GamerNode: Latest Game and Console News

GoldenEye returns?

A recent update to an animator's resume has shed some light on what possibly could be a new GoldenEye game in development for the Wii, with the potential for Xbox 360 and PS3 versions.

The animator in question was Craig Peck, who works at Eurocom Entertainment Software. Having previously developed Quantum of Solace for various platforms in 2008, it would seem that Eurocom's next Bond project will involve a Wii release and a return to the world of GoldenEye.

The resume -- now removed from Peck's website -- contained this writing:

"Eurocom Entertainment Software, Derby, United Kingdom: July 09 - Sept 09 Animator - GoldenEye 2010 (Wii) - Animator on Activision's James Bond series for the Nintendo Wii."

Apart from a previous confirmation by Activision that a new Bond game is in the works, no o...

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Update: Netflix support for PS3 announced, uses sp...

Well, the cat is finally out of the bag. After countless rumors and whispers around the industry about Netflix coming to other consoles, today the video rental service announced that their streaming service will be coming to the PS3. The service will also be free for all Playstation Network users who have Netflix accounts, compared to the Xbox service which requires a Xbox Live Gold account.

PSN users will have access to all the features that Xbox users have, such as managing your queue right from your PS3 and HD streaming. The service is expected to drop sometime next month.

Update: It looks like PS3 Netflix users will be required to use a special Netflix disc in order to access the streaming service. You can reserve your disc here and it will ship to you when they are available. The disc w...

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DJ Hero expected to have slow initial sales

With the massive hype train and amazing soundtrack behind it, you would think DJ Hero would be the a sales juggernaut this holiday season for music fans all over. Not so according to Kai Huang, co-creator of the Guitar Hero franchise. Huang voiced his expectations of the new title saying, "We're expecting this to be the type of game that may come out of the gate a little bit slower, but continue to grow over time."

DJ Hero may follow the same path that the original Guitar Hero took. The original fret-slapping music title started slow and gained more momentum through word of mouth and positive reviews. We'll have to see if DJ Hero can do the same and attain the financial success and popularity that its rock brethren have gained.

[IGN] 

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PS3 aiming to outsell Xbox 360 in 2009

It's easily apparent that the PS3 has been faring better within the recent months. Boosted sales of the PS3 Slim and the popularity of Uncharted 2 has surged PS3 sales to stratospheric heights. High enough, in fact, to warrant a prediction that the PS3 has a chance of overtaking the Xbox 360 in overall console sales by the end of this year. But does the PS3 have enough steam to leap ahead of the Green Giant?

According to website Playstation Insider, it does. The PS3 has already recovered its dismal launch numbers by closing the gap that the Xbox 360 established when it was released.

The momentum does not stop there, as the console is already conquering the 360 in Japan and Europe; an additional hundred thousand units sold would place the PS3 ahead of the 360 within the U.S. PS3 sales have re...

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Modern Warfare 2 boycott 'official'

Infinity Ward has caused quite a stir over the implementation of their own online infrastructure known as IWNET and removal of user-based dedicated servers for Modern Warfare 2. Angry comments and a petition with over 135,000 signatures urging Infinity Ward to change back to dedicated servers have been all over the web since the announcement.

The worst isn't over for the developer of Modern Warfare 2, as Gamers Nexus user Lelldorianx has laid out and is attempting to implement an "official" boycott for the game. In it the writer has laid down ground rules for anyone on the boycott to follow in order to achieve a level of success.

"After reading several hundred comments across multiple collaborative news sites (like N4G.com), I've come to the conclusion that reporting it in an unbiased manner...

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Ubisoft has decided on Assassin's Creed III settin...

Ubisoft knows when and where the next installment in the Assassin's Creed series will be, but the company isn't about to announce that setting just yet.

Asked if Ubisoft knew what "pivital moments" in history Assassin's Creed III would cover, Montreal studio boss Yannis Mallat replied, "oh yeah." But the studio boss wouldn't say what those moments were.

"We know how to keep our secrets," Mallat added. "Think about it, Assassin's Creed as a brand is definitely oriented towards reliving pivotal moments in history. So along that path we may revisit some interesting moments."

The Ubi Montreal president was then asked if the company had planned out the ending for the story to Desmond Miles. "Who talked about an ending?" teased Mallat.

This has been the second time Ubisoft has hinted that Assassin's...

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Force Unleashed PC system requirements released

Aspyr Media has released the system requirements for the impending PC port of Lucas Arts' action game Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

Many PC gamers were jilted to learn that Force Unleashed wouldn't appear for computer systems, according to an interview with Lucas Arts producer Cameron Suey conducted last spring. Citing difficulty with scaling the technical and graphical aspects of the game, Suey surmised that only owners of extremely high-end computers would be able to run the game correctly.

