Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group Announce They Have Acquired A Majority Stake In Rocksteady Studios

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group have announced that they have acquired a majority stake in Rocksteady Studios. Rocksteady Studios are based in London and are the team behind Batman: Arkham Asylum.

The Success of Batman: Arkham Asylum, 3 Million having been shipped worldwide, proved to Warner Bros. that Rocksteady are able to create games with mass appeal. Warner Bros. have also announced that Rocksteady Studios are currently working on the sequel to Batman: Arkham Asylum.

Press Release

BURBANK, Calif. --(Business Wire)-- Feb 23, 2010 Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group announced today the acquisition of a majority stake in Rocksteady Studios, a privately held developer of interactive entertainment targeted at teens and adults, continuing Warner Bros.’ pattern as one of the industry’s fastest growing games publishers.

“Rocksteady demonstrated its professionalism and extraordinary development abilities with Batman: Arkham Asylum,” said Kevin Tsujihara, president, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group. “This arrangement is a great strategic fit and we are very pleased to solidify our relationship with this talented development team.”

Founded in 2004 in London, England, Rocksteady specializes in developing action-adventure video games, including Batman: Arkham Asylum, one of the most critically acclaimed games of 2009. The title has enjoyed robust sales, shipping over three million units worldwide, and has garnered numerous industry awards.

“We are proud to strengthen our association with WBIE, a world class publisher that we have enjoyed working with since we began developing Batman: Arkham Asylum,” said Jamie Walker, studio director, Rocksteady Studios. Sefton Hill, games director, added, “The Rocksteady team is very much looking forward to creating more great games based on widely recognized Warner Bros. brands like Batman.”

Warner Bros. continues to grow its games business through key acquisitions, building internal development capabilities, leveraging its global video distribution infrastructure, and focusing on developing major games franchises such as Batman, Mortal Kombat, The Lord of the Rings and LEGO.

“With the successful release of Batman: Arkham Asylum, a franchise that is a key focus for Warner Bros., Rocksteady has proven that they have the expertise to create hit games with mass appeal,” said Martin Tremblay, president, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “We are currently working with Rocksteady on the sequel to Batman: Arkham Asylum and look forward to bringing the continuation of the franchise to fans worldwide.”

“We are delighted to be deepening our relationship with London-based Rocksteady Studios, one of the UK's most respected games developers and 2009 recipient of the VGA’s coveted ‘studio of the year’ award,” said Josh Berger, president and managing director, Warner Bros. UK. “Rocksteady clearly has the talent, expertise and technology to make great games and we are fortunate to continue working closely with them as we further expand our games portfolio.”

In 2007, Warner Bros. acquired TT Games, developer of the hit LEGO-based game franchises, including LEGO Star Wars, LEGO Indiana Jones and LEGO Batman, which have wide appeal with players of all ages. In early 2009, Warner Bros. acquired Snowblind Studios to develop its The Lord of the Rings games franchise, with the first title expected to be released in 2011. Most recently, Warner Bros. purchased the primary assets of Midway Games. Midway published theMortal Kombat franchise, which has sold over 26 million units worldwide, and owned a robust IP catalog and broadly applicable game engine technology. As part of the transaction, Warner Bros. acquired two talented development studios to focus on the Mortal Kombat franchise as well as other key properties.

About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group (WBHEG) brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment's home video, digital distribution, interactive entertainment, technical operations and anti-piracy businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. An industry leader since its inception, WBHEG oversees the global distribution of content through packaged goods (Blu-ray Disc and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels, and is a significant developer and publisher for console and online video game titles worldwide. WBHEG distributes its product through third party retail partners and licensees, as well as directly to consumers through WBShop.com.

About Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, is a premier worldwide publisher, developer, licensor and distributor of entertainment content for the interactive space across all current and future platforms, including console, handheld and PC-based gaming for both internal and third party game titles.

