Medal Of Honor: Warfighter Says Series Committed To Authenticity

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There are a lot of FPS titles that are given modern settings, but most fall short of being truly realistic. Rich Farley, creative director for Danger Close, says that Medal of Honor: Warfighter manages a higher level of authenticity.

“Something we’ve revived recently, since the last Medal of Honor, is this notion of our core tenets of respect for the soldier, telling the soldier’s story from the soldier’s point of view, and kind of a commitment to authenticity, and really trying not to deviate from that and trying to cement our identity in the shooter realm,” says Farley. “Other people have soldiers and weapons systems, and they do a great job of them, but I think what sets us apart is telling the soldier’s story from the soldier’s point of view, and we really take that seriously and dive into it. I would argue that story’s one of the most important things in Warfighter, it’s what really sets us apart as a player experience and an entertainment experience.”

Source: CVG {link no longer active}

Skype Now On PS Vita

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Sony Computer Entertainment America has announced that the PS Vita now has a Skype video calling app.  PS Vita owners can use either the front or the back camera, while the app will run in the background during games and other usage; though some games will not allow incoming calls to be received during play.

“Our users appreciate being able to access Skype features wherever and whenever they choose,” said Manrique Brenes, senior director, consumer electronics group at Skype. “With the launch of Skype for PS Vita, we are taking another step towards our ultimate goal of making Skype video calling available on every platform, all over the world, and meeting the demands of existing PlayStation users to offer video on a gaming console.”

The Raven Photo Challenge

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Get your creative juices flowing by taking a shot at the Digital Photography Review Photo Challenge {link no longer active}, sponsored by The Raven. Challenges are photographic mini-competitions (with no prize other than glory) open to all preview members and judged by popular vote. There are four suitably horrific weekly themes – Midnight, Entombed, Gothic, The Raven – to inspire your photographic creativity. Starring John Cusack as Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven hits theaters April 27.

War Inc. Launches Formally

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Online Warmongers Group has announced that War Inc. Battle Zone has launched out of beta testing, where it saw players from over 175 countries who logged in excess of 120 million hours of game play. The game’s official release will see the introduction of 32 vs. 32 “platoon-on-platoon” battles and a deep weapon modification system.

“More than two years ago we set out to make a console-quality, competition-tuned shooter that would set a new standard in free-to-play,” said Sergey Titov, President of Online Warmongers.  “As our community of players came to recognize throughout our beta, we kept raising the bar for ourselves, and today we believe we’ve done it for the free shooter category as a whole.”

Additionally, Online Warmongers has partnered with Alienware Arena to commemorate the game’s launch with a massive giveaway.  New War Inc. Battle Zone players can enter to win an Alienware X51 gaming computer or one of 100,000 codes for a free in-game bundle that includes high-end weapons, custom gear and the exclusive Alienware Arena branded chest plate at alienwarearena.com/contests/war-inc {link no longer active}.

Kickstarter May Reach $300 Million Raised For 2012

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Kickstarter might raise $300 million this year, roughly three times higher than 2011’s funding numbers. Leading the way is the Pebble smartwatch with $5.6 million pledged, but Double Fine raised $3.3 million on the service, InXile’s Wasteland 2 had $2.9 million, and Shadowrun Returns has raised $1.3 million.

Furthermore, a breakdown by Kickstarter co-founder Yancey Strickler show that film was far and and away the most funded. Granted, this study was done in February, and numerous games projects have come out since then.

Source: VentureBeat

Mobile Social Title Coming From Digi117

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United States Playing Card Company has announced that they will team up with Digi117 to create a new online casino title. The game, Casino by Zeniz, will launch on iOS and Android in Spring 2012 and will come to the new Zeniz Gaming Network.

“Our product is more than just another poker app, it’s a virtual casino: one lobby with digital entertainment as well as many games,” said Marc Hill, President of USPC. “The platform is targeted to social gamers with high-end graphics optimized for mobile devices and tablets that bring together critical game attributes and branding opportunities that don’t exist in any other mobile game application. Our platform introduces new technology and exciting new ways to play casino games in both single-play and social-play modes.”

“We are excited to be partnered with USPC and feel lucky to be involved with a visionary like Marc helping to implement the USPC digital strategy,” said Vadim Chernega, President of Digi117. “After designing, developing and promoting over two hundred mobile applications with millions of downloads, we feel confident our experience will make this game a winner. We have some of the most talented designers, and we have launched a new-to-the-world social gaming concept.”

Trials Evolution Sees Highest Grossing Day-One Sales For XBLA

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Microsoft announced that Trials Evolution sold over 100,000 copies in one day. The volume of people looking to play the game has forced Microsoft to put up new servers for the game.

“Xbox Live Arcade delivers breakout digital gaming experiences to Xbox Live members,” said Microsoft in a release. “With the launch of Trials Evolution, the sequel to the breakout XBLA success Trials HD and the first title released in the Microsoft Studios Presents: Arcade NEXT program, publisher Microsoft Studios is proud to announce that after the first 24 hours of sales, Trials Evolution has set a record for the highest grossing day-one sales in Xbox Live Arcade history!”

A streaming launch event {link no longer active} promoted the game on TwitchTV.

Source: Playxbla.com