Webmasters and causal fans alike can now create a sleek and sexy “Perfect Dark Zero” site that is worthy of the game’s famed heroine, Joanna Dark. Microsoft Game Studios and Rare today announced that the Fan Site Kit (FSK) for the hotly-anticipated prequel to Rare’s critically acclaimed blockbuster hit, “Perfect Dark,” is now available. The new FSK offers an array of materials for building an impressive fan site, including hi-res character renders, concept art, logos, backgrounds, weapon icons and other web-ready artwork. The “Perfect Dark Zero” FSK is available for download at http://perfectdarkzero.com/fansites/.
Set in the year 2020 – years before the original hit game – “Perfect Dark Zero” is the origin story of the legendary Joanna Dark, a perfect agent and ultimate weapon. Players can quip Joanna with definitive state-of-the-art weaponry, gadgets, and vehicles in the Xbox 360-exclusive prequel to the international award-winning and multimillion-selling first-person shooter “Perfect Dark”. A two-disc “Perfect Dark Zero” Limited Collector’s Edition will be available at retailers nationwide this holiday for an MSRP of $59.99 (U.S.). A standard version with an MSRP of $49.99 (U.S.) will also be available which contains a single disc with the full version of the game and the game manual. For more information about “Perfect Dark Zero,” visit the official site “safe house” at http://www.perfectdarkzero.com/.
United Kingdom-based Rare, one of the world’s leading video game developers, was founded in 1985 by Chris and Tim Stamper. Rare has been the mastermind behind some of the most popular video games in history, including such global multimillion sellers as “GoldenEye 007” and “Perfect Dark.”
Microsoft revolutionized the gaming industry with the November 2001 launch of Xbox (http://www.xbox.com), its first-generation video games and entertainment system, now sold in 26 countries around the world. This holiday season Microsoft debuts its next-generation system, Xbox 360, in Europe, Japan and North America, to be followed by availability in Australia, Colombia, Hong Kong, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore and Taiwan in 2006. Xbox 360 is the most powerful video game and entertainment system, delivering the best games, the next generation of the premier Xbox Live online gaming service, and unique digital entertainment experiences that revolve around you.
I played this during a demo day last month and it looked very interesting. It is a combination of crime solving and fighting and there was a strong sense of suspense. I’m looking forward to playing it. But how about that $59.99 price point?
NEW YORK, NY – November 2, 2005 – 2K Sports, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (Nasdaq: TTWO), today announced Amped(tm) 3 is a launch day candidate for the Xbox 360(tm) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. The only snowboard game to be available for Xbox 360, Amped 3 features an all-new physics engine, enhanced controls and the world’s greatest winter resorts to create the most authentic snowboarding experience. Action is interlaced with a hip storyline that encompasses the distinct snowboarder culture, style, music and attitude.
Amped 3 stays true to its roots as the most authentic trick-based snowboarding game on seven new real-world resorts. Amped 3 is three times larger than the levels in the preceding Amped games. The Snowbox(tm) offers hundreds of challenges at various resorts, including the option for players to test their skills snowmobiling and sledding and then have their top scored runs, hang-times and crashes automatically posted on Xbox Live(r) online gaming service. Given the vastness of the mountains, players explore the backcountry on snowmobile
to find the perfect spots and then use the Park Builder for planting their own jumps and rails.
“With Amped 3, 2K Sports has tapped into the power of Xbox 360 to create the most authentic, customized, and unique snowboarding experience for gamers,” said Greg Thomas, president of Visual Concepts, a 2K Sports
studio. “Amped 3 captures the sport of snowboarding and reflects the style and attitude associated with the snowboarder culture.” Amped 3’s Snow Tracks in-game soundtrack features more than 300 new independent music tracks. Select tracks are featured on the exclusive Amped 3 soundtrack CD, available as a pre-sell promotional item at majorretailers and at 2K Sports events in November.
SAN FRANCISCO October 27, 2005 Today Ubisoft announced that Peter Jackson’s King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie, based on Universal Pictures’ December 14 release, King Kong, from three-time Academy Award® winner Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings trilogy), has officially goneGold on the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Xbox® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Nintendo GameCubeâ„¢ system and Windows® PC. The title will launch in North America November 22 at the manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $49.99 and is rated T for Teen.
“Ubisoft is extremely excited to reach this milestone in collaborating with Peter Jackson, Wingnut Films and Universal Studios Consumer Products Group,” said Yves Guillemot, president and chief executive officer of Ubisoft. “The response among the media, core gamers and the mass-market audience has been tremendous and we can’t wait to launch Ubisoft’s most impressive and successful game of 2005 ” Peter Jackson “King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie.”
While the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft version of Peter Jackson’s King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie is slated to go Gold the first week in November, it too will launch on November 22, 2005, alongside its console counterparts and the Game Boy® Advance title Kong The 8th Wonder of the World. PSP
(PlayStationPortable) system and Nintendo DS versions of Peter Jackson’s King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie will launch soon thereafter.
