Just noticed this little footnote over at Steampowered.com, but Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines is on sale for $4.99.  With that price, you would be foolish not to pick up this gem of a game.  The first third party game developed with the Source engine, it offers up a huge single player campaign running about 30 hours, with 8 different classes to pick from, offering up different experiences each time you play it.  Did I forget that John DiMaggio, voice of Bender and Marcus Fenix, lends his vocal talents to the game.

While it was a buggy mess when it was released, and Troika Games only managed to release one patch before they went bankrupt, the mod community has picked up the slack and has created new skins, new patches, new textures and even a companion mod to allow you to have a party of character with you in the game.  Yes, I am totally on a soapbox for this game, but you really should treat yourself for a Lincoln and pick up this title.  Not sure if this is a weekend deal or just a one day sale, but follow the link to add it to your shopping cart.

After making a debut appearance at E3 this year, Activision has announced a release date for Prototype 2.  Yes, you will get your chance to step into the shoes of Sgt. James Heller on April 24, 2012, and unleash his fury as he tries to find out who was responsible for his family’s death.

Prototype 2 will features new attacks, new weapons and a new story that continues the arc from the first one, albeit from a new character’s eyes, but fans of Alex Mercer should not fret, as we will find out what he is up to as New York has bee turned into a complete quarantine zone.

If you want more info on Prototype 2, make sure to check out our E3 preview on the title.  Prototype 2 is coming from Radical Entertainment, and will be published by Activision for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3.

Activision Confirms April 2012 for PROTOTYPE(R) 2 and Showcases the Game at San Diego Comic-Con

All-New PROTOTYPE 2 CG Trailer Debuts Exclusively at www.prototypegame.com

SANTA MONICA, Calif., July 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — The epic showdown between James Heller and Alex Mercer will happen on April 24, 2012 as Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) has confirmed the launch date for its highly anticipated open-world action game PROTOTYPE® 2 at San Diego Comic-Con.  In celebration of the newly revealed launch timing, Radical Entertainment is unveiling the first of a stunning three-part CG trailer for the game at www.prototypegame.com, and is showcasing the first public game presentations of PROTOTYPE 2 at the Activision booth (#5445) at San Diego Comic-Con.”We know our fans have been clamoring to find out when they would be able to get their hands-on PROTOTYPE 2, and the whole studio is excited that we can finally reveal the timing,” said Ken Rosman, Studio Head, Radical Entertainment.  ”We’re also thrilled to be at the point where we can show the game directly to our fans.  It’s always rewarding to see those first time reactions to what we’ve been working on for the past couple years, and we can’t wait for them to see some of Sgt. James Heller’s amazing new shape-shifting abilities at San Diego Comic-Con.”Show goers attending ‘The Con’ will have the opportunity to check out PROTOTYPE 2‘s signature crazy, over-the-top, shape-shifting action during 15-minute live stage presentations held throughout each day.  Fans who come by the Activision booth to check out the game can enter a raffle for a chance to win a limited edition, custom leather jacket modeled after the one Sgt. James Heller wears in the game; or a Alex Mercer one of a kind, custom skinned Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.  Additionally, the team from Radical will be on-site handing out assorted PROTOTYPE 2 themed goodies, including t-shirts, posters, giant foam Heller Blade Arms and more!For those unable to make it to San Diego Comic-Con, or who would like to find out more about PROTOTYPE 2, head over to www.prototypegame.com immediately and experience the all-new official game web site, updated regularly with the latest trailers, screenshots, special promotions and more!  And for the truly dedicated, be sure and head over to www.facebook.com/PROTOTYPE and join the PROTOTYPE Army — a community of over 250,000 (and growing) fans that receive constant updates from the team at Radical, and early sneak peeks at new information and assets.The sequel to Radical Entertainment’s best-selling open-world action game of 2009, PROTOTYPE 2 takes the unsurpassed carnage of the original PROTOTYPE and continues the experience of becoming the ultimate shape-shifting weapon.  As the game’s all-new infected protagonist, Sgt. James Heller, players will cut a bloody swathe through the wastelands of post-viral New York Zero (or more simply…NYZ) with unparalleled locomotion, building up a vast genetic arsenal of deadly, biological weapons and abilities as they hunt, kill and consume their way toward the ultimate goal — to kill…Alex…Mercer!PROTOTYPE 2 is currently in development for Xbox 360, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC.  The game is currently rated “RP” (Rating Pending) by the ESRB, with an expected “M” (Mature — Content that may be suitable for persons 17 and older) rating.About Radical EntertainmentRadical Entertainment has over a decade of hit titles, including 2009′s multi-million-unit-selling PROTOTYPE, The Simpsons Hit & Run, The Incredible Hulk — Ultimate Destruction, Scarface: The World Is Yours and more.  We treat our properties with the reverence they deserve and gamers demand, and the commitment to our partners and fans continues to set us apart.  Our Vancouver-based studio allows Radical Entertainment to bring the talent, tools and technology together to create entertainment that captures the world’s imagination.  Now owned by Activision Publishing, Inc, Radical is continually ranked as one of the best places to work in B.C., according to BC Business magazine and Watson Wyatt.  In 2006-2008 MediaCorp Canada ranked Radical as a Top 100 Canadian Employer, Top 10 Canadian Employer for Young People, and Top 20 B.C. Employer.  For more information, please visit www.radical.ca.About Activision Publishing, Inc.Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea, China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com.  Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Publishing’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Activision Publishing generally uses words such as “outlook,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “might,” “remains,” “to be,” “plans,” “believes,” “may,” “expects,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “estimate,” future,” “plan,” “positioned,” “potential,” “project,” “remain,” “scheduled,” “set to,” “subject to,” “upcoming” and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause Activision Publishing’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include, but are not limited to, sales levels of Activision Publishing’s titles, shifts in consumer spending trends, the impact of the current macroeconomic environment, the seasonal and cyclical nature of the interactive game market, Activision Publishing’s ability to predict consumer preferences among competing hardware platforms, declines in software pricing, product returns and price protection, product delays, retail acceptance of Activision Publishing’s products, adoption rate and availability of new hardware (including peripherals) and related software, industry competition including from used games and other forms of entertainment, litigation risks and associated costs, rapid changes in technology, industry standards, business models including online and used games, and consumer preferences, including interest in specific genres such as music, first-person action and massively multiplayer online games, protection of proprietary rights, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, customers, licensees, licensors, vendors, and third-party developers, including the ability to attract, retain and develop key personnel and developers that can create high quality “hit” titles, counterparty risks relating to customers, licensees, licensors and manufacturers, domestic and international economic, financial and political conditions and policies, foreign exchange rates and tax rates, and the identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities and potential challenges associated with geographic expansion, and the other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Publishing and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.Activision and Prototype are registered trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.  ”PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.  Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

