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  • GTA V arriving spring 2013

    October 30, 2012 9:38AM PDT

    Rockstar confirms previous rumours of a spring 2013 release date for GTA V on 360 and PS3; pre-orders for the game begin on Nomember 5.

    Grand Theft Auto V will be released for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in spring 2013, Rockstar has confirmed on its Newswire blog. Pre-orders for the game will begin on November 5 this year.

    The announcement follows earlier leaks from Polish GTA fan site GTA-Five.pl and UK retailer GAME, both of which posted photos of promotional posters showing a Spring 2013 release date and the option to pre-order the game.

    Announced last October and developed by series creator Rockstar North, GTA V is set in a re-imagined, present-day Southern California in the fictional city of Los Santos. For more on GTA V, check out GameSpot’s previous coverage.

  • Star Wars: 1313 “business as usual” for LucasArts

    Today’s announcement that Disney has purchased Star Wars studio Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion will reportedly not affect the upcoming video game title Star Wars: 1313, which is currently in development at LucasArts.

    According to a statement from LucasArts (as first reported by IGN), it’s “business as usual” for all internal projects at the studio.

    The acquisition deal–which will see Disney release a new Star Wars film every two to three years after bringing out Star Wars Episode 7 in 2015–was discussed by Disney chief executive Robert Iger during a conference call earlier this week.

    In the call, Iger spoke about Disney’s plans to utilise the Star Wars license for games, revealing the that company will focus on social and mobile games internally, and rely on licensing deals to allow third-party developers to create Star Wars titles for consoles.

    Star Wars: 1313 was first announced in May this year. The internally developed third-person action adventure game will see players take on the role of a bounty hunter navigating a subterranean metropolis, Level 1313, beneath the surface of the planet Coruscant.

    At the time of its announcement, LucasArts had revealed that the game was being developed with the help of artists across the Lucasfilm organisation, including LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic, Lucasfilm Animation Ltd, and Skywalker Sound. The game will be based on the Unreal engine and feature full-body performance capture.

    According to LucasArts, the game will emphasise fast-paced combat, and the game’s hero will use human skills and gadgets, rather than supernatural Force powers. In addition, the game will feature a combination of cover-based combat, platforming, and “playable cinematic gameplay.”

  • AU Shippin’ Out October 31-November 2: Assassin’s Creed III, 007 Legends

    Everybody has a chance to assume a double identity this week, with the release of Assassin’s Creed III and 007 Legends. Will you be donning an assassin’s cloak and revisiting the American Revolution, or do your preferences demand the subtle suaveness of an MI6 agent?

    Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed III hits Australian shores this week for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, whilst its spinoff title Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation will see release for the PlayStation Vita.

    Set during the American Revolution, Assassin’s Creed III features a new protagonist named Connor who will involve himself in the ongoing struggle between the Templars and the Assassins. The game was built by Ubisoft Montreal and six collaborating studios on a new engine called Ubisoft-AnvilNext.

    Assassin’s Creed III will enjoy Ubisoft’s biggest marketing campaign in company history, the firm’s vice president of sales and marketing Tony Key, said in March. Additionally, the executive called Assassin’s Creed III the largest launch in the publisher’s history and noted that, by the time it arrives, the game will have been in development for three years.

    Are you a fan of the Bond universe? 007 Legends is also out this week for Xbox 360 and PS3. The game includes missions from the newest Bond film, the yet to be released Skyfall, as well as five other Bond flicks: Goldfinger, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Moonraker, License to Kill, and Die Another Day.

    On top of its story campaign, 007 Legends features the single-player MI6 Ops Missions mode, which made its debut in last year’s well received GoldenEye 007: Reloaded. Additionally, the new game sports a local four-player split-screen mode, as well as a traditional online competitive play.

    Other titles out this week include Transformers Prime: The Game, Angry Birds Trilogy, and Moshi Monsters: Moshlings Theme Park. Check out the full list of new releases below.

