Electronic Arts has finally revealed their E3 line-up and boy does it look promising.

Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today revealed the games it will present at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) at the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC) June 15th-17th This year’s lineup features multiplatform games in all genres, including heart-pumping racing and shooters for the hardcore player, action-packed sports games for the loyal sports fan and accessible mobile and casual games for the whole family.

This year’s media briefing will feature news and demonstrations from big EA titles such as Medal of HonorTM, Need for SpeedTM, Dead SpaceTM 2, EA SPORTS ActiveTM 2 and The SimsTM 3 for console; all new properties EA SPORTSTM MMA and titles from EA Partners, Crytek and Epic. The briefing can be viewed live at www.ea.com/e3 at 11.00pm BST on Monday 14th June.

“This year, EA will go to E3 with a showcase of blockbuster titles – games that combine a great single-player experience with deep online features and support,” said EA’s COO John Schappert. “There is something for everyone from hardcore to casual players.”

Titles which will be previewed in EA’s booth (#1601) at the LACC include:

BulletstormTM

Epic Games, People Can Fly and EA present Bulletstorm, a new original intellectual property from the teams behind the award-winning, multimillion-selling Gears of War, Unreal Tournament and Painkiller series of games. Bulletstorm delivers a blood symphony of incredible gunplay and carnage on a grand scale in this unique, action-packed, over-the-top first-person shooter. The Bulletstorm skillshot system rewards players that “kill with skill” by laying waste to enemies in the most imaginative methods possible. The more insane the skillshot, the more points players collect to upgrade and unlock weapons, which in turn allows them to execute even more inventive moves and exaggerated skillshots. This is creative mayhem at its best.

Platforms – Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3, PC
Ship Date – 2011

Crysis® 2

From the award-winning independent developers at Crytek comes Crysis 2, the next explosive installment in the critically-acclaimed Crysis franchise. In Crysis 2, New York is under the attack of a frightening alien species that combines deadly weaponry and exceptional sensory abilities to present gamers with the most challenging opponents ever seen in a first person shooter. Surrounded by catastrophic devastation, players will need to harness and master the power of the Nanosuit, giving them a unique set of superhuman abilities, in order to become the ultimate weapon and save New York.

Platforms – Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC
Ship Date – 2010

Dead Space 2

Visceral GamesTM award-winning survival horror saga returns. The blood-curdling Necromorph invasion explodes in Dead Space 2, the terrifying sequel to the 2008 hit that sent players into deep space on a mission to save humanity. In this chapter, engineer Isaac Clark takes the action to the enemy, dominating an onslaught of gruesome monsters, beasts and undead creatures that challenge him physically, emotionally and psychologically. Armed with new advanced mining tools, Isaac takes on hundreds of disgusting enemies, makes valued new allies and explores an all-new space installation known as “The Sprawl”. All this as Isaac flirts with the possibility of falling into the abyss of his own dementia. The action and horror are more intense than ever as Isaac must do whatever it takes to save himself and defeat the relentless Necromorphs.

Platforms – Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC
Ship Date – 2011

EA SPORTS Active 2

EA SPORTS Active 2 is now in development with a new suite of fitness programs launching this fall, featuring an innovative Total Body Tracking wireless control system powered by motion sensors in leg and arm straps that will provide complete freedom of motion. Additionally, it will feature a heart rate monitor that provides constant on-screen monitoring, allowing users to capture intensity and optimize performance over time. Users will now also be able to track and share workout data on the new EA SPORTS Active 2 online hub. EA SPORTS Active 2 will make working out simple, effective and will go with you wherever you are.

Platforms – WiiTM, PlayStation 3,iPhoneTM & iPod touch®
Street date – TBA

EA SPORTS MMA

EA SPORTS MMA brings the authenticity of the world’s most intense combat sport home like never before. Choose from the world’s top fighters or climb the ranks of the worldwide circuit with your created prodigy to become the ultimate mixed martial arts champion. Travel the globe and learn a multitude of fighting techniques and skills from masters in each discipline. Select from various weight classes, rule sets, and take on all challengers in multiple cage types or a ring. The challenge continues online with a robust offering that includes the ability to create custom fighters, prize fights, and more. Are you ready? Let’s get it on!

