Joystiq

PS3 video store not coming to PAL regions in 2008

Griffin McElroy — 2008-07-19T16:00:00+00:00

PS3-owning movie buffs across the globe were exuberant upon the unveiling of the PlayStation Network's video delivery service, and the announcement that it would be made available, well, now. Unless, of course, you live in Europe, Australia, or one of the many other PAL regions of the world -- according to Sony Europe exec David Reeves, Sony won't be getting their Blockbuster on in PAL territories in 2008.

Reeves promised that "dates and content for the video download service will be announced later this year," somewhat ensuring a lengthy delay. However, he did mention the launch of Go!View, the recently released European television and movie download service for the PSP, as something of a consolation. We would have preferred a promise to exclude any films written and directed by the Wayans brothers from the service's PAL incarnation.

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Resident Evil 5 to offer online co-op, delayed to March 2009

Mike Schramm — 2008-07-14T13:44:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Online, E3

When Resident Evil 5 drops, you won't be alone against the legions of zombies -- a second player will be able to join in the gory fun as well. The online co-op mode is confirmed at E3, with another player taking control of Sheva, Chris' female companion.

Unfortunately, you'll have to wait a while -- Microsoft says that it won't be available until a worldwide simultaneous release on Friday the 13th, March 2009. "Please hang on just a bit longer," they say, "we'll have it to you shortly."

Update: Press conference walkthrough video embedded after the cut.

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Burnout Paradise 'Cagney' update for Xbox 360 delayed until July 14

Griffin McElroy — 2008-07-05T19:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Driving

Fans of Criterion's vehicular vehicleslaughter sim Burnout Paradise were supposed to receive the title's third major update this coming Thursday, codenamed "Cagney". The vaudevillian actor-turned-downloadable content will give Paradisians the opportunity to play through more than 70 events online in FreeBurn mode -- unfortunately, Paradisians of the Xbox 360 variety will have to wait a bit longer than their PS3 counterparts to enjoy the free update.

Unsurprisingly, the source of the hold-up is the rigorous Xbox Live certification process, which took longer than Criterion had expected. Their new release date for "Cagney" is the following Monday, July 14 -- though this delay won't affect PS3 owners. Nor will it affect DS owners, restaurant entrepreneurs, professional poker players, the current Dalai Lama, or the actual James Cagney, who is, in fact, deceased.

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Oh craps! This is Vegas delayed until 2009

Christopher Grant — 2008-07-02T17:29:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360

Not saying we were taking bets on this but, surprising exactly no one, Midway's "lifestyle action experience" This is Vegas has been delayed until 2009 for all three platforms in development. Midway tells GameSpot that developer Surreal Software - the team behind The Suffering games - is being "given the development time needed in order to make This is Vegas a triple-A videogame and a must-have for all PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC owners." The game will be playable at E3 in a couple weeks so we'll be sure to let you know how close it is to a "must-have" then.

Gallery: This is Vegas

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Gamestop says SOCOM: Confrontation delayed to Oct 14

Ross Miller — 2008-06-30T17:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, First Person Shooters, Online

Update: New release date confirmed.

Last we heard in March, SOCOM: Confrontation was coming September 16 to PS3. If Gamestop is to be believed, that release date has been pushed back a month to October 14. We wouldn't be surprised if it was true, as our hands-on time with the game recently showed there was still a lot of work to be done. We've put in a call to developer Slant Six for an official response.

Gallery: SOCOM Confrontation

[Via PS Forums]

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EA: Byron regulations may delay games for UK

Alexander Sliwinski — 2008-06-25T18:15:00+00:00

Filed under: Culture, Business

Electronic Arts' UK general manager, Keith Ramsdale, tells GI.biz that the proposed game rating alterations asked for in the Byron Review will delay game releases in the country. Ramsdale believes the changes are an "unnecessary layer of administration" to the process. The main change requested in the Byron Review is that any game above a 12+ certification would need to be reviewed by the BBFC; currently the organization only takes on games flagged to have sex, violence or criminal activity.

Ramsdale asks that the government poll consumers on the matter. Meanwhile, publishers continue to back the continent-covering PEGI system. As it has stated before, the BBFC is financially compensated by publishers for its work, and so doesn't expect to encounter problems when hiring more staff to keep up with a greater influx of games. So, not only will the group hire more people to keep up with the work load, but the new rules would also be a cash boom for the organization.

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Ninja Gaiden II demo sneaks into North America

Griffin McElroy — 2008-06-07T13:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Action

Ever since the passing of controversial anti-Ninja legislation, importing Japan's deadliest natural resource into the States is a near-impossible process. Luckily, the Federal Trade Commission has recognized that Ninja Gaiden II is not an actual ninja, but instead, a circular platter of polycarbonate encapsulated in a decorated box and an irritating plastic sheath. They also noted that the ninja on the cover is an illustrated ninja, who poses little to no risk of flipping out and killing you in your sleep.

