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Daily Filter: July 29, 2010
29.07.2010 18:14
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Shacknews receives a slew of new screenshots and trailers for upcoming games everyday. The most anticipated titles receive their own post, because we know you're eager to see that content. For the rest, we have the Daily Filter, a place to feature all of the media we add to our enormous database on a daily basis. Today on the Filter we have a teaser trailer for Thor: The Video Game, go "behind-the-scenes" with City of Heroes, check out the "Assassin's Scouting report" for the upcoming XBLA-exclusive
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Evening Reading
29.07.2010 18:14
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Last night, I finished the StarCraft II campaign after around 12 hours of playtime and it was great. I'll be writing up the full review shortly, but I definitely like that the game was split into three pieces. Blizzard gained so much by focusing on the Terran for the full length of the game. Now, onto multiplayer! Gaming News o'the Day PlayStation doing well, but division still losing money for Sony. 2D Worms returns to the PC! Nintendo's financials down prompting announcement of 3DS release date and price announcement. Capcom profits down 90%! Ouch. All the rest
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Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 Executive Producer Haden Blackman Leaves LucasArts
29.07.2010 18:14
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Haden Blackman, producer and writer for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, and executive producer for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2, tendered his resignation with LucasArts today, after thirteen years with the studio. Blackman briefly explained his decision to IGN: While the decision to leave LucasArts did not happen overnight or come easily, I really feel that now is the best time for me to move on and explore new creative challenges and I look forward to the next phase of my career. A LucasArts representative also informed IGN that Blackman's departure won't affect The Force Unleashed 2's development. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 is currently slated for an October 26 release o...
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Plants vs. Zombies: Game of the Year Edition Now Available from PopCap [Update]
29.07.2010 16:19
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[Update: 5:50pm] In the comments, Shacknews reader aqtrans points us to the official PopCap Facebook page, where the company revealed all users who have already purchased Plants vs. Zombies on its official website will have their copy of the game upgraded to the GOTY edition for free. [Original Story] Poised to make an announcement early next week, PopCap Games has quietly released a "Game of the Year" edition of its casual smash-hit Plants vs. Zombies. On sale now on PopCap's official site, Plants vs. Zombies: Game of the Year edition is p...
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Vanquish's Five Difficulty Options Range From 'Casual Auto' to 'God Hard'
29.07.2010 16:19
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Some new details about the difficulty options for Vanquish have surfaced on the official Platinum Games blog. The upcoming third-person shooter's five difficulty settings will include "Casual Auto," "Casual," "Normal," "Hard," and "God Hard." According to Vanquish director Shinji Mikami, "Normal" mode is the most generally recommended difficulty. "It takes some time to get used to aiming and firing at enemies on your own," states Mikami, "but we've fine-tuned the aiming controls, so you should be fine." The top tier unlockabl...
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Tales of Graces, Unnamed Tales Title Bound for PS3
29.07.2010 14:18
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It appears that the Tales series cannot stay exclusive to one console partner. According to a report in Japanese magazine Jump (via Andriasang), former Wii-exclusive Tales of Graces and a new, unnamed Tales title are bound for the PS3. The PS3 version of Graces, titled Tales of Graces F, will see graphical enhancements as well as other additional features and improvements over the Wii version. When contacted for comment regarding the title, Namco Bandai told Joystiq that there are no plans to release Tales of Graces (PS3) in North America. Jump lists a winter release for the title in Japan. When it was originally released in 2008, Tales of Vesperia was billed as an Xbox 360-exclusive entry into the long-running series. Eventually a feature enhanced PS3 version was released in Japan, ...
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Realtime Worlds Reveals Project: MyWorld
29.07.2010 14:18
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Coming off of the release of APB, Realtime Worlds is throwing us a curveball with Project: MyWorld, a "3D social gaming experience" set in a recreation of the real world. The game is definitely a social experience with the trailer showing off Facebook-esque notifications corresponding to player actions. The trailer also features building creation and customization as well as several minigames: driving, flying, and fishing. Certainly a departure from APB and the original Crackdown. [video]20480[/video] Shackvideo users can use the HD Stream.
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Sony PlayStation Hardware and Software Sales Increase, Division Still Operating at a Loss
29.07.2010 12:16
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Sony closed its first quarter of the fiscal year (ending June 30, 2010) with a strong increase over the ¥37.1 billion loss ($426M) it saw during the same time period last year. In financial statements released today, Sony revealed its quarter ended with a net income of ¥25.7 billion ($295), pushing overall year-over-year sales up by 3.8 percent to ¥1.7 trillion ($18.7B). Although the overall PlayStation brand saw an increase in hardware and software sales for the quarter, the combined Networked Products and Services division, of which it is a part of, recorded an operating loss of ¥3.8 billion ($43M); however, the loss still pales in comparison to the ¥36.7 billion ($422M) loss the division saw in the same time period last year. In the period, PlayStation 3 hardware saw an increase of 2.4 million units, versus 1.1 million the previous year wi...
