GAMES

Huge week at retail also sees launches of Command & Conquer 4, Metro 2033, Dragon Age expansion, new Pokemon for DS, and Resonance of Fate.

Kratos has been yelling about vengeance since he first appeared in 2005, and he’s finally on the verge of getting it. After years of anticipation, God of War III hits the PlayStation 3 this week, its arrival preceded by critical acclaim. However, the Ghost of Sparta isn’t the only draw in what is shaping up to be a huge week at retailers.

Before God of War III debuts, retailers will welcome the latest extension in Nintendo’s Pokemon franchise. The new DS game launches Sunday, and will be available in (mostly similar) HeartGold and SoulSilver versions. Each edition comes with a Pokewalker pedometer, allowing players to level up their combative pets even when they’re not playing.

There’s a third renowned franchise receiving a new installment this week, as Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight launches for the PC. Billed as the conclusion to the series’ “Tiberium saga,” the game features different campaigns for the Global Defence Initiative and Brotherhood of Nod factions, with each faction playable in solo or cooperative modes. It will also have a five-versus-five, objective-based online multiplayer mode.

Other familiar franchises with releases this week include Dragon Age and Perfect Dark. Last year’s hit Dragon Age: Origins will receive its first retail expansion in the form of Awakening, while Rare’s original Nintendo 64 shooter is being re-released on Xbox Live Arcade with a high-definition facelift courtesy of 4J Studios.

Not every major game launch of the week comes from an established series. THQ and 4a Games are launching the post-apocalyptic survival shooter role-playing game Metro 2033 on the PC and Xbox 360. Also, Sega is rolling the dice with new RPG and strategy titles, as Resonance of Fate heads to the Xbox 360 and PS3, while Infinite Space comes to the DS. The former is set in a steampunk world and developed by Star Ocean studio Tri-Ace, while the latter is the latest fruit of Sega’s partnership with Bayonetta and MadWorld developer PlatinumGames.

For further details on the week’s games, visit GameSpot’s New Releases page. The full list of downloadable games on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Live Marketplace, and Wii Shop Channel will be revealed later in the week. Release dates are based on retailer listings and are subject to change.

March 14, 2010
Pokemon HeartGold–DS–Nintendo
Pokemon SoulSilver–DS–Nintendo

March 15, 2010
Rage of the Gladiator–Wii–Ghostfire Games
Triple Shot Sports–Wii–The Code Monkeys
101 MiniGolf World–DS–Teyon

March 16, 2010
God of War III–PS3–Sony
Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight–PC–Electronic Arts
Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening–360,PS3, PC–Electronic Arts
Metro 2033–360PC–THQ
Resonance of Fate–360, PS3–Sega
Infinite Space–DS–Sega
Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon–WII–Xseed Games
T.A.C. Heroes: Big Red One–DS–Storm City Games
Hidden Mysteries: Buckingham Palace–DS–Activision
Sonny With a Chance–DS–Disney
Family Gameshow–WII–Zushi Games Ltd

March 17, 2010
Perfect Dark–360–Microsoft
Hall of Fame Ultimate Hoops Challenge–Wii–Zoo Games

March 19, 2010
Mount & Blade: Warband–PC–Paradox Interactive

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The last of the backs have been patted and the last of the glasses “chinged” over at the 13th annual Interactive Achievement Awards, otherwise known as the “serious awards” for the video game industry.

As you’re about to see, next year will be known as the 2nd annual Uncharted 2 awards. Other games to do well on the night include Scribblenauts, Batman: Arkham Asylum and Brutal Legend, while surprises include Modern Warfare 2 “only” picking up two awards and Assassin’s Creed II – which had the misfortune of going up against Uncharted in around half of those categories – won nothing.

Game of the Year:

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

* Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
* Developer: Naughty Dog
* Producer: Sam Thompson
* Creative Director: Amy Hennig
* Game Director: Bruce Straley

Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

* Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
* Developer: Naughty Dog
* Producer: Sam Thompson
* Creative Director: Amy Hennig
* Game Director: Bruce Straley

Casual Game of the Year

Flower

* Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
* Developer: thatgamecompany
* Producer: Kellee Santiago
* Creative Director: Jenova Chen

Fighting Game of the Year

Street Fighter IV

* Publisher: Capcom
* Developer: Capcom
* Producer: Yoshinori Ono

Role-Playing/Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year

Dragon Age: Origins

* Publisher: Electronic Arts
* Developer: Bioware
* Producer: Mark Darrah
* Creative Director: Mike Laidlaw
* Game Director: Mark Darrah