Fans of first person shooters have always talked about the great gameplay that was found in the old N64 classic, Goldeneye.  It was a benchmark game for the console and for the FPS genre with its addictive gameplay.  The franchise was revisited last year on the Wii, and now, that game is coming to the Xbox 360 and PS3 later this fall in Goldeneye 007 Reloaded.

Not being complacent with a simple port of the Wii title, Activision is going all out with this new title, rendering the game with a new engine, new visuals and new missions.  PS3 owners will get the addition of complete Move support for the game, giving a feel closer to the Wii game.

Beyond this, not much else is known, except that this will be a full retail release, and that it will be coming in Fall of 2011.  Keep you eyes peeled for more info as we receive it on this new title.

Activision will have a panel at the San Diego Comic Con this year that will feature the new celebrity voice talent for their two superhero titles, X-Men: Destiny and Spider Man: Edge of Time.  Jumping on for Spider Man, we have Val Kilmer as Walter Sloan, Laura Vandervoort as Mary Jane and Katee Sackhoff debuing as the new voice of Black Cat.

On the X-Men side of the fence, Milo Ventimiglia, Jamie Chung and Scott Porter will be providing the voices to the three new protagonist characters that you will play – Grant Alexander, Aimi Yoshida and Adrian Luca respectively.

For those that are attending San Diego Comic Con, you can attend the panel on Saturday, July 23rd, 2011 at 10:00AM in room 5AB, or you can get some hands-on time with both titles at the Activision booth.  Check out the full 411 on the event after the jump.

Activision Reveals Spider-Man(TM): Edge of Time and X-Men(TM) Destiny Voice Talent at San Diego Comic-Con

Val Kilmer Headlines Spider-Man: Edge of Time and Milo Ventimiglia Leads X-Men Destiny Casts
Talent to Take Part in Comic-Con Panel on Saturday, July 23, at 10:00am

SANTA MONICA, Calif., July 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — World-famous Super Heroes deserve world-class talent! That’s why, to kick off San Diego Comic-Con 2011, Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) and Marvel Entertainment, LLC are pleased to announce the top-tier celebrity actors that will voice characters in the upcoming Spider-Man™: Edge of Time and X-Men™ Destiny video games.  Both games will be playable at this year’s Comic-Con and are set to thrill comic fans this fall. 

The highly anticipated Spider-Man: Edge of Time game will feature legendary film star Val Kilmer as Walker Sloan, Smallville and V mainstay Laura Vandervoort as Mary Jane, and Katee Sackhoff, who played Lieutenant Starbuck from Battlestar Galactica, makes her debut as the Black Cat. 

Additionally, Heroes icon Milo Ventimiglia, Sucker Punch and The Hangover Part II vixen Jamie Chung and Friday Night Lights star Scott Porter will bring three all-new playable mutant characters — Grant Alexander, Aimi Yoshida and Adrian Luca — to life respectively in X-Men Destiny. 

