With the convention over, the organizers of GC 2007 sent out an announcement stating that they have attracted a total of 185,000 visitors to Leipzig this year, a slight increase over the past year. This figure includes 12,300 registered trade visitors, compared against 8700 of the past year. Exhibitors were happy too, with 85 percent saying that their participation in the event had had a great significance in the scope of their overall marketing activities, while 91 percent said that they plan on joining again next year.
“The GC 2007 has exceeded all of our targets. A high degree of satisfaction can be seen, not only amongst exhibitors and trade visitors, but also amongst the general public. This result underscores once again why the GC, as Europe’s leading fair in the industry, has an ideal home in Leipzig”, said Josef Rahmen, Managing Director of the Leipziger Messe.
The winners for this year’s “Best of GC” awards have been announced. A total of nine products were awarded from the 85 hardware and software titles that were submitted by exhibitors at the Leipzig Games Convention. Here is the winners list:
PC: Crysis
Xbox: BioShock
PSP: God of War: Chains of Olympus
PS2: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
PS3: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
Wii: Mario & Sonic at the Olympics
Nintendo DS: Eye Training
Online: Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures
Best Hardware Accessory: Wii Balance Board
Mobile: none
EuroGamer carries confirmation from Leipzig that a version of Spore is in development for consoles, though it won’t be released alongside the PC and DS versions. This comes straight from Maxis, the development studio itself, from behind a closed-doors meeting.
Spore comes from Sims creator Will Wright, seeing players evolving a single-celled organism into a complex creature and eventually creating an entire civilization. It’s expected to hit stores next Spring.
Four new high-resolution Fallout 3 screenshots have been released. Check out this upcoming action-RPG.
Three new high-resolution screenshots from Killzone 2 straight from GC.
The Leipzig Games Convention has seen a new Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots trailer being released. The event is also host to new information regarding the game: series creator Hideo Kojima has unveiled the “Beauties and the Beasts” theme that runs through the game, revealing four new enemies. These creatures are unique ‘boss’ creatures and are all tied to the series. Scoop:
The characters – Laughing Octopus, Raging Raven, Crying Wolf, and Screaming Mantis – are empowered with special, supernatural abilities and have individual back stories that outline how they have become the beings they are. All were initially good people who, for various reasons linked to events in the Metal Gear Solid series and events they have seen in countless wars, are now altered beyond all recognition both physically and mentally – and are perfect examples of the ‘Beauties and the Beasts’ themes that run throughout MGS4.
Check out the trailer below.
Razer isn’t too far behind in the gaming mice department: the company has announced the Razer Lachesis, yet another mouse named after a type of snake. It doubles the sensitivity of Microsoft’s mouse with a 4,000 dpi laser, on-the-fly DPI switching, nine programmable buttons and really cool looks.
Interestingly, this is also one of the few mice out there that support both hands, especially that of lefties (I can use it then!). However, it lacks the LCD screen of the SideWinder.
More information on the Lachesis can be found on Razer’s site. The mouse will be available this October for $79.99.
Some new screenshots from Alone in the Dark.
During their presentation at the Leipzig Games Convention, Epic Games revealed that the PS3 version of Unreal Tournament 3 looks “closer to the PC version” and will run at 60 frames per second. They also reconfirmed mouse and keyboard support.
Additionally, they showed off the PS3 version’s Sixaxis controls. Here’s a quote: “The Redeemer is controlled in camera mode by tilting the PS3 pad from side to side. The fanciful hover board, is controlled using the tilt capabilities of the PS3. As you tilt the controller and twist the pad, you will perform many spins and other amazing moves.”
Epic Games stated that they are currently working on getting the PS3 and PC version out before Christmas, while the Xbox 360 versions is expected sometime next year.
Another gaming mouse was announced at Leipzig – the Steelseries Ikari Optical and Steelseries Ikari Laser professional gaming mice. The new, ergonomic right-handed multi-grip mice mark the company’s entry into the market for gaming mice.
