Konami Digital Entertainment Reveals Details For Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots

Following opening remarks made during the General Session at the 2008 Destination PlayStation retailer event in Scottsdale AZ, Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. confirmed several new initiatives related to Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, including a North American street date, online multiplayer, and pre‐sell program.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is the final chapter in the saga of Solid Snake which sends him around the world in pursuit of his arch nemesis, Liquid Ocelot. Armed with new gadgets and abilities, Solid Snake must shift the tides of war into his favor, using the chaos of the battlefield to infiltrate deep into enemy territory. In his globetrotting final mission, Snake must sneak deep into enemy locations in the Middle East, South America, and other corners of the Earth to foil Liquid Ocelot’s plans for total world domination.

Street Date
Opening remarks revealed that the final chapter in the saga of super spy Solid Snake is expected to arrive in stores in North America on Thursday June 12th, 2008. “Blockbuster events and premieres are a tradition of the summer,” said Kazumi Kitaue, Konami Digital Entertainment Inc. Chairman and CEO. “We anticipate that Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots fits that bill perfectly, and consumers will be waiting in line to get their copy of the game just like it’s a hit Hollywood movie.”

Metal Gear Online Starter Pack
It was also confirmed today that Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots will launch with the Metal Gear Online “Starter Pack” supporting online gameplay. In addition to the single player experience, gamers will also be able to take the action online with up to 16 players and battle it out using the latest weapons and stealth techniques.

Pre‐Sell Program
Beginning April 2008, consumers that pre‐order Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots will receive the Metal Gear Saga 2.0 DVD, containing a Prologue that recaps the Metal Gear franchise, a 20th Anniversary retrospective, character bios for Big Boss, Liquid Snake, Solidus Snake, and Solid Snake, plus a collection of international trailers of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. This pre‐order package also contains an insert with a download code and special instructions for accessing the Metal Gear Online beta test when it goes live in late April. This special pre‐order package will only be available while supplies last.

Get ready for war on an epic scale with BATTLESTATIONS: PACIFIC

Eidos Interactive Ltd., one of the world’s leading publishers and developers of entertainment software, can today confirm that Battlestations: Pacific, the official sequel to 2007’s acclaimed Battlestations: Midway, will be released on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Games for Windows.

Set in WWII, Battlestations: Pacific delivers intense, action-packed combat and strategic warfare on an extraordinary scale and features two distinctly different single player campaigns. As the Americans, the game picks up the story where Battlestations: Midway left off and allows players to fight their way from The Battle of Midway to Okinawa as they try to secure peace in the Pacific. As the Japanese however, players take control of the Imperial Japanese fleet and have the unique chance to fight at Pearl Harbor before attempting to change the course of history and take full control of the Pacific Ocean.

Battlestations: Pacific offers a unique blend of action and strategy, as players must plan their moves carefully on huge open-world arenas and then fight in the air, above sea and underwater as they take direct control of their units and storm into combat. Join forces with friends online or play solo against the computer controlled opponents in the all-new Skirmish mode or battle each other in one of the five new, innovative multiplayer modes.

“Battlestations: Pacific is even bigger, more authentic and innovative than ever before, taking the Battlestations franchise to the next level and allowing players to relive some of the most memorable battles in modern history, as well as gain an insight into what could have been, should Japan have gained the upper hand against the United States,” said Trevor Burrows, Brand Manager at Eidos. “We have been paying great attention to our loyal online community and fan base to ensure that Battlestations: Pacific delivers the most exciting, authentic and fun Battlestations experience yet!”

Battlestations: Pacific features a massive US and Japanese single player campaign with over 28 story missions, double the size of the previous Battlestations: Midway. The game also features 21 new units, including kamikaze and other WWII jets and units. Players can now experience for the first time a whole new level of depth of gameplay while taking direct control of the infamous Ohka and other Japanese air units that terrorised the Pacific Ocean during WW2.

For the first time, the game also includes the tactical landing of troops in battle. Launch your parachute squadrons with pin-point accuracy or ensure the safe passage of your landing craft and watch your battalions of troops capture key locations, man the defensive artillery and gain a strategic foothold to support your offensive efforts.

Battlestations: Pacific is set for release on Xbox 360 and Games For Windows.

Eccentric weapons in Elf Online

As the Confucius said, A craftsman, if he means to do good work, must first sharpen his tools. It’s quit a golden saying. In Elf Online (http://elf.happymmo.com), whatever your career is, weapon is always the foremost item to bear the brunt of fighting externally as well as bring out your characteristics and disposition internally.

