All Topics Gaming older than one year ago

New Guitar Hero, DJ Hero 2 coming back half of 2010.

New Guitar Hero, DJ Hero 2 coming back half of 2010.

Today Activision Blizzard reported the financial results of its December quarter and the entire 2009 calendar year. For the year, Activision recorded a net income of $113 million, a modest turnaroud from the $107 million in net losses for the company in 2008. Led by Modern Warfare 2 sales, all signs -- at least, this one -- pointed to an outstanding December quarter for the publisher, however, figures released today indicate that Activision actually posted a $286 million net loss during the period.

"Despite these challenging times, in 2010 we remain focused on expanding operating margins by growing our high-margin digital/online revenues, directing our resources to the largest and most profitable opportunities and realizing operational efficiencies globally," CEO Bobby Kotick said. "In calendar year 2010, we expect our net earnings and operating margin growth will be driven by our product slate that includes Blizzard Entertainment's Starcraft II and the World of Warcraft expansion pack, Cataclysm, as well as a diversified lineup based on Activision Publishing's best-selling franchises including Call of Duty, Guitar Hero and Tony Hawk, together with other well-known titles such as True Crime, Spider-Man and Bakugan." We should note that further mention of a new 007 game was conspicuously absent from today's name-dropping.

While few details were give about Activision's pending slate of sequels, spinoffs and possible reboots, Mike Griffith, President and CEO of Activision Publishing, did share a few words about the next True Crime game. "We'll be releasing a game in the $4 billion action genre, based on our True Crime franchise," Griffi said. "The game blends intense Hollywood-style driving with martial arts combat and shootouts to deliver an Asian cinema-inspired action thriller. This is a big open-world action game that looks especially strong."

Additionally, Activision noted that two new IPs are in development for its 2010 lineup and assured that additional DLC will continue to be released for Guitar Hero 5 (and presumably Band Hero), as well as for DJ Hero. The next installments in both music game franchises, Guitar Hero and DJ Hero, are due in "the back half of the year," according Griffith. Activision also announced that it has ceased developing new Guitar Hero games for the PlayStation 2 platform. Aw, shucks.

New Guitar Hero, DJ Hero 2 coming back half of 2010.

The fast-paced sequel officially confirmed for consoles. We go hands-on.

Capcom celebrates the launch of the Dark Void soundtrack, a Mega Man contest, and shows off Resident Evil 5 swag.

We take the first six retro re-releases of 2010 for a spin.

Make friends? Share information? Be nice? What?

Though we put little stock in any date relating to pretty much any Blizzard game (except for "later",) Blizzard CEO Michael Morhaime just announced in an investor conference call that a beta of StarCraft II will be out this month! The game is currently on track for "mid-2010."

"The beta test will be conducted on a global scale," he said, specifying that the beta will operate in North America, Europe, Korea, Taiwan, New Zealand and Australia. We suggest you zerg rush to the beta and get all the enjoyment you can out of it, because what Blizzard learns from the test will no doubt result in several more years of work on the game.

What's this? A new PSP RPG? Well, we'd better give it a looksee!

Blizzard eyeing mid-2010 release, digital version coming.

It's the perfect Saturday. You're rocking your team's jersey as you settle onto the couch, a Shasta in one hand, bag of Fritos in the other, preparing to hit the pitch in FIFA 10. You head online, get yourself into a match and suddenly you're up one-nil. And then, just as suddenly, your opponent quits. You go bananas, hurling your controller into the TV. Then your wife comes in and says she's had enough and takes the kids to her mother's. A month later, you're divorced.

It's a story we hear way too often here at Joystiq. Thankfully, EA is working on a way to punish these quitters -- outside of rectifying the fact that they've wrecked your life forever -- in the next series iteration, FIFA 11. EA Canada's Simon Humber told Eurogamer these "rage quitters" are a "complex problem." See, there's a loophole in the game that allows players to quit within five minutes of starting a FIFA 10 match online, in case there's a connection issue -- but EA is looking for ways to keep players from exploiting that feature.