The SteelSeries Ikari mice are the result of 15 months extensive research of ergonomics, technology, shape, motion, hand grip and play styles by gamers. The SteelSeries Ikari mice sets a new industry standard for input, research and co-development with professional gamers for gaming mice. The shape, materials and specifications of the SteelSeries Ikari mice are based on input from professional players from Team 3D, compLexity, mousesports, SK Gaming, Team NoA and other world-class gaming organizations, who collectively represent the world’s most accomplished gamers in Counter-Strike and other gaming disciplines. The development of SteelSeries Ikari was also driven by community input and feedback from more than 5,000 gamers from the competitive gaming segment.The SteelSeries Ikari chassis is shaped to accommodate the three predominant methods of grip utilized by gamers today: Swipe, Claw, and Palm. The chassis features five buttons with high quality gaming grade contacts. The SteelSeries Ikari mice also have an anti-sweat and slip-resistant surface coating to improve mouse control during intense gaming sessions. The SteelSeries Ikari mice boast the largest SteelSeries Glide surface ever utilized on gaming mice (more than a 300% increase over traditional gaming mice) that is specifically designed to reduce friction between the pressure points on the mouse and the surface under the mouse.
Both models of the mice feature plug-and-play features, on-the-fly DPI settings and more. These mice are set for release during Q4 2007.
Developers of the euphoria animation technology featured in GTA4 and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, NaturalMotion has announced Backbreaker, an American football game being developed exclusively for next-gen consoles. It is slated for release sometime next year.
“Backbreaker is the first football game with truly interactive tackles. By utilizing our motion synthesis engine, euphoria, players will never make the same tackle twice, giving them an intensely unique experience every time they play the game,” said NaturalMotion CEO Torsten Reil. “Backbreaker puts players in the middle of the gridiron by providing a pure, realistic football experience only possible on next-generation consoles.”
Though no screenshots were released, they were sure to send out a nice trailer showing off some backbreaking.
Microsoft Game Studios and Bizarre Creations today revealed new details on Project Gotham Racing 4. The game will feature an all-new career mode, dynamic weather system and PGR on demand. They also revealed new vehicles that will be in the game:
Cars:Motorcycles:
- Ariel Atom 300 Supercharged 2004
- Aston Martin V8 Vantage 2005
- Austin Mini Cooper S 1964
- Chevrolet Camaro Z28 1969
- Ferrari F430 2004
- Caparo T1 2007
- Caterham R500 2000
- Lamborghini Gallardo 2004
- Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 2005
- Tesla Roadster 2008
- BMW F 800 S 2006
- Honda NR750 1992
- Honda CBR600RR 2005
- Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14 2007
- MTT Turbine Superbike 2006
- MV Agusta F4 Senna 2006
- Norton 500 Manx 1962
- Triumph Speed Triple 2005
- Triumph Trident 2005
Six new screenshots have also been released to show off the vehicles. PGR4 is set for release on October 12 for £44.99.
New screenshots from Gearbox’s sci-fi FPS/RPG Borderlands have been released. The game is in development for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.
The Leipzig convention is seeing another push by Microsoft at making the PC as a gaming platform. The company announced that Ubisoft has joined the Games for Windows brading program, delivering The Settlers: Rise of an Empire under the brand name.Other publishers have also joined the program including 2K Games, Activision, Atari, EA, LucasArts, Midway and Sega, among others.
Microsoft also announced Train Simulator 2 from its internal studio. The game is expected to be the “most realistic train simulation experience ever” and will allow train enthusiasts to explore the world’s rail network or build their own.
Microsoft today announced pricing details and availability for the Xbox 360 Halo 3 Special Edition console. Sporting an authentic Spartan green and gold finish, the console will be available starting September 26 for £279.99. It will come with a matching controller, wired headset, gamer pics and theme, HDMI port, play & charge kit, and one month Xbox Live Gold membership, among other things.
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