Blog

It feels like the Christmas period is fast approaching, with an influx of new titles seeing a release on Australian shores this week.

Stealth will be emerging from the shadows this week, with the release of Arkane Studios’ first person action title Dishonored. Three years in development and published by Bethesda, the game puts players in the boots of Corvo, an assassin bent on revenge in the stylized steampunk city of Dunwall.

Arkane Studios has spoken up about player freedom and choice being paramount during development of the title, stating that “death has more weight” in the game. Dishonored received praise in GameSpot’s review.

The XCOM series is returning to its strategy roots, with XCOM: Enemy Unknown hitting shelves this week. The action strategy game is allegedly keeping true to the elements that made X-COM such a revered game, while delivering an entirely new story and gameplay experience, for both diehard fans and newcomers to the franchise, according to developer Firaxis.

The game will combine turn-based tactical combat with real-time strategy, and it will feature destructible environments and organisational improvements as players progress. XCOM: Enemy Unknown will be simultaneously released on 360, PlayStation 3 and PC on October 12.

The Pokemon series (much like the anime) is still going, with an additional two Pokemon games being released for the DS this week. Pokemon Black Version 2 and Pokemon White Version 2 will take players back to the Unova region, two years after the events of the original games. The game has received a warm reception in GameSpot’s review.

The original Pokemon Black and Pokemon White, which shipped during March 2011 and went on to combined sales of over 11 million, are the most recent instalments in the core franchise.

Other titles out this week include Fable: The Journey, Mugen Souls, and Rugby League Live 2. Check out the full list of new releases below.

October 9, 2012

Naughty Bear: Panic in Paradise (360, PS3)
New Little King’s Story (VITA)
Fable: The Journey (360)

October 10, 2012

Spy Hunter (VITA)
Worms Revolution (360, PS3, PC)

October 11, 2012

Carrier Command: Gaea Mission (360)
Dishonored (360, PS3, PC)
Mugen Souls (PS3)
Myst (3DS)
Pokemon Black Version 2 (DS)
Pokemon White Version 2 (DS)
Rugby League Live 2 (360, PS3)

October 12, 2012

XCOM: Enemy Unknown (360, PS3, PC)
Happy Wars (360)

Rockstar has offices across the globe in places like San Diego, London, and Leeds. But now the studio is looking even further east to tap into new talent. CG studio Technicolor has announced the formation of a game art and animation studio that will work exclusively on future Rockstar Games projects.

The team is made up of “highly experienced” artists and animators who will work out of the company’s Bangalore, India production studio. Technicolor has previously worked with Rockstar, contributing to high-profile projects like Max Payne 3, Red Dead Redemption, and L.A. Noire.

It was not announced which projects the new Technicolor team will be working on. Announced Rockstar games in the pipeline include the much-anticipated Grand Theft Auto V and Agent, which has long laid behind the curtain. Additionally, Rockstar Games cofounder Dan Houser has expressed interest in making Bully 2, and a sequel to Red Dead Redemption seems likely, considering its runaway commercial and critical success.

Some of Technicolor’s other clients include game companies like Sony Computer Entertainment America, Square Enix, and Electronic Arts, as well as film and television companies like DreamWorks Animation and Nickelodeon.

Now, at what is believed to be the tail-end of an already protracted console cycle, is the right time to release new franchises. That’s according to to Remember Me developer Dontnod creative director Jean-Maxime Moris.

Responding to a comment from EA Labels boss Frank Gibeau about how holding off until next-generation consoles arrive to launch new IP may be advantageous, Moris partially agreed with Gibeau, but offered a different view in an interview with VG247.

“Those guys think that people are basically saving up money for next-gen hardware, and that by having your game, your new IP launch at the beginning of that new cycle, that it’s going to be easier to integrate into that cycle. That’s true,” Moris said.

“But the install base of the PS3 and the Xbox 360 has never been so big, and if you have something that’s new enough, that’s fresh enough, and interesting enough, you’ve never been able to sell it to as many people as now,” he added. “So it’s definitely the right time for us to be bringing Remember Me to the market.”

A third-person game due out in May 2013 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC, Remember Me has players taking on the role of Nilin, an “elite memory hunter.” According to publisher Capcom, Nilin not only is a physical threat, but also boasts a special ability that allows her to break into people’s minds where she can steal or change memories.

Capcom is planning Remember Me as a “major franchise.”

The high-profile case between Grammy Award-winning rock band No Doubt and big-time publisher Activision has been settled, according to an Associated Press report. The trial over the use of the band’s likeness in 2009’s Band Hero was scheduled to go before a jury beginning October 15.

Terms of the settlement were not revealed, and neither No Doubt’s attorney nor Activision were immediately available for comment.

The band’s attorney, Bert Deixler, told GameSpot in August that Activision’s settlement offers, at the time, were lacking. And as for what the settlement offer may have looked like, Deixler said No Doubt was owed “millions and millions of dollars.”

