« Igniq.com Gaming News - Bookmark this site Advertisements  Bizarre Creations are currently working away to complete Project Gotham Racing 3 for the Xbox 360, but have announced they will be taking on another franchise as well, this time in a partnership with SEGA.The deal is part of SEGA's strategy of developing games aimed at Western audiences; Monolith Productions signed up with them to produce the next-gen psychological thriller Condemned, while in July, Secret Level also entered into a partnership to develop a classic SEGA franchise for Xbox 360 and PS3: "We are actively seeking partnerships with the world's best developers to create brand new franchises and re-create new games from existing SEGA IP," said Naoya Tsurumi, CEO of SEGA America and SEGA Europe. "We could not be happier that Bizarre Creations, a world-leader in successfully combining gameplay and technology, chose SEGA as their publishing partner to create a multi-platform blockbuster for the next-generation." There are no specific details on the new Bizarre/SEGA game to report yet, except that it will be for one of the next-gen consoles.Sega & Bizarre announce partnership Related: Next-Gen Sonic The Hedgehog Named Sega boss talks Revolution SEGA's Next-Gen Surprise: After Burner? (26 July) Secret Level to develop classic Sega franchise (11 July) SEGA partners with Secret Level for PS3, Xbox 360 content Sonic Boss on the Next-Gen Consoles (17 June) Bizarre Creations Push The Limits of Xbox 360 Rumour: Project Gotham Racing 3 to Miss Xbox 360 Launch (5 September) Discussion >>  Yuji Naka wasn't kidding when he said SEGA would be returning to the starting point with the next-gen iteration of Sonic. It has been revealed at the TGS 2005 that the PS3/Xbox 360 game is to be called simply "Sonic the Hedgehog". The game is set to come out next year on the 15th anniversary of the original Sonic for the Genesis, and the pared back name was chosen in honour of that: The director of the game, Masato Nakamura, demonstrated a real time version of the game at the Tokyo Game Show. The new title brings features like Havok physics, real time shadows and ragdoll enemies to the franchise, which will be 15 years old when this game is released. Sonic the Hedgehog to get "Rebirth" On PS3, Xbox 360 Sega boss talks Revolution SEGA's Next-Gen Surprise: After Burner? (26 July) Secret Level to develop classic Sega franchise (11 July) SEGA partners with Secret Level for PS3, Xbox 360 content PS2 to welcome SEGA classics Sonic Boss on the Next-Gen Consoles (17 June) Panovation Update On Sonic ORPG (8 June) Discussion >>  Fans of the Metal Gear Solid series were treated to a new trailer for MGS4 at the Tokyo Games Show on Friday. The very impressive trailer runs for over eight minutes and shows off the full capabilities of the PS3. The official website for the game, full title Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, was also launched, along with a notice that the trailer would be available to download "soon". Unfortunately it still hasn't been posted up, but Gametrailers.com have a cam version to tide you over until the official one appears. A set of high-res scans from the trailer have also appeared, and can be viewed here. Via Joystiq Related: MetalGearSolid.com Kojima Productions Metal Gear Solid 4 Scans Surface (14 September) Metal Gear Solid 4: PS3 Only (16 June) Uwe Boll Eyes Metal Gear Solid Movie Discussion >>  While the media focus at the Tokyo Games Show has been on Nintendo and their "Revolution-ary" new controller, a small tidbit of information has surfaced about the controller for the rival Playstation 3.According to Gamespot the only PS3 controller at the show is locked behind plexiglass, and beside it is a note saying "Conceptual design", suggesting Sony may change the design before the console is released next year: While the months since E3 have led to much discussion about the controller's design, Sony apparently isn't ready to set the boomerang design down in stone as the final controller for its upcoming console. SCE Announce Global Games Dev Studio Sony Announce Major Recall of Slimline PS2 AC Adaptors Sony Reveal First Game/Movie Hybrid UMD Sony's Phil Harrison: Multiple PS3 Versions "Unlikely" (1 Sept) Discussion >>  VU Games have announced Monolith's first -person shooter F.E.A.R. is set to launch around the world on the 18th of October. According to the company, there have been over 1.5 million downloads of the first single-player demo since it was released last month, and they plan to follow up with the release of the multi-player demo in late September. Gamers can also get the special "Director's Edition" F.E.A.R. DVD at a reduced price if they pre-order now; the U.S.-only DVD contains the following exclusive content:
Related: WhatisFear.com Special Edition of F.E.A.R. to be U.S.- Only F.E.A.R. to sport Director's Cut Edition (16 August) F.E.A.R. Demo Reviewed Discussion >>  Satoru Iwata took to the stage at the Tokyo Games Show to finally unveil the controller for the Nintendo Revolution. The crowd was completely silent as they got the world's first look at the wireless controller, which resembles a TV remote control more than any games controller seen before. Iwata explained that one of the reasons for the new design was to draw in more and more non-gamers by removing a "psychological barrier" people have when presented with today's game controllers: Firstly, we face the reality that within one family there are people who are willing to pick up a video game controllers and those who would never touch them. Anyone will pick up a TV remote controller, but not necessarily game controllers. Iwata showed a presentational video with possible uses in games for this functionality; in the video an elderly couple conduct an orchestra by waving controllers at the screen, while a father and son pitch and throw their arms as they play an angling game. Another segment shows a man waving the controller as if it was a sword. The controller will be mainly used with one hand, but Nintendo also will cater to core gamers by including a "nun-chuk" style attachment that allows traditional analog control with the second hand. Video of Iwata's speech is available to watch over on Gamespot, while images of the controller and Nintendo's press announcement are available here. Related: New Japan Poll Has Xbox 360 Still Trailing Behind PS3 Resident Evil 5 for Nintendo Revolution? Discussion >>  The long awaited Source conversion of Valve's WWII shooter is now available to pre-order at a 10% discount through the Steam client. Owners of the Counter-Strike: Source retail pack, or the Half-Life 2 Silver or Gold Steam packages also get DoD: Source as a part of their purchase, and can begin downloading the game files to their PC's so they can begin playing the instant the game is released on the 26th of this month.The game is being billed as a ground-up rebuilding of the original Day of Defeat in the Source engine, and will include support for Valve's upcoming HDR (high-dynamic range) lighting technology. Steam News Related: 26 September Release for Day of Defeat: Source Collection of DoD: Source Beta Screenshots Rag Doll Kung Fu kicks its way into Steam Counter-Strike: Deathmatch ported to Source Official Half Life 2: Aftermath Trailer GoldenEye Mod for HL2 Engine I'm Still Seeing Breen - HL2 Music Video Discussion >>  Financial institution Wells Fargo is setting up an online role-playing game within the virtual-world Second Life, with the aim of teaching young adults about financial literacy. Ordinarily Second Life requires players to pay a fee, but the Wells Fargo game will be separated from the main game and access will be available free. The Wells Fargo area - "Stagecoach Island" - will feature the same sort of social aspects of Second Life like cafe's, shops, dance clubs and the like as well as a "Virtual Learning Lounge" where players can answer trivia questions derived from WF's Hands on Banking program: The Stagecoach Island game allows players to select a virtual character Secondlife.com Snapshots from inside Second Life by Richie Waves Second Life players donate for HUrricane Katrina Relief Second Life TV Coming Soon Firefox Coming to Second Life (6 June) Discussion >>  A rumour has sprung up on the Web that the ball-rolling favourite Katamari Damacy is to get a PSP version. A page on PSP411.com lists "Boku no Watashi Katamari Damacy", noting that nothing is known at this point "aside from WiFi multiplayer capabilities" while TotalVideoGames.com reports that Famitsu has apparently confirmed the story. Both the original game and the sequel We Love Katamari are PS2 titles, so a jump onto the PSP doesn't seem that far-fetched. Stay tuned and we'll let you know if/when an official announcement is made. Meanwhile, We Love Katamari is set to go on sale in the U.S. on the 20th of this month, while European gamers have a bit of a wait before they can play any Katamari game - the original was never released in this territory and We Love Katamari won't be released here until next year. Related: Joystiq: Katamari Damacy PSP! We Love Katamari Golden, Website Now Live We Love Katamari Rolling Into Europe (11 August) We Love Katamari Preview, Screens and Video Discussion >>  Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear Solid 4 for PS3 was recently featured in an issue of Famitsu, and as expected a gaming fan has posted up scans on the Web for all to see. The impressive images show a much older Solid Snake sporting an eye patch that's used to control a robotic ally that follows him around on wheels according to Joystiq. The images are apparently all 100% real-time generated by actual PS3 hardware as