“These amazing casts of talented Hollywood actors help bring the rich storylines of Spider-Man: Edge of Time and X-Men Destiny to life,” said Vicharin Vadakan, Director of Marketing, Activision Publishing.  ”Players this fall will get to control the destiny of their own mutants or save Spider-Man and through this voice talent feel like they are part of the action.” 

Comic-Con fans can also catch their favorite stars from Spider-Man: Edge of Time and X-Men Destiny at the Activision Marvel Video Games Panel where they will join legendary comic creator Stan Lee, Marvel writer Peter David and Beenox Studio Head Dee Brown, among others, to discuss the latest Super Hero adventures and their roles in the upcoming video games.  The panel will take place on Saturday, July 23, at 10:00am in room 5AB.  Show-goers who visit the Activision booth (#5445) will be among the first to get their hands on both games. 

About Spider-Man: Edge of Time 

Playing the roles of the Amazing Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2099, Spider-Man: Edge of Time propels gamers on a high-octane, adrenaline-fueled adventure in which the heroic web-slingers must urgently work together across time to save each other and prevent a disaster that ultimately leads to the death of the Amazing Spider-Man.  Against the backdrop of a rich, tightly crafted narrative by acclaimed Marvel veteran writer Peter David, the game features two individual timelines evolving in parallel, as well as “cause-and-effect” moments driven by the narrative. The game utilizes “picture-in-picture” moments where the actions of the Spider-Man in the present immediately affect the Spider-Man in the future and his surroundings. 

About X-Men Destiny 

X-Men Destiny allows gamers to control the fate of one of three brand-new mutant characters forced to choose between saving humanity or ensuring its destruction.  Players are able to customize the path, powers and development of their character and decide their role in the mutant cause alongside, or against, some of Marvel’s greatest X-Men franchise characters.  Their mutant skills will evolve through a unique upgrade system that allows them to choose how they will mix and match the powers from their favorite X-Men and Brotherhood characters, then engage in fast and furious combat against a variety of opponents bent on defending their beliefs. 

Spider-Man: Edge of Time is being developed by Beenox for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Wii™ and Nintendo 3DS™.  Silicon Knights is developing X-Men Destiny for Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3 system and Wii.  Both games are being developed by Other Ocean for Nintendo DS™. 

For more information on Spider-Man: Edge of Time and X-Men Destiny tune in to the HeroHQ community on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/HeroHQ. 

About Marvel Entertainment 

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years.  Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing.  For more information, visit www.marvel.com. 

About Activision Publishing, Inc. 

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. 

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea, China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com. 

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Publishing’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Activision Publishing generally uses words such as “outlook,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “might,” “remains,” “to be,” “plans,” “believes,” “may,” “expects,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “estimate,” future,” “plan,” “positioned,” “potential,” “project,” “remain,” “scheduled,” “set to,” “subject to,” “upcoming” and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause Activision Publishing’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include, but are not limited to, sales levels of Activision Publishing’s titles, shifts in consumer spending trends, the impact of the current macroeconomic environment, the seasonal and cyclical nature of the interactive game market, Activision Publishing’s ability to predict consumer preferences among competing hardware platforms, declines in software pricing, product returns and price protection, product delays, retail acceptance of Activision Publishing’s products, adoption rate and availability of new hardware (including peripherals) and related software, industry competition including from used games and other forms of entertainment, litigation risks and associated costs, rapid changes in technology, industry standards, business models including online and used games, and consumer preferences, including interest in specific genres such as music, first-person action and massively multiplayer online games, protection of proprietary rights, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, customers, licensees, licensors, vendors, and third-party developers, including the ability to attract, retain and develop key personnel and developers that can create high quality “hit” titles, counterparty risks relating to customers, licensees, licensors and manufacturers, domestic and international economic, financial and political conditions and policies, foreign exchange rates and tax rates, and the identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities and potential challenges associated with geographic expansion, and the other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Publishing and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. 

SOURCE Activision Publishing, Inc.

If there was a game that had coasted through the back of my head during E3 this year, it had to be X-Men Destiny.  It was a game that I had read bits and pieces about, but had never really put much thought into over the past few months, but I was curious to see.  Silicon Knights has been looking at this game as a way to mix action, story choices and the X-Men universe all together into a new experience for players.   I have always been a sucker for games that offer choice in the main story to allow for branching paths, and with X-Men Destiny and in that respect, the game seems to pay off.  However, there seems to be a lot of ideas that are being mashed together, and right now, it still seems to be a bit of a mess in its current state.

