Q1 2012
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Army Corps of Hell marching on Europe in 2012
Already planning to deploy the Army Corps of Hell in Japan at some point in 2012 via Sony's PlayStation Vita, Square Enix announced this morning that the Pikmin-esque, Entersphere-developed title will also arrive in Europe next year. The game has yet to be announced for release in North America, but localization for Europe indicates that we're not far off from such a reveal. When Joystiq's Richard Mitchell played the title a few weeks back at the Tokyo Game Show, he described it as "Pikmin for adolescent boys who like to doodle on their Trapper Keepers, which isn't a bad thing." Square Enix VP of Brands Sarah Hoeksma, however, takes a different tact in the announcement, saying, "The team at Entersphere is creating a unique experience which will really stand out from the other titles coming to the PlayStation Vita in the launch window." We're guessing, like Nintendo's 3DS "launch window," Sony's planned window is "near the launch of PlayStation Vita." And when will the Vita launch in Europe? At some point in early 2012.
I Am Alive confirmed for XBLA and PSN, coming 'this winter'
Despite a long-term disappearance (perhaps into the bowels of the Earth?), Ubisoft's I Am Alive will arrive on consoles via Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, confirming previous suspicions. The game is said to arrive at some point "this winter." Following the story of a yet-to-be-named "everyman," Ubisoft Shanghai's I Am Alive is a digital romp through a city (Chicago, last we saw) that has undergone a devastating catastrophe. Resultantly, said everyman must fight for survival against the elements as well as various other people, all the while attempting to find his wife and daughter. Combat is said to be based on intimidation more than brute force (briefly demonstrated in the original announce teaser). We'll presumably have more info for you soon, as Ubisoft finally seems ready to talk about the game once again. Update: Ubisoft confirmed with Joystiq that there are currently no plans for a PC version of I Am Alive.%Gallery-135209%
Journey floating to PSN in Spring 2012
After teasing us with gorgeous footage, press demos, and a beta, Flower dev thatgamecompany today announced intentions to launch its next game, Journey, in Spring 2012. As with previous TGC games, Journey will arrive exclusively on the PlayStation 3's digital store. "While there is still a ton of care and polish needed, we can't wait to finally deliver Journey, TGC's take on an online adventure game," creative director Jenova Chen writes on the PlayStation blog. "Like all our games, Journey is an experiment. In the end, it's what you think that matters."
'Rhythm Thief & The Emperor's Treasure' brings musical adventure to 3DS
Last week, Sega revealed its new 3DS game, a rhythm-action game about a famous thief. And today, the publisher revealed plans to distribute Rhythm Thief & The Emperor's Treasure in North America and Europe in early 2012. Rhythm Thief puts the player through "an assortment of different rhythm challenges to master" using the stylus and gyroscope, including a dancing game. Somehow, all the rhythmic challenging ties into a story about a thief in Paris looking for the "Wristlet of Tiamat" and solving the mystery of his missing father. Seems like he'd be better off conducting his mission with fewer dance breaks, but what do we know?%Gallery-132026%
Retina Display-equipped iPad 3 looking more and more likely for early 2012
Well, the Wall Street Journal's headline certainly isn't going to surprise you -- Apple Developing New iPad -- that has been a safe assumption since the iPad 2 was announced. Rumors are circulating though (some, for quite a while) that are painting an increasingly convincing picture of a Retina Display-equipped slate shipping in early 2012. Reports are in that suppliers have already received Q4 orders for parts that may eventually find their way into Apple's next tablet. Can we say for certain that the iPad 3 will hit shelves in Q1 of next year sporting a 2048 x 1536 screen? No, but it's starting to look more and more likely.
