After another trawl through my virtual mailbag to see what is being games are being punted this week, I’ve found a few interesting morsels that I thought I’d share with you.
Again, rather than be professional about it and scrub them up into some sort of self-indulgent twaddle like I usually do, I’m offering the information just as it was passed to me.
Up this week we’ve a load of Aussies that are off to Hollywood to play Call of Duty, some Tomb Raider multiplayer maps, Activision’s The Walking Dead game, a Bioshock Infinite video, the second Assassin’s Creed 3 single-player DLC pack, Trials Evolution on the PC and DC Comics’ Injustice Gods Among Us.
Off we go, then.
Monday, 18th March, 2013
ANZ Call of Duty pro gamers heading to Hollywood with $1 MILLION prize pool in their sights
Eight expert gamers from Australia are heading to Hollywood to take on the world’s best Call of Duty Black Ops II competitors. On Friday night gaming publisher, Activision, brought together the best Call of Duty players from across Australia and New Zealand to battle it out for a place at the Call of Duty Championship, presented by Xbox tournament in Los Angeles on 5-7 April at the Hollywood Palladium Theatre.
After eight grueling hours of gameplay against fierce competition from 32 expert gamers, Team Immunity and Mindfreak eSports, took out the honour of ANZ’s best Call of Duty teams, and booked their ticket to the Call of Duty Championship, presented by Xbox in April.
Captain of the Team Immunity team, Albert Nassif says “It’s a great feeling to take out the Call of Duty title in Australia, and we can’t wait to go to Hollywood and play for the big bucks against the world’s best”.
Senior Vice President Asia Pacific at Activision, Philip Earl says the response to the Call of Duty Championships is evidence of the franchise’s strong following down under.
“The successful launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops II last year showed the continued strength of the Call of Duty franchise locally so it’s wonderful to be able to give back to the loyal community with the Call of Duty Championships”.
24 teams from around the globe will now meet in Hollywood on 5-7th April to battle for their share of the $1 million dollar prize purse, and the ultimate bragging rights as the world’s best Call of Duty players.
Last year Call of Duty: Black Ops II became the biggest selling entertainment product of all time, recording 1 BILLION dollars in sales in just 15 days.
I’ve been playing the arse out of Tomb Raider, but I’ve yet to embrace the multiplayer game. This new map pack may entice me to have a go this weekend.
The Caves and Cliffs Map Pack Out Now for Xbox 360
Sydney 20th March – Square Enix® has today released three all-new multiplayer maps for the critically-acclaimed TOMB RAIDER™ in the Caves and Cliffs Multiplayer Map Pack, coming first, exclusively to Xbox 360® players.
Tomb Raider fans will be able to purchase the DLC from Xbox Marketplace today for 400 Microsoft points.
Each of the three maps are playable on all four multiplayer game modes and see the island’s indigenous Scavengers pitted against the crew members from the shipwrecked Endurance.
The map locations include:
Scavenger Caverns
An extensive subterranean network of caves used by the island’s scavengers as an underground prison.
Cliff Shantytown
This scavenger settlement was built high up on the island cliffs. Its many layers hide some of the deadliest traps on the island.
The Burning Village
A raging fire has embraced an abandoned Japanese village, the burning buildings offer multiple ways to escape or engage your enemies.
Related Links
Official Homepage: www.TOMBRAIDER.com
Official Twitter: @TOMBRAIDER
Official Facebook page: http://facebook.com/TOMBRAIDER
Official Tumblr: http://officialTOMBRAIDERblog.tumblr.com/
Official YouTube Channel: http://youtube.com/TOMBRAIDER
I love The Walking Dead. The comic book, the TV show and even Telltale’s Walking Dead point ‘n’ click adventure. Now Call of Duty publisher, Activision has produced a game based on the TV show (Telltale’s effort being based on the comic-book). So here’s Activision’s PR folks are telling us all about it:
Hey Fans of The Walking Dead,
Lock the door and prepare for the walker apocalypse as Terminal Reality’s The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct video game is now available at retail outlets nationwide. Based on AMC’s Emmy® Award-winning TV series, The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct follows the show’s fan favourite, crossbow-wielding Daryl Dixon, played by Norman Reedus, and his overbearing brother Merle, played by Michael Rooker, on a haunting, unforgiving journey through the walker-infested Georgia countryside.