well, heightening anticipation for the first official trailer which is set to be shown at the Tokyo Games Show - Kojima recently announced that the trailer will also be real-time. Check out the scans here Related: MetalGearSolid.com Kojima Productions Metal Gear Solid 4: PS3 Only (16 June) Uwe Boll Eyes Metal Gear Solid Movie Discussion >>  FunCom have announced the free model they put in place for the MMOG Anarchy Online has been a success, and plan to continue offering the free version of the game through 2006 and into 2007. The company originally announced the business model back in 2004.Gamers can download and play the free, core version of the game without any form of payment or even a credit card. In return, they are presented with in-game ads provided by the Massive Ad Network: It’s the long-term goal for Funcom to make sure that the removal of subscription fees, client costs and the need to have a credit card when registering for Anarchy Online remains a permanent offering. Now, and for the year to come, anyone curious about the heralded qualities of the ultimate sci-fi MMORPG can play without any financial commitments. Sony Strike Deal for Massive In-Game Ads Massive ads coming to Atari's RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 Anarchy Online - Four Year Anniversary (24 Jun) In-Game Ads: Is It Really Good For Gaming ? Ads for Sprite, Motley Crue Appear in Anarchy Online (8 Apr) Discussion >>  Tetsuya Mizuguchi is set to unveil a brand new game at the Tokyo Games Show, which is set to kick off on Friday.The creator of the PSP favourite Lumines and Meteos for the Nintendo DS announced his plan on his official blog, describing the new game as "a fusion between music and video game". Mizuguchi said the game will be on show at Bandai's booth at TGS and also promised to post the game's name on his blog just before the show. Mizuguchi's blog (Japanese) - Machine translation via Gamespot Related: Official site for Tokyo Games Show 2005 Recent IRC Chat with Tetsuya Mizuguchi Sony Reveal First Game/Movie Hybrid UMD U.K. Gamers Snap Up PSP's in Their Thousands Sony Dismiss Nintendo DS as a "Gimmick" U.S. DS Price Drop Confirmed...Wohoo Adult gamers choose DS over PSP Pink, Blue Nintendo DS Hitting Europe in October Discussion >>  Sony Computer Entertainment has announced that all of its worldwide games development studios are to be combined into one giant, global company, headed up by SCE Europe vice president Phil Harrison. Previously, studios in Japan, the U.S., South Korea and Europe worked at creating titles to match the tastes of the audience in each region, at the same time achieving worldwide hit games. The new studio, Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios (SCE WWS), will aim to accelerate the production of hits on a global level: As SCE enters its second decade, we need to reinforce our games development power and create new entertainment experiences that will bring out the best of the technology in platforms such as PSP, PLAYSTATION 3, and beyond," said Ken Kutaragi, President and group CEO, SCEI. Sony Announce Major Recall of Slimline PS2 AC Adaptors Sony Reveal First Game/Movie Hybrid UMD Sony's Phil Harrison: Multiple PS3 Versions "Unlikely" (1 Sept) Sony Dismiss Nintendo DS as a "Gimmick" Next-gen DVD talks collapse Sony: No PS2 Price-Cut Before Christmas MS: PS3 Won't be Affordable in Normal Households Discussion >>  The tenth expansion for EverQuest is now available to buy from Station.com and retail outlets.Depths of Darkhollow adds 7 new zones to the game, 30 unique creatures and over 60 new missions to battle through. New innovations include the ability to play as a monster in the game, items that evolve and advance as you use them and "Spirit Shrouds" that allow you to play as a creature at any level below your own. The expansion costs $29.99 if you buy it either online or in a store, though retail buyers also get exclusive postcards illustrated by Larry Elmore and two special in-game items: a Clockwork Boar mount and a Gargoyle Spirit Shroud for their main character. Check the full range of features or buy Depths of Darkhollow on the official site. Related: EQ: Depths of Darkhollow Site Launched (16 June) SOE Add /donate command to EQ 2 For Katrina Victims (3 Sept) Cheeky Hackers Flood EverQuest II with Fake Money (13 Aug) EverQuest II - Order a Pizza In-Game Discussion >>  World of Warcraft has reached version 1.7 with a new patch released by Blizzard, and the vast game space has been expanded even further with a new area, battleground and angling event.New area Zul'Gurub offers more mysteries for players to uncover in the Stranglethorn jungles, while the latest Battleground, Arathi Basin, lets 15 members of the Horde battle against 15 Alliance in a race to be the first to get 2,000 resources. Stranglethorn also plays host to a new event