Thus, Ninja Gaiden II was cleared to launch in North America just in time for its June 3 release date -- though it took Team Ninja much longer to convince the FTC that the game's demo was not some sort of digital assassin, sent to kill the internets. Luckily, that bit of confusion was resolved today, and the Ninja Gaiden II demo is now available on Xbox Live. Conveniently enough, we can think of no better way of venting our anger over the demo's North American delay than to dismember some minions with frightening bladed weaponry.

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Splinter Cell Conviction team now coy about development

Alexander Sliwinski — 2008-05-30T12:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Adventure, Business

And the Splinter Cell Conviction delay rumor-mill keeps on grinding. The latest non-conclusive statement about the possibility of a Conviction delay was made on the official Ubisoft forums in the form of an open letter from the development team. The group says that development is continuing well and they'll start showing the game in the "forthcoming months."

Rumors of Splinter Cell Conviction's possible late 2009 -10 delay began after an article was written in Xbox World 360. At the time, Ubisoft just made a "no comment." Then when the game didn't get shown at UbiDays, the publisher danced around the issue, but stuck with a release window of this fiscal year (April '08 - March '09). Well, E3 is in July -- also known as a "forthcoming month" -- and we'll be sure to pay attention if Splinter Cell Conviction makes an appearance.

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THQ delays Saints Row 2 until October 14

Jason Dobson — 2008-05-28T23:29:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action

THQ has broken our gold-plated hearts (and teeth) by announcing that it will delay the launch of Saints Row 2 until the company's third quarter, from the August 26 release date announced just last month until October 14.

According to Reuters, THQ cited marketing issues and product quality as the reasons for the delay, making us hope that the nearly two extra months of development will give Volition enough time to stamp out those remaining bugs. Additionally, while THQ believes that the delay will not have a negative impact on the company's fiscal 2009 performance, given the publisher's recent pink slip party and $35.3 million loss in fiscal 2008, there's really nowhere else to go but up.

[Thanks Bo]

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Bionic Commando Rearmed's May deployment delayed

Ross Miller — 2008-05-27T15:55:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Online

Attention, soldiers! It looks like the Bionic Commando Rearmed remake is going AWOL for a little bit longer. According to a message on the BC website's Communicator, the game is complete but missing its scheduled May release date. The game is reportedly done but has a few bug fixes and submissions procedures to battle.

To spare you the hassle of clicking through a whole lot of retro text boxes (and it was a pain), we've provided transcription of the message after the break.

Gallery: Bionic Commando Rearmed

"This is MA-1. Sir, we know you've been waiting to get your hands on the finished Bionic Commando Rearmed, but it appears we've run into a few problems in the closing stages. I regret to inform you that we have received confirmation that the game won't be making its scheduled May release.

"This is always the hardest part of any battle, sir. All we can tell you is that the game is done and is more awesome than pure liquid awesome sir! Our troops right now are in the trenches, battling with bugs and submission procedures. Fatigue is starting to set in but they won't give up until that game is on the shelves!

"What's that, sir? There are no shelves, it's a downloadable title? You sure told me, sir. What a world we live in!"

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Metal Gear Online beta delayed

Ross Miller — 2008-04-21T02:54:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Action, Online

On the eve of its debut, the Metal Gear Online US public beta has gone AWOL. More accurately, Konami has announced that the beta has been delayed due to "extraordinary levels of traffic from all around the globe" causing service problems.

Konami did not give a new starting date for the beta, only to say that more information will be coming tomorrow, April 22. The end date, however, has been pushed back from May 5 to May 11. (Update: fixed date.) For those who need a fix desperately can peep the online manual for the game, including a listing of the 16 skills you can choose from to enhance your stealth killer.

Update: Konami has set a tentative start date and time: 04/25/2008 24:00 (PDT) -- more here!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

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Haze gets May demo, slightly earlier release

Kyle Orland — 2008-04-15T19:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, First Person Shooters

Haze's hazy path to becoming an actual, released game became a little more concrete today, with Ubisoft's announcement of a May PSN demo and yet another new release date for the somewhat issue-prone first-person shooter. Surprisingly enough, the new May 20 date is actually three days earlier than the previously "definite" May 23 release (though that may have applied to Europe only). It might not seem like much, but after more delays than we can count (not literally), any move in the other direction is a welcome announcement. Will this release date be the final one? As the Magic 8-Ball might say: "Outlook hazy, try again later."

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Mass Effect PC slips to May 28

Ludwig Kietzmann — 2008-04-08T10:30:00+00:00

Filed under: PC, Microsoft Xbox 360, RPGs

BioWare's community coordinator, Chris Priestly, has announced via the official Mass Effect forum that the PC version of the interstellar RPG has experienced a slight delay. Originally scheduled for release on May 6th, Mass Effect's retooled conversion will now arrive on May 28th in North America and June 6th in Europe.

Reasons given for the extra development time include the incorporation of further play-testing feedback, the tuning of additional features and, of course, the ever-popular application of "extra polish." Trust us, PC gamers, the wait will be worth it. You'll forget all about these extra few weeks once you're having a gas with our old pal, Saren.

