Set three years after the first title, SCEA has announced Genji 2, a samurai action title exclusive to the PS3.

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA)
Developer: Game Republic/Sony Computer Entertainment Japan
Genre: Action-Adventure
Players: Single-player

Based on the PlayStation®2 game Genji, and set three years after the last chapter of Genkuro Yoshitsune’s life, Genji 2 (working title) continues to expand on the historical accounts of feudal Japan. By doing so, Genji 2 unveils beautiful next generation visuals and sword slashing gameplay as an exclusively developed title for PLAYSTATION®3.

In gameplay, Genji 2 is presented as a “traditional” action/adventure gaming experience and features more than double the amount of gameplay than its predecessor. Gameplay in Genji 2 includes more diverse levels of fighting, and more playable characters - all underlying an epic tale of a warrior’s honor that promises to deliver a genuine next-generation experience on PLAYSTATION 3.

• Twice the Content, Twice the Action - Over 15 hours of gameplay continuing the story of Yoshitsune and based on the historical battle between the Genji Clan and the Heishi Clan
  
• Swap between Four Playable Characters, At Any time - Take advantage of each of the four characters’ unique fighting style or unleash devastating team-based fighting combos by interchanging characters between attacks
  
• Exquisite Combat - Gracefully articulated swordplay captured by Mitsuhiko Seike, Japan’s finest sword fighter, provides the heart and soul of intense authentic action.
  
• Massive Battles - Lead Yoshitsune and his men against hundreds of warriors, as you strive to reach, and defeat, the enemy warlord in epic battle sequences based on Japanese history.
  
• Beautifully Detailed Battlegrounds - From shimmering details of the great naval battle of Dannoura to epic monumental horseback encounters at Ichinotani, Genji 2 truly harnesses the power of PLAYSTATION 3 to deliver next-generation visuals.

Formula One 06 was also announced at Sony’s pre-E3 conference.

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe
Developer: Studio Liverpool
Genre: Racing
Players: TBC

FORMULA ONE 06 is scheduled to roar onto PLAYSTATION®3 with all the official drivers, cars, circuits, rules and teams, including SCUDERIA TORRO ROSSO, SUPER AGURI F1 TEAM and MIDLAND F1 RACING in their debut year.

Fasten your seatbelt and be prepared for the race of your life as FORMULA ONE 06 brings players a brand new gaming experience, allowing you to get closer to the sport than ever before. This is your chance to take part in the 2006 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP™ and truly interact with the sport.

The stunning graphics and power of PLAYSTATION 3 take the franchise to a completely new level to deliver the most realistic racing experience to date. Loaded with brand new features and next generation visual effects, sounds and animation, this is as close as it can get to the real thing.

• Next Generation Experience - High definition visuals, full surround sound, extensive circuit details and lighting effects, progressive dirt and car damage make for the most realistic racing experience to date.
  
• True Realism - Feel the buzz of the paddock and the excitement of race day with authentic pre-race car preparations. Warm up your tyres and get ready for the race with the parade lap.
  
• Live Action Racing - Experience the real pressure of a GRAND PRIX race thanks to unexpected collisions and race incidents.
  
• Introduction of the Safety Car - Choose the correct race strategy when the safety car is out: will you make an early pit stop to avoid being stuck in the traffic?
  
• Interconnectivity with PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) system - Widen your playing field with interconnectivity applications with PSP (Details TBC).

And now the screenshots:

Sony has officially announced SingStar for the PS3. The game lets players download songs and sing along to whatever they want, “whenever” they want it. It will feature support for EyeToy, letting users share performances with others, as well as share photos and videos created through the EyeToy camera. The game will also feature support for the PSP, having users transfer vocal performance to the portable.

And if that’s not enough: users can download the entire PS2 back catalogue of songs (more than 3000) as well as new songs available online. These can be stored on the accompanying hard drive or memory stick.

More information can be found inside, just after the high-resolution screenshots:

(more…)

Starting July 5, gamers in North America will be able to pick up five PSP games for less. SCEA has announced the launch of the “Greatest Hits” program for the PSP, with the initial selection being five first-party titles: Ape Escape: On the Loose, ATV Offroad Fury: Blazin’ Trails, Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee, Twisted Metal: Head On, and Wipeout Pure. These titles will be available for $20.

The announcement also disclosed that nearly 15 third-party titles will be added to the roster in the future.

And the final announcement is: FINAL FANTASY XIII… and its spin-off projects!

Dubbed Fabula Nova Crystallis, Square Enix revealed world-premiere footage from the thirteenth entry in the series is being developed exclusively for the PS3, along with a mobile version.

Defined in Latin as “the new tale of the crystal”, Fabula Nova Crystallis is made up of several different titles based on variations of the Final Fantasy XIII universe. Each title will feature different characters, different worlds and different stories, but will be connected to each other through a common mythos. Two titles are currently in development for the PS3: Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII.

No other details were announced.

In the company’s second announcement, Square Enix revealed new titles in the Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles series. Unveiled at the publisher’s E3 press event, Crystal Bearers will premier of the Wii, and Ring of Fates will make its debut on DS. Both titles are being developed keeping the unique features of the different hardware in mind.

A later date will see further information detailed.

Square Enix has sent out a trio of announcements, the first of which unveils Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors for the Wii.

The game is being developed by Yuji Horii, with character designs from Akira Toriyama and music from Koichi Sugiyama. Dragon Quest for the Wii is being built ground up for the Nintendo console, making use of every aspect of the unique hardware of Wii.

Further details are to be announced at a later date.

