Namco Celebrate Vita’s Launch With Touch My Katamari and A Competition

The crazy people at Namco Banadai have decided to help celebrate the Playstation Vita’s launch with a creative competition.  Namco are looking  for people who aren’t afraid to touch their Katamari in public, take pictures and send them to Namco so we can share their fondness for sticky things with millions of like-minded Katamari lovers all over the world via the miracle of the Internet.

So what do you have to do? Well it’s very simple. Take note of this image of Namco’s very own NAMCO BANDAI UK Community Queen, Hollie Bennett. She’s touched her Katamari so much since starting work here that it comprises all our major releases, half a ton of stationery and loads of Dragon Ball Z figures which had previously started to take over the office.

We want you to build your very own Katamari and touch it every day. We want pictures! We want to see love in your eyes and care in your creations. Touch it. Touch it. Touch it. You know it makes sense. The best picture wins a PS Vita (inc memory card) a copy of Touch My Katamari and a Katamari t-shirt so you’ll never be far away from touching your sticky virtual friend.

The competition closes on 7^th March and all images should be sent via email to uk-competition@namcobandaipartners.com or tweeted to @NamcoBandaiUK with the hashtag #itouchmykatamari.

Good luck!

GAME Will not be stocking PS Vita Ubisoft Titles at launch in the UK

The Playstation Vita has officially launched in the UK and already there has been a disruption to its launch. I noticed after attending the Playstation Vita launch event that Game in Oxford Street had no Ubisoft titles listed on the shelves. After returning home I decided to try and find out why there were no Ubisoft titles at launch. The website VG247 has managed to find out some information on the matter, which opens a whole lot of questions.

VG247 Writes:  

“At this time we will not be selling the following Ubisoft titles; Lumines Electronic Symphony, Michael Jackson: The Experience, Rayman Origins, Asphalt Injection and Dungeon Hunter Alliance,” the chain said in a statement.

“All customers affected by this decision have been made aware of the situation and we will continue to communicate any updates to customers through our Twitter and Facebook feeds.”

A rep couldn’t confirm a specific reason for not stocking the games. Vita titles from Sony, EA, Codemasters, Namco Bandai, Capcom and Sega will be available in GAME stores from midnight.

Ubisoft has declined to comment on the matter.

Concerns regarding GAME were raised after recent troubles with its ability to raise credit insuranceand acquire new stock.

End

It is an odd situation and may cause a lot of disruption to people who have pre-ordered specific bundles. With no comment from Ubisoft the situation is still not clear on why Game have decided not to sell Ubisofts titles.

We will keep you updated if the issue unravels anymore.

Capcom to Celebrate 25 Years Of Street Fighter with Tournaments and more

Capcom have announced that the Street Fighter franchise will soon be 25 years old. As a way of celebrating the 25^th Anniversary of Street Fighter, Capcom plans to give back to its loyal fan base by hosting numerous international tournaments honouring the series. Additionally, the company will be releasing Street Fighter X Tekken, which will receive long-term DLC support, new characters on the PS Vita and even an upcoming fighting competition reality show!

Street Fighter X Tekken will soon be hitting our PS3′s and Xbox 360′s in March.  Street Fighter X Tekken is the newest addition to the Street Fighter family and will rely heavily on player feedback as a way to enhance and evolve the experience. Exciting new features and additions will be consistently introduced, allowing fans of the game to tap into a wide variety of robust Downloadable Content (DLC) options that will breathe new life into the product. The retail version of Street Fighter X Tekken will be the only disc-based version consumers will need to own and all future upgrades will come from post-launch DLC.

Press Release: 

In celebration of the 25^th Anniversary of Street Fighter and the upcoming new product launch, Capcom is in the process of organizing a series of tournaments throughout the year in locations across the globe, providing cash and prizes totalling over $500,000. These high-stakes tournaments feature the upcoming Street Fighter X Tekken game, in addition to previous titles from the highly-acclaimed Street Fightercatalogue. More details on the specific territories and tournament structure will be coming soon.

In order to provide the most intense fighting experience possible, the Street Fighter X Tekken development team is working closely with the tournament community and organizers to offer a post-launch game update that will help streamline the Gem selection process for competitive players. A customized gameplay experience is at the heart of the new game, and the innovative Gem system adds an extra level of depth and provides a pioneering way to experience fighting games.

Also joining in on the 25^th Anniversary festivities, 12 new fan-favourite Street Fighter X Tekken characters have been selected to be introduced in the PS Vita system version of the game when it releases later this year. Fighting their way into the handheld world of Street Fighter X Tekken, from the Street Fighter side… Blanka, Cody, Dudley, Elena, Guy and Sakura will be playable and from Tekken…, Alisa Bosconovitch, Bryan Fury, Christie Monteiro, Jack, Lars Alexandersson and Lei Wulong will all make their debut on the PS Vita system.