About Rocksteady Studios Ltd
Rocksteady Studios is a multi-award winning videogame developer based in London, England. Located in a spacious, purpose built converted factory, with full motion capture and audio studio capabilities, we are an energetic company formed by a core team of senior industry professionals. This gives us an ideal balance of drive, talent, proven methods, experience and cutting edge technology to make AAA games. Now employing 70 people, Rocksteady's mission is to be a highly professional, efficient company whose purpose is to make great games, and have happy and healthy team members. This philosophy is the heart and soul of our company. Rocksteady recently received the coveted ‘studio of the year’ award at the 2009 VGA awards.

Audio Re-Cap of Yesterdays News (oldest to newest)

Here is today's Audio Re-Cap of Yesterdays news.
Don't forget, you can subscribe to the Audio Re-Cap Podcast on iTunes. if you do, it would be great if you can review and rate the podcast.

A podcast is available on iTunes from:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=328547861

A RSS Feed from Podbean:
http://qtegamers.podbean.com/feed

And on qtegamers.blogspot.com:
http://qtegamers.blogspot.com/search/label/Audio Re-Cap


Jonathan Ross Plays And Mentions Natal's Release Date

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/presenters/jonathan-ross/media/jross448x252.jpg

Jonathan Ross mentions, via his twitter feed, that he has played Natal, pointing out that its Not at his house. Jonathan Ross son recorded him having a go with Natal. Jonathan Ross mentions, via twitter, that Natal is coming in October. the two Twitter posts are below as well as the video of him playing on it.

"OK. Before bed. Natal on X Box impressive. Not quite there yet i think but tye have til october and if they get it right...skys the limit."

"OK this is the clip my son put on YOUTUBE of me trying out Natal. Not very graceful...http://bit.ly/96qdxo"




Re-Cap of Yesterdays News (oldest to newest)

  • QTE Blog: Re-Cap of The Weekends News (oldest to newest) http://ow.ly/16Dqiq

  • PS3: Heavy Rain has been banned in the UAE. its suggested the games adult themes is the reason http://ow.ly/19Sfa

  • PS3: Sony has registered a MotorStorm 3 web domain. its unknown what console its for. http://ow.ly/19SgG

  • QTE Blog: Audio Re-Cap of The Weekends News (oldest to newest) http://ow.ly/16DrBb

  • PC: Remedy haven't ruled out doing a PC version of Alan Wake. but they are a small studio and Microsoft does have a say http://ow.ly/19Shw

  • PS3: Dylan Cuthbert has confirmed PixleJunk Racers 2nd Lap via twitter, Says an announcement will be made soon http://ow.ly/19Sj0

  • PS3: Sony says the EU version of God Of War III take up over 40 GB of Blu-Ray Space, has 9 languages. USA takes 35GB http://ow.ly/19Sna

  • 360: Funcom say that a 360 version of at Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventure is in development http://ow.ly/19TIn

  • PS3: Two new PS3 Slim Models have been put to the FCC. its speculated that its nothing new, just chips from a new source http://ow.ly/19UTK

  • Capcom are teasing a announcement in April http://ow.ly/19UXB

  • A CV from a EA Software Engineer says that NBA Jam is coming to the PS3 and 360. http://ow.ly/19UYM

  • DS2: a recent patent for rumble support in a "game apparatus" with an "LCD and a touch pad" is thought to be for the DS2 http://ow.ly/19V0o

  • Wii: GAME have a listing for Rogue Squadron. Activision Blizzard listed as Publisher. nothing official is known http://ow.ly/19V25

  • UK Game Charts, Aliens Vs Predator, Just Dance, BioShock 2, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, FIFA 10, are top 5 http://ow.ly/19UV3

  • Analyst Michael Pachter thinks Natal will sell 10 Million, outsell the PS3 Motion Controller 5-1, in 2010 http://ow.ly/19UWR

