Hardware Geeks

There are times where you have to act like a mobster, but think like a Don.  That’s the theme behind the sequel to the 2006 game based on the movie The Godfather.  We got a chance to preview The Godfather II at EA’s 2008 Studio Showcase.  Unfortunately, they wouldn’t let us play the game.  Instead, Creative Director Mike Olsen walked us through a thirty minute demo of a very early version of the game.  Here’s the scoop.

With the next iteration of the Battlefield franchise, EA and DICE have decided to take on a completely different approach.  Unlike previous games in the Battlefield series, Battlefield Heroes is a cartoon-styled third person online shooter.  Set to be released for the PC, the biggest change of all is that this game will be free to download and free to play.  I got a chance to try it out at EA’s 2008 Studio Showcase, and it looks to be a promising game!

Pandemic Studios have been working on this title for a long time now. I finally got some hands on time with the Xbox 360 version of the game and I am happy to say it left me very satisfied. Check out the full preview with screenshots after the jump.

Criterion Games and EA have announced that Burnout Paradise will be available as an exclusive download from the PlayStation Network.  Priced at just $29.99, PS3 owners will be able to purchase and download the full game this coming fall.  The download will include everything the retail version of the game has, as well as all the free update packs that have been released so far.  We hear the download will be under 2 GB.  An exact release date will be announced soon.

Also coming this fall is another free update pack which will add bikes to Burnout Paradise.  Keep reading for details and screenshots.

Today EA announced that they will publish a new horror game by Grasshopper Manufacture. For those of you who don’t know, they are the minds behind Killer 7 and No More Heroes.  If anyone is worried about this partnership, don’t. The game will be directed by none other than Suda51 and be produced by the infamous Shinji Mikami, the creator of Resident Evil. The new title will be an action-horror game and it is slated to be released on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii and PC.

In addition to the Grasshopper Manufacture announcement, a partnership with Epic Games was also announced. The new title will be an an entirely new intellectual property and be developed by People Can Fly, the developers behind the Painkiller game. The only detail released about this game is that it’s going to be an action game that will be released for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. 

Today EA and Maxis have announced that the highly anticipated game Spore has gone gold!  Spore is an innovative new open-ended game that lets you take control of a species and watch it evolve from a mere single-celled organism all the way to an advanced, intellectual space-exploring creature.  In development for over five years, this game will finally be hitting store shelves.  Both PC and Mac versions of the game are scheduled to go on sale September 7th for North America and Asia Pacific, and September 5th in Europe.  Also available on September 7th will be Spore Creatures for Nintendo DS, and Spore Origins for mobile phones (including the iPhone).

If you haven’t seen it already, view the trailer after the break.

Today we got a chance to visit EA’s headquarters in Redwood City, CA to check out what they had to offer for their 2008 Studio Showcase.  During their keynote, EA discussed how they are trying to expand their audience.  A new lineup of casual games featuring titles like Boogie SuperStar, Brain Quest, and Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure are designed to introduce new people into the world of gaming.  On the other hand, more mature titles such as Mercenaries 2: World in Flames and Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, as well as a handful of sports titles like NBA LIVE 09, FIFA Soccer 09, and NFL Head Coach 09 are designed to keep their core members satisfied.

We had the opportunity to see some of these games in action, and even play a few.  Stay tuned for our hands-on impressions from EA’s 2008 Studio Showcase.

I was just sent the new trailer for Call of Duty 5 World at War, and I have to say it looks like it’s going to be one hell of a game.

I have never been a huge fan of Call of Duty (Please don’t shoot me for saying that) but after watching the trailer I am anxious to get my hands on the game and play it.

Take Two today rejected EA’s hostile takeover bid and it’s board of directors has said the $26 dollar offer per share is inadequate.

The board also filed a commendation with the SEC that request Share Holders to ignore EA’s offer. Take Two also said it will explore other alliances with third party companies such as EA to add value to their stock.

“With one of the strongest portfolios of intellectual property in our business, a superb creative and business team, and a revitalization plan that is beginning to deliver results, Take-Two is uniquely positioned to create stockholder value in an industry that is enjoying the highest growth rates of any entertainment medium. We are effectively working toward a process to review all available options to maximize this value, either as an independent company or in combination with a third party, and are open to beginning informal discussions starting now. Our stockholders’ interests would hardly be served by accepting an offer from EA at the wrong price and the wrong time. As a result, the Board recommends that stockholders not tender any of their shares to EA.”