Rumor: Rockstar To Develop Max Payne 3

The latest issue of EGM magazine has a interest bit of news regarding the new Max Payne game. EGM says that Rockstar may eventually develop Max Payne 3 as the previous developers Remedy Entertainment are still to busy with the potential vaporware Alan Wake.

The new installment will be handled by an internal Rockstar team, the ones responsible for The Warriors for the PS2 and PSP.

Oh, just get on with it already!

Rumor: Halo 4 From Gearbox

Everyone and their grandmothers knows that there will be a Halo 4. What everyone may not know is that the fourth installment in the highly acclaimed series may not be made by Bungie. In the latest issue of Official Xbox Magazine, a rumor was spotted saying that Microsoft may hand over the development rein to Gearbox Software, makers of Brothers in Arms series and also responsible for the PC port of Halo: Combat Evolved.

The rumor futher states that the new Halo will be a launch title for the next Xbox. And that’s a long time away.

Neither Microsoft or Bungie has given any statement about this rumor. As usual.

Silent Hill: Homecoming Confirmed for PC

Konami has confirmed the oft rumored PC version of their latest installment in the Silent Hill series, Silent Hill: Homecoming. The PC version will release along with the consoles version in September, 2008 (still no fixed date).

The peculiar thing about Homecoming for PC will be that the game will ONLY be available via Valve Software’s Steam. No retail box version are on the cards.

This is equivalent to a direct-to-DVD movie and we all know they turn out to be. Here is hoping for the opposite!

Left 4 Dead Delayed By 2 Weeks

Valve’s Gabe Newell had announced that their upcoming horror shooter Left 4 Dead has been delayed by 2 weeks. Now instead of November 4th, which was the original release date, the co-op shooter will release on November 20th, 2008. No reason was cited.

Aww, typical Valve. Cute. Not.

Left 4 Dead Delayed By 2 Weeks

Valve’s Gabe Newell had announced that their upcoming horror shooter Left 4 Dead has been delayed by 2 weeks. Now instead of November 4th, which was the original release date, the co-op shooter will release on November 20th, 2008. No reason was cited.

Aww, typical Valve. Cute. Not.

Madden NFL 09

Football fans have been buying Madden games for 20 years now. Come to think about it, there has to be a good solid reason for that. Other than buying out the competition at times, Madden must have been doing something right for all those years. Delivering a realistic game every year is one, having a great presentation style is another. And those two points are exactly what EA sports improved the most in this year’s version of Madden. The game is as realistic as ever, and the presentation is simply wonderful. So is it really a necessity to shell out yet more money for another Madden? It depends, read on.

Gameplay wise, the game rarely changed year in and year out and this year is no exception. EA Sports did add some new animations and features, but the core gameplay is identical to the last year’s effort. EA Sports actually promised 85 new features in Madden 09, but you will barely notice a handful of them, since most of the changes are too small to be noticed. The game does however feature a couple of new interesting camera options, giving you a bit more control over what you are seeing during the game.

The first time you fire up the game you will be introduced to some kind of test. Those Madden drills are made to test how well you play and understand the game. Based on how you score on 4 different drills, you will be given a My Skill difficulty level. This is actually a very smart move by EA; the test will create a more challenging environment for the series veterans and make it feel less like a chore for the new comers. The difficulty level will also be changing as the season goes on, pushing you to improve your game more and more as you progress.

The presentation style is fantastic. The music played and the videos used are great all around and the menus are pure eye candy. Another new feature in Madden 09 is the Rewind button. That is right Braid fans; you can rewind time right here too. With a press of a button after a badly executed play, you can simply have another go! A dream come true for many sport gamers we believe. This feature is thankfully not available in online or multiplayer modes. The other great presentation related addition to this year’s version of Madden is the EA Sports Analysis. Here a replay will show the last play explaining what went wrong/right using arrows and comments; basically this is like the stuff you see on TV.

Just like NCAA 09 did a few months ago, Madden 09 introduces online league for the first time this year. You can create the league as the GM, chose what trophy you are going to be competing for and then invite your friends to join. Playing online from this side of the planet, we did face a few lag filled moments every now and then, but that did not affect our gaming experience by much, we still lost anyway.

