Wing Commander Arena Confirmed For Xbox Live Arcade // UPDATE

Almost immediately after the recent surfacing of rumours regarding an Xbox 360 reincarnation of Wing Commander, Electronic Arts confirmed that the antique sci-fi series is indeed headed for Microsoft's console. Not as a full-priced title, however, but only an XBLA gameling called Wing Commander Arena, and developed by Gaia Industries. That would be the same studio that's currently working on Street Trace: NYC (website), also for the Xbox Live Arcade.

Wing Commander Arena was first spotted on the ESRB website a couple of days ago, with a rating of "E" for "fantasy violence". And now Gamasutra brings official word from Electronic Arts that the game is due for release this summer on XBLA, with support for 16 players. They also provide some additional bits of info:

"Arena brings arcade-style multiplayer battles to the Wing Commander universe with player competing in their customizable ships for highest frag count, high score, and dueling stats.

Electronic Arts has revealed that Arena will feature four styles of play, including single player, team based multiplayer, free for all multiplayer, and a multiplayer duel. The game features eight maps covering all of the above game types, which, EA notes, will offer gamers customizable experiences from quick "ten minute action" games, or a "longer more immersive game"."

Things just keep looking better and better for the Xbox Live Arcade, with a highly-anticipated adaptation of Team17's Worms also waiting to get Microsoft's approval. They're "very close to being able to celebrate it's release though, although it's almost happened twice before, so [they] better keep quiet and hope that [they] get the green light soon".

UPDATE: We now have the first screenshots from Wing Commander Arena!

(N.B. Archive text, links removed)

While we were waiting for Irrational's ultra-secret X-COM project to be confirmed (or denied, at worst), another couple of UFO sightings have been reported, concerning UFO: Afterlight and UFO: Extraterrestrials. Although there's no connection between the two, other than their similar title and common spiritual ancestor, it just so happens that both games have received new release dates this week, and both should be launched during the current quarter.

UFO: Afterlight has actually been out in Europe for a couple of weeks already, but a new announcement made by IDEA Games reveals that Altar's strategy / tactical sequel will also be made available online from February 26. The place to look for it is the Sproket website, who are also offering the previous two instalments - UFO: Aftermath and UFO: Aftershock - for €9.90 and €19.90 respectively (plus VAT).

UFO: Extraterrestrials, on the other hand, was originally supposed to launch in 2005. But after multiple unexplained delays, the devs from Chaos Concept finally appear to be nearing completion. Although the game's website currently lists a "February 28, 2007" release date, publisher Tri Synergy sends word that it's actually due out on March 16. They also have no shame in claiming that Extraterrestrials is "the highly anticipated sequel to an already addictive and innovative series", despite it being just an indie take on a classic masterpiece. But anyway, here's a bit about it, if you haven't been following its progress:

"UFO: Extraterrestrials is set in 2025 on the newly colonized planet Esperanza, where mankind's foray into outer space has a meeting with alien life. However, these extraterrestrials aren't just interested in contact; they're out for blood and riches. In defense of their fledgling outer space outpost, the player is summoned by the Esperanza government to face this threat from deep space. The player will have at their disposal squads of soldiers, light and heavy support combat vehicles, robots and air units located in bases throughout the Esperanza. In addition, UFO: Extraterrestrials combines global strategy with small, squad-based tactical combat against an alien invasion. To repel the alien invasion the player must take full advantage of the terrain and his surrounding environments."

All right, now back to waiting for Irrational to make its move...

(N.B. Archive text, links removed)

Violent Games Didn't Kill The Homeless, Psychos Did

An old murder case from 2004 was brought back to light this week by a disturbing BBC story that bears a vague, yet misleading connection to violent video games. Preceding an ample report about more and more teenagers "sport killing" homeless people in the US, the publication begins with the case of Rex Baum, a 49-year-old homeless man who was beaten to death by three derranged teens in 2004. Among them was 17-year-old Andrew Ihrcke, who at the time told police that killing "the bum" reminded him of playing a violent video game.

Unfortunately, that's exactly the kind of statement that the (non-gaming) media needs in order to put games in a bad light - which they do whenever they get the chance - and for the likes of Jack Thompson to waste public money on the wrong problem. Because there was obviously a very serious problem with those kids, and it wasn't about video games. Not by a long shot!

For once, however, somebody decided to speak out and set the record straight. The woman living with one of the boys' father wrote a lenghty letter to Penny Arcade, which was published in full yesterday, decribing what is clearly a very sick and twisted kid.

