It appears that Halo: Reach is being leaked thanks to some modders who tricked the Microsoft servers into letting them download the game. Up until now Halo: Reach has been downloadable by authorized media but now the game seems to be acquired by a small group. The game hasn’t been leaked openly to the public yet but there’s a good chance the game is been pirated to at least a select few for now.
Halo:Reach Leaked Early
WWE SVR 2011: What We Know So Far
Having sold more than 50 million units worldwide, the renowned WWE simulation experience and annual centrepiece in THQ’s expanding WWE videogame portfolio returns to define the ultimate WWE moments and give players even greater creative and decision-making freedom throughout their storied journeys within WWE. WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 will empower players more than ever to define their gameplay experiences in a dynamic and ever-changing WWE. Due out in October, the new SvR will feature:
- Gameplay scenarios will change based on player decisions, allowing for more spontaneous WWE action in and out of the ring.
- Players will also enjoy a greater level of interactivity and have increased control of their destinies in the game’s popular Road to WrestleMania story-driven mode.
- A hallmark of the franchise, WWE SmackDown vs Raw 2011 will deliver its largest offering to date of best-in-class creation and customization features.
- Players will have more creative tools than ever to customize their Superstars, finishing moves and story designs.
- Searching and sharing content will be greatly simplified with improvements to the highly regarded WWE Community Creations feature, which generated nearly 10 million downloads, including more than 7.5 million Created Superstars, 500,000 story designs and 500,000 finishing moves in its franchise debut.
- WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 will also boast one of largest rosters in franchise history with more than 70 of today’s prominent WWE Superstars and WWE Divas.
- Each in-game model will feature new skin textures and movement technology, delivering the most authentic looking and moving WWE Superstars and WWE Divas ever seen in a WWE videogame.
- A new physics system will ensure all matches and object interactions look and feel unique, dynamic and unpredictable to capture the full essence of WWE.
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Nintendo Kicks Life Back Into the Dog Days of Summer
Nintendo has decided to liven up things near the end of Summer by releasing their list of some upcoming games.
Wii games will include Metroid: Other M on Aug. 31, Samurai Warriors 3 on Sept. 27, Wii Party on Oct. 3, Kirby’s Epic Yarn on Oct. 17, PokéPark Wii: Pikachu’s Adventure on Nov. 1, FlingSmash on Nov. 7 and Donkey Kong Country Returns on Nov. 21. Some marquee third-party games include New Carnival Games from 2K Play on Sept. 21, NBA JAM from EA Sports on Oct. 5, Just Dance 2 from Ubisoft on Oct. 12, GoldenEye 007 from Activision Publishing, Inc. in November, Sonic Colors from SEGA on Nov. 16 and Disney Epic Mickey from Disney Interactive Studios this holiday season.
For the Nintendo DS family of systems, upcoming games include Professor Layton and the Unwound Future on Sept. 12, Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs on Oct. 4, Art Academy on Oct. 25 and Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem! on Nov. 14. Some featured third-party games on the way for the rest of the year include Super Scribblenauts from Warner Bros. in October, FINAL FANTASY: The 4 Heroes of Light from Square Enix on Oct. 5 and Rock Band 3 from Electronic Arts/MTV on Oct. 29. Upcoming downloadable games for the WiiWare service include And Yet It Moves from Broken Rules on Aug. 23, BIT.TRIP FATE by Gaijin Games this fall and Super Meat Boy from Team Meat during the holidays. On the Nintendo DSiWare downloadable game service, fans can watch for Need For Speed Nitro-X from Electronic Arts on Sept. 20 and Shantae: Risky’s Revenge from WayForward during the holidays.
Ubisoft Announces new Fighter for Kinect Launch
Ubisoft announced at Gamescon Fighters Uncaged, a new fighting game that will be available worldwide in November 2010 exclusively for Kinect on Xbox 360. Developed by AMA Studios, Fighters Uncaged is said to deliver players the excitement of real fighting competitions, in addition to teaching players mixed martial arts techniques. Players will be able to create 70 different strikes inspired by martial arts and compete in 21 different fighting environments such as rooftops, dark alleys, gritty city docks and abandoned church. Included are diverse opponents with unique fighting styles, devastating combos with voice-activated super strikes, opportunities to upgrade your character by unlocking new skills and a jump-in multiplayer feature to take your enemies down with your friends.
Since this is the first Kinect fighter and what would seem to be the fasted moving Kinect game in terms of motion, we’re not sure how this will pan out. We can be hopeful but the truth is not alot of Kinect stuff has us feeling that way. We’ll be bringing more info on this as it comes in.
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Diablo 3 Adds Artisans to Game
Finally new, news from Blizzard on Diablo 3! Blizzard has decided to give the game an Artisans. What do the Artisans do you ask? Well think of a blacksmith, now add crafting, salvaging, upgrading current armor/weapons, and upgrading the artisans to create more diverse powerful items. Throughout the game you’ll eventually run into Mystics that enchant weapons and creates scrolls, Blacksmiths that creates armors as well as adding sockets to certain items, Jewelers to creates different accessories as well as socketing items. Each of the artisans you meet has a quest line and backstory and has skills that can be upgraded, after you befriend them you may visit them in the world of Sanctuary.
Portal 2 Release Date Announced
Valve has given the release date for Portal 2. FPS puzzle fans can expect to return to the Aperture Science Facility on February 9, 2011. Expect to have new toys to play with and new ways to travel throughout the run down facility. Unfortunately the game that was meant to be released this year has been pushed back till 2011, but like all good cakes, they take time to be made perfect.