The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct is available now in Australia for Xbox 360® and PlayStation 3® for a suggested retail price of $69.95, and is rated MA (Mature Audiences) by the Australian Classification Board. For more information, please ‘Like’ The Walking Dead on Facebook (facebook.com/TheWalkingDeadAMC).
AMC’s “The Walking Dead” is the number one drama series in basic cable history for Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54. Based on the comic book series written by Robert Kirkman, “The Walking Dead” tells the story of the months and years that follow after a zombie apocalypse. It follows a group of survivors, led by police officer Rick Grimes, who travel in search of a safe and secure home. The series, which garnered a 2010 Golden Globe® nomination for Best Television Series – Drama and won the 2011 and 2012 Emmy® Award for Outstanding Prosthetic Make-Up, stars Andrew Lincoln, Laurie Holden, Norman Reedus, Steven Yeun, Chandler Riggs, Scott Wilson, Lauren Cohan, Melissa McBride, Danai Gurira and David Morrissey.
It wouldn’t be a proper edition of Press Pass without a new Bioshock Infinite video. Naturally 2K’s PR folks presented the video with only the most subtle of intros, as really next week’s Bioshock Infinite needs no introduction.
Title:
Creating Elizabeth: The Women That Brought Her To LifeDescription:
Go behind the scenes to learn about how Irrational Games worked to create Elizabeth, a companion character designed specifically to bring the player closer to the story. Meet the four women who devoted themselves to making Elizabeth more human than your average video game character, and the process involved in making her come to life.
Assassin’s Creed 3 provided me with hours of entertainment and although I’m not a fan of the multiplayer DLC, the episodic Tyranny of George Washington single-player DLC looks fun. Here’s Ubisoft telling us all about the addon’s second chapter.
Assassin’s Creed® III – The Tyranny of King Washington Episode 2 – “The Betrayal”
Sydney, Australia — March 20, 2013—Today, Ubisoft® has announced the launch of The Betrayal, the second episode in the three-part Assassin’s Creed III – The Tyranny of King Washington downloadable content series, on Microsoft’s Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and Windows PCs. This episode will be available for PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system starting tomorrow, March 21.
The Betrayal continues the next chapter in hero Ratonhnhaké:ton’s war against the mad King George Washington, taking gamers to Boston to find an unlikely ally. Ratonhnhaké:ton will discover a new ability- the power of the eagle, which empowers him to quickly fly across short distances and hone in on enemies for precise and brutal assassinations.
The final episode of Assassin’s Creed III – The Tyranny of King Washington: The Redemption will release on April 23 for the Microsoft’s Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and Windows PCs, and April 24 on PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.
All episodes of the Tyranny of King Washington are available through the Assassin’s Creed III Season Pass, which is available for purchase for 2400 Microsoft Points on Xbox LIVE or $49.95 on the PlayStation Network and Windows PC. Season Pass provides access to all Assassin’s Creed III downloadable content packs. Each episode of The Tyranny of King Washington will be available for purchase separately as a single DLC pack for 800 Microsoft points, $11.99 AUD on UPlay Shop or $11.95 USD on Steam.
All Assassin’s Creed III downloadable content packs will also be available on the Wii UTM through the Nintendo eShop.
Assassin’s Creed III is now available on PlayStation®3, Xbox 360® and the Nintendo Wii UTM. For Windows PC gamers, the Assassin’s Creed III Deluxe Edition is available as a digital download and includes all future downloadable content.
About Assassin’s Creed III:
Set against the backdrop of the American Revolution in the late 18th century, Assassin’s Creed III introduces a new hero, Ratonhnhaké:ton, of Native American and English heritage. Adopting the name Connor, he becomes the new voice for justice in the ancient war between the Assassins and Templars. Gamers become an Assassin in the war for liberty against ruthless tyranny in the most stylized and fluid combat experience in the franchise to date.
Assassin’s Creed III spans the Revolutionary War, taking gamers from the vibrant, untamed frontier and bustling colonial towns to the intense, chaotic battlefields where George Washington’s Continental Army clashed with the imposing British Army and the tumultuous high seas. Assassin’s Creed III features unprecedented scope and scale.