"To say that living with this kid was hell would be a complete understatement", she writes. "He was constantly in trouble in school, with the cops, with us, with his mother, and with anyone else who was an authority figure. (...) And we're not talking the usual teenager stuff, like coming home late, or refusing to do the dishes. We're talking stealing cars, setting fires, drinking, getting picked up for drugs, beating up handicapped kids at school (yes, really) stealing things out of our house... all with this "I'll do whatever the f*** I want" attitude."

Apparently, the "stepmother" is also a gamer herself, and so she makes it crystal clear that there was absolutely no connection between that murder and violent games:

"I can't stand hearing about the so-called correlation between games and real-life violence. Video games DID NOT make this kid who he was, and it's unfortunate that the correlation is there.

The thing that really gets me with this whole thing is that the kid knows full well that by equating what he's done to a video game, that he will generate controversy and media coverage. It makes me sick that the media is jumping all over this, because that is exactly the result that he wants."

It's interesting to note that the murdering kid also has a "kind, considerate, responsible, and independent" brother, so it's obviously not a matter of wrong education either. But whatever it is... well, I hope you get the point.

(N.B. Archive text, links removed)

Mercenaries 2 Confirmed For Xbox 360. And PC. And PS2!

Electronic Arts did more than just confirm the long-since rumoured Xbox 360 version of Mercenaries 2: World in Flames today. In a rather unexpected communique, they are announcing that Pandemic Studios' explosive sequel will be released not only on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, but also on the PC and PS2. Furthermore, EA says that the game should be released simultaneously worldwide on all of the four platforms, in holiday 2007.

"Mercenaries 2: World in Flames delivers the next evolution in explosive open world gameplay – regardless of the system you play it on," said Pandemic Studios CEO Andrew Goldman. "All four platforms are incredible gaming machines, and from the beginning we designed an experience that accentuates their individual strengths and delivers the interactive freedom and explosive action Mercenaries fans demand."

"EA Partners is proud to team up with Pandemic Studios to help execute a seamless, simultaneous global release for Mercenaries 2: World in Flames on four platforms," said EA Partners vice president and general manager, David DeMartini. "The team at Pandemic Studios is building an incredible game that will blow away gamers in all regions of the world."

News about the game are seemingly starting to precipitate, ever since Pandemic's publishing agreement with Electronic Arts was announced earlier this month, so we can expect to get a lot more info and media showing Mercenaries 2 from this point on. The game features the latest and most dangerous in civilian and military tech, everything from shiny new sports cars, to the future-tech satellite-guided bunker-busting mini-nuke. Tanks, APCs, boats, luxury automobiles - you name it, you can have it delivered to you in real time. And if you run out of cash you can always 'acquire' the gear you need in the field. Basically, "if you see it, you can buy it, steal it, or blow the living crap out of it".

(N.B. Archive text, links removed)

Abe Lincoln Must Die! Federally mandated group hugs, a pudding embargo... what's next, gun control? This will not stand, this aggression will not stand, man! Or so the dudes from Telltale tell us. In their latest Sam & Max: Season 1 episode, the hysterical detective duo is going for a trip down to the White House, to meet the man himself. And, quite likely, make a mess out of the United States' presidential institution.

"The President of the United States has lost it. Federally mandated group hugs, a pudding embargo... what's next, gun control? Sam & Max are off to Washington to take care of this bozo, but the political climate will only get stormier... and a new power will rise..."

This is pretty much the starting scenario for the fourth episode of Sam & Max: Season 1, titled "Abe Lincoln Must Die!", and premiering on GameTap today. The episode will also be released worldwide from Telltale's website in a couple of weeks, on March 8, at which point the season will be just two more episodes away from completion.

Until then, our local Sam & Max gallery welcomes you with a new batch of screenshots from Episode 4, and we also added a couple of trailers prepared by Telltale for this occasion. Here's one with Sam and Max trying to infiltrate the White House, and another one with some dancing men in black and a dangerously empowered rabbit. All hail Max!

(N.B. Archive text, links removed)

SBK 07: Superbike World Championship Details And Screens

After having acquired the official SBK World Championship licence in November of last year, Black Bean Games have recently entered a publishing agreement with Koch Media. Over the weekend, they re-announced the new Superbike game currently in the making at Italian developer Milestone, called SBK-07: Superbike World Championship 07 and set for release on the PlayStation 2, PSP, PC and Xbox 360. It seems however that the PlayStation versions are a lot further ahead in development, as implied by the large gap between the game's release on the PS2 and PSP (in Q2 2007), and later on the PC and Xbox 360 (in Q4 2007).

Supporting this assumption are the first screenshots from SBK-07, currently representative of the PS2 and the PSP versions only. You can see them locally here (PS2) and here (PSP), although don't expect anything too impressive - for that, we'll have to wait until they decide to show us the next-gen version.

