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Terminator Salvation PC replacement begins
Evolved Games has begun its replacement program for recalled defective retail copies of Terminator: Salvation on PC. For those of you not keeping score at home, Terminator: Salvation PC shipped with an unfortunate feature, it wouldn't allow users to install the game at all. Add that to the fact that the game itself is virtually unplayable (that's not a glitch, it just isn't very good) and Terminator: Salvation has turned into one of the biggest movie-based gaming debacles since Charlie's Angels hit the GameCube.Retail PC users looking for a replacement can find more information on Evolved Games' support site. The studio also released a statement apologizing for "any inconvenience that end users may have suffered." Digital distribution copies were unaffected by the bug.%Gallery-48219%[Via Shacknews]
Childhood comes to life in Lego Battles trailer
Remember when you were a kid and you thought your LEGOs were real, when you just knew that they burst into life when you weren't looking? Watching this latest trailer for LEGO Battles is like catching them in the act. There's nothing quite like watching pirates battling aliens or wizards and knights taking on the hordes of the plastic undead. Basically, we're talking LEGO bedlam here. Throw in some firecrackers and bottle rockets and it would be perfect.Granted, the trailer is a little short on actual gameplay, but the kid in us heartily approves.%Gallery-43818%
Warner's first stab at LOTR license: Aragorn's Quest
Now that Warner Bros. Interactive has its hands on the precioussss Lord of the Rings license, Shacknews reports that the company has revealed its first game based on the franchise. The game was listed among Warner Bros' E3 debut titles and is reportedly named The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest. Okay, so an LOTR game starring Aragorn. That could be really aweso ... oh, wait, what's this? Shacknews states the game "is the first Lord of the Rings videogame created specifically for kids and their families" and features "accessible gameplay set in a friendly, colorful rendition of Middle-Earth." Oh dear.
You must CQC this new Batman: Arkham Asylum footage
What do you do when the most promising Batman game in, oh, years gets delayed to "the end of summer?" You get angry. Well, that and you watch every bit of gameplay footage you can leading up to when it's finally in stores ... and hopefully doesn't disappoint. It's with the intent of helping you through this time of Batman: Arkham Asylum-focused longing that we bring you what you need: video of the Dark Knight smashing goons' faces with man's earliest weapons, his fists and feet. Walking you through the on-screen beatings is Shefton Hill, designer of the game and a rather pleasant-sounding fellow given how dark and violent what he's making is. It's almost like getting a hands-on demonstration, only without ... your hands ... on -- oh, who are we kidding? Eidos, can we at least have a demo?
Get your mech on with a FEAR 2 Armored Front trailer
A new trailer has been released for the upcoming FEAR 2 DLC "Armored Front." The trailer shows off both new maps -- "Conductor" and "Decoy" -- and plenty of mechanized destruction courtesy of the game's power armor. The DLC will also come with new character skins, possibly making the price -- 540 MS points on XBL or $6.99 on PSN -- a little more palatable. "Armored Front" releases on May 21.
Scribblenauts coming this fall, thanks to Warner Bros. [update]
[Update: New trailer! Go watch it!]5th Cell's completely insane "write anything" platformer Scribblenauts just got one step closer to release: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced that it had acquired the publishing rights to the game and will release it in North America this fall. Hopefully WB can spare some of the money it's gathered in its nine decades of business to advertise a DS game!In case you'd somehow forgotten about one of the coolest DS game ideas ever, Scribblenauts asks players to discover and reach hidden "Starites" in levels using items generated by written words. Check out the new screens WBIE sent with the announcements! Apparently you can make a band.%Gallery-39784%
Rumor: Warner Bros. hooked on Midway bait
Just a week after casting itself into uncertain waters, Midway has reportedly gotten a bite -- er, been bitten by Warner Bros. Interactive. Now comes the hard part: reeling in the deal. After losing Eidos to Square Enix, Warner's got a grumbling in its tummy for cheap chow, and for a proposed $30 million, Midway is a relatively inexpensive meal for the big fish to swallow. Still, much of Midway is simply indigestible. An anonymous source tells MCV, "Warner is pretty confident that they will get Midway ... They look ready to put the money on the table." Whether that money is the full $30 million or just a portion of the asking price (for specific IPs like Mortal Kombat, etc.) is allegedly keeping the deal on the line. Will it snap? Oh, the suspense!
