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Square Enix reveals European Dissidia collector's edition

by Jem Alexander { Jul 3rd 2009 at 6:30PM }

Sure, Europe still has some slight delay when getting Square Enix PSP titles, when compared to the US, but at least when they arrive, they come with extra goodies. Crisis Core had a bonus art book and now Dissidia will be getting the collector's edition treatment.

This special edition will include a regular boxed copy of the game inside clamshell packaging, as shown in the image to the right. Also in the box will be a "Best Selection Soundtrack Mini-CD," with specially chosen tracks from the game and liner notes by the composer.

There will also be a 48-page hardback artbook, similar to the Crisis Core one, and a Brady Games Official Miniguide and two lithograph prints. Not a bad package, overall, but we're still waiting for the announcement of the European release of the limited edition Dissidia PSP-3000. It is coming, right Square Enix?

European PSN releases for July 2

by Jem Alexander { Jul 2nd 2009 at 3:00PM }

Okay Sony, we forgive you for the last couple of weeks. Today's PSN update is chock full of content, with particular emphasis on downloadable games. Punisher and Topatoi are joined by James Pond 2 and Numblast, plus a demo for Red Baron. There's also the usual amount of DLC for those rhythm games you kids love so much, along with a new MotorStorm Pacific Rift expansion.

PSP owners can grab Monster Hunter Freedom Unite, a PSP version of Numblast and some other games, but if none take your fancy at least there's some new Rock Band Unplugged DLC.

Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list:

(Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)

Continued →

And you thought DJ Hero was expensive in America

by Jem Alexander { Jul 1st 2009 at 3:10PM }

Europeans will be paying through the nose -- but pay they will, if past Hero franchise figures are anything to go by -- for the next rhythm game from Activision. ShopTo has told Eurogamer that DJ Hero will retail for a ridiculous £108 in the UK. That's about $178 -- a $50 markup from the already silly US price.

Retailers are doing their best to bring the price down to something a little more reasonable, with ShopTo offering the game for £94.85 and HMV listing a £99.99 price point. Still a bit steep, but we suspect the game will still sell pretty decently. Although, that depends on how much Scratch will be selling for ...

Topatoi spinning to European PSN this week

by Jem Alexander { Jul 1st 2009 at 2:00PM }

We haven't heard much from Topatoi, the spinning 3D platformer developed by Ukrainian developer Boolat Games, since it was announced last November. Now, suddenly, the European PlayStation Blog has revealed that the game will be released this week -- but only in Europe. Boolat's PR manager calls Topatoi "the first part of the saga" and notes that the game will include split-screen multiplayer, with future updates providing more multiplayer modes.

No word on an American release yet -- but it definitely won't be this week. The official Boolat website says an announcement will be coming "soon."

Gallery: Topatoi

UK government requests evidence to support game developer tax break

by Griffin McElroy { Jun 30th 2009 at 1:15PM }

Two weeks ago, British politician Lord Stephen Carter published a document titled the "Digital Britain" report, which could ostensibly change the technological face of the UK should his fellow politicians adopt its bold demands. The nation's leaders were intrigued by at least one section of the report -- a section that suggests video game development studios should receive tax breaks in an effort to protect and strengthen the nation's gaming business.

The UK's Department of Media, Culture and Sport responded to the request by mailing TIGA and the ELSPA, asking for evidence to support why such a tax break is needed, and how it would culturally enrich the country. We're pretty sure that if such a tax break inspired the creation of a few more Media Molecules or Lionheads, we'd end up feeling pretty enriched.

MS partners with Canal+ for on-demand programs in France

by Richard Mitchell { Jun 29th 2009 at 2:00PM }

MCV reports that Microsoft has signed a deal with Canal+ to provide on-demand programming to France via the Xbox 360. Microsoft will utilize the Canal+ on-demand service Canalplay, which offers movies and television programs, and will also offer the football (soccer) channel Foot+. According to MCV, the deal will eventually expand to include other Canal+ services and other Microsoft platforms as well.

Welcome to the magical world of Xbox video on-demand, France. Or should we say bienvenue?

Fragile arrives on European shores early 2010

by David Hinkle { Jun 26th 2009 at 5:15PM }

The tri-Crescendo-developed Namco Bandai RPG, Fragile, will eventually make its way to Europe, GameSpot reports. Sometime in early 2010, Europeans will be able to get their own taste of this post-apocalyptic title following Seto, who is believed to be the last living human being. It's kind of like I Am Legend, but, like, bearable.

Made by the same team behind Eternal Sonata, Fragile is currently set to release in North America during the holidays courtesy of XSEED, and will arrive in Europe via Rising Star Games.

Gallery: Fragile

VC Friday: Let's Catch a Kindred Spirit

by JC Fletcher { Jun 19th 2009 at 11:40AM }

This week, the European Wii Shop is granted with a somewhat anticipated new title, and one we're glad is launching there before it does here. We're intensely curious about the platform action title Icarian: Kindred Spirits, and the fact that it's coming out in Europe first means we'll get to read reviews. We hope those 100 soundtrack downloads are claimed by now, by the way!

Also available for download this week: Let's Catch on WiiWare, and some more Brain Training on DSiWare.

