Coming to Xbox Live Arcade, a cult classic Castlevania side scroller (originally released in the late 90's on the PsOne): Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
The September issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly (#207) says: "Konami is resurrecting the cult PS1 game Castlevania: Symphony of the Night on Xbox Live Arcade. Along with SOTN, Konami is also bringing back other classic hits, some revered (Frogger, Contra, Super Contra, Track & Field) some obscure (Time Pilot), and some really obscure (Scramble)."
The surprise addition to Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA), Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is scheduled for a first quarter 2007 release.
Gears of War will be coming to the Xbox 360 on November 12, 2006 and will be available in a standard edition available for $59.99* and a limited collector’s edition for $69.99. Here is the press release from Epic Games:
Emergence Day Revealed: Critically Acclaimed Xbox 360 Title “Gears of War” to Surface Nov. 12, 2006
Countdown begins for the most anticipated game of 2006 as gamers eagerly await the flagship title from Microsoft Game Studios and Epic Games.
REDMOND, Wash. — Aug. 3, 2006 — Since the first frightening images appeared a little over a year ago, gamers worldwide have felt the ominous rumblings of something approaching that defies all convention. Sightings as recent as at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2006 have confirmed its existence, leaving gamers breathless. Microsoft Corp. today announced what anxious players have been eagerly awaiting: Emergence Day 2006. Available exclusively for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the highly anticipated title “Gears of War” will be available in North America on Nov. 12, 2006.
Developed by Epic Games Inc. and published by Microsoft Game Studios, “Gears of War” tells the harrowing story of mankind’s struggle against the monstrous Locust Horde through stunning high-definition graphics and an intense storyline on the scale of a blockbuster movie.
One of the most anticipated next-generation console titles of 2006 and the critic’s choice winner for the E3 2006 Best Console Game, “Gears of War” will explode onto store shelves with a standard edition available for $59.99* and a limited collector’s edition available for $69.99. The limited edition will offer an even deeper look into the graphically stunning and frightening world of “Gears of War,” providing an official “Destroyed Beauty” art book and a bonus DVD featuring an inside look at the making of the game — all enclosed in a highly collectible metal box.
“‘Gears of War’ represents the emergence of a thrilling new franchise for Xbox 360 and is the must-have game of 2006,” said Shane Kim, general manager of Microsoft Game Studios. “Combining the best in innovative gameplay, next-generation graphics and interactive storytelling, Epic has harnessed the extraordinary power of Xbox 360 to create an extremely powerful and immersive entertainment experience.”
“Our vision is to deliver a one-two punch of cinematic action paired with a thrilling and compelling interactive experience,” said Cliff Bleszinski, lead designer at Epic. “With ‘Gears of War’ we’ve created a title that will place gamers directly in the shadows of a ravaged world, surrounded by the beautiful remnants of a destroyed city and the horrific dangers that hide in the rubble.”
“Gears of War” thrusts gamers into humankind’s epic battle for survival against the Locust Horde, a nightmarish race of creatures that surface from the bowels of the planet. Blending the best of tactical action games with the best of survival horror titles, “Gears of War” features cinematic, beautifully rendered interactive environments with high-definition visuals.
Demand for the game is high as retailers anticipate the one-two punch of “Gears of War” and Xbox 360 appearing in quantity on store shelves this holiday season. “The interest and buzz on this game has been intense,” said Bob McKenzie, senior vice president of merchandising at GameStop Corp. “Certainly gamers are counting the days until Emergence Day arrives, as pre-orders have been very strong.”
Will Wright plans on bringing his PC based creation-sim title, Spore, to the Wii. Wright envisions creating adaptations to different gaming platforms, most likely as done for Sims 2 Pets.
From SPOnG's interview with Will Wright:
"We’re looking at all the platforms for Spore, because we’re thinking about Spore as a franchise, not as a PC game. We’re going to do the PC game first, but really, what we’re trying to launch is an entire franchise that will be all across platforms," said Wright. "It will probably take very different forms depending on the platforms. We might even pull out parts of the game – so you might be playing part of the game on a handheld platform, you might be playing the entire game but maybe more avatar-based on a console. The consoles are getting kind of different now – I think there’s a really interesting distinction between the Wii and the Xbox 360 and PS3. Something like the Wii offers a lot of interesting creative opportunities for the editors, with the controller."
Today, Midway has announced that Rampage®: Total Destruction™ will be coming to the Nintendo Wii.
From Midway:
"We are extremely excited to be bringing the mayhem of Rampage: Total Destruction to the Nintendo Wii," said Steve Allison, chief marketing officer, Midway. "With updated graphics and even more extreme monsters, fans of this classic arcade series, as well as new players, will have more than a handful this winter."
The Nintendo Wii version of Rampage: Total Destruction will introduce an additional 10 creatures to the already extensive list of 30 characters. All 40 monsters feature individual super moves and unique combo attacks. More details to come at a later date for the Nintendo Wii version of Rampage: Total Destruction.
Rampage®: Total Destruction™ is scheduled to be available this winter on the Wii.
Midway has announced that Mortal Kombat Armageddon will be coming to Nintendo's Wii console in the first quarter of 2007. A limited edition is to be released exclusively on the PS2 on October 9, 2006.
