REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Nintendo has revealed new details about the storyline and single-player game play in Kid Icarus^™: Uprising, which will launch exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS^™ system on March 23. More than 25 years after the launch of the original Kid Icarus game for NES^™, Kid Icarus: Uprising brings the action and adventure of this beloved series to new heights.

• Introduction: The game’s story begins with the return of the dark goddess Medusa and her Underworld Army. With the help of Palutena, goddess of light and guardian of the human race, the heroic angel Pit must combat the forces of darkness as he battles Medusa and her minions by air and by land.
• Fiend’s Cauldron: The Fiend’s Cauldron is an incredible new system that allows players to customize their play experience by adjusting the intensity level. Intensity ranges from 0.0 – 9.0 for each individual Chapter. As the intensity increases, players will be able to earn more Hearts and more powerful weapon drops from defeated enemies. Hearts also can be used to purchase new weapons. The standard intensity setting is 2.0, but players can precisely adjust it by increments of 0.1. In order to increase the intensity, players must bet by placing an increasing number of Hearts into the Fiend’s Cauldron. If the player is defeated during the Chapter, some Hearts will be lost and the intensity will be lowered.
• Weapons: A wide variety of collectible weapons offers an extraordinary amount of replay value. With nine different categories of weapons, ranging from Bows to Claws, players can learn the unique characteristics of each weapon and determine which is best suited for each battle and their style of play.
• Vehicles: During certain parts of his adventure, Pit will have access to special vehicles such as the Exo Tank. Pit can use the tank’s powerful drift ability to boost over jumps or defeat enemies with the tank’s ramming horn.
• Stand: Kid Icarus: Uprising uses a control scheme designed to fit the game’s unique blend of flight, shooting and melee combat, and offers tremendous precision and depth for dedicated players. The left hand uses the Circle Pad while the right hand uses the stylus. Every copy of the game will come with a free stand that holds the Nintendo 3DS at an angle above any flat surface, providing players with a new kind of gaming experience.
• Circle Pad Pro: Kid Icarus: Uprising is compatible with the Circle Pad Pro accessory, offering an alternate control scheme for left-handed players. With the Circle Pad Pro, players hold the stylus in their left hand and use the Circle Pad with their right hand.

Additionally, consumers who pre-order at select retailers will receive a bonus download code for the 3D Classics: Kid Icarus^™ game, a re-mastered 3D version of the NES original. The download code will be delivered with the purchase of Kid Icarus: Uprising. A deposit may be required for pre-order. Kid Icarus: Uprising will carry a suggested retail price of $39.99 in the United States.

More details about Kid Icarus: Uprising will be revealed prior to its March 23 launch. For more information, please visit http://kidicarusuprising.nintendo.com.

Shank 2 Uncut Gameplay Clip Jan 5 2012 from Jamie Cheng on Vimeo.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Award-winning independent game developer Klei Entertainment and EA Partners, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA), today announced that the highly anticipated 2D action brawler, Shank™ 2, will be available on the PlayStation®Network and PC in North America on February 7, 2012 for $9.99 USD. The game will be available on the Xbox LIVE® Arcade and PlayStation®Network Europe on February 8, 2012 for 800 Microsoft Points or € 9.99.

Set in a pulp fiction world, Shank 2 puts players back in control of their favorite ex-mobster hitman, Shank. Klei has evolved the combat experience with precise controls, new weapons, smarter enemies, and more advanced combo techniques, all set to the backdrop of beautiful 2D art and animation. Players can put Shank’s trusty arsenal of handguns, chainsaws, grenades, plus all-new weapons to use in order to protect those close to him.

Introducing an all-new Survival Mode, gamers can team up with a friend online or locally, working together to take down hordes of goons in an action-packed, arcade-style brawl. Featuring stunning visuals from Klei’s veteran cartoon director, Jeff Agala, Shank 2 raises the bar even higher for 2D brawlers with art and animation that won Klei multiple awards and nominations, including IGF’s Excellence in Visual Arts nomination, and the Canadian Animator of the Year award for Klei’s lead animator, Aaron Bouthillier.

For more information on Shank 2, please visit www.shankgame.com and follow the development team at www.twitter.com/klei and at www.facebook.com/shankgame.

SAN MATEO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Capcom®, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, is very proud to announce that Resident Evil® 6 is in full development and scheduled for release on the Xbox360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft® and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system on November 20, 2012 with a Windows PC version to follow. Blending action and survival horror, this latest instalment in the multi-million selling franchise, is the most ambitious, immersive and feature rich title of the series to date and promises to be the dramatic horror experience of the year.

Resident Evil 6 portrays a world where an escalation in bioterrorist attacks across the globe has led to widespread fear among the population. In an attempt to quell the panic and curb the bioterrorist activity the President of the United States has decided to speak to the nation but not before the very location of the address itself comes under attack. With the President’s safety compromised the situation for the rest of the world seems hopeless.

In a first for the franchise, Resident Evil 6 sees series favourites Leon S. Kennedy and Chris Redfield come together to face this unprecedented threat. They will be joined by new characters, each with their own unique perspective and involvement in this relentless dramatic horror experience enacted on a global scale.