Additionally, Capcom is excited to be collaborating with iPlayWinner and Team Sp00ky to deliver the first ever fighting-game-centered internet reality show, completely LIVE. “Cross Assault” begins airing on February 22, 2012 and will feature 10 players (split between Team Street Fighter and Team Tekken) who compete for pride, fame and a grand prize of $25,000. Competing on Capcom’s next premier fighting game, Street Fighter X Tekken, players will receive strategic advice from the coaches and must work together as a team to find the most effective strategies to win team challenges, or risk elimination. Capcom is working closely with IGN to bring this innovative fighting game experience to fans everywhere. Tune in to http://www.ign.com/crossassault/ and… FIGHT!

Street Fighter X Tekken launches in North America on March 6, 2012 and March 9, 2012 in Europe. A PC version of Street Fighter X Tekken is due for release on May 11, 2012 and the PS Vita system version is slated for this autumn. More details on the PC and PS Vita system versions will be announced in the near future.

Playstation Vita Update Coming Tomorrow, adds Maps app, video recording, and other updates

The PS Vita is only a few hours away from its Midnight Launch. Once you’ve grabbed yours, you’ll definitely want to get it connected to the internet as Sony has a planned update for launch. The firmware update is version 1.61, adding a Maps application to the home screen, allows for video recording in the Photos application, and allows for any ratings you make in the PlayStation Store to appear on Facebook.  There’s also the Discoveries screen (within Near) which now lists up to 100 players, as well as the number of times they’ve been seen.

There also has been an update to the Content Manager Assistant app, meaning both Windows and Mac users can download it to copy files across. Sony recommend everyone to update to 1.61, as there are some systemwide performance improvements too.

The latest firmware can be downloaded on the console over Wi-Fi, or can be updated from a PC or Mac with the Content Manager Assistant.

Spec Ops steps up to The Line with a release date

After many years or being pushed back and rescheduled, Spec Ops: The Line has finally received a solid release date. Today, Take-Two have announced the that Spec Ops will be crossing the finish line on June 26^th as well as revealing details of a Premium Edition. The previously mentioned “Premium Edition” will feature a variety of multiplayer bonus content to folks who pre-order the game from “participating retailers” (none are listed as of yet).

If that isn’t enough for you, part of the “Premium Edition’s” content is getting access to the “FUBAR pack,” containing various multiplayer customization options (“unique and visually distinct items” … to everyone who pre-orders the game). Additionally, the content includes an AK-47 unlock and an Officer Class promotion at rank one, as well as double XP for the first week of online play. Take-Two are certainly drawing a line in the sand, if you pre-order you’re likely to be on the winning side.

So there you have it, Spec Ops: The Line. I was lucky enough to be in the closed Beta that took place sometime last year and I can safely say that it’s not bad, not bad at all.

Alive and Re:Kicking Part 1 – Syndicate

The first title in our series of pieces is also one of two isometric strategy games due for the modern treatment. While Syndicate launches tomorrow in the US (21st February), us Europeans have the pleasure of waiting until Friday. Like so many releases of late, it’s taken the FPS route to bring it up to speed for today’s hardcore market.

The classic 1993 isometric strategy game saw gamers take on the role of a seedy and brutal CEO at Eurocorp, one of the market leaders in a futuristic cyber-punk dystopia. Your task was to command a team of deadly cyborgs on the ground to steal information from your business rivals and murder the competition all in the name of financial success.

While this classic game has seen an expansion pack for the original PC version and a Playstation version in the shape of Syndicate Wars, it has remained in the annals of history long forgotten until now. It has, however, resurfaced in its original form on Good Old Games, available as a download that can be played on modern computers, and that’s great if you’re a fan of the original or want to dip your toes in Bullfrog’s classic before Starbreeze’s game launches.

All said and done though, had it launched in its original format in downloadable form on the Xbox 360 or PS3, it simply wouldn’t be able to stand against more modern titles, or even those from the last decade. Its repetitive chip-tune soundtrack may seem quaint at first but it doesn’t reach the standard of some Indie games, never mind full blown titles, and begins to grate painfully on the ears.

Modern gamers need a plot to get behind. Most recent games worth their salt have deep and involved storylines that pull the player in, giving them a reason to continue, no matter how shallow the gameplay is. A series of mission briefing screens becomes an obsolete method of storytelling when you think that classic franchises like Command and Conquer used live action sequences to pad the story out and give the player a reason and rhyme for their action.

On top of this, simple point and click mechanisms are dated and not best suited to both consoles and PC. This type of control scheme has seen major overhauls on consoles due to the lack of available buttons, with the inclusion of radial dials and awkward button combinations, but it’s a system that works best with a keyboard and mouse.

While classic in its origins, it will remain a classic until it has been worked over for a modern audience, and that’s where Starbreeze have stepped in. They’ve have taken the concept, added their trademark up close and personal approach to combat and added a story based campaign, with a selection of co-op missions to bolster the package. Simply because it’s a first person shooter, doesn’t mean that it’ll be yet another bland gun-toting affair.