The weapon system of Elf Online (http://elf.happymmo.com) is composed of short weapon, long distant weapon, double weapon, soft weapon, boxing tools, etc. Here we will introduce some interesting weapons which are out of common imagination.

Boxing Chicken Leg Stick, please notice that it’s not a delicious fried chicken leg from KFC or Macdonald, so when you see it, please cautious and stop your mouth watering despite its attractive smell.

Dodging Banana Dart. Does it made from banana? May be. It makes sense that even banana peel can make you slip down, let alone banana dart. Please pay more attention to it. Toilet Brushes for Knights. Judged from its name, we can guess it’s a noble weapon for the cavalier, but, toilet brush? Ha-ha, I can’t believe it even when I saw.

OK, it is hard to list all the wonderful weapons in Elf Online (http://elf.happymmo.com), please join in the game and enjoy more fun there.

More information about Elf Online, please visit http://elf.happymmo.com
Official forum: http://forum.happymmo.com/

English trailer for Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King

Even though we’re still running content from GDC on Siliconera the conference seems like a distant memory. Last week at Square Enix’s WiiWare panel, I saw an English trailer for Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King. The trailer didn’t go into gameplay, there was a second video detailing that, but for those of you who were not at GDC you get to see approximately a third of the video presentation. (The second video was significantly longer than the trailer.)



Is Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King aesthetically pleasing? Originally, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King was going to have graphics slightly better than the best looking Virtual Console games (read: Nintendo 64) to keep costs down. The team had a change of heart and settled on upgrading the visuals to make them on par with a Gamecube game. Finally, since this was a Final Fantasy title they wanted to go all out.

Even more interesting, as revealed in the Q&A, My Life as a King didn’t begin its life as a Final Fantasy game at all. Instead of fluffy moogles this could have had original characters.

Source: Siliconera

Nintendo Wii version of the Freeloader complete

I’m sure you’ve read this somewhere else by now, but in case you haven’t a Nintendo Wii version of the Freeloader exists. Datel’s device allows gamers to boot Wii games regardless of region similar to the Gamecube Freeloader, which was recently blocked by a Nintendo firmware update. Until the next firmware fix this nifty tool should let importers pick up Japan only releases like Naruto Shippuden: Gekitou Ninja Taisen EX 2 and Eyeshield 21: Field Saikyou no Senshi Tachi plus a bevy of games before they get released internationally.

So, why did I wait on posting breaking news? I put in multiple calls / e-mails to Datel to ask if the product is actually shipping, what games they’ve tested and if they have a contingency plan to fight firmware updates. I still don’t have a solid answer to any of these questions, but these are the things that happen behind the scenes at some desk littered with Katamari cell phone charms.

Source: Siliconera

The Velvet Assassin Strikes Down Sabotage video game - with video

Today developer Replay Studios, along with publisher Gamecock Media Group, have announced the official name change for ’Velvet Assassin’, their upcoming stealth-action title formerly known as ‘Sabotage’. The new title creates a perfect marriage between the story of real life hero Violette Szabo and the clandestine art of sabotage she championed. From the incredibly innovative art style, storyline, and combat gameplay, Velvet Assassin is poised to revolutionize the stealth-action genre later this year.



“Rather than a trite, overused, and generic working title like ‘Sabotage,’ ‘Velvet Assassin’ captures the heart of what we’re trying to accomplish,” said Sascha Jungnickel, Creative Director at Replay Studios. “From the start we’ve wanted a game with a strong female lead that stays true to the history of Violette Szabo while pulling players into a world of dark intrigue.”

Inspired by the true story of British Agent Violette Szabo, players will take on the role of Violette Summer. Behind enemy lines in Nazi occupied Europe, Violette risks her life fighting to fell the Third Reich with anything she can get her hands on, including enemy soldiers. With no support or official backing from the British Government, Violette puts everything on the line to defeat the German war machine – one mission at a time. Velvet Assassin combines lush, surreal visuals, a ground-breaking stealth combat system and one of the most unique perspectives ever brought to gaming. Velvet Assassin is planned to release in Fall 2008 on PC and next-generation consoles.

“Most of the time a name change happens because it’s not ‘catchy’ enough or because the marketing team didn’t like it,” said Tim Hesse, Executive Producer at Gamecock Media Group. “I have to say, the Replay crew have outdone themselves by making Violette into one of the best looking stealth-killers ever. This game has come so far since last year that Sabotage just didn’t do the game justice – ‘Velvet Assassin’ sums up every aspect that makes this game great.”

