via Eurogamer


Red Storm, the team responsible for multiplayer in GRAW 1 and 2, has revealed it's working on a new America's Army game exclusively for Xbox 360.

It's called True Soldiers and is expected in the U.S. this September, although publisher Ubisoft was unavailable to confirm a European date.

Team-play is the big focus of the title, as you might expect from an officially licensed Army simulation game, and online battles will be won and lost based on tactics and communication, rather than rocket jumps and chainsaw attacks.

You'll be able to play as one of five classes: Rifleman, Grenadier, Auto-Rifleman, Sniper, and Team Leader. These all progress in roughly the same way, by earning experience points for completing training events, objectives or entire missions. Once you rack them up, you can spend them in one of four main skills, each branching out into a further two sub-skills. For instance, Snipers will want points in Marksmanship, as well as Focus and Observation sub-skills, and possibly some Stealth.

Squad Leaders will make the plays, so to speak. They can order in artillery strikes and coordinate attacks using interactive maps and reconnaissance data. Team Leaders report to them and order their Fire Teams around based on those instructions.

Alongside standard team Deathmatch on Xbox Live there will be eight cooperative missions for up to 16 people to take part in. There's also a new mode called Competitive Training that puts you up against up to 15 others on one of three different target ranges. You'll then have to blow the stuffing out of anything that pops up, like targets or vehicles. You can choose to have a time limit or a score limit, it's up to you - it's also a great place for clans to hone their abilities.

Red Storm also has a grand plan to reward honest, helpful players, and to increase active socialisation online. It's based around a system that rewards you with "Honor" points when you play, well, honourably. And these will dictate your rank and standing on the all important leaderboards.

You can earn points through respect tokens, too, which are are dished out at the end of games. And it's up to you which helpful or nice player you want to reward with your share. Recruiting people into your clan, or Army Unit, will also net you respect. So in summary, the more you sew, the more you reap; help and be rewarded for it.

It all sounds like it's making for an engrossing and realistic Army Simulation experience. But whether we'll actually see a release here after the previous version was mysteriously canned is yet to be seen. ...

via Kotaku


Over at game blog Rumor Reporter, they're floating more details on the rumbled PSP slim. According to the site, the updated PSP won't have big speed increases and will be outfitted with a slot UMD loader. Screen-wise, the site states that its the same size and is "Sidekick-esque." That would give the portable a "flip-factor" and decrease the system's overall size. Underneath the screen, there's a "Home" button—just like there is now. There are also all new controls for UMD movie chapter and music skipping.

Hardware-wise, it's still the same writes the same. Battery-life will be improved, but Rumor Reporter says the screen isn't LED, but still LCD. What's more, Sony is considering Bluetooth capabilities for the PSP slim, but is only providing 4GB of on-board memory — though Rumor Reporter does mention that could change. Sony, the site reports, is still deliberating, but apparently the PlayStation Portable name won't change, and this new PSP would eventually replace all existing models. Pricing is "currently the same," and the release date is Fall 07.

True? Rumor Reporter's GDC predictions were way off, but the site did break news on Warhawk's troubles. We spoke with our insiders today, who confirmed the slot loading and pointed out that Bluetooth was an obvious PlayStation inclusion. What about the "Sidekick-esque" design and the LCD screen? My take: Sony wants to compete with the DS Lite (in Japan, esp.) and is going to release a competitively priced product that doesn't veer too far from the familiar PSP. Only E3 will tell us whether any of these rumors and these insiders are right or completely wrong. Can't wait.


Leave your thoughts on this via comments. ...

via Xbox 360 Fanboy


What's that you say? You'd like to play Halo 2 on your PC, but you don't have/want Windows Vista? You're in luck then, as Falling Leaf Systems has announced plans to release software that will allow Windows XP users to play Halo 2. Not only that, the company is developing similar software for Shadowrun. To inspire XP users to take the plunge, Falling Leaf is promising a free copy of the compatibility software to those who order either game through their site. Falling Leaf CEO Brian Thomason concludes the press release with some fighting words: "First they claim that it was impossible to implement DirectX 10 compatibility atop Windows XP, and now they also want us to believe that they couldn't successfully launch two DirectX 9 based titles on XP either. We plan to expose both theories as patently false."