Lucas Arts pulled a quick about-face at this year's Comic Con, with the announcement that the Apprentice will indeed return to grace the monitors of computer gamers.

With a tentative early-winter release planned for the upcoming port, many gamers have been waiting with bated breath for more information...

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Ignition Entertainment announces Arc Rise Fantasia...

Ignition Entertainment has announced today that they will localize the Japanese Wii RPG Arc Rise Fantasia for North America. The game is the newest title to be developed by Image Epoch, developers of the Luminous Arc series. The game will be turn-based and will have players step into the shoes of L'Arc, a "calm and composed mercenary, who sets out to defend the Meridian Empire from an impending invasion of ferocious creatures."

According to the press release, the battle system allows you to queue up attacks in any manner you want or summon monsters to help the party. You can also execute team-up attacks a la Chrono Trigger for massive damage.

"It's an ambitious Japanese role-playing game with deep gameplay, top-notch production values, and an unforgettable story line -- Wii owners have been...

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Fable III to have in-game 'shop' for microtransact...

Support for Project Natal wasn't the only announcement Peter Molyneux had for those attending the BAFTA Annual Video Game Lecture in London regarding Fable III. The well-known game designer also revealed a microtransaction system for the game.

Speaking of his vision of the future of videogames, Molyneux announced that the next game in the Fable series would have an in-game shop where microtransactions can take place. He proposed the shop would include special items such as weapons that would be offered for a fee of around $1.70 USD.

The store will also sell access to DLC areas, such as Knothole Island from Fable II, for a higher fee. Molyneux stated he was looking for a more harmonious way of merging a game with its DLC.

[That VideoGame Blog]

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Korg DS-10 Plus coming to America courtesy of XSEE...

XSEED Games announced today that it will bring Korg DS-10 Plus to North America for Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi. Developed by AQ Interactive, Korg DS-10 Plus is a sequel to the original DS game which was a replica of the Korg synthesizer. It brings all the features and user experience of the real synthesizer to the handheld. It's less a game and more of a music application that allows you to create your own music to share or export. You can also have up to eight systems play music together or swap tunes.

The new version will include four analog synthesizers, eight drum synthesizers, up to twelve tracks on one song, and real-time editing. DSi owners get two extra effects layers. No release date has been set of yet.

If you want a taste of what the tool can do on DS, check out this recreation ...

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Civilization Network launching on Facebook in 2010...

To the Civilization addicts out there, now you definitely won't be able to escape the "One More Turn" disease. Sid Meier has announced a Facebook version of the popular turn-based strategy games. Civilization Network will drop on Facebook in 2010 and feature a "fully persistent environment" and be "free to play."

The CivNet Facebook page will be looking for beta testers soon, so if you need to statisfy the addiction early, head over and grab the details. As for me, now I definitely won't find time to get away from my PC. It'll be Civ at night and more Civ on Facebook during the day -- a recipe for success at stealing my time.

[Facebook]

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Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 upcoming DLC includes s...

Marvel Comics got a little antsy and spilled the beans on new content coming to Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2. According to a blog post over at Marvel.com, the upcoming DLC for the game will feature simulation missions and former PS2- and Wii-exclusive character Psylocke.

They go on to detail what the missions will be: "Insidious Alliance" will have you up against other Marvel bad guys in arena style combat. The second mission is sure to get arcade and retro gamers salivating. "Titled Balance" is an homage to old side-scrolling beat-em-up games like, in Vicarious Visions Mark Webster's own words, the original X-Men arcade game.

I can't wait to see how that mission will play out. Anything even remotely resembling that old six-player co-op X-Men arcade cabinet is ok in my book.

[Marvel.com]

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Fable 3 Natal support confirmed

To the (un)surprise of everyone, Fable series designer Peter Molyneux has announced that Fable 3 will support Microsoft's Natal technology during a lecture at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

Gamesbrief founder Nicholas Lovell was on hand at the lecture to tweet about the announcement:

"Fable 3 will have Natal support. Is that an announcement? #molyneux"

Short, sweet, and to the point. No official word from developer Lionhead Studios yet, but expect one soon.

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Q-Games discouraged from future PixelJunk ports be...

While PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe debuted to great fanfare and good reviews, developer Q-Games sees things in a different light. President Dylan Cuthbert has suggested that the rampant piracy of his game and other games on the PSP may deter them from future PSP development. Cuthbert stated in a tweet on their Twitter page: "I don't think we'll port anything else to the PSP, we have to see how PJMD does as there's a *lot* of piracy," following with, "because Monsters is such a good fit it is being pirated I think."

