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Spore Release Date Announced: 9/07/2008

Aaron Dunlap — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 13:37:54 -0600

After something like a 42-year development cycle and 100 gameplay presentations from Will Wright, Spore finally has a release date.

Via a very brief teaser video posted on the Spore website, EA has announced a confirmed release date of September 7th, 2008 for the PC, Mac, and Nintendo DS.

"The wait is almost over," Chief Designer Will Wright said in a press release. "We're in our final stages of testing and polish with Spore, and the team at Maxis can't wait to see the cosmos of content created by the community later this year."

The seven months until release gives plenty of time for conservative, religious, and parents groups to get up in arms about the "pro-evolution" content of the game.

Resident Evil 5 Due in 2008... most likely

Shiva Stella — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 13:07:51 -0600

Here's a little something interesting for Resident Evil fans this morning. According to the latest podcast featuring Chris Kramer, Senior Director of Communication and Community for Capcom (I imagine that he handles the hate mail and forums), over at Major Nelson's place, it's highly possible that Resident Evil 5 will see release this year.

And I quote:

We have a really fantastic year ahead of us... a year that's going to include games like Bionic Commando, Resident Evil 5, Street Fighter IV is going to be making its arcade debut next week in Japan. We've got a new game that we're working on in the US called Dark Void...

If you'd rather skip the radio-like melodrama you'll find the above comment at the 30.00 mark.

Square Enix Announces... its Intention to Announce FFXIII Date

Shiva Stella — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:58:44 -0600

Here's a little unusual Final Fantasy XIII news for the evening, as Square Enix has made an announcement regarding the FFXIII release date "rumors" that have been circulating the Web. Below is SE's official statement regarding the FFXIII launch date:

Although information regarding the release date of FINAL FANTASY XIII has been reported by certain videogame websites, Square Enix itself has yet to make an official statement on this topic. Any reports of a confirmed release date are erroneous and should be disregarded.

Square Enix will make an official announcement in the future concerning the release date when it has been determined.

In other words, the company is not yet ready to confirm or deny any suspected date. As usual, we'll keep you posted.

Nintendo Updates US Release Schedule for 2008

Shiva Stella — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:00:56 -0600

Nintendo has updated its Wii/DS release date list for the US market covering the first half of 2008, and while some of the hottest games lack a specific date, it's better than nothing. Happy highlights are in bold. Take a gander below. As usual, all dates are subject to change at Nintendo's merry whim.

See the whole list after the jump.

Wii

Jan. 7: Kidz Sports Ice Hockey from Destineer
Jan. 8: Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law from Capcom
Jan. 15: SAMURAI WARRIORS: KATANA from KOEI CORPORATION
Jan. 15: Furu Furu Park from Majesco Entertainment
Jan. 21: Endless Ocean from Nintendo
Jan. 22: One Piece: Unlimited Adventure from Namco Bandai Games America Inc.
Jan. 29: Bomberman Land from Hudson
January: No More Heroes from Ubisoft
January: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Hard Evidence from Ubisoft
Feb. 8: Kawasaki Jet Ski from Destineer
Feb. 11: Go Diego Go!: Safari Rescue from 2K Play
Feb. 12: WWII Aces from Destineer
Feb. 12: Dream Pinball 3D from SouthPeak Games
Feb. 18: MX vs. ATV Untamed from THQ
Feb. 25: Agatha Christie And Then There Were None from DreamCatcher Games
Feb. 26: Baroque from Atlus USA
Feb. 26: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors from Square Enix
Feb. 27: Kidz Sports Soccer from Destineer
Feb. 27: London Taxi: Rush Hour from Destineer
February: Garfield® Gets Real from DSI Games
February: Yamaha Supercross from DSI Games
February: Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore from Konami
February: Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 from Ubisoft
February: BALLOON POP from UFO INTERACTIVE GAMES
March 3: Destroy All Humans: Big Willy Unleashed from THQ
March 9: Super Smash Bros.® Brawl from Nintendo
March 10: Worms: A Space Oddity from THQ
March 25: Okami from Capcom
March 25: OPOONA from KOEI CORPORATION
March: MiniCopter: Adventure Flight from Aksys Games
March: Alone in the Dark from Atari
March: Ninja Reflex from Electronic Arts
March: Obscure: The Aftermath from Ignition Entertainment
March: Target: Terror from Konami
March: Nitro Bike from Ubisoft
March: Emergency Heroes from Ubisoft
March: HEAVENLY GUARDIAN from UFO INTERACTIVE GAMES
March: Rebel Raiders from XS Games