Lenovo nearly doubles net profits in Q1 earnings report, not so certain about 'mainstream' Ultrabooks by end of year
Lenovo's enjoying a bright and sunny Thursday in Hong Kong today, where the company has just unveiled a Q1 2011 / 2012 earnings report that's full of rosy news. According to the report, Lenovo's revenues jumped to $5.92 billion during the fiscal quarter, representing a 15 percent increase over last year's figures, while net profits nearly doubled to $108 million (compared to $54.9 million last year). Global PC sales, meanwhile, nudged upward 23 percent -- even at a time when most other manufacturers are seeing relatively sluggish growth. During an earnings conference call this morning, COO Rory Read provided a little insight into his company's approach to the growing Ultrabook sector, while hinting at future price reductions. Speaking to reporters, Reed assured that Lenovo would "invest in innovation to be a leader" in the Ultrabook market, adding that prices for its MacBook Air competitors may reach "mainstream" (sub-$1,000) levels by 2012: "I wouldn't say by the end of the year necessarily but...that's definitely going to happen." Head past the break for Lenovo's financial summary, along with the full PR. [Original photo by Cory Grenier]
Strike Suit Zero blasts off in Q1 2012, developed by Doublesix
Doublesix games, developers of the manic Burn Zombie Burn! and the upcoming All Zombies Must Die!, are confronting threats from the void with Strike Suit Zero. The interstellar arcade shooter, which totally has a ship that transforms into a robot, features spacecrafts created by mechanical design engineer Junji Okubo (Appleseed: Ex Machina, Steel Battalion) and music from award-winning sound designer Paul Ruskay (Homeworld). Strike Suit Zero has players taking control of the transforming spacecraft during Earth's final hours, with the player's actions apparently having an effect on their path through the game's branching mission structure. Details are very scarce, but we should learn more next week when the title is presented at Germany's Gamescom. It's currently set to arrive on Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network and PC sometime in Q1 2012.%Gallery-130233%
Twisted Metal pushed to 'early 2012' worldwide
Once pinned to an October launch date, the reboot of Twisted Metal apparently won't arrive until "early 2012." Eat Sleep Play head David Jaffe took to the PlayStation Blog (in all territories) to announce the delay, citing "extra time needed to polish our demented baby" for the delay. If you, like us, are wondering what exactly that means, he goes on to channel Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto: "A late game is only late until it ships. A bad game is bad until the end of time." He also assured fans, "If we shipped Twisted Metal tomorrow -- going off the response from folks who have played it -- I assure you, it would never be a bad game." Jaffe promises a big showing at both of this summer's game industry shows, Gamescom and PAX Prime, so we'll be sure to find out specifically what's being done with the extra development time.
Ubisoft Q1 sales down 36 percent from last year
The latest Ubisoft financial report for the first quarter of its 2012 fiscal year is a tough pill to swallow for everyone who loved Q Entertainment's stunning rhythm-shooter, Child of Eden. The company's sales for the quarter reached €103 million, a decline of 36.3% from the €161 million reported during the same period during FY 2011. The quarter wasn't a total wash -- sales actually exceeded Ubisoft's expectations of €90 million thanks to strong back-catalog sales (thanks, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood!), successful digital titles like Outland and Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes, and the massive worldwide sales of Michael Jackson: The Experience. Still, in a perfect world, Ubisoft's financial report would just show the logo for Child of Eden, then a picture of Tetsuya Mizuguchi rolling around in an Olympic swimming pool filled with hundred-dollar bills.
XCOM inducing singularities on March 6, 2012
After months of secrecy, XCOM's release date has finally been declassified by publisher 2K Games. The first-person relaunch of the XCOM series will arrive on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC on March 6, 2012, according to 2K. The nearly nine month window between now and then does, of course, give plenty of extra time to delay it, should that be necessary. Not that we hope it gets delayed, but it does stand to reason that we won't see BioShock Infinite in the first quarter of 2012 if XCOM sticks to the release date, as 2K Games is unlikely to drop two major shooters so close to each other. The game's E3 2011 trailer was also loosed, showing off a much more direct example of XCOM's first-person action gameplay. A press release accompanying today's release date news speaks to the game's setting as well, explaining that XCOM will put players into the shoes of Special Agent William Carter who, employing a crack team of veteran XCOM officers, will "strike surgically against the alien menace" in an effort to turn the tide of war against them. It's kind of like Halo, basically, except in 1950's America. And no Master Chief (as far as we know). And the aliens are way more inky, of course. Okay, it's not that much like Halo. Fine.
Anarchy Reigns forecast: now dropping in January 2012
Talk about a mean tease. First, we spend practically all of February watching introductory videos about every human that inhabits the world of Anarchy Reigns -- including "Weird Paul," the guy who mops up after all the murdering. Now we learn we won't actually get to slaughter any of them until January of 2012, and not, as we'd been previously told, autumn of this year. Oh cruel, cruel fate! To be so close to these people, to know them so well, but to be eight months from being able to cut any of them in half with a chainsaw! It'd be romantic if it weren't so darn sad.
Ghost Recon: Future Soldier scheduled for Q1 2012
During an investors call today, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said that Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is now scheduled to be released in the first quarter of 2012 (the company's 2011–12 fiscal Q4). This places it at the tail end of the fiscal year, which was the previously given (and rather large) release window. "We want first to assure the best quality possible," Guillemot explained in a moment of déjà vu, "as well as to avoid the very crowded Christmas landscape in the shooter genre." It was as if he was still reading last year's script. On May 18, 2010, Guillemot had offered those exact same reasons about Future Soldier's readiness then, saying, "Due to a very competitive environment, we decided to move the game out of the Christmas [2010] quarter, and into the March [2011] quarter." He added, "It will also provide additional time to our development teams to realize their vision." At this rate, Ubisoft is going to have to change the title to "Ghost Recon: Soldier." Wait a minute -- we already used that one ... These delays are getting old.
