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StarCraft II site updated with new screens, feature content

by Griffin McElroy { Nov 20th 2009 at 11:45AM }

Okay gang, fun's over. We all had some good times with the few non-delayed Q4 2009 blockbusters that dropped during the past two weeks, but now it's time to start agonizing over every scrap of news for next year's highly anticipated titles. We'll kick things off: Hey, the StarCraft II site just received a major update, delivering a whole mess of feature articles and screenshots to the series' fast-clicking fanbase!

The articles include a short story about the ever-devious Zerg Changeling, a design overview of the campaign story, insight into creating one of the multiplayer maps, and character bios for three of the game's combatants. Are you adequately excited by these updates? Good. Now, prepare to not play the game for an undisclosed period of time. Yeah, it's all coming back to you now, isn't it?

Gallery: StarCraft II (11-20-09)

[Via Big Download]

Ubisoft aims to 'quickly' soar to a 10% market share

by Xav de Matos { Nov 14th 2009 at 4:00AM }

During the BMO Capital Markets Digital Entertainment Conference, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot told attendees his company aims to capture a 10 percent market share in the flooded games industry. According to Guillemot (via GamesIndustry.biz), Ubisoft currently stands at "around 6 percent," but the executive believes his company can expand its reach using a multi-tiered strategy to raise its share very "quickly."

At its core, Ubisoft's plan was detailed as a three-pronged approach: A focus on present and future consoles, online and social networks and entertainment convergence. In June 2009, Ubisoft revealed the cross-game interface social media and digital platform, Uplay -- a web-based service it hopes will allow developers to better connect with players. Apart from this "confluence" concept, Ubisoft has continued its convergence strategy by expanding its marketing reach to gamers through various forms of media and through the use of its movie license agreements.

"We have many opportunities to gain market share," Gillemot said during the event, echoing statements made during its Q2 earnings call last week regarding the importance of leveraging upcoming technology from Microsoft and Sony. And let's face it, if pre-order data is to be believed, Ubisoft will soon be diving into giant wells of loot following the release of Assassin's Creed 2... and that has to help the company inch closer to its 10 percent goal.

Japanese gamers can feast on Bitter Chocolate in December

by JC Fletcher { Nov 13th 2009 at 5:15PM }

Japanese shmup/strategy fans may already have a bitter taste in their mouths as a result of R-Type Tactics II: Operation Bitter Chocolate missing its October 29 release date. However, that taste should be replaced by the much more pleasant (but still bitter) flavor they desire on December 10, when the game launches for real. Okay, we'll stop making jokes about the title from now until the end of the post.

The UMD release will sell for ¥5,040 ($50.60) and will be accompanied by a soundtrack disc as a pre-order bonus, while the digital release will cost ¥3,800 ($42). You can hear samples of the soundtrack, which features selections from various R-Type games and Image Fight, on the official site. No announcements have been made for a release outside of Japan, but the nice thing about digital releases is that you can always just sign into a Japanese PSN account and download the thing!

Gallery: R-Type Tactics II: Operation Bitter Chocolate

[Via Andriasang]

Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight sets out on March 16

by Alexander Sliwinski { Nov 12th 2009 at 10:30AM }

Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight will set upon retail on March 16 in North America and March 19 in Europe. The game will conclude the Tiberium storyline started many dusks and dawns ago in what was then Westwood's cherished RTS franchise. Pre-orders will grant access to the multiplayer beta, along with the game's soundtrack and a bonus mission.

Meanwhile, if the rumors are accurate, the Command & Conquer team can sadly expect to receive their dismissal papers from Electronic Arts around that time. It must be disturbing to live life like Rell the Cyclops (you know, from Krull!) and know the time of your own termination.

Greed Corp coming to PSN, XBLA and PC early 2010

by Griffin McElroy { Nov 11th 2009 at 5:20PM }

It's been so long since we've heard anything about Greed Corp that the conservationist-friendly strategy game nearly qualifies as a retro classic. Fortunately, today brought us the first news about the title since it was announced. In addition to PSN, its lead platform, Greed Corp will also be coming to Xbox Live Arcade and Windows-based PCs in early 2010.