April 15: Castle of Shikigami III from Aksys Games
April: Pro Evolution Soccer from Konami
April: Wild Earth: African Safari from Majesco Entertainment
April: THE MONKEY KING-THE LEGEND BEGINS from UFO INTERACTIVE GAMES
April: Super Pick Ups from XS Games
May 6: Speed Racer from Warner Bros. Games
May 13: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian from Disney Interactive Studios
May: BlastWorks: Build, Trade, Destroy from Majesco Entertainment
May: King of Fighters: The Orochi Saga from SNK Playmore
May: THE DOG Island from Ubisoft
June 8: Wonderworld Amusement Park from Majesco Entertainment
June: Catch of the Day from Electronic Arts
June: Ford Racing Off Road from Empire Interactive
June: Cooking Mama Cook Off 2 from Majesco Entertainment
June: Rygar: The Battle of Argus from Tecmo, Inc.
June: DeBlob from THQ
June: Wall-E from THQ
Spring: Mario Kart Wii with Wii Wheel from Nintendo
Spring: Major League Baseball® 2K8 from 2K Sports
Spring: Don King Presents: Prizefighter from 2K Sports
Spring: Top Spin 3 from 2K Sports
Spring: Kung Fu Panda from Activision
Spring: LEGO: Indiana Jones from LucasArts
Summer: Deca Sports from Hudson
Summer: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed from LucasArts
Summer: Active Life: Outdoor Challenge from Namco Bandai Games America Inc.
Q2: Wii Fit from Nintendo

Nintendo DS

Jan. 21: Advance Wars: Days of Ruin from Nintendo/Intelligent Systems
Jan. 21: Mazes of Fate DS from Graffiti Entertainment, LLC
Jan. 22: Mega Brain Boost from Majesco Entertainment
Jan. 24: Aquarium by DS from Bold Games
Jan. 24: Fantasy Aquarium by DS from Bold Games
Jan. 29: Pet Pals: Animal Doctor from Majesco Entertainment
January: N+ from Atari
January: Barnyard Blast from DSI Games
January: Command & Destroy from DSI Games
January: Miami Nights: Singles in the City from Ubisoft
January: Brain Challenge from Ubisoft
Feb. 4: Paws & Claws: Pet Resort from THQ
Feb. 5: Homie Rollerz from Destineer
Feb. 5: Nanostray 2 from Majesco Entertainment
Feb. 10 (street date): Professor Layton and the Curious Village from Nintendo/LEVEL-5
Feb. 12: Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney from Capcom
Feb. 12: New Zealand Story Revolution from Ignition Entertainment
Feb. 12: Dream Pinball 3D from SouthPeak Games
Feb. 19: Spitfire Heroes: Tales of the RAF from Destineer
Feb. 19: Zoo Tycoon II from THQ
Feb. 25: Bratz: Super Babyz from THQ
Feb. 26: Bubble Bobble Double Shot from Ignition Entertainment
February: My Horse and Me from Atari
February: M&M'S® Kart Racing from DSI Games
February: Garfield® Gets Real from DSI Games
February: Yamaha Supercross from DSI Games
February: Insecticide from Gamecock Media Group
February: Anno 1701: Dawn of Discovery from Ubisoft
February: Assassin's Creed Altair's Chronicles from Ubisoft
February: Petz® Wild Animals: Tigerz from Ubisoft
February: Puppy Palace from Ubisoft
February: Real Soccer® 2008 from Ubisoft
March 1: Project Exile from Graffiti Entertainment, LLC
March 3: Let's Ride: Friends Forever from THQ
March 4: Diary Girl from Konami
March 4: Go Pets from Konami
March 4: Disney Friends from Disney Interactive Studios
March 4: Eco-Creatures: Save the Forest from Majesco Entertainment
March 8: Plushees from Destineer
March 8: River King: Mystic Valley from Natsume Inc.
March 8: Harvest Moon DS Cute from Natsume Inc.
March 11: FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Rings of Fate from Square Enix
March 11: Lost in Blue 3 from Konami
March 11: Pro Evolution Soccer from Konami
March 25: Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword from Tecmo, Inc.
March: Alone in the Dark from Atari
March: Drone Tactics from Atlus USA
March: Double Sequence from DSI Games
March: Ninja Reflex from Electronic Arts
March: Myst from Empire Interactive
March: Naruto: Ninja Destiny from Tomy Corporation
March: Petz® Bunnyz from Ubisoft
March: Imagine Figure Skater from Ubisoft
March: Commando from XS Games
April 15: Teenage Zombies: Invasion of the Alien Brain Thingys from Ignition Entertainment
April: Super Dodgeball Brawlers from Aksys Games
April: Rondo of Swords from Atlus USA
April: Quick Yoga Training from Ubisoft
May 5: Crosswords DS from Nintendo
May 6: Speed Racer from Warner Bros. Games
May 8: Organize It from Summitsoft Corporation
May 13: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian from Disney Interactive Studios
May: Winx Club: Mission Enchantix from Konami
May: Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles from Aksys Games
May: Garfield® Fun Fest from DSI Games
May: 1 vs. 100 from DSI Games
June 8: Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness from Natsume Inc.
June: Shining Stars® from DSI Games
June: Catch of the Day from Electronic Arts
June: PipeMania from Empire Interactive
June: Wall-E from THQ
Spring: Sid Meier's Civilization® Revolution from 2K Games
Spring: Don King Presents: Prizefighter from 2K Sports
Spring: Top Spin 3 from 2K Sports
Spring: Kung Fu Panda from Activision
Spring: LEGO: Indiana Jones from LucasArts
Spring: The World Ends with You from Square Enix
Summer: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed from LucasArts
Summer: Tamagotchi Connection®: Corner Shop® 3 from Namco Bandai Games America Inc.
Q2: Bangai-O Spirits from D3 Publisher of America
Q2: PREY THE STARS from KOEI CORPORATION
Q2: Pokemon® Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time from Nintendo
Q2: Pokemon® Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness from Nintendo

