By: Jon Christensen on March 10th, 2010 pm31 12:19 pm
It’s official, the videogame streaming service OnLive will debut on June 17 in the US, which is also the last day of E3. Their will be a monthly subscription of $14.95 and other fees like renting or owning a game will be extra.
According to COO Mike McGarvey, who talked to MCV, the membership price “provides access to an ever-increasing library of high-end, new release game content and a host of exclusive community feature such as Brag Clips and massive spectating.” He also noted that “individual titles will be available for purchase or rental on an a la carte basis. Specific game pricing, including rentals,purchases and loyalty programs, will be announced prior to the consumer launch event at E3. We’ll also be announcing additional loyalty and discount programs for consumers in the coming months.”
When the service launches, it will only be available for both the PC and Mac; however, the home Micro Console — which allows games to played on any TV — is scheduled before years end. “For the initial rollout of the consumer service, we are focusing on delivering high-performance games to PCs and Macs and we will be making an announcement regarding our plans for the MicroConsole rollout later on in the year,” said McGarvey.
Three titles have been confirmed when OnLive launches on the internet, which are Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed II and Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, along with THQ’s Metro 2033. Although, expect more to be announced soon — maybe even tonight when OnLive has a keynote during GDC.
It’s been known for awhile that Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Take-Two Interactive, Warner Bros and THQ have all jumped on the OnLive bandwagon. However, up until this point the biggest publisher in the world — Activision — has yet to be sold on the streaming service concept.
After the jump, read about what I think is the biggest hurdle for OnLive. (more…)
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By: Jon Christensen on November 16th, 2009 pm30 12:43 pm
Rumors have been suggesting that customers who buy Assassin’s Creed II, will receive an exclusive demo for Splinter Cell: Conviction, for the Xbox 360. The rumors started to appear thanks to a video from the HipHopGamer and a post from a NeoGAF user. The game comes with a card that includes a URL and a code which gives the customer the chance to download a freebie. Right away people started to think that the game is coming with the demo. If that is what you are hoping, then please by all means stop.
We received a picture of this so-called voucher, and from what we can tell — it’s not an exclusive demo for the next Sam Fisher title. It doesn’t say anything about a demo nor does it even suggest a tease for the game will be available if you purchase Assassin’s Creed II. If you read the card, it tells you to “go to the URL, then “enter your key code,” from there you’ll “receive [a] free instant download.” This sounds like nothing more than a free wallpaper or something similar.
Also, it says nowhere on the box that a demo is include with every copy of Assassin’s Creed II for the Xbox 360. Don’t you think that this is something Ubisoft would want to advertise on the case if it did include a demo? It’s not happening, sorry guys.
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By: Jon Christensen on September 3rd, 2009 pm30 5:40 pm
Ubisoft has released another trailer for Assassin’s Creed II, which is being released for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The clip repeatedly shows the main character of the game, Ezio, and shows off some of the battles he must face while the stories unfold. One thing that is catching my eye about the game is how beautiful the sword fighting animations are.
While you watch it, notice how the trailer slows down to reveal how deep the fighting engine is going to be. Generally speaking about an ‘adventure’ game, anytime you slow down anything to watch the mechanics of fighting, it looks rather unrealistic. The imperfections are glaring when everything is in slow-motion. But not so much with Assassin’s Creed II. Each duel between Ezio and his opponent is smooth and seems extremely epic.
The only thing I question about the trailer, is the music choice. While I understand Ubisoft is trying to convince players that Ezio is a badass, I don’t think they need to use the song “Genesis” by Justice, to prove this. The track just doesn’t fit with a title like Assassin’s Creed II, where the story is primarily being told in the 15th century. If I remember correctly from high school history, electronic music wasn’t around yet.
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By: Jon Christensen on August 5th, 2009 am31 8:49 am
The limited edition version of Assassin’s Creed II by Ubisoft has been unveiled, thanks to Gamestop. The publisher is calling this version the Master Assassin Edition and will be available for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 for $79.99. Isn’t it great to know that we can be ‘master’ assassins as opposed to just regular ones for only 20 bucks more? What a deal!
According to the retailer’s website, this special package is a Gamestop exclusive and will not made available to any other retailers. Included in the bundle is:
*8.6 Collectable Ezio Statue
*Artbook: The Art of Assassins Creed
*Premium Collectable Metal Case
*Two Exclusive, in-game maps
-Palazzo Medici
-Santa Maria Dei Frari
*Additional content DVD:
-Behind the Scenes of Assassin’s Creed
-Assassin’s Creed II Soundtrack
Out of everything, the exclusive maps sound the most intriguing to me. Assassin’s Creed II will be in stores on November 17th.
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