Back this year is the mini games you can play during the off season. Just like many other EA Sports titles on the market, you will be able to play some historical NFL moments in Madden 09. In this brand new mode in Madden 09, you can pick which specific moment you want to play and then try to rewrite history with your own hands. This right here is a very sweet addition if you ask us.

 The game looks identical to Madden 08. We can confirm that the players look slightly improved this time around and the environments are delivered better during the game. What we really enjoyed in Madden 09 however is the number of new animation. The running back can get hit and fall in a ton of different ways it seems. Having such a variety in the animation department is exactly what every sports game should aim for. This way, the game will not get old for quite some time.  EA promised a better frame rate this year for the PS3 version and delivered, but there is still a little slow down every time the action heats up.

The music tracks are great as usual, which is rather guaranteed with EA games now a day it seems. Come to think about it, the music in the menus is actually what makes finishing off a 30 years franchise mode reasonable and possible. The efficient sound effects of Madden 08 are back too, with a few tweaks and changes here and there that are slightly hard to notice. The commentary is better this year too; you will rarely be hearing the same phrase twice in a game.

So is it really time to cough up another full retail price for a new Madden? If you are a huge NFL fan, than head out and buy Madden 09 right now, it is made for you. Everyone else however might want to download the demo and test drive this one out first. Even with all the new features and promised tweaks, Madden 09 still feels a bit too familiar and some might even have a hard time separating it from last year’s game.

Madden NFL 09

Football fans have been buying Madden games for 20 years now. Come to think about it, there has to be a good solid reason for that. Other than buying out the competition at times, Madden must have been doing something right for all those years. Delivering a realistic game every year is one, having a great presentation style is another. And those two points are exactly what EA sports improved the most in this year’s version of Madden. The game is as realistic as ever, and the presentation is simply wonderful. So is it really a necessity to shell out yet more money for another Madden? It depends, read on.

Gameplay wise, the game rarely changed year in and year out and this year is no exception. EA Sports did add some new animations and features, but the core gameplay is identical to the last year’s effort. EA Sports actually promised 85 new features in Madden 09, but you will barely notice a handful of them, since most of the changes are too small to be noticed. The game does however feature a couple of new interesting camera options, giving you a bit more control over what you are seeing during the game.

The first time you fire up the game you will be introduced to some kind of test. Those Madden drills are made to test how well you play and understand the game. Based on how you score on 4 different drills, you will be given a My Skill difficulty level. This is actually a very smart move by EA; the test will create a more challenging environment for the series veterans and make it feel less like a chore for the new comers. The difficulty level will also be changing as the season goes on, pushing you to improve your game more and more as you progress.

The presentation style is fantastic. The music played and the videos used are great all around and the menus are pure eye candy. Another new feature in Madden 09 is the Rewind button. That is right Braid fans; you can rewind time right here too. With a press of a button after a badly executed play, you can simply have another go! A dream come true for many sport gamers we believe. This feature is thankfully not available in online or multiplayer modes. The other great presentation related addition to this year’s version of Madden is the EA Sports Analysis. Here a replay will show the last play explaining what went wrong/right using arrows and comments; basically this is like the stuff you see on TV.

Just like NCAA 09 did a few months ago, Madden 09 introduces online league for the first time this year. You can create the league as the GM, chose what trophy you are going to be competing for and then invite your friends to join. Playing online from this side of the planet, we did face a few lag filled moments every now and then, but that did not affect our gaming experience by much, we still lost anyway.

Back this year is the mini games you can play during the off season. Just like many other EA Sports titles on the market, you will be able to play some historical NFL moments in Madden 09. In this brand new mode in Madden 09, you can pick which specific moment you want to play and then try to rewrite history with your own hands. This right here is a very sweet addition if you ask us.

