Batman Arkham Origins Out Now

Sydney, Australia – Oct. 25, 2013 – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment today unleash some of DC Comics’ most deadly villains upon Gotham City with the launch of Batman: Arkham Origins. The next instalment of the blockbuster Batman: Arkham video game franchise is available for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360 games and Windows PC today and on November 6 for the entertainment system from Nintendo, Wii U™ system.  Also available today is Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate for the PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system and on November 6 for Nintendo 3DS™ handheld system. 

Developed by WB Games Montréal, Batman: Arkham Origins is based on DC Comics’ core Batman license.  The game features an expanded Gotham City and introduces an original prequel storyline set several years before the events of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City, the first two critically acclaimed games of the franchise.  Taking place before the rise of Gotham City’s most dangerous criminals, the game showcases a young, unrefined Batman as he faces the defining moment of his early career and sets his path to becoming the Dark Knight.

Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate, a companion game to Batman: Arkham Origins, is a 2.5-D handheld game developed by Armature Studio, which brings the core Batman Arkham pillars, such as FreeFlow combat and Batman’s infamous gadgets, to the PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system and Nintendo handheld format for the first time.  Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate allows players to continue the storyline of the console version and discover more details of the Dark Knight’s past. 

“It’s a big responsibility taking on the Batman: Arkham franchise and the WB Games Montréal team has dedicated itself to giving players an experience that is worthy of the name,” said Reid Schneider, Vice President and Executive Producer, WB Games Montréal.  “Batman: Arkham Origins allows fans to play through a new take on Batman’s story while experiencing some enhanced game-play mechanics.”

Batman: Arkham Origins features a pivotal tale set on Christmas Eve where Batman is hunted by eight of the deadliest assassins from the DC Comics Universe. Along the way, players will experience a fresh take on iconic Batman characters, including The Joker, Black Mask, Penguin, Deathstroke, Bane, Deadshot, Copperhead and others yet to be revealed. 

Also new to the franchise is the online multiplayer mode, which is developed by Splash Damage. Friends and foes can play online in 3v3v2 gameplay that blends traditional Arkham gameplay with third-person shooter mechanics.  Gamers can hunt as Batman or Robin against the most challenging opponents yet – friends and other online gamers – or take a walk on the dark side as a Super-Villain Elite and be part of The Joker or Bane’s gang.  Those playing as a Super-Villain Elite will also have a chance to seize control of either The Joker or Bane for a limited amount of time.

Players looking to extend their gameplay experience can buy the Batman: Arkham Origins Season Pass now for $29.95 and receive $40 worth of content.  The Season Pass is comprised of five of the game’s upcoming downloadable content packs, which includes two exclusive skins, as well new content from the Batman Arkham Initiation Pack and a separate all-new story campaign.  The Initiation Pack content tests Bruce Wayne’s skills of detection, evasion and confrontation among the mysterious temple high in the Paektusan mountains of Korea, where his greatest teacher, Grandmaster Kirigi, is holding a final class.  The Season Pass is available on the PlayStation®Network, Xbox Live online entertainment network from Microsoft, Nintendo eShop and Steam. 

The Batman: Arkham Origins free-to-play mobile game, developed by NetherRealm Studios for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, is available on the App Store and delivers the stunning graphics and quality gameplay fans have come to expect from the team who brought to market fan favourite mobile games Injustice: Gods Among Us and Batman: Arkham City Lockdown.  The title pits players, as Batman, against a number of DC Comics’ most deadly assassins as they fight their way through Gotham City’s most dangerous locales. 

The PS3™ and Xbox 360 versions of Batman: Arkham Origins are priced at $89.95 RRP; the Wii U is priced at $79.95 and Windows PC versions are priced at $69.95 RRP.  The suggested retail price for the Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate handheld game is $49.95 RRP. 

Batman: Arkham Origins and Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate are rated “M”.

For more information and the latest updates, visit www.batmanarkhamorigins.com or find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BatmanArkham.

Batman Arkham Origin Launch Trailer

Batman: Arkham Origins is the next installment in the blockbuster Batman: Arkham videogame franchise and will be available for the Xbox 360, PS3, the Wii U system, and Windows PC.  The game will be available beginning Oct. 25 along with Batman™: Arkham Origins Blackgate for PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system and Nintendo 3DS™ handheld system.

