Joystiq

Pinball FX 2 wants your high scores in XBLA Spider-Man tournament

Jessica Conditt — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 01:00:00 EST

Zen Studios is hosting a high-score Spider-Man tournament for XBLA's Pinball FX 2, running from today to August 12. The winners will receive goodies such as MS Points and sweet Marvel gear, all for playing some pinball. The prizes break down as follows:

1st Place: 4,000 MS Points, a Marvel Digital Comics annual subscription, a Spider-Man Bass Skyline tee shirt from Mighty Fine

2nd and 3rd Place: 1600 MS Points, a Marvel Digital Comics annual subscrption, a Spider-Man Bass Skyline tee shirt from Mighty Fine

Zen Studios promises prizes for random players as well, so feel free to play some rounds without any pressure. The Spider-Man table is in the Marvel Pinball pack, which runs 800 MS Points on XBLA, and it is required to play in the tournament. Otherwise it'd just have a name like "Pinball Championships," which are already happening this August, and wouldn't that be awkward at the Kinko's badge station.

Continue reading Pinball FX 2 wants your high scores in XBLA Spider-Man tournament

Pinball FX 2 wants your high scores in XBLA Spider-Man tournament originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 30 Jul 2011 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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George 'Geohot' Hotz now using his powers for good, Facebook

Jordan Mallory — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 18:00:00 EST

If Uncle Ben taught us anything, it's that with great power, comes great responsibility. And, if you're legendary hacker George 'Geohot' Hotz, great job opportunities! Having survived Sony's legal onslaught earlier this year, Hotz has landed himself a sweet development gig at Facebook.

During an interview with hacking community MyGreatFest, rival jailbreaker Joshua Hill (aka P0sixninja) claimed that Geohot had declined an iPad 2 hacking challenge in order to maintain a low profile, and to focus on his new job at Facebook. Hill implied that Hotz's refusal to hack some 'pads indicated his involvement in the development of Facebook's as-yet-unconfirmed iPad app.

Hotz's rumored employment status was later corroborated by TechMeme's Gabe Rivera, who tweeted a link to the hacker's (now private) Facebook wall, which reportedly called the social network "an amazing place to work." George certainly isn't the first hacker to give up the game and go legit, and with more companies recognizing the talent and skill required for the craft, we doubt he'll be the last.

George 'Geohot' Hotz now using his powers for good, Facebook originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 26 Jun 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spider-Man: Edge of Time tells the tale of two Spideys this fall

Justin McElroy — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 09:45:00 EST

After doing a fine job with Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, developer Beenox is taking another swing (see what we did there?) at our favorite webhead in Spider-Man: Edge of Time, due out this fall on unannounced platforms.

In Edge of Time, Spider-Man classic and Spider-Man 2099 will work together to avoid personal catastrophe (read: Peter Parker's demise) in a story crafted by 2099 co-creator Peter David. The game's hook is that the actions of one Spider-Man will alter the timeline of the other.

This, of course, is the moment where we point out that Marvel 2099 is technically the future of Earth-928 and not Earth-616, where Spider-Man classic exists. Therefore, the actions of one wouldn't impact the other, so we're hoping some sort of interdimensional machinations will be involved as well.

Obviously.

Spider-Man: Edge of Time tells the tale of two Spideys this fall originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Spider-Man game swinging to WonderCon

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 13:00:00 EST

As promised, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions dev Beenox will be handling the next entry in the Spidey franchise. Moreover, the as-yet-unnamed title will make an appearance at this year's WonderCon, according to the event's website. A listing for the Activision/Spider-Man panel, to be held Saturday, April 2, details a presentation that will involve both "post-launch reactions" to Shattered Dimensions and "exclusive details, screenshots and videos of the next Spider-Man game."

For all you hardcore Peter Parker fans in the crowd, Spider-Man 2099 co-creator Peter David and voiceover artist Josh Keaton will both join Beenox devs on the panel, along with Marvel veep of game production TQ Jefferson. Given the relative awkwardness of Keaton's placement on the panel, we're guessing he'll once again be voicing Spidey in the forthcoming game.

Though details are guaranteed to show up at the panel, we'd also keep an eye on gaming magazines to unceremoniously announce it by name with a cursory text mention on the cover. Hey, you never know!

New Spider-Man game swinging to WonderCon originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Spider-Man game coming in 2011, Acti prepping two TV license titles

Randy Nelson — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 17:50:00 EST

That future where Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions dev Beenox will be Activision's go-to studio for Marvel's franchise we reported on last month? It's officially this year. The publisher revealed during its Q4 2010 financial call that a new Spider-Man game is in development and will be released by the end of the calendar year. No further details were divulged.

