This year’s E3 is shaping up to be quite big, and 10tacle Studios will be on hand to take advantage of it. The studio will be showing off Elveon, their fantasy action epic powered by Unreal Engine 3 for the PC and Xbox 360.

The company will be set up in the Kentia Hall, booth #6937, and will also be showing off GTR 2 - FIA GT Racing Game, the sequel to their racing simulator. “After our E3 debut last year we are looking forward to present with “Elveon” and “GTR 2″ an impressive portfolio once more. With these two extraordinary titles we underline our high quality standard in development and also give a strategic outlook of the company. At the same time we will take advantage of the E3 to acquire promising new projects and studios”, Michele Pes, CEO of 10TACLE STUDIOS, sums up the expectations of their participation in the trade show.

Sony has announced Gangs of London for the PSP, an action game coming from the studio behind The Getaway.

More details after the jump.
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The last Mortal Kombat title for kurrent-generation consoles, Midway announced Armageddon, a title that will feature the most extensive cast of playable characters in the series to-date. It will also feature an all-new create-a-fighter mode, and is in development for the PS2 and Xbox.

Mortal Kombat: Armageddon is scheduled for release this Fall.

Ubisoft has announced that Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter has gone gold for the Xbox 360 and will be hitting stores on March 9. As for the PC version: it has been delayed to May.

Here’s a Q&A on the PC version:

Why did you delay the other versions?
To achieve better quality and deliver all the features we wanted to have in the game. GRAW PC is a project developed specifically for this machine so its development cycle was different from that of the other platforms.

What are the main differences between consoles and PC builds?
We have a gameplay that is very different from the gameplay of the console version; for instance the ghosts are controlled in a way that is specific to the PC, with a much more accurate order system. This involves adapting all the game content (including reprogramming completely the enemy AI) and tuning it to this way of playing. We shared the storyline and setting of the XBOX 360, but all the rest had to be reworked, to appeal to a GR1 audience while at the same time taking into account the new PC specific features. The other major differences are, of course, full first person control, and PC-specific multiplayer modes.

How is GRAW for the PC going to kick ass?
We had some very ambitious designs for the multiplayer, and we did not advertise on the exact content until we were sure to be able to deliver it. Things such as simulating a fully interactive physical environment over the network were risky, but we are now comforted that the cooperative mode will deliver unprecedented experience of multiplayer gameplay. The domination mode is also very promising as it changes the control of areas to something more interesting than simply capturing flags. More info to come soon.

A short blurb: Burnout Revenge has gone gold for the Xbox 360 and will be hitting stores on March 7. The game has been graphically improved over its current-gen predecessors and features new content.

Speaking to Gamespot, Midway CEO David Zucker told them that the company is developing for the Revolution, though he did not reveal any details.

That didn’t stop Gamespot from hazarding a guess - Stranglehold. A trailer of the game states that the game would be coming to “ALL next-gen consoles” - so, it would only be natural to think this is the one. That’s not so, says Midway reps, who said that the game will indeed come to the Revolution at a later date, but that the company is working on “another project” for the Nintendo console.

It is highly expected that Midway will show off the title at this year’s E3.

Three new high-resolution shots from Unreal Tournament 2007 have been released. No mention of the platform, but the wide-screen aspect ratio hints that these grabs are from the PlayStation 3 version.

A lone, odd-sized shot showing off the Axon Hellbender has also been made available.

Gamespot has learned from Midway CEO David Zucker that the Snoop Dogg and John Singleton shooter-project Fear & Respect has been cancelled. He doesn’t mention the reason for cancellation, but his statements indicate that the company doesn’t wish to partake in a crowded genre.

The company, however, is working with the duo on another game, though the status of the project is unknown at the moment.

Dismissing traditional methods of publishing and distribution in favor of digital distribution is S2 Games, who has announced that Savage 2: A Tortured Soul will be available for purchase this Fall on their website.

