Sunday, July 22, 2012

Dead Space 3 Official First Gameplay

I missed this a few weeks ago, but EA has released the first official gameplay video for Dead Space 3, narrated by Executive Producer Steve Papoutsis.  You can check it out here or below.




As far as I'm concerned, this all looks great.  Definitely some mechanics borrowed from Gears of War, but that's not a bad thing.  I like how they've differentiated the single player and co-op gameplay, actually, and it'll be interesting to see how the full game plays out in both modes.

Xbox 360 320GB Limited Edition Halo 4 Console Announced


Last week, Microsoft announced the Xbox 360 320GB Limited Edition Halo 4 Console, which will be released later this year.

The bundle includes:

- An Xbox 360 S console with custom art work, custom sound effects when powering on and ejecting the DVD tray, and a 320GB HDD.
- Two Xbox 360 Wireless Controllers with Transforming D-Pads, blue LED lights, and custom artwork.
- A copy of Halo 4 (standard edition).
- An Xbox 360 Wired Headset (Black).
- Custom downloadable content.

Priced at $399.99, you can expect to see the Xbox 360 320GB Limited Edition Halo 4 Console launch alongside the game this November.  Full details can be found here.

For those who don't want to buy a new console, a standalone Xbox 360 Halo 4 Limited Edition Wireless Controller with Transforming D-Pad will also be available a few weeks before Halo 4's launch, however its custom artwork will be different than those included with the above bundle (it'll feature the new UNSC logo), and it'll also come with an exclusive Avatar t-shirt.  The Controller will be priced at $69.99.

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Halo 4: Foreward Unto Dawn Official Trailer

The official, full length trailer for Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn has been released, and you can drool over it here or below.




Honestly, this looks absolutely great and has a whole host of potential.  I'm quite impressed with the production values reflected in the trailer, and I'm looking forward to the series' debut on Machinima and Halo Waypoint this October!

Mass Effect 3: Earth Announced


The next Multiplayer DLC add-on for Mass Effect 3, entitled "Earth," has been announced and will be available free of charge this coming Tuesday.

You can read up on the full details and included content of the add-on here.

While I might not be playing Mass Effect 3's Multiplayer anymore, I am glad to see BioWare support the game with lots of free DLC.

Injustice: Gods Among Us "A New Regime" Trailer

A new trailer has been released for Injustice: Gods Among Us.  Entitled "A New Regime," you can check it out here or below.







Interesting.  I'm looking forward to learning more about the game's back story and what brought Earth to the state that it's in.

Halo: Silentium Announced

Our friends at Tor Books have announced the third novel in the Forerunner Saga, entitled Halo: Silentium.  You can check out the official release below:


Tor Books reveals title, cover art, and release date of the third Halo novel by legendary science fiction author Greg Bear


The final instalment in the New York Times bestselling Forerunner Saga
New York, NY – July 11, 2012 - Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC—the largest publisher of science fiction in the world—is thrilled to reveal the title,  cover, and release date for the third novel in the New York Times bestselling Halo Forerunner Saga, HALO: SILENTIUM, written by legendary science fiction author Greg Bear. The first two books of the Forerunner Saga, Halo: Cryptum and Halo: Primordium are currently available in trade paperback, e-book, and audiobook.  This newest book in the series, HALO: SILENTIUM will release in hardcover from Tor on January 8, 2013 alongside simultaneous audio and e-book editions.

The New York Times bestselling Halo® series of novels, based on the hugely successful Halo videogame franchise, has sold millions of copies, and is part of a global phenomenon that has dominated the science fiction landscape over the last decade.

In Halo: Cryptum, Greg Bear began a three-book arc set in the era of the Forerunners, the ancient and enigmatic creators and builders of the Halos, which continued in Halo: Primordium. Now, in the last years of the Forerunner empire, chaos rules. The Flood—a horrifying shape-changing parasite—has arrived in force, aided by unexpected allies. Internal strife within the ecumene has desperately weakened Forerunner defenses.

Only the Ur-Didact and the Librarian—husband and wife pushed into desperate conflict—hold the keys to salvation. Facing the consequences of a mythic tragedy, one of them must now commit the greatest atrocity of all time—to prevent an unmatched evil from dominating the entire universe.
 
Tor Books has proudly partnered with Microsoft and 343 Industries to publish every book set in this iconic universe.  Along with the books of the Forerunner Saga, Tor also publishes another all-new Halo trilogy penned by New York Times bestselling author Karen Traviss that explores the Halo Universe in the wake of the final events of Halo 3. Traviss’s first novel, Halo: Glasslands, came out in 2011, with Halo: The Thursday War due out in October 2012.

The Halo franchise is an award-winning collection of properties that have grown into a global entertainment phenomenon. Beginning with the original “Halo: Combat Evolved” for Xbox in 2001, the rich fiction of the franchise has since inspired a series of blockbuster Xbox and Xbox 360 video games, New York Times best-selling novels, comic books, action figures, apparel and more. To date, the Halo franchise has sold more than 42 million copies to date, with franchise sales eclipsing $3 billion over its lifetime. Halo 4” marks the beginning of a new saga in the iconic franchise, as Master Chief returns to confront his own destiny and an ancient evil that threatens the fate of the entire universe. Developed by 343 Industries exclusively for Xbox 360, “Halo 4” will release on Nov. 6, 2012.


