Uncharted 2 unearthing Game of the Year Edition Oct. 12

$50 special-edition rerelease of Naughty Dog's award-winning action adventure includes $35 worth of DLC; 3.8 million sales milestone surpassed.

 

Naughty Dog's Uncharted 2: Among Thieves was widely regarded as one of the best games of 2009, securing accolades that ranged from GameSpot's Best Action Adventure to Game of the Year at the 10th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards. It comes as no surprise, then, that Sony and Naughty Dog will be teaming up to rerelease the top-rated PlayStation 3-exclusive, announcing today that the Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Game of the Year Edition will be available October 12.

The Uncharted 2: GOTY Edition will cost $49.99, but it will include more than just the award-winning game. Gamers will also be given a "super voucher," which allows them to download $35 worth of add-on content from the PlayStation Network.

Read more

PSP2 dev kits widely released - Report

Sony prepping for "significant launch window lineup" for second portable, according to online reports. 

 

Each month since the NPD Group ceased tracking PlayStation 2 figures, the PSP has been dead last in the industry-research group's monthly hardware rankings. However, the platform's life-to-date sales of 62 million units have convinced Sony to make grand plans for its successor, according to an article in Develop.

The UK-based magazine today reported that Sony has distributed software development kits to "key studios." Further details on the scope of the release were not outlined, other than to say it was in preparation of a "significant launch window lineup" for the platform. When exactly that launch window would be was not made public, and Sony reps declined to comment on what they consider "rumor and speculation."

Read more

Borderlands Claptrap DLC, EA Sports MMA demo slam XBLA

Xbox Live Update: Virtual marketplace adds latest expansion pack to shoot-and-loot sci-fi game, sampler for mixed martial arts fighting game.

 

Robots and pugilism are this week’s Xbox Live marketplace themes. Gamers can download and play though a robot revolution in the latest content expansion pack for Borderlands and try their hand at EA Sports’ hand-to-hand fighting game with new content added to Xbox Live today.

Announced in early August, Borderlands' Claptrap’s New Robot Revolution (800 Microsoft points; $10) content adds multiple new missions and enemies--including Claptrap-ified monsters--to shoot and loot, as well as new boss battles. Additionally, the content lets gamers earn an additional two skill points (for a total of 61 possible points) and three supplementary backpack slots for holstering more weapons.

Read more

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Priced, Dated

At long last, SEGA's newest 2D Sonic title coming next month.

Everyone's favorite blue hedgehog will be ready to go next month as SEGA announced the release date for several versions of Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Epsode I. 

The game will be available for download on the iTunes App Store starting Oct. 7, the Wii Shop Channel on Oct. 11 (15th Oct in EMEA territories), the PlayStation Network on Oct. 12 in America (Oct 13th in EMEA territories), and Xbox Live Arcade on Oct. 13 across all territories.

Read more

Medal of Honor Open Beta Starting Up

Multiplayer beta beginning on October 4.

EA announced the PC open multiplayer beta for Medal of Honor will begin on October 4 worldwide.

The beta includes two modes and two maps. The Kunar Base map includes the Sector Control multiplayer mode where the two sides fight to control sector points. Shahikot Mountains map includes the Combat Mission mode where players battle through a series of objectives against the enemy.

Both maps feature 12 vs. 12 player limits for a total of 24.

Read more

Wii Remote getting built-in Motion Plus?

Since-pulled GameStop listing for FlingSmash indicates Nintendo will update console's defining controller with precision-enhancing tech.

 

What we heard: With the PlayStation Move's launch last week and Kinect's November 4 release creeping ever closer, Nintendo finally has real competition in the motion-sensing console wars. One of the steps toward keeping itself competitive appears to be an update to the Wii Remote, one in which the precision-enhancing Motion Plus add-on loses its add-on status.

Today, Nintendo Life claims to have spotted just that, courtesy of a GameStop listing for Nintendo's FlingSmash. As exhibited in box art (pictured) for the $50 title, Nintendo will be packing in a "Wii Remote Plus" with copies of the game when it goes on sale in November. 