Lego Marvel Super Heroes - Launch Trailer

Maxi-Geek Review - Killzone Mercenary

Killzone Mercenary is the next game in the series between the war of the Helghan and the Sol, and while the story does not take the scope of a major war, what it does provide is a great experience for any who jump in and play it.

Taking the role of Danner a mercenary for hire who is happy to take money from anyone for any job. The game starts you off with a rescue mission, it is here where you meet some major players and I won’t say anything more than that because the story is quite fun. So ruining it won’t happen here.

The characters that you interact with are not really special in a sense that each game these days seems to have them all, the surly guy, the shady guy, the guy who makes jokes. But it’s the way that Danner interacts with that, that your character actually has, what feels like, a proper personality that makes them feel alive.

The game is running on the engine used from the PS3 games, all be it slightly modified and it does look stunning, with the levels having an absurd level of detail in them. Shadows play off the water in a way that I have never seen before, and the fact that this is a handheld game system, well that makes it even more impressive. The character models are detailed enough, that when you get in close for a kill, you will see details on them you could not imagine seeing before.

While the level of detail is nothing short of outstanding, it is just a shame that the level design does not match up, in terms of quality. While a lot of the levels contain multiple planes where you can flank your enemies, it’s the spaces that are meant to feel open that let you down. Paths are so easy to spot, that having an on screen indicator just feels pointless. And it’s not because they are colour coded or such, it’s just obvious.

Thankfully, that is a minor issue, and one that does not impact the actual game itself. Playing this game I kept thinking that I am not supposed to be this happy. Games of this quality are not found on handhelds, but no matter how I look back at my time playing the game, I keep coming to the same conclusion, that this game plays amazingly well.

Now you would think that a game that requires touch screen prompts would be a little hard to work, more so when you are taking on multiple bad guys at once and moving from place to place. But the team at Guerilla Cambridge have made once simple decision that changes this from being tedious to being second nature. Each button that you can interact with can be done so by either touching the screen or simply pressing the Triangle button.

When you are able to sneak up on an enemy, and you start the process of a take down, you will notice a rather large arrow being displayed, telling you to swipe your finger in that direction. Now some games have done a similar thing, but here you don’t have to do the motion on the giant arrow. Nope in fact you can do it in any part of the screen and in any size you want. I found myself sticking to the bottom right corner and doing just small motions. This to me made me think that these guys know how to make the controls work for the player, rather than against them.

This game has a great soundtrack, and I don’t just mean the music. The voice acting is great, the sound effects sound sublime too. And while your machine is capable of playing those sounds, you will want to stick in some headphones.

Oh and don't forget that this game has online multiplayer, which I was not able to get onto as I played this at 32,000 feet. If you want to learn more about how that goes, I have to point you away from my site. 

I have heard people explain that this is the game that defines the PS Vita, and while I can agree with them that it is a great game, and if you own a Vita, you need to get this game. This is not the game to get a Vita for, but don’t worry, if you do go that route, your money will be well spent. Killzone Mercenary is a game that feels big, big story, big scope and big action, the fun comes from remembering that it’s just on a handheld. 

Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z

FIFA 14 SOUNDTRACK BRINGS TOGETHER A WORLD OF MUSIC WITH 37 INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS

SYDNEY, Australia. – Sept. 17, 2013 –Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) today unveiled the soundtrack for EA SPORTS™ FIFA 14, featuring 37 artists from 13 countries around the world. Traditionally the gaming world’s preeminent showcase for new international music, this edition of FIFA features brand-new tracks from superstar artists Nine Inch Nails, Bloc Party, Grouplove, The Naked and Famous, Vampire Weekend and more. It also includes new music from breakthrough artists such as Scotland’s CHVRCHES, England’s Disclosure and The 1975, Latin America’s Los Rakas and Illya Kuryaki & The Valderramas, American performers Robert DeLong, The Colourist, and American Authors, and Spain’s Crystal Fighters. Japan’s J-Rap kingpin Chinza Dopeness’ track will be exclusive to FIFA 14 on the new generation of consoles.

“Every FIFA soundtrack represents our passion to bring fans together via new music, new genres and new artists,” said Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive of Music and Marketing at EA. “With FIFA 14, we’re excited that rock fans in Spain will discover South London rapper Amplify Dot and UK blues/folk singer Jamie N Commons. American fans of Nine Inch Nails or Grouplove will meet the Swedish electro-pop band The Royal Concept. Australian EDM fans of Empire Of The Sun will be introduced to Brazilian hip-hop via Marcelo D2 and Karol Conka. We’re not only defining the sound of the coming season, we’re creating a whole new world of musical discovery.”

