9/24/09 – Latest News from VideoGamesBlogger

Activision has announced that Blur for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC has been delayed until 2010.

The reasons cited are to give the action racing game (where you use power-ups like in Mario Kart but with realistic cars!) more time to enhance the game’s “innovative and distinctive online multiplayer gameplay”.

On the Blur delay, publisher Activision Blizzard had this to say:

“We are committed to making Blur a great new racing franchise, and we are very encouraged by the game’s design,” stated Mike Griffith, President and CEO, Activision Publishing. “The additional time will allow the studio to fully optimize the vision they set out to create for Blur including a distinctive and groundbreaking multiplayer mode that will appeal to a broad audience.”

If you haven’t heard of Blur, this behind-the-scenes developer documentary will get you excited for it.

If you’re a fan of Gran Turismo, then now is the perfect time to pick up a PSPgo when the system launches on October 1st because you’ll get a free copy of Gran Turismo PSP. But you must buy a PSPgo within the first 10 days, before midnight October 10th.

Here are the steps to take to get your free copy of Gran Turismo PSP:

1. Buy a PSPgo in one of the participating countries doing the promotion. These countries include: Australia, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. Notice that the United States is not listed. That is not a typo, because the U.S. is NOT part of this deal. Sadly.

2. Sign into the PlayStation Store on the PSPgo using a valid PSN account. If you don’t have one you’ll have to create one, just follow the steps. Make sure your e-mail address is the correct one you want when signing up, because you’ll need it to get your free copy of Gran Turismo PSP.

3. Now download the free Gran Turismo PSP Theme. You’ll find it under the PSN Store’s “Latest” section. You must do this before October 10th, 2009.

4. After the theme is downloaded, you’ll get a Redemption Code.

5. Once you have the code in your e-mail’s inbox, write it down and go into the PlayStation Store on the PSP. At the top right there will be a “Redeem Code” button. Press this and then enter your code.

6. If you’ve done things correctly, you’ll be given the option to download Grand Turismo PSP for FREE! It’s also important to note that the game is roughly a single Gigabyte in size, so make sure you have the space for it. The version of Gran Turismo PSP that you are getting is exactly the same as if you were to actually pay cash for it. However make sure you use the code before October 10, 2009 at midnight, or it will expire.

Thanks to The Sixth Axis

Midnight Club: Los Angeles Complete Edition has been revealed for Xbox 360 and PS3 via an online listing on Amazon.

It isn’t known yet what additional content makes this the “complete” version, but you can assume that it will contain all of the downloadable vehicles and the South Central pack, among other additions.

The price tag of the complete addition will be $30.

Speaking of Midnight Club, don’t forget to check out our Midnight Club: Los Angeles cheats page as well as our Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition Remix cheats page.

Via Joystiq

Trine 2 will be coming eventually so says the CEO of Finish developer Frozenbyte, who created the hit action platform puzzle title.

In an interview with G4, CEO Lauri Hyvärinen said this about continuing the title in the future.

“There will be certainly more Trine,” said Hyvärinen, “but in what form, platforms and such, that still remains a small secret of ours.”

And there you have it.

You may remember a game called “NIER” that was announced for Xbox 360 back at E3 2009.

According to the trailer released by Square Enix of the Cavia-developed title, it is an impressive hack-and-slash action game (or Action RPG maybe) with some very stylized movie-scenes and bloody action.

Now it’s been revealed that Square isn’t developed one, but TWO Nier games. One of them is for the Xbox 360 and the other is for the PlayStation 3.

The Xbox 360 version is known as Nier Gestalt while the PS3 version will be called Nier Replicant.

Both games feature a similar main character but they are “two threads” of the same story, according to this new trailer. Or at least, the game’s will slightly differ. It is likely that you will need to play through both to fully understand the storyline.

In the PS3 version your hero (who looks more anime-inspired) is out to rescue his sister, while in the Xbox 360 version, the protagonist is out to rescue his daughter. To me this seems like an interesting take on the dynamics between East and West. Naturally the PS3 version seems to be more targeted at a Japanese audience with more of an anime, Japanese RPG feel, while the Xbox 360 is more targeted at a Western audience and thus has a more Western feel and style.

