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Guitar Hero’s October Set List
Activision has laid out an October filled with filled with rock – a Rocktober, if you will – with tracks coming to Guitar Hero from Queens of the Stone Age, Wolfmother, Billy Squier, and more. Guitar Hero gets three new tracks every Thursday in October, kicking things off on the 5th with the Queens of…
By Mike Fahey Published September 28, 2009 -
8 Minutes Of Modern Warfare 2 Story Mode
There’s no telling where this cam-footage of an entire Modern Warfare 2 mission came from, but there’s no mistaking it for any other game. A reader pointed us to the YouTube version of this clip, uploaded by a user named “kajsghkjab” as his sole YouTube contribution, so we’re guessing that he probably doesn’t want fame…
By Mike Fahey Published September 24, 2009 -
Swastika Gets Wolfenstein Pulled from German Shelves
Nazi imagery is a big nein-nein in Germany, and the localized version of Wolfenstein was supposed to have removed all of it. A small swastika slipped through, and Activision is said to be recalling the game from shelves there. The news, sourced back to 4players.de (translation) attributes a statement to Activision saying that “although it…
By Owen Good Published September 22, 2009 -
Bakugan: The Truck
Earlier today I talked a little bit about the mammoth Bakugan-themed truck and trailer that invaded my neighborhood on Friday. As I mentioned the trailer carried with it playable version of the Wii and DS versions of Bakugan Brawers. If you’re interested, here’s a much more detailed look at the truck.
By Brian Crecente Published September 21, 2009 -
Guitar Hero CEO: Rhythm Gaming Market Not Saturated
CNBC gives a big free ad to Activision for about a minute, then Daniel Rosensweig, the Guitar Hero CEO, gets down to bidness. He doesn’t think rhythm gaming’s a saturated market. Less than 20 percent of console-owning households have one. “There’s the next 80 percent we have the opportunity go after,” Rosensweig says. “So there…
By Owen Good Published September 21, 2009 -
World of Warcraft is Back Online in China
After a two month hiatus, World of Warcraft has resumed full operations in China, where a switchover in local operators had been held up by government regulators and content changes. Gamasutra this morning reported Warcraft’s return to China, noting that Activision’s switch from local operator The9 to NetEase on June 7 will have its costs.…
By Owen Good Published September 21, 2009 -
Blur Release Blurred To 2010
Another game drops from the 2009 holiday season lineup, as Activision pushes the finish line on Bizarre Creations‘ Blur into 2010. It’s all in the name of multiplayer, according to the Activision press release announcing Blur’s move into next year, a move that will give the development team “more time to enhance the game’s innovative…
By Mike Fahey Published September 21, 2009 -
Bakugan: Contender to the Pokemon Throne?
“There it is!” The three words electrifies the crowd. The children swarming in the front yard of the Denver suburban house run to the curb. They crane their necks, point, howl with excitement. The one-ton truck eases its way through the last turn and straightens, a 42-foot trailer in tow. As the truck rolls down…
By Brian Crecente Published September 21, 2009 -
Reviews
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 Review: It Takes Two, Baby
Marvel’s mightiest heroes converge once again in Activsion’s Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 to face a foe far deadlier than any they’ve encountered thus far: themselves. Okay, so Marvel characters tend to fight each other on a regular basis, generally before teaming-up to take out a mutual enemy, but never quite on the scale of Marvel’s…
By Mike Fahey Published September 17, 2009 -
Kotick’s “Skepticism,” “Fear” And “Pessimism” Make Cameo At Modern Warfare 2 Event
File this in the category of a company able to have some fun at their own expense, even the mighty Activision. A sharp-eyed commenter on NeoGAF noticed an overlap between comments from Activision CEO Bobby Kotick that were widely quoted in the gaming press earlier this week and some custom classes set up by the…
By Stephen Totilo Published September 17, 2009 -
Cut Chemist Is In DJ Hero
