BitSnark

In a recent investor call, THQ head cheese Brian Farrell pledged to investors that the forthcoming Warhammer 40K MMO will be fully unveiled at E3 this June and that the IP could easily last for several years.

Very little is actually known about the game, but team members who recently worked on the accomplished Darksiders title are thought to be on board. One such member of the team, Creative Lead Joe Madureira said that the combat takes place on a much larger scale than Warhammer Online and that there would be ‘tons of customisation and the coolest looking characters in any MMO, ever.’

Big words Brian, big words. Still, this has my interest piqued all the same.

Confirming the rumours that have been circulating of late, Sega have given Project Needlemouse it’s offical title: Sonic The Hedgehog 4.

Envisioned as a return to 2D form for the spiky blue mascot, the title is a 2D 1080p (480p on Wii) platformer which will be available in episodic form, starting this summer with the release of Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 on 360, Wii and PS3.

For both the Wii and PS3 versions, motion control will be available via the Wiimote and Sixxaxis pad respectively.

Previously, Sega confirmed to a number of media outlets that Sonic and Sonic only, would be the sole playable character in the game.

In an effort to harken back to a simpler time where it was just Sonic collecting rings in some satisfyingly high velocity platforming action and where the pointless side charcaters such as Shadow The Hedgehog et al, aren’t the main attraction, i’m cautiously optimistic that Sega may be onto something with this one.

The first teaser for the title can be seen below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsYJLEwzRjc

Just a reminder to let you folks now that Sega will be releasing a multiplayer deathmatch demo for the upcoming Alien Vs Predator tomorrow.

The demo will allow players access to the Marine, Alien and Predator classes and will allow you to blow/slash/chew great gooey chunks out of each other.

Let me know what you guys think though.

In an interview with Japanese gaming magazine Sega has said that it would really like to develop Shenmue 3, but stated that a sequel to the unfinished franchise would only happen if Nintendo, Sony or Microsoft fronted up the cash to make it.

“SEGA also mentioned the chance of one of the three hardware makers financing the game’s (Shenmue III) production in exchange for an exclusivity deal.” According to the Famitsu article.

The reason why a third game has never materialised was due to the insanely high production costs that the first two titles racked up, but never made back due to poor sales.

Understandably, Sega is anxious to avoid big red numbers on their balance sheets as a result and this explains the reasoning behind asking one of the platform holders to fund development in exchange for exclusivity. One has to wonder though, would the costs really be *that* high for the title?

Another Sega title, Yakuza 3 found itself in a similar situation with two previously underperforming titles in its series that everybody thought meant death for Yakuza 3 in the West. Yet here we are, Yakuza 3 is due to hit Western territories next month, and just like Shenmue, boasts a similar level of exploration, combat and of course, lots and lots of voice acting.

Just food for thought.

EA today have confirmed that the open multiplayer Beta for the next instalment in their legendary RTS franchise, is now live and available to all.

The beta will contain four maps, including the new ‘Afflicted Arena’; whatever that is. With the title due to hit US shores on March 16th and the UK on March 19th, the beta should give players a good idea of what to expect from the final product.

Cue much vent screaming and whining at ‘unfair’ super weapons etc..

The official PR blurb can be seen below:

LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS – News) today announced that PC gamers worldwide can get early hands-on experience with Command & Conquer™ 4 Tiberian Twilight by joining the open multiplayer beta before the game’s release in North America on March 16 and in Europe on March 19, 2010. The multiplayer beta gives players a unique opportunity to experience all-new RTS gameplay in the game’s new, fast-paced, strategic 5v5 multiplayer mode across four different maps. Gamers can get access to the beta by signing up at http://www.commandandconquer.com/news/get-cc-4-public-beta.

“We could not be more excited to give fans a taste of what’s in store for Command & Conquer 4 Tiberian Twilight with the new multiplayer beta,” said Lead Designer, Samuel Bass. “Players can expect the fast-paced strategic RTS action they’ve come to know and love in the Command & Conquer franchise augmented with new gameplay elements that really ratchet up the intensity, especially in our 5v5 multiplayer modes.”

The Command & Conquer 4 Tiberian Twilight open multiplayer beta features four maps including the new Afflicted Arena. This new map features a once lush, Polynesian landscape transformed into a military dock by the Global Defense Initiative (GDI) and currently besieged by Brotherhood of Nod forces aiming to claim the tactically important location and take control of the Pacific Rim. Players in the roles of the Offense, Defense and Support classes will engage in strategic battles to win key vantage points across the map and secure a majority of the TCN Hubs to take control of this vital location. Experience earned through the new Persistent Player Progression system during the multiplayer beta period will be transitioned to the full game upon its release.

Command & Conquer 4 Tiberian Twilight brings the 15 year-long fan-beloved Tiberium saga to an epic and stunning conclusion, giving players a new innovative and compelling strategic gameplay experience through the epic battles between the GDI and the Brotherhood of Nod, with its enigmatic leader Kane. With its new experience and class-based systems that are persistent across all game modes, Command & Conquer 4 Tiberian Twilight sticks to the action-packed gameplay fans have come to love while offering them entirely new ways to play Command & Conquer. Whether conquering alone, in co-op mode or in an all-new 5v5 objective-based multiplayer mode, Command & Conquer 4 Tiberian Twilight delivers an innovative social real-time-strategy experience never seen before in a Command & Conquer game.

Pre-orders* are now available at http://www.commandandconquer.com/preorder and include the official soundtrack of Command & Conquer 4 Tiberian Twilight, as well as an exclusive bonus mission.

Command & Conquer 4 Tiberian Twilight is being developed for the PC at EA Los Angeles and will be available in North America on March 16th 2010 and in Europe on March 19th. The game has not yet been rated by the ESRB or PEGI. For more information about the game, and the multiplayer beta please visit http://www.commandandconquer.com or follow the community and development team on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ea_apoc.

After a superb 2009 debut as one of the games of the year, many people jumped in literal joy when the sequel to Batman: Arkham Asylum was announced at the Spike VGA in December of that same year.

Well, now it appears we have a date. Warner Germany, the German arm of the title’s publisher, has let loose a tentative October 2010 release date for the superhero licensed super-sequel.

While we’re obviously quite early on here, that date doesn’t seem impossible to meet; especially when you account for the fact that developer Rocksteady will be looking to leverage their highly impressive technology from the first game.

UPDATE

In a conversation with videogames website vg247.com, Warner has denied the October 2010 date saying that “The ‘German web site tags Arkham Asylum 2 for October’ story is based on inaccurate information on the German Warner site,”.

So, not October then; or so they say. Ultimately however, the date was a tentative release window at best, but given the fact that the tech for the game is effectively completed, developers Rocksteady can concentrate on filling in the content and getting the title *right*.