Platforms – Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, iPhone & iPod touch
Street date – Late 2010

FIFA 11

FIFA 11 reinvents player authenticity – on and off the ball – for every position on the pitch. All-new Personality+ sees individual abilities reflected in game, allowing clear differentiation for every player. Real Madrid’s Kaka will deliver crisp, creative passes, Barcelona’s Andres Iniesta will utilize tighter turns and close control to dribble through defenses, Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney will hold off defenders and strike shots from distance with pace, and top-flight defenders like Giorgio Chiellini of Juventus will anticipate, predict and react to offensive players to win back possession. Building on the FIFA 10 gameplay that won 50 sports game of the year awards, FIFA 11 introduces new Pro Passing where pass accuracy is determined by a gamer’s ability on the control pad, and player skill, situation and urgency on the pitch. Visit http://www.facebook.com/easportsfifa to share and connect with fans all over the world.

Platforms – PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DSTM, PSP®, Mobile
Ship Date – 2010
Harry Potter and the Deathly HallowsTM Part 1 The Videogame

With all the action taking place outside of Hogwarts for the first time, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 represents a shift in tone for the Harry Potter games. On the run with a horde of merciless enemies on your tail, you will find yourself in unknown territory, far from the safety of the school grounds, fighting for survival at every turn. You will need to muster your most powerful magic against relentless assaults from all sides. A new game engine built specifically to leverage the technology of HD consoles ensures high definition graphics and intense combat gameplay that will immerse you in the action like never before. There are no more lessons, no more training. This time the danger is real. It’s time to fight for your life!

Platforms – Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, Nintendo DS, PC, Mobile
Street date – Autumn 2010

HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT 3
Enjoy family fun with your favorite Hasbro game brands at the Family Game Night Theme Park! HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT 3 features five new classic and remixed versions of THE GAME OF LIFE, CLUE, TWISTER, MOUSE TRAP and YAHTZEE HANDS DOWN. Spin the wheel of fate in THE GAME OF LIFE, find out “whodunit” in CLUE, tie yourself in knots with TWISTER, make trigger crazy chain reactions in MOUSE TRAP and try your hand at the YAHTZEE HANDS DOWN card game. Play with your own customized Xbox avatar or Wii Mii, and challenge family and friends in online multiplayer for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 while keeping track of your victories on online leaderboards.

Platforms – Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii
Street date – October 2010
ESRB Rating – “E” for Everyone

iPad

EA MobileTM recently launched best-selling iPad titles will also be showcased at E3 in line at the EA booth. Players can experience a top-quality mobile gaming experience with BOGGLE, SCRABBLE, Tetris, Need for Speed SHIFT, Mirror’s EdgeTM and Command & Conquer Red AlertTM, all available for the iPad from the App Store or at www.itunes.com/appstore.

Platforms – iPad

Madden NFL 11

Madden NFL 11 redefines the way you experience the game of football. SIMPLER: From 350 plays down to 1, the all-new GameFlow system puts you in the helmet of an NFL quarterback to execute an authentic, situational game plan, one play at a time. QUICKER: With 60-minute game times reduced to as little as 30 minutes, spend more time on the field and less in the playbook. FULL games, HALF the time. DEEPER: Madden NFL 11 is feature-rich including an all-new online innovation, improved animations, more intuitive controls, and Madden NFL Ultimate Team…all to the play-by-play of the most exciting voice in sports, Gus Johnson. Madden NFL 11 is – SIMPLER. QUICKER. DEEPER than ever before.

