Most of the Christmas releases on all the major consoles and PC have now been released, so it is now announcement time for next year"s big titles. Today we have the details of Mass Effect 3, The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, Forza Motorsport 4, and Dead Rising 2: Case West. We also have the release date of what could be the final big iPhone title of the year - N.O.V.A. 2.
General News
Mass Effect 3 Announced & Mass Effect 2 PS3 Demo Detailed
Bioware and Electronic Arts have announced that Mass Effect 3 will be released for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and on the PC all at the same time. The announcement was made at the Spike VGA awards when the first teaser trailer for the game was shown. Mass Effect has been a huge success for the companies and with a PlayStation 3 version of the superb Mass Effect 2 due for release in January; it will be a good year for fans of the title. Here are more details on the final game in the trilogy:
“At BioWare, we are always driving ourselves to improve and I firmly believe our best work is still ahead of us,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, Group General Manager and Co-Founder of BioWare. “We could not be prouder of the team’s accomplishments with Mass Effect 2, and are excited and humbled by all of the recognition the game has received so far. We can’t wait to show you what the team is doing to make Mass Effect 3 an even bigger success.”
The Mass Effect franchise is set in an epic science fiction universe, filled with dangerous alien life and mysterious, uncharted planets. Featuring intense action, a rich, futuristic storyline, space exploration and emotionally engaging character interaction, the franchise delivers an unparalleled cinematic experience. Mass Effect 2 is the highest rated videogame of 2010 on Xbox 360, the PC and one of the highest rated pieces of entertainment overall according to Metacritic.com. The three awards picked up at the Spike VGAs are the latest in an ongoing series of global recognition that includes “Ultimate Game of the Year” honors from The Golden Joysticks and over 35 other awards and over 70 other perfect review scores.
Mass Effect 2 is available now for the Xbox 360 and PC. The Mass Effect franchise will make its first appearance on the PlayStation 3 console when Mass Effect 2 ships to retailers on January 21, 2011 in Europe. The PlayStation 3 demo of Mass Effect 2 will be available on PlayStation Network starting December 22, 2010 in Europe.
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Day 1 Sales
Blizzard has announced that they managed to sell a whopping 3.3 million copies of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm in just 24 hours. This figure means that once again, World of Warcraft has been crowned the fastest selling PC game of all time. Their previous record stood at 2.8 million copies of Wrath of the Lich King, the second expansion pack for the online title.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim announced
Bethesda announced The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim at the Spike VGAs, but very few details on what is new in the title have been released. One of the major new features will be the game engine, as the one mention they did make is that they have been developing a new engine just for this title and dropped Gamebryo. Gamebryo has featured in the most recent Elder Scrolls titles and in the Fallout series of games. More news when we get it.
iPhone/iPod touch/iPad News
N.O.V.A. 2 Release date and trailer
The release date for N.O.V.A. 2 on the iPhone is now set for December 16. The game will see many improvements over the original from the story to the new and improved graphic engine. Gameloft have sent over the link to the full trailer for the game, so click on the Youtube video below to view the Haloesque footage.
Xbox 360 News
Forza Motorsport 4 Announced
With very little glitz, Microsoft announced that Forza Motorsport will be released at the end of 2011 on the Xbox 360. This time round the game will have Kinect support and content from the likes of TV show - Top Gear, just as Gran Turismo 5 has had since launch. It will certainly be interesting to see how well the Kinect controls work for the racing elite who like as much control as possible, especially with the lack of buttons for gears and such like. Here are more details from the upcoming racer:
The definitive racing game of 2011, “Forza Motorsport 4” will bring together genre-defining, controller-based racing, the power and freedom of Kinect, and content from leading brands like “Top Gear” to create an automotive experience unlike anything before it.
“Forza Motorsport 4” will be the most expansive and vividly realistic automotive experience across any console, bringing you closer to the edge than you’ve ever been before. Through the power of Kinect, players will be able to step through the TV screen and jump into the driver’s seat while the engaging controller-based experience will let you take on the bone-jarring physics, unparalleled levels of customisation, and rosters of dream cars and tracks. Offering game-play that will electrify racing fans and excite car lovers and novices alike, the highest-rated racing franchise of this generation returns in Autumn 2011.
Dead Rising 2: Case West out December 27
Frank West is about to return to our screens. The camera wielding hero of the first game joins up with Chuck Greene from Dead Rising 2 they try to check into the Phenotrans Facility to see what shady dealings are going down. The new episode comes with additional weapons, new enemies and the ability to take photos with the in-game camera. Dead Rising 2: Case West goes on sale for 800 Microsoft points on December 27.
Remember that you can discuss all of these games and more on our Gaming forums here at Neowin.