[Thanks, Matt]

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Alan Wake 'media blackout' still in effect [Update 1]

Ross Miller — 2008-04-07T14:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Adventure

Update: From the moderator: "I do not know when the blackout will end ... When we hear anything from Remedy or Microsoft regarding any kind of new information, we will post it loud and clear. There are no tricks up our sleeves at the moment." Original post is still below.

When was the last time you heard anything concrete about Alan Wake? (Aside from when it announced that it wasn't canceled, of course.) Other than a confirmed 2008 release window, the last details we got from the game look to be from September 2006.

That's what makes this posting from the official Alan Wake forums, from "Super Moderator" Morry, so tantalizing. Responding to a thread aptly titled "Still no updates, its 2008 for crying out loud" (sic), Morry said, "Patience. The media 'blackout' won't continue for too much longer."

We're hoping that's not a relative phrasing of "too much longer," as it's been almost 19 months since the last scrap of information.

[Via X3F]

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Alone in the Dark delayed until June

Ludwig Kietzmann — 2008-04-03T08:45:00+00:00

Filed under: PC, Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360

Eurogamer reports that Atari's technically impressive horror, Alone in the Dark, will be missing its previously planned May release, instead creeping out of its dingy corner the following month. The Xbox 360, PC, Wii and PS2 versions are now scheduled to arrive in the US on June 24th, with Europe getting them a tad earlier on June 20th. The PlayStation 3 edition suffers no such delay, but that's one of the benefits of having a nebulous, "sometime in 2008" release date.

Atari and developer Eden are reportedly utilizing the extra time to further polish the game, no doubt to match the shine emitted by one of Atari's new heads, Phil Harrison.

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Ubisoft reneges on Haze release date

Alexander Sliwinski — 2008-03-27T12:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, First Person Shooters

Forget what Ubisoft announced yesterday about Haze clearing for a May 22 release; now the game's release is back to the full month of May. It's become so convoluted that we can't keep Haze's release date saga straight anymore, but at least there are firm answers about the game's PS3 exclusivity ... oh, wait.

We're starting to wonder if the marketing department at Ubisoft isn't on its own form of Nectar (the psychotropic drug in Haze). It really shouldn't be this hard to craft a message on one game's release date and exclusivity.

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Return to Dark Castle demo returns

Zack Stern — 2008-03-01T15:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Culture, Mac, Retro, Action, Adventure

Mac gamers can finally play a new demo for Return to Dark Castle, the game that keeps ~~crying wolf about~~ delaying its release date. The delays have gone on for so long that Mac gamers might see this as their personal Duke Nukem Forever. Teases picked up again a month ago, and the game's website uses caps and italics to stress that it'll release "very, VERY soon."

Even if the game never ships, the just-released demo is worth a quick play. It feels almost identical to its Mac gaming canon ancestors, with the same sharp controls. The old sound effects we remember from 1986 and 1987 are back. And while we would have lightly updated some of the basics -- like rats that disappear after being hit with a rock -- the unchanged action holds up surprisingly well.

Look, Return to Dark Castle, stop being such a tease. Even after all these years, your demo makes us miss you again. Come back very VERY soon.

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Haze clearing for May release

Alexander Sliwinski — 2008-02-26T14:55:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, First Person Shooters

Today Ubisoft gave PS3 "exclusive" Haze a release window of May according to IGN. This takes the previous release window of Ubisoft's fiscal year '09 (starting in April) and cuts it down just a bit.

Haze has certainly lived up to its name between questions of PS3 exclusivity and its ever-floating release date. Not to rain on the Nectar parade, but this would be the second time Haze was given a fairly firm release date. With any luck Haze will make its release date this time and add to the PS3's "breakthrough" year.

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Drone Tactics to bug DS owners April 8

Jason Dobson — 2008-02-18T11:15:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo DS, Strategy

Players eager to harness their inner mesothorax in Atlus' recently announced Drone Tactics for the Nintendo DS will have to keep their antenna and compound eyes in check, as the game has been pushed back from its previously announced March 25 release. The turn-based strategy game, which promises to give players "a deeply customizable army of mechanized insects," is now expected to land and pollinate Nintendo's handheld on April 8. We'd be upset, but honestly this gives us another two weeks to come up with new ways to shoehorn entomology terms into posts while we wait. Excited yet?

Gallery: Drone Tactics

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Analyst: Spore 'likely' delayed until later in '08; EA guidance incorrect

Alexander Sliwinski — 2008-01-29T18:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Mac, PC, Business

Before Electronic Arts lays down its third quarter earnings in a couple days, Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey believes it "likely" that Spore will move from the guidance EA gave of a March/April release to the second half of '08. This also is corroborated by reports earlier this month when Spore was announced for simultaneous release on Mac and PC.

But what's another Spore delay at this point? We were a bit surprised (and skeptical) when Will Wright said Spore was six months from release last October. Maybe Hickey is totally wrong and Wright will pull a six-legged exoskeletoned gelatinopod from his hat?

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