X-Men Destiny has us choosing one of three new characters that are being introduced into the mutant universe, each with their own starting set of powers.  The characters start off in the city of San Francisco, in the current Marvel Universe.  This means that Xavier is dead, and the city of San Francisco has become a safe haven for mutants around the world.  Of course, it is not a perfect idea, as the city is segmented into two halves, with the mutants occupying one area, and humans in the other.  It is a precarious situation, and has the makings of some great story ideas for a game.

In our presentation, we had chosen the one female character that is available out of the three, a young Asian schoolgirl that is trying to find here place in the world.  She was tasked with following a courier who would lead our character to a lab where mutants were being held for experimentation by a group of scientists.  Missions seem to follow a simple pattern of moving through an environment where you can interact with people and make decisions that shape your character, and arenas where you enter combat against a number of enemies, complete with a counter for how many enemies remain.  A tweak to that formula was the idea that we had to protect the courier while we fought the enemies in these arena areas.

Combat is a simple affair, with combat allowing players to alternate and combine heavy and light attacks against enemies.  You can also unlock ender moves where you can fill up a power bar that lets you unleash a devastating attack on a group of enemies.  Combat is simple and while it looks good, it never really established any sort of identity that separates it from any other title doing the same thing. 

This identity crisis continues throughout the game, as the game plays a lot like a simple brawler that just happens to have the X-Men license slapped on top of it.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the Marvel and the X-Men universe, but the game never really feels like an X-Men title until you get to the decision points the game, which in our mission, had us deciding whether to give Gambit a piece of information, or take it back to the X-Men.  Going with Gambit brings you closer to becoming a member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, while siding with the X-Men leaves you closer to becoming, well, an X-Man.

We did see a boss battle, which occur in stages.  In our battle, we fought a scientist who had injected himself with the power of Colossus, making him rather huge, but slow and immobile.  We in turn were infused with the power of Quicksilver through the same process, allowing us to run around at high speed and do rear attacks on the slow enemy.  At a certain point in the battle, the boss would infuse with a new power, and a new stage in the boss battle would start.

While I liked the idea of the staged battles with bosses, and the concepts that were being done with X-Men Destiny, it never really felt like it was an X-Men game.  Sure, it seems like a competently designed game, and it was a solid build free of bugs, but it just felt like a generic action game that had a license strapped on to it.  Now I say this without seeing the entire game in context, but the demo we saw was very generic and did not show the game in the most flattering of lights.  I think that if Silicon Knights can find a way to tie deeper into the lore of the X-Men and make it feel more like an X-Men title, it could be great, but as it stands, I am a bit worried that it will get lost in the crowd.

I was a bit unsure as to how I felt about another Spider Man title after Beenox’s last attempt, Shattered Dimensions.  While I enjoyed the idea of different Spider Man characters, working in unison to resolve the rift in time, it felt a little bland, and some of the voice acting left room for improvement.  But it was a fun little romp, and I enjoyed the hell out of Noir Spider Man.  Beenox is returning to helm this new Spider Man project, Edge of Time, and it is set to focus on two Spider Man characters, present day Amazing Spider Man and Spider Man 2099.  Activision and Beenox were nice enough to spend some time explaining the new title, as well as showing off some of the games action and story twists.

Before we watched out demonstration for Edge of Time, we got to learn a bit more about the backstory for the game.  Miguel O’Hara, who is also known as Spider Man 2099, wants to stop the mega-corporation known as Alchemax.  They have become very powerful, and they basically run the world through their power and puppetry.  Miguel creates a time travel device that allows him to go back in time and change future events, so he becomes the president of Alchemax, but things go a bit haywire, and it causes problems for the current day Spider Man.  Basically, he seems to end up getting killed, which requires Spider Man 2099, to try and fix this change in the timeline.

I wasn’t sure how keen I was on the particular storyline.  It seemed to be a bit of a rehash from Shattered Dimensions, but with two less Spider fellows, but they do have a bit of time to toy with the story and, as with most E3 presentations, are only seeing a small vertical slice of the demo, so there could be more to the story that adds to the purpose of the dual universe, so take what I know of the story with that in mind.

One of the big mechanics that was touted during our play was the idea of Quantum Causality.  Of course, with all of us being physicists in the room, we had no problem comprehending that nature of that phrase, but they decided to break it down for the layperson just in case.  Basically, the idea is that a task or battle in the past can be performed or fought, and it was have a direct result in the future.  The one example we saw of this was a situation where Spider Man 2099 was trapped in a room that was spewing out poisonous gases.  He did not have a way to stop it, but he could contact Spider Man of the past through a temporal link and tell him to take out three containers in the past, which would then cause the tanks to not function in the future.  I actually liked the idea of events affecting events, as it lets you see the tangible result of your actions in some sense.  Sure, it does not make a lot of sense that a room of robots would sit dormant for 100 years to attack Spider Man 2099, but if you attack them in the past, they will no longer be there, but when to comics use real world physics to make sense of their actions.  You just learn to run with the absurd.