Terminator: Salvation trailer includes sweet action, bad voice acting
Grin is on a licensed game streak, having taken the reigns on Capcom's Bionic Commando reboot, breathing digital life to Mark Millar's Wanted and now shining light on Linda Hamilton's dark vision of the future in Terminator: Salvation. Based on what we've seen and our hands-on impressions, Terminator: Salvation has potential; however, the voice actor responsible for John Connor does not.For actor Gideon Emery, dialog -- that we presume was written to convey a sense of urgency -- is delivered flat and weak. We're seriously disappointed, considering how his previous work as British Commando #3 in Resistance 2 was so pivotal to that game's complete story experience.%Gallery-48219%
Holy collectors edition, Batman (Arkham Asylum)!
click to Bat-size There's really only one question you have to mull over when considering plunking down the cash for the Batman: Arkham Asylum Collectors Edition. That question is: How much am I willing to pay for a batarang? We'll admit that the behind-the-scenes DVD (or Blu-Ray), Arkham Doctor's Journal (with embossed leather dust jacket) and DLC are nice items, but it's still all about the batarang. Whether or not it's worth the price -- $100 according to GameStop -- is up to you. Sure, Bruce Wayne can afford to throw that kind of money away, but it's a difficult question for most of us.While thinking it over, feel free to peruse the game's new official pages on MySpace or Facebook. You can also check out the gallery below for a closer look at the batarang in question.%Gallery-49789%
Free F.E.A.R. 2 'Toy Soldiers' map pack coming April 16
Warner Bros. Interactive is thinking small with its first DLC for F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin, due April 16. Small as in the comical scale of the "Toy Soldiers" map pack's levels, and small in price -- it'll be a free download via Xbox Live Marketplace and the PlayStation Store.The DLC will include three maps: "Full Tilt," which places players inside a pinball machine; "Cockroach," which shrinks them down and sees them scurrying up walls; and "Recess," which is set within a sand castle. WBIE says the pack is the first of three it intends to release this year. Maps dedicated to Elite Power Armor combat will be coming in May, followed by additional single player levels by the end of the summer. No word on whether they'll be free, but we fear they won't be.
Da-da-dun-da-dun, this is Terminator Salvation
Taking place two years before the movie of the same name, Terminator Salvation: The Video Game puts players in post-apocalyptic Los Angeles at the time AI-overlord Skynet rises to power. This means series hero John Connor is still a legend-in-the-making, and time-traveling Terminators have yet to learn the catchy Spanish phrases that would make them famous.We watched a live demo of Salvation earlier this month, taking in the shooter's "cover and flank" battle system, the cinematic, HUD-less interface and the constant barrage of that thematic riff (the one that goes *Da-da-dun-da-dun. Da-da-dun-da-dun*). As much as we love hearing the tune, we're not too enamored, thus far, with the game's presentation regarding its generic weapons arsenal and bland on-rails sections; however, that opinion might change once we finally get some hands-on time at GDC next week. For now, here's a trailer and some screen shots to check out.%Gallery-48219%
Batman becomes the fear in latest Arkham Asylum trailer
We don't know what it is about Mark Hamill's brilliant portrayal of the Joker that does it, but we're shaken to our core each and every time we hear him. And this latest trailer for Batman: Arkham Asylum starts off with a great Joker narration, but it doesn't stop there. Adding to Joker's dialogue is plenty of Batman-kicking-ass action. Watch the world's greatest detective employ his powers of stealth, as well as his powers of wealth through the use of his high-tech gadgetry. This trailer is set to air tonight on MTV, but thankfully Totilo posted it early for everyone to drool over, so check it out after the break while we run out to the store for a new keyboard.%Gallery-31781%
Batman: Arkham Asylum goes Games for Windows Live
Microsoft has revealed Batman: Arkham Asylum will lead the charge this summer as a Games for Windows Live release. The Bat will join Stormrise, Battlestations: Pacific and Red Faction: Guerrilla in what the official GFW blog calls "a strong summer" lineup -- not like it'd be biased about it, right?Batman: Arkham Asylum is currently in development by Rocksteady Studios -- of Urban Chaos: Riot Response fame (or shame, depending on your take) -- and follows the comic book mythos of the renowned DC character. Joystiq recently went hands-on with Batman: Arkham Asylum; check out the post to find out if it's just another routine brawler or "the best Batman game ever," as Warner Bros. has claimed.[Thanks, TheWeaponeer]
Voice cast for Terminator Salvation revealed, balefully Bale-less
A press release promoting the upcoming technopocalypse sim Terminator Salvation: The Videogame (not to be confused with Terminator Salvation: The Movie or Terminator Salvation: The X-treme Bible for Time Traveling Robots) which recently landed in our inbox was a grab bag of mixed blessings. It unveiled the talent which will lend their voices and likenesses to the game -- notable names include hip-hop artist Common, actress Moon Bloodgood, and Rose McGowan, who will voice a role exclusive to the game.Sadly, the film's star, Christian Bale, wasn't on the list of included voice actors we received. We contacted Mr. Bale for a comment, and received the following (NSFW) response: "WHAT THE (explitive deleted) IS IT WITH YOU? WHAT DONT YOU (e.d.)ING UNDERSTAND? YOU GOT ANY (e.d.)ING IDEA ABOUT, "HEY IT'S (e.d.)ING DISTRACTING HAVING SOMEONE ASK ME ABOUT VIDEO GAMES WHILE I'M WORKING ON A (e.d.)ING SCENE? GIVE ME AN ANSWER! WHAT DON'T YOU GET ABOUT IT? (e.d.)'S SAKE MAN, YOU'RE AMATEUR."Full presser's after the (e.d.)ing break.