It was also announced in the call that 2011 will see the release of licensed titles from Activision based on Family Guy and Wipeout. The latter's the "obstacle course" style game show, not Sony's futuristic racing franchise.

New Spider-Man game coming in 2011, Acti prepping two TV license titles originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 17:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Future Spider-Man games to be developed by Beenox

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 10:00:00 EST

Activision today announced that Shattered Dimensions developer, Beenox, will be in charge of the publisher's future Spidey efforts. "Beenox's creative vision reinvigorated the Spider-Man gaming experience among critics and fans in Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions," Activision senior VP Patrick Kelly said in the announcement, "We can't wait to see where this talented studio will take this franchise in the future." If you're puzzled by Kelly's statement about Shattered Dimensions "reinvigorating" the down-and-out Spidey license, we're right there with ya. It's like we're living in two different worlds!

Regardless, we've got a good idea about where Beenox could take the franchise in the coming years: Creative director Thomas Wilson expressed interest in focusing on the Noir or 2099 Universe from Shattered Dimensions for a spin-off game. Just think: an entire Spidey game based in the Noir dimension? He'll basically have to don a trench coat at some point!

Continue reading Future Spider-Man games to be developed by Beenox

Future Spider-Man games to be developed by Beenox originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions on PC is Walmart exclusive for Thanksgiving weekend

Mike Schramm — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 07:30:00 EST

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions is getting a PC release right around Thanksgiving this year -- kind of. According to the game's official Facebook page, the North American PC version will only be available at Walmart over the Thanksgiving weekend, which means if you want it, you'll have to brave the unwashed crowds to get it (or just send the scariest member of your family). After that first weekend, it'll presumably go on sale elsewhere, so you can wait the extra week if you so choose.

The rest of the world doesn't have to deal with any exclusivity agreements -- the PC version will be on sale in Australia and Asia on November 24, and in Europe on November 26.

[Thanks, Steve]

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions on PC is Walmart exclusive for Thanksgiving weekend originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Transformers, Spider-Man and more next year, Activision doing 'large-scale' Call of Duty

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 15:30:00 EST

Activision's recent conference call wasn't all facts and figures, you know. The company also outlined the future of some of its biggest franchises over the course of the next calendar year. According to CEO Eric Hirshberg, the publisher will launch titles from "proven franchises including the Hero brand, Spider-Man, X-Men and Transformers, which will be supported by what is expected to be another major blockbuster movie from Michael Bay." Sounds like they're kinda putting the cart in front of the giant, shapeshifting robot-car with that one.

Hirshberg also made the unsurprising announcement that 2011 would also see the release of a new Call of Duty, explaining "in the back half of 2011, we are launching a new, large-scale Call of Duty FPS title." Considering the last installment in the franchise had like, ten different scenes where nukes went off, we don't know how much "larger" the proceedings could become.

Unless, of course, Hirshberg was referring to Activision's oft-rumored plans to monetize the series' multiplayer component. Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter, who previously predicted Activision would subscriptionalize the franchise this year, released a statement shortly after the conference call, stating, "We expect Activision to announce plans to monetize multiplayer online some time in 2011, and expect greater visibility into the release schedule throughout the year."

New Transformers, Spider-Man and more next year, Activision doing 'large-scale' Call of Duty originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 06 Nov 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wesker and Spider-Man enlist for Marvel vs. Capcom 3

JC Fletcher — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 11:35:00 EST

Capcom's TGS announcement of Spider-Man's addition to Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is a formality. Of course Spider-Man was going to be in there. Nobody's going to put the effort into modeling X-23 and not bother to get to Spider-Man. Yes, Marvel's marquee wall-crawler is back (and we're glad to see him), with most of his moves from previous MvC games intact.

Now, Resident Evil's Albert Wesker, that's a neat surprise. He's really fast! And he teleports! And he has a really nice black trench coat! See videos of both new characters after the break, courtesy of GameSpot.

Update: Now with our own versions of the trailers from Capcom.

[Thanks, Paul!]

Continue reading Wesker and Spider-Man enlist for Marvel vs. Capcom 3

Wesker and Spider-Man enlist for Marvel vs. Capcom 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 18 Sep 2010 11:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions DS Preview: Hand not held

David Hinkle — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST

At a recent preview event for Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, Activision had all versions of the game playable but, for the life of me, I just couldn't put the DS game down. Developed by Griptonite, the DS version is heavy on the exploration and features a light, fluid combat system.

The DS game features only three different dimensions: Amazing, Noir and 2099. Lacking the Ultimate realm, the game also puts less emphasis on the differences between each dimension. Spidey's abilities at the outset of entering each dimension are a tad different, but the mix of climbing and combat remains the same.