Mass Effect 3 delayed until Q1 2012
Mass Effect 3 will arrive later than expected, BioWare has announced. A nebulous new release date is to be found somewhere within "the first three months of 2012." Executive producer Casey Hudson addressed fans on the game's official forums, writing, "The development team is laser focused on making sure Mass Effect 3 is the biggest, boldest and best game in the series, ensuring that it exceeds everyone's expectations." A new Shepard team photo was sent out alongside the announcement, but don't take those heroic and steadfast poses as conciliation. (It's clear only one of them is Asari.) Before you storm off to Twitter and document 2011's ruination, we ought to point out that there's some relief to be found in this news. When we last consulted the office's crystal ball and requested a peek at our prestigious Game of the Year 2011 award ceremonies, we were greeted by a gruesome portent: a bloodied, pockmarked urban battlefield littered with expired game critics, internet commenters, torn N7 hoodies and ... spongy cake detritus. Perhaps this is for the best. %Gallery-122824%
SSX to descend in January 2012
During EA's Season Opener event yesterday, SSX creative director Todd Batty revealed a launch window for the snowboarding revival: January 2012. The game will be playable at E3 in June, so expect a more detailed evaluation from us at that point. The presentation was very light on SSX gameplay footage, though we were shown some new mechanics. An overhauled physics system in the game will attempt to eliminate invisible or man-made boundaries, allowing you to trick off rocks and find you own way down through the particular track in question. You'll also be able to employ a wingsuit in mid-air, making it possible to clear large, otherwise unnavigable terrain. Expect some familiar faces to return for this latest entry, too -- you can see the new version of Elise in the gallery below. During our interview with Batty following his presentation, he explained that dynamic snow particles, imbued with their own physics, could influence spontaneous avalanches throughout descent (now that sounds deadly).%Gallery-121051%
Obsidian working on XBLA title for Q1 2012 (and some other things)
Obsidian Entertainment is currently working on "an original IP XBLA game," which is being targeted for release in the first quarter of 2012. In a recent interview with Game Revolution, Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart mentioned, "It'll be an action RPG that's focused on fun -- not Dungeon Siege; it's quite a bit different in a different genre with a different camera." "We also might throw our hat in the whole free-to-play thing," Urquhart added, before passively referencing another game -- based on a "licensed product" -- he'd be "killed" if he talked about in detail. In our own recent interview with him, Urquhart similarly hinted at a "once in a lifetime" licensed game that is "something we've been working on since the middle of last year; just with a small team -- it's only been five or ten people." This could be that Wheel of Time project, or something separate -- "I'm hoping that'll be announced around E3," Urquhart told GR of the mystery project. The studio has also pitched an Icewind Dale reboot to Atari, in addition to shopping around general pitches for a game based on "a new world" and a sort of "what if" Sauron won scenario for a Lord of the Rings title dubbed "Defiance." But first! Obsidian has to wrap up Dungeon Siege 3. Talk about keeping busy.
Inversion flips out on February 7, 2012
Saber Interactive's sci-fi shooter, Inversion, was announced back in 2009 and was scheduled to arrive in late 2010 -- and it's still in development. Publisher Namco Bandai has announced today that the game is currently pegged for a February 7, 2012 launch on Xbox 360 and PS3. Inversion allows you to create isolated zero-gravity fields, forcing objects caught inside to defy nature's laws and provide some cover against enemy fire. You can read our preview of the game later today -- in the meantime, you can check out a new teaser trailer just above below the break. %Gallery-115714%
THQ puts Devil's Third in 2012, announces UFC Trainer
While we were furiously running from appointment to appointment somewhere inside the LA Convention Center last week, THQ was busy holding an investor call -- and subsequently detailing a densely packed game release future. While we already heard from the publisher back in February that Darksiders and Saint's Row sequels would be arriving sometime in fiscal 2012 (between March 2011 and April 2012), it seems that Valhalla Games' debut effort Devil's Third will join the fold (as evidenced by the above image). Also of note, "UFC Trainer" was detailed in the financial call as a Kinect/Move/Wii exercise/training title set for release in Jan 2011 (as reported by GameSpot). It's aiming to contend with the likes of EA Sports Active and Wii Fit, albeit with a tougher slant. "We want this thing tuned to perfection without lag. And I'm not going to ship it until it's the coolest fighting thing in the world," THQ exec Danny Bilson said of UFC Trainer, explaining its absence from E3. He also reconfirmed that a sequel to Darksiders has been "greenlit" and is currently in production, though said nothing of the Devil's Third release window specifically (presumably for fear of being sliced to bits by Valhalla's ninjas).