From Midway:
"Midway Games Inc. (NYSE: MWY), a leading interactive entertainment industry publisher and developer, today announced that four, all–new limited Premium Editions of Mortal Kombat®: Armageddon™ will be available for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system when the latest iteration of Midway's best–selling fighting franchise ships to stores nationwide, currently scheduled for October 9, 2006. Midway also today announced that Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, currently in development at Midway's Chicago studio, is expected to be available for Nintendo Wii™ in Q1 2007. More specific details on Mortal Kombat: Armageddon for the Wii will be unveiled later this year.
Available exclusively on the PlayStation®2, three of the four Mortal Kombat: Armageddon Premium Editions will feature metallic packaging covers that highlight some of the franchise's most popular character duos, including: Sindel & Shao Kahn, Johnny Cage & Goro, and Kano & Sonya. The fourth Premium Edition set will feature the general Mortal Kombat: Armageddon retail box art on metallic packaging. The Premium Edition sets have a suggested retail price of $49.95 and will also include the following:
- An arcade–perfect, playable of the original Ultimate Mortal Kombat® 3
- Over 60 minutes of bonus DVD video content featuring a "History of Fatalities" movie, along with new videos for more than 50 of the Mortal Kombat characters
- An embossed metal package created exclusively for the limited edition Premium Edition sets; there will be four unique box fronts in total
- Animation cell cover art autographed by franchise co–creator, Ed Boon" Read more about Mortal Kombat: Armageddon here
Looks like store employees are being prepped for "Emergence Day." A forum writer, TipsyMonk, says Gears of War lanyards and pins promotional materials were shoved in his hands while working at his Walmart Store as the unidentified person said "Just be ready!" and walked away. The employee said the release date was listed as November 1, 2006 in their system.
Here's the box art of the upcoming PS2 "psychological suspense adventure," Rule of Rose.
About Rule of Rose:
"Prepare to join the strangest and most dangerous secret society you've ever seen in Rule of Rose, for PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system. In 1930's England, a group of little girls form a club called the "Red Crayon Aristocrats". They devise a series of rules, known as "Rule of Rose", which governs the society, its hierarchy, and the games its members play. After a surreal and frightening encounter with a young boy on a public bus, Jennifer, an unhappy and fragile young girl, begins her descent into the nightmarish world of Rule of Rose and has no choice but to obey the cruel and disturbing codes of her giggling tormentors.
Rule of Rose is a psychological horror game with a difference. Gone are the gung-ho heroes and fearsome biological mutants, and in their place is a group of eerie little girls and the power games they like to play. Players assume the role of Jennifer, whose only friend in this twisted tale is the Labrador Brown. Together, they must explore a world governed by strange rules and conditions, solving puzzles and enigmas as they go, in order to either work up the hierarchy of the Red Crayon Aristocrats, or escape the nightmare altogether. Rule of Rose features different endings based upon the way you play and the decisions you make and offers a rich, filmic experience that's very different from traditional action titles.
To draw players as deep as possible into the mystery, Rule of Rose features astonishing in-game graphics and painstakingly researched environments and props from 1930's-era England. The game also features striking, sometimes shocking, CG cinematics throughout, created by the world-renowned creators at SHIROGUMI Inc., famed for their work on the Onimusha and Genji games."
In a conference call discussing financial results for Q1 (Quarter 1) with Electronic Arts, Gamasutra was told by EA "...we have ramped up [game] production for the Wii and DS Lite." When discussing the pricing of the Wii games, EA was told by Nintendo that Nintendo's first-party games would not be priced more than $49.99.
From Gamasutra: "Regarding Wii pricing, EA execs simply commented that publishers would have to decide on pricing themselves, but that Nintendo had indicated that first-party Wii titles would not be priced at more than $49.99 - suggesting that Electronic Arts games may debut for Wii at $49.99 at launch, though they did not state this specifically."
EA will likely be shipping game titles Need For Spped and Madden during the Wii launch window (not necessarily at the launch date) and more following that through March 2007.
After numerousdelays and anticipation, Street Fighter II is preparing for release to the Xbox Live Marketplace (Wednesdays) tomorrow, 8/2/06.
Here is what you can expect for 800 Microsoft Points (about $10):
"Capcom, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, brings its arcade classic to Xbox Live Arcade with Street Fighter® II’ Hyper Fighting. In addition to several offline modes and numerous leaderboards and achievements, the game takes advantage of the new online features of the Xbox 360™ console’s powerful processing capabilities to create a seamless online multiplayer experience.
Among several online game options is an exclusive mode called "Quarter Match," a new way of reliving the exhilarating arcade experience at home. Xbox 360 users can access Xbox Live Arcade to download a free, feature-limited version of the game which offers two playable characters for one match. When you're ready for the ultimate retro gaming experience, unlock the full version of the game and choose from all eight original characters as well as four boss characters, each with their own special endings and home levels.
Quarter Match: In an entirely new mode specifically created for Xbox Live Arcade, "Quarters" are used to virtually represent players and pays homage to the arcade tradition of claiming the right to play the next game.
Quick Match: Jump into a match quickly for instant action.
Custom Match: The best possible match is determined by sorting through a set of filters, including number of rounds, turbo speed, chat on or off, and friends only.
Create Match: The most popular method for coordinating invite-only matches among friends which allows you to choose among several settings and host games.
Offline game options: Play Arcade Mode, Vs. Mode, Training Mode, or CPU Battle.
Multiple features: Enjoy comprehensive leaderboards, achievements, customizable control options, and updated menu screens.