Gallery: Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions (DS)

Continue reading Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions DS Preview: Hand not held

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions DS Preview: Hand not held originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions' other costumes revealed

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

You didn't think that Peter Parker's wardrobe would only contain four outfits in his upcoming outing, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, did you? No, no sir. Revealed during Marvel's Comic-Con panel were a handful of new costumes that will be unlockable in-game -- a few of which will be instantly unlockable as pre-order bonuses from select retailers:

Scarlet Spider (unlock code included with Kmart pre-order)
Negative Zone Spider-Man (unlock code included with Best Buy pre-order)
Spider-Armor (pictured)
Mangaverse Spider-Man

Additionally, the previously revealed GameStop-exclusive Cosmic costume (which includes variants for each dimension) and the Iron Spider-Man suit featured in the 2099 universe (and immediately unlockable with an Amazon pre-order) were also shown at the panel. It's as yet unclear if the newly announced costumes will be tied to certain dimensions within the game or wearable throughout, like the Cosmic getup.

[Update: Clarified details about the nature of the pre-order bonuses and previously announced costumes.]

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions' other costumes revealed originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 24 Jul 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Web sight: All four Shattered Dimensions Spider-Men in action

Randy Nelson — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:40:00 EST

In case your Spider-Sense hadn't already alerted you to the fact, all four of the Spider-Men playable in Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions have finally been revealed. (Peter Porker, a.k.a. Spider-Ham was, sadly, not among them.) We've even taken the fourth and final dimension -- the Ultimate Spider-Man universe -- for a spin (and a swing) at San Diego Comic-Con.

Now you can see all of the Spideys and their respective dimensions together in one video. We know, convenient, huh! See, we're all about the efficient delivery of Spider-Man information here at Joystiq. And, er, other stuff too, of course. But for now we're just focusing on Spideys plural. See 'em after the break.

Continue reading Web sight: All four Shattered Dimensions Spider-Men in action

Web sight: All four Shattered Dimensions Spider-Men in action originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Activision confirms final Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions cover

JC Fletcher — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:11:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

GameFly has proven that the speed of a game rental website exceeds the proportionate speed of a radioactive spider. The website posted the final box art for Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions well in advance of next week's Shattered Dimensions Comic-Con panel, which is expected to provide the "official" reveal of the game's fourth universe. Activision confirmed to Joystiq that the box art image is authentic.

There's still plenty of info to reveal at that panel, however. The newly revealed, fourth version of Spider-Man (pictured on the far right) looks like he's wearing the famous (infamous?) black "symbiote" costume, which raises questions about which "universe" it represents in the game. In the comics, the Secret Wars storyline that resulted in Spider-Man's acquisition of this costume took place in the normal "Earth-616" Marvel Comics continuity, which is already one of the game's revealed dimensions. (The other two are the Noir [Earth-7207] and Marvel 2099 [Earth-928] universes.) It's possible that this probable symbiote costume is the version from the Ultimate universe, which would qualify as a separate universe and fulfill the game's multidimensional gimmick.

Check out the full box art after the break, while we ponder the biggest question brought on by this reveal: When did we learn so much about Spider-Man comics?

Continue reading Activision confirms final Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions cover

Activision confirms final Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions cover originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Copyrighted characters dominate ModNation Racers' top creations

Andrew Yoon — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 13:15:00 EST

Give gamers creation tools, and they'll immediately recreate icons from other famous franchises. Like LittleBigPlanet before it, ModNation Racers' extensive character and car editor has been used to pay homage to a number of high-profile games and films -- and these creations are the most beloved by the MNR community.

In addition to Peto-Mad's Mario (above), the top downloaded creations include Iron Man, Spider-Man, and a Transformer to boot. The accuracy of these creations have us wondering: will Sony take these user-submitted Mods down before another company threatens a lawsuit?

Continue reading Copyrighted characters dominate ModNation Racers' top creations

Copyrighted characters dominate ModNation Racers' top creations originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 09 Jun 2010 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions pre-order gets 4 new costumes, 'signature charge attack'

Ben Gilbert — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 16:00:00 EST

We may only know about two of the four Spidey settings to be featured in Spider-Man: Shattered Dimension, but that hasn't stopped GameStop from announcing that pre-orders of the game (on any console) will get access to a Cosmic Spider-Man costume (which can be equipped in each of the game's four "universes"). Like in the comics, the extra-superpowered state of Cosmic Spider-Man will enable a "signature charge attack" that's exclusive to his costume, regardless of which world you're Spider-Manning around in.

