Kingdoms of Amalur : Reckoning 2 was in Pre-Production - Report

The Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning sequel that 38 Studios founder Curt Schilling confirmed was in the works in February was in pre-production, and was aimed at "improving everything," Joystiq reports. Unnamed sources told the site the team at Big Huge Games wanted to make a sequel with better graphics, no loading screens between zones, expanded combat animations, fewer branching quests, and the ability for players to affect the game world at a deeper level.


38 Studios went belly up last week, with all employees across it and its subsidiary Big Huge Games laid off. The site reports that even if Big Huge Games were to continue to exist under a different banner, the team would likely not be able to work on Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning 2. Though 38 Studios presently owns the Amalur intellectual property (believed to be valued at around $20 million), the company is likely to be forced to hand it over to the state of Rhode Island as part of a collateral arrangement originally agreed upon as part of the 2010 $75 million loan that brought 38 Studios to the Ocean State.

The site also reports that Electronic Arts--which published Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning--passed on working on the sequel due to "executive politics." 38 Studios then sought other publishing partners for the game, though no companies were named.

[UPDATE] Rhode Island newspaper The Providence Journal reports today that an unnamed publisher pulled out of a $35 million publishing deal for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning 2 after word came that 38 Studios may be in trouble.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning shipped in February to a warm critical reception and sales of 1.2 million units over 90 days. Despite this, Rhode Island governor Lincoln Chafee said the game was a "failure," and needed to sell 3 million copies to break even.

Troubles at 38 Studios first came to light earlier this month, when reports from the Rhode Island government indicated that the company had failed to make a $1.125 million loan payment to the state's Economic Development Corporation. The studio eventually made the payment, but it also enacted a round of unspecified layoffs, before shutting down completely.

Copied from: Gamespot.com

Grand Theft Auto V expected to sell 14 million at launch

Grand Theft Auto V will sell more at launch than Grand Theft Auto IV managed in its first year on shelves, according to one analyst. Sterne Agee's Arvind Bhatia today released a note to investors, saying he expects the game to debut in the first three months of 2013, posting sales of 14 million copies.


Bhatia said the GTAV launch should bring in about $700 million in revenue for Take-Two, which said it expected just over $1 billion for Rockstar products this fiscal year. With Max Payne 3 the only announced Rockstar title to launch this year, Bhatia believes it "is all but a given" that the publisher is planning to launch GTAV before the March 31, 2013, end of its fiscal year.

For perspective on just how big the game is for the publisher, Take-Two's previous fiscal year saw total revenues of $825.8 million. The publisher has projected this year's sales to hit $1.75 billion to $1.85 billion. That uptick has led to widespread agreement from analysts that GTAV will launch in Take-Two's current fiscal year.

GTAIV debuted in April of 2008 and shipped 13 million before the end of March 2009. The game enjoyed sales over a prolonged stretch of time, as two years later, Take-Two said shipments had reached nearly 20 million.





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Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD soundtrach revealed.

The soundtrack for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD has been revealed. In an interview with Sound and Vision, developer Robomodo confirmed the game's 14 songs, including "Superman" by Goldfinger, a track the studio said was "mandated" by fans.


The Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD soundtrack (listed in full below) is almost an even mix of songs from the original Tony Hawk titles and songs new to the franchise. Project manager Ken Overbey discussed the licensing and decision process, saying it was no easy task for a number of reasons.

"It was a little difficult. We definitely wanted to bring back some of the songs from the original soundtrack, but wanted new songs as well," he said. "The most difficulty we had was our budget, which was very small, and the scope and time frame; it was a lot of work to get it all lined up and get the songs in. You have to put out a risk analysis report and you have to point out to the publisher what the biggest risks are in the development. Anyone who knows the game knows the music is just as important as the gameplay."

In development at Robomodo (Tony Hawk Ride, Tony Hawk Shred), Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD is due out in June and will be the first Tony Hawk title distributed exclusively through digital channels. It will contain levels from the first two Tony Hawk titles, retouched and running on a new game engine.

Confirmed characters for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD thus far include familiar favorites like Hawk, Rodney Mullen, Andrew Reynolds, and Eric Koston, as well as newcomers like Chris Cole, Nyjah Huston, and Hawk's son, Riley Hawk. A firm price for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD has not been announced, but it is expected to sell for "around $15".

The full Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD soundtrack is below.

Songs taken from Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 and 2:
"Bring the Noise" - Anthrax featuring Chuck D (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2)
"Superman" - Goldfinger (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1)
"When Worlds Collide" - Powerman 5000 (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2)
"Heavy Metal Winner" - Consumed (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2)
"May 16" - Lagwagon (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2)
"No Cigar" - Millencolin (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2)
"You" - Bad Religion (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2)
Songs new to the Tony Hawk franchise:
"The Bomb" - Pigeon John
"We the People" - Lateef the Truthspeaker
"Marathon Mansion!"- Pegasuses-XL
"Teenage Blood - Apex Manor
"Please Ask for Help" - Telekinesis
"Flyentology (Cassettes Won't Listen Remix)" - El-P featuring Trent Reznor
"USA" - Middle Class Rut (new to the franchise)





Copied From: Gamespot.com

Xbox 360 should be banned in USA,says judge

The ongoing legal dispute between Motorola Mobility and Microsoft could see some versions of the Xbox 360 banned in the United States. International Trade Commission judge David Shaw has recommended that the trade group ban the import of 4GB and 250GB Xbox 360 S consoles, reports Courthouse News. These consoles are manufactured in China.


Sales of consoles already in the United States should be banned by a cease-and-desist order, Shaw says. On top of this, the judge recommends Microsoft pay Motorola 7 percent of the value of any unsold consoles in the U.S.

Microsoft argues that Shaw's order to ban the import of Xbox 360 consoles would hurt consumers, as it would leave interested buyers with only two options: the PlayStation 3 or the Nintendo Wii. Shaw rejected this assertion, noting the public interest in enforcing intellectual property rights trumps any "economical impact" on console buyers.

Should ITC commissioners agree with Shaw's recommendation, President Barack Obama and advisors will have 60 days to review the decision, the site reports. After this time, whatever is decided can be appealed.

Last month, Shaw ruled that the Xbox 360 violated a string of