  • PS3: Sony respond to reports that they bought the MotorStorm 3 domain. they're securing the URL, stopping others doing it http://ow.ly/19Zxb

  • PS3: George Hotz claims his PS3 exploit now has access to the GameOS. OtherOS could be removed by Sony http://ow.ly/19ZFc

  • Shane Bettenhausen is reported to have posted that 2 new handhelds will be announced at E3. PSP2/DS2 specualted http://ow.ly/19ZH1

  • QTE Blog: Fret Nice Is Coming To XBLA This Week For 1200 MS Points http://ow.ly/16DxGN

  • LucasArts have announced that Star Wars The Force Unleashed has sold over 7 Million. http://ow.ly/19ZJF

  • 360: Atlus have announced that 3D Dot Heroes is not coming to the Xbox 360 http://ow.ly/19ZLg

  • PC: Digimon Battles coming to USA next month. its ISA version of Digimon RPG. WeMade Entertainment is publishing http://ow.ly/19ZOw

  • QTE Blog: Duke Nukem 3D Is This Weeks XBLA Deal Of The Week http://ow.ly/16DzfB

  • PSP: sony says that 3rd parties have a strong line-up for 2010. Sony haven't fixed piracy issues, but have ideas http://ow.ly/1a3Nf

  • Rebellion say Aliens Vs Predator is a critical success. say some reviews were "inexcusably bad.". could do sequel http://ow.ly/1a3Ue

  • QTE Blog: Funcom Release New Screenshots, Artwork And Trailers From Age Of Conan: Hyborian Adventures Expansion http://ow.ly/16DAFU

  • A Poll of Japanese Gamers reveals a 49%/47% split whether they want subtitles or dubs. http://ow.ly/1a43I

  • Visceral Games have announced that they are working on PSN and XBLA games. http://ow.ly/1a45D

  • Wii: Ubisoft don't see the point in doing realistic Wii games ""Gamers will see the flaws, not your work." http://ow.ly/1a47j

  • Ubisoft say that the Red Steel Series hangs on the success of Red Steel 2. if it doesn't sell, there's no Red Steel 3. http://ow.ly/1a49f

  • QTE Blog: This Weeks WiiWare, DSiWare, And Virtual Console Releases http://ow.ly/16DC3b

  • PS3: Ubisoft feel Red Steel would work great with the Playstation Motion Controller apart for the need of a thumbstick http://ow.ly/1a4cn

  • PC: Mass Effect 2 has been patched. fixes to single core machines, dialog lines and more. http://ow.ly/1a4e6

  • PS3: Uncharted 2 has sold over 3.5 Million units worldwide. its fastest selling 1st party PS3 game to date http://ow.ly/1a6xt

  • 360: Edmund McMillen has released an imagine which hints that Super Meat Boy is coming to XBLA in 2010 http://ow.ly/1a6yK

  • PS3: God Of War 3 Trailer found to show new weapon, the Blades of Exile. they look simular to the Blades of Athena http://ow.ly/1a6A7



Monday, February 22, 2010

This Weeks WiiWare, DSiWare, And Virtual Console Releases

Here are this weeks WiiWare and DSiWare releases for the USA. in total there are 7 new games to download, but no new games have come out on the Virtual Console.

WiiWare

GhostSlayer
this is a 1 player game that costs 600 Wii Points. you play as a ghost slayer who has to battle evil spirits. you have to work through them to get to the ghost Queen. the game has 3 levels of difficulty and supports Wii MotionPlus.


Mouse House
This is a 1 player game that costs 600 Wii Points. this is a logic puzzle game where you play a mouse on the hunt for cheese. the game as 100 levels where you have to navigate traps to get to the cheese.


Family Go-Kart Racing
this is a 1-4 player game that costs 500 Wii Points. this kart racing game comes with 12 tracks where you use the WiiMotes tilt controls to steer the kart.


