Report: Bizarre Creations will close on Friday

Develop’s reporting that UK developer Bizarre Creations will cease to exist this Friday, February 18.

In a lengthy obituary to the outfit, the site notes that Bizarre made around 20 games over 15 years, growing to around 200 staff at its peak.
The studio officially formed in 1994 under the Bizarre Creations brand, but was actually formed by owner Martyn Chudley in 1988.
Activision confirmed last November that Bizarre staff had entered the consultancy period required by UK law to close a company.

Ubisoft Q3: Next Assassin’s Creed to be announced in May

Ubisoft’s confirmed today that the next Assassin’s Creed title will be announced in May for release in FY2012, and has issued a 6.5 million shipped figure for Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood.

Ubi’s Q3 results

The next Assassin’s Creed will be announced in May for FY2012 release.
Assasin’s Creed: Brotherhood has shipped 6.5 million units since last November.
Q3 sales revenue was €600 million, up 21.2 percent year-on-year.

The news come out of the company’s Q3 financials.
“We will have an Assassin’s Creed this year. We are going to give you more details in May,” Ubisoft boss Yves Guillemot said in the company’s financial call.
The publisher said that previous AC title Brotherhood has shipped 6.5 million units since it went on sale last November.
Ubisoft said in the call that Brotherhood is performing better than Assassin’s Creed II in terms of revenue, but has shipped less units than the previous game.
Brotherhood is expected to sell in the region of 7-7.5 million units, around 1-1.5 million less than Assassin’s Creed II.
Sticking with AC, the company confirmed in the financial call following the figures release that PSP title Bloodlines, first shipped in 2009, has now sold 500,000 units
Still dancing
Just Dance 1, 2 and Kids, as well as Dance on Broadway and Michael Jackson: The Experience, have sold a combined 10.5 million units.
Ubisoft-made titles that supported Kinect have sold 2 million units, although specific titles were not named.
Revenue for the third quarter ending December 31 was €600 million, up 21.2 percent year-on-year from the €495 million in the same period last year.
Q4 sales are expected to be €159 million, down 24 percent year-over-year.
Highlights of the company’s Q4 slate include the PC SKU of Brotherhood, a handful of EU 3DS launch titles and the release of the HD version of Beyond Good & Evil.
For the first nine months in fiscal 2011, Ubisoft saw revenue of €860 million, a 30.3 percent increase compared to the €660 million taken in fiscal 2010.
Ubisoft also saw market share in Europe and the US increase to 9.2 percent and 7.3 percent respectively, compared to 7.8 percent and 5.4 percent for the same period in calendar 2009.
“The video game industry is an industry of opportunities. Creating new genres, innovating to attract new consumers and seizing the opportunities offered by new hardware lie at the heart of Ubisoft’s development and growth,” said Guillemot.
“We have already proven this with the Wii and the DS, and we are further proving it with the recently-launched Kinect, which has met with outstanding success thanks to its revolutionary interface. Ubisoft has also made its mark as a creator of new game genres, with its two flagship brands, Assassin’s Creed and Just Dance.”
Guillemot added: “The record performance achieved in third- quarter 2010-11 as well as the fact that three of our games were among the best sellers over the crucial Christmas period is further evidence of the relevance of our strategy.
“Going forward, we intend to continue to innovate and pursue our refocus on key franchises in the high definition segment, while investing in upcoming opportunities in digital, in the casual segment and in future consoles, notably the 3DS and the NGP.”
Guillemot also confirmed that Ubisoft has decreased commitment to new HD IP, and now plans to launch only one new franchise every two years for HD consoles.

First Reach Defiant Map Pack trailer confirms March release

Halo Waypoint’s released the first trailer for the second Halo Reach DLC pack, the Defiant Map Pack.

The content was first leaked last week. The video contains three new maps for Reach’s multiplayer: Highlands, Condemned and Unearthed.
Highlands is a “a Spartan training facility nestled in the mountains of Reach,” with Condemned being a”mangled communications hub high above the planet.”
For Unearthed, which is the first piece of DLC ever for the game’s Firefight mode, you’ll be “defending the entrance to a key titanium mine.”
The content releases in March for 800 MS points.
Video’s below.

