Category: E3 2007

E3 2007: BlackSite: Area 51 Trailer

The first E3 trailer is out! Although the event isn’t supposed to start in at least four days, Midway has released the trailer for BlackSite: Area 51, its upcoming “spiritual sequel” to the action-shooter released a couple of years ago.

The trailer can be found on FileFront, Gameplay Monthly, Gamer’s Hell and Strategy Informer.

NCSoft's E3 Lineup

With E3 beginning in just a couple of days, NCSoft sent out its lineup for the show. The publisher will be showing off Tabula Rasa, Aion, Guild Wars: Eye of the North and Dungeon Runners

RICHARD GARRIOTT’S TABULA RASA
Tabula Rasa has been in closed beta testing since May and is set for launch this fall. Tabula Rasa is poised to evolve the massively multiplayer online genre with a host of fresh features such as a character cloning system, dynamic battlefields with contested control points, deep storylines with ethical parables and fully integrated voice chat. Tabula Rasa also offers players an original alien language named Logos that unlocks special powers, and fast paced combat that combines real time action with role-playing game style character development. These kinds of features are the types of touches that players have come to expect over the years from a Richard Garriott game.

AION
From NCsoft’s Seoul studios, Aion, is one of the most visually stunning MMOGs in development. Cutting-edge graphics redefine players’ expectations of online role-playing and reveal a true fantasy world where divine beings wage a war that will determine the future of the world. This highly anticipated title is set for release in 2008.

GUILD WARS: EYE OF THE NORTH
Guild Wars: Eye of the North is the first true expansion to the Guild Wars® franchise, one of the most popular online role-playing game franchises on the market today. Guild Wars: Eye of the North delves into the dungeons and caverns of the lands of Tyria that players first explored in the original Guild Wars game. Guild Wars: Eye of the North continues Guild Wars’ no subscription fee model and will provide new content accessible to players who own both the expansion and any one of the three previously released Guild Wars campaigns. Guild Wars: Eye of the North is set for release on August 31 at an anticipated price of $39.99.

DUNGEON RUNNERS
Dungeon Runners is a free to download and play online multiplayer role playing game set in a sword-and-shield world where players get piles of loot and treasure by defeating hordes of evil monsters enemies. It’s a different game model that fits right in to NCsoft’s diversified online game lineup. Dungeon Runners has recently opened up play to the general public and will have large chunks of new content implemented through the summer.

The company will be based at the Shertaon Delfina Hotel in Santa Monica. Additionally, Tabula Rasa will be on display at the E3 exhibit located inside Barker Hangar at the Santa Monica airport.

Majesco's E3 2007 Lineup

Majesco has announced its lineup for its E3 2007 showing next week. The publisher will show off quite a few games, including the following for the Wii and Xbox 360:

Included among Majesco’s next-gen products is Blast Works: Build, Fuse & Destroy for the Wii home video game system from Nintendo. Developed by Budcat Creations and based on the popular Tumiki Fighters online game, Blast Works is a side-scrolling shooter that lets players build their own game by creating custom levels, ships and enemy ships. This “sticky” geometric shooter also lets players absorb the pieces and weapons of destroyed enemy ships to bolster their own defenses during battle and transform into boss-sized ships.

Majesco will also be showing its recently announced Furu Furu Park on the Wii console. Developed by Taito and 505 Games, Furu Furu Park is a collection of 30 stylized arcade games that take advantage of the Wii Remote’s range of motion to entertain players of all skill levels and ages. Included amongst them are classics like Arkanoid and Bubble Bobble, along with quirky new offerings like Super Karate, Sonic Blastman 20XX and Safe Cracker.

Majesco will be showcasing its first Xbox 360 title, Kengo: Legend of the 9. Players assume the role of nine famous samurai warriors as they fight through lush high-definition environments in feudal Japan. Developed by Genki, the game includes four gameplay modes including: a deep, story-driven single player Main Mode, specific timed challenges in Mission Mode, 2-player head-to-head Combat Mode, and Xbox LIVE Leaderboard that lets gamers pit AI profiles against one another via Xbox LIVE.

The company will also be showing off a couple of portable titles for the DS:

  • Nancy Drew and the Deadly Secret of Olde World Park: The world’s most recognizable teen sleuth makes her handheld debut in this interactive mystery from Gorilla Games.
  • Zoo Hospital: Step into the role of veterinary intern at a world-famous zoo and help diagnose and treat a wide variety of exotic animals from adorable chimps to deadly komodo dragons.
  • Holly Hobbie & Friends: Featuring the girl with heart, Holly Hobbie, and her best friends Carrie and Amy, Holly Hobbie™ & Friends lets players enjoy themed mini-games that include: cooking, biking, dancing, designing posters, dressing up and more.
  • Turn It Around: Players must master the Touch Screen turn wheel in 24 arcade-style games including Elevator Action and Packed Train.
  • Operation: Vietnam: Developed by Coyote Console, Operation: Vietnam drops players into the war-torn jungles of Vietnam as they try to escape enemy territory with their squad of four soldiers.
  • The Wild West: This action shooter incorporates both 2D and 3D levels in Touch Screen shoot outs on the untamed frontier.

Majesco will be present in booths 222-224 at the Santa Monica Air Center, Barkar Hangar.

Microsoft Bringing E3 Home This Year, Too

This year’s E3 is shaping up to be a great one! For the second year running, Microsoft will be bringing a sneak preview of upcoming Xbox 360 games in the form of E3: Bringing It Home, delivering content from the show in the form of trailers, themes, gamer pictures and demos.