Since the landmark release of Resident Evil in 1996, the franchise has firmly established itself as a truly worldwide entertainment brand and mainstay of contemporary culture with a series of live action movies, CG anime, manga, novels and numerous merchandising lines. To date the Resident Evil series of videogames has achieved global sales of over 47 million units, while the live action movies starring Milla Jovovich have grossed in excess of $525 million dollars at the box office.

To view the announcement trailer visit www.youtube.com/residentevil

For all assets please visit press.capcom.com

To keep up to date with all the latest information on Resident Evil, please visit: www.facebook.com/residentevil

www.twitter.com/re_games and follow the official hashtag #RE6

EDMONTON, Alberta–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Award-winning developer BioWare, a label of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:EA), announced today that the demo for 2012’s first blockbuster game, Mass Effect™ 3 will be available beginning February 14, 2012. The extensive demo will allow players to experience the all-out galactic war against an ancient alien race known as the Reapers from multiple fronts, including the mind-blowing opening attack on Earth that kicks off the single-player campaign. Players will go deeper into the campaign and also get a taste of the franchise’s new co-operative multiplayer mode as they preview the epic story, adrenaline-pumping action and deep customization options that lie ahead when Mass Effect 3launches on March 6, 2012. The Mass Effect 3 demo will be available for the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PC.Mass Effect 3 will also be one of the first pre-launch demos to support full voice recognition functionality on Kinect™ for Xbox 360.

BURBANK, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announces Mortal Kombat will ship for PlayStation®Vita system in Spring 2012. Developed by NetherRealm Studios, the game delivers an experience designed specifically for on-the-go gaming with brand new gameplay features and content developed exclusively for the new handheld device.

“The NetherRealm team is committed to making sure that we follow up the success of 2011’s Mortal Kombat with an equally compelling experience on the PlayStation Vita,” said Ed Boon, Creative Director, NetherRealm Studios. “The original game content and new features we developed for the PlayStation Vita will provide gamers with the best fighting game experience available on the new mobile platform.”

Read more… »

SAN DIEGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. (“Mad Catz”) (AMEX/TSX: MCZ) announced today a new range of Street Fighter® X Tekken® fighting game controllers, due for release to coincide with the upcoming Street Fighter X Tekken videogame from Capcom^® expected to launch on March 6, 2012 on consoles.

Due for release on the Xbox 360^® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PlayStation^®3 computer entertainment system, the new range of fighting game controllers includes the Street Fighter X Tekken FightPad SD, the Street Fighter X Tekken Arcade FightStick PRO and the flagship Street Fighter X Tekken Arcade FightStick V.S.

“We are excited to support the Street Fighter^® and Tekken^® franchises with our new range of fighting game controllers,” said Darren Richardson, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. “Our new V.S. FightStick and FightPad demonstrate our ability to continue innovating in this category and we believe that the fighting game community will react enthusiastically to our new product designs.”

The Street Fighter X Tekken Arcade FightStick V.S. features genuine Sanwa Denshi™ arcade components. The unique chassis allows gamers to join two sticks together via the Arcade FightStick V.S. Connector Kit (sold separately) for a highly realistic arcade presentation.

The Street Fighter X Tekken FightPad SD features a 15% smaller chassis than previous FightPad designs, inspired by the gaming preferences of legendary Street Fighter producer Yoshinori Ono.

Additional information is available at www.madcatz.com/SFXTekken.

LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–SteelSeries the leading manufacturer of premium-quality, competitive gaming peripherals today, introduced the SteelSeries Ion Wireless Controller. Through a licensing partnership with Zeemote Technology Inc., the SteelSeries Ion is designed to work fully with your PC, additionally the controller brings classic control schemes to touch screen devices like tablets and phones. The compact controller connects wirelessly through Bluetooth and can be easily customized and configured through its own application on the device.

“For PC users, the SteelSeries Ion is a convenient alternative, especially if they want something other than their mouse or keyboard as their tool. And for consumers with tablets and Smartphones, it really is an ideal accessory,” said Bruce Hawver, SteelSeries CEO. “Whether you’re sling shooting birds or playing a word game with friends, there are games that are ideal for touch screen. Those types of games however, are not the only games available; there are a number of first-person shooter and RTS games that aren’t downloaded or played as frequently as they could be, because the touch screen doesn’t provide an optimal experience. The SteelSeries Ion provides the advantage for those types of games.”

Measuring only about the size of a standard deck of cards (approximately 108mm in length, 55.5mm in width and 18mm thick); the lightweight controller can be easily stored and carried. It connects through Bluetooth to your PC and/or your mobile device and includes a white LED light on the controller indicating a connection. The SteelSeries Ion includes a rechargeable, lithium battery that will provide up to 20 hours of wireless use and can be plugged into your device for charge and play use.

The SteelSeries Ion boasts a classic controller design that includes 2 mini-joysticks, a left side Dpad button, 2 trigger buttons one at each shoulder, and a four button layout on the right, similar to familiar Nintendo®, Xbox 360® and PlayStation® controllers. The buttons can be customized through an easy-to-use interface for both PC and mobile devices.

The SteelSeries Ion Wireless Controller will be available in Q3; pricing will be announced closer to its availability. For more information about the new SteelSeries Ion, please visithttp://steelseri.es/ion. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for new product updates as well as a snapshot of all SteelSeries CES product announcements at http://steelseri.es/ces2012.