Video Games – Great Wall of Gaming

BlizzCon 2011: Blizzard Publishing division confirms World of Warcraft expansion-based stories are in development; Warcraft, Starcraft universe compendiums possible.

ANAHEIM, Calif.–Blizzard Entertainment has scant few peers in the gaming industry that build reaching and branching universes for players to lose themselves in. The company has long since abandoned delivering those stories through games alone, and during an afternoon session at BlizzCon 2011, Blizzard took some time to address what’s happening in its all-things-not-gaming division.

Pandaria’s history won’t be enshrouded by mist for much longer.

The panel, which was led by Blizzard’s senior VP of creative development Chris Metzen, counted among it novelists from the franchise, as well as editors and historians working at the company. Metzen began the panel by stating that novels, comics, and manga are important to the company, but at the end of the day, print isn’t doing well. But still, while Blizzard is investigating alternative media types–including animation and motion comics–it intends to continue releasing books and comics.

Beyond those opening remarks, the panel offered little by way of news or announcements. However, Metzen did tease that Blizzard is considering doing lore compendiums for the Warcraft and Starcraft universes in a vein similar to what the Book of Cain is doing for Diablo. That release, which had been previously announced, seeks to codify and clean up the history of the Diablo franchise, as told by Deckard Cain. As such, the Book of Cain is an illustrated look at the history of the Diablo universe, and it also continues journal entries and other entries from his perspective.

And as could be expected following this morning’s announcement of Mists of Pandaria for World of Warcraft, the publishing team will be releasing print stories to accompany this expansion. Pearl of Pandaria is a new hardcover graphic novel that will be published by DC Comics. The story takes place prior to Cataclysm and has been written by Micky Neilson, with the art being handled by Sean “Cheeks” Galloway. A novella, Quest for Pandaria, will also be coming out in four installments.

For more from BlizzCon 2011, check out GameSpot’s ongoing coverage.

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

Source: http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/world-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandaria/news/6341774/mists-of-pandaria-comic-novella-en-route

ffia 2010 valkyria chronicles ratchet and clank

EA and Sony have made a pair of announcements regarding exclusive goodies linked to the PlayStation 3 version of Battlefield 3 — and we failed to realize that one invalidated the other. The free copy of Battlefield 1943, DICE’s de facto console-exclusive shooter, didn’t make it into PS3 copies of Battlefield 3 as originally intended.

Responding to questions on Twitter, the official Battlefield account offered the following: “In lieu of 1943 being available on disk for PS3 customers, EA has made all BF3 expansions available early to PS3 customers.”

This refers to Sony and EA’s ongoing exclusivity deal, which sees Battlefield 3 add-ons become available (for purchase) one week early on PS3. EA’s switcheroo lets you buy new maps for Battlefield 3, then, at the expense of the game for which you never could. Thanks?

Battlefield 3 PS3 ships sans Battlefield 1943 bonus, EA counters with early DLC originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/26/battlefield-3-ps3-ships-sans-battlefield-1943-bonus-ea-counters/

fallout 3 red dead redemption the last guardian

Xbox 360 maker’s Korean arm secures rating for currently PSN-exclusive title; platform(s) unknown.

Joe Danger is apparently revving up for an appearance on a new platform, as Microsoft Korea has a Special Edition of the PlayStation Network-exclusive racer in the works.

Developed by the four-man Hello Games team, Joe Danger first hit the PS3 in 2010.

According to a listing from the Korean ratings board–as spotted by Eurogamer–a special edition of the title is set to be published by Microsoft Korea. No firm details on pricing or what the special edition entails have been released, however.

The debut title from UK-based indie developer Hello Games, Joe Danger is a comedic stunt racer, requiring players to navigate the eponymous stuntman and his bike across increasingly challenging levels, pulling off ever-more-ridiculous stunts as he attempts to reclaim his title of “Master of Disaster.”

Hello Games is currently working on the game’s sequel, Joe Danger: The Movie, which is scheduled for a release on the PC, PSN, and Xbox Live sometime next year. Hello Games had not responded to GameSpot’s request for comment as of press time.

For more on the game, check out GameSpot’s review of the original Joe Danger.

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

Source: http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/joe-danger-the-movie/news/6341879/microsoft-lands-joe-danger-special-edition-rating

Mirrors Edge Just Cause Socom

inFAMOUS: Festival of Blood will be available on the PlayStation Store in just a few days. Before you can get your hands on the game, we had Billy Harper (Animation Director) and Ken Schramm (Marketing Director) pack their bags for a whirlwind three-day tour spanning 5,668 miles, two coasts, three cities, and over 20 interviews [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SCEEBlog/~3/v8cxWIskSLI/

Portal Mirrors Edge Just Cause

Social game The Smurfs’ Village “served as the driving force in increasing Capcom’s financial results” during a quarter that saw profits halved.

Capcom’s profits for the quarter ended September 30 were down 49 percent year-on-year, while its income was down 28.1 percent, the Japanese firm announced today. This decline is even steeper than in the previous quarter, which saw year-on-year declines of 23 percent for profit and 37.2 percent for income. This decline was due to economic factors such as the strengthening yen, the Eurozone crisis, concerns over power shortages and “structural change” in the games industry, and a relative lack of new releases from the firm compared to the same period in 2010.

The Smurfs’ Village on Facebook was credited for driving revenue growth.

According to Capcom, both Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D and Monster Hunter Portable 3rd HD Ver. performed “solidly,” while Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition and Sengoku Basara: Chronicle Heroes “basically” achieved projected sales. Meanwhile, the latest addition to the Monster Hunter Freedom massively multiplayer online game, Forward 1, “fully leveraged characteristics to enjoy success.”

Sales for the Consumer Online Games division were down 41.1 percent year-on-year to ¥18.1 billion ($238 million), while profits fell 50.3 percent to ¥2.25 billion ($29.6 million). Despite the declines, both revenue and profits exceeded Capcom’s internal projections.

Mobile and social games provided a bright spot for the publisher, however, with revenue climbing 89 percent to ¥2.58 billion ($33.9 million), and operating income increasing 201 percent to ¥903 million ($11.9 million). The Smurfs’ Village, which Capcom launched jointly with Facebook, “served as the driving force in increasing Capcom’s financial results,” the firm said. It also “contributed greatly to improving Capcom’s earning capacity,” helping its total download figures for social games to pass the 20 million mark.

Capcom’s arcade business also did well, with profits up 67.1 percent year-on-year to ¥1.2 billion. This was thanks to renovations, promotional activity, and a general revitalization of the arcade business “owing to the waning of excessive self-restraint evident immediately after the earthquake,” the firm said.

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

Source: http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/monsterhunterfrontier/news/6342262/smurfs-save-capcoms-financial-blues

pac man half life 2 grand theft auto iv