included in the patch, The Stranglethorn Fishing Extravaganza: Early on the appointed day, friendly neighborhood goblins will visit Ironforge and Orgrimmar to inform aspiring anglers of the grand tournament and give instructions. At the appropriate time, the shout will ring out across Stranglethorn to bait your hooks and cast your lines! Blizzard Confirm WoW Expansion for BlizzCon No Current Plans for Console World of Warcraft WoW Hits 4 Million Subscribers (30 Aug) Mom busts son on WoW forum No Diablo or StarCraft Sequels for BlizzCon World of Warcraft Expansion In The Works (22 June) Diablo 3 Not Good Enough for Blizzard Blizzard Planning Diablo, Starcraft for DS/PSP? Discussion >>  The units were sold in North America, Japan and some European countries during Autumn 2004, and Sony warn users who have one of the adaptors listed here to unplug the unit and discontinue use until a free replacement is provided. Alerts are set to appear in national newspapers tomorrow (14th September) which will include a special Helpline number set up so users can arrange to get a replacement from the company. Alternatively, a support website has been set up for all the affected areas which can be viewed here. Related: Sony: No PS2 Price-Cut Before Christmas (29 Aug) Sony Reveal First Game/Movie Hybrid UMD Blu Ray to Blame for "Expensive" PS3? U.K. Gamers Snap Up PSP's in Their Thousands Discussion >>  Atari have entered into a partnership with Fossil to create a series of nifty-looking watches celebrating the classic Atari games of the eighties.The animated watch faces feature vintage graphics from games like Asteroids, Centipede and Breakout and come in a plastic box with the game's art on it. The watches should be available from selected stores later in the autumn, or the Asteroids watch can be bought on the Fossil website for $130. Related: Hacking the Atari Flashback 2 into a 2600 Atari's Uncertain Future (20 June) Convert Atari 2600 joystick into a PSP Battery Pack Discussion >>  Microsoft have said they expect "to win" the next-gen console battle in Japan, but the results of a new consumer poll kind of puts the marketing hype into perspective. The Nikkei poll has just 6% of those polled expressing an interest in buying an Xbox 360, compared to a whopping 72% for the Playstation 3.Microsoft can glean some hope from the result though; back in July another poll had interest in the 360 at a paltry 2%. Nintendo also saw some impressive gains from the earlier poll despite, or perhaps because of, the mystery still hovering over the Revolution; the console garnered 22% interest in the new poll, up from 8%. Japan: Only 6% Next Gen Consumers Want Xbox 360 Related: Bungie Just As Puzzled As Us Over Origen Xbox 360 Sonic the Hedgehog to get "Rebirth" On PS3, Xbox 360 Microsoft: Xbox 360 Will Win In Japan (16 June) Discussion >>  Bizarre Creations have released another impressive screenshot from their development of Project Gotham Racing 3, this time showing one of their attempts to test the limits of the Xbox 360. The company were testing the crowd-rendering system of PGR3 and decided (as you do) to really push the limits of the Xbox 360 hardware by including 35,000 spectators standing on one of the corners. In the end they failed in their attempt to break the 360; the console handled the massive crowd without any slowdown while running at the game's normal framerate: The most remarkable thing to me was that this was all running at the game's normal frame rate. Not a bit of slowdown. It takes a while for our expectations to adjust to the "next generation" of video games, but I suppose things like this are what we will be seeing from now on... (!) Official site for Project Gotham Racing 3 BizarreCreations.com Realistic PGR3 Screenshot Proven Genuine Discussion >>  The recently-added Latin text on OrigenXbox360.com has started speculation that the site is counting down to an announcement related to Halo, possibly news of the third instalment in the series.The text reads "in hoc spatio arbor noster floruit, fecundus pomies Elysii ignoti, qui in loco ludent electi, ab Originis angelis circumdati", which translates to English as "In this space our tree has flourished abundant with the unknown fruits of Elysium, who will play in the chosen place, surrounded by the angels of Origen". Elysium is the birthplace of Master Chief, the main character in Halo and so an interesting rumour has begun. The rumour is also helped along somewhat by the fact that a mystery site has been used in the past to promote a Halo game - ILoveBees.com served as an entertaining run-up to Halo 2's release last November. However, Bungie have addressed all the emails they have been getting about Origen Xbox 360 in the latest of their Weekly Updates, and say they are as clueless as the rest of us as to the site's significance: I got a lot