The complete in-game soundtrack for FIFA 14 includes:

ARTIST	SONG	TERRITORY
American Authors	Hit It	USA
Amplify Dot	Get Down	England
Bloc Party	Ratchet	England
Chinza Dopeness	T.U.B.E.	Japan
CHVRCHES	We Sink	Scotland
Crystal Fighters	Love Natural	Spain/England
Dan Croll	Compliment Your Soul	England
David Dallas	Runnin	New Zealand
De Staat	Down Town	Netherlands
Disclosure	F For You	England
Empire Of The Sun	Alive	Australia
Foals	My Number (Trophy Wife Remix)	England
Grouplove	I'm With You	USA
Guards	I Know Its You	USA
Illya Kuryaki & The Valderramas	Funky Futurista	Argentina
Jamie N Commons	Marathon	England
John Newman	Love Me Again	England
Karol Conka	Boa Noite	Brazil
Los Rakas	Hot	Panama
Marcelo D2	Voce Diz Que O Amor Nao Doi	Brazil
Miles Kane	Don’t Forget Who You Are	England
Nine Inch Nails	Copy Of A	USA
OK KID	Am Ende	Germany
Oliver	Mechanical	USA
Olympic Ayers	Magic	Australia
Portugal. The Man	Purple Yellow Red And Blue	USA
Robert DeLong	Here	USA
Rock Mafia feat. Wyclef Jean and David Correy	I Am	USA/Brazil
Smallpools	Dreaming	USA
The 1975	The City	England
The Chain Gang Of 1974	Miko	USA
The Colourist	Little Games (St. Lucia Remix)	USA
The Naked And Famous	Hearts Like Ours	New Zealand
The Royal Concept	On Our Way	Sweden
Vampire Weekend	Worship You	USA
Wretch 32	24 Hours	England
You Me At Six	Lived A Lie	England

 

Winner of “Best Sports Game” award at gamescom 2013, FIFA 14 is the pinnacle of innovation on this current generation of consoles. Experience the emotion of scoring great goals with innovations to the award-winning gameplay that make the game more authentic and more fun. Dictate the tempo of a match, create chances through midfield, and then unleash the perfect strike.  A new feature called Pure Shot and a brand-new ball physics system transform shooting, making every shot attempt feel real, and when players connect with the perfect strike, feel exhilarating. FIFA 14 delivers engaging new online modes* such as Co-op Seasons, and live services that connect fans to the heartbeat of the sport—and to each other—through EA SPORTS Football Club. The FIFA 14 demo is out now for for the Xbox 360® games and entertainment system from Microsoft for Xbox LIVE® Gold members, for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and for PC on Origin™ and is available for pre-order** now. A FIFA 14 “New Season” trailer can be viewed atyoutube.com/easportsfifa.

EA SPORTS FIFA 14*** will release in Australia on September 26 on the Xbox 360® with Kinect™ from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 with PlayStation Move support, Windows PC, Wii™, Nintendo 3DS™^, PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable). The game will also be available with the launch of the Xbox One on November 21, and PlayStation 4 on November 28. FIFA 14 on mobile^ will be available on iPhone®, iPad®, and iPod® touch as well as Android devices this Spring. Other mobile platforms will be revealed later.

Join the EA SPORTS community at http://www.facebook.com/easports. Follow us on Twitter@easportsfifa and use the hash-tag #FIFA14.  For information about FIFA 14 visitwww.easports.com/fifa..

PlayStation Vita TV - Trailer

This reminds me of the Super Gameboy, the device that let you play your gameboy games on the tv. If Sony can release this locally at a good price they will be onto a winner.

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes- See Stan Lee In Action

Killzone Mercenary - Australia's Toughest Recruit

And if this inspires you, remember Killzone Mercenary in stores today for Playstation Vita.

Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate - 'under new management' trailer

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes - Gamescom trailer

FIFA 14 Gameplay Trailer - Gameplay

Borderlands 2 coming to the PlayStation Vita‏

For details check out the blog post here http://www.2kgames.com/blog/borderlands-2-coming-to-playstation-vita

The Walking Dead - PS Vita Launch Trailer

Killzone Mercenary Gameplay

Killzone: Mercenary‏ - PlayStation Australia to hire Ultimate Recruit

http://bit.ly/GetTheJobDone

Sydney, 6 August, 2013: Sony Computer Entertainment Australia (SCE Aust.)has this week kicked off a search to find the Ultimate Recruit for its highly anticipated PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita) exclusive title Killzone™: Mercenary.

Now open to applicants, the recruitment drive asks candidates to design their own ‘contract’, detailing what they would do and how far they would go for the AUD$10,000 reward. The successful entrant will be required to carry out the terms of their contract.

Just like the mercenary featured in the new Killzone™ franchise game, the Ultimate Recruit is challenged to give up all their allegiances for the money. Applications will be judged on creativity, originality, skill and passion for the Killzone franchise and PlayStation Vita.

Applications close on 16th August. Once the winner is chosen, SCE Aust. will fly the recruit to Sydney to carry out an approved contract under strict supervision before they take home the AUD$10,000 cash reward.

Scheduled for release in Australia on 4th September 2013, with a recommended retail price of AUD$54.95,Killzone: Mercenary for PlayStation Vita is the fifth title in the franchise and sees you take on the role of veteran UCN soldier, Arran Danner, now a battle hardened mercenary-for-hire. Killzone: Mercenary throws you into a deadly fire fight as part of a ruthless mercenary faction. There is no good. There is no evil. There is only the mission. This hardened mercenary is forced to question whether the price of victory can sometimes be too high, no matter how big the pay cheque.

Candidates can sign up for the Ultimate Recruit competition here - http://bit.ly/GetTheJobDone (case sensitive) 

Follow the conversation and get involved by using #getthejobdone and by visiting the PlayStation AustraliaFacebook and Twitter pages.

LEGO LEGENDS OF CHIMA: LAVAL'S JOURNEY‏

SYDNEY, Australia – June 26, 2013 – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today announced LEGO® Legends of Chima™: Laval's Journey is now available for the Nintendo 3DS^TM and PlayStation® Vita handheld systems in Australia, Europe and North America from today. A Nintendo DS^TM version will follow this spring, as will a free-to-play online world, LEGO Legends of Chima™ Online. The new games all complement a line of branded products and TV content based on the LEGO Legends of Chima™ action packed world ruled by eight animal tribes that tells the classic story of good and evil, friendship and family.

“Kids will have a great time embarking on new adventures, living out a fantasy of travelling to captivating worlds and discovering new things,” said Tom Stone, Marketing Director, TT Games Publishing.  “LEGOLegends of Chima: Laval’s Journey offers an entirely new and exciting virtual playground for kids to explore, build, solve puzzles, all the while playing as their favourite Legends of Chima characters.”

In LEGO Legends of Chima: Laval's Journey, players embark on an amazing adventure with Laval, the brave warrior and headstrong prince of the Lion Tribe, who is determined to fight for justice. On this epic journey, Laval races to unlock the secret of the legendary triple-CHI armour before his arch-rival, Crocodile King, Cragger, can  manipulate its awesome power to threaten the balance of Chima.

Players leap, swing, fly and fight through 15 levels of intense action and gameplay, all while exploring the vast lands of Chima, discovering and unlocking more than 60 characters, collecting and using a variety of tools, and reaching secret parts of the game to access hidden collectibles.

In addition, players earn points in LEGO Legends of Chima: Laval’s Journey that can be redeemed through the Chima Vault, found online at www.lego.com/chima/the-vault, which houses an exclusive reward system. The points give players access to exclusive items that they can use to enhance their experience in LEGO Legends of Chima Online when the online world releases later this year.

Developed by TT Games, LEGO Legends of Chima: Laval's Journey is rated “PG”. For more information, please visit. LEGO.com/videogames.com.

PlayStation®Plus turns up the heat this July

SYDNEY, Monday 24^th June -  Sony Computer Entertainment Australia (SCE Aust.) has confirmed the July line-up for PlayStation®Plus (PS Plus) will include hit titles Battlefield 3™ for PlayStation®3 (PS3™) and Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus for PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita), available to members from July 4^th in Australia.