Replay Studios will be on hand with Velvet Assassin at Gamecock’s EIEIO 2008 in Austin, Texas on March 6th. For more information, please visit: www.EIEIO2008.com

EXCLUSIVE REQUIEM BETA ACCESS Download and play now

EXCLUSIVE REQUIEM BETA ACCESS

MATURE: 17+ USERS ONLY

FilePlanet Free MMO Club users are the FIRST to get into the Requiem Online beta. If you're at least 18 years old, and looking for a serious, mature MMO then look no further - Requiem Online is for you. The game features a storyline of conflict between good and evil, graphic and bloody battles, and a unique DNA customization system that lets players develop new powers.


Be one of the FIRST to get into the Requiem Online beta test. We have the first batch of keys exclusively here on FilePlanet's Free MMO Club!

Get it here...

No Doubt Hits Now Available For Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock

No Doubt Hits Now Available For Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock

Fans will now be able to shred to hits from No Doubt’s renowned album Tragic Kingdom with the release of a new downloadable track pack for Activision, Inc.’s (Nasdaq: ATVI) Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.

This epic set of master recordings is plucked straight from No Doubt’s diamond selling album and includes such beloved chart toppers as “Don’t Speak,” “Excuse Me Mr.,” and “Sunday Morning.” The track pack is currently offered on Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and will be available later today on PLAYSTATION Store for the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system.

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock offers the ultimate rock experience with new wireless guitars, freshly added content and features including a multiplayer action-inspired battle mode, grueling boss battles, a host of exclusive unlockable content and visually stunning rock venues. Expanded online multiplayer modes allow axe-shredders worldwide to compete head-to-head for true rock status as they riff through a star-studded soundtrack including master tracks by legendary artists such as Aerosmith, Guns 'N' Roses, The Rolling Stones, Beastie Boys, Rage Against the Machine and Pearl Jam, as well as original songs by guitar icons Slash and Tom Morello. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is now available and is rated "T" for Teen by the ESRB.

2K Sports Steps Up to Bat with Exciting Wii Motion Controls for Major League Baseball 2K8

2K Sports Steps Up to Bat with Exciting Wii Motion Controls for Major League Baseball 2K8

What better way to for gamers to enjoy a baseball video game than to move like they are actually playing baseball? With Major League Baseball 2K8 on the Wii home video game system, fans of all ages and skill levels will be able to step up to the plate and hit one out of the park. Major League Baseball 2K8 provides the most fun and exciting baseball simulation experience available and the innovative Wii controls allow fans the opportunity to pitch, bat, field and run the bases using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk.

Some of the fun new Wii gameplay controls for Major League Baseball 2K8 include:
Pitching – To pitch, players simply point the Wii Remote at the screen, pull back to start the pitcher’s motion, then flick the Wii Remote forward. The quicker the player flicks the remote, the more velocity and movement the pitch will have. The Nunchuk can be used to view a player’s pitch arsenal and to select which pitch to throw.

Batting – Swinging for the fences with Major League Baseball 2K8 on Wii will provide fans with even more fun when they control the Wii Remote as if they were swinging a real bat. The Nunchuk acts to control the direction of the ball.

Fielding – While controlling their designated player using the Nunchuk, players can snag fly balls and use the Wii Remote to throw to the appropriate base. Players can use Major League Baseball 2K8’s “Smart Throw” technology to throw to the best base by simply flicking the Wii Remote or can manually choose which base to throw to by pressing a direction on the directional pad

Baserunning – Players can control the speed of their baserunning by shaking the Wii Remote and Nunchuk simultaneously, then pushing both controllers to slide.

Major League Baseball 2K8, rated E for Everyone by the ESRB, will be available in retail stores on March 4, 2008, for Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Wii home video game system, PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, and PSP (PlayStationPortable) system.

For more information about Major League Baseball 2K8, please visit www.2Ksports.com.

SBK08, the official game of the HANNspree Superbike World Championship

SBK08 – First official trailer available!



Black Bean Games is pleased to announce the exclusive release of the first trailer for SBK08, the official game of the HANNspree Superbike World Championship, developed by Milestone. The video is available now on www.gamespot.co.uk

As well as featuring the official teams, riders and tracks of the current WSBK Championship, SBK08 has six difficulty settings, that will appeal to WSBK fans and gamers alike. A fast paced, action packed arcade mode for gamers that want to jump in and challenge WSBK greats like Troy Bayliss and Max Biaggi, through to a full simulation mode for those that like to be challenged by mastering a superbike round some of the worlds most famous circuits including Donington, Valencia, Miller, Misano, Assen, Magny Cours and many more

SBK08 will be available on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PSP, PlayStation 2 and PC and is scheduled for release in May 08