About a month and a half ago, we covered the announcement of the Transformers Prime series getting its own game coming to all the Nintendo platforms. Today, we have the latest trailer for Transformers Prime featuring all gameplay footage. Though the release date hasn’t been revealed yet, Transformers Prime is slated for later this year, likely after Transformers: Fall of Cybertron.

It’s interesting to see two Transformers games coming out in the same year, though it makes sense as the two have widely different audiences of fans of the same core franchise. Transformers: Fall of Cybertron is built around the classic fan who is now in their later twenties or older. The story is more mature, has a darker art design and features classic versions of characters.

Transformers Prime on the other hand is the Transformers for the current youth generation. The character designs are simpler and brighter and the series has the three young human sidekicks for kids to relate to. Transformers Prime also is coming out for the Wii, DS and 3DS, systems which are skewed towards a younger fanbase.

Check out the trailer below and stick to the Flickcast for more on Transformers Prime coming later in 2012 for the Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS.

Continue Reading →

One of the most endearing parts of Who Framed Roger Rabbit was the imagined world where Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse were denizens of the same  world. It was a real thrill to see classic animated characters from multiple companies come together for one film.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Disney is at it again with their new film Wreck-It Ralph:

The movie features other spoofs of real-life games: Glee‘s Jane Lynch is a Sarge-like figure (Halo) in a sci-fi first-person shooter called Hero’s Duty, and comedian Sarah Silverman voices cutie-pie Vanellope Von Schweetz in a dessert-themed Mario Kart-style racing game called Sugar Rush.

But before Ralph ventures into those worlds, we find him confessing his woes in a support group for fellow videogame villains, and that’s where the first big cameos begin.

So on top of spoofs, the movie will also see actual cameos for famous video game characters. The EW article goes on to name a who’s who of classic villains, including Dr. Robotnik and Bowser. Does this foreshadow an appearance by two of the most famous video game mascots ever, Mario and Sonic?

What is also interesting is that it appears that a zombie, potentially from the Resident Evil universe, also appears. The truth of the video game industry is that there are a lot of mature titles and franchises that kids are drawn too, would a Disney animated feature call reference to them? You can find out when Wreck-It Ralph hits cinemas this winter.

It toppled Atari. It went head to head with SEGA for years to come out the victor. Even during the slow times, it was still in the black. Then Nintendo took control of the home console market again with record sales from the Wii. But eventually being on top means you have to fall. March 31st, 2012 marked the end of Nintendo’s fiscal year where they were forced to announce something that seemed impossible to imagine. They were at a loss.

While many factors contributed to Nintendo losing $ 458 ,000,000 during the past year while sales were in the $7,990,000,000 range, the main two being looked upon are the lack of software and the gigantic price drop from the 3DS.

With a library of over 1200 games, one would think the Wii would have carried enough momentum to continue high sales. Unfortunately, 2011 marked a lackluster year for new Wii releases. With only The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword to be both a commercial and critical success releasing in late 2011, owners of the system didn’t flock to other critical darlings such as Xenoblade or The Last Story like Nintendo would have hoped.

This could speak strongly to the hardcore gaming audience already having written off Nintendo for forgetting them with a lack of big core titles when the system initially launched. With the Wii U on its way, there is a drastic drop off in titles being promoted for the Wii.

Continue Reading →

We did it! Last week I implored you to vote for Calvin ‘Megatron’ Johnson in the Madden NFL 13 cover vote, and I am thrilled to report that it work! Yesterday the official unveiling took place on ESPN and Johnson was revealed as the new cover athlete who hopes to avoid the Madden curse.

The spectacle of the announcement might have been a bit over the top, but it was nice to see such a ruckus made of a video game on ESPN 2. Seeing a young, classy star like Johnson win the popular vote was great for fans of the game and more specifically for fans of Detroit who might be finally coming out of their dark ages.

In other Madden NFL 13 news, a new announcer crew was revealed for the game. In the last few years we have had the duo of Gus Johnson and Chris Collinsworth, a solid if unspectacular team. In the new version of the game we will be treated to the CBS ‘A’ announcer team of Jim Nantz and Phil Simms.

These guys are a much better announcer team, and actually work together on a weekly basis. So the game should have a more realistic feel to it on the broadcast side of things. Even though the game is using the CBS team, EA will not be mimicking the CBS graphics packages.

The highly anticipated football sim hits stores August 28th, 2012.