In the meantime, Black Bean has issued a new press release in which they draw parallels between the game's development and the preparations for this year's SBK Championship, now at its 20th anniversary. We won't get into details about the "real life" event, but suffice to mention the following game features:

"All the official teams, 22 bikes and 22 riders on track at the same time each with individual characteristics will be fighting for pole position in 4 game modes: Quick Race, Race Weekend, Championship and Challenges.

While the Race Team mechanics and technicians are tweaking their bikes to extract the last drop of power ahead of this year's championship, in Milestone studios the engineers are optimizing the bikes physics, acceleration and speed in order to deliver the SBK bike experience to race fans everywhere. While at the same time adapting and tweaking the AI to ensure each rider behaves as aggressively, daringling or insanely in the game as their real world counterparts.

All elements of the SBK universe have been faithfully recreated: riders, tracks, atmosphere, TV style replays, and much much more... including all the most beautiful Superbike Umbrella girls!"

Oh yes, do squeeze in the babes, or else people might actually see the game for what it really is. Or isn't.

(N.B. Archive text, links removed)

A few days ago, it was confirmed by the Swedish Gamereactor magazine that THQ plans to continue its disappointing NFS-wanna-be series with Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights, a sequel set for release on the PC, PS3, Xbox 360, PS2, and PSP. Well, they got the title right, but left out one platform. As properly announced today by the publisher, the game will indeed be released this Fall for all of the above-mentioned platforms, but also for the Nintendo DS handheld.

Putting aside the fact that they refer to Juice Games' franchise as being "original", THQ also brags about Juiced 2 being "the only game that allows players to showcase their skills at Hot Import Nights events" - a global tuner event and a very profound lifestyle experience by the looks of it (there's nothing quite like an expensive nitro-packed car and a cheap silicon-implanted babe to enlighten yourself).

Juiced 2 also promises to feature unparalleled vehicle customization, an adrenaline packed drift racing experience and ultra-realistic "Driver DNA". Here are some words of wisdom from a Juiced Games developer and some Hot Import Nights official:

"Juiced 2: HIN introduces a thrilling new drifting component and lets players personalize their experience both on and offline with ultra realistic Driver DNA," said Colin Bell, general manager, Juice Games. "In addition to a ton of exciting new features, we've significantly expanded the rewarding driving experience, track choice and customization our fans have come to expect."



"Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights is an amazing extension of the Hot Import Nights lifestyle experience, bringing the modding, characters and racing finale to life for gamers and tuning fans worldwide," said Michael Munar, Executive Producer, APG Events/Hot Import Nights. "This is the first time a top-tier racing game has blended with a true-to-life global tuner event and we can't wait for its release."

According to Gamereactor's article, the sequel will include 93 cars, and feature racing in several European cities.

(N.B. Archive text, links removed)

Lineage II: Interlude, New Chapter Coming This April

With the impending conclusion of the first major Lineage II chapter (The Chaotic Chronicle), a new one will begin this April on the game's European and US servers. The Chaotic Throne, as NCsoft calls it, will expand the Lineage II saga with a wealth of new content, and if all turns out exciting enough for the players, it might just expand the 14-million strong userbase as well.

The bridging link between Lineage II: The Chaotic Chronicle, and The Chaotic Throne, will be called "Interlude". Along with NCsoft's latest announcement detailing the contents of this following update, we bring you this first batch of screenshots from the expansion, and you might also want to check out the Lineage II: Interlude trailer that's been around for a couple of months (as you might imagine, Interlude is nothing new for the Koreans...).

Aside from the usual round-up of novelties (new items, new quests, new skills and such), Interlude will also introduce a new zone "Primeval Isle", a new dueling system, and the so called Shadow Weapons, to name but the most prominent features. A few details about them can be found below:

- New Zone - Primeval Isle - Pterodactyls dominate the skies and vicious dinosaurs prowl the earth in a hunting ground for top-level players. (ed. - Un'Goro Crater anyone?)

- New Items - 15,000 different items to be discovered

- More weapon augmentations for incredible bonuses - With the help of a Blacksmith, players can receive even more spectacular bonuses to abilities, battle values and skills

- Shadow Weapons - Weapons can be expensive - limiting their acquisition to advanced players with enough money. Shadow Weapons look and behave like ‘the real thing' but are cheap enough for new players to afford them. However, as shadows of real weapons, they will eventually wear out and disappear.

- New Duelling system - PvP almost anywhere with no penalties. No need to go to an arena and for the first time - see your opponent's hit points!

- Multiple New Quests - enter the mighty Siren's lair or capture a Tyrannosaurus to bring fame and fortune to your clan. Just one of the many new quests that will test the mettle of the most hardened players

- Multiple New Skills - over 60 new high level skills added to the game let players expand and develop even further and bring new dynamics to PvP and PvE combat. Players will have no shortage of ingenious ways of dealing with their adversaries

Lineage II: The Chaotic Throne - Interlude is planned to go live in April 2007 on European and US servers, and from what this week's announcement implies, it will build on the game's "free updates" tradition.