Homefront 360 bundle gets pictured

Gamerzines has details of an upcoming 360 hardware bundle featuring THQ shooter Homefront.

The hardware pack features a 250Gb 360 Slim, one controller and a copy of the Kaos shooter.
No price has been confirmed, but it’ll probably launch day and date with the game itself on March 18 in the UK.
The game will also appear on PC and PS3. Watch the latest trailer for it here.

PAX East 2011 schedule now online, RAGE and Amalur demos confirmed

enny Arcade’s thrown up the entire schedule for PAX East 2011. If you’re going, you may want to look.

There’s plenty of panels on the games industry all in there. id Software will be on hand to demo RAGE while Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning from 38 Studios will also be shown off.
Full lot is here.
Thanks, Big Download.

Batty – SSX: Deadly Descents still has 15 months of dev time

An OXM article on SSX: Deadly Descents – which dropped initial details earlier in the month, has reportedly confirmed the game has another 15 months’ worth of work ahead of it.

Creative director Todd Batty apparently told the magazine that the game still has 15 months of development to go, making either a late 2012 or Q1 calendar 2013 release likely.
The preview dished up the following, in addition, via Game-n-Train:

• The game’s campaign will see you go through the nine Deadly Descents, as well as Explore and Live Events. There’s a plot: you’re part of the SSX corporation. Quite why this requires you to do mental snowboarding hasn’t been explained.
• Elise was previously confirmed as a returning character; OXM says Zoe Briggs also come back. At least one more is yet to be confirmed.
• Roughly 200-300 tracks and paths will be included over the nine peaks. You’ll be able to choose which track you want to race and pinpoint where the helicopter will drop you off.
• Tricks will be done with two inputs on the controller, as opposed to using the entire pad.
• Creative director Todd Batty said the multiplier scoring feature will return, but without the colourful snowflakes from past games.

Announced at the VGAs, Deadly Descents is to release on PS3 and 360 from EA Sports.

UK charts: TDU2 races to top spot

Test Drive Unlimited 2 has taken the top spot in this week’s UK charts, ending Dead Space 2′s two week run at number one.

Just under 70 percent of TDU2′s sales were on 360, with 28 percent on PS3.
Dead Space 2 now holds second place, with FIFA 11, Black Ops and Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood in fifth.
Full top ten for the week ending February 12 is below. Last week’s data is here.

• 1 – Test Drive Unlimited 2 (Eden Games, Namco Bandai)
• 2 – Dead Space 2 (Visceral Games, EA Games)
• 3 – FIFA 11 (EA Sports, EA)
• 4 – Call of Duty: Black Ops (Treyarch, Activision)
• 5 – Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft)
• 6 – Mario vs Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem (Nintendo, Nintendo)
• 7 – Just Dance 2 (Ubisoft, Ubisoft)
• 8 – Mario Sports Mix (Nintendo, Nintendo)
• 9 – Grand Theft Auto IV: Complete Edition (Rockstar North, Rockstar)
• 10 – LittleBigPlanet 2 (Media Molecule, Sony Computer Entertainment)

PlayStation 2 hits 150 million shipped worldwide

Sony’s announced that PlayStation 2 has now hit 150 million units shipped worldwide.

PlayStation 2

Launched in 2000.
Cost £299 in the UK, $299 in the US and ¥39,980 in Japan.
Launch titles including Ridge Racer V and FIFA 2001.
GTA San Andreas is PS2′s best-selling game at over 20 million units.

The milestone is the latest of many for the console, which celebrated its tenth anniversary in all regions last year and will go into its eleventh year in Japan next month.
Sony has also confirmed that over 1.52 billion units of software for the console have now shipped with a total of 10,828 games now appearing on the platform.
The firm added that it still expects to see demand continue for PS2 in Eastern Europe, South America, South East Asia and the Middle East.
The console launched in Japan on March 4, 2000, and was followed in the US on October 26, 2000 and November 24, 2000 in Europe.
Launch titles included Ridge Racer V and FIFA 2001 Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2, SSX, TimeSplitters and Midnight Club.