The King Kong Collaboration:Michel Ancel, creative director at Ubisoft, regarded as one of the top innovative minds in the video game industry, and his team at Ubisoft’s Montpellier (France) studio are working with Peter Jackson and Wingnut Films to capture and create the King Kong movie dynamics through a unique video game experience.
“It’s an absolute pleasure working with Ubisoft on the video game,” said triple Academy Award winner and King Kong director Peter Jackson. “Being able to collaborate closely together from day one is of utmost importance, which is why we’ve given Ubisoft unlimited access to every creative aspect of our film production. We really want the game and the film to be part of the same universe.”
We’re amazed by Peter Jackson’s creativity and what he brings to the project,†said Michel Ancel, creative director at Ubisoft. Peter Jackson’s King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie is a creation that closely follows the storyline of the movie yet, as video games have the innate ability to do, will push the emotional tension of the film to even greater depths. Players will experience unprecedented dual game play within a movie-licensed game which alternates between Jack Driscoll in first-person and as King Kong in third-person. These contrasting perspectives will immerse players into the journey featuring epic battles, tough choices and a dynamic experience within the visually stunning environment of Skull Island.”
I wrote a hands on preview of the Xbox 360 for PC Magazine that got posted today. It’s a helluva piece of hardware. I’m excited about a bunch of the games for it.
Gun, from Activision, is wild ride set in the 1880’s west. It’s along the line of High Plains Drifter and various other spaghetti westerns. It looked absolutely beautiful in 720p. At one point I was riding my horse along a ridge and across the valley the sun was setting. I paused to look at it and reflect on the insane number of polygons involved in the moment. You start off hunting but the violence starts soon. There’s a quick draw where you draw in real-time while everyone else moves in slow time. You’ll need it in order to take down multiple foes in a crowded room. Enemies take damage in 12 body areas and react accordingly. You can go to Dodge City or Empire City and get missions, then carry them out wherever they take you.
Project Gotham Racing 3 – This looked great. All of the speed of PGR 1 and 2 with bigger views and more detail. There are more polygons in the Brooklyn Bridge in PGR3 than in a whole city is PGR2. That pretty much says it all. Online racing is a big focus of PGR3 with world rankings. There’s a part where you can set up your own track in any of the cities in the game. Shadowing was great and reflections off the hood are a nice touch. The crowd reacts to you. It’s kind of cool to smash into the wall and make them scatter.
Call of Duty 2 – A tremendous amount of fun, as one would expect from COD. There’s a lot more texturing in the Xbox 360 version than in the Xbox version, and HD makes a big difference. This is a completely different game from the Xbox version so I’m looking forward to playing both.
NBA Live 2006 – EA Sports has put an insane amount of detail into their player modeling. It’s very hard to tell the difference between NBA Live and a real game on TV at this point. Players sweat and their blood vessels stick out. Their shorts have physics. A very cool thing is that you can play one-on-one while loading a game in the background.
Dead Or Alive 4 – Talk about beautiful vistas! There is eye candy aplenty as the perennial fighter returns. Everything is pretty much the same but there’s a few new characters. The big draw here is the online functionality. Players meet in a lobby where they can look at world rankings. You can search for a match or find your friend. You can stand in the lobby and watch other people fight on a TV, then text them and set up an impromptu tournament where you have winners.
This morning I met with Activision and saw three games: Gun, Call of Duty: Big Red On, and True Crime 2: New York City. I’m not allowed to write anything about Call of Duty. I’m sorry. I will say that I enjoyed playing it, but that’s to be expected.
Gun is simply breathtaking; it is the first game for Xbox 360 that I’ve seen that is really stunning. There are parts where the sun is setting over the mountains or on another side of a valley and you have to just stop and look at it. The storyline is just like a western movie. It’s 1881 and you and your pappy, Kris Kristofferson, are out hunting. This gives you a chance to learn to shoot. Then all hell pretty much breaks loose. So now you’re on your own and you can ride around the West taking missions and/or following the main storyline. You can go to Dodge City or Empire City where you’ll meet people who will give you quests. You can be a bounty hunter, a miner, ride for the pony express, just about any profession that belongs. There’s even a Texas Hold ‘Em mini game where you can win money.
It’s all about the gun. Quick draw slows down everyone else for a limited amount of time and lets you mow down enemies. The shutgun is just a fun weapon. Enemies take damage in one of 12 body areas and react accordingly. You can blow someone’s foot off and watch them hobble around. You can even shoot someone’s hat off and juggle it with additional shots while it is still in the air. Mounted combat is also pretty cool. That’s riding a horse and shooting, or using the horse to trample people.
Activision estimates that it’ll take about 20 hours to play straight through the storyline. They think if you try all the side missions there’s at least 40 hours there. And it looked like a lot of fun to me. Gun for Xbox 360 will be available November 22, 2005.
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