Something new that we could reveal was the fact that Anti-Venom, the altered version of Eddie Brock’s Venom, was going to show up in a Spider Man video game for the first time with Edge of Time.  Anti-Venom is exactly what you would expect, a symbiote that can heal things he touches instead of assimilating them.  In his battle with the Amazing Spider Man, he slowly starts to cure him of his radioactivity, effectively short circuiting any of his powers through the battle.  I thought this was rather cool in nature, as we tend to forget that Spider Man is an anomaly created by his absorption of radioactive spider venom.  It is a biological agent which can be removed and that is what Anti-Venom looks to do with his battle.

We also got to see some in-depth combat with Spider Man 2099, and how they have adapted some of his power differences from the normal Spider Man into Edge of Time.  While Spider Man 2099 does have advanced strength and the ability to shoot organic webbing, he does not have the famed Spider Sense, which allows the Amazing Spider Man to avoid attacks.  But he does have accelerated vision and hearing, and to portray that in Edge of Time, Spider Man has a blurring attack that makes it look as if he is in two positions at once.  So enemies will see what appears to be Spider Man 2099 in one location, while he has actually already moved and is attacking from a new location.  It is like the world slows down a bit and allows you to direct your attacks from multiple angles.  It looked as if this is time based, so you will not have access to it carte blanche, but that was not specifically indicated.

While no other characters besides Amazing Spider Man, Spider Man 2099 and Anti-Venom were witnessed in the game, we were told that we can expect to see a host of Marvel favorites, both villain and heroes in the game.  I just hope that the cameos will be better than the disastrous ones in Spider Man Web of Shadows, which fit in terribly, and had even worse voice work.  Speaking of voice work, we did find out that the Amazing Spider Man will be voiced by Christopher Daniel Barnes, who provided the voice for the 1994 cartoon incarnation of Spider Man.  Spider Man 2099 will be voice by Dan Gilvezan, who did the voice work for the same character in Spider Man: Shattered Dimensions.

With a fall 2011 timeframe set for Spider Man Edge of Time, I did enjoy what I saw, but I do have some reservations on the game.  It does some cool things with time travel and the causality effects, but the story is a bit flat at this time, and it feels a bit too similar to Shattered Dimensions.  Keep an eye out for more coverage as we get closer to release on Spider Man Edge of Time.  Edge of Time is set for all the major consoles, and handhelds.

For those that love to watch the pain and suffering of those that decide to compete in the Wipeout show on ABC, now you can bring that pain to your avatar on the Xbox 360 with Wipeout In The Zone.  This new release for the Wipeout series is out for the Kinect and will have you jumping, diving and battling your way through some outrageous obstacle courses which have been designed with the idea of inflicting as much pain as possible.

I have seen the demo kiosks that have been set up with the game at Best Buy stores around town, and call me crazy, but it actually looks like it might be fun.

Wipeout In The Zone is on the shelves today.

When the first Prototype hit shelves, it had been hailed as the creation of a new kind of superhero.  The star of the game, Alex Mercer, was a blank slate, not knowing who he was or how he came about to have these incredible, yet devastating powers coursing through his body.    The game resonated with consumers to the point of two million units sold across the three release platforms, which is a good indication that a sequel will probably get made, and with that, production on Prototype 2 started.  Activision and Radical were nice enough to sit down and give us a short 20 minute presentation for Prototype 2, showing us the new character, powers and thematic elements that will make Prototype 2 a similar, yet distinctly different experience.

Obviously, the biggest change between the two Prototype titles is the fact that we play from the perspective of a completely different character, Sargent James Heller, a man that had a family in New York when the infection hit, and they became victims of the devastation that ensued.  Heller is a man that is driven not by the same goals that Mercer had, which was to get back his memory, but to extract revenge on the corporation that created the virus, as well as the main agent of the virus, Alex Mercer.  And before anyone becomes upset with the change, Mercer is in the game, and he does have his own agenda, but Radical was coy about what his part in Prototype 2 would be at this early stage in development.

Changes between the two characters are also apparent in the way they take hold of their powers.  With Alex Mercer, he was always at odds with the powers that he had, and he wanted nothing more than to get rid of them at the first chance, while James Heller embraces the power that he has obtained.  He looks to the powers as an extended tool that gives him another way to extract the revenge that he wants to inflict on Mercer, Blackwatch and others.

