Namco-Bandai Games Announces Warhammer: Battle March

Following on the heels of EA’s recent announcement of a C&C3 expansion, Namco-Bandai have announced their own expansion to their fantasy setting Warhammer based strategy game, Warhammer: Mark of Chaos. The new expansion is aptly titled Warhammer: Mark of Chaos – Battle March for Windows. Also announced is a brand new Xbox 360 version simply titled Warhammer: Battle March.

“Thrusting players into Games Workshop’s renowned fantasy world, players will be able to control six unique armies – the Empire, Chaos, Skaven, High Elves as well as the all-new Dark Elf and Orcs & Goblins forces – as they battle for supremacy in a world torn apart by constant warfare.”

It is nice to see more strategy games taking it to the console platform. For those not in-the-know, Warhammer: Mark of Chaos is considered a Real Time Tactical game, or RTT. Instead of the usual clickfest resource hoarding concept that is the staple of most RTSes, WH:MoC focuses more on the strategy elements. This laid back approach is somewhat appealing (at least in concept) to the thinking gamer. Instead of micro-managing units like a kid picking the marshmallows out of a bowl of Lucky Charms, the player is more or less watching a huge battle unfold (much like the Total War series).

It is this writer’s opinion that the simplistic interface of Mark of Chaos could work rather well on a console. Although EA are taking steps to shoehorn C&C3 to be less frustrating with a gamepad (see: radial interface), it still isn’t the same as playing C&C3 on PC with a mouse. Way too much micromanaging. The biggest advantage WH:MoC still has is the rich Warhammer universe. There is more than enough content and backstory to make a good single player experience here. Relic certainly pulled it off well with its Dawn of War series of RTS games. There is no reason why Namco-Bandai could not pull it off as well. I think it all comes down to polishing the product.

No word on whether Black Hole Entertainment would be reprising its role in development of Battle March. Perhaps they were sacrificed to the Blood God Khorne? Skulls for the Throne!

Click below to read the announcement.

Control Massive Armies, Customize Units and Battle Online on the Xbox 360â„¢ and Continue a Centuries-Old Struggle for Supremacy in Expansion to Critically Acclaimed PC Game

SANTA CLARA, Calif., (August 17, 2007) – Leading video games publisher and developer NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. today announced Warhammer®: Battle Marchâ„¢ for the Xbox 360â„¢ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Warhammer®: Mark of Chaosâ„¢ – Battle Marchâ„¢ for the PC. Debuting the series’ tactical real-time action on the Xbox 360 and delivering all-new content to 2006’s critically acclaimed Warhammer: Mark of Chaos for the PC, Battle March brings the brutality, strategy and drama of warfare to life with six unique playable armies, fully customizable units and intense online clashes.

On the Xbox 360, Warhammer: Battle March includes the original content from Warhammer: Mark of Chaos as well as all-new features, intuitive control schemes and support for online play via the Xbox LIVE® online entertainment network. Thrusting players into Games Workshop’s renowned fantasy world, players will be able to control six unique armies – the Empire, Chaos, Skaven, High Elves as well as the all-new Dark Elf and Orcs & Goblins forces – as they battle for supremacy in a world torn apart by constant warfare. The individual units of each army can be customized in great detail, allowing players to put their own mark on their fighting force and strike fear into their opponents with terrifying combinations of weaponry and armor. Players can also control Heroes and Champions for each army, high-powered units that gain new abilities as they tear through the opposition. Placing the focus of gameplay on combat and tactics rather than tedious resource management, Warhammer: Battle March on the Xbox 360 features two control schemes for both master battlefield tacticians and novice warriors that offer full control over all aspects of the player’s army. On Xbox LIVE, up to four players can engage in massive multi-army clashes in head-to-head and team-based modes of play.

An expansion to Warhammer: Mark of Chaos for the PC, Warhammer: Mark of Chaos – Battle March builds upon the game’s tactical foundation to offer new units for each army as well as an original campaign and new online modes. Players will be able to experience the mysterious sorcery of the Dark Elves and the savage brutality of the Orcs and Goblins in an all-new chapter of the game’s single player campaign as they battle to overcome an invasion by the armies of Chaos.

Warhammer: Battle March for the Xbox 360 and Warhammer: Mark of Chaos – Battle March for the PC are scheduled for release in 2008. For more information, please visit www.namcobandaigames.com.