At E3 2007, Guild Wars: Eye of the North was demonstrated for media exclusively, but was not available on the show floor. Now for the first time, gamers will be able to see this exclusive E3 demo in its entirety through the Guild Wars: Eye of the North guided E3 demo video. Gamers will see more of the new regions contained in the Guild Wars expansion, including the Eye of the North, Gunnar’s Hold and Rata Sum. The demo, which is narrated by design lead Ben Miller, also features a detailed look at one of the dungeons, Aracni’s Haunt, the highly anticipated Hall of Monuments, and much more.

Guild Wars: Eye of the North will hit retail stores on August 31, until then visit the
official site for more Guild Wars information and as always check out our GW page for more goodies.

With all the hoopla and fuzzy feelings of E3 2007 slowing fading away, news broke regarding the Game Critics Awards Best of E3 2007 winners just in time to get everyone interested again. Rock Band won three awards, Electronic Arts took home the most awards by coveting six of them, and the Xbox 360 had 11 different winning titles slated to appear on their console.

Here is a breakdown for you:

Best of Show
Rock Band
(Harmonix/MTV Games/EAP for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)

Best Original Game
LittleBigPlanet
(Media Molecule/Sony Computer Entertainment Europe for PS3)

Best Console Game
Mass Effect
(Bioware/Microsoft Games Studio for Xbox 360)

Best PC Game
Crysis
(Crytek/EAP)

Best Handheld Game
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
(Nintendo for Nintendo DS)

Best Hardware/Peripheral
Rock Band Instruments
(Harmonix/MTV Games/EAP for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)

Best Action Game
Call of Duty 4
(Infinity Ward/Activision for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)

Best Action/Adventure Game
Bioshock
(Irrational Games/2K Games for PC, Xbox 360)

Best Role Playing Game
Mass Effect
(Bioware / Microsoft Games Studio for Xbox 360)

Best Racing Game
Burnout Paradise
(Criterion Games/Electronic Arts for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)

Best Sports Game
Madden NFL 08
(Electronic Arts for All Platforms)

Best Fighting Game
Virtua Fighter 5
(Sega for Xbox 360)

Best Strategy Game
World in Conflict
(Massive Entertainment/Sierra for PC)

Best Social/Casual/Puzzle
Rock Band
(Harmonix/MTV Games/EAP for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)

Best Online Multiplayer
Halo 3
(Bungie/Microsoft Games Studio for Xbox 360)

Special Commendation for Graphics
Killzone 2
(Guerilla Games/Sony Computer Entertainment Europe for PS3)

For the full breakdown, visit mmoabc.com.

Does E3 really have to move away from Los Angeles? Crunch Arcade’s Peter Suciu doesn’t think so. In fact, there are a number of ideas which he suggests which really make sense.

For instance, instituting a dress code for attendees of E3. It’s sure to spawn groans from gamers, but that could do wonders for pushing the attitude of the conference to a more serious tone. It doesn’t have to be about dress shoes and a tie, but it shouldn’t be about shorts and sandals. As much as we’d like it to be, E3 isn’t a vacation.

And I couldn’t agree more with the Best in Show being reworked, especially making sure to exclude having the same game being given the award multiple years in a row. That’s not Best in Show, that’s Best in Last Year’s Show.

These ideas aren’t hard to implement and the organizers should pay attention. It’s obvious that the measures taken at this year’s E3 were too drastic, and to everyone’s detriment.

We’ll have to see what evolves in the next six months.

Space Station Tycoon follows the adventures of Shawn and his high-strung monkey sidekick Tam through pirate infested space, meteor fields, supernovas, and bizarre characters as they seek out fame and fortune. Expand your empire with an increasing number of stations and customize each one to attract business. Keep the customers happy and they will gladly spend their money. Throughout the game, players will encounter over 30 kooky characters; but watch out because unruly space pirates, starfish ninjas and mysterious voodoo-practicing chickens can disrupt your stations at anytime, bringing your tycoon empire to the ground. Slated for an August release, Space Station Tycoon is a Wii exclusive.

Features:

• Tons of customization: Continually expand your empire with an increasing number of islands and customize each one to attract business. Add Galactic Taverns and overflowing treasure chests to befriend the unruly Space Pirates. Looking for a livelier crowd? Build luaus and water parks to attract the fun-loving Party Pigs!
• Awesome cast of characters: Play as entrepreneur Shawn, with the help of his monkey sidekick Tam, and keep a crazy cast of quirky characters happy so they will gladly spend their money! Make the right friends and you will run your competition into the ground. But, it’s not so easy when your competition seems to have ties to Space Pirates, Ninjas and mysterious voodoo-practicing Chickens!
• Physics-based object interaction: Create gravity points with your Wii controller and interact with objects in the environment. Catch asteroids to keep them from smashing your space station, bounce rowdy ships, retrieve tips from visitors and even lob cannonballs at those troublesome pirates that keep attacking!
• Goal-based gameplay: Manage stations all over the galaxy and take advantage of the ebb and flow of the economy to maximize your income. Meet the objectives of each level in order to continue to expand your empire and become the ultimate Space Station Tycoon!