Best Buy Leaks PlayStation 3 2008 Release Dates?

Shiva Stella — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 02:30:22 -0600

According to the sixth axis some fellow was able to waltz into Best Buy and then waltz out with a 2008 release schedule for PlayStation 3 titles. While all dates are tentative at best, the list does look impressive.

Army of Two: 4 March
Battlefield Bad Company: 24 March
Borderlands: 1 September
Bourne Conspiracy: 3 June
Brothers In Arms: 8 April
Brutal Legend: 3 November
Burnout Paradise: 14 January
The Club: 19 February
Condemned 2: 26 February
Conflict: Denied Ops: 12 February
Dark Sector: 25 March
Dead Space: 8 October
Destroy All Humans 3: 4 March
Devil May Cry 4: 5 Feburary (and Special Edition)
Dynasty Warriors 6: 19 February
End War: 1 April
Fall Out 3: 9 September
Fatal Inertia: 1 May
FIFA Street 3: 18 February
Frontlines: 5 May
Ghostbusters: 7 October
Golden Axe: 8 September
GTA IV: 1 April (and Special Edition)
Haze: 18 March
Heist: 13 May
Hellboy: 24 June
History Channel: Battle for Pacific: 19 February
Hot Shots Golf 5: 18 March
Incredible Hulk: 3 June
Iron Man: 22 April
Karaoke Rev: American Idol: 3 March
Killzone 2: 7 April
LittleBigPlanet: 7 April
Lost: 26 February
Lost Planet: 3 March
Major League Baseball: 3 March
Mercenaries 2: 8 April
Metal Gear Solid 4: 17 June
Midnight Club: 1 April
MLB 08: 4 March
Monster Madness: 8 April
NFL Tour: 8 January
Pro Evo Soccer 2008: 11 March
Prototype: 15 September
Rainbow Six Vegas 2: 11 March
Rogue Warrior: 10 November
Sega Superstars Tennis: 4 March
Sid Meier's Civilisation: 1 April
SingStar: 13 May
Soul Calibur IV: 2 June
Star Wars Force Unleashed: 8 April
Tiberium: 2 September
Turning Point: 26 February
Turok: 5 February
Two Worlds: 1 August
UEFA Euro 2008: 15 April
Viking: 4 March
WET: 1 October
Wheelman, The: 1 September

Square Enix Makes Handheld RPGers Happy in 2008

Shiva Stella — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 13:51:05 -0600

Square Enix has unveiled its initial 2008 line-up with four anticipated titles, including Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors (Wii); Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates (DS); Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (PSP); and The World Ends With You (DS, sounds cheery). Curiously absent are Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 releases for the start of the year, but it's early yet.

