THQ has divulged its plans to bring Conan to Xbox 360 and PS3 early next year. Celebrating its 75th anniversary, the Conan brand is going strong, recognized for its popular action figures, motion pictures, trading cards, comic books, and more recently, videogames.

The next-gen Conan game is in development at Nihilistic Software. Players will follow the journey of Conan the Cimmerian as he fights against a variety of enemies and an elusive power that threatens to consume the whole Hyborian world. The game will make use of a deep combat system, deadly weapons, fighting styles and interactive environments, among other things. It will also use special effects and other advanced graphical features to bring to life the Conan universe.

Following big-names such as Activision and Square Enix, Capcom has joined the Unreal Engine 3 list, the company announced. As like all others, the engine has been licensed for use on a “unannounced” project, so no other information is available.

Other companies using Unreal Engine 3 include EA, SOE, SCEA, THQ, Midway and Gearbox.

Activision sent out a slew of high-resolution screenshots from the next-gen version of Spider-Man 3.

Spider-Man 3 is set for release this May on PS3, Xbox 360, PS2, PSP, Wii, DS and GBA. Further information on the game can be found after the jump.
(more…)

SCEE has announced pricing details for its first-party title launch lineup that will accompany the March 23 European release. Its disc-based games, including Motorstorm and Resistance, will launch at €60 (£40, AUD 100, NZ 110), while its PlayStation Network titles will range from €2.99 to €9.99 depending on the specific title.

They also stated that game items, premium video content and other miscellaneous items from the PlayStation Network will be available starting as low as €0.99 and increasing depending on the scope of the product. This could range from a new SingStar track to a premium pack for MotorStorm, which would include a new track, additional vehicles and multiplayer modes.

As part of Xbox Live’s Arcade Wednesday, Alien Hominid HD is now available on the broadband network. A side-scrolling experience “like no other”, the game has players donning the role of a “feisty yet adorable” alien as he fends off FBI agents to ensure his spaceship stays safe.

The game contains sixteen levels, seven mini-games and multiplayer modes. It is available for purchase for 800 Microsoft points.

To accompany the release of the PlayStation 3 in Europe and other PAL territories, SCEE has announced that Gran Turismo HD Concept will be available for download on March 23. Already experienced by those in Japan and North America, HD Concept is a playable one-track glimpse of the future of the simulation series; as with other regions, it will be free for PS3 owners.

Players start with one car on the Eiger Nordwand track in the Swiss Alps. When the track is completed within the time limit, another car is unlocked. There are nine further cars to unlock in this way, including a Ferrari 599 - the first time a Ferrari has appeared in Gran Turismo. In another first, Gran Turismo HD Concept’s Time Trial will bring into effect the first Gran Turismo online rankings system. For the first time, players will be able to track who the best Gran Turismo driver is - and we expect a lot of dedication to be put in.

SCEE notes that there will be a sneak peek of the Nissan cars in Gran Turismo HD Concept on the Nissan stand at the Geneva Motor Show from March 6.

Adding even more value to the Wii, Nintendo has announced that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the best entry in the franchise so far, is now available for download in the Wii Shop. Originally released back in 1998 on the Nintendo 64, Ocarina of Time is considered the best entry in the venerable series, garnering an amazing 98% overall on GameRankings.

Ocarina of Time is available for purchase for 1000 Wii Points.

Koei has announced its partnership with Atlus USA to publish Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner - Raidou Kuzonoha vs. The Soulless Army to Europe for the PS2 this April. The Japanese RPG is set for release on April 27.

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

The latest company to join the Unreal bandwagon is Activision: according to a recent announcement, it has licensed Unreal Engine 3 from Epic Games for an upcoming as-yet unannounced action game. Expectedly, no information on this unannounced title was divulged.

These games shipped this week:

• Bullet Witch (X360)
  
• Dance Dance Revolution Universe (X360)
  
• Jade Empire: Special Edition
  
• SSX Blur (Wii)

First up, the lone demo:

• Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars on 3D Downloads, 4players.de, ActionTrip, ComputerGames.ro, eXp Download, FanGaming, FilePlanet, FileShack, Fragland, Gameguru Mania, Gamer’s Hell, GameSpot, Internode Games Network and Strategy Informer

• Falcon 4.0: Allied Force v1.0.10 on Lead Pursuit

The third entry in the venerable Empire Earth series has been announced by Vivendi Games. Simply dubbed Empire Earth III, the game builds on the franchise by offering continuous free-form gameplay that will allow players to keep units from one battle to the next.

Empire Earth III is due for release this Fall on PC.

Lighthouse Interactive has announced Sword of the Stars: Born of Blood, an expansion for the space strategy game, for release this April. The add-on will add a new alien race, a new form of strategic movements, new ship sections, new weapons, new technologies, new scenarios and other new stuff. It will also include GUI and graphic updates, as well as engine optimizations.

Further details inside.
(more…)