Warner Bros Interactive acquires Snowblind Studios
Capping off a day that saw Crytek officially sealing the deal with Free Radical, Warner Bros Interactive has announced its purchase of Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance and Justice League Heroes dev Snowblind Studios. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the acquisition serves to strengthen the publisher's internal development effort. Martin Tremblay, president of WBIE, said of the purchase, "The acquisition of Snowblind is an important milestone for our games business, allowing us to expand our development capabilities even further." Snowblind's latest title, the XBLA-bound Death Tank, remains on track for release, albeit without an official date. WBIE's upcoming marquee titles F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin and Wanted: Weapons of Fate are being developed externally at Monolith and GRIN, respectively. The company has been long-rumored as a possible suitor for an ailing Eidos Interactive.
LEGO Battles break out on DS this summer
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and TT Games' latest LEGO game, coming this summer for DS, is not built around any license. Well, other than the LEGO license. But there's no Batman or Star Wars or anything like that: this is pure LEGO. LEGO Battles, developed by Hellbent Games, sounds like a kind of LEGO-based strategy game, in which players build and defend bases in the LEGO Castle, Pirates and Space Themes, using units mixed and matched from the sets. The press release promises "pirate swordsmen fighting side-by-side with wizards and aliens; dragons battling ninjas; and pirate ships launching broadsides against spacecraft and knights!" In addition to the single-player mode, local multiplayer battles will also be available. And because we haven't said the word "LEGO" enough in this post: LEGO. %Gallery-43818%.
Joystiq impressions: Batman: Arkham Asylum
click to enlarge Judging by the recently released trailer and screenshots, you probably have the same expectations of Batman: Arkham Asylum that we did heading into a recent demo of the game. That is: it looks like nothing more than a Batman beat-'em-up. The truth: it's a full-fledged Batman game, complete with stealth, gadgets, investigations, and, yes, fisticuffs.Having seen the game played in its current state, we were struck by something we've termed "The Pure Effect," thus named because we first experienced it upon seeing Disney Interactive's superb off-road racer, Pure, for the first time. The effect is not a subtle one. It generally causes those who encounter it to exclaim (hopefully internally), "Where did this game come from? I've never heard of these guys. This looks ... really good." And so was our first encounter with Arkham Asylum.%Gallery-31781%
New Arkham Asylum shots are so pretty, you'll go batty
click to enlarge When we posted the latest Batman: Arkham Asylum trailer earlier today, we were just priming your eyeballs for the new high-res screens we now present. We'll let you make the call in comments, but after seeing the game in motion today -- we'll have our full impressions soon -- we wouldn't have guessed it's running on Unreal Engine 3. (Nary a plastic character nor texture glitch was to be found!)These shots come from the game's introductory sequence -- maybe only the first five minutes or so -- during which you can control Batman (move, zoom in on various things happening in the background) while the Joker is being processed. The fighting bits shown are just a prelude to some surprisingly deep gameplay we can't wait to tell you more about.%Gallery-43535%
F.E.A.R. 2 scares up demo January 22
Using its guerrilla marketing firm's psychic powers division, Warner Bros. Interactive made us prick our fingers and write on the walls in blood: a demo for F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin is coming January 22nd. The press release Warner sent soon after was just as effective at getting the point across.The demo will be available to all on Xbox 360, PC and PS3 starting next week; however, the PS3 demo is available right now for Qore subscribers. Download it ... if you dare. Alma is waiting. (cue: rain noise, thunder and demonic laugh.)
Time Warner intrigued by games industry, says CFO
Time Warner Chief Financial Officer John Martin said that the company's water-testing acquisition of Traveller's Tales has been "wildly successful" and it wants more. In a call with investors, Martin expressed that the gaming industry "intrigues" Time Warner, but that there's nothing "right now of any scale" that it's going to acquire.Time Warner may not be doing any game company acquisitions at the moment, but it has made some maneuvers in the space. Most recently, it's invested in Turbine (Lord of the Rings Online) and Eidos. We'll have to wait and see if the siren call of gaming turns Time Warner's intrigue into lustful desire.[Disclosure: Time Warner owns AOL which, in turn, owns Joystiq ... which means Time Warner also owns our wildly successful publishing arm, Joystiq Games. Well ... soon-to-be wildly successful, as soon as our debut title, Imagine Vin Diesel Kart Racerz: The Fast and the Curious, hits the market.][Via GameDaily]
