The Rundown: Jan. 7, 2009
Welcome to the first Rundown of 2009. Are you ready for 2009? I hope this year won’t suck as bad as last year. Now onto today’s light news stories: Street Fighter IV controllers, and update to A Murder of Crows, a new Elebits game hits retails, more MySims games announced and the release of Saint’s Row 2 for PC - all after the jump.
Saints Row 2 PC Ships.
THQ has shipped the PC version of Saints Row 2 this week. The game will hit Europe on January 23, 2009 and Australia on February 5, 2009. THQ says that Volition has We’ve spent a great deal of time optimizing system specs for Windows PC to ensure gamers get the same experience available on the Xbox 360. Hopefully it doesn’t come complete with some draconian copy protection. The game features all the multiplayer modes and game content of the original for Xbox 360, but hopefully not all of that game’s shortcomings. I’m sure Tom Chick is already playing this one.
Grey’s Anatomy.. The Game
From the “too early to be an April Fools Day joke” department, Ubisoft announces a deal with ABC Studios to develop a video game based on “Grey’s Anatomy.” Designed for the Wii, the Nintendo DS and PC, Grey’s Anatomy: The Video Game is scheduled for release early 2009. The game will revolve around the doctors of Seattle Grace Hospital as they deal with life-or-death consequences on a daily basis and - we assume - make out with each other.
More MySims
EA’s kicking off the new year with a series of new MySims games for Nintendo platforms. The games are MySims Party for the and MySims Racing. MySims for the DS and Wii are a collection of themed mini-games hosted by different MySims characters. The mini-games include Air-Guitar-Star, Dancing, snowboarding and more. Obviously, EA is going to continue to target the casual crowd on the Wii. MySims Racing for the Wii and DS is a MySims stylized arcade racing game for up to four players offering exotic locales, customization and more. Expect to hear more later this year.
Skate 2 Demo
The official Skate 2 demo will hit Xbox Live Marketplace on January 8th and the PlayStation Network on January 15, 2009. The demo introduces players to the city of New San Vanelona where they can get a first glimpse of the single-player story and all-new locations. The Skate 2 demo will also feature two of the game’s online Party Play modes: Thrasher’s Hall of Meat and Spot Battle. Skate 2 hits retailers in North America on January 21st, and worldwide on January 23, 2009
Sword of the Stars Update
Lighthouse Interactive and developer Kerberos Productions have released the second update (1.6.4) for Sword of the Stars: A Murder of Crows (PC) to the public. The update to the Sword of the Stars expansion adds an auto-pause feature to single-player games, tech negotiation news event art, the return of slavers, and more. Find out more find by visiting www.kerberos-productions.com.
Sandy Beaches, Castle Crashers
Konami’s Sandy Beach hits WiiWare this week for 500 wii points. In Sandy Beach, players will build sandcastles and defend them with cannons against an army of crabs. Players can also discover beach treasures and additional canons with a metal detector to further customize their sandcastles. Find out more by checking out the Wii Shop Channel.
Elebits DS Sequel Released
Konami has released Elebits: The Adventures of Kai and Zero for DS. It’s the sequel to Elebits for the Nintendo Wii if you didn’t know. Using the stylus players control Kai’s movement, encounter other characters and objects, and interact all by using the stylus. there’s also some head-to-head multiplayer using the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for up to four friends. Be on the look out for it.
Street Fighter IV, Mad Catz Style
Mad Catz Interactive announced a range of licensed Street Fighter IV accessories which are expected to ship alongside the release of the game in February. These include the Official Street Fighter IV Arcade FightStick, FightPad, and Arcade FightStick: Tournament Edition for Xbox 360 and PS3. Mad Catz is also making Street Fighter IV Faceplates and Console Skinz for both systems. Look for them wherever Street Fighter games are sold.