Since GameStop didn't release an image of the Spidey iteration from its (presumably exclusive) pre-order bonus, we've dropped a picture of the totally rad Cosmic Spider-Man action figure above -- it's gotta look something like that in-game, right? And no, it's not a "doll." It's an action figure.

[Thanks Joshua!]

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions pre-order gets 4 new costumes, 'signature charge attack' originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 03 Apr 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Impressions: Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions

Randy Nelson — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 20:15:00 EST

Click to enlarge

Activision chose a fitting event during which to take the ~~webbing~~ wraps off of its latest Spider-Man game -- the annual WonderCon comics convention in San Francisco -- but based on what I saw of Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions today, it might have been best to hold off for an E3 debut in June.

After a rousing reveal trailer earlier in the week, I have to admit to some fairly high expectations going into my first live demo of the game. What had been shown of two out of the game's four unique Spider-Man universes looked great in the video, after all, and had us excited enough to start pondering what the other two might be. While I'm still completely sold on the concept of a game based on the comics that visits four different Spideys, each in their own dimensions and each of those featuring a different gameplay hook, the actual execution as it stands doesn't live up to the team's ambitions.

Gallery: Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions

Continue reading Impressions: Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions

Impressions: Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 02 Apr 2010 20:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions swings into stores this September

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 14:30:00 EST

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions will get its amazing, noir web-slinging on this September. The game's story, written by Marvel's Dan Slott, finds four different wall-crawlers working across parallel universes to put together the Tablet of Order and Chaos, which sounds like a rejected item name from the Zelda universe.

The latest issue of GamePro has some more details on the game and, for those who'd like to wear their spandex suits in public while checking out Shattered Dimensions, also the San Francisco WonderCon should be showing off the game this weekend.

Gallery: Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions swings into stores this September originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions: The Wish List

Justin McElroy — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 19:30:00 EST

So, we know that two of the four slots for alternate realities in Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions will be filled by the classic Peter Parker from Amazing Spider-Man and the 1930s take of Spider-Man: Noir. But we're totally in the dark about the remaining two continuities that will be featured.

So, since it's anybody's guess, we thought we'd make a few of our own. Excelsior!

Continue reading Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions: The Wish List

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions: The Wish List originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions reveals 'Amazing' and 'Noir' settings

Justin McElroy — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:00:00 EST

You know, it's kind of depressingly easy to win nerds over. Take, for instance, the debut trailer for Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions just after the break. With just a few moving images of "noir" Spider-Man in action, our mild curiosity about the game from the company that most recently ported Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen to Windows transformed to rubbing $60 on our computer monitors, hoping to coax the game into reality. We really are that easy. Come, drool with us on this Gamespot preview of the game (scripted by She-Hulk/Amazing Spider-Man author Dan Slott).

But wait, there are still two more "dimensions" to be shown, other than "Noir" and the classic setting of "Amazing." We look forward to finding just how much more we can pine for a game from the guys who made Bee Movie: The Game.

Also, is that first-person swinging? WHAT?

Continue reading Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions reveals 'Amazing' and 'Noir' settings

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions reveals 'Amazing' and 'Noir' settings originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions to be unveiled at WonderCon

James Ransom-Wiley — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 11:45:00 EST

According to the WonderCon 2010 event schedule, on Saturday, April 3, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions will be featured in an afternoon panel hosted by the likes of Marvel writer Dan Slott, Spidey voice actor Christopher Daniel, Activision senior producer Meghan Morgan and creative director Thomas Wilson of developer Beenox Studios -- wait. Beenox who?

You're probably not familiar with the studio behind the next Spider-Man game by name, and for good reason. The Quebec City, Canada-based studio Bennox, a wholly-owned Activision subsidiary since 2005, has long handled the publisher's dirty work, responsible for porting some 30 or so of Activision's licensed-franchise games to the Windows and Mac platforms. Beenox also handled the Dreamworks-based movie-to-game adaptations of Bee Movie and Monsters vs. Aliens, as well as Guitar Hero: Smash Hits.

Clearly, Beenox has paid its dues and, with Shattered Dimensions, has its first shot at becoming a household name; if it can "un-suck" Activision's Spider-Man series. (Having been crowned Quebec's Best Employer in 2008 and the Company of the Year in 2006, by the Quebec Chamber of Commerce, it sounds like Beenox's staff of roughly 300 could be up to the task.)

Additionally, the WonderCon event listing reveals a few tidbits about Shattered Dimensions, teasing "an exciting new universe never before seen in Spider-Man video games," featuring "unique, unexpected worlds," and the reveal of two "new" villains. This is not going to be your friendly, neighborhood Spider-Man, kids.