Damnit, Activision. I’ve been down on DJ Hero since day 1, not for its premise, but for its roster, the diversity of which seems to be a grand exercise in half-assery. Now that Cut Chemist is joining DJ Shadow, though… Yes, it’s been announced today that Cut Chemist will be appearing in the game. I…
By Luke Plunkett Published September 17, 2009 -
Modern Warfare 2 Multiplayer Hands-On Impressions: No Buzzkills
Activision gave us our first taste of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s multiplayer modes tonight at an event in Hollywood, California, featuring a fully playable—but still beta—version of the impending holiday blockbuster. Modern Warfare 2 developer Infinity Ward brought with them three maps, five preset classes, and dozens of new improvements that make the…
By Michael McWhertor Published September 16, 2009 -
Modern Warfare 2 Conference: Call Of Liveblog
Infinity Ward and Activision are, as you read this, holding a Modern Warfare 2 press conference. Not a press event, a press conference. Must be some good stuff in store. We’re there, and through the magic of liveblogging, so are you! – Microsoft will be releasing a special MW2 version of the Xbox 360, which…
By Luke Plunkett Published September 15, 2009 -
DJ Hero’s Daft Punk Trailer Robot Rocks You
.html The addition of French electronic duo Daft Punk to FreeStyleGames’ DJ Hero may represent the tipping point of my DJ Hero purchase. Especially considering the group’s extensive contributions to the soundtrack. Having played the game a handful of times, I’ve found some of the selections interesting, but lacking in actual Daft Punk. Eleven Daft…
By Michael McWhertor Published September 15, 2009 -
Bobby Kotick Wanted To Take All The Fun Out Of Making Video Games
You’d be forgiven for thinking that the above headline is taking a liberty or two with a comment from Activision boss Bobby Kotick. Nope. Those words are straight out of the man’s mouth. Speaking at the Deutsche Bank Securities Technology Conference in San Francisco yesterday, Kotick said “The goal that I had in bringing a…
By Luke Plunkett Published September 15, 2009 -
Activision Looking To A Future Where Consoles Aren’t Needed
Activision haven’t exactly had the rosiest of relationships with console manufacturers over the past few months. Which would be a problem for a console games manufacturer, were they not working on games that didn’t even need a console. Speaking at the Deutsche Bank Securities Technology Conference in San Francisco earlier today, Activision boss Bobby Kotick…
By Luke Plunkett Published September 14, 2009 -
Here’s Daft Punk In DJ Hero
Last week’s news that electronic music duo Daft Punk would be contributing heavily to Activision’s DJ Hero is followed by this week’s screenshots of them doing just that. As if the old school hip-hop weren’t enough to lure me into a DJ Hero purchase, Activision had to go and recruit Daft Punk, with 11 exclusive…
By Mike Fahey Published September 14, 2009 -
Looks Like You Won’t Be Getting A Refund On That Copy Of Wolfenstein
Prior to the release of Wolfenstein, Raven Software designer Manveer Heir promised a full refund to anyone who bought the game if it outsold this year’s Madden. It did not. It didn’t come close, actually, according to NPD Group estimates. According to a report from GameSpot, the Activision game sold just 106,000 copies across the…
By Michael McWhertor Published September 11, 2009 -
The Problem With Reality
Video games are meant to be flights of fancy but, as with television, reality has become an increasingly popular concept to tap into. Nowhere is this more evident than in music-themed video games. Titles like Guitar Hero 5, The Beatles: Rock Band and soon-to-be released DJ Hero all use real musicians, living and dead, to…
By Brian Crecente Published September 11, 2009 -
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 Launch Trailer Does Damage
Witness the heartbreaking breakup of Iron Man and Captain America in the launch trailer for Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, accompanied by Kosheen’s amazingly appropriate “Damage.” Those of you who don’t follow comic books might scoff at the use of the Kosheen tune. How can a dramatic tale of two people dragging out a relationship long…
By Mike Fahey Published September 11, 2009