The above video represents Sega’s new attempt to ‘fix’ the rather mediocre Sonic series. With Sonic Unleashed, Sega is going back to their roots by offering users a game that will feature side-scrolling gameplay that gamers have been wanting from a console Sonic game since the Sega Genesis era. While Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2 were not exactly horrible games, many Sonic fans simply were not satisfied with how well it played. Countless other Sonic games have been made and most people will agree that none of them have delivered the gameplay that Sonic fans want.

While not many details are known about this game we can easily see that the game will play like the original Sonic games, feature impressive cinematic quality visuals and will feature a wide variety of locales. A ton of screenshots have already been released for the screen in which you can check out here and some more here. There is some speculation that these screenshots and video could be a well orchestrated hoax but until then I would assume that this content is indeed the real deal. The game is listed for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii and will likely be released sometime next year.

In a not so surprising move, Electronic Arts has engaged in an attempted hostile takeover of Take Two Interactive. EA went directly to the shareholders and offered $26 a share in an attempt to buyout Take Two Interactive without their willingness. The Wall Street Journal has also published an article regarding EA’s move:

Following the rejection of its unsolicited bid to acquire Take-Two, EA launched a tender offer to acquire all of Take-Two’s outstanding shares for $26 each, the price it offered the company last month. The move signals that EA’s attempt to gain control of Take-Two, publisher of the blockbuster Grand Theft Auto game, is turning hostile.

In response to the move, Take-Two’s board recommended Thursday that its shareholders take no action at this time, saying it would advise investors on its position within 10 business days.

The EA bid places a value of about $2 billion on Take-Two, which temporarily traded above the $26 a share that EA offered, but later sunk below the offer price. The stock traded at 4 p.m. yesterday at $24.91, up 26 cents, on Nasdaq.

“This is a great opportunity for Take-Two shareholders,” said EA Chief Executive Officer John Riccitiello. “We believe Take-Two investors will see our tender offer as the best way to maximize the value of their investment in Take-Two.”

If Electronic Arts succeeds in acquiring Take Two Interactive, EA will then control much of the gaming industry. EA has a reputation of milking franchises and preventing innovation. If EA ends up controlling most of the game industry (which it looks like they may end up doing) will this severely hurt the gaming market and creativity?

[Via The Wall Street Journal]

During the first few months of working on integrating Activision into Vivendi studios, head of Activision, Bobby Kotick mentioned the possibility of working on a massive multi player game that would potentially cost one billion dollars to create in order to compete with the successful World of Warcraft.

Talking with the investors at the Morgan Stanley Technology Conference, Kotick specifically mentioned Call of Duty:

What would be the natural evolution of a property like Call of Duty into a massively-multiplayer environment and how do you monetize that?

Kotick also mentioned the possibility of using in-game advertising as one of the sources of income from such a massive project. While Activision may only be considering a Call of Duty MMO at this time, they company is at the very least considering the possibilities of such a game. One thing is for sure, if we every do see a Call of Duty MMO, it won’t be for at least three or four years.

[Via Kotaku]

Sony says in late Q2 2008 a Metal Gear Solid 4 PS3 bundle will be available.  I don’t have a PS3 yet, and I totally plan on picking this up...but not just for any reason, it’s actually quite a deal.  Blu-ray recently became the standard in HD movies, which of course you get with your PS3.  However, we already knew that, what else makes it so special?  Well, the new DualShock 3 controller is included in this bundle, as well as Metal Gear Solid 4, and this is the 80GB version with backward compatibility, all for only $499.  Sure that’s a lot of money, but when we’re talking about the PS3 here, you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck.  If you bought an 80GB PS3 right now you’d be getting no rumble and no MGS4, for the same price…

Note that if you already have a PS3, pre-ordering MGS4 will get you a spot in the multiplayer beta before the game is released.  Now that’s a sweet deal...too bad I won’t have my PS3 until the game is actually released.  The famous DualShock 3 that you’re hearing so much about will be available separately in April for $54.95.  Apparently Sony’s decision to remove rumble was quite the unpopular one.  I’m a big fan of rumble myself so it’s good to see it make a return.  Sony also announced that you can get an ugly, “limited-edition Deep Red” God of War PSP.  Nothing more needs to be said about that.