Today's announcement mentions that Greed Corp is just the "first in a series of games based in the rich Mistbound universe." Considering the heavy appearance of Don't Break The Ice-esque elements present in this game, we wonder if future installments in the franchise will adopt other popular board game tropes. For the record, W!Games, if you made a Mall Madness RPG, we would buy that.

Magic: The Gathering - Tactics tapped for PC and PS3 release

by JC Fletcher { Nov 2nd 2009 at 5:00PM }

Sony Online Entertainment and Wizards of the Coast have announced a new collaboration: Magic: The Gathering - Tactics, a new turn-based strategy game for PC and PS3 set in the universe of the card game. Tactics puts players in control of "dramatic 3D figures" in single-player or online battles, with spell cards taken from the Magic series.

Of course, it's not Magic without frequent, additional purchases, and SOE promises "regular content expansions," which will no doubt become a de facto requirement for highly competitive tournament play. The game is being developed by SOE's Denver studio, and will be out on PC in early 2010, with the PS3 release to follow.

Sega deploying Valkyria Chronicles 2 in America, Europe

by JC Fletcher { Sep 16th 2009 at 3:15PM }

This is going to be awesome news for a heartbreakingly small portion of the gaming population -- Sega has announced that it is localizing the tactical RPG Valkyria Chronicles 2 for a summer 2010 release in North America and Europe.

Sega even backhandedly acknowledged the disappointing sales of the first game in its press release for the second, with VP of Marketing Sean Ratcliffe classifying the PS3 original as "a hidden gem on PS3." We're sure the company hopes the sequel will be upgraded to gem status.

ESRB: Dragon Quest Wars draws near

by JC Fletcher { Sep 14th 2009 at 4:00PM }

Right above Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth (!!!) on the ESRB ratings page, a listing for Dragon Quest Wars reveals that Square Enix is considering a North American release for the DSiWare game.

Dragon Quest Wars is a simplistic strategy game in which players control teams of four monsters, each trying to destroy the other teams or invade their bases (represented by a goal line). It's developed by Intelligent Systems, which makes it sort of a Nintendo/Square Enix collaboration. And it's got online multiplayer! It seems like a nice diversion while we wait to hear anything at all about Dragon Quest IX.

Red Alert 3: Commander's Challenge storming XBLA and PSN this week

by Griffin McElroy { Sep 14th 2009 at 3:30PM }

Listen, we know you're excited to finally get your hands on EA's standalone strategy spin-off, Command & Conquer Red Alert 3: Commander's Challenge. You'll be able to fulfill your desires for meticulous action this week; the game is set to launch on XBLA this Wednesday and on PSN the day after for 800

($10). You can temporarily satiate yourself by checking out the game's latest trailer after the jump.

However, before hastily acquiring the title, heed this warning: Commander's Challenge is infused with such a large dosage of Ric Flair that other items in your respective console's hard drive may get totally pumped and begin stylishly pummeling one another. Buyer beware!

Continued →

More Valkyria Chronicles DLC coming 'winter 2010'

by Alexander Sliwinski { Sep 7th 2009 at 4:30PM }

Sega's Valkyria Chronicles is moving out with another blitz of DLC to keep the members of Squad 7 occupied. CVG reports that "Challenges from Team Edy" will add new missions to the overlooked strategy title in "Winter 2010."

The developers seem to have a soft spot for Edy, who was already the star in one of the DLC packs released last April, in addition to this latest expansion which released in Japan last month.

[Via Strategy Informer]

Dawn of War II's 'The Last Stand' mode detailed

by Griffin McElroy { Aug 28th 2009 at 5:00PM }

It seems the increasingly popular "Horde" mode first presented in Gears of War 2 (before spreading to other popular FPS titles in some form) isn't just proliferating through the shooter genre -- GameSpy recently revealed details for "The Last Stand," a similar gametype which will soon be introduced into Dawn of War II.