New York has always undergone a lot of changes since our last visit.  Prototype moves us 14 months into the future, with a New York that has been ravaged by stages of infection.  The Red Zone is an area that has been lost to the infection and is no longer inhabited by anyone except the infected.  The zone roughly covers the island of Manhattan, and it is essentially a no-man’s land.  The Yellow Zone is an area for those that have found a way out of the Red Zone, but they are kept under quarantine here, as no one is sure if they are infected or not.  In this zone, there is a sense of desolation, as this section of New York has turned into a shanty town, teaming with homeless, disease and a general lack of most necessities and facilities.  The Green Zone is the only “safe” zone of New York, but it is safe in title only.  While the infection is not rampant in the Green Zone, it is a zone run by Blackwatch, the military unit from the first game and they run it with an iron fist.  Protests and disruption in this zone are normally met with a lot of lead projected from rifles. 

Heller also brings a few new powers to the table with the evolution of the virus in his system.  One of these powers was shown in a mission where we had to extract memories from a scientist without attracting attention from the soldiers guarding him.  Our character disguised himself as a soldier and snuck up on a guard and infected him with a BioBomb.  The BioBomb is a viral bomb that exploded and took out the soldiers, allowing James to come down and absorb the doctor’s memories into his consciousness. 

As with the prior game, these memories unlock trees in a new Web of Intrigue, but instead of just being a passive part of the game, the Web of Intrigue will give you extra side missions that can give you extra intel, or help you stop missions that will target civilians.  It was an interesting way to add new missions and make the Web of Intrigue a connected part of Prototype 2.

While some of the old enemies like the Brawlers and the normal infected make return appearances, there were some new types as well, including a Spiked Brawler, a Brawler covered in spikes, and the Juggernaut, a behemoth that can withstand a lot of normal attacks.  To help with beating some of these larger enemies required Radical to come up with a better “tell” system, which will help people with the timing of their dodges and attacks.  Dismemberment is also an option with larger foes, as you can cripple an enemy by removing an arm or a leg to help with crowd control with large amount of enemies.

Our preview ended with a short glimpse of a new boss enemy that will show up in the game.  While we won’t give anything away, the developers nicknamed the new boss, “Tiny”, just to give a hint about him.  Prototype is really shaping up to be a deeper experience, with new enemies, new attacks and a new protagonist that has a new agenda.  While we did not get an exact release date, we do know that Prototype will ship to PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 sometime in 2012.

Activision lifted the veil on their new service that will be linked into the Call of Duty franchise.  Called Call of Duty Elite, it is going to offer a one-stop service for all things related to the Call of Duty series.  The best way to describe the service would be looking at Halo Waypoint, but upping the ante a bit.  Instead of being a separate application that you open to take a look at your achievements and rankings across all the games in the series, you can actually view this service from multiple locations. 

Call of Duty Elite will be avaialble in game, from your mobile phone, from the dashboard and even from the web, and it will be available on all the major platforms where Call of Duty can be played (PC, PS3 and Xbox 360).  It looks to be more of a Facebook for Call of Duty, with the ability to find players that are of your skill level, have your same game type interests, and for the formation and tracking of clan activities.  

Now, while all of this will be free, there will be a premium component that will allow for players that pay a nominal monthly fee to gain access to extra content.  This is the sticking point of the entire service.  Right now, there is no mention of price beyond the pull quote, “comparable to other monthly subscription services” but the idea of extra content in the form of maps could splinter the player base quite a bit.  I am sure that hardcore fans that make this their only game for the year might not have an issue buying into it, but people like me that casually dabble will never want to pay for this service, and because of that, I could get locked out of a fair amount of matches. 

We knew this service was an eventual goal of the brand, and Kotick and Activision have said as much over the last 12 months, but will this be the tipping point for the Call of Duty franchise?  I am not sure, but it should make the Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 launch a lot more interesting.  And if you want to try be fore the service goes live November 8th, 2011, there will be an open beta that links into Call of Duty Black Ops coming this summer.  Check the jump for the full presser on the entire Call of Duty Elite service. 

Call of Duty(R) Elite Will Unite and Ignite Gaming’s Largest Online Community

Activision’s New Service Will Offer 30 Million Call of Duty Players Innovative Ways to Connect, Compete and Improve
Will Launch With This Year’s Most Anticipated Release Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 3 on November 8, 2011

SANTA MONICA, Calif., May 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — The world’s most passionate online gaming community can now connect, compete and improve their Call of Duty® multiplayer experience through Activision’s (Nasdaq: ATVI) innovative new online service, Call of Duty Elite.  Developed from the ground up by Activision’s new Beachhead studio, Call of Duty Elite offers cutting-edge features that significantly enhance the franchises’ multiplayer experience and deliver a new level of social engagement that will unite more than 30 million players worldwide.  Additionally, the service will offer exclusive, high-production value, original entertainment programming designed exclusively for the Call of Duty community.”The average Call of Duty player spends 58 minutes per day playing multiplayer. That is more than the average Facebook user spends per day on Facebook. And yet, right now, there are very few tools to unite and super charge that social community,” said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing. “Whether it’s allowing you to connect with your friends, or people of a similar skill level, people who live in your city, people who share your favorite passions, join competitive clans or social groups, or upload, view and comment on the incredible mass of player-generated content, or watch and comment on exclusive created content, Call of Duty Elite will give people more ways to connect with fellow players than ever before. Elite will also allow players of every level to improve their game with an intuitive suite of tools, and compete in tournaments for both real and virtual prizes.”Call of Duty Elite will include several industry-first innovations, and is designed to reset the bar for what players can expect from a multiplayer experience for this year’s most anticipated game, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.  Elite will offer two-way communication between the service and the game, so that the choices and decisions that players make in Elite through the mobile and web interfaces will affect their in-game experience.  The service will be fully integrated into Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and will launch alongside the game on November 8, 2011.

