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Activision Threatens To “Stop Supporting” Sony Consoles
Bear in mind there’s a degree of saber-rattling to this, but still; Activision boss Bobby Kotick has warned Sony that his company – the world’s largest third-party publisher – may cease support for the PS3 and PSP. Speaking with The Times, Kotick said “I’m getting concerned about Sony; the PlayStation 3 is losing a bit…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 19, 2009 -
You Will Be Sick Of Modern Warfare 2 By Christmas
Call of Duty 4 sold, well, millions. So its direct sequel – Modern Warfare 2 – shouldn’t be too hard of a sell. Or, it wouldn’t be if the game was published by anyone else. But since it’s published by Activision, well… …like the headline says, you’re going to get sick of the sound of…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 19, 2009 -
Wolfenstein’s Altered Present A Large Problem
Yesterday’s introduction of the lithe, stealthy Assassin enemy for the next Wolfenstein game is balanced by the raw, brutal fury of the Altered. The Altered might not be nearly as impressive as the invisi Nazi-ninja Assassins, but they look to make up for it in terms of raw power. Every first-person shooter these days needs…
By Mike Fahey Published June 18, 2009 -
Activision Puts Higher Price On DJ Hero, Band Hero
The latest rhythm game ventures from Guitar Hero publisher Activision appear to have had their prices locked down, as online retailers are listing DJ Hero for $120 and the younger-skewing Band Hero for $200, higher asking prices than their predecessors. Activision’s upcoming DJ Hero, when bundled with its proprietary turntable controller, will apparently set you…
By Michael McWhertor Published June 18, 2009 -
One Million Downloads For World At War Map Pack 2
As if there was really ever any doubt, Activision has announced that the second map pack for Call of Duty: World at War saw more than one million downloads during its first weekend of availability. Attribute it to rampant zombie madness or just plain love. The second map pack for Call of Duty: World at…
By Mike Fahey Published June 18, 2009 -
Relax! Modern Warfare 2 Won’t Have Multiplayer Fee
According to an Activision survey, a paid Call of Duty service would “enhance the multiplayer experience and provide exclusive access to a group of gameplay enhancements”. Those enhancements include things like early access to betas and expansions, exclusive character skins, exclusive game modes, better stat tracking as well as competitive play support. Does that mean…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 18, 2009 -
Wolfenstein Introduces The Invisi-Nazi Ninja
Behold the Veil Assassin, a Wolfenstein enemy that combines the agile movement and stealth of the ninja with the snazzy dress-sense of the video game Nazi. Every first-person shooter needs an enemy that can disappear and reappear at will, and the Assassin here fits the bill quite nicely. He has sort of a Karl Ruprecht…
By Mike Fahey Published June 17, 2009 -
PSA: Nintendo DSi Doesn’t Rock
For those of you looking forward to picking up a copy of Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits, don’t forget that it doesn’t work with Nintendo’s DSi. Despite coming with an adapter that lets you use the game with either the original DS or DS Lite, the game doesn’t include anything to let you use…
By Brian Crecente Published June 16, 2009 -
Reviews
Prototype Review: Alex Mercer SMASH!
Anti-hero Alex Mercer takes more than a few cues from The Incredible Hulk as he stalks the streets of New York City in Activision’s free-roaming action adventure, Prototype. Developed by Radical Entertainment, the team behind The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, Prototype follows much the same formula as that Marvel Comics inspired title. Both feature super-powered…
By Mike Fahey Published June 16, 2009 -
Call of Duty: World At War Tops 11 Million
Treyarch’s latest entry in the Call of Duty series is a success, as official word notes that Call of Duty: World At War has racked up more than 11 million sales since its launch in November of 2008. The game got off to a damn good start during the pre-Christmas season, selling more than 1.88…
By Michael McWhertor Published June 15, 2009 -
DJ Hero Features Completely Original Soundtrack
DJ Hero, the turn-table sporting rhythm game, will come with an entirely fresh playlist of mash-ups created by DJs specifically for the game, developers told us. While the more than 80 mixes, which include songs by everyone from the Gorillaz and David Bowie to Nirvana and Rick James, will all be debuting in the game,…
By Brian Crecente Published June 15, 2009 -
Guitar Hero 5 Combo Screens
These latest screenshots for Activision’s Guitar Hero 5 not only show off the game’s new art direction, but also the ability to play any combination of instruments. Four drum kits make for one crowded stage. Still not quite sold on this feature. I think part of the fun of the game in a social setting…
By Mike Fahey Published June 11, 2009 -
Guitar Hero (Is Only Half Of) Van Halen
The Guitar Hero: Van Halen trailer running during E3 only showed off four members of the band. Thing is, over the course of the group’s history, there have been more than four members of the band. The four shown in the trailer were Eddie Van Halen, David Lee Roth, Alex Van Halen and Wolfgang Van…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 11, 2009 -
World At War Map Pack 2 Tomorrow
The second Call of Duty: World at War Map Pack drops tomorrow for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Here’s the trailer for the most interesting bit – the Shi no Numa zombie map. Shi no Numa is the map that proves that Japanese World War II soldiers can be the living dead, as can…
By Mike Fahey Published June 10, 2009 -
Fixing Prototype PS3 Install Issues
A small number of PlayStation 3 owners are having trouble installing Prototype on their consoles. Here’s how to trick your PS3 into letting you play, straight from Activision support. Some PS3 owners are experiencing an error that tells them there is not enough space on their hard drive to install Prototype. Activision is working on…
By Mike Fahey Published June 10, 2009 -
Tony Hawk Ride Preview: Feet On, Most of The Time
Tony Hawk is moving into its tenth year as a video gaming franchise and with competitor Skate bringing the heat, was beginning to show its age a bit. Instead of overhauling the graphics, or coming up with some new gameplay mode, Activision decided to turn it into a motion-sensing game complete with its own plastic…
By Brian Crecente Published June 10, 2009 -
Incoming, Increasing Numbers of Video Game Attorneys!
Video games are changing. Developers are taking more initiative in getting their games out there, and publishers are increasingly using downloadable content as a business model. That means one thing: More lawyers. For example, during the development of family-friendly MMO Free Realms, Sony brought in law firm Latham & Watkins. According to the firm’s Roxanne…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 10, 2009 -
Modern Warfare 2 Iterations of Nuance
Modern Warfare 2 is a game loaded with detail. After watching the game play for Modern Warfare 2 during Microsoft’s press conference, I had a chance to watch the same section played through again at Activision’s booth. This time I paid closer attention to all of the little details, and there were plenty of them…
By Brian Crecente Published June 9, 2009 -
DJ Hero Impressions: One Turntable and a Plastic Guitar
Seen up close and personal, I was surprised at how fun DJ Hero appears to be. The idea of taking Konami’s Beatmania, a game that I couldn’t quite get when I played and didn’t really want to, and turning it into something that not only hardcore gamers might enjoy, but anyone, seemed like an overwhelming…
By Brian Crecente Published June 9, 2009 -
Ultimate Alliance 2 Adds More Thunderbolts
Poor little Songbird won’t be lonely in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, as recent updates reveal that fellow Thunderbolts Norman Osborne AKA The Green Goblin and Venom will be joining the fight. With Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 focusing on the Civil War storyline from the comics, it makes perfect sense that Norman Osborne make an appearance.…
By Mike Fahey Published June 9, 2009