Platforms – Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PlayStation 2, PSP, iPhone/iPod touch
Street date – 13th August 2010

Medal of HonorTM

Medal of Honor is back with an all-new setting and a new hero. For the first time in the franchise’s 11-year history, Medal of Honor is leaving the WWII theatre and putting players in war-torn Afghanistan. EA has assembled a powerhouse team at EALA to develop the single-player campaign and is coupling their expertise with the multiplayer know-how at DICE. This fall, Medal of Honor will introduce players to the Tier 1 Operator: a relatively unknown entity directly under the National Command Authority who takes on missions no one else can handle. Inspired by real events, Medal of Honor reveals the mission of today’s most elite American soldier – his will, his mindset and his uncompromising professionalism.

Platforms – Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC
Ship Date – 15th October 2010

MONOPOLY Streets

Play the world’s family favorite game brand in a dynamic 3D world on next-gen consoles as you buy properties, auction with your friends, build hotels and create the ultimate MONOPOLY digital experience! To celebrate the 75th anniversary of everyone’s beloved and well-known family game, the world of MONOPOLY comes to life through a living, breathing city that you can build and own. It has everything fans love about the time-tested Hasbro game, presented as a fully animated street level tour through the eyes of MR. MONOPOLY. Players will be engaged in a head-to-head race to build the greatest city and accumulate the most wealth. Play against friends locally or online and see their Xbox® avatars or MiiTM populate the world! New features such as property auctions also add unique elements to the classic play. From the economical motels on Baltic Avenue to the luxurious Boardwalk suites, there is excitement around every turn of this re-imagined favorite.

Platforms – Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, Nintendo DS
Ship Date – October 2010

MySims SkyHeroesTM

Take to the sky to lead the resistance against Morcubus and his drone army and to stop his plans to take over the skyways! MySims SkyHeroes is an all new adventure that brings the thrill and high-speed action of flying to the creative, immersive world of MySims.Go from unknown pilot to celebrated hero as you defeat dangerous enemies in aerial dogfights, test your reflexes in fast-paced speed challenges, and take on massive enemy bosses that demand all your skill as a pilot to survive. As you progress, you build, customize and tune your aircraft to give you an edge in combat. Face Morcubus’ drones with an ally in split-screen cooperative gameplay, or take the game online to challenge your friends in fun, competitive 12-player high speed action.

Platforms – Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, Nintendo DS
Ship Date – September 2010

NBA® ELITE 11

NBA ELITE 11 is the new moniker of the long running EA SPORTS NBA videogame franchise. NBA ELITE 11 will revolutionize the way basketball simulation games are played, with an all-new technology base, a new control scheme and a real-time physics system. Centered on delivering the ultimate control to users, NBA ELITE 11 will redefine what is expected in a basketball videogame.

Platforms – PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Ship Date – October 2010

NBA JAM

Boomshakalaka! It’s baaaaaaaaack… EA SPORTS NBA JAM revives the classic franchise with vintage NBA JAM gameplay, and all-new features that deliver a fresh new take on the game. Featuring the sights and sounds that fans of the franchise will instantly recognize, EA SPORTS NBA JAM mixes the old school with the new, to deliver a one-of-a-kind sports presentation on the Wii.

Platforms – Wii
Ship Date – October 2010

NHL®11

Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the franchise that captured 22 ‘Sports Game of the Year’ awards, over the past three years, has raised the bar yet again with NHL11. Powered by an all-new Real-Time Physics Engine, and introducing broken sticks, quick dekes and an all-new faceoff system, NHL 11 lets you create highlight reel moments as you experience the most authentic NHL action yet.

Platforms – PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Ship Date – September 2010

NHL®SLAPSHOT

EA SPORTS is bringing its first ever hockey game to the Wii with NHL SLAPSHOT. The game includes the revolutionary NHL SLAPSHOT Hockey Stick, a plastic hockey stick that allows you to insert the Wii RemoteTM and NunchukTM in and use the device as a hockey stick control, to offer the most accessible and intuitive hockey controls on the Wii.