    October 31, 2012
    Assassin’s Creed III (360, PS3)
    Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation (Vita)
    007 Legends (360, PS3)
    Angry Birds Trilogy (360, PS3)
    Moshi Monsters: Moshlings Theme Park (3DS, DS)
    Pool Nation (360)
    The Trash Pack (3DS, DS)
    Transformers Prime: The Game (3DS, DS, Wii)

    November 2, 2012
    Football Manager 2012 (PC)

  • Activision Blizzard introduces mobile-social platform

    October 30, 2012 1:29AM PDT

    New platform called Activate; two new mobile Skylanders games announced.

    Publisher Activision-Blizzard has revealed its new mobile-social platform called Activate, as well as two new Skylanders games for iOS.

    According to the site Inside Mobile Apps, the company will now also be in the same mobile competitive field as DeNA (Mobage) and GREE (OpenFeint). The social platform allows players to access Activision mobile games using Facebook credentials or an Activate account. The company plans to make the social platform compatible with its previous titles as well as its upcoming ones.

    Meanwhile, the two new games announced are Skylanders Lost Islands and Skylanders Battlegrounds. The former is a resource management game, while the latter is an action game that will be reminiscent of the Skylanders games on the Wii, Xbox 360 and PS3. Both games feature cloud storage and compatibility with Skylanders figures.

    The social platform and two games will be out this November. For more information on the latest Skylanders title, check out GameSpot’s coverage.

  • GAME tweets Spring 2013 for GTA V

    October 30, 2012 4:14AM PDT

    Publisher confirms game will be released on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in Q2 2013, pre-orders of the game opening November 5 2012.

    [UPDATE] Rockstar has confirmed that Grand Theft Auto V will be released for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in spring 2013, with pre-orders for the game beginning on November 5 this year. Click here for the full story.

    A tweet from a branch of UK retailer GAME has all but confirmed GTA V’s rumoured Spring 2013 release date. The tweet–which was originally discovered by IGN and has since been removed–showed promotional artwork from the game, all of which was plastered with “Pre-Order Now Spring 2013”. GAME’s website lists the sequel’s release date as TBC 2013.

    The tweet follows rumours from a Polish GTA fan site GTA-Five.pl, which posted pictures of promotional posters for the game yesterday. Those posters also showed a Spring 2013 release date. Last week, Rockstar released the official artwork for the game, and promised that more details would be released in November.

    GTA V was announced last October. Some analysts expect it to be on store shelves by March 2013, while others are predicting a longer wait. For more on GTA V, check out GameSpot’s previous coverage.

  • Skyrim Premium Edition spotted

    [UPDATE] Following the publication of this story, a Bethesda representative told GameSpot the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Premium Edition is a special version of the game that will be released only in Europe. It will be available in the United Kingdom, Benelux, and Germany.

    The original story follows below.

    The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim may be returning to retail this holiday season. A listing on Amazon’s German website (via Official Xbox Magazine) indicates Bethesda is preparing a Skyrim: Premium Edition for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC for launch in December.

    According to the available product information, the Skyrim Premium Edition will include a range of collector’s items, including a map of the game world, a t-shirt, a copy of the Hell City spinoff novel, and various concept art.

    No mention was made of downloadable content being included with the Skyrim Premium Edition. Previously released add-ons for the role-playing game include the Dawnguard and Hearthfire expansions, both of which have seen release for Xbox 360 and PC, but not PlayStation 3.

    The Skyrim Premium Edition is listed at “59.99, or about $77.

    Bethesda has not made any announcements regarding a new version of Skyrim, and the publisher was not immediately available for comment at press time.

  • Cliff Bleszinski offers to help ‘fix’ Resident Evil

    Former Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinski has offered to help Capcom “fix” the Resident Evil franchise.

    “Hey, Capcom. Call me,” he said over Twitter. “We can fix Resident Evil. Together.”

    Bleszinski did not go into any further detail regarding why he believes the Resident Evil franchise would need fixing. However, it is likely he is referring to the franchise’s latest effort, Resident Evil 6, which shipped this month behind very mixed reviews.

