This week's new game announcements
Red Alert 3 and others.
(Update: EA has since rubbished this nonsense about KOTOR. Apparently it was not the news we're looking for. We can go on our way. Move along.)
Financial reports often make things interesting. Take today for example: EA puts together an analyst's report and the Internet steals it, unearthing lots of things the publisher had not announced. BioWare is working on a new KOTOR single-player adventure, apparently, and Pandemic is down to do something on Lord of the Rings. And both are due before next April, although we would advise taking that with a pinch of salt.
The same document suggested Criterion was doing more Black, despite the developer telling us it had no plans at the moment. EA offered no more information on the matter but pointed out it could be listing past and present projects. It could, but having argued about it all morning, we decided it would be thoroughly unsurprising if a Black sequel was unveiled this time tomorrow.
Pictures from the document also showed a Nerf gun peripheral for use with a Wiimote; it slots in the top, the same place you can stick Nerf foam ammo in. It looks like EA plans to ship this out with its freshly announced Nerf "N-Strike" Wii title.
Another EA secret was let out by PC Gamer, which posted the cover for its April edition, the one that has Red Alert 3 and a Soviet woman in hot pants splashed across it.
Financial papers also made life at Atari a little busier this afternoon. Its quarterly earnings unveiled a second Neverwinter Nights 2 expansion, a game called Airborne Rangers for PS3, PC and 360, as well as other casual bits and bobs. We spoke to Atari and it said to be patient, as each will be unveiled properly in the weeks to come, including one or two "hardcore" projects not in the financial documents. Lovely.
More solid in terms of announcements was a new rhythm-action game from THQ called Band Mashups. It works a lot like Guitar Hero in battle mode, only with lots more over-the-top instruments with unique styles, plus more special moves to throw your opponents off with. Eidos unveiled the familiar-sounding Dr. Knizia's Brainbenders for DS. However, the aim here is for high-scores rather than to increase your brain's age or weight.
More welcome is a sequel to Race Driver: Create & Race on DS. Titled GRID, like its console siblings, it will bring back a track editor, polished AI, full career mode and some quick thrill challenges for short bursts. Mark it in your diary alongside a fresh Puzzle Quest game due sometime next year.
One we're not so sure about is Roogoo, a Live Arcade puzzler from SouthPeak. It looks nice, much like Katamari, but its slotting objects into holes gameplay is yet to be proven.
Elsewhere you will be able to get Mass Effect and a Princess Bride adaptation on PC, although the latter is likely to be nowhere near as good as the film. We quite like it, you see.
We got wind of a speed-eating game too, but it will probably never see the light of day over here.
- BioWare doing more KOTOR (hooray), Pandemic doing Lord of the Rings
- EA doing Hasbro games and associated Nerf peripheral peow peow
- Secret Red Alert 3 not so secret any more
- Atari tells investors things, Internet hears
- Band Mashups looks quite familiar
- Dr. Knizia's Brainbenders does, too
- Race Driver: GRID on DS will be snazzy
- Puzzle Quest sequel will be, too
- Roogoo for Live Arcade looks nice
- Mass Effect on PC does, too
- Princess Bride game will probably be much worse than the film
- But not as bad as a Speed-eating game Europe is unlikely to ever see