Call of Duty Elite’s features and services engage the community in three key ways:  

• Connect: Call of Duty Elite gives players unprecedented control over their multiplayer experience, transforming it into a true social network. Players can compete against friends, players of similar skill levels and players with similar interests, join groups, join clans, and play in organized tournaments. They can also track the performance, progress and activity of their entire network, both in the game itself, as well as through mobile and web interfaces.  Elite will be an “always on” way for players to connect with the Call of Duty community. 
• Compete: Call of Duty Elite establishes the most exciting, competitive environment in a multiplayer game.  Players will have available a constant stream of events and competitions, tiered to group them with those with similar abilities.  Both in-game and real-world prizes will be rewarded to all skill levels.
• Improve:  Call of Duty Elite is like having a personal online coach. It provides players with a dynamic strategy guide that tracks their statistics and performances down to the most minute details.  It can show gamers how they stack up against their friends or others in the community. Tools and information are provided so players can learn and up their game.

Carrying forward to future Call of Duty games, Elite will chronicle a player’s gameplay history in a cohesive career record, keeping track of every kill, every game and progress.”Call of Duty Elite has been tailored for Call of Duty’s diverse base of players — hardcore gamers, casual weekend warriors and even beginners — and additional features will be revealed when we premiere Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer later this summer,” added Hirshberg.  ”Over 7 million gamers play Call of Duty online each day logging hundreds of hours of multiplayer per player per year.  Of course, the out of the box Call of Duty multiplayer experience that gamers have come to love and expect will continue as is.  However, for those players looking for more, Call of Duty Elite will supercharge their experience.” Many key features of Call of Duty Elite will be available to Call of Duty players free of charge.  Additionally, for players who want to up their game, Call of Duty Elite will offer a premium membership with a wide range of state-of-the-art services, exclusive entertainment programming and all-inclusive game content for less than the cost of any comparable online entertainment service currently in the market.   The service will be accessible on a number of platforms — via web browsers, mobile devices, through game consoles and within the game interface itself — so that players can connect with Call of Duty Elite whenever and wherever they want. Call of Duty Elite will launch this fall with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. However, to test the scale of the service, Activision will hold a public beta this summer for Elite with Call of Duty®: Black Ops.  For more information, go to www.callofduty.com. Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea, China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Publishing’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties.   Activision Publishing generally uses words such as “outlook,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “might,” “remains,” “to be,” “plans,” “believes,” “may,” “expects,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “estimate,” future,” “plan,” “positioned,” “potential,” “project,” “remain,” “scheduled,” “set to,” “subject to,” “upcoming” and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements.  Factors that could cause Activision Publishing’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include, but are not limited to, sales levels of Activision Publishing’s titles, shifts in consumer spending trends, the impact of the current macroeconomic environment, the seasonal and cyclical nature of the interactive game market, Activision Publishing’s ability to predict consumer preferences among competing hardware platforms, declines in software pricing, product returns and price protection, product delays, retail acceptance of Activision Publishing’s products, adoption rate and availability of new hardware (including peripherals) and related software, industry competition including from used games and other forms of entertainment, litigation risks and associated costs, rapid changes in technology, industry standards, business models including online and used games, and consumer preferences, including interest in specific genres such as music, first-person action and massively multiplayer online games, protection of proprietary rights, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, customers, licensees, licensors, vendors, and third-party developers, including the ability to attract, retain and develop key personnel and developers that can create high quality “hit” titles, counterparty risks relating to customers, licensees, licensors and manufacturers, domestic and international economic, financial and political conditions and policies, foreign exchange rates and tax rates, and the identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities and potential challenges associated with geographic expansion, and the other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Publishing and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.Activision, Call of Duty and Modern Warfare are registered trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc.  All rights reserved.  All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.

SOURCE Activision Publishing, Inc.

There is something terrifying and fun when you think about being strapped into a steel tin can that will hurdle around a track for 200+ miles with mere inches separating you from a clean lap or a disastrous wreck.  NASCAR titles have always tried to provide this feeling to those of us that can only dream about being in the car, and while some get things sort of right, it has been quite some time since a realistic NASCAR experience has come across my console or PC.  Eutechnyx is the latest developer to try and create the same sort of palm sweating experience that gamers look for in a NASCAR title, and while they do a decent job with their first effort out of the gates, the experience proves to be lacking in substance and scattered with irregularities to make the checkered flag.