The new mode, which will come as a free download for those who own the full game, lets three players select either the Space Marine, Ork or Eldar hero classes, then face off cooperatively against wave after wave of computer-controlled adversaries. Between waves, players will be able to level up their heroes and manage their equipment. The series' strategic roots aren't being thrown out the window -- players will need to work together to stay alive and capture score-multiplying control points.

We'll undoubtedly learn more about this intriguing expansion to the well-received strategy title during Relic's panel at PAX 2009.

[Via Big Download]

Greed Corp bringing environmental turn-based strategy to PSN

by Griffin McElroy { Aug 12th 2009 at 6:00PM }

We possess equal amounts of affinity for hexagonal turn-based strategy games and mother nature -- naturally, W!Games' upcoming PSN strategy title Greed Corp really resonated with our green-tinted hearts. The trailer above gives a pretty good depiction of what the game's about -- four corporations are struggling to take control of a dying planet, while trying to balance out their own resource consumption and environmental preservation. Fail to do so, and you'll either end up too weak, or plummet to certain death.

It's a neat concept for a game, incorporating elements from Halo Wars, Risk and ... Don't Break the Ice. We'll be getting our hands on this bold mixture when the game lands on the PSN near the end of September.

RUSE: Reveal Undermine Subvert Entrap ... or not

by James Ransom-Wiley { Jul 30th 2009 at 6:30PM }

Here at Joystiq we're dedicated to solving the nagging mysteries in life, one post at a time. We figured learning the meaning of R.U.S.E., the acronym'd title of Ubisoft's table-not RTS, was probably near the top of your list -- right up there with, "Does the fridge light stay on when I close the door?"

We cornered Ubisoft's Thomas Leroux-Hugon at the publisher's "Holiday Preview" event yesterday and forced an answer out of him at penpoint. He didn't know about the fridge light, but he did give us: Reveal Undermine Subvert Entrap (how revealing!) -- before his lips curved into a coy smile (that undermining trickster!). The real answer, he teased, isn't that obvious. You see, the acronym doesn't officially stand for anything (what manner of subversion is this?!). It's a bit of a "ruse" in and of itself -- it's up to each individual to play the game and decide, Leroux-Hugon offered -- clearly, his bid to entrap us. Well played.

So then, we'll leave it up to you: What does R.U.S.E. spell out?

Gallery: R.U.S.E.

Marvelous planning a 'Super Little King's Story'

by JC Fletcher { Jul 30th 2009 at 1:15PM }

Little King's Story creator Yoshiro Kimura had previously said that he's interested in making a sequel to his strategy title. Now, speaking to Siliconera, Kimura explained that he is in the early stages of working on just such a thing. "We are planning to make a sequel to Little King's Story, like Super Little King's Story," Kimura said, "but we're still in the process idea phase."

At the moment, Marvelous is looking for funding for the sequel, as well as "partners" to help make it. The first game was developed by Cing and Town Factory, along with some high-profile freelancers. While we don't want anyone involved with the first game excluded from this potential sequel, we can understand the appeal of having a single team make a game, if that's Kimura's intent.

Gallery: Little King's Story

Famitsu: IREM offering R-Type Command fans some Bitter Chocolate

by JC Fletcher { Jul 29th 2009 at 6:00PM }

According to IGN, the latest issue of Famitsu reveals plans for a sequel to IREM's PSP hexagonal strategy game, R-Type Command. The sequel, which has the bizarrely great title R-Type Tactics II: Operation Bitter Chocolate, will include twice as many units as the original shmup spinoff, along with new commands and a branching storyline. Bitter Chocolate will also offer downloadable missions.

When the sequel launches on October 29, it will be released both on UMD (with a bonus soundtrack disc) and as a cheaper download, which is kind of a good idea, considering that the PSP Go will be out in Japan on November 1.