(N.B. Archive text, links removed)

Think you've got what it takes to frag the hell out of Cliffy B, Mark Rein and other hot shots from Epic Games, in a manly match of Gears of War? If so, you'll get your chance to prove yourself this Saturday, February 24, in a developer showdown event that everyone is welcome to join. Well, everyone from Europe with an Xbox Live account, at least. But that should be more than enough to keep the folks at Epic busy during those couple of hours.

Playing host to the event (no pun intended) will be Lead Designer Cliffy B and Vice President Mark Rein, along with a dozen more designers, programmers and artists from Epic. Marcus Fenix wannabes are being asked to check their chainsaws and grab some ammo, because this is their chance to find out if they can mix it with the guys who created the game! To join in the fun, check the developer showdown page on Xbox.com, or simply follow these instructions:

"The battles will take place on the Old Bones and Raven Down maps, both available now for free download on Xbox Live Marketplace. Just add the GamerTags below to your Friends List, get on Xbox Live between 1900 and 2100 on Saturday 24 February, then wait for your invite to play the developers of Gears of War!"

When:

Saturday 24 February 2007, 1900 – 2100 GMT

How:

Add the following GamerTags to your Friends list then get on Xbox Live between 1900 and 2000 GMT on Saturday 24 February 2007 for your chance to play:

EPICEMEAMR (Mark Rein, Vice President)

EPICEMEACB (Cliff Bleszinski, Lead Designer)

EPICEMEARF (Rod Fergusson, Producer)

EPICEMEALP (Lee Perry, Lead Level Designer)

EPICEMEAJB (Jim Brown, Level Designer)

EPICEMEADN (Dave Nash, Level Designer)

EPICEMEARD (Ray Davis, Lead Programmer)

EPICEMEAJG (Joe Graf, Programmer)

EPICEMEARM (Rob McLaughlin, Programmer)

EPICEMEAPH (Pete Hayes, Artist)

EPICEMEA01 (Additional Epic Staff)

EPICEMEA02 (Additional Epic Staff)

EPICEMEA03 (Additional Epic Staff)

EPICEMEA04 (Additional Epic Staff)

EPICEMEA05 (Additional Epic Staff)

Break a leg, and frag a dev!

(N.B. Archive text, links removed)

Rainbow Six: Vegas Expanding With 5 New Multiplayer Maps

I know this is old news by now for some of you, but since we talked about Lost Planet's upcoming multiplayer maps yesterday, it's only fair to do the same for another hot multiplayer game on the Xbox 360 - Ubisoft's Rainbow Six: Vegas (or was it Tom Clancy's?). At the end of March, the game will expand, as usual via XBLM, with a new downloadable content package called Player's Pack Red Edition, containing five "new" multiplayer maps and a couple of additional game modes.

Two out of those five maps, however, will be nothing more than "revisited and relit" versions of the previously existing Border Town and Killhouse MP maps. So that leaves us with only three "brand new" maps, for which players will probably have to pay around 1000 Microsoft Points, give or take 200. Ubi hasn't annouced a final pricing yet, but assuming this estimation is accurate, one "brand new" Vegas map would average at over 280 MS points ($3.5) - versus 200 MS points ($2.5) / map from Lost Planet's upcoming pack. You be the judge which game is more worthy of the investment.

And to help you decide, here are some more details about the new maps and game modes:

Three Brand New MP Adversarial Maps: Three brand new MP maps are included for a brand new Vegas multiplayer experience.

- Doscala Restaurant – This well known Italian restaurant is located in the heart Las Vegas, near the famous Fremont Street.

- Marshalling Yard – This century-old service yard is situated in the center of an industrial district. Still active today, it is primarily used to store cars, but is also equipped with cleaning and maintenance facilities.

- Roof - A Coffee Factory has been overrun in the continuing gang violence that is wreaking havoc in this border town. The strategic positioning of the factory makes it highly desirable to control, making it a focal point of the violence.

Two New Modes: Two all new game modes that can be played in the 10 original maps and the five new maps add upon Vegas’ long list of available game types.

- Assassination mode - The goal of the Attackers is to eliminate a high-value asset of the Defenders, who in turn will try to defend and escort the VIP to his extraction Zone.

- Total Conquest - This is a team-oriented, static control-point game mode where each map contains three "Mobile Radar Installations" (control points). To win, a team must activate and maintain control of at least one of the three Mobile Radar Installations locations for a given period of time.

(N.B. Archive text, links removed)