Some of the machine’s best-known games include Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3, Gran Turismo 3 and 4, God of War, Final Fantasy X and XII, Burnout 3, God of War, Zone of the Runners and its sequel, The Second Runner and Guitar Hero.
The biggest-selling title on the platform, however, is Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas with 20 million units moved as of February 2009.
The two GTA titles before it, III and Vice City, were timed PS2 exclusives.
Thanks, Andriasang.

Gearbox to show “never before seen footage” of its games at PAX Prime

Gearbox Software will be attending PAX Prime, and according to the panel listing, it’s to show “never before seen footage of upcoming releases.”


According to the panel description, Randy Pitchford and co. will dish some “juicy exclusives, surprising disclosures, unbelievable scoops and behind the scenes access on what Gearbox is up to”.

Sounds pretty nifty.

These “juicy exclusives” could or will include information on the fourth DLC pack for Borderlands, Aliens: Colonial Marines, or the three unannounced titles listed on the company website, one of which may or may not be Duke Nukem Forever – Pitchford refuses to confirm or deny the rumor.

Guess we’ll all find out what’s in store for us come Sunday, September 5 at 3.00pm PST/5.00pm EST when Pitchford, Brian Martel, and Mikey Neumann take the stage.

PAX Prime run September 3-5 in Seattle, Washington.

Thanks, BigDownload.

FFXIV PS3 delay down to “memory,” says Square Enix

The PlayStation 3 version of MMO Final Fantasy XIV was delayed due to “memory” issues, producer Hiromichi Tanaka told VG247.


Speaking to us at gamescom last week, the developer explained for the first time why the PS3 version was held back into March next year.

“The main reason was the memory,” said Tanaka via his translator.

“On the PC, they have enormous memory. For PS3, there’s a restriction.

“They are adjusting the memory size and customising it; it took longer then we were expecting. But we’re really working hard to bring it out as soon as possible.”

When asked if this was a memory issue with either the Blu-ray or HDD, Tanaka just said in English: “Memory.”

In hindsight, he was probably referring to RAM issues.

Final Fantasy XIV launches at the end of next month for PC, and enters an open beta early next month.

The PS3 version lands in March 2011. Tanaka told us a 360 version was still being talked about with Microsoft.

4Gb 360 Slim launches in Japan on September 9

Microsoft’s announced it’s launching the 4Gb Xbox 360 Slim in Japan next month.


The newest SKU will go on sale in the country for ¥19,800 on September 9, with the launch of a separate 250Gb HDD for ¥15,540.

Microsoft announced the new SKU last month alongside the pricing of Kinect in the US and Europe.

Thanks, Joystiq.

Microsoft denies Kinect voice control launch omission

Microsoft has just denied that voice controls have been dropped from Kinect’s launch, despite an MCV story to the contrary.


It looks as though there could be a foreign language element to the story, though: Microsoft refused to comment on the availability of all languages at launch.

“Voice control is an exciting part of the Kinect for Xbox 360 controller-free experience and we can confirm that it will be available at launch in November 2010,” said the firm in a statement.

“Only on Xbox 360 will you be able to navigate the Kinect Hub using your voice to control your movies, TV Shows and music.

“We do not have additional details to share about local voice availability at this time.”

MCV reported earlier today that there would be “no voice control for Kinect launch”.

“Microsoft has confirmed to MCV that Kinect will not boast any voice control functionality at launch,” said the site.

“Speaking at Gamescom, marketing manager for Xbox Live EMEA Robin Burrowes stated that “we will be announcing when voice control will be turned on in due course.”

The site then updated its piece to say, “MCV can also confirm that chat software Video Kinect will also not feature as part of the accessory’s launch. Like voice control, that will also arrive at a later date.”

Reach to be MS’s biggest marketing spend ever

Microsoft’s has told Advertising Age it will go OTT with its Halo: Reach marketing spend, promising it to be the biggest ever for one of its games.


Global product manager Michael Stout didn’t give exact figures, but Halo 3’s launch spend was $6.5 million back in September 2007.

Plans for the Bungie shooter’s advertising include 300 million Mountain Dews, 30 million bags of Doritos, a UFC sponsorship, live action TV spots and a robot in San Francisco.

