Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced today two upcoming games in the Batman Arkhamverse. First is Batman: Arkham Origins for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, and Windows PC. Batman: Arkham Origins will feature an expanded Gotham City and will introduce an original storyline that you guessed it happens to be a prequel. Set several years before the events of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City and before the rise of Gotham’s most dangerous criminals. Focusing on a young and unrefined Batman and the events of his early career as a crime fighter that lead him to the path of becoming the Dark Knight. Batman: Arkham Origins is being developed by WB Games Montreal.

Next up for the hand held gaming enthusiasts is Batman Arkham Origins Blackgate for the PlayStation Vita and Nintendo 3DS. Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate is a 2.5-D game being developed by Armature Studio and is the first time the Batman Arkham experience will be available on the PlayStation Vita and Nintendo 3DS. Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate will be a companion game to Batman: Arkham Origins. Players will be able to continue the storyline of the console version to discover more details of the Dark Knight’s origin.

Batman: Arkham Origins and Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate are scheduled for a worldwide release on October 25th, 2013. Let us know what you think of this announcement and the fact that neither game is being developed by Rocksteady Studios the developers of the previous Arkham games.

What is in a name, indeed. This reminds me a bit of the slasher movie Communion in the early 80s which was a re-release of Alice, Sweet Alice from the 70s. The posters blared that the movie featured the newly minted movie star, Brooke Shields! Brooke had recently become big news after her role in The Blue Lagoon. Very-long-and-detailed-story-short, Brooke Shields’s first movie role was as a little girl taking her first communion and being burned alive in the process. She was SIX YEARS OLD at the time. Years later the producers used her name and teenaged likeness to repackage and re-release the film. Which is how I found myself reliving the trauma of seeing all that gore – a second time!

My point in bringing this up is simply that Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon will likely have as much in common with Far Cry 3 as teenaged Brooke Shields had with Communion. Check out this non-trailer trailer and let me know if you agree.

FC3:BD was sort of announced by Ubisoft on April 1st in a pseudo-practical joke fashion to amuse and confuse. No one outside Ubisoft’s own offices knew the announcement wasn’t a joke until the downloadable game surfaced in the arcade section of Microsoft’s XBLA as a title coming on May 1st. That translates to March 31st for us PlayStation 3 fans.

According to information made available on the game’s own website, here’s the plot:  “The year is 2007. It is the future. Earth has been ravaged by a nuclear war and new paths for peace must be found. A U.S. cyborg army may have found a solution: a powerful bioweapon on a distant island. A Mark IV Cyber Commando, Sergeant Rex Power Colt has been sent over to gather information and figure out what the hell is going on.”

The first two sentences in the plot description are terrifying and awesome. As in, “Aaaaawsome, duuuuuude…jhyah bra…”! The game design and accompanying materials are all designed as 1980s throwbacks. The website design is filled with late-80s era graphics. The game is designed to look like it’s being seen on a 480i resolution TV set. But the most intriguing element on the website is a small square area which looks like a TV picture paused with two live actors sitting in an office. Could this mean the game will incorporate FMV? Will Full Motion Video be making a comeback? Or at least an appearance? The design seems to be hinting at just that possibility!

Go take a look at the website and peruse. Move your mouse around and click on all that is clickable. Then come back here and let’s chat, shall we? Don’t be a spazz!

Out later today for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita is International Snooker. Developed by Big Head Games International Snooker will offer full year on year career mode, quick play and muiltiplayer modes integrated with PlayStation trophies and leader boards. International Snooker will also include the following.

• Career mode, play a full rolling year on year calendar of events earning world ranking points to become world number one and win all 16 trophies.

• Quick play matches that are fully customisable.

• Multiplayer, play anyone, anywhere, anytime, offline two player and connected worldwide.

• Quick play Pool modes – 8ball UK, 8ball US and 9ball US.

• 15 tournament venues, practice club venue and the exclusive 147 VIP club (score a 147 break to qualify).

• A  prize room of 15 tournament cups and the bonus 147 cup.

• Equipment upgrades, earn the right to use better gear for more power and better control.

• 29 Rewards earning 13 PlayStation® Trophies.

• Real time multiplayer chat.

• Realistic ball control, including spin options for swerve and back spin.

• Referee voiced by the world renowned referee Michaela Tabb.

No word on pricing yet, but seeing how it is scheduled for release on a Friday this is looking like a title that will pop up in the PlayStation mobile section. If your into snooker or pool it does look like International Snooker has a little something for everyone.

]]> http://www.psnation.org/2013/03/15/international-snooker/feed/ 0 http://www.psnation.org/2013/02/27/tomb-raider-reborn-trailer/ http://www.psnation.org/2013/02/27/tomb-raider-reborn-trailer/#comments Wed, 27 Feb 2013 17:46:38 +0000 Randy Verduzco http://www.psnation.org/?p=28162

Tomb Raider is set to launch on March 5th.

source: square enix

Irational games has announced two collections coming out for BioShock Infinite, Ultimate Songbird Edition and Premium Edition. So for what has been announced for these editions are as follows:

• 3 inch baby version key chain of Murder of Crows vigor bottle replica.
• 5 x 7 Lithograph by Jorge Lacera.
• 25 millimeter, resin-cast Handyman miniature from the upcoming BioShock Infinite board game by Plaid Hat Games.
• Mini Art book of BioShock Infinite concept art and commentary with a hand distressed cover.
• Multiple digital goodies for in-game use.
• Unique to the Songbird edition, A 9 inch Song Bird Statue!

The Song Bird edition will be $149.99 and the Premium edition will be $79.99 Europe and Australia can pre-order these on October 22nd! I looked this morning to buy these editions but I could not find anywhere selling them yet in the U.S. Be sure to keep your eyes out for these two awesome editions of the game!

After playing the multiplayer at E3, I can say without a doubt that I am extremely excited for this game. The controls, even as early as it was, were extremely tight and felt very natural. As you can see in the trailer, the visuals are quite well done and set the mood nicely. Check it out!