Read more

 

 

Little Big Planet 2 delayed until January 18

Media Molecule confirms its PS3 platformer sequel has been pushed back until the first month of next year.

 

As part of the 2010 Electronic Entertainment Expo, Sony announced a host of PlayStation Move-compatible titles that would be available by the end of the year. Included on that list was Media Molecule's Little Big Planet 2, the unexpected follow-up to the studio's hit PlayStation 3-exclusive platformer and user-generated content platform.

Since that time, Media Molecule has opened up the closed beta-testing window for the game. Despite that progress, though, the game won't be hitting its projected November release. In a statement on its official site, Media Molecule says it has "taken the hard decision to delay the worldwide release," pushing the release date back to January 18, 2011. The studio says it needs the extra time to make sure fans get "the best experience imaginable."

Read more

Atari unveils indie partnership plan

Atari GO will assist outside creators with original games and remakes of publisher's retro arcade lineup; casual and online-focused endeavor will also see vintage games embedded into Web sites.

 

Last year, Atari's then-CEO David Gardner revealed plans to have outside developers remake some of the company's retro hits. While Gardner's tenure as CEO ended months later, that particular goal is alive and well at the company, as evidenced by today's announcement of the new Atari GO initiative.

Atari GO comprises a number of programs advancing the publisher's interests in the online and mobile gaming worlds, starting with outreach to indie creators. As the name suggests, the independent developer program will see Atari work with outside studios to create original games or new titles based on the company's retro intellectual properties. 


Read more

10 Fresh Ideas Saving Gaming

A counterpoint to our 'Stale Ideas' feature. Sunshine, lollipops and rainbows!

 

It's not all doom and gloom, you know – there's a lot to love and be proud of within our favoured pastime. As something of a counterpoint to our '10 Stale Ideas Holding Back Gaming' feature, we're taking a look at 10 concepts and techniques that are pushing the industry forward – both from a creative standpoint and an economic one. Hopefully, when viewed in tandem, these features will help paint a fuller picture of the wider industry and your place as a gamer within it.

Read more

TGS: Date Set for Tokyo Game Show 2011

Following biggest event in TGS history, CESA plans similar time frame for next year.

Have you been enjoying all our Tokyo Game Show coverage over the past week? Well here's how you can experience it all again.

As the show closed its doors earlier today (actually yesterday in Japan), organizer CESA announced the holding dates for next year's event. Your next epic flood of Japanese gaming news will come around the same time next year. CESA plans to hold Tokyo Game Show 2011 from either 9/15 through 9/18 or 9/16 through 9/18.

Read more

TGS: How Far Has Kinect Come in One Year?

Reflections after a year of Kinect demos.

 

It was at E3, mid-year of 2009, that Microsoft formally unveiled Kinect. It wasn't until the Tokyo Game Show a few months later that I got my first opportunity to try out Kinect. A year has passed since that event and I'm now back in Tokyo for the 2010 version of that show, once again stepping up to the camera for more controller-free gaming. A lot has happened since then with major announcements coming at every press show. Perhaps more importantly, it appears the game designers have learned a lot and improved a lot in that time. What started as a promise is now very close to being a reality...


Read more

TGS: Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Takes You to Vietnam

A sneak peek of the upcoming downloadable expansion.

 

 Battlefield is going back to Vietnam, this time for a downloadable expansion to the well-received first-person shooter Bad Company 2. The add-on, due out this Winter for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, delivers four new maps, a rematch of sorts between the North Vietnamese army and the United States, and a change in the weapon and vehicle options to match the setting. I got my first taste of this huge expansion at an EA press event on the eve of the Tokyo Game Show.

If you've played Battlefield: Bad Company 2 before, then you know exactly what to expect out of the Vietnam expansion. The base game remains unchanged. Sure, you get different tools of destruction and new achievements or trophies to unlock, but the modes and basic approach to a shooter follow the guidebook laid out by Bad Company 2's multiplayer. That means a focus on team play, some objective based gaming, and wide open maps filled with destructible buildings and plenty of vehicles. Squint your eyes a bit while playing the Vietnam expansion and you can imagine you're still playing the original base game.

Read more