Sports Game of the Year

FIFA Soccer 10

* Publisher: Electronic Arts
* Developer: EA Canada
* Producer: David Rutter
* Creative Director: Gary Paterson
* Game Director: Kaz Makita

Racing Game of the Year

Forza Motorsport 3

* Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
* Developer: Turn 10 Studios
* Producer: Korey Krauskopf
* Creative Director: John Wendl
* Game Director: Dan Greenawalt

Outstanding Achievement in Game Design

Batman: Arkham Asylum

* Publisher: Eidos/Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment
* Developer: Rocksteady Studios
* Lead Level Designer: Ian Ball

Adventure Game of the Year

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

* Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
* Developer: Naughty Dog
* Producer: Sam Thompson
* Creative Director: Amy Hennig
* Game Director: Bruce Straley

Social Networking Game of the Year

Farmville

* Publisher: Zynga
* Developer: Zynga
* Producer: David Gray
* Creative Director: Mark Skaggs
* Game Director: Bill Mooney

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year

Brutal Legend

* Publisher: Electronic Arts
* Developer: Double Fine Productions
* Producer: Caroline Esmurdoc
* Creative Director: Tim Schafer
* Game Director: Tim Schafer

Action Game of the Year

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

* Publisher: Activision
* Developer: Infinity Ward
* Producer: Mark Rubin
* Game Director: Jason West

Family Game of the Year

The Beatles: Rock Band

* Publisher: MTV Games
* Developer: Harmonix Music Systems
* Producers: Paul DeGooyer, Jeff Jones, Alex Rigopulos
* Creative Director: Chris Foster
* Game Director: Josh Randall

Outstanding Innovation in Gaming

Scribblenauts

* Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
* Developer: 5th Cell Media
* Producer: Joseph M. Tringali
* Creative Director: Jeremiah Slaczka
* Game Director: Jeremiah Slaczka

Outstanding Achievement in Animation

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

* Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
* Developer: Naughty Dog
* Lead Animators: Josh Scherr, Jeremy Lai-Yates, Mike Yosh

Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

* Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
* Developer: Naughty Dog
* Technology Director: Pal-Kristian Engstad

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction:

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

* Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
* Developer: Naughty Dog
* Art Directors: Erick Pangilinan, Robh Ruppel

Outstanding Achievement in Story -Adapted

Batman: Arkham Asylum

* Publisher: Eidos/Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment
* Developer: Rocksteady Studios
* Writers: Paul Dini, Paul Crocker

Outstanding Character Performance

Batman: Arkham Asylum – Joker

* Publisher: Eidos/Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment
* Developer: Rocksteady Studios
* Writers: Paul Dini, Paul Crocker
* Voice Actor: Mark Hamill

Outstanding Achievement in Online Game Play

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

* Publisher: Activision
* Developer: Infinity Ward
* Lead Online Designer: Todd Alderman

Outstanding Achievement in Story – Original

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

* Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
* Developer: Naughty Dog
* Writers: Amy Hennig, Neil Druckmann, Josh Scherr

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

* Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
* Developer: Naughty Dog
* Composer: Greg Edmonson

Outstanding Achievement in Soundtrack

Brutal Legend

* Publisher: Electronic Arts
* Developer: Double Fine Productions
* Music Supervisor: Emily Ridgway

Outstanding Achievement in Game Play Engineering

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

* Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
* Developer: Naughty Dog
* Lead Game Play Programmer: Travis McIntosh

Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

* Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
* Developer: Naughty Dog
* Sound Designer/Audio Lead: Bruce Swanson

Outstanding Achievement in Portable Game Design

Scribblenauts

* Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
* Developer: 5th Cell Media
* Lead Level Designer: Matt Cox

Portable Game of the Year

Scribblenauts

* Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
* Developer: 5th Cell Media
* Producer: Joseph M. Tringali
* Creative Director: Jeremiah Slaczka
* Game Director: Jeremiah Slaczka

For a full list of the nominations, see here.

Developer BioWare has a busy 2011 ahead of them, with a new Dragon Age title, Star Wars: The Old Republic and, according to EA execs “something far-reaching coming from Mass Effect” in early 2011.

Electronic Arts COO John Schappert added that “something far-reaching” from the Mass Effect franchise to the list of upcoming titles due in the fourth quarter of the company’s 2011 fiscal year. That means something Mass Effect related arriving between January 1 and March 31 of next calendar year.