No Doubt sued Activision in November 2009, claiming the publisher had no contractual right to allow the group’s in-game avatars to be used to perform other artists’ songs.

Activision countersued No Doubt a month later, saying it is “publicly known” that characters in previous Guitar Hero games have been “unlockable” in the same fashion, suggesting No Doubt did not exercise due diligence before entering into the agreement.

Footy fever has swept across the world. Electronic Arts announced today that FIFA 13 sold 4.5 million copies across the globe during its first five days, up 1.3 million units from FIFA 12’s first-week sales of 3.2 million. The publisher claims this represents the “biggest video game launch of 2012” as well as the most lucrative sports game launch in history.

FIFA 13 released in the United Kingdom on Friday, September 28, and sold 1.23 million copies in that region during its first 48 hours. Last week, EA announced that first-day sales in North America surged 42 percent to 353,000 copies.

In addition to breaking sales figures, FIFA 13 also reached a new peak online usage milestone. According to EA data, September 30 was the busiest day for any title in EA history, with 800,000 users simultaneously playing the new soccer game.

FIFA 13 still has work to do if it wants to catch up to its predecessor, FIFA 12. That game has sold more than 10 million units as of February 2012. The entire FIFA series has sold over 100 million copies life-to-date.

It has been a historic year for EA Sports titles. First-week sales of Madden NFL 13 were up 8 percent to a high-definition era record 1.65 million, while NHL 13 skated to a franchise-best 491,000 in sales during its first week.

For more on FIFA 13, check out GameSpot’s review below.

6397322

Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinski has left the Gears of War studio after 20 years, it was announced today on the company’s website.

It is not clear exactly what Bleszinski will be doing in his post-Epic Games life, but he will take some rest before embarking on the “next stage” of his career.

“I’ve been doing this since I was a teenager, and outside of my sabbatical last year, I have been going non-stop,” Bleszinski said in a statement. “I literally grew up in this business, as [Epic Games president Mike Capps] likes to say. And now that I’m grown up, it’s time for a much needed break.”

Bleszinski said his departure from Epic Games will not affect games in development at Epic-owned studios like Chair Entertainment, People Can Fly, or the newly formed Impossible Studios. Epic Games is currently working with People Can Fly on 2013’s Gears of War: Judgment, as well as the mysterious PC game Fortnite.

Bleszinski is not the only high-level Epic Games employee to have left the firm this year. Over the summer, producer Rod Fergusson left to join the BioShock Infinite development team at Irrational Games; and shortly thereafter, People Can Fly creative director and co-owner Adrian Chmielarz jumped ship after Epic Games completed its acquisition of the Polish studio.

Bleszinski’s departure from Epic Games appears to be amicable. Epic Games president Mike Capps, founder Tim Sweeney, and and vice-president Mark Rein each applauded Bleszinski for his work at the company, and wished him well in his future endeavors.

Capcom has announced that the latest instalment in its Resident Evil franchise, Resident Evil 6, has shipped more than 4.5 million copies worldwide since the game’s release on October 2.

According to Capcom, this initial shipment is the highest ever for a Capcom game.

However, shipment figures indicate the number of games shipped to retailers around the world, not the number of games sold through to consumers. Capcom has not yet revealed sales figures for the title.

The publisher also revealed that the Resident Evil series has recorded cumulative sales of more than 50 million units worldwide since the first title in the franchise was released in 1996.

Earlier this week, Resident Evil 6 producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi commented on the rift between fans and developers, and said that the franchise can’t please everyone.

Resident Evil 6 shipped on Tuesday to reviews that ranged from positive to cold. GameSpot’s critique of the game praised its voice acting and narrative structure, but lamented the title’s ubiquitous and lengthy quick-time events, as well as its unimpressive set pieces.

Capcom expects Resident Evil 6 to sell 7 million copies, becoming the publisher’s best-selling title in its history.

Electronic Arts has drawn criticism for relying too heavily on its existing franchises, but according to EA Games executive Patrick Soderlund, new IP is the lifeblood of the company.

“There’s nothing that we’ve announced, but we are absolutely working all the time on new IPs,” Soderlund told MCV. “To me, the day we stop doing new IP is the day we put ourselves on life support and then we’re slowly going to die.”

“It’s not only needed for the industry and for the consumers, but it’s also needed for the creatives. They need something different to think about. They have a lot of creativity built into them that they need to get out,” he continued. “The day that we stop thinking about new things that are not Need for Speed is the day that I’ll probably leave the games industry.”

EA Labels boss Frank Gibeau said in June that the company has 3-5 new IP in development for next-generation consoles. These projects remain a mystery, but EA is investing $80 million in next-generation development this year.

Gibeau also claimed EA has one of the best track records for new IP among its competitors, saying at the time, “It’s an entertainment business. You have to surprise people and you have to take risks. If you don’t, you die.”