MAR
11
2010
2:31

PS3 motion controller is 'Move'

Publishers, prices and more revealed at GDC

It isn't Arc, Circle or any of the other names linked to the PS3's much discussed motion control system, Sony telling GDC today that the controller is instead titled 'Move'.

As revealed by a European trademark spied earlier today (thanks VG247), Move will be the name given to the wand-based device, unveiled in San Francisco by Peter Dille.

Dille describes the controller as "fast, precise and accurate", and hints that Sony regard their platform as a progression from the Wii.

Fighting, table tennis and golf games were all demonstrated in the GDC presentation.

An autumn debut is planned and Sony will offer up Move alongside the PlayStation Eye as part of a bundle costing 100 USD.

Twenty games will hit Move this financial year, with 36 developers on-board, while a special Move add-on for the controller will work with SOCOM 4 - the new gizmo working with Move to handle the shooting part of the experience.

MAR
11
2010
2:28

New Lara Croft game a bargain

Summer debut confirmed

The new 'Lara Croft' game confirmed by Square Enix Europe last week will cost just 15 USD at launch, according to word in this evening from developer Crystal Dynamics.

The digital title, called Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, will be released in the summer for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 we're told. No disc-based debut is planned whatsoever.

An isometric arcade game is billed, and this 'Lara Croft' title could act as a spin-off from the main Tomb Raider series.

The game will have co-op leanings, Lara teaming up with Mayan spearman on an adventure set in some familiarly gloomy tombs.

MAR
11
2010
2:27

OnLive hitting US this June

15 USD 'base fee'

Despite ongoing debates over whether it 'can be done', CEO Steve Perlman has told GDC that OnLive will be officially unleashed in the United States this June.

The service will land on June 17th, with PC and Mac support confirmed for launch.

Publishers including THQ, Ubisoft and EA are on board, with a monthly subscription of 14.95 USD mooted. OnLive are quick to point out that this is a 'base fee' and doesn't include the purchase or rental of any actual games; this just gets you online.

Assassins Creed II, Metro 2033 and Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands will be offered from day one - Perlman adding that the mini set-top box is also en route.

"Once you are on the service, instant-play, top-tier, newly-released games will be for sale and for rent on an a la carte basis. Specific pricing will be announced as games are released, so you'll hear about the pricing of the first games by E3, but needless to say, we expect them to be offered at competitive prices. Games are always updated with the latest versions, and purchased game add-ons are playable instantly," adds the latest word from OnLive.

We've no word on a European launch yet.

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MAR
11
2010
2:25

Sony Santa Monica plotting two new titles

But we don't know what they are

With God of War III all but out the door Sony's award-winning Santa Monica studio have revealed that they are working on two new projects, that will remain secret for the time being.

The two new titles are in the pre-production stage presently, which probably means that any news - let alone releases - remain a distant prospect.

God of War III launches next week.

"We're jumping right back in, I've got a small concept team working on our next product for us," John Hight told MTV.

"We're actually gonna do something different this time, we're gonna have a short-term concept, a game that we hope to turn out."

Hight wouldn't be drawn on the specifics of these new endeavours.

MAR
11
2010
2:24

MS requested Final Fantasy for Xbox 360

User-base helped...

Apparently, Square Enix agreed to develop Final Fantasy XIII on the Xbox 360 because Microsoft 'asked' them to.

"The Xbox team has been asking us to have a [Final Fantasy] game developed on our platform. Also, the Xbox 360 console is available in many homes in US and European markets so that was not really a hard decision to make," enthused Yoichi Wada, Square Enix chief.

The game was originally set to be a PS3 exclusive, but following what sounds like a polite request, the publisher instead opted to create an Xbox 360 version for Western markets.

It sounds like the Xbox 360's sizeable install-base also played its part.

MAR
11
2010
2:22

New Warner shooter spied

But what could it be?

Jace Hall, formerly of Monolith, has done it again - this time getting the scoop on footage of a top secret first-person shooter en route from Warner Bros.

The identity of the new game remains unclear, but speculation online hints that this could be F.E.A.R. 3.

The new trailer sees a helicopter crashing into an oil platform, excitingly.

We'll have more news on this eagerly awaited FPS as we get it.

MAR
11
2010
0:23

F1 2010 out this Autumn

New season, new game

Formula 1 is set to make its return this Autumn in all its high definition glory.

Codemasters has piled its considerable expertise in developing driving games to the Formula 1 brand to bring it back to life for this year's season.

F1 2010 has been developed for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC using the EGO Game Technology Platform used to create Race Driver: GRID and Colin McRae's DiRT 2.

F1 2010 will feature the brand new Korean International Circuit as well as the host of new teams, drivers and the exciting return of the legendary Michael Schumacher.

Codemasters have also added in several game modes including Grand Prix, Championship, Time Trial and an in-depth career mode. The game is also packed full of advanced damage modelling, dynamic weather and some pretty comprehensive multiplayer modes.

Driving fanatics will get the chance to take on Schumacher and try to beat him in September of this year.

MAR
11
2010
0:18

Final character brings the olive oil to SSFIV

Turkish wrestling debuts in the Street Fighter series

Capcom have announced their final addition to the roster for Super Street Fighter IV.

Hakan is a Turkish oil wrestler who greases himself up before his fights to gain an advantage over his opponents.