Humber says that EA is thinking about adding functionality to FIFA 11 that would reward players for finishing matches, rather than try to punish those that quit. As for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa, don't expect any changes: "We haven't done anything different for this game as far as I know," Humber said.

During its 2009 financial earnings report, Activision CEO Michael Griffith noted that Bizarre Creation's recently-delayed Blur would have a multiplayer beta available next month. No specific platforms were mentioned, though a recent German rating suggests it will at least be on the Xbox 360. While we don't think it's necessarily something that will be exclusive to Microsoft's platform (a demo should be on all the platforms a game will be on, right?), there's currently no indication to suggest otherwise.

Rest of lineup looks really familiar.

The Lava Showdown begins with this free-to-play online LEGO game.

A portion of a Game Informer review… Data East Arcade Classics runs for about $20, which is within range of other arcade collections. However, unless you’re a hardcore fan of BurgerTime, Peter Pepper’s Ice Cream Factory or Bad Dudes, you’re better off saving your quarters.

Take the fight on the road.

The return to Rapture may not be as universally exalted as the original adventure, but nevertheless reviewers tend to agree it's a journey worth taking (again). The enchanting aesthetic of the game world appears to have remained intact in this sequel, which doesn't veer far from the original's tone, despite delivering a different message. So, would you kindly dive below and observe what critics have said of Rapture's reemergence:

• IGN (91/100): "Anyone looking for a first-person shooter that offers more than flat, stereotypical characters and copy-and-paste supersoldier plots, one that attempts to establish a sense of right and wrong and loops you into the decision making process, and one that's set in one of the most vividly realized settings around should pick up BioShock 2."
• GameDaily (90/100): "Much of it looks and feels familiar, but 2K Games proved that there is a whole other side of Rapture worth exploring, as well as new and interesting stories to tell. Gripping, wondrous and at times horrifying, it's a superb effort that opens the door for perhaps another game, but don't worry about that."
• GameSpot (85/100): "Rapture may not be as mysterious and intriguing this second time around, but it is nonetheless host to a powerful and moving tale that allows you to better realize -- or pervert -- [Andrew] Ryan's principles at your own discretion. Regardless of whether or not this is a return visit to paradise lost, there is plenty to be found here to make it a worthwhile, meaningful, and compelling one."
• Eurogamer (80/100): "Your passage through Rapture may not be a matter of free will - a challenge someone surely ought to take up with this series -- but BioShock 2 argues even within the strictures of fate that mercy and compassion or bitterness and revenge ring loud enough to echo through the lives of those who follow. The result is a less openly provocative game than its predecessor, and one that will capture less attention, but while it may be damned for subtlety it is every bit as deceptive, and perhaps that's the greater of the series' illusions regardless of what else a BioShock sequel might have become."

And Yet It Moves may be a WiiWare game that’s easy to forget, only because of the little amount of news on the title since E3. Trust me, this is one you don’t want to forget about. I’ve played the PC version, and it was one of my favorites from last year.

Create the best Television or sabotage your competition for the sake of ratings, just like the real world!

Nine new screens from VVVVVVV

Justin McElroy: The first details are out on the return of the Pokémon Video Game Championships slated for this spring, in which players will compete for the first time using Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. To help me make sense of the gobbledygook on the official site, I turned to confirmed Pokémaniac Griffin McElroy. Thank you for joining us, Griffin.
Griffin McElroy: My pleasure. Also, please don't use my real name.

These games are so simple yet so addictive. I should say that they are simple to understand, but definitely hard to master. Nintendo could keep making new entries in this franchise with absolutely nothing in the way of gameplay innovation, and this would be one of the few instances where I’d be okay [...]

These Shiren the Wanderer GB 2 potato chips aren’t just any old run-of-the-mill chip. These have a very special flavor that’s sure to make you…ill? These particular chips happen to be steak flavored.