Kirby is the most adorable mascot in the Nintendo pantheon. He is a cute, pink little ball that sucks up enemies and can use their powers. I always assumed he ate the souls and gained their strength, and that underlying creepiness always punctuated his cuteness.

In honor of the Mascot’s 20th anniversary, Nintendo has announced plans to release a special commemorative disc to Wii consoles this fall. No word on what titles we can expect in this set, but the game will no doubt encompass the earlier era of the character.

In an official statement Nintendo executive VP Scott Moffitt had this to say:

A new Mario game and a big Kirby celebration will help make 2012 an especially great year for Nintendo fans. Whether they’re playing at home on Wii or using Nintendo 3DS to have fun on the go, players can look forward to experiencing some of our biggest franchises in exciting ways.

This release should be similar to the 25th anniversary Mario set that was released a while ago. Although we certainly hope for a more in-depth set of games than the Super Mario World free Mario set. On the flip side though, that collection included some nice bonuses, so if all we get are NES era Kirby Games, a soundtrack, and a Pink Wii-mote, this celebratory set should still be worth it.

With PAX East over, it’s now the time to countdown to the biggest show in the gaming world: E3. This 2012′s E3 has the potential to be one of the biggest in gaming history. As both the XBox 360 and PlayStation 3 have hit milestones in their lifecycles, could it be time for both Microsoft and Sony to reveal the latest entrants to the console market? Last year’s E3 revealed the Wii U to mixed feedback.

Nintendo appeared to be playing catch up to the power of both the 360 and PS3 by announcing power specs that are comparable to the current generation’s competitors with another gimmick controller. But what could this next generation of home consoles do to change the game and the way gaming is consumed? Truth be told, we don’t know and the rumor mill around the internet has only lead to widespread debate over possible problems caused by these new consoles as opposed to innovations brought on from them.

The next iteration of consoles will most likely not focus on simple graphic upgrades. Looking at games from the XBox 360′s and PlayStation 3′s launches and comparing them to the most recent releases has shown that these systems have not topped out yet in terms of their processing power and graphical capabilities. In the hands of the right developers, cutting edge visuals are still being developed for consoles and it is rare to see drastic differences between even the highest end PC games to their console counterparts. So while it is realistic that these new systems will have stronger processors with higher capabilities, the noticeable degree of improvement isn’t going to be as drastic as with previous generations.

Continue Reading →

Talk to almost anyone you meet and they will probably admit to playing a game at some point in their life. Interestingly enough, many would never consider themselves gamers. Some would even scoff at the idea.

For the purposes of this article, let’s consider our definition of gamer as someone who spends a majority of their free time playing games, regardless of what format, board, video or whatever, said game is in. Being considered a gamer also requires active participation, so watching and betting on sports is not a part of the definition. Although, someone who is participating in games of chance like cards and casino gambling may fall into this category as well.

The world stepped into modern gaming as far back as 1947 with the first video game, Cathode Ray Tube Amusement Device. It wasn’t until Pong was released in 1972, and later the home version in 1975, that playing a video game began to work its way into everyday life. Because of the high cost of entry, the first to play Pong on their home tv were fairly well off and gaming took some time before making its way to the masses.

Continue Reading →

Assassin’s Creed III has proven itself a huge point of interest for many gamers since it’s reveal. With the drastic change of scenery from three games set in Renaissance Italy and Constantinople, the idea of a new proper sequel to the series with a completely new continent to adventure upon is one people can’t seem to resist talking about.

Yesterday, Machinima.com got access to an exclusive teaser trailer of Connor, the game’s new protagonist. In it, Connor’s character model is presented in stunning detail, though no gameplay is shown. Instead, the trailer focuses on the tools of the trade Connor will be using, confirming the items originally hinted at in the game’s XBox.com description like the dual pistols and the much anticipated tomahawk.

Interestingly enough, Connor is fairly new to the Assassin brotherhood. The trailer reveals he only joined in 1770 with the game taking place during the American Revolution only a few years later. Many who played the original games will remember that Altair was raised in the Assassins while Ezio was destined to become a part of the order since birth as well. Connor may end up being most like Desmond, the series’ modern day protagonist who has been thrust into his current role.

Take a peek at the teaser after the break. Keep your eyes peeled to The Flickcast for more on Assassin’s Creed III and its new protagonist Connor.