 The game looks identical to Madden 08. We can confirm that the players look slightly improved this time around and the environments are delivered better during the game. What we really enjoyed in Madden 09 however is the number of new animation. The running back can get hit and fall in a ton of different ways it seems. Having such a variety in the animation department is exactly what every sports game should aim for. This way, the game will not get old for quite some time.  EA promised a better frame rate this year for the PS3 version and delivered, but there is still a little slow down every time the action heats up.

The music tracks are great as usual, which is rather guaranteed with EA games now a day it seems. Come to think about it, the music in the menus is actually what makes finishing off a 30 years franchise mode reasonable and possible. The efficient sound effects of Madden 08 are back too, with a few tweaks and changes here and there that are slightly hard to notice. The commentary is better this year too; you will rarely be hearing the same phrase twice in a game.

So is it really time to cough up another full retail price for a new Madden? If you are a huge NFL fan, than head out and buy Madden 09 right now, it is made for you. Everyone else however might want to download the demo and test drive this one out first. Even with all the new features and promised tweaks, Madden 09 still feels a bit too familiar and some might even have a hard time separating it from last year’s game.

Ninja Gaiden II Sells a Million

Microsoft announced yesterday that Ninja Gaiden, a 360 exclusive, have sold over one million copies worldwide. Ninja Gaiden II scored a solid 8.9/10 in our review of the game and has an average of 8.1/10 from metacritic.

Halo Interactive Strategy Game Preview

Halo is one of the Best Selling Game  and succesful franchise in Gaming History. so all those junkies who want to own Master chief buy all games is not Enough .
IGN Showcased: The newest way to own a piece of Halo, however, comes in the form of an interactive board game.
"The Halo Interactive Strategy Game comes from Genius Products and B1 Games, and combines conventional board game play with audible and visual aids via built-in sound effects and an included DVD. The 3-D modular board can be constructed into several different stages, or users can create their own. Two or more players can form teams with 15 sculpted characters direct from the Halo series including Kusunagi, The Prophet of Candor, and of course, Master Chief."
"Teams move around the board engaging in turn-based combat, which is aided by an included interactive DVD. The DVD features rendered action sequences to add further realism to the game. Additionally, the Halo Interactive Strategy Game can be played in a variety of modes and levels for extended playability. Players can go toe-to-toe in some of their favorite modes from the game series; such as Capture the Flag and Slayer. The play experience will be capable for further expansion with the release of future add-on such as vehicles, characters, and weapons."

" The Halo Interactive Strategy Game will be available this Fall with an MSRP of $49.99."

Naruto Press Release

According to a press release issued by Namco Bandai Games America, Naruto and friends will be returning to the PS2 with “"Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3". The press release added:

"As the latest and most advanced of the highest rated fighting game series based on the Naruto Universe, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3 evolves the best-selling series to the next level with major innovative features. Master more than 40 of the most loved characters from the universe and relive the major battles and events right out of the TV show.

PRODUCT FEATURES:
• The largest selection of ninja ever: Master over 40 playable characters from the hit TV series. The game will feature the largest selection of playable ninja ever;
• Unleash powerful Ultimate Jutsu: Customize your favourite characters with Ultimate Jutsu of your choice and devastate your enemies on an unprecedented scale and magnitude;
• Experience the Original Japanese VO: Choose between English and Japanese voice over;
• Engage in brand new Summoning Mode: Turn your characters into giants of unprecedented sizes or summon giant creatures to control in battle;
• Upgrade your character: Enhance your characters’ strength, defence, chakra, agility and even special abilities;
• Live a brand new original Naruto story: Experience an original storyline exclusive to the game. Explore the massive 3D rendered Hidden Leaf Village, engage in all out battle royale matches, interact with residents and accomplish over 55 missions in Ultimate Contest mode;
• Tons of combat variety: Battle in 20 unique stages using either close combat or a variety of ranged weapons. Equip yourself with a choice of ninja techniques before the battle and devise your own combat strategy;
• Relive the major battles and events from the show: Interactively participate in the major events and battles from the show up through the Sasuke Retrieval Arc in Hero’s History mode. Decide the fate of the two greatest ninja as they clash in the battle of destiny."

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