[Via IGN]

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions to be unveiled at WonderCon originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 25 Mar 2010 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions teased by GamePro

Justin McElroy — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:47:00 EST

We were busy ogling the suitable-for-framing cover art of the May issue of GamePro just posted by mag boss John Davison when we noticed a title we didn't recognize: Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions. Considering how well-informed and handsome we all are, we were understandably stymied. Unfortunately, Activision declined to comment so we don't know any more than you do about it at the moment, though we have to assume this is the previously-announced upcoming Spider-Man game, which supposedly won't suck.

Hopefully we'll have more for you when the issue starts hitting subscribers in the coming days.

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions teased by GamePro originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Activision reports $113m in profits for 2009; 2010 game plan is predictable

James Ransom-Wiley — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:05:00 EST

Today Activision Blizzard reported the financial results of its December quarter and the entire 2009 calendar year. For the year, Activision recorded a net income of $113 million, a modest turnaround from the $107 million in net losses for the company in 2008. Led by sales of Modern Warfare 2, all signs -- at least, this one -- pointed to an outstanding Q4 for the publisher. However, figures released today indicate that Activision actually posted a $286 million net loss during the period.

"Despite these challenging times, in 2010 we remain focused on expanding operating margins by growing our high-margin digital/online revenues, directing our resources to the largest and most profitable opportunities and realizing operational efficiencies globally," CEO Bobby Kotick said. "In calendar year 2010, we expect our net earnings and operating margin growth will be driven by our product slate that includes Blizzard Entertainment's Starcraft II and the World of Warcraft expansion pack, Cataclysm, as well as a diversified lineup based on Activision Publishing's best-selling franchises including Call of Duty, Guitar Hero and Tony Hawk, together with other well-known titles such as True Crime, Spider-Man and Bakugan."

While few details were give about Activision's pending slate of sequels, spinoffs and possible reboots, Mike Griffith, President and CEO of Activision Publishing, did share a few words about the next True Crime game. "We'll be releasing a game in the $4 billion action genre, based on our True Crime franchise," Griffith said. "The game blends intense Hollywood-style driving with martial arts combat and shootouts to deliver an Asian cinema-inspired action thriller. This is a big open-world action game that looks especially strong." Griffith also confirmed that a new 007 game is still in the works for 2010.

Additionally, Activision noted that two new IPs are in development for its 2010 lineup and assured that additional DLC will continue to be released for Guitar Hero 5 (and presumably Band Hero), as well as for DJ Hero. The next installments in both music game franchises, Guitar Hero and DJ Hero, are due in "the back half of the year," according Griffith. Activision also announced that it has ceased developing new Guitar Hero games for the PlayStation 2 platform. Aw, shucks.

Activision reports $113m in profits for 2009; 2010 game plan is predictable originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kotick: Activision's Spider-Man games have 'sucked'

JC Fletcher — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 22:00:00 EST

Activision CEO Bobby Kotick didn't just talk up the DJ Hero franchise in his recent Game Informer interview. According to Destructoid, he also disparaged the quality of his company's Spider-Man games.

"Our Spider-Man games have sucked for the last five years," Kotick said, inadvertently revealing that he must not have played either the 360/PS3 or DS Web of Shadows games. "They are bad games. They were poorly rated because they were bad games."

As for why they sucked: "We went away from what is Spider-Man," Kotick said. "It's about web-slinging. If you don't do web-slinging, what is the fantasy of Spider-Man?" Since this is Activision, we can speculate about how the company will focus on web-slinging: By packaging a special "web shooter" controller with the game in a big $120 box. And, of course, a new developer will be involved with whatever happens with the franchise since next-gen Web of Shadows dev Shaba Games is no more.

Kotick: Activision's Spider-Man games have 'sucked' originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone It In: Rope 'n' Fly

Justin McElroy — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:30:00 EST

There are deeper, more engrossing, better crafted experiences on the iPhone than Robert Szeleney's Rope 'n' Fly, but you'd be hard pressed to find many that take advantage of the platform so well.

It is, basically, a Spider-Man game. No, of course it's not called that, and (after a recent update) the main character is no longer clad in Spidey's trademark red and blue, but there's no doubt that the game's trying to simulate the feeling of tooling about as the world's favorite wall-crawler.

Continue reading iPhone It In: Rope 'n' Fly

iPhone It In: Rope 'n' Fly originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Revenge of Shinobi's Spider-Man cleverly disguised

JC Fletcher — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:25:00 EST

We were delighted to hear that The Revenge of Shinobi would be coming out on the Virtual Console in Europe, though we were very curious about how Sega would get around the inclusion of Spider-Man, for whom the company once had Marvel's permission.