    Bleszinski left Epic Games after 20 years with the company earlier this month. At the time, he said it was “time for a much needed break” before embarking on the “next stage” of his career.

    It is not clear where Bleszinski is headed, though his Twitter feed of late has led to much speculation. Since leaving Epic Games, Bleszinski has visited the offices of Activision, Zynga, Double Fine, and Electronic Arts. He has also met with God of War and Twisted Metal designer David Jaffe.

  • Robert Downey Jr. in new Black Ops II TV spot

    Iron Man meets Call of Duty in a new live-action advertisement for Treyarch’s Black Ops II. Activision released a new sixty-second spot for the game today titled “Surprise” (below), which was directed by Guy Ritchie and features Robert Downey Jr (Iron Man, U.S. Marshals).

    The advertisement will debut on network television tonight during Monday Night Football in the United States and across the world during “high-profile” European football matches. It also features French actor Omar Sy, as well as the Internet-famous FPSRussia and iJustine.

    Ritchie has directed a number of films, including 2000’s Snatch and 2009’s Sherlock Holmes. Additionally, Ritchie is not the only Hollywood figure Activision has sought the help of for its newest Call of Duty game. The Black Ops II title track was composed by Academy Award-winning musician Trent Reznor.

    Further, Ritchie is not the first Hollywood director to helm a trailer for one of this fall’s big-name games. Fight Club and The Social Network director David Fincher led production on Halo 4’s launch trailer.

    Black Ops II is due out across the world November 13 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. PlayStation Vita game Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified is due out also on that date, with a Wii U version following as a launch title for Nintendo’s new console on November 18.

  • Asia wins big at Canada Cup 2012 tournaments

    The winners for the Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition tournaments at the Canada Cup 2012 event have been decided.

    Team Japan won the SSFIV: AE international 5-versus-5 tournament, with team Korea and team USA 2 following behind in second and third place respectively. The team consists of notable players such as MadCatz’s Hajime “Tokido” Taniguchi and Razer’s Keita “Fuudo” Ai (Evolution 2011’s SSFIV:AE winner).

    Singapore pro gamer Ho Kun “Xian” Xian, who represents Team DM and MadCatz, secured first place in the Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition and The King of Fighters XIII singles tournament. He used Gen in the former and the team of EX Iori, NESTS Style Kyo, and Mr. Karate for the latter.

    Other notable highlights include team USA winning the Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 5-versus-5 tournament, with Complexity Cross Counter’s Ryan “Filipino Champ” Ramirez defeating the entire Canada team by himself during the finals. Eduardo “PR Balrog” Perez-Frangie won the UMvC 3 singles match, with Evil Genius’ Justin Wong and Tokido at second and third place respectively.

    The Canada Cup event took place at Calgary, Alberta from October 26 to 28.Head to the link for a replay of the Canada Cup 2012 livestream.

  • GTA V posters show spring 2013 release?

    October 28, 2012 4:49PM PDT

    Photos of what appears to be a promotional poster for Rockstar’s upcoming title suggests the game will be out early next year; Xbox 360 and PS3 are the only platforms listed.

    A Polish fan site has posted photos of what appear to be promotional posters for Rockstar’s upcoming Grand Theft Auto V, which seem to suggest that the game will be out early next year.

    According to the photos posted on the site GTA-Five.pl (currently down), and spotted by Kotaku, Grand Theft Auto V is set to be released in spring 2013.

    The photos of the posters also indicate only two platforms–Xbox 360 and PS3–with no mention of the PC or the upcoming Wii U.

    Last week, Rockstar released the official artwork for the game, and promised that more details would be released in November.

    It has been previously confirmed that the GameStop-owned Game Informer magazine will feature the game in its December issue.

    GTA V was announced in October 2011, but the game remains largely a mystery. Some analysts expect it to be on store shelves by March 2013, while others disagree. For more on GTA V, check out GameSpot’s previous coverage.