii release, Phantom Brave: We Meet Again. NIS has also added additional new characters from other NIS games, including Hero Prinny and the Unlosing Ranger (according to Siliconera). It's because those five characters make this a slightly different game that the box art can claim it as "Only on PlayStation." Apparently.