D3Publisher has announced that it will showcase Dead Head Fred, an exclusive PSP title from Vicious Cycle, at E3 starting today. The game will have players “embark on a quest for vengeance” to solve their own murder using the decapitated heads of enemies to battle through environments designed to highlight each head’s capabilities. Here’s more:

In Dead Head Fred, players take on the persona of private detective Fred Neuman. Savagely murdered and then resurrected in a bizarre scientific experiment, Fred is without his memory or his head! The game immerses players in the action with the most revolutionary camera to date on a handheld device as they collect, upgrade and switch heads on the fly to strategically fight malformed mutants, ghoulish gangsters, and maniacal mob bosses in a unique and compelling story of revenge and redemption.

Dead Head Fred is scheduled for release during Q1 2007. It will be showcased as part of D3PE’s E3 lineup at booth #546 in the South Hall.

Further information on the game can be found after the jump.
(more…)

As part of their E3 lineup, LucasArts has announced Star Wars Empire at War: Forces of Corruption, an expansion for the Star Wars RTS title. The expansion will introduce a unique point of view to the game - the corrupt side. Scoop:

The Rebels have just destroyed the Death Star, and the galaxy is in turmoil. As an aspiring Underworld figure named Tyber Zann, spread corruption throughout the galaxy using new strategic gameplay elements to influence other factions, steal their funds, slow their production, spy on them and more, all en route to becoming the most notorious criminal leader since Jabba the Hutt. Exciting new land-tactical options like customizable, upgradeable bases and guerilla warfare allow for innovative battlefield tactics. Take command of and confront new fighting units for all factions (Rebel B-wings, Imperial TIE interceptors, Darth Vader’s Executor Super Star Destroyer and more), and take down anyone who stands in your way of ruling the Underworld, be they new battlefield heroes like Luke Skywalker and Yoda or the forces of your most bitter rival - Jabba. Destroy capital ships with the awesome firepower of the second Death Star, and satiate Tyber’s drive for the deadliest capital ship in the galaxy, a devastatingly powerful Super Star Destroyer known as the Eclipse.

No developer or release date were announced. Further details are expected from the show.

GameTap has announced that they plan on reviving Uru Live, the online Myst world that ceased operation quite some time ago.

A multiplayer version of Uru: Ages Beyond Myst, Uru Live will be available to GameTap subscribers later this year as part of their monthly subscription. The company also announced that it and Cyan will update the game with new episodic content on a regular basis to keep things “fresh and challenging”.

Some official E3 trailers have popped up. Enjoy:

• Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway on 3D Downloads, 3D Gamers, Gamer’s Hell, GameSpot, Strategy Informer and Worthplaying
  
• Dungeon Runners on 3D Gamers, FileFront, Gamer’s Hell and Worthplaying
  
• The Ship on 3D Downloads, 3D Gamers, FileFront, Gamer’s Hell and Worthplaying
  
• SiN: Episodes on the Official Website, 3D Gamers, FileFront, Gamer’s Hell and Worthplaying

This page on BioWare’s Jade Empire website reveals that a PC version of the game is in the works, confirming speculation that such a port will indeed be done. Screenshots are also offered, as well as word on the enhancements in the PC version:

• Customizable, intuitive controls including support for game-pads and keyboard/mouse.
  
• Increased graphics resolutions and new visual effects.
  
• New monsters and enemies.
  
• New fighting styles.
  
• Improved combat AI and difficulty levels.
  
• New world map interface.

Through another announcement, Tulga Games disclosed the development of Dark World Online, a new modern-horror MMORPG.

In development by Tulga Games, LLC, Dark World Online is an MMORPG set in a stylized modern urban environment inhabited by three rival factions, all fighting for control of the world. In the game, players can take on the personas of Humans, Vampires or Werewolves, each replete with special skills and abilities, and biases towards the other factions. Each faction also features customized weaponry, appearances, tools and dwellings to immerse the player in the fantasy world. Featuring support for both Player-vs.-Player (PvP) and Player-vs.-Environment (PvE) gameplay, Dark World Online will offer an outstanding gameplay experience for all types of gamers.

The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning, the latest installment to the 17 million-unit-selling franchise, has been announced by VU Games. Being released this Fall for the PS2, Xbox, Gamecube, GBA and DS, the new Spyro game features dynamic action and fast-paced combat. Spyro’s adventure will be brought to life by voice-over cast members Elijah Wood (Lord of the Rings) as Spyro’s sidekick Sparx the dragonfly, and Gary Oldman (Harry Potter - Sirius Black) as Ignitus, the Fire Dragon elder and Spyro’s mentor.

In The Legend of Spyro A New Beginning, players will experience the awesome power of the purple dragon as they unleash devastating fury attacks, upgradeable breaths and ground-to-aerial melee combos in frenzied battles with hordes of menacing enemies and bone-chilling bosses. The action game also introduces a new dragon upgrade system, giving players the freedom to increase the power and variety of attacks to their liking.

Look for the game this October.

Tulga Games has announced the development of The Settlements, an expansion for Horizons, their award-winning MMORPG. The new expansion will contain all the content from the original game, along with environmental, creature and gameplay updates.

Horizons: The Settlements will feature both player-crafted and developer-designed content including new furniture, racially-themed structures, gardens, monsters, treasures and quests. Players will now have the option of building new racial structures, such as Dryad trees and Dwarven tunnels, making for a more customized player environment, while new companion animals can function as beasts-of-burden, familiars and guardians. Vicious new monsters, including Harpies, will now inhabit Istaria, providing new battle opportunities and new types of treasure to capture.

The expansion will be free to current subscribers, but new players will have to shell out $20.