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E3 GAMEPLAY AND INTRO TRAILERS

Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts is the next chapter in the critically acclaimed Company of Heroes series. Players take command of the German Panzer Elite as they struggle against the might of Operation Market Garden, or lead the British 2nd Army in the vicious battle for Caen, France. The standalone title features two unique armies with full length campaigns, new multiplayer modes, Microsoft DirectX 10 support, mission persistence, improved vehicle and soldier AI, enhanced physics, and a dynamic weather system. Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts is fully compatible with Company of Heroes, allowing players to wage war with four unique armies. Slated for a November release, COH: Opposing Fronts was developed by Relic and will be published by THQ.

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Trailer After the Jump

Read the full article »

Time Crisis 4 includes a full FPS game mode, HD quality graphics and a newly designed Guncon to enhance every aspect of the game. Time Crisis 4 brings a fresh new look to launch the series into the next generation.

• Next Generation Guncon – The most advanced Guncon ever, redesigned specifically to enhance next-gen gameplay.
• New dual analog stick design- Change camera angles, switch out weapons and control your character’s movement, including crouching and jumping.
• Full compatibility with all displays- Enjoy the adrenaline pumping action in HD quality graphics whether you have an LCD, plasma or widescreen display. (Also supports Standard Definition displays)
• FPS mode – Exclusive to the console version and entirely new to the Time Crisis universe, roam freely as a new, console exclusive playable character, and experience FPS style gameplay in 5 new stages.
• Multiple modes – Time Crisis 4 delivers intense-action in numerous modes of play including: Full Mission – Play through a combination of original stages and brand new FPS stages, Arcade – Experience arcade action in your very own living room, Crisis Missions – The popular Crisis Missions are back and more exciting than ever, now with new tactical missions! Destroy biological weapons and complete other objectives requiring the utmost in stealth and precision, Mini Games – Test your sharp shooting skills and complete your objective within seconds, or go head-to-head with a friend in a variety of challenging mini games.
• Upgraded Arsenal – In addition to your standard weapons assortment, such as handguns and shotguns, upgrade to grenade launchers and mounted machine guns (FPS mode only) to increase your lethal arsenal. Also features unlockable console exclusive bonus weapons. Select your weapon and be prepared to assault enemies from every direction.

Time Crisis 4, a PS3 exclusive, will be hitting retail shelves this November.

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From Namco’s acclaimed weapon-based fighting series comes the fourth chapter in the series. Delivering new gameplay modes, characters and enhanced features with 3D modeling and animation, Soul Calibur IV aims to be a definitive fighting game experience. Developed by Project Soul, Soul Calibur IV re-introduces classic warriors from the series as well as introduces new characters that bring new conflict and intrigue. With online play, new life is being breathed into the series, and gives fighting games a new outlet.

Looking at some of these screens, I am wondering if the female characters have enough protection from the sword play involved. Taki looks like she just painted herself pink instead of dressing, and Ivy…. personally I would get sick and tired of having a constant wedgie. Soul Calibur IV will be released for the PS3 and Xbox-360 sometime in 2008.

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Soul Calibur Legends is kind of a side story for the series. A new character, Isuka, is a mysterious young man of imperial blood who is traveling with Siegfried during the 16th century. Legends is different from the normal one-on-one fighting style of the series, and is instead more of a 3rd-person sword-based action platform, with characters facing multiple enemies at once. Enemies consist of classic Soul Calibur fighters as well as some new beasts. Use special attacks acquired throughout the game to crush your enemies and large bosses, earn honored titles such as Knight or Soldier while battling through diverse stages and environments.

The control schemes change depending on which character you are playing (you can switch between two) with new playable characters being unveiled as you progress. These new characters also acquire new skills and weapons along the way. In addition to combat, there are traps and other treacherous obstacles in dungeons. Different game stage layouts contribute to the fight as well, so players will want to use height to their advantage.

Slated for a November 30th release, Soul Calibur Legends is a Wii exclusive from Namco Bandai Games. We have plenty of screens for you to peruse, and the E3 trailer too- enjoy!

If e3 ends up in Las Vegas, what exactly was the point of trying to change anything with that convention?

Apparently, organizers of the Electronics Entertainment Exhibition are still fiddling with the ingredients of this new experimental formula for the 2008 gathering. Jeff Bell, Microsoft’s VP of Marketing, said recently, “I’m not flying the flag for Las Vegas necessarily, but LA’s not a convention town.”

There was concern this year about the necessary exposure between partners and media, and it’s something that is still being worked on. It will be interesting to see where it will end up next year, hopefully somewhere that makes everyone happy.

San Francisco isn’t a bad town, either. In fact, it seems like the Games Developers Conference has been a success with that city, so why shouldn’t e3 do just as well?

On his deathbed, the famous composer, Chopin, drifts between this life and the next. In his final hours, he experiences a fantastical dream where he encounters a young girl facing a terrible destiny and the boy who will fight to save her. On the border between dreams and reality, Chopin discovers the light that shines in all of us in this enduring tale of good and evil, love and betrayal.

Eternal Sonata will be available for the Xbox-360 in September. The game looks gorgeous, and I hope that the gamplay can compete with the visuals. For more information on the game go here, for the trailer go here, and for the official website click here.

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