Check out game information, visuals, and release details as provided by Square Enix at the jump.

DRAGON QUEST SWORDS: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors
Developer: Eighting Co., Ltd.
Planning: Genius Sonority, Inc.
Scenario & Game Design / General Director: Yuji Horii
Character Design: Akira Toriyama
Music: Koichi Sugiyama
Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.
Platform: Wii
Genre: Action-Adventure
ESRB: T (Teen)
Ship Date: February 26, 2008

Developed from the ground up to take advantage of the Nintendo Wii and its motion-sensing technology, DRAGON QUEST SWORDS: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors is set to slice its way onto Nintendo's next-generation platform. Use the Wii Remote(TM) to slash, parry and blast your way through a land filled with trademark DRAGON QUEST foes! Developed with both long-time fans and casual players in mind, DRAGON QUEST SWORDS: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors is poised to take video gaming to an entirely new level of fun and interaction.

The official website can be found at http://na.square-enix.com/dqswords.

FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Ring of Fates
Developer: Square Enix Co., Ltd.
Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: Action-RPG
ESRB: E10+ (Everyone 10 and older)
Ship Date: March 11, 2008

Few titles epitomize the essence of multiplayer camaraderie like the FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES series. Released in 2004 as an innovative title that took advantage of the Nintendo GameCube(TM)-to-Game Boy(R) Advance connectivity, FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES pioneered an entirely new gameplay experience that expanded the horizons of conventional RPG gaming. Primed for a release on the Nintendo DS, FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Ring of Fates is poised to continue this tradition by providing fans with two distinctly unique games: a fully fleshed single-player RPG experience and an addictive multiplayer element for up to four players.

The official website can be found at http://na.square-enix.com/ffccnews/.

CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII-
Developer: Square Enix Co., Ltd.
Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.
Platform: PSP system
Genre: Action-RPG
ESRB: T (Teen)
Ship Date: March 25, 2008

CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII-, the highly anticipated entry in the COMPILATION of FINAL FANTASY VII, takes fans on an exciting journey through the origin of the internationally acclaimed FINAL FANTASY VII saga in an all- new action-packed experience. Developed exclusively for the PSP system, CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII- marks the return of the celebrated characters and game world that mesmerized more than 9.8 million gamers around the globe. With inspiring visuals, full 16:9 widescreen presentation and an engaging battle system, fans and newcomers alike can experience the world of FINAL FANTASY VII from an all-new perspective.

The official website can be found at http://na.square-enix.com/crisiscore.

THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU
Developer: Square Enix Co., Ltd./ Jupiter
Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: Action-RPG
ESRB:TBD
Ship Date: Spring 2008

THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU, is an exciting new title developed exclusively for the Nintendo DS handheld system. Previously known as Subarashiki Kono Sekai(TM) on its release in Japan, THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU is an innovative new title from Square Enix that fully utilizes the capabilities of the Nintendo DS, and takes major influence from Japan's modern day culture including its people, music, clothes, food and design.

Trauma Center: New Blood Ships Today

Eric Jonathan Smith — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 14:40:00 -0600

More St. Elsewhere than Scrubs (with a touch of the X-Files thrown in), Atlus's Wii surgical simulation series gets a shot to the arm today as Trauma Center: New Blood ships to stores.

The first original title in the series since 2005's Trauma Center: Under the Knife (of which last year's Trauma Center: Second Opinion was a remake), New Blood focuses on two new doctors named Valerie Blaylock and Markus Vaughn, for good reason - the game adds in co-op gameplay, a substantial new feature it offers over its predecessors.

Instead of taking turns cutting a poor patient's heart to pieces, you and a friend can now do it together! Trauma Center: New Blood should be available widely in stores tomorrow.