As Nintendo Life reveals, Sega solved the copyright issue the way many of us solve chili issues: with a thick coat of Pepto-Bismol. The Spider-Man boss is now solid pink! Other pop-culture-based bosses had already been altered in previous cartridge releases to be a bit more legally distinct -- for example, Batman became more of a bat monster.

Revenge of Shinobi's Spider-Man cleverly disguised originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blockbuster selling high-end PS3 bundles

David Hinkle — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EST

We were sent a tip regarding a new PS3 bundle that Blockbuster was supposedly selling, so we headed on down to our local chain to snoop around. What we found was the above image showing off a PS3 bundle consisting of a 40gb console, Transformers: The Game, Spider-Man 3 Blu-ray, PS3 remote, HDMI cable, and a 12-week rental card (which allows you to rent one movie each week), all for $359.99. What makes this such an odd story, however, is that this bundle isn't offered at every Blockbuster store.

We called another nearby chain and quizzed an employee on his store's bundle. He said that particular store offered a 80gb console, with Transformers: The Game, Click Blu-ray, PS3 remote, HMDI cable, and a 12-week rental card, all for $499.99. So, it would seem that each store has a bit of leeway with its bundle package. If you're in the market for a PS3 and thinking Blockbuster, give them a call before you head down. Both stores we talked to were all sold out.

Blockbuster selling high-end PS3 bundles originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Activision announces megaton surprises for 2010: 007, Tony Hawk, Call of Duty

Andrew Yoon — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 12:10:00 EST

Activision, as the bastion of original IP development, announced a number of megaton titles in development for 2010. Names dropped at its investor's call include new additions to its venerable lineup of franchises: 007, Tony Hawk, Spider-man, Transformers and Shrek.

Those hungry for innovation will be able to look forward to a new original action IP from the company. In addition, Activision plans on expanding the Call of Duty franchise to new genres. Call of Duty Kart? Call of Duty Party? Call of Duty Hero: Metallica? We're psyched.

Activision announces megaton surprises for 2010: 007, Tony Hawk, Call of Duty originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Activision putting Radical to work on Spider-Man, High Moon on Transformers

Ludwig Kietzmann — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 11:14:00 EST

It's true! Ultra publisher Activision Blizzard is planning to release more games based on the lucrative Transformers and Spider-Man franchises. According to The Cut Scene's Ben Fritz, the powerhouse has already chosen which of its owned developers will sit next to the conveyor belt for upcoming (and currently unannounced) titles.

Fritz and his sources suggest that High Moon Studios, developer of last year's The Bourne ConspiraQTE, will deliver a new Transformers game in 2010. Activision likely hopes to turn the robots in disguise into an annual franchise, even without an accompanying film for fans to despise. Likewise, with a Spider-Man 4 film nowhere in sight (we'll ask Spider-Man 3's CSI butler to get on the case), you can expect to see a new, unattached arachnid adventure crawling out of Radical Entertainment -- currently finishing the superheroic Prototype -- sometime in the future.

Things you're unlikely to see sometime in the future: giant robots and agile superheroes losing their appeal.

Report: Activision putting Radical to work on Spider-Man, High Moon on Transformers originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 11:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DS releases for the week of October 20th

Alisha Karabinus — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: News

There are a lot of games out this week. In fact, it makes other heavy weeks look absolutely empty, and yet, this blogger only has eyes for one game. In the shadow of Castlevania, there is so little room for anything else. Luckily, even with such a big list, there aren't a lot of contenders even trying for the spotlight.

Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?: Make the Grade
Back at the Barnyard: Slop Bucket Games
Backyard Football 2009
Barbie Horse Adventures: Riding Camp
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
Dancing With the Stars: We Dance!
Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell
Ener-G: Dance Squad
Ener-G: Gym Rockets
Ener-G: Horse Rider
High School Musical 3: Senior Year
The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon
Lovely Lisa
Master of the Monster Lair
Mechanic Master
My Baby Girl
The Naked Brothers Band: The Video Game
Pass the Pigs
Smart Girls: Party Game
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows
SpongeBob Squarepants: Nicktoons Globs of Doom
Tornado
TouchMaster 2
Transformers: Animated
What's Cooking with Jamie Oliver

Continue reading DS releases for the week of October 20th

DS releases for the week of October 20th originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 Oct 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shipping this week: indecision edition

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: News, Shipping this week, Fable 2, Far Cry 2

Oh boy. Not only are there eight new games hitting the Xbox 360 this weeks (and Portal on XBLA, lest we forget), but several of them look to be good games. Heavy hitters like Far Cry 2 and Fable II undoubtedly top the list, but there are some other big names in there as well. Check 'em out:

Fable 2
Midnight Club: Los Angeles
Far Cry 2
Disney Sing It
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows
The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon
Dance Dance Revolution: Universe 3
Legendary

Now, the question is are there any "must have" games on this list for you, or are you strategically withholding your funds for something else?