It's always bad news to see a developer consider steering away from a platform because of piracy, but PSP pirates are so rampant it seems it's the only way a developer might see to combat the piracy. The final comment from Cuthbert explains it: "unfortunately the pirates could just ...

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God of War 3 DLC may include challenge rooms

It would be crazy to think a huge release like God of War 3 wont have DLC content, but according to director Stig Asmussen, they are only considering the option. In an interview with GamePro, he said the game will of course ship with series standard challenge rooms, with the possibility of more for download. They have a few ideas, including  "riding a Cyclops to get through a certain type of hazard or area or something like that."

We should expect the DLC rooms considering the popularity of the God of War franchise, and hopefully there will be a steady trickle for fans to keep interested come the game's March 2010 release date.

[Gamepro]

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Infinity Ward unyielding on dedicated server fiasc...

When Infinity Ward announced that the PC version of their upcoming Modern Warfare 2 will lack dedicated server support, the gaming community was in an uproar. Roving bands of disgruntled gamers called for the immediate boycott of the game, along with fervent threats of cancelled pre-orders and server sit-outs. Infinity Ward responded in kind, with many threads being deleted and quarrels silenced. Today, the besieged developer has released a final statement that evidently affirms their decision.

Infinity Ward co-heads Vince Zampella and Jason West sought to justify the yanking of dedicated servers with this statement:

"We're just prioritizing the player experience above the modders and the tuners. We thought maybe it would be cool if the fans could play the game."

When asked about the possible...

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September NPD report is the best in months

The NPD delayed the release of its monthly reports on the gaming industry because it wanted to double-check its figures. The reason? The industry as a whole posted its first positive year-to-year sales report after months of decline.

Since this year's report was over a five-week period instead of last year's four, the NPD ruled the difference essentially flat as a whole. But the results still stop a six-month skid that erased the industry's label of "recession proof."

"The industry managed a modest increase over September 2008, and generated the second bestselling September on record after 2007 when Halo 3 released and sold over 3 million copies that month," said NPD analyst Anita Frazier. "On a unit sales basis, the industry was flat. The increase in revenues is driven by a rise in average ...

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This week's releases: 10/18 - 10/24

A FPS/RPG hybrid, a game on a sport everyone in the world but the US calls football, portable GTA, and some good old squared circle wrestling highlight the releases for the upcoming week. Gearbox's Borderlands tops a list that includes FIFA Soccer 10 by EA, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars for the PSP, and WWE Smackdown! vs. RAW 2010. Here's the full list of what's coming to game retailers this week.

DS:

Astro Boy: The Video GameBakugan: Battle BrawlersCharm Girls Club: My Fashion Mall/Fashion Show/Perfect PromCooking Mama 3: Shop & ChopImagine: Fashion Designer World TourFIFA Soccer 10Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010Littlest Pet Shop Friends: Beach/City/CountryMarvel Super Hero SquadSecret Saturdays: Beasts of the 5th SunSpace Invaders Extreme 2WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2010

PC:

Tropico 3

P...

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Analyst: Borderlands on shaky ground

With the imminent onslaught of holiday shopping just around the corner, market analysts are issuing their predictions on which games will have the chops to survive throughout the end of the year. Many have looked to games that blend genres as a refreshing take on tried-and-true game mechanics -- say, Borderlands for example. One analyst, however, thinks the upcoming release of the FPS/RPG hybrid will be the final nail in the coffin.

Videogame analyst Michael Pachter of Wedbush Securities had this to say on the bleak future of Borderlands:

"I think Borderlands is the definition of a game that should have had its own window and not be up against all this stuff. It's absolutely the same audience. I don't think it's as much an RPG as they would like us to believe. If it's an RPG, Dragon Age ...

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No dedicated server support for Modern Warfare 2 P...

Hot on the heels of the announcement that Modern Warfare 2 will not be delayed on the PC, Infinity Ward dropped another bombshell on the MW2 PC community. On the podcast of Call of Duty fansite Bash and Slash, Robert Bowling revealed that there will be no dedicated server support in the game. Instead, the game will rely on Infinity Ward's server tech entitled IWNet, which won't allow users to host their own servers.

While automated matchmaking is pretty standard for consoles, hardcore PC gamers usually flock to their own servers or servers that they frequent with their friends. Dedicated servers also allow custom maps and modes, which is both standard and a big benefit for PC users. It'll be interesting to see how PC gamers react to the game now that they are shut out of the multiplayer mod...

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