Here is a trailer for the PS3 version called Nier Replicant.

And just in case you were wondering, here is the Xbox 360 version, Nier Gestalt.

THQ has announced Chaos Rising, the next standalone expansion pack for Dawn of War 2. It will be released for PC as a Games For Windows title in Spring of 2010.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II – Chaos Rising features a new playable army, the traitorous Chaos Space Marines, and continues the epic journey of the Blood Ravens as they battle this new, more personal enemy.

Developed by award-winning internal studio Relic Entertainment, Chaos Rising offers new single-player and co-op campaigns, a level cap increase from 20 to 30, more powerful war-gear and a suite of innovative multiplayer options. The exclusive first look preview of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II – Chaos Rising will be featured in PC Gamer’s December issue, available on newsstands by October 12.

“Chaos Rising delivers a tremendous amount of new content, including the powerful Chaos Space Marines, new multiplayer maps and units, a new level cap and a continuation of the Blood Ravens single player campaign,” said Kevin Kraff, vice president of global brand management, THQ. “Relic’s passion for the Warhammer 40,000 universe and talent in crafting innovative RTS games will ensure Chaos Rising is an engaging experience that will advance the franchise and genre.”

“Dawn of War II took intimate brutality to another level and introduced RPG-RTS hybrid gameplay,” said Jonathan Dowdeswell, general manager, Relic Entertainment. “The epic struggle between Space Marines and the forces of Chaos lets us take those two game-play elements and create an even more intense experience – this time, the battle is personal.”

The DSi is about to get some iPhone titles as Flight Control, Castle of Magic and Bomberman Blitz have all been announced for the online download service.

Here is some info on each game:

Flight Control – This addictive flight controller game soared to the top of the iPhone charts thanks to it’s fun gameplay. In the game you need to create a safe path for planes to land in several landing zones by using the touch screen to guide planes and keep them from crashing into another.

Thankfully the DSi version is not just a straight port but will also gain some updates! The game will gain two additional levels (the original only had one). These include a Beachside Airport with two helipads and a water landing zone for Seaplanes, and the second level is an Aircraft Carier that rotates and moves continuously to make things more difficult for you as you are creating paths. And of course, the original level is also included from the iPhone game, which contains three landing areas for large jetliners, smaller planes and helicopters.

In addition to new levels, updates also include two-player co-op and a versus mode.

Castle of Magic – Castle of Magic is a platformer in which players control a which who runs, jumps and casts spells to defeat enemies as she runs through a castle. However the original game was criticized for it’s poor play control but was hailed for it’s graphical prowess on the iPhone platform. So it’ll be interesting to see what they do with it on the DS, where the developers now have buttons they could use (unlike the iPhone which lacks buttons).

DS-specific updates will include support for the DSi’s camera, which allows you to gain power-ups by taking photos inside the “Photo Cabin” in the game. The power-up you get will depend on the color of the object you took a picture of. You may also be able to take a picture of yourself to put on the main character.

Bomberman Blitz – The world of Bomberman is in your hands with Bomberman Blitz, a riotous multiplayer game on Nintendo DSiWare! Experience the classic Bomberman multiplayer experience with 8 player local and online multiplayer through the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Strategize accordingly on maps spanning both screens. Change multiple map and item preferences for tons of customization options.

Newcomers can also learn the ropes quickly and easily with the included training mode. Hone your skills and learn the maps on computer opponents and when ready; take the battle online. The next heated match is always available as players from around the world are waiting to battle it out. Delivering unparalleled social gaming excitement, Bomberman Blitz gives everyone who picks up the Nintendo DSi the addictive fun of Bomberman, anytime, anywhere! Bring friends!

If you don’t have an Xbox 360 yet, then you’ll be happy to know that Microsoft has announced two new Xbox 360 system bundles for two of the biggest games this year.

The first bundle is for Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare 2. This new console is colored black, with Modern Warfare 2 branding on the surface, and will also come with a 250GB HDD, a copy of the game and two wireless controllers. It’ll cost $400 and be available on November 10. They’re already taking pre-orders for the system as well.