Platforms – Wii
Ship Date – September 2010
RISK: Factions

Developed by Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers studio Stainless Games and featuring cinematics from veteran animation studio Power House Animation, this new take on Hasbro’s globally popular game of strategy will offer innovative ways of experiencing the timeless turn-based board game in both objective-based and world conquest modes when it hits Xbox LIVE® Arcade on June 23rd for 800MSP. Players will be able to engage as one of five playable factions, each with different strengths, as they wage war on new maps with dynamic terrain in their quest for missile silos in order to strategically dominate the game. RISK: Factions features outlandish factions, a unique art style, new gameplay twists and off-beat humor that promises to challenge and captivate both new and seasoned RISK fans on their quest for world domination.

Platforms -Xbox LIVE Arcade
Launch Date – June 2010

The Sims 3 for console and handheld

Create Sims with unique personalities, fulfill their desires…or not, and control their lives within a living neighborhood in The Sims 3 for console and handheld this fall. All-new features make it easier than ever to play with life as players can unlock the ultimate “Karma Powers” for instant control and unleash them on their Sims. With Karma Powers, players can help their Sim “get lucky,” bless them with “instant beauty” or be deviant and curse them with an “epic fail.” Exclusive to the Wii version, players will be able to enjoy an all-new beach town with unique residents, traits, careers and lifetime wishes. Never before seen on Nintendo DS, players can use the stylus to build their Sims’ homes, craft their Sims’ including facial features, hair styles and clothing, and dictate personalities in the most robust Create a Sim yet for a handheld game.

Platforms – Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, Nintendo DS
Ship Date – October 2010

The Sims 3 Ambitions

Sims can now experience some of the most exciting and varied jobs ever in The Sims 3 Ambitions. For the first time, be in charge of how your Sims’ career progresses and get to decide if they will work for good or evil, pursue creative endeavors or technical affairs, climb to the top quickly or be a slacker. Put out raging infernos as a firefighter, hunt down vengeful spirits as the ghost hunter, invent brilliant and potentially destructive gadgets as an inventor, craft glorious masterpieces as a sculptor, and solve riveting cases by any means necessary as an investigator with dozens of cases to solve and numerous clues to find. Change the look and feel of your Sims’ town and the residents by becoming an architect or stylist.

Platforms – PC, Mac®, Mobile
Ship Date – 4th June 2010

Spare Parts

In this new online action adventure from EA Bright Light, players join courageous robots Mar-T and Chip as they find themselves dumped with the trash on a strange planet. Working together in co-op mode, the mechanical duo must find a way to repair their ship and escape the planet before nefarious Lord Krung can dispatch his henchmen to destroy them. Mar-T and Chip will need to collect upgradable action parts to unlock new abilities that will aid them as they battle countless enemies including the evil Krofax, hostile spider monkeys and even a Super Huge Mega Laser! Can our heroes rescue their other stranded robotic friends and unearth all of the spare parts they need to make their escape?

Platforms – Xbox LIVE Arcade / PlayStation Network
Launch Date – Winter 2010

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 11

Lead your team to glory in Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 11! Fight for honor, fight for country in the all-new Ryder Cup Challenge on The Celtic Manor Resort in Wales in 2010, which is the course of this year’s Ryder Cup. The Ryder Cup brings together the best American and European golfers in a team competition format, and the cover of Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 11 is a direct reflection of the tournament – as Tiger Woods denotes the U.S. team and Rory McIlroy represents the Europeans. In addition to The Ryder Cup, gamers will be able to create their own team and take on others in Online Team Play – up to 12 versus 12. In addition, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 11 will be supporting the all-new PlayStation Move controller for an authentic golf swing experience. So swing away and hit the links! Platforms – Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, iPhone
Street date – 2nd July 2010

Anyone else excited to hear about Crysis 2? Here’s a video to wet your appetite.