The company will also be putting up its E3 2007 press conference on Xbox Live Marketplace in high-definition, besides content from these games and many others:

“Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation” (NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc.)
“Assassin’s Creed” (Ubisoft)
“BioShock” (2K)
“Blue Dragon” (Microsoft Game Studios)
“Burnout Paradise” (Electronic Arts Inc.)
“CALL OF DUTY® 4: MODERN WARFARE™” (Activision)
“FIFA Soccer 08” (Electronic Arts)
“Guitar Hero III” (Activision/RedOctane)
“Lost Odyssey™” (Microsoft Game Studios)
“Madden NFL 08” (Electronic Arts)
“NCAA Football 08” (Electronic Arts)
“Need for Speed: ProStreet” (Electronic Arts)
“Project Gotham Racing® 4” (Microsoft Game Studios)
“The Simpsons Game” (Electronic Arts)
“Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08” (Electronic Arts)
“WWE® SmackDown® vs. Raw® 2008” (THQ)

The press release notes that there will be “many surprises”, so stay tuned to the Xbox Live calendar for details.

1C Announces E3 2007 Lineup

Leading European publisher 1C Company announced its plans to attend next week’s E3. The publisher’s lineup includes the US launch of a brand new FPS, a never-before-seen driving combat game, a classic fantasy title and a new build of its AAA shooter.

Our newest FPS is Necrovision, an intense shooter with both a combat system and a mystical spell system to help combat the realistic and fantasy enemies. Interactive elements, puzzles and huge boss battles will be the staples of this title. Joining Necrovision is our AAA action shooter, Cryostasis. Cryostasis puts players in the boots of a Meteorologist on an ice trapped freighter fighting off the frozen denezens of the ship and bitter cold. 1C is also bringing back two classic games in modern form. Death Track: Resurrection – the successor to the legendary Deathtrack, a game which is considered by many the founder of the modern combat racing genre will be drivable at E3. Also the beloved King’s Bounty is back in all its RPG and turn-based combat glory. However this time it’s all 3D with cutting-edge special effects, a new build will be available to play at the 1C booth. Finally the new classic XIII Century: Death or Glory where knights clash in fierce battles will be available to play as well.

Along with the playable builds above 1C will have review and preview titles available to approved journalists on site. These include review builds of Star Wolves 2, Parkan II and You Are Empty, a preview build of Death to Spies and a Fantasy Wars demo. Assets for these and all other games from the 1C 2007-08 lineup will be available on the digital press kit at the booth.

The company will be showing off its wares at booth #327 in Barkar Hanger in Santa Monica.

The Bourne Conspiracy Game Announced

Sierra Entertainment today announced Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Conspiracy, the first title in its exclusive partnership with Ludlum Entertainment. Internally developed at High Moon Studios, the game will combine the best-selling novel and the hit film with all-new content. It will be released for the PS3 and Xbox 360 in Summer 2008.

Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Conspiracy, will give players the experience of becoming a 30 million dollar elite agent, fusing an experience that delves deep into Jason Bourne’s character with gameplay and game presentation inspired by the aggressive filmmaking and frenetic action found in the films. Only by playing Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Conspiracy will players discover Bourne’s true identity and experience the very moment he became a malfunctioning weapon, first hunting targets around the world as a deadly government assassin then marking himself as his agency’s most wanted.

Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Conspiracy promises constant tension and action, with players adopting Jason Bourne’s piercing sense of survival, cunning nature, heightened target awareness and firearms training that allow him to engage and eliminate small armies. As a third-person espionage action game, players move from fistfights to firefights to experience sequences that, unlike any other game, seamlessly blend Bourne’s signature hand-to-hand combat with intense shooting and the ability to escape and evade deadly situations.

More information will be disclosed at E3, which will be held July 11-13 in Santa Monica, CA. The game will also grace the August issue of The Official Xbox Magazine which hits newsstands July 3.

Below are the first three screenshots from the game:

God of War PSP to Use Full CPU Speed

chains-of-olympus.jpgIn his follow-up to the ultra-thin interview, Cory Barlog, the creative director behind God of War: Chains of Olympus, has confirmed that Ready at Dawn will indeed take full advantage of the recently unthrottled PSP CPU.

Though his follow-up post contained more meat, his E3-interview on the PlayStation Blog is far more humorous. When asked if he could sit a person in front of his game for one hour who it would be, came his ingenious reply: “Jack Thompson. I think after 5 minutes of playing the game that hard crunchy exterior would melt away and reveal his candy coated liberal center.”

There’s more, but you’ll have to read it to get it all.

id Tech 5 Announced

dsc_5199.jpgEngadget’s WWDC 2007 live-blog was the first to break news of id’s shiny new engine that was shown off during Steve Jobs’ keynote. John Carmack, the programming guru at id Software, had this to say:

So the last couple of years at iD we’ve been working in secrecy on next-gen tech and a game for it… this is the first time we’re showing anything we’ve done on it publicly.” iD Tech 5… “What we’ve got here is the entire world with unique textures, 20GB of textures covering this track. They can go in and look at the world and, say, change the color of the mountaintop, or carve their name into the rock. They can change as much as they want on surfaces with no impact on the game.

Basically, the engine removes the texture memory constraints and allows artists and designers to customize the world with virtually unlimited visual fidelity. At least that’s what id’s announcement had to say. Dubbed id Tech 5, the engine will render vast outdoor landscapes, as well as indoor environments with unprecedented visual detail.

The engine has been announced for the PC, Mac, PS3 and Xbox 360. More information, as well as another Mac announcement will be revealed at E3 next month.