of mail from folks about www.origenxbox360.com which as far as I can tell, is some kind of viral marketing thing, and maybe even an ilovebees style ARG. Thing is, that's all I know about it. I got the same info as you – six plums (that's what they look like to me) a stick man, an MSN Messenger icon and two rabbits. I think they might be hares. The only thing I've noticed is that if you switch between .org and .com, the image pops to the right a couple of pixels. I'm helping! And I swear, I really DON'T know what this is. More Obscure Clues on Origen Xbox 360 Microsoft Site Hints at Another Xbox 360 ARG Bungie Announce Halo Triple Pack Release Date All Nine Halo 2 Multiplayer Maps Now Free Halo movie looking for 2007 Summer release Zelda Meets Halo Survey Starts Rumour of Strategy/Sim Halo Spin-off I Love Bees Ends - DVD Edition Available (12 Nov '04) Discussion >>  Joystiq has uncovered a mod for Half-Life 2 that will see the classic Nintendo 64 FPS GoldenEye recreated in the Source engine. 36 fans are busy working on GoldenEye Source, and judging from the screenshots the results should be impressive. The modders have managed to model 22 weapons in Source so far, and have completed work on the Temple map. A beta version of the mod is set for release sometime during the Autumn, and when it's properly released, it will be available as a free download to all owners of HL2. GoldenEyeSource.com GoldenEye Source Preview Related: 26 September Release for Day of Defeat: Source High-res Half Life 2 Skin-pack Mod...w00t !! HL2 Fueled - Bringing GTA to HL2 Black Mesa: Source Interview and screens Antlion Troopers - A Half Life 2 Modification You can't handle the G-man! I'm Still Seeing Breen - HL2 Music Video Half Life 3 coming to Xbox 360? Discussion >>  Ordinarily the extras stuffed onto retail versions of movies are limited to director's commentaries or deleted scenes, but Sony are trying a new strategy for the UMD version of the movie Stealth. As well as the movie, the disc will include "WipeOut Pure: Stealth Edition", a shortened version of the game that features a special "Stealth" track not found on the normal version of the game.GameSpot report that this marks the first time the UMD format has seen a game/movie combo on one disc: Dubbed "Wipeout Pure: Stealth Edition," the truncated game will be on the same UMD as the film, a first for the format. The UMD will also include the PSP 2.0 firmware upgrade, which installs an Internet browser on the portable multimedia device/game deck. U.K. Gamers Snap Up PSP's in Their Thousands Sony Announce WipeOut Pure Goodies for PAL Territories PSP Launches in Europe, U.K. (1 September) Sony Dismiss Nintendo DS as a "Gimmick" Sony: Euro PSP's to Ship With Version 2.0 Firmware Windows and Linux on a PSP Even More Features Headed PSP's Way? Megadrive games on your PSP PSP Windshield Mount, a good idea? PSP Hacks and Mods List Discussion >>  The long awaited Civilization IV is set to be released in October, but 2K Games and Firaxis have announced that those who pre-order early will be treated to a special "Pre-order Edition" containing extra goodies at no extra cost.The package comes with Civ IV in special collector's packaging, the game soundtrack on CD, a keyboard template, a tech tree map and a spiral bound version of the game manual. The Pre-order Edition is set to ship on the same day as the normal version of the game, though unfortunately for those of us in Europe, it is only on offer to those who pre-order in participating outlets in the U.S. 2K GAMES LAUNCHES SID MEIER’S CIVILIZATION IV PRE-ORDER PROGRAM Related: 2KGames Civ IV website Civ IV Screenshots Civ Anon - Addicted to Civ? Civilization Coming to DS? Discussion >>  SEGA have announced Sonic the Hedgehog is to be reincarnated once more for the next-gen consoles. In an announcement, the company revealed the Playstation 3/Xbox 360 game is set to mark the 15th anniversary of the franchise on its release next year, and that the creator of the original Sonic, Yuji Naka, is to oversee development. Naka also gave some insight into the aim of the company by saying the game will see a return to the Sonic starting point: "With Sonic The Hedgehog, we have gone back to our starting point, more than 15-years ago, to reinvent the attitude and speed that made our hero a legend. The 'rebirth of Sonic' will offer an unparalleled sense of speed that is only possible using the processing power afforded by the new systems." Related: Sega boss talks Revolution SEGA's Next-Gen Surprise: After Burner? (26 July) Secret Level to develop classic Sega franchise (11 July) SEGA partners with Secret Level for PS3, Xbox 360 content PS2 to welcome SEGA classics Sonic Boss on the Next-Gen Consoles (17 June) Panovation Update On Sonic ORPG (8 June) Discussion >> Archives
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