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Worms Reloaded Gets Release Date on PC: August 26
29.07.2010 12:16
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The glorious return of a 2D Worms game to the PC is upon us! Worms Reloaded, announced back in February, will be released on August 26 for the PC through Valve's Steam platform. Worms! In 2D! On PC! The game is being developed by Team17 and includes "over 60 single-player missions (including new Warzone Campaign and Bodycount Mode), a fully featured landscape creator, 45+ plus weapons spanning the entire Worms series and a huge currency based customization system - all wrapped up in HD quality visuals." Pre-orders are now open through Steam
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Nintendo Reports Sales Down 25%, Net Loss; 3DS Release Date Announcement Announced
29.07.2010 10:14
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Nintendo's fiscal year has gotten off to a poor start as the the friendly video games giant reports its sales were down 25% between April 1 and June 30 compared to the same period last year, contributing to a net loss of 25,216 million yen ($290 million US). While sales of Wii hardware for the quarter rose by 27% to 3.04 million units, software sales fell by 10% to 28 million units. Still, Super Mario Galaxy 2 put in an impressive performance and sold 4.09 million copies. Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort both shifted around 3 milion units, though they are of course often bundled.
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Shogun 2: Total War Trailer Shows 'Gameplay'
29.07.2010 10:14
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Shogun 2: Total War's publisher Sega might be overly generous in describing this new trailer as "gameplay" but it certainly is a fine display of the strategy sequel's graphics. We had a gander at Shogun 2 during E3 2010, where developer The Creative Assembly explained its plans and goals for the strategy game set in feudal Japan. Improved land and naval battles are promised--as is customary for a new Total War title--as well as a more thoughtful style of play that doesn't involve simply swarming your foes. Shogun 2: Total War is scheduled for release on PC in 2011. [video]20482[/video] Shackvideo users can use the HD Stream.
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Capcom First Quarter Profits Drop 90%
29.07.2010 08:20
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Japanese developer and publisher Capcom has reported a staggering 90.4% drop in net income for its 2011 fiscal year's first quarter compared to the same period last year. 'Underperformer' Lost Planet 2 and "sluggish" sales beast Monster Hunter Tri. Capcom's net income between April 1 and June 30 was 213 million yen (around $2.4 million US), down roughly $23.2 million US from the previous fiscal year's first three months. The blame is pinned on factors including shrinking US and European markets, exchange rate changes, poor sales and an increase in development costs. Capcom reports that its "flagship title"
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Halo: Reach Campaign Trailer Features the Lesser-Known 'Beginning' of the Fight
29.07.2010 08:20
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Forgoing live-action shots of masterfully crafted dioramas and moonlit vistas starring squeaky-voiced children, the latest promotional trailer for Halo: Reach features the most popular aspect of the franchise: The actual game. Showcasing some of the scenes spread throughout Bungie Studios' upcoming genetically-enhanced swan song, the campaign trailer for Halo: Reach is simple in its message. While we all know how the story ends (thus far), we've yet to see how it all began.
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SOCOM 4 Delayed Until 2011
29.07.2010 06:17
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The PlayStation 3-exclusive tactical shooter SOCOM 4 has been delayed from this fall until some time in 2011, developer Zipper Interactive has confirmed on its blog. "While we're certainly aware that you've been looking forward to playing SOCOM 4 this year, we don't want to take any shortcuts," senior community manager Jeremy Dunham explained. "Instead, we want to deliver the best and most immersive SOCOM game we possibly can and we're going to use our extra time to do just that." Our Brian and Garnett got to test SOCOM 4's PlaySt...
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Morning Discussion
29.07.2010 06:17
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Oh, hallo there. I'm sure I had something or other to tell you this morning but I'm in a bit of a tizzy after nipping out to pick up StarCraft II during my lunchbreak. Perhaps I intended to highlight Gratuitous Space Battles developer Cliff Harris writing about "the marketing / production tradeoff." It's quite possible that I meant to excitedly point out that Squid Yes, Not So Octopus creator Rob Fearon is soon to release Fish Fish Bang Bang. We might never know. All we can be certain of is that StarCraft II is looking at me and I don't know if I can wait.
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