For more information on Assassin’s Creed III, please visit the Assassin’s Creed Official Website: http://www.assassinscreed.com
I’ve played the barking mad 2.5D motocross games Trials HD and Trials Evolution on the Xbox 360 and I can honestly say that they are required viewing. Now the series returns were it started, on the PC. Over to Ubisoft, once again.
COMPETITION BEGINS AGAIN
WITH THE RELEASE OF
TRIALS EVOLUTION: GOLD EDITION
SYDNEY – March 21st, 2013 – Trials has finally returned home with the release of Trials Evolution: Gold Edition exclusively on PC.
RedLynx’s signature franchise, the Trials series first made its mark in gaming with the 2008 release of Trials 2 SE for the PC. That breakout indie hit led to further success on the Xbox, and ever since, PC gamers have been clamouring for more Trials.
That wait is now over, as the competition begins all over again in Trials Evolution: Gold Edition, the biggest Trials game ever released with 129 tracks and mini games from Trials Evolution and Trials HD.
The game also includes all of the features of its forerunners, from the in-game editor which brought more than 300,000 tracks to the Xbox LIVE version of Trials Evolution, to the global Leader Boards and four-player multiplayer, in both local and online modes.
For more information about Trials Evolution: Gold Edition and the Trials franchise visit the brand new Trials portal at http://www.trialsgame.com
The game is available in retail and digital stores.
To buy the game on uPlay visit: http://shop.ubi.com/store/ubiemea/en_AU/pd/productID.272037700/sac.true
To buy the game on Steam visit: http://store.steampowered.com/app/220160/
About Ubisoft:
Ubisoft is a leading producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment products worldwide and has grown considerably through a strong and diversified line-up of products and partnerships. Ubisoft has offices in 26 countries and has sales in more than 55 countries around the globe. It is committed to delivering high-quality, cutting-edge video game titles to consumers. For the 2010–11 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of 1.039 billion euros. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.
© 2013 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Trials Evolution, Trials Evolution Gold Edition, the Trials Evolution and Trials Evolution Gold Edition logos, RedLynx, the RedLynx logo, Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries.
Warners have been spilling the beans about their upcoming DC Comics beat ’em up for a few weeks now, this week they release a couple bits of info that I’ve included below.
Today, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment reveal Raven and Black Adam as the newest characters to be added to the roster of heroes and villains featured in the upcoming fighting game Injustice: Gods Among Us.
Injustice: Gods Among Us is an all-new game in development by award-winning NetherRealm Studios. The title debuts a bold new fighting game franchise that introduces a deep, original story featuring a large cast of favourite DC Comics icons such as Batman, Green Arrow, Cyborg, Harley Quinn, Nightwing, Solomon Grundy, Superman, The Flash, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and many others. Set in a world where the lines between good and evil are blurred, players will experience heroes and villains engaging in epic battles on a massive scale.
Injustice: Gods Among Us is scheduled for release on April 17, 2013 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and the Wii U™ system from Nintendo.
And there’s more…
Injustice: Gods Among Us Season Pass for Xbox 360 and PS3 Confirmed
Season Pass Holders to Receive Four Characters for the Price of Three,
As Well As the Bonus Flashpoint Skin Pack
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment today announced a Season Pass for the upcoming DC Comics fighting game, Injustice: Gods Among Us. Available for purchase at launch for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, the Injustice: Gods Among Us Season Pass grants purchasers access to four of the game’s upcoming downloadable characters for the price of three.
The Injustice: Gods Among Us Season Pass will be available when the game launches, April 17, for $14.99 (PlayStation®Network) or 1200 Microsoft Points (Xbox LIVE® online entertainment network) and offers exclusive access to the Flash Point Skin Pack featuring alternate costumes for Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Deathstroke.
Injustice: Gods Among Us is an all-new game in development by award-winning NetherRealm Studios. The title debuts a bold new fighting game franchise that introduces a deep, original story featuring a large cast of favourite DC Comics icons such as Batman, Green Arrow, Cyborg, Harley Quinn, Nightwing, Solomon Grundy, Superman, The Flash, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and many others. Set in a world where the lines between good and evil are blurred, players will experience heroes and villains engaging in epic battles on a massive scale.
Injustice: Gods Among Us will be available for the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii U™ system from Nintendo.
For more information on the game, visit www.injustice.com.
Until next time…
Vic Out.