Dead Space 2 is officially in production!

With spin-offs being released like the fantastic straight-to-DVD motion picture 'Dead Space: Downfall' and the on-rails shooter 'Dead Space: Extraction' released for the Nintendo Wii, it was obvious that Electronic Arts had big plans for Dead Space and the fact that mention of a sequel was already coming up just weeks after the release of the first Dead Space definitely had fans of this highly praised game anxiously awaiting Isaac Clarke's next dive into madness.

Well fellow Dead Space fans, rejoice! Dead Space 2 has been officially confirmed by EA, yet no mention of any solid release date was made which is a bit of a disappointment.

EA has also been very secretive regarding what the game will contain. The only things they confirmed is that you will once again step into the shoes of series' protagonist Isaac Clarke and that the sequel will feature new weapons, characters, enemies, and environments and will be available for PC, Xbox 360, and PS3 when it is eventually released.

12/08/09 Colton West

Gearbox trademarks borderlworlds

Borderlands is doing very well at retail, the reviews have also been friendly, Gearbox has realized the positive reception said title has been recieving and like any smart company would do, they've decided that the game should have a sequel. Was there ever any doubt?

Gearbox has trademarked Borderworlds which is an obviously sign that the game Borderlands, will expand into a series. The trademark was discovered by superannuation however, no more information was available.

The game was released in October and as I noted, has been doing pretty good for a new IP. Although the title was delayed, the longer wait was necessary due to a massive overhaul of its visuals, which is one of the shinning aspects of Borderdlands.

12/07/09 Ernice Gilbert

EA Boss: I want back the FPS crown from Activision

Medal of Honor is going the modern warfare route and it's no coincidence. In fact according to EA boss John Riccitiello, it's a bid to take back the FPS crown from Activision.

"I'm not saying that's it's going to happen tomorrow, but in the way that Activsion sort of alternates sequels of Modern Warfare and Call of Duty and own the leadership position in FPS [first-person-shooter] between Medal of Honor and Battlefield, I want it back," Riccitiello told Kotaku.

"And we're going to get there with innovation and quality."

Bad Company 2 is now head to head with Infinity Ward's best, and the new Medal of Honor will take place in modern Afghanistan, according to Riccitiello.

"The first [Bad Company] did very well in its first outing. The next one is a heck of a lot better and looks like a worthy competitor to Modern Warfare," he said.

Get a first look of Medal of Honor at the VGAs on December 12th, the game will hit retail sometime next year for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

12/03/09 Ernice Gilbert

Video Thirst: Skate 3 Debut Trailer

Skateboarding fans, get ready to unleash your boards once again!

Ready? Quench!

Bioware: No comment on Mass Effect 2 PS3 Listing

And it keeps on getting better, rumors have been circulating the web heavily concerning Mass Effect 2 landing on the PS3 alongside the Xbox 360 and PC versions, with Australian retailer GAME adding the RPG as also coming to the PS3 and EA Russia, (a more reliable source) listing a PS3 version on their site. And now, a response from Bioware.

According to Scrawlfx, a user on the official Bioware forums, linking to them, asked Bioware what they had to say about the listings, to which Bioware's Patrick Weekes responded:

"That we don't comment on rumors." :-)

Yep, complete with the smiley face emoticon. My feeling is, Mass Effect 2 is undoubtedly PS3 bound, no question EA wants to double the amount earned on one of their most profitable games. Thing is, will the game be released simultaneously, or will the PS3 version come later? We'll have to wait and see.

10/12/09 Ernice Gilbert

Rumor Thirst: EA Russia Lists Mass Effect 2 For PS3

It has been speculated, debated, and rumored many times that Bioware's Mass Effect 2 is PS3 bound with no solid conclusions, but as the game release draws nigh, hints that it's indeed heading to the PS3 has surfaced.

Just hours after Australian retailer GAME added a PS3 version of Mass Effect 2 in their database, EA Russia has sent this rumor into overdrive by listing the game as also coming to the PS3 on their site.

We trust EA Russia listing, although the company is no stranger to this sought of fiasco when speaking about the exclusivity of the Mass Effect series. If this rumor is true, it'll be big news for PS3 owners.

10/12/09 Ernice Gilbert

EA has widely miss this console cycle says analyst

Electronic Arts was once a power house in the gaming business, the publisher was respected for delivering great content on multiple consoles while raking in huge profits. I'm not saying the publishing giant has died, neither I'm I hinting it will. EA up to this day commands great respect amongst devs and industry insiders alike. Gamers have lost some confidence over the years because of cocky attitudes, but slowly that confidence is being regained.

The company's been making all the right moves lately but has confessed to some of its former fopas that lead the giant down a rocky path, a path that has lead analyst Doug Creutz of Cowen & Company to utter some stinging words and lower their sales estimates for a number of the publishers games.

Based on Cowen's channel checks, Creutz reduced his estimates for racing title Need For Speed: Shift and Wii exclusive Dead space extraction by a total of about 250,000 units. Cowen expects the latest Need For Speed game to sell just under 900,000 in the US in its first year on the market, noting that "the franchise is firmly stuck in decline.

