Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim dated

Paradox Interactive passed along word today that Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim will officially be released on September 11. The sequel to the popular PC strategy title will be available for purchase through retail and on all major digital distribution channels.

Sequel to Cyberlore’s popular fantasy kingdom strategy simulation game, Majesty 2 lets players rule a unique world through indirect control of characters and units, hero recruitment and hands-off combat. Doing so can pose quite the challenge, for your heroes are just as likely to stop in for a beer at the local tavern as they are to fight monsters and undertake heroic quests. Mixing humor and charm into a magical landscape that is quite unlike anything else, Majesty 2 is primed to offer strategy fans a fantastic experience never to be forgotten.

The game is being developed by Ino-Co, a Krasnodar-based studio founded in 2004. The studio’s previous game was Fantasy Wars, published worldwide by Atari. 1C:InoCo is a subsidiary of 1C Company. For more information on the game, visit www.majesty2.com.

Mass Effect 2 Officially Announced

You knew it was coming but today BioWare made it official: Mass Effect 2 is in development and will be released sometime in early 2010 for Xbox 360 and Windows. The second title in BioWare’s planned trio of sci-fi themed action RPGs, Mass Effect 2 picks up after the defeat of Saren’s evil army of Geth soldiers. Humankind may have made its mark in the universe with this triumphant victory over the forces of evil, but a brand new threat faces humanity.

While we expect to hear more next week at the Game Developer’s Conference, BioWare co-founder Dr. Ray Muzyka promises that the sequel is going to “surpass the extraordinary gaming experience we brought our fans in Mass Effect by delivering intensified combat and expanded weapon options as well as increased depth of planet exploration, all while delivering a powerful, emotionally engaging story.”

More info when we have it - in the meantime check out the teaser trailer at www.masseffect.com.

Is Lost Planet 2 a 360 Exclusive?

Earlier this week, Capcom raised the curtain on Lost Planet 2, via a trailer shown exclusively on Xbox LIVE. While the trailer showed off some gameplay footage and hinted at the plot, overall details on the game were scarce. Today, Capcom made the official announcement, releasing a few extra details on the game and hinting that there may have been more behind the LIVE debut than initially thought.

Read the rest of this entry »

Lost Planet 2 Unveiled

Last week, Microsoft and Capcom teased Xbox LIVE members, saying that Capcom would be announcing the development of a mystery new game not through the regular PR channels, but rather by releasing the news today via LIVE. Well, with the news of Dead Rising 2 breaking two weeks ago, gamers were left scratching their collective heads, wondering just what the new game would be. Never one to disappoint, Capcom greeted Xbox LIVE members early this morning with a new trailer, announcing the development of Lost Planet 2.

Read the rest of this entry »

American McGee’s Alice Heads Down the Rabbit Hole Once Again

This one comes in from the “About Damned Time” Department.

Back in 2000, Electronic Arts and designer American McGee put a new spin on the Lewis Carroll classic, Alice in Wonderland, taking the titular heroine down a darker, more gothic path than Walt Disney could have ever dreamed in his worst nightmares. And thankfully, gamers were taken along for the ride. American McGee’s Alice proved to be a big hit for EA, and developed a cult following that’s as strong today as ever. Don’t believe me? Hit up a nearby comic/anime convention and odds are you’ll still see more than a few cosplayers decked out as McGee’s vision of Alice. The game has even garnered the interest of Hollywood talent, including director Wes Craven and actress Sarah Michelle Gellar, though the flick is currently trapped in development hell.

Read the rest of this entry »

Dead Rising 2: Zombies Do Vegas?

I’ll be the first to admit that one of the games I was first looking forward to when the first Xbox 360 rolled off the assembly line was Capcom’s survival horror, Dead Rising. Frank West’s harrowing, over-the-top 72 hour adventure in the Willamette Mall was one of the best times I had on the 360. Now, Capcom is returning to the world of Dead Rising, and it’s bringing PS3 and PC owners along for the ride.

Earlier this morning, Capcom officially confirmed that a sequel to the popular zombie game is in development at Canadian developer Blue Castle Games, working alongside a number of members from the original Dead Rising team, including producer, Keiji Inafune. Although Capcom has kept quiet so far on a possible release date for Dead Rising 2, one thing the company did confirm is the new game will not be exclusive to the 360 this time around, instead being simultaneously developed for the 360, PS3, and PC. Sorry Wii owners, it looks like you’re going to be stuck with the neutered port of the first game for the foreseeable future.

Details on the plot of Dead Rising 2, are still being kept under wraps, but the game is set several years after the infamous zombie invasion of Willamette. Apparently, the zombie virus was not contained at the end of Dead Rising and it ended up spreading unchecked throughout the United States. In Dead Rising 2, the latest outbreak hits ‘Fortune City’, and players will be gambling with more than just chips when they face off against the undead in the city’s massive hotel and casino. It looks like everyone’s favorite photojournalist, Frank West, might be a little busy this time around though (he’s covered wars, ya know), as both West and his camera are conspicuously absent from Capcom’s early screenshots.

More word on Dead Rising 2 is expected soon, and we’ll share what we learn as soon as information is released.

Rockstar Gives Red Dead Revolver a Sequel

Back when Rockstar’s spaghetti western game, Red Dead Revolver, first came out back in ‘04, it was pretty well received by critics and gamers alike. Almost immediately, rumors started circulating on a possible sequel in the works. As the years passed, though, focus shifted away from any potential Red Dead sequel and onto new projects for a new generation of consoles. Today, though, Rockstar proved that it had not forgotten the fans of the Old West shooter, officially announcing the development of Red Dead Redemption, currently scheduled for a Fall 2009 release on the Xbox 360 and PS3.

Read the rest of this entry »