Halo: Reach launches worldwide on September 14 for 360.

Xbox 360 will continue to be offered into 2015, says Lewis

Microsoft Europe’s VP of interactive business, Chris Lewis, has told BusinessWeek that the company will continue to offer Xbox 360 for another five years.


Speaking at gamescom last week, Lewis’s comment confirms the console will have a ten-year life-cycle – the console launched in 2005 – alongside Sony’s much reported intention to continue with a ten-year life-cycle for PS3.

Another five years of longevity is all down to Kinect, according to Lewis.

“Kinect really gives us, I think, a very genuine additional five years,” he said in Cologne.

“What Kinect does is broaden us out to users that we weren’t addressing in the past.”

When asked if Microsoft would release a new console while 360 was still on sale, Lewis said “we’re not fixated on that right now.”

Sony’s already admitted it’s working on new hardware, while Nintendo president Satoru Iwata’s said his company is “studying and developing the next console to Wii”.

Western Vanqush demo coming next week

Sega’s announced it’s releasing the western demo of Vanquish on August 31 for PSN and Xbox Live – that’s next Tuesday, if you can’t keep count.


The August 31 date applies to the US only: Europe gets it the following day on September 1, followed by the previously announced Japanese taster on September 2.

The demo is one level long, featuring two difficulty levels: casual or normal.

Sci-fi actioner Vanquish releases on October 19 in the US and October 22 in the UK for PS3 and Xbox 360.

Resistance 3 finally announced in Cologne

Update: Trailer added.

Original: Sony’s finally announced Resistance 3 during its gamescom press conference in Cologne tonight.


A trailer was shown of the Insomniac shooter sequel at the event, beginning with a train going through a countryside, before showing a gun being readied in a destroyed landscape town.

People on the train are then seen clasping their hands in fear, before gunfire erupts and the Chimera emerged.

The reveal will finally put gamers at ease in regards to the game after first being outed in a billboard last year, followed then by a retail listing in July.

No date other then 2011.

Insomniac announces Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One

Insomniac Games has announced a new Ratchet & Clank title during Sony’s gamescom conference in Cologne.


Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One is a four-player co-op experience with huge battles and tons of cooperative gameplay.

You will be able to play as Dr.Nefarious and Captain Qwark alongside both Ratchet and Clank. There will also be an online drop-in, drop-out feature, so you can play together side-by-side or online with up to three other friends.

Insomniac promise more exclusive Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One content soon.

Thanks VG247.

GT5 finally dated for Europe

Sony has finally dated Gran Turismo 5 for Europe; the game will be hitting shelves on November 3.

Sony announces new 320GB PS3 Move SKU

Sony has announced a 320GB PS3 Move bundle for €347/$399.99 and also a 160GB PS3 for $299.99 which will replace the current 120Gb model.


Sony said the new models will “continue to offer the same advanced features and functions of the current models, but with approximately 33 percent more capacity and at compelling price points”.

Folks wanting an increased HDD can thank the folks who downloaded over 1 billion pieces of content off PSN as of July 2010.

The 160GB model PS3 is now shipping to retailers at the same price as the existing PS3 model.

As part of the September 19 launch of Move, the PS3 Sports Champions Move bundle will introduce the 320GB model PS3 system along with one Move motion controller, a PlayStationEye camera, a copy of Sports Champions, and bonus Blu-ray game demo disc.

“With the launch of PlayStation Move just around the corner, we’re expecting many new consumers to join the PlayStationfamily,” said Scott A. Steinberg, vice president of product marketing. “The PS3 Sports Champions Move bundle provides those families with everything they need to get into motion control gaming at a great value, with the 320GB model PS3 system as the centerpiece of the package.

“Also, as PlayStation Network continues to evolve with exciting new services, the hunger for digital content grows; these larger storage capacities address that demand and encourage consumers to take full advantage of the complete PS3 experience.”

Thanks VG247.

Dead Space 2 screens show horrible space monsters

EA has released four new Dead Space 2 screens from gamescom.

Get ‘em below.


They show our hero Isaac fighting space monstrosities.

Dead Space 2 will be available on January 25 on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.

The PS3 version will have Move support and the game will be released in HD for the first time ever.