Continue Reading →

I like to make it a point to cover video game music as often as I can. I really think the entire industry is on the cusp of breaking down what little barriers are left and establishing itself as a thoroughly acceptable artistic medium.

So when I was given the chance to take a listen to London Music Works’ Essential Games Music Collection Vol.1 I was excited. Usually compilations like these are reserved for film scores but the quality of video game music has risen so high this release isn’t just warrented, it’s way over due.

Of course with any release like this there will be a heavier reliance on the newer and more popular themes to sell the album. Luckily that works in this release’s favor, as the industries most recent and most popular stuff is what people should be hearing.

The album does still try to strike a balance between the new and the old, but with only 13 tracks to deal with there is going to be a lot of music left for volumes 2 and beyond. The descending order of most recent to oldest also makes for a very interesting listening experience, a devolution on the industry, if you will.

Continue Reading →

Two Daytime Emmys. A hit toy line. A second season underway and a third already announced. Transformers Prime takes another look at the Transformers mythos to lock in new fans to the franchise’s legacy. It was only a manner of time before the series would be given its own licensed game treatment.

The game will feature franchise stalwarts Optimus Prime and Bumblebee along with others from the series Arcee, Ratchet and Bulkhead along with the human kids Jack, Miko and Raf as they try to of course save earth from Megatron. There is also a fleeting image throughout the trailer of a robot that looks a LOT like Eva-001 from Neon Genesis: Evangelion.

“Hasbro Studios has done a phenomenal job with the TRANSFORMERS PRIMEtelevision show,” said David Oxford, Executive Vice President at Activision Publishing. “We are collaborating closely with the series creators to capture all the adventure, humor and friendships from the show to create an authentic action experience for TRANSFORMERS fans of all ages to enjoy.”

“Hasbro is thrilled to be working with Activision again on an exciting new TRANSFORMERS video game,” said Mark Blecher, Senior Vice President of Digital Media and Marketing at Hasbro. “The TRANSFORMERS PRIME animated series has resonated strongly with kids and fans and we’re looking forward to delivering this new way to experience the adventure.”

Though story details are slim at the moment, check out the trailer below for the first glimpse of Transformers Prime: The Game coming to the Nintendo Wii, 3DS and DS from Activision and Nowpro after the jump.

Continue Reading →

For those finally catching up with all their late 2011 gaming, Assassins’ Creed: Revalations marked the end of Ezio’s story (for now at least). Now, from the look of the new trailer for Assassins’ Creed III, we are going to be fast forwarding a little over two hundred and fifty years and crossing the Atlantic to the new world as the founding fathers waged a revolution.

As originally reported the other day by the Flickcast, Assassins’ Creed III will feature a half English, half Mohawk man named Connor, and also referred to by his birth name of Ratohnhaké:ton. The game will also feature historical figures like George Washington and Charles Lee alongside Benjamin Franklin who may play a role similar to that of Leonardo da Vinci from the Assassins’ Creed II timeline. As revealed by the description on the Microsoft website (see below), the game will feature the weapons of the time including bows, pistols and a tomahawk.

Also worth noting is the mention of “abundant wildlife” which is yet to be seen other than the eagles and pigeons flying around in the previous games. This leaves potential for instances like that of Red Dead Redemption where players can have encounters with wildlife and have to have a knife fight with a bear. Though Connor must have a better set of skills for taking on grizzlies than John Marsten did.

Continue Reading →

One of the main issues Nintendo has faced in the second half of it’s Wii lifespan is a disturbing lack of major third party titles. The graphics limitations of the Wii, coupled with the unique control scheme makes it difficult for developers to incorporate the Nintendo console as a platform for their marquee titles.

Ubisoft has just announced that the new Nintendo console, the Wii U, will be one of the consoles their new, and highly anticipated, title will be playable on. Assassin’s Creed III could open the flood gates of other third party marquee titles making their way toward Nintendo.

Ubisoft has been on the forefront of third party partnership with the Wii U since the announcement at last year’s E3. They showcased Ghost Recon playable on the system and have been participating in Nintendo events showcasing the Wii U features. The real test for Nintendo will be if they can lure other high profile developers, but getting their hands on Ubisoft’s biggest franchise will go a long way in that goal.

Assassin’s Creed III sees a major change in the series as it advances the time frame up to the American Revolution and takes place on this side of the pond. The game will feature a new protagonist, this time of partial native american decent, which should be the source of some interesting aesthetic tweaks this go around.