Click below to see the full press release.

Read more...

Nour Polloni, a designer working on Alone in the Dark has revealed that you’ll be able to skip some of the more difficult sequences in the game.  They decided to implement this feature so that everyone has a shot at beating the game.  Here’s what she said about it in the latest OXM:

Another achievement is linked to whether or not the player skips. We want everybody to be able to finish our game, so one of the other new features we’ve added is the ability to skip sections using a DVD-style menu if you get stuck, but always at a cost, and achievements is one way to reward players who don’t skip.

I have to say this is a fantastic feature.  Will I ever use it?  No way.  The challenges that games provide is a large portion of the fun for me, but not everyone feels that way.  Many people come across a difficult section in a game, then end up never finishing it because they were never able to overcome that particular sequence.  This is a much better solution than making games easier, since that then takes away from people looking for a challenge.  The best part is if you don’t like the feature, you don’t have to use it.  Everybody wins.

[Via Destructoid]

For fans of physics and unique ways of approaching every situation, Alone in the Dark is one game you’ll want to keep your eyes on.  In the above tech demo we see very creative use of...just about everything in your environment.  The new direction Alone in the Dark is going reminds me a lot of Penumbra (which you should check out if you haven’t already), a PC horror game where you must use objects you find in creative ways in order to survive.  As a huge horror fan, it looks like this game could give some of our old favorites like Silent Hill a run for their money.  Watch the above video and tell me what you think, it definitely blew my mind.

Reuters is reporting that Toshiba has given up on HD DVD, ending the format war.  An official announcement should be coming soon.  This is very unfortunate news for Toshiba since they are set to lose tons of money in the wake of their defeat.  Technically DVD is still beating Blu-ray, but it’s only a matter of time before more people upgrade to an HDTV and want an HD movie format to go along with it.  I have always preferred HD DVD, but with last week’s announcement that Netflix was going Blu-ray exclusive, they made my decision for me.  The PlayStation 3’s high cost had been attributed to Blu-ray, and if Blu-ray hadn’t won Sony’s system would have been in serious trouble.  Now they are likely to benefit greatly from its inclusion.  Being one of the cheapest Blu-ray players on the market is nice, but in addition the PS3 has many other features making it an attractive purchase for anyone looking to upgrade to an HD movie format.

[Via Reuters]

It seems that Australians are always getting the short end of the stick when it comes to gaming.  Not only are release dates in their country much later than most, but they also have very strict standards when it comes to violence in games.  The latest problem for Australian gamers is that Dark Sector has been refused classification, essentially halting any chances of the game being released there in its current form.  IGN reports that the developers plan on modifying the game (essentially censoring it) so that it can be approved and released in Australia.  Though nothing has been announced I expect the game to have similar difficulties being approved in other strict countries, particularly Germany where Crackdown, Dead Rising, and Gears of War were never released due to their violent content.  I haven’t had a chance to play Dark Sector but it looks like a quality title that plays similarly to Resident Evil 4.  I’m looking forward to getting my hands on it this March when it releases in the US.  Check out more screenshots and video on their official site located here.

[Via IGN]

Sony’s Playstation.Blog reveals that you’ll be able to download the Patapon demo via PC or PS3 later today (however it’s only playable on the PSP).  From the developers of LocoRoco comes this unique mix of rhythm based gameplay combined with real-time strategy.  As their god, command your Patapon and equip them with better weaponry while you lead them through battles against the oppressive Zigaton tribe.  Check out some gameplay footage here and click here to download the Patapon demo as soon as it’s released.  If you enjoy the demo, the full game is a steal at $19.99 when it’s released in the US on February 26.

EA’s recent revival of the Command & Conquer series appears to be affecting every aspect of the series.  Since last year’s Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, we’ve seen the first expansion pack announced, Kane’s Wrath, the first-person shooter Tiberium, and now Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3.  The original Red Alert still remains one of the greatest RTS games ever.  While some games have arguably more depth, such as StarCraft, nothing beats the Command & Conquer series for pure RTS action.  Screenshots and details should be out soon so we can get a better idea of what this game will be like compared to previous entries.  The fastest way to get more info would be to pick up the latest issue of PC Gamer.

[Via Destructoid]