HALO AT SAN DIEGO COMIC CON 2012


Thursday, July 12th
Machinima: The Future of Entertainment
12:00-1:00 PM
Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront
Don't miss out on this panel with exclusive footage from Machinima's new channel, Machinima Prime, which focuses on thrilling episodic content, including the much anticipated tentpole series Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn.

Thursday, July 12th
The Fiction of Halo 4
 4:45-5:45 PM
Room 6BCF
Halo 4 heralds the return of one of gaming's most iconic heroes, the Master Chief, in a new, epic sci-fi saga. Expanding and enriching the narrative, 343 Industries, with very special panelists, share how the development of stories across the Greg Bear Forerunner Saga, the Karen Traviss Kilo-Five trilogy, Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn, Halo 4 Campaign and Halo Infinity Multiplayer have become connective tissue for Halo 4. Don't miss the exciting premiere of the Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn trailer as well as Q&A with special guests.

Saturday, July 14th
Halo 4: A New Campaign and Halo Infinity Multiplayer
3:15-4:15 PM
Room 6DE
Halo 4 marks the beginning of a new saga in the blockbuster franchise that has shaped entertainment history and defined a generation of gamers. Developed by 343 Industries, get a glimpse at how they have taken Halo 4 in new directions, introducing an ancient threat and the Master Chief's greatest challenge, as well as an innovative and fresh new take on multiplayer in War Games and Spartan Ops.

Saturday, July 14
Giveaway and Signing: Greg Bear
2:00-3:00 PM
Tor Books Booth (#2707)
Come meet Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author Greg Bear as he signs copies of Halo: Cryptum, the first book in the New York Times bestselling Forerunner Saga!  One lucky fan will have a chance to walk away with a copy of an exclusive poster of the cover of Halo: Silentium, the final novel in the trilogy.


About Tor Books
Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC, is a New York-based publisher of hardcover and softcover books, founded in 1980 and committed (although not limited) to SF and fantasy literature. Between an extensive hardcover and trade-softcover line, an Orb backlist program, and a stronghold in mass-market paperback, Tor annually publishes what is arguably the largest and most diverse line of science fiction and fantasy ever produced by a single English-language publisher. Books from Tor have won every major award in the SF and fantasy fields, and for the last twenty-five years in a row the company has been named Best Publisher in the Locus Poll, the largest consumer poll in SF.


I'm personally really looking forward to this and the full fledged Forerunner Flood War!

Saturday, July 07, 2012

Call of Duty DLC Sale


While I don't usually post regarding Call of Duty since I'm not big on the franchise, I received the following release from Activision regarding a DLC sale that's happening right now.  It does have a charity angle so I decided to share it with all of you:


DLC FIREWORKS FOR CALL OF DUTY® FANS THIS JULY 4TH

Fifty Percent Off All Call Of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 3 And Call Of Duty®: Black Ops DLC Collection Packs For A Limited Time

Activision To Donate A Portion Of The Proceeds To The Call Of Duty Endowment


Santa Monica, CA – July 3, 2012 – Starting today, Activision celebrates America’s birthday with a historic sales event.  For a limited time, all previously released DLC collection packs for Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 3 and Call of Duty®: Black Ops are fifty percent off.  These phenomenal savings for players worldwide on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC start today and run for a week. For gamers on the PlayStation® 3 computer entertainment system in the United States, the promotion also launches today and runs for a week; European Call of Duty® fans can participate tomorrow, July 4th, and the promotion lasts for a week in Europe as well.

The Call of Duty DLC summer promotion content includes:

• Call of Duty® : Modern Warfare® 3 Content Collection #1
• Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 3 Content Collection #2
• Call of Duty®: Black Ops First Strike
• Call of Duty®: Black Ops Escalation
• Call of Duty®: Black Ops Annihilation
• Call of Duty®: Black Ops Rezurrection
A portion of sales from the Call of Duty DLC promotion will be donated by Activision Publishing, Inc. to the Call of Duty Endowment, a non-profit organization that provides job placement and training services for veterans.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is published by Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI), and co-developed by Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer Games and Raven Software.  Featuring some of the most intense combat in franchise history, including Special Ops missions and new multiplayer maps and modes like Face Off, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is rated “M” (Mature) by the ESRB for Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence and Strong Language. For more information go to www.callofduty.com/mw3 or check out @InfinityWard or @SHGames on Twitter.

Developed by award-winning studio Treyarch, Call of Duty: Black Ops delivers some of the most popular content ever, from multiplayer maps such as fan-favorite Nuketown, to the undead Zombie battle royale contained in Rezurrection. The title is rated “M” (Mature) by the ESRB for Blood, Drug Reference, Intense Violence and Language. For more information, visit www.callofduty.com/blackops and follow @Treyarch on Twitter. Fans can also follow Call of Duty on Facebook at www.facebook.com/callofduty.

About the Call of Duty Endowment

The Call of Duty Endowment was founded by Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, to help veterans find jobs.  Since its founding in November 2009, the Endowment has provided more than $1.7 million in grants and scholarships to assist returning soldiers with post-military career support, directly contributing to more than 1,000 veteran jobs.

The Call of Duty Endowment is a non-profit, public benefit corporation. For more information, please visit www.callofdutyendowment.org.

About Activision Publishing, Inc.
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea, mainland China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com. 


The sale lasts for one week only.

Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn Official Teaser Trailer

Coming this October, Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn is a live action mini-series that will air on Machinima and Halo Waypoint.

Spanning five episodes, you can get a taste via the official teaser trailer here or below:




Doesn't reveal much, but it's cool to see a live action John-117.