Hoping to showcase how an indie developer can create a “triple-A” title at a fraction of the budget of comparative titles, S2 Games has chosen digital distribution. The company has the “luxury” of working within its own timeline and also doesn’t need to answer to anyone - well, that’s what they said. Apparently, Savage 2’s digital distribution will pass on the savings to the consumer in the form of a lower price-point - the game will be available for $30, as opposed to $50, according to S2.

Let’s hope S2 is successful with their digital distribution effort.

Coming up in June is the 2006 FIFA World Cup event in Germany, and in anticipation, EA announced today that it will release 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany for all platforms including Xbox 360 this April.

The 2006 edition of the game will feature 12 official stadiums; 100 of the world’s superstars, capturing their playing styles and individual likenesses; 127 national teams, and more. 2006 will also see the introduction of new modes of play, including the Global Challenge that will recreate classic moments in FIFA World Cup history. Additionally, the game now supports up to eight-way multiplayer matches.

In development at EA Canada, 2006 FIFA World Cup will be hitting PS2, Xbox, Xbox 360, Gamecube, DS, GBA, PSP, PC and mobile platforms this April.

To increase sales of Xbox games, Microsoft has introduced a new Best of Platinum Hits series, where the most popular games for the company’s past console will sell for $10 apiece. Eleven games mark the inauguration of the line, including Counter-Strike, Elder Scrolls III, Fuzion Frenzy, MechAssault, Project Gotham Racing 2, Soul Calibur II, Ghost Recon, Ghost Recon Island Thunder, Rainbow Six 3, Splinter Cell and Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Sony also announced that it has added two more titles to its Greatest Hits line: God of War and Gran Turismo 4. Both titles now retail for $20.

By way of the Gaming Age forums comes the chart on the right which shows the top-selling franchises in North America. Ever.

The list, based on NPD data, shows Mario at the top of the chart, followed by Madden and then GTA. Star Wars, Halo and Spiderman round out the top ten, with movie-based licenses taking their places in teens.

It is to be noted that the figures do not include PC numbers. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been fair - Sims would be on top!

Bad news: EA sent out word that the Xbox 360 version of Battlefield 2: Modern Combat has been delayed to April 11 from March 15. Apparently, the game is “complete and in the final phases of testing,” but the game has been delayed “to place BF2MC in the best possible launch window” rather than because of development issues.

A multiplayer demo of the game is scheduled to hit Xbox Live Marketplace later this month.

Following up on the beta announcement is another post in the Sin Episodes blog, this time talking about the “Context Look” system. The system will allow gamers to get deeper into the story without breaking the gameplay; it will also allow players to stare at Jessica in a creepy way, with her having something to say about it.

But in all seriousness, the system has even more uses:

Now, given that the critical elements of the main storyline are conveyed through the choreographed scenes, what kind of information can a gamer expect to get through the Context Look system?

Ah… That’s where it gets exciting. Just like great episodic television, like Lost or 24, SiN Episodes has an overarching storyline that stretches beyond any single episode. Expect lots (and I mean LOTS) of twists and turns in the future. I can tell you now, no one in the game world truly knows what Elexis is planning - and what she has done. But, just because none of the characters know, doesn’t mean that YOU can’t. Embedded within the Context Look elements are hints and clues. Some foreshadow events to come, some throw light on events that have already occurred. Many may not make sense… yet.

Each and every one of these pieces, though, has a purpose - each is a small piece that reveals a bit of the overall story tapestry. It will be interesting to see how gamers react to the elements they find; and even more interesting to see how everyone thinks they tie together.

Sin Episodes is sounding better and better every day!

Having money for breakfast, lunch and dinner is Blizzard Entertainment, who announced that World of Warcrack Warcraft now has over 6 million players worldwide, a million more than it announced last time. The company also took the time to announce that it plans to release a Spanish version of the game, making it even more accessible to players in Europe.

World of Warcraft was launched in late 2004 in North America, Australia and New Zealand. Expanding the game throughout 2005, Blizzard had launched it successfully in Korea, Europe, China, Singapore and regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. The latest announcement of six million subscribers is a milestone for other MMORPGs to match.