[Via Joystiq]

Shipping this week: indecision edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 Oct 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Number Six to voice Black Cat in Web of Shadows

Xav de Matos — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 18:45:00 EST

Filed under: News

This is what Ricky Gervais calls the olds. It is news ... it just ain't news today! On Friday, Canadian actress Tricia Helfer was announced as the voice of Black Cat in the upcoming game, Spider-Man: Web of Shadows from Activison. Helfer is famously known as the gorgeous Cylon Number Six in the Sci-Fi Channel series Battlestar Galactica. Casting Helfer as the agile (and somewhat reformed) cat burglar works well as it isn't the first time the actress has taken on the role. The gorgeous actress previously took on the voice of Black Cat as a guest character in the CW 'toon The Spectacular Spider-Man back in May 2008. Did we mention, gorgeous.

Number Six to voice Black Cat in Web of Shadows originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 21 Sep 2008 18:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Far Cry 2 and Web of Shadows achievements

Dustin Burg — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: News, Far Cry 2

Achievement lovers gather 'round, we have some freshly new achievements to share that are solely related to Far Cry 2 and Spider-man: Web of Shadows. Intrigued? If so, you can click your way to the complete list of achievements via the links below, but be warned. The Spider-man achievements are yawn inducing and Far Cry 2's are, well, aren't all that bad. The Mapper achievement and its mention of "validation" makes us raise an eyebrow or two.

Source - Far Cry 2 achievements
Source - Spider-man: Web of Shadows achievements

Far Cry 2 and Web of Shadows achievements originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Sep 2008 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spider-Man: Web of Shadows out Oct. 21, pre-order bonus at Best Buy

Majed Athab — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Videos and Screenshots, News

Click for high-res image

First we'd like to point your attention to this lovely new screenshot of everyone's favorite insect-like hero, Spider-Man. Unfortunately for him, his spidey senses must not be tingling properly because it sure didn't help him get out of the maw of a Venom-wannabe symbiote. This is the sort of picture that good old J Jonah Jameson would pay good money for. You know who else would be paying good money? You -- well, that is if you're North American and are planning to pick up the title this October 21st.

If you're planning on pre-ordering, best do it at Best Buy. You'll be getting an art book for your troubles. Check out the art book cover and more screenshots in our gallery below.

Spider-Man: Web of Shadows out Oct. 21, pre-order bonus at Best Buy originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Sep 2008 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DS Fanboy Interview: Griptonite's J.C. Connors on Spore Creatures and more

Alisha Karabinus — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Interviews, Features

Spore has been much more than a game over the years - years! -- that we've been talking about it, and it's tough to produce a companion piece in the shadow of such an epic project. From the reception of Spore and the DS crony, it's sadly clear the two were destined to sink or swim together. But Spore Creatures deserves its own time in the sun, despite what you may have heard; for a handheld title, it's certainly ambitious, and the amazing development team at Griptonite Games has done more with less.

Griptonite Games has worn several nametags in the past few years. When last we spoke with them, they were Amaze Entertainment, and their own identity as Griptonite was shelved. Now, Amaze is a part of Foundation 9 and the Griptonite name has been dusted off. In all the chaos of nomenclature, one thing has remained a constant: this little corner of the development world has been responsible for some real gems. We recently sat down with studio head J.C. Connors to discuss Spore Creatures, our Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night (GBA) withdrawals, and the unexpected excellence of Disney Friends (yeah, man, Disney Friends).

DS Fanboy: Spore Creatures is an interesting companion to the main title. What can you tell us about the best aspects of the DS game?

J.C. Connors: Hands down, the creature creator. It's one of the coolest features ever seen on the DS.

Gallery: Spore Creatures

NEXT >>

DS Fanboy Interview: Griptonite's J.C. Connors on Spore Creatures and more originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Sep 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GC 2008: Prince of Persia learns new move, is basically Spider-Man

Randy Nelson — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 07:00:00 EST

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

"Prince of Persia, Prince of Persia ... does whatever a Prince of Persia can." Oh wait - that's the Spider-Man song. Well, it's easy to get the two characters confused, what with news out of Leipzig by way of Eurogamer that his royal majesty, the Prince of Persia, can add running along ceilings to his move repertoire.