Hakan brings with him some of the biggest moves and craziest combos that the Street Fighter series has ever seen.

Hakan is the last of 10 additional characters to be included in Super Street Fighter IV along with new Ultra combos extra stages, beefier online modes and the every-popular return of the classic bonus rounds.

SSFIV is available for Xbox 360 and PS3 from April 30th.

MAR
11
2010
0:11

Razer release SDK for PC motion control

But no release date for the hardware...

Razer have announced that they have released software development kits for their as yet unreleased Sixense motion controllers.

The controllers were demoed earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The SDK software is now available via Steam labelled Sixense Truemotion SDK and offers developers the chance to start developing motion sensitive control schemes for their current games as well as forthcoming titles.

Razer explained just how easy the controllers are to code for by saying that it took two weeks to implement Sixense support in Left 4 Dead 2.

Valve's Greg Coomer supports the claims: "Together with Razer and Sixense, we are designing new, more enjoyable gameplay mechanics in Left 4 Dead 2, as well as future Valve titles."

Sixense still doesn't have a release date yet but the release of the SDK does indicate that we might have a concrete date very soon.

Thanks Big Download.

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MAR
11
2010
0:06

Netflix on the DS?

Portable video streaming could become a reality

Despite lacking the power of the PS3 or 360, Netflix are investigating the possibilities of extending their services to the DS.

The US video-streaming service is surveying consumers about the possibility of their service working on Nintendo's omnipresent handheld.

According to Kotaku a survey stated the following: "Imagine that Netflix offers its subscribers the ability to instantly watch movies and & TV episodes on their Nintendo DS. The selection available to instantly watch includes some new releases, lots of classics and TV episodes. There are no advertisements or trailers, and movies start in as little as 30 seconds. You can fast-forward, rewind, and pause or watch again. The movies & TV episodes you instantly watch are included in your Netflix membership at no additional fee."

This would seem to indicate that the same Netflix functionality available on the PS3 and Xbox 360 could soon become available on the DS.

More on this when we have it.

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MAR
11
2010
0:03

Clash of Heroes heading to XBLA and PSN

Capy bring their DS hit to consoles in HD

It was just last month when Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes hit European stores on the DS and now Capybara Studios are talking about downloadable versions of the game for the big machines.

The Toronto-based independent studio Capybara has already successfully ported their iPhone hit Critter Crunch over to PSN and now they plan to give Clash of Heroes the same treatment.

Capy are turning their considerable talents into giving Clash of Heroes a high definition facelift as well as additional animations to the character models.

They are also taking the opportunity to flesh out the multiplayer modes, adding online modes as well as four player versus and co-op modes. Colour us excited.

Thanks GameSetWatch.

MAR
10
2010
23:59

Bizarre Creations defends Activision

Activision have a nice side?

Unlike the former execs at Infinity Ward, Bizarre Creations seem to have seen a side of Activision unfamiliar to the rest of the world - their good side.

Co-lead designer on Blur, Gareth Wilson, told CVG of Activision's soft and fuzzy side.

Wilson explained: "You hear a lot of horror stories about Activision being this publisher that just churns shit out, but they certainly weren't like that for us. They were great. Really, really good."

"We were having to make compromises to hit the release date," added Wilson. "We really wanted to expand on the mods, improve the visuals, get the splitscreen stuff looking really good, make the power-ups ace... and we just weren't there. We went to Activision and said: 'We don't think the game's up to our quality level.' It was totally shippable - it was OK - but we would've like to have had more time. They went, 'OK'... which was great."

MAR
10
2010
23:57

No Wii 2... yet

Software doesn't need a new platform

President of Nintendo of America, Reggie Fils-Aime, has been playing down talk of a successor to the Wii.

Speaking with Forbes, Fils-Aime explained that the Wii is still to be fully exploited as a platform.

Fils-Aime said: "When the software developer comes forward with an idea that can't be executed on the current platform, that's when we start thinking seriously about the next system. We're not there yet, from a Wii perspective."

Apparently HD alone is not enough to create a new gaming experience on the Wii. Fils-Aime continues: "When people talk about high definition for the Wii console, our feedback is that that by itself will not create a brand new experience. Therefore, we're not interested. What we have to push for are groundbreaking new experiences. Technology has to enable it, not to be a means all by itself."

MAR
10
2010
11:41

Final Fantasy XIII ships five million copies

Five-alive for Square Enix

With a Western release now well underway, Square Enix have confirmed that they have now shipped some five million copies of Final Fantasy XIII worldwide.

Europe and North America will be getting three million copies, on top of the two million so far unleashed in Japan.

The series has been out in Japan since December, but doesn't land in Western markets until this week.

We'll have more on this very soon.

MAR
10
2010
11:40

Quantic Dream staff up for new game

Dreamy

Fresh from completing work on Heavy Rain for the PS3, and with the episodic Chronicles in the works for the PlayStation Network, Quantic Dream now seemingly have one eye on their next title - which could include online play of some kind.

A new position at the French developer seeks an employee with experience developing game engines and working on MMOs.

Console development experience is also required, and while David Cage hasn't said much on his next project, we are expecting a new thriller - if not a full Heavy Rain sequel.

Motion controls could be incorporated into the new game. More as we get it.