If you fancy taking place in the Crysis 2 beta read below:

“Looking to get your hands on Crysis 2 early? Now is your chance! Early registrations will be tracked, and our first wave of users will have a chance to win a key as and when the Crysis 2 beta takes place. All you need to do is sign up [here, once it has been relaunched (tomorrow)] early and one day in the near future you may be receiving a mail with an invite to the game.”

It is almost 4years since the last Test Drive graced our 360’s. That, however, is all about to change with Eden Games Test Drive Unlimited 2 hitting store shelves near you this autumn. Using the power of the Internet and a lot of free time here is a preview of the upcoming game Massively Open Online Racer (M.O.O.R).

Read the rest of this entry »

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Webby

Recently certain members of the gaming industry press received a mysterious e-mail from a ‘Sam Fisher’. The e-mail contained a link (remember kids, don’t follow links from strangers…) which the press foolishly followed. The link directed them to Twitter, and more specifically, the account of the real Sam Fisher – ‘ex-Third Echelon agent and on-the-run criminal’.

http://twitter.com/real_samfisher

As well as having a fun filled profile with a bio reading: “I’m being set up. I need to find out who killed my daughter. Please help me.” Sam reveals pieces of intel relating to the game and some wise words relating to Splinter Cell: Conviction.

‘relying on rogue resources…gonna need some help. Gotta lay low, but you’ll have more intel soon.’

 
Or not so gaming related…

 
‘when you believe, it’s easy to sacrifice. I never had any problem believing. Perception of power can be seductive.’

 
If you ask me, all of those who are interested in the game and have Twitter accounts should follow the Real Sam Fisher. You never know what you’re going to find out.

So we all know that 2010 is going to be a big year for gaming, if not the biggest. We have Bioshock 2, Mass Effect 2, Splinter Cell, Bayoneta, Battlefield and Final Fantasy 13 and this is all before the summer. But what about the games we haven’t heard much of? In this series of articles I will be looking a few games that in my opinion have a chance of coming from nowhere to grab that converted title of game of the year.

The first game of the series is Spec Ops: The Line™. The game is currently under development in Germany by Yager for 2k games. First off I can hear you all saying “Yager?” Well they were founded in 1999 and released “Yager” a shooter on the original Xbox gaining mediocre scores at best (6.7/10 Gamespot) and that is basically all I could find on these guys. Any way enough of that lets get down to business…

The game was announced last year during the Spike VGA’s with what can only be described as a breath taking trailer. The third person shooter will be the 9th in the Spec Ops series (Although “The Line” is a standalone game) and will be released on Xbox360, PS3 and PC late 2010 (No official date as yet.)

The game is set in a post apocalyptic Dubai, no not your nuclear war etc… but a series of sandstorms that have all but wiped out the Arab city. You, the player, will play as Captain Martin Walker who is accompanied by a Delta Force bravo team to rescue U.S. Army Colonel John Konrad and his loyal squad who remained behind in Dubai when everyone else was fleeing. Unable to reach anyone after the storms hit the US Army fears that Konrad and his team are dead. Until they pick up a week distress signal resulting in the rescue mission. During the game the player will face the common A.I enemy threats as well as threats that are posed from the ongoing natural disasters that are bombarding the city. As the game progresses better weapons and equipment become available along with squad commands.

The game uses the natural sandstorms to constantly change the arena of battle. The game will use an unpredictable engine that randomises when, where and how powerful these storms will be. The storms may block or open paths, turn a battle in your favour or indeed put you on the back foot.

Although gameplay footage is not available yet the trailer and screenshots that are available look stunning to say the least. The screenshots show a great variety of locations both in doors with equally nice textures and lighting effects. The atmosphere created in the trailer gives a real indication that the game will be not just about fighting and killing but also the human sacrifices’ made in order to complete the mission.
Multiplayer is included however details are sketchy. Currently Yager describes the games multiplayer as “a campaign that expands the single-player experience.” So the possibility of co-op, maybe?