Using this new "roof run" move, he can scamper along, grabbing hanging objects in order to keep the momentum going. According to level designer Michael MacIntyre, "When you come in contact with the ceiling you jump, you do the run, and then you have to hit the glove button to grab any element on the roof in order to keep going. So there's a rhythm to it," adding, "With this new move, our level designers had all the tools they needed to create acrobatic sequences that can use pretty much every surface in the game." Every surface? We're pretty sure there's some nasty black goo you can't touch without, you know, dying. At least that's what the video walkthrough we posted yesterday seems to show.

GC 2008: Prince of Persia learns new move, is basically Spider-Man originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 Aug 2008 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: symbiote Wolverine in Spider-Man: Web of Shadows

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: News

We knew that Wolverine would make an appearance in Spider-Man: Web of Shadows since Activision released potential box art for the game. What we didn't know, is that Wolvy will be infected by the infamous symbiote at some point in the game, creating a clawed, Venom-like monster. Joystiq blogger (and feeble podcast producer) Justin McElroy notes that this already happened once in the comics, at which point the alien goo was immediately ejected by Woverine's mutant healing factor. We have some possibilities then. One, this is a special new breed of symbiote. Two, the developers at Shaba want an awesome Woverine monster and don't care about continuity.

Whatever the answer is, we suggest you watch the (awesome) trailer after the break, in which Wolverine shows up near the end. Be sure to watch the whole video for a look at some great looking combat too.

Continue reading Video: symbiote Wolverine in Spider-Man: Web of Shadows

Video: symbiote Wolverine in Spider-Man: Web of Shadows originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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See symbiote Wolverine in Spider-Man: Web of Shadows

Justin McElroy — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:30:00 EST

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

OK, so you can color us confused. The end of the stunningly rad Spider-Man: Web of Shadows trailer we've put right after the jump seems to end with a glimpse of an alien symbiote bonded with lovable gruffster Wolverine. But we could have sworn the last time that happened the symbiote was forced out by Logan's mutant healing factor. Are we alone here?

OK, niggling continuity issues aside, if the combat is half as cool in Shaba's game as this video makes it look, we could finally be in for a game where we feel like the Webhead both when we're spinning webs any size and catching thieves just like flies. And we can't wait.

Continue reading See symbiote Wolverine in Spider-Man: Web of Shadows

See symbiote Wolverine in Spider-Man: Web of Shadows originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cast your vote for Spider-Man box ... in the trash

James Ransom-Wiley — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:57:00 EST

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360

It's Florida 2000 all over again: You show up to seizecontrol.com hoping to exercise your democratic right to vote for the lesser of two wacknesses and you exit having accomplished zilch. We're referring, of course, to Activision's new user-generated ~~content~~ marketing campaign for Spider-Man: Web of Shadows, which is currently giving the community the power to choose the game's box art. (The correct answer is "shake-to-make-it-snow globe holding" Spider-Man over "dude, check my dual-action sleeve tats" Spider-Man, btw.)

Remember kids, always read the fine print: "Activision shall not be bound by the outcome of the community vote and Activision's decision(s) and selection(s) shall be final and binding." And here we thought our clicks still stood for something!

Cast your vote for Spider-Man box ... in the trash originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You decide the cover art for latest Spider-Man game

Dustin Burg — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:15:00 EST

Filed under: News

Taking a page out of the Call of Duty 4 manual of how to successfully launch a video game, Activision wants you to choose the cover art of the upcoming Spider-Man: Web of Shadows game. There are only two options to choose from and, as you can see above, the designs are similar but different in their own right. Currently, the design featuring Spider-Man with crossed "X" arms is in the lead, but we like the other design better. We don't know why we care, but we don't want that stupid crossed arms cover to win. So, even if you don't care about the game or the cover (sorta like us), still vote on the other design. Crossed arms are so lame, holding a city in the palm of your hand ... now that's l33t.

You decide the cover art for latest Spider-Man game originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jaffe: Marvel games need more narrative focus

Justin McElroy — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:26:00 EST

Filed under: Culture

We always think it's fun to imagine living in alternate realities, where some of our favorite game designers get hold of some of our favorite properties. So, we were interested to hear what David Jaffe had to say about the slew of Marvel comics games (specifically the ones featuring Spider-Man) that has been unleashed on the general populace (and continues to arrive). In short, Jaffe wants to see characters like Spidey put into a more story-driven game, rather than a giant, open world superhero playground that's solely focused on emulating the feel of having superpowers.

He's got a good point, one that's an all too common theme in superhero stories: Superhero gets powers, superhero spends all his time enjoying the rush of having said powers, superhero's uncle dies. Is that what you want from us Activision? Do you want our uncles to die?

Jaffe: Marvel games need more narrative focus originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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