Could BioWare have Mass Effect 3 wrapped up by then? The developer’s project manager Casey Hudson noted that they “definitely want to make ‘Mass Effect 3′ a fairly short turnaround.” And, well, that would be fairly short.

BioWare could also have much more planned for owners of the recently released Mass Effect 2 or maybe even something for PlayStation 3 owners hungry for some Mass Effect. Whatever Mass Effect “something” EA has penciled in for next year, it won’t be the end for the franchise.

If you’re pacing out your Dragon Age playing to ensure that you have a steady drip of elfin lovemaking and epic dragon fighting, here’s a bit of new info to consider in your tactical strategy: EA is planning to launch a new Dragon Age title in Q4 of its fiscal 2011, which, in real-world time, falls between January 1 and March 31, 2011.

Intriguingly, EA currently lists “Dragon Age Title TBA” (that’s what it’s called at the moment) for consoles, PC and handhelds — which could mean either handheld game devices, cell phones, or both. Whatever platforms it appears on, expect the game to be super hot. Assuming, of course, this is the real sequel to Dragon Age: Origins and not a spinoff.

New Dragon Age in early 2011 on consoles, handhelds & PC originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It was an awfully close week for the Webcomic Wrapup, with the top three finishing almost neck-and-neck; but a winner has been declared: Shyeah’s “Love in the Age of Dragons.” We certainly appreciate the humor presented in Shyeah’s strip, but we’re afraid we’re putting a moratorium on Dragon Age comics from here on out. See, Mass Effect 2 is out now. That stuff is old hat.

Second and third place went to Penny Arcade’s “Here’s Your Reality Program” and Brawl in the Family’s “Hoy, Small Fry,” respectively. If you’ve got a favorite strip from this past week that you’d like to see in the next Wrapup, just drop a link in the comments, or send in a tip!

Readers pick best webcomic: Love in the Age of Dragons originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 06 Feb 2010 03:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In the run-up to the expansion’s March 16 date with store shelves, BioWare has begun to make formal introductions of the new characters who’ll be joining your Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening quest. First up: Anders, a Chantry mage and … “born troublemaker.” In fact, BioWare makes him sound more like Han Solo than a robed magic user, what with his lust for “freedom, a good meal and a pretty girl on his arm.”

We’d like to point out that there is not a single screenshot in the gallery below in which Anders doesn’t have his arms raised to some degree.

Meet Anders, your new party member in Dragon Age ‘Awakening’ expansion originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Publisher counts Guitar Hero franchise extension as original intellectual property, says $120 rhythm game grossed more in US and Europe than any other new brand.

Last year saw a number of attention-grabbing original intellectual properties, including Dragon Age: Origins, Brutal Legend, Infamous, Prototype, EA Sports Active, and GameSpot’s 2009 Game of the Year, Demon’s Souls. However, Activision claims that its recently released DJ Hero topped them all.

The publisher today declared DJ Hero the “highest grossing new IP in the US and Europe for calendar 2009,” citing the industry-tracking NPD Group as the source of its information. One factor in the game’s favor was a $120 price tag, meaning DJ Hero could match a standard $60 title’s gross take by selling half as many copies.

Activision did not provide a dollar amount for the game or sales figures for the game. However, as previously reported, DJ Hero sold 298,000 copies on all platforms combined in its first two months on the US market, according to the NPD Group.

Perhaps paradoxically, Activision touts the game as an original intellectual property but also considers it part of the Guitar Hero franchise. In announcing DJ Hero’s “highest grossing” designation, Activision Blizzard CEO Robert Kotick said the game “further establishes Guitar Hero as the premier franchise of its kind.”

Regardless of sales figures relative to other games, DJ Hero has performed well enough for Activision to commit to another installment. In the most recent issue of Game Informer, Kotick confirmed that a second version of the game is in the works, saying, “I can’t wait for you to see next year’s.”

A representative with the NPD Group had not responded to a request for confirmation of Activision’s figures as of press time. For more on the game, check out GameSpot’s review of DJ Hero.

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

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Rental outlet Goozex have released some charts revealing what their most popular titles of 2009 were, and included are comprehensive charts for each major video game platform.

And, as you’re about to see, the lists are a little surprising, in that they differ wildly from what you’d see on sales charts. Take the DS, for example, with Chinatown Wars coming in ahead of New Super Mario Bros., even though the latter has outsold it around a billion to one.

Or the Wii, where Madworld, which sold around three copies in North America all year, came in on top. Just goes to show, while some games are must buys, others are simply must rents.