Eutechnyx doesn’t mince words, or keeping you lost in details, getting you into what you want most from NASCAR the Game 2011, and that is getting some wheels out on the track.  After entering the career mode, you pick one of the many drivers available and you work through the 40+ races that are on the actual NASCAR Sprint Cup championship.  You have the option to take a standard setup for the track, but gearheads can choose advanced and get all kinds of different options, from weight distribution, spoiler height, air dam and so much more.  I get lost in all of these details, but needless to say any difficulty level will find a way to hit the track with a setup that is geared to win.

With the first few races, I found the CPU racers to be competent, switching up lines and adjusting to the cars that were in their surroundings.  Once you find a good race line, you should have no problems with working around the track, provided you are either sure-handed with an analog stick, or have a driving wheel.  I had all kinds of issues with keeping a steady turn with the analog stick, and making turns is critical in a racing game where all you do is hit straightaways into high-banked or sharp left turns.  Of course some of this was alleviated, as I found myself routinely qualifying in the front row of the race.  Yes, the game seems to be a little unbalanced, as I routinely took the pole position on every track and barring a terrible wreck or a poor turn radius on my part, I never relinquished that first position. 

The bigger issue comes with pit lane and yellow flag cautions and how they are implemented.  After sitting in the front of several races, I decided to bomb qualifying on the Bristol track.  Bristol is a very short (one half mile), with high-banked turns, and it is a track that is infamous for crashes and yellow flags.  Sitting back, I ran a bad line, and ended up wrecking out while coming up on the front of another car.  Instead of the yellow flag coming out as would be expected,  several cars plowed into the side of me, pushing me down the track for a short period until the yellow finally came out.  Testing further, I decided to fall back to last and then park my car sideways on the Atlanta track.  Instead of the yellow flag coming out, I sat there horrified as the lead car and his compatriots plowed into the side of me at full speed.  Not exactly the pinnacle of realism on the track.

Pit road became another disaster for me as well. It seems that NASCAR the Game 2011 looks to see if you are running at a certain speed when you cut onto the apron approaching the entrance to the pits.  If you are under this arbitrary threshold, you would find yourself entering the pits, and normally above the pit row speed limit, which means a stop and go black flag penalty.  Several times, I found myself cutting a turn a little sharp and boom – into the pits I went.  A lot of this comes from the fact that pit stops are a bit automated, with you choosing to take 4 tires or two, how much fuel and any other adjustments needed, and no real input from you as a driver.  It makes the pits feel a bit more dynamic, but it can kill your race momentum by slipping into the apron for any reason.

NASCAR the Game 2011 also feels a bit sparse in its general offerings, because beyond quick race, career and multiplayer, there is not much else happening in this game.  There is no “Create a Driver” mode where you build up your own driver from scratch, or any of the other popular leagues, like the trucks or the Nationwide series.  It is very bare bones in its approach to the gamer.  It is very competent in what it does, but it leaves you wanting so much more as you go through the seasons.  And they are not even progressive seasons, instead just restarting the season again and again.

Visually, NASCAR the Game 2011 is a sight to behold, with each of the tracks looking about as genuine as it can get.  Most of the tracks are matched up right down to the smallest details, and of course, the larger monuments are there as well.  Cars on the track are highly detailed, sponsors and all tacked on to each car, and when the accidents do happen, they chew up these cars like no tomorrow.    There were a few times where I bit the bullet and wrecked myself in a group, and the devastation on my car, opponents and even the track was rendered in amazing detail.  Sound is also brilliant, with the cars sounding throaty and robust.  Of course, after the end of one race, I wanted to put a bullet in the head of my spotter.  Your spotter will chime in with position data, passing info and drivers that want to hook up in a draft, which is nice, but he will also drop wonderful nuggets of wisdom, such as “this shrimp cocktail is fantastic” or “aw man, somebody threw a hot dog on the track”.  This may be realistic to the drivers and the spotters, but it was grating upon the nerves in short order.

All of this comes together to form a racing title that is not great, but a good first effort from a rookie NASCAR game developer.  I think Eutechnyx has the skill to come back with the complaints and deliver a solid racing experience in 2012.  It hits a lot of cylinders right, but the yellow flag issues and other items take it down a bit too much.  If you are a diehard fan looking for something with the NASCAR license, NASCAR the Game 2011 is for you.  Otherwise, wait for the inevitable sequel that will clean things up considerably.  NASCAR the Game 2011 gets 3 out of 5 Aeropausonauts.

Check out NASCAR the Game 2011 and other Xbox 360 reviews at Test Freaks.