The game is poised to be one that will truly surprise the vast majority of gamers. Bringing together the apocalyptic game styles of Metro 2033 and modern warfare styles as seen in Battlefield and Modern Warfare 2 to create what will hopefully be a great game that can really challenge for the game of the year title. I for one am really looking forward to this title and really do hope that it holds out as a really good game.
So make a note of Spec Ops: The Line™ coming 2010.

Useful Links
Screenshots (Gamespot)
Videos (Gamespot)
Official Site

By James Taylor UK

Now most would already know that some time ago Gearbox Software promised that a new character from The Secret Armoury of General Knoxx expansion pack will be getting a Twitter account.

Apparently that time is now, and the revealed character is none other than the one, the only, Mr. General Knoxx !!

Director, Mikey Neumann from Gearbox Software said, “Hmmm, seems this @GeneralKnoXX character is tweeting various, sadly spelled, adventures through Pandora now.”

Mr. Knoxx will be posting pictures, giving information about the story and just posting random irrelevant facts for the hell of it (like 90% of the Twitter following). The link for the account is: Here, Enjoy folks.

“watch your step boy. i lost my eye in a fight with myself . ps. i won”

Praise the fighting game gods. For this week only Xbox Live have given us simple folk amazing prices for some of the best beat ‘um’ ups. The games up this week are:

Marvel vs Capcom 2
1200
800
33%
All Xbox LIVE Regions

TMNT: Turtles in Time Reshelled
800
400
50%
Not available in Japan and Korea

Invincible Tiger: The Legend of Han Tao
1200
800
33%
Not available in Korea

*Karate Chop* Hi-ah!

I don’t know about you lot, but I’m rather excited for the imminent release of Bioshock 2. This launch trailer has only served to heighten that anticipation. I’ve gone from having my doubts about a sequel to such a great game to being quite hyped for it. Here’s hoping it meets expectations.

In my opinion, it’s between three games. Mass Effect 2, Final Fantasy, that this years underdog, Resonance of Fate.

Now everyone has talked about the first two to death, so I thought I’d draw your attention to the latter.

Developed by Tri-Ace and Published by Sega, the game is set to be released in the second half of 2010. This game hasn’t been given so much press so don’t worry if you haven’t heard of it – it’s a real underdog at this point.

Originally called End of Eternity in Japan, the game takes place in the future. Much like in Star Ocean, the Earth’s atmosphere and environment has changed for the worse. Once again like Star Ocean, the human race as we knew it was close to extinction due to unfriendly gases sweeping our plane. The few humans that remained built a device titled Basel, which should hopefully solve the planets problems. Over the following months a class system starts to develop. The rich are able to live close to Basel, whilst the poor stay around the surrounding areas. Predictable, Basel starts to encounter a few problems – it’s my guess that the heroes are set to work out what’s gone wrong!

The game has three main characters; Zephyr, Vasheron and Leanne. Subject #20 also plays a rather important role.

Those lucky enough to go to Japan to play the demo early experienced one of the most complex battle systems known to date. However although one might view this as a negative – everyone was blown away. Apparently in an attempt to similar the game, no sword are present. Everyone uses different guns and explosives. Different weapons have different effects as the battle system incorporates two different kinds of attacks, and furthermore, two different types of damages.

Now until we get some more information, the details are a bit fogy, but this game in my opinion sounds like one to look out for. Check out the link below to see the Japanese demo in action.

Demo.

The hit arcade game; Splosion Man, had got a lot of press since its release. Not only is it a resurrected old favourite, but it was also said to unlock avatar clothing at the end of the game. The game has 50 levels of multiplayer funness, and an online 4 player mode to match. The game received a 9.0 review and has been called, ‘one of the most awesome games of all time’.

With that said, Major Nelson has revealed next weeks ‘deal of the week’ to be none other than Splosion Man!

That’s right, the price for Splosion Man is getting a major cut – 50% cut to be exact. Come February, for one week only, the game is going to cost 400MSP!

How’s that for an ‘explosively’ good offer? …I think that terrible pun is my que to stop typing. Damn it.