Review: Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty
As a gamer, Tuesdays have always been special to me. New game releases, patches and new content for one’s I’ve been playing, and that inevitable queue when trying to get in to your WoW server… In the past people asked, “Where were you July 20th 1969, the day we put a man on the moon.” In the future we will ask, “Where were you July 27th 2010.” I’ll give you a hint where I was, it starts with ‘Gamesto.’ Yes that’s right I was on line with another 300 people at my local Gamestop waiting for a game that was more than a decade in the making Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty.
Starcraft in its base elements include 3 races: The Humans, Terrans. The super advanced Aliens, Protoss. And of course the ever evolving super primitive Aliens, Zerg. These three factions are constantly at war with each other and at some points even with themselves.
Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty is a Real Time Strategy game based in the year 2502 the Koprulu Sector in its own galaxy. The story line follows a rugged and scruffy outlaw Jim Raynor and his attempt to over throw the reigning Dominion Emperor Arcturus Megnsk while trying to fend off the Protoss and the Zerg. With the help of some old friends and a few unlikely comrades you dive head first in to combat fighting off enemy after enemy in Raynor’s quest for peace and revenge.
Being available for the first time on Mac as well as PC, Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty takes place merely 4 years after the original. The campaign is riddled with choices, and these choices effect how your story unfolds. Some choices even effect who is aligned with you and what happens with them.
The only downfall of this game is that the campaign does little to nothing for getting a willing participant ready for the multiplayer online play. While I adjusted fast because of my history of Starcraft, a hint for you all, if at first you don’t succeed rush your enemies base.
With numerous new units its miraculous that Blizzard managed to keep this game completely balanced, but again they managed to surprise us all and do it again. For the Terran how would you like a giant mech with capabilities to destroy whole bases with a blast from its 320mm cannons. For the Zerg how would you feel if I said you could have a unit not only regenerate a ridiculous amount of health while burrowed, but with the ability to move while burrowed! Last but not least the Protoss how would you like a ground unit so tall is can be hit by AA fire with the ability to cleave through your enemies ground forces from a distance. While this is only one new unit per race there are plenty more that were either changed or removed.
For those of us that beat the campaign, I know I did on the day it came out… playing it at work helped, fear not there will be another installment of Starcraft II sooner than you think!! Yes, that’s right ladies and gentleman the brilliant minds at Activision Blizzard split Starcraft II in to three installments, Wings of Liberty is only the first of them. Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm is the next one on the list, and the Final piece would be Starcraft II: Legacy of the Void.
Special thanks to Brian Rains for the article.
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Need For Speed Hot Pursuit Limited Edition
Limited and collectors edition is the new fad in gaming. More and more game companies and developers are bundling exclusive DLC, schwag, and goodies with new up coming games, so why should Need For Speed Hot Pursuit be any different? The limited edition will give gamers access to a few the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione and the Ford Shelby GT500 (Eleanor). On top of the two special limited edition cars, the Audi TT RS Coupe, Chevrolet Camaro SS, Porsche Cayman S, and Dodge Challenger SRT8 will be available right out of the box to play rather than needing to unlock them in the game. Need for Speed Hot Pursuit will be out on November 16 in America and November 18 and 19 in Europe for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.
THQ Says Video Game IS Art
THQ has declared video games can and should be considered art, and to solidify their claim they’ve decided to release uDraw. uDraw is a six inch tablet controller for the Wii. The intuitive design for the tablet makes drawing simple, and the controls are easy to learn. uDraw will be out during the holiday season bundled with uDraw Studio, a coloring and art-based video game, all for the price of $70. Other games that will be available for uDraw will be Pictionary and Dood’s Big Adventure at the price around $30.
Doom 4 Targeted For Console And PC, Wolfenstein In ‘Thinking About It’ Phase
Doom 4 is well into development at id. Hollenshead said “a team and a half” are working on the game. That compares to a single team working on id’s next big game, Rage, which will be released in 13 months, and two smaller teams working on mobile projects (including the upcoming Rage iPhone games) and QuakeLive. Hollenshead said id intends to eventually have a third full-size team running to work on a third big game.
Doom 4, according to Hollenshead, will also be targeted for simultaneous release on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. “That’s absolutely what we’re thinking,” he said. “That would certainly be the hope.”
The previous Doom, which was released on PC in 2004 and was offered on the original Xbox in 2005.
With Doom far into development, id’s support for its other franchises continues. Hollenshead said that the free-to-play (or subscription-based, depending on preference) QuakeLive will continue to be supported by the company.
For Wolfenstein, the id series that last saw a Raven-developed game in the summer of 2009? “It would be sad if there’s not another Wolfenstein game because I’m a personal fan of the franchise” Hollenshead said. “Wolfenstein 3D is the game that got me started in PC gaming. So personally I have a lot of emotional and sentimental attachment to that game. Even before I was working at id I was playing Wolf 3D, but we’re still in the ‘thinking about it” phase at this point.”
The next big thing from id, though is Rage. That comes in September of 2011 — though no promises were made this time.
The Rage demo to which Hollenshead referred was a powerful demonstration of an id game running the company’s id Tech 5 game engine impressively on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. The game looked great on all three. Such a tech demonstration is relevant for id, because the formerly PC-centric studio is now developing a game such as Rage for simultaneous release on PC and high-definition consoles.