Starbreeze have a pedigree in storytelling, The Chronicles of Riddick and The Darkness being perfectly shining examples of how to tell a dark story and atmospheric tale. Their team have an amazing ability of turning even the smallest bit-part into an interesting and fully fleshed piece of the product, so there’s hope for the story yet, but it remains to be seen if it can avoid old clichés.

From hands on time with the co-op demo, it’s clear that the gunplay is nicely weighted and satisfying and that’s probably the most problematic issue signed, sealed and delivered. The much lauded breaching mechanics have been well implemented to add a nice dollop of cream on top of what appears to be a more than capable shooter which should provide a decent challenge when the difficulty is hiked a notch.

Thankfully, we won’t have long to wait and its release could prove once and for all, that Starbreeze are a great developer that have been highly underrated. Failing that, the hordes of angry fans that cried out against its revival will have made a very good point. Let’s hope they’re wrong though.

Syndicate releases for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC 21st February 2012 in the US, and 24th in Europe.

The Latest UK Video Games Chart

Welcome back to the Latest UK Video Games Chart, below is a list of last weeks most popular games.

Feb 12^th – 18th

More Final Fantasy XIII-2 DLC On The Horizon

Square Enix have confirmed that the next DLC pack for Final Fantasy XIII-2 will be in the form of an interactive episode called ‘Sazh: Heads or Tails?’ which will be released on 28^thFebruary via Xbox LIVE  (400 Microsoft Points) and on 29th February on PSN (£2.99)

This new episode provides players with the chance to take control of Sazh, one of the protagonists from Final Fantasy XIII, in a story that runs in parallel with the narrative of XIII-2. Upon completing the storyline of the new episode, the player is rewarded with the option of adding Sazh to their party. The downloadable content also includes two new card games, “Chronobind” and “Serendipity Poker ” that are added to the Casino area of Serendipity which is available in the game from Chapter 2 onwards.

Additional outfits for both Noel and Serah will also be made available next week. Noel’s ‘Spacetime Guardian’ outfit and Serah’s ‘Beachwear’ outfit will go on sale on the 21^st February via Xbox LIVE for 240 Microsoft Points, and on the 22^nd February via PSN for £1.59. The player has the ability to access the outfits at any point in the game within the main menu.

Assassin’s Creed 3 has a Release Date…Not much else!

Spotted over at Joystiq, financial calls are once again proving to be a useful resource for eager eyed/eared gamers to gather what little they can about future games and products.

Ubisoft has just revealed that their next entry into the ever popular historical time-travelling stealth assassin action game (phew!) will be releasing on 30th October this year.

Yves Guillemot (Ubisoft Company Head) has been quoted as saying -

Assassin’s Creed 3 is the true next generation of both the Assassin’s Creed brand and interactive entertainment/storytelling in general

He later went to state that it’s been in development for three years, and it will be the biggest launch in Ubisoft’s history.

With the amount of teams which worked on the previous entry Revelations, and with sales topping 7 million, it sounds like they are putting even more resources into this next entry, and while no concrete details were announced, we should expect to see a lot more very soon, given that the title could be a mere 10 months away.

Ubisoft is looking to have a great year for fans of all genres, and who knows what the WiiU Assassin’s Creed title will hold for gamers.

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations is currently available for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

Source – Joystiq

Featured Image by Wolfmaster09

Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch coming to Europe early 2013

LEVEL-5 have confirmed that their latest RPG Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch will be coming to Europe early next year.

Considering their track record, it was only a matter of time before LEVEL-5 would bring Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch to Europe and now Level 5 have recently stated that Europe can indeed expect it. Just not anytime soon as the critically acclaimed developer and publisher have stated that it will be released early in 2013.

Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch will have the original Japanese voiceover as well as an English dub and have subtitles in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish, hence why their will be a long wait (White Knight Chronicle fans will remember the long wait we had to endure before it came to Europe).

“We have worked very hard on Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch and it has been a great honour to collaborate with Studio Ghibli and Joe Hisaishi, so it was important for me that players outside Japan also have the best experience of the game we can give them,” said Akihiro Hino, President and CEO of LEVEL-5. “To make this possible, we decided to invest the time in localising the game so that as many people as possible across Europe can enjoy the full experience in their own language.”

For those who haven’t been following Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, the story revolves around “a young boy called Oliver, who embarks on a journey into a parallel world to become a magician in an attempt to bring his mother back from the dead. Along the way Oliver makes new friends and adopts many of the wonderful creatures that inhabit the world, raising them to battle other creatures on his behalf as he takes on formidable enemies.” The game comes with a bulky book (which represents the magic book Oliver uses in battle) that gives you a bestiary, short stories that offer game hints and other information to which the game will refer.

You may also think the art style for Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is familiar. That’s because LEVEL-5 worked with Studio Ghibli (who are known as Japan’s answer to Disney) famous for titles such as My Neighbour Totoro, Castle in the Sky and Spirited Away.

Update: Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch artwork and screenshots below.