If Modern Warfare 2 isn’t your thing, how about Halo? The other Xbox 360 bundle is for Halo 3: ODST.

This system contains a 120GB Xbox 360 Elite, a normal Xbox 360 controller (which stupidly is not an ODST-branded controller), a copy of Halo 3: ODST, a copy of Halo 3 and access to the Halo: Reach beta.

The Halo 3: ODST Xbox 360 system will be released in PAL territories later this month and is priced between
It’s due later this month, and so far, has only been announced for PAL territories, with prices ranging from €280 in continental Europe (USD$410) to 4,228 Rand in South Africa (USD$574).

Via Kotaku and Kotaku

In the newest Assassin’s Creed 2 behind-the-scenes documentary called “All Roads Lead To…”, the developers discuss the mission structure in the sequel and how they focused on really giving the player variety this time around. From Collectible Quests to Crowd Missions to Narrative Missions to Notoriety Missions to Chase Missions.

They also talk about the fact that Reach High Points have returned for this second game along with other climbing puzzles.

The coolest part of the video comes when they show the interior acrobatic missions that take place inside Italy’s most famous Historical Landmarks. These sections will play much like a Prince of Persia game and will challenge players in acrobatics, running and jumping. As well as allow them to explore the biggest interiors in Italy!

The legendary Halo series continued today with Halo 3: ODST for the Xbox 360.

In this second behind-the-scenes developer diary, the team discusses all aspects of their creation of Halo 3 ODST, from the original concept of the game being a side-story, to the complexity of the city that they created.

One of the coolest aspect IMO is the HUD. I was always surprised that no one really followed up on Metroid Prime’s visor features, particularly with Halo where it made sense. So it is cool to see them do more with it in Halo 3: ODST. And check out the Halo 3 ODST Bip Bap Bam behind the scene documentary and the Halo 3 ODST Desperate Measures documentary if you missed them.

Don’t forget to check out our Halo 3 ODST Wallpapers page as well as our Halo 3 ODST Characters List and our Halo 3 ODST Skulls and Achievements guide.

Enslaved is the newest game for Xbox 360 & PS3 from Ninja Theory, the developers of Heavenly Sword.

The game takes place “decades and decades” after World War III and World War IV . . . so super far in the future. In this future, the entire human race has almost been eradicated, but robots still plague the land. Although they are from a bygone era, they are still following their orders to eradicate the humans. The storyline is being written by Alex Garland (who wrote the script for the movie 28 Days Later) and is loosely based on the ancient Chinese novel “Journey to the West”.

The main character in the game is called simply “Monkey”. He has spent his entire life running from the machines (that sounds so cliche . . .) and is your typical loner sort, a solitary man. Eventually Monkey is captured by the death machines, where he is placed on an airship. It is there that he meets a woman named Trip. Although they escape the airship working as a team, Monkey gets knocked unconscious at one point. When he comes to, he finds a mysterious headband that he cannot remove. It was apparently placed there by Trip, who needs him to help her get home. However because of his personality, she resorts to this magical headband, which will “crush his skull” if he doesn’t follow her orders. Thus Monkey and Trip have a strained relationship (to say the least) but know full well that they need each others help if they are going to survive this perilous world.

Combat in the game will apparently be similar to Heavenly Sword, but with much more focus on tactics. Monkey has the ability to use a dragonfly camera to scout ahead for enemies as well as to detect weak points in robots. For example he can detect machine gun attachments on a robot that are weak, and then rip the guns off and use them as weapons.

All of this was taken from the latest issue of Game Informer, who got the exclusive scoop. Sounds interesting.

Via Destructioid

A new exercise game has been announced for the Wii called Stratusphere Yoga, starring Trish Stratus, the WWE diva.

However the game is still extremely early in it’s development cycle and does not yet have a publisher attached to it. It is in the works by Frima Studios.

Although it is one of only a number of fitness games for the Wii support the Wii Balance Board and “other innovative Wii peripheral devices.” Others being: Wii Fit Plus, Jillian Michaels’ Fitness Ultimatum 2010, Daisy Fuentes Pilates and Jenny McCarthy’s Your Shape.

The game has a targeted release date of second quarter 2010.

Via 1UP