WiiWare:

Icarian: Kindred Spirits
Let's Catch

DSiWare:

A Little Bit of ... Brain Training: Maths Edition

UK government plans tax breaks for 'culturally British' games

by Jem Alexander { Jun 17th 2009 at 1:45PM }

The long battle for UK tax breaks for games industry pros may finally be over, with the government stating in its recent Digital Britain report that it "has committed to work with the industry to collect and review the evidence for a tax relief." Here's the kicker, though. In order to be worthy of these potential tax breaks, the games must be "culturally British."

What this means is unclear, but games would need to be put through a test to determine whether they can be deemed "culturally British," in a way similar to the UK film industry. Certain British games, such as LittleBigPlanet -- whose narrator is a British national treasure -- and Fable 2 -- with its cockney characters and very English humor -- would be shoo-ins. Other games, such as Burnout Paradise, might need to make a few changes. Perhaps we'll see London landmarks like Big Ben or the London Eye introduced in a future DLC pack.

The Conduit delayed in Europe, Australia [update]

by JC Fletcher { Jun 17th 2009 at 11:00AM }

[Update: Sega has confirmed that the US release date remains June 23.]

Sega has announced that the European release of The Conduit has been delayed from its original June 26 date to July 10. According to CVG, unspecified issues with the game's multi-language European localization are responsible for the holdup.

VOOKS has also confirmed a delay for the Australian release of High Voltage's FPS. Once given a June 25 release date, the game has been pushed back to July 16. Neither Sega nor VOOKS offered any reason for this version's delay, and the Australian release shouldn't be affected by the same localization problems. At this point, your best shot at playing The Conduit next week remains the "living in North America" strategy, or the slightly less drastic "importing from North America" strategy.

Gallery: The Conduit

MCM London Expo expands for October 2009 show

by Jem Alexander { Jun 16th 2009 at 9:40PM }

London's becoming quite the hip gaming scene over the last couple of years. Between the Eurogamer expo, Play.com Live, HMV's GameOn, the London Games Festival and the MCM Expo, there's always somewhere to go and play unreleased games. The latter of which has announced that it will be expanding its floor space for its second show of the year, in October.

The organizers of the show are hoping to attract over 40,000 attendees to the event -- that's similar to the size of E3 -- with content ranging from anime, manga, comics, celebrities, sci fi paraphernalia and, perhaps most importantly, games. The extra 2,000 square meters will mean more space for the various publishers who will be showing off their wares, like Capcom, Koei and Ubisoft. Don't worry if you miss it though, there are plenty of other shows coming up which will no doubt be just as good.

Nintendo selling puzzlingly vintage Professor Layton bundle in UK

by JC Fletcher { Jun 16th 2009 at 11:10AM }

That's the first Professor Layton game. And a DS Lite. Despite the current availability of a new DS system, and the impending launch of a new Professor Layton game, Nintendo is planning a UK release of a bundle containing a black DS Lite and the extremely popular first Professor Layton game, due in stores June 19.

MCV suggests that it's being positioned as a Father's Day bundle, but we could see it selling well beyond the gift-giving occasion, due to two factors: first, the enduring hit status of Professor Layton, and second, wow, is that ever a classy-looking box design.

Europe getting a PAIN-ful Blu-ray next week

by Andrew Yoon { Jun 16th 2009 at 10:50AM }

The most popular PlayStation Network game of 2008 is finally finding a home on retail disc ... in Europe. A Blu-ray version of the physics-based action game will be out June 24th in Europe, June 25th in Australia and New Zealand, and in the UK and Ireland on June 26th for €24.99/£19.99.

The offline collection will include all the expansions released so far: Abusement Park, Movie Studios and Sore Spots. You can expect a few DLC characters to be included as well, such as Tati, Ginger, Cookie and the Ded Baron. However, while the package is a rather comprehensive offering of PAIN, it will not include the next DLC pack, Museum, coming this summer.

[Thanks, Daniel G.!]

Xbox 360 Ghostbusters not region-locked, Europe doesn't need to wait

by Griffin McElroy { Jun 16th 2009 at 10:40AM }

According to a number of reports from North American purchasers of Ghostbusters: The Video Game, the highly anticipated film-to-game adaptation is more than capable of crossing the stream known as the Atlantic Ocean. Yes, players are claiming that the Xbox 360 version of the title isn't region-locked, and can be played on consoles worldwide -- even in Europe, where Sony recently scored the publishing rights for the title, turning it into a PS3 exclusive.

In other words, for Europe's import-savvy 360 owners, the chance to digitally don a proton pack is just one transatlantic cargo plane journey away.

VC Friday: Super Virtual Smash Bros.

by JC Fletcher { Jun 12th 2009 at 11:30AM }

Today's Virtual Console release is something really special -- something that only happens on the Virtual Console a couple of times a year: a Nintendo 64 game. And what a Nintendo 64 game! Despite having a day or two to change its mind after announcing, Nintendo of Europe has actually put Super Smash Bros. on the Virtual Console. Now you can play all three Super Smash Bros. games on the same system!

Joining it is Cocoto Platform Jumper, which isa middling platformer from last-gen. And on DSiWare, Sudoku 150! for Challengers, a collection of sudoku puzzles for 500 DSi Points. Also, Asphalt 4: Elite Racing, whose iPhone sequel was announced at Apple's WWDC event, before this game launched. Awesome.