DSiWare

Aura-Aura Climber
This is a 1 player game that costs 200 DSi Points. you play as Aura-Aura and have to help him back into the universe. Aura_Aura has a grapple arm which you use to grapple points and climb higher.


Flight Control
This is a 1-2 player game that costs 500 DSi Points. this is the DSi version of the hit iPhone game.


Faceez
this is a player only game that costs 200 DSi Points. you take pictures of faces and put them into the game. you can dress them up, put them in settings. you can also upload them to Facebook.


Flipper
This is a 1 player game that costs 500 DSi Points. you ply as a young boy on his quest to find his stolen goldfish. this is a 3D puzzle platform game that has 4 worlds, each with 5 levels.


Press Release

Let's say you're relaxing at home, but something doesn't seem quite right. Maybe your house has ghosts. Clearly you need to get GhostSlayer, with its Wii MotionPlus™ accessory functionality, to figure out how to deal with them. Or maybe your house has a mouse. Mouse House™ puzzles seem the logical choice for you. Maybe you just need to get out of the house and try some fresh air with Family Go-Kart Racing. If it seems a bit brighter than usual outdoors, that's probably because Aura-Aura, the star of Aura-Aura Climber™, has fallen out of the sky. While you're out having fun, take and share some crazy pictures of your friends and family with Faceez, or spend a few relaxing hours directing flights with Flight Control™. And while you're out there, you might want to spend some time helping a little boy recover his lost pet goldfish, Flipper.

WiiWare™

GhostSlayer
Publisher: Gevo Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Blood, Violence
Price: 600 Wii Points™
Description: Embark on a thrilling ghost-fighting experience. Play as a Ghost Slayer as you battle evil spirits that plague the mortal world. Your sword is your only weapon against them. Eliminate all hostiles in your path and defeat the Ghost Queen in the final stage in order to save the world. Unlock new swords and acquire special techniques that you can use to your advantage. Test your skills by playing all three levels of difficulty. Enjoy the thrill of slashing ghosts and vaporizing them by swinging your Wii Remote™ controller and experience sword-fighting game play at a new level of realism by using Wii MotionPlus accessory (this game can be played with or without Wii MotionPlus). Brace yourself for the onslaught of blood-thirsty spirits.

Mouse House
Publisher: Big John Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 600 Wii Points
Description: He's clever, he's daring, he's brave, he's ... a mouse! Mouse House is an accessible and fast-paced logic puzzle game in which you lead a lively little mouse on his hunt to collect the cheese in each of 100 challenging puzzles. But these are no simple mazes - our adorable hero has to weave his way though a cast of colorful critters, including stinger-shooting bees and nasty rats, as well as tricky traps like conveyor belts, collapsing floors and more. A true "pick up and play" game, Mouse House's combination of simple controls and multiple levels of challenge make it perfect for players of all ages.

Family Go-Kart Racing
Publisher: Aksys Games
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: It's Family Go-Kart Racing, the fantastic new racing game from Arc System Works. The Family is back: Billy, Sarah, Daddy, Mommy and new to the Family fun, Auntie and Gramps. Choose among the six family members and six karts to take on 12 exciting tracks and drift your way to victory. With the Wii Remote controller's tilt control, race against the clock in Time Attack to beat your personal records, or take on the entire family in a full Grand Prix. Steer your way through the Snowy Slopes, peel out in the World Bazaar and go-go-go for gold on the Go-Go Rollercoaster. Earn your place as the head of the family by outmaneuvering your kin with special items like Acceleration and Lighting to zip past your opponents. Or, unleash the Bowling Bomb and strike out the kart ahead of you.