Overall:
1. Left 4 Dead
2. Fallout 3
3. Killzone 2
4. Infamous
5. Resident Evil 5
6. Fable II
7. Call of Duty: World at War
8. Gears of War 2
9. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
10. Batman: Arkham Asylum

Xbox 360:
1. Left 4 Dead
2. Fallout 3
3. Resident Evil 5
4. Fable II
5. Call of Duty: World at War
6. Gears of War 2
7. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
8. Batman: Arkham Asylum
9. Prototype
10. Halo 3

PlayStation 3:
1. Killzone 2
2. Infamous
3. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
4. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune
5. LittleBigPlanet
6. Resistance 2
7. Batman: Arkham Asylum
8. Demon’s Souls
9. Resident Evil 5
10. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

Wii:
1. MadWorld
2. Punch-Out!!
3. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
4. New Super Mario Bros. Wii
5. Super Mario Galaxy
6. Super Smash Bros. Brawl
7. Mario Kart Wii
8. The House of the Dead: Overkill
9. No More Heroes
10. Super Paper Mario

PC:
1. Fallout 3
2. The Sims 3
3. Dragon Age: Origins
4. Borderlands
5. Crysis
6. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
7. Call of Duty: World at War
8. Mass Effect
9. Gears of War
10. Far Cry 2

Nintendo DS:
1. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
2. New Super Mario Bros.
3. Scribblenauts
4. Professor Layton and the Curious Village
5. Chrono Trigger
6. The World Ends with You
7. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
8. Pokemon Platinum Version
9. Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride
10. Mario Kart DS

PSP:
1. God of War: Chains of Olympus
2. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
3. Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
4. Resistance: Retribution
5. Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of The Lions
6. Dissidia Final Fantasy
7. Star Ocean: Second Evolution
8. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
9. Killzone: Liberation
10. Patapon

[via Gamasutra]

$40 expansion to BioWare’s critically acclaimed RPG will increase level cap and add new party members, spells, abilities, areas, and storyline.

Canadian developer BioWare was roundly criticized for not providing much additional content for its 2007 sci-fi role-playing game Mass Effect. That criticism certainly can’t be leveled at the Electronic Arts subsidiary’s dark fantasy RPG Dragon Age: Origins, GameSpot’s 2009 PC Game of the Year. Also available for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, the title saw its first downloadable expansion pack launch alongside the game itself in November. A second DLC add-on, Return to Ostagar, will be available later today.

Just over four months after Dragon Age’s debut, the game will also be getting its first full-fledged expansion, Dragon Age: Origins ’ Awakening. Available on March 16 worldwide for the PC, 360, and PS3, the major add-on will feature an all-new storyline that focuses on the rebuilding of the Grey Wardens after the bloody events of the original game’s campaign. It will allow players to import their Dragon Age characters or start over as an all-new new Grey Warden from the empire of Orlais. It will also delve deeper into the backstory of the Darkspawn and their ongoing objectives.

In addition to a new storyline, Awakening will also raise the level cap for Dragon Age: Origins. It will also add new foes, with BioWare mentioning such creatures as the Inferno Golem, Spectral Dragon, and a hyperintelligent sub-race of Darkspawn. It will be set in the all-new realm of Amaranthine, and will also add new spells, abilities, and five all-new party members which players can enlist.

Dragon Age: Origins ’ Awakening will cost $40 in the US and require the original Dragon Age to play. (No UK or EU price was given.) It is rated M for Mature by the Entertainment Software Rating Board in North America and 18+ by PEGI in Europe. The expansion’s official Web site has more details on the game.

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Street Fighter IV wowed the San Jose Mercury News enough this year to earn it’s Game of the Year award. No, there won’t be a parade — have you seen the streets in downtown San Jose?

Mercury News writer Gieson Cacho put together a top 10 list the likes of which I’m more used to seeing on video game websites than in newspaper coverage (even the online kind). I’m not at all surprised to see the Mercury News covering video games, though. Some of you may remember that VentureBeat games writer Dean Takahashi used to work there — and believe me, games journalism is catching.

Here’s the rest of Cacho’s Top 10 games of 2009:

2) Uncharted 2
3) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
4) Assassin’s Creed 2
5) DJ Hero
6) Killzone 2
7) Dragon Age: Origins
Batman: Arkham Asylum
9) Forza Motorsports [sic] 3
10) Little King’s Story

Best Game of 2009: ‘Street Fighter IV’ knocked out the competition [San Jose Mercury News]