Step into the role of an elite U.S. Marine in Battlefield 3™ on PS3 and experience heart-pounding single player missions and competitive multiplayer action across diverse locations from around the globe. Tackle combat on claustrophobic streets, metropolitan downtowns, and varied landscapes in the US, Europe, and Middle East. Powered by the innovative technology of Frostbite 2, Battlefield 3 takes the thrill of a first person shooter to a whole new level.

With PAYDAY™ The Heist, you are tasked to ‘cash in before you cash out’ in this action filled first person shooter game for the PlayStation®Network. Players take on the role of a hardened career criminal executing intense, dynamic heists in constant pursuit of the next “big score”. Navigate diverse urban settings with three partners in crime—controlled by either A.I. or your best buddies in co-op multiplayer. Load out with an array of weaponry and equipment as you embark on a spectacular crime spree through six high-stake heists, including banks robberies, prisoner extractions and armoured car hijackings.

Enter gang territory in open world action-adventure Saints Row: The Third on PS3. Years after taking Stilwater for their own, the Third Street Saints have evolved from street gang to household brand name with Saints sneakers, Saints energy drinks and Johnny Gat bobble head dolls all available at a store near you. The Syndicate, a legendary criminal fraternity with pawns in play all over the globe, has turned its eye on the Saints and demands tribute. Refusing to kneel to the Syndicate, you take the fight to a new city.

If it is gaming on-the-go you’re after, grab your PS Vita and get stuck into one of the highest rated action games of all time that is now back and better than ever. Experience a new way to play Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus with motion and touch controls, lots of content, and new challenges to test even the toughest ninja. For centuries, the Dragon Ninjas have protected the world and kept safe the most powerful weapons: the Dark Dragon Blade and the Dragon Sword, but now a powerful evil arises that will test the might of the ninjas. Take Dragon Sword in hand as the young Ryu Hayabusa, and journey to the farthest reaches of the world and beyond to cut down the malevolent fiends!

Prepare to join the ultimate special forces squad in Unit 13™ on PS Vita. Your next deployment could take you anywhere, at any time. Play through scenarios that echo real-life news headlines and infiltrate some of the most challenging war zones a soldier can ever face. Offering dual analog control, Unit 13™ delivers constant pinpoint precision in the heat of battle. With a new mission sent to your PS Vita system every single day, there’s always a fresh challenge waiting to be met head-on.

PS Plus provides members with access to top-rated games* on PS3 and PS Vita throughout the course of their subscription.  PS Plus members also receive an array of exclusive features and access, including 2GB cloud storage (1G for PS3 & 1G for PS Vita ) for game saves which will be welcomed by subscribers keen to take advantage of the Instant Game Collection. Automatic updates and beta access, as well as a huge collection of exclusive dynamic themes and PlayStation®Network avatars, makes PS Plus the place to be in 2013.

A PS Plus subscription is AUD$19.95 for a 90 day subscription or AUD$69.95 for a one-year subscription.

*Top-rated is based on a meta-critic rating of 70+

E3 2013 - Hands on with Batman Arkham Origins Blackgate

A game that is flying quite low compared to the big brother on consoles, but its looking pretty good.

Blackgate ties to the Origin mythos by serving as an epilogue to the main console story. My time with the game saw me interacting with the enigmatic Catwoman, racing along rooftops to gain access to Blackgate Prison, the backdrop for the entire game. This infamous penitentiary, unlike Arkham Asylum, serves as a holding place for Gotham City’s vicious, yet sane, criminals.

Click here to read it all

UBISOFT ANNOUNCES RAYMAN® LEGENDS LEAPING ONTO PLAYSTATION® VITA

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA — May 29th, 2013 — Ubisoft has announced that Rayman fans will be able to enjoy Rayman Legends on Playstation Vita. Rayman Legends on Vita will be released alongside the console versions on August 29^th. 

Rayman Legends on Vita includes all of the original Rayman Legends content, as well as five exclusive maps playable with Murphy, the greenbottle fly seen in previous Rayman games, controlled through the Rear Touch Pad. A multiplayer mode is locally accessible on Wi-Fi and fans from the same country can play in cooperation. Players can also compete with one another in the online challenges and compare rankings in the online leaderboards. 

In addition to the five Vita-specific maps, two exclusive costumes were created by the Ubisoft Montpellier team. Fans will have the opportunity to dress Rayman in a costume from Prince of Persia, the legendary hero of Ubisoft popular franchise, while Globox can be dressed in a costume from the famous spy series, Splinter Cell.