Nintendo DSiWare™

Aura-Aura Climber
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: Aura-Aura has fallen out of the sky and landed on Earth. He is determined to return to his rightful place in the universe and become a bright star. Take control of Aura-Aura, and help him to accomplish this by using his grapple arm to grab a variety of grapple points and continuously climb higher in the sky. Along the way, collect items to aid him (bombs, extensions for his grapple arm) and avoid enemies that damage Aura-Aura's health. Two modes of play offer very different challenges: Score Attack, in which you try to get to the goal with as many points as possible, and Endless, in which your aim is simply to help Aura-Aura climb as high into the sky as possible within the time limit. And even if you think you've mastered the art of climbing, both modes offer numerous medals to find or earn by completing specific tasks. With its intuitive controls, straightforward game play, and incredible replay value, Aura-Aura's journey is arcade-style gaming at its best ... or should that be its highest?

Flight Control
Publisher: Firemint
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Keep the skies safe in Flight Control, the insanely popular worldwide hit from Firemint. In this action-packed game, take on the role of an air traffic controller at an increasingly busy airport. In complete control of the airspace, direct aircraft to their appropriate landing zones while avoiding collisions. Travel to airports set among green fields, a beachside resort, the Australian Outback, a winter wonderland and even an aircraft carrier. Learn how to land 10 different kinds of aircraft, including jets, seaplanes and helicopters. To direct aircraft, simply touch and drag them to their landing zones with the stylus without letting them collide. Sounds easy? You'll need smart strategy, keen eyes and a smooth touch to keep the chaos under control. You can even work alongside a friend in cooperative multiplayer mode, and guard the airways together. Flight Control only takes a minute to learn – just don't expect to put it down as quickly as you'll pick it up.

Faceez
Publisher: Neko Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Alcohol Reference, Comic Mischief, Mild Blood
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Make your friends laugh with Faceez. Take pictures of their faces with the Nintendo DSi Camera and then mix them and animate them. Dress them up with lots of funny accessories. Place them in your own favorite settings. Give free reign to your imagination with millions of possible combinations. Thanks to the Nintendo DSi system's connectivity with Facebook, you can share your creations with your friends, who'll be rolling on the floor laughing. Photograph, disguise, decorate, animate and send ... FACEEZ.

Flipper
Publisher: Xform
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: The hero of the game is a courageous young boy. You must lead him through various worlds full of obstacles to retrieve his stolen goldfish called Flipper. Get ready for a 3-D puzzle platform game set in four different worlds with five levels each. The game features beautiful pixel-art backdrops, cheerful cartoon characters and catchy music. The voxel engine technology allows you to change the environment with some cool power-ups. You can pick up power-ups that let you blast holes in the environment while other power-ups restore it or build platforms. It's up to you to use the limited amount of power-ups wisely to complete each level. Flipper is a fun and challenging puzzle game that is suited for all ages.

Nintendo adds new titles to the Nintendo DSi™ Shop and the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Mondays. Users with broadband Internet access can redeem Wii Points or Nintendo DSi Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel. Nintendo DSi Points can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Nintendo Points Card™ can be purchased at retail locations. All points from one Nintendo Points Card must be redeemed in either the Nintendo DSi Shop or the Wii Shop Channel. They are not transferable and cannot be divided between the two systems.

Remember that both Wii and Nintendo DSi feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visitWii.com or NintendoDSi.com.

Funcom Release New Screenshots, Artwork And Trailers From Age Of Conan: Hyborian Adventures Expansion

Funcom have released new screenshots, artwork, and trailers from areas in the GodSlayer expansion for Age Of Conan: Hyborian Adventures. These are from two areas in the expansion, the KaraKorum and The Gateway to Khitai.

The Artwork, Screenshots, and Trailers all come from in-game footage of the Godslayer Expansion. they show off the landscape, buildings, and enemies from each of the locations.



Gateway to Khitai Artwork


Gateway to Khitai Screenshots




KaraKorum Artwork


KaraKorum Screenshots



Duke Nukem 3D Is This Weeks XBLA Deal Of The Week


Major Nelsons blog has announced that this weeks Deal Of The Week is Duke Nukem 3D. For This week only, the game costs 400 MS Points. This only applies to Gold Members.

From Major Nelson Blog