Creutz also lowered his first year US estimate for Bioware's RPG Dragon Age: Origins by around 550,000 units to just below 1.5 million.

The analyst did however note that EA distributed title The Beatles: Rock Band had "gotten off to a strong start" and he expects it to outsell guitar Hero 5 at retail in the US, shifting over 3.5 million US units in the first year versus 2.2 million sales achieved by Rock Band 2 in the twelve months following its release.

EA has changed its strategy in recent years by creating and releasing new IPs like Mirror's Edge and Dead Space while strengthening established franchises like Madden NFL 09, Fifa 09, and NBA Live 09, all of which are million-plus-sellers.

Rumors about a hostile takeover bid from Microsoft were circulating the web, which both parties later denied. Here's to hoping EA lives long, learn from their many mistakes and keep on making great games.

Source

10/01/09 Ernice Gilbert

Video Thirst: Battlefield: Bad Company 2, battle field moments episode 1

My first attempt to play Battlefield: Bad Company didn't come to fruition, it's because I never thought I'd enjoy what to me was another generic shooter. Finally I decided to give it a shot for the heck of things, and to my surprise the game turned out to be extremely enjoyable. Don't get me wrong, I read the reviews, and I thought the game might be worth a rent, but instead Battlefield: Bad Company ended up being better than many.

So you'll no doubt understand my excitement to play the second installment of EA's rising star, a game that's too often overlooked. Hopefully a series of videos, this one being the first EA's releasing will do wonders for them. See it here.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will be released on March 2nd and 5th for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 in the US and Europe respectively.

10/01/09 Ernice Gilbert

Director for Dante's Inferno thinks it's the greatest compliment to be called a God of War rip off?

Jonathan Knight is the writer, producer and director for EA's Dante's Inferno, (the guy's a genius) and in this month's Playstation: The Official Magazine he paused from his busy and "hellish" schedule to field a few questions. In the interview, they discussed a variety of different topics, however the interviewer for PTOM had to get one question off his chest from the onset:

PTOM: "We don't mean to insinuate anything, but do you really not mind when people say your game is a lot like God of War?" To which Jonathan responded:

"We never get sick of hearing it because it's the greatest compliment we can be paid. We hope to be worthy of that. Those guys are at the top of their game and there's no question God of War III is going to be spectacular. I'll be the first in Line to get it. I hope those comparisons are being made because of our combat system and is just as responsive ~ the control over the character is very immediate, it's very fast-paced, you can branch out of moves very easily, you feel very powerful and overall is a very fun game to play," he said.

Jonathan also spoke about the game's other influences, and the differences that make their game unique, he continues:

"We have other influences too, but I think what's different about our game is it's based on an incredible influential work of literature. Out of that flow really fresh gameplay ideas such as the Holy Cross weapon, the ability to absolve or punish the damned, and riding the giant demons. Hopefully, there's plenty of room for lots of other great games in the genre~we just want to be one of them."

There you have it, the guy don't mind his game being a God of War ripoff at all. And you can say it as much as you want, it's okay, actually it's a compliment. No really, Dante's Inferno is shaping up to be something very unique in terms of storyline, and as Jonathan said literature. When last did you play a full game in the dreadful abyss that's hell? I thought so.

10/01/09 Ernice Gilbert

Can the Xbox 360 or PS3 render such stunning graphics?

Peradventure you’ve came across fanboys bragging about their favorite console and it’s graphical prowess. But did you know that none of the systems have ever come close to matching this PC title from Crytek, named Crysis? Yeah, you’ve heard of the Killzone 2 comparisons, but the argument can’t stand. of course killzone 2 looks stunning, Guerilla did raise the bar in the graphics department and now, other devs must follow. But I can’t remember not once being fooled into believing I was playing a movie while playing Killzone 2.

On the other hand, Crysis will do that to you. The game looks so good, so natural, it feels like you’re in a real life war when playing the FPS; you could even be overwhelmed by the realism so beautifully portrayed. Seriously, the game looks that good. But anyway, you be the Judge, can your PS3 or Xbox 360 render such jaw-dropping visuals? I don’t think so, maybe in the future, even on the current consoles, but as it stands now, Crysis reigns supreme.

08/03/09 Ernice Gilbert

Dante’s Inferno Creators apologizes, ‘Sin to Win’ falls flat

Sin to Win ended up being Sin and Lose; c’mon EA! A lot of people were very upset (understandably so) by the publisher and Visceral Games San Diego Comic-Con contest promoting Dante’s Inferno. The contest left me thinking, where’s humanity going? I mean… ok, here are the details: One attendee will receive a “night” with two of EA’s booth girls, complete with a limo ride, “paparazzi” and “booty” of an undisclosed nature.

Photos of the girls and their potential dates can be found on Dante’s Inferno facebook page. I knew this would not turn out too good. And hence, public outrage. Women should not be portrayed in such a, well, brutish (yeah that’s the right word) manner. EA & Visceral have since published a clarification of the contest rules and apologized for "any confusion and offense that resulted from our choice of wording." way to go EA, way to go.

28/07/09 Ernice Gilbert