Assuming this software works as advertised, would you change your mind about picking up either title? ...

via Nintendo DS Fanboy


Well, it looks like the time has come for everyone to decide whether or not they want to give Zendoku a go. Also this week, it looks like gamers everywhere will have a chance to go up against the Silver Surfer if they so desire. Do you?


US

• Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
• Time Ace
• Zendoku

Europe

• Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
• Touch Darts

Japan

• Game de Demashita! Powerpuff Girls Z
• Mizuiro Blood
• Unou Kaiten: Match-Bou Puzzle DS

Australia

• Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

...

via Nintendo Wii Fanboy


Last week we received nothing, this week we receive close to absolutely everything. Many a game are out there for those looking to play a disc containing something new on their Nintendo Wii. So, let's look at what retail shelves and online inventory will be offering this week:

• Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree
• Scarface
• Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
• The Sims 2: Pets

We imagine quite a few of you are looking at picking up Big Brain Academy, but what about those other games? Any of you out there looking forward to grooming pets or helping Mel get one of those one-way tickets back to the resurrection? ...

via PS3 Fanboy


This week's Blu-ray movie release list isn't the sexiest thing ever but looks like it has some solid choices. Headlining the pack is the so-bad-its-good comic movie, Ghost Rider, starring a way way too old Nicholas Cage. This title has been fairly highly anticipated amongst the more hardcore videophiles hoping for a pristine visual feast to use as a reference disc. Early reviews of the Blu-ray title have been highly positive when it comes to the visual and audio quality but have been less glowing when it comes to the movie itself. Here's the full list of titles coming out this week:

• Ghost Rider
• Cruel Intentions
• Seven Years in Tibet
• Primeval
• Music and Lyrics
• Blood and Chocolate
• Daddy's Little Girls

Anything pique your fancy? Next week is gonna be a lean one with only a single title coming out (Bridge to Terabitha), so stock up on new releases now -- before it's too late! ...

via Joystiq


Back when we attended Sony Online Entertainment's event a few weeks ago, we didn't really discuss anything... out of the ordinary. Some Everquest expansions, some downloadable PS3 games, cell phone games (okay, God of War looked great), and a new IP that had everyone talking -- Sony's spy and espionage themed online game, The Agency. Only we haven't been allowed to say much about it until now, even though it's already been hinted at, speculated about, and analyzed around the web. Is anything watertight anymore?

The Agency has been called a new MMO from Sony, though we don't think it's an entirely accurate label (neither does Sony's press release, which you can read after the break). At least, not an MMO in the traditional sense. You won't be running into the back alleys of Monte Carlo while tons of other players give chase with bullets and bombs -- as if you'd taken your Horde character strolling through Ironforge; instead, it will offer more mission-based gameplay, and will rely on coordination with other agents as you work your way through the stylized spy world they've created.


More information and screenshots can be viewed here. ...

via IGN


Last week we got word that Prince of Persia Classic, the remake of the 1989 adventure game, might be arriving this Wednesday, June 13. Ubisoft confirmed this news today, so PoP fans should free up 800 Microsoft Points and get ready to download the title at 1:00 a.m. Pacific Time this Hump Day.

Prince of Persia Classic gives the original game a modern makeover with the look of the 3D PoP games. ...

via Eurogamer


SCEE has issued an official response to complaints by the Church of England over PlayStation 3 game Resistance: Fall of Man.

"Sony Computer Entertainment Europe is aware of the concerns expressed by the Bishop of Manchester and the Cathedral authorities about the use of Manchester Cathedral in the game Resistance: Fall of Man, and we naturally take their concerns very seriously," the statement reads.


As reported earlier, the Church of England has demanded an apology from Sony over the depiction of Manchester Cathedral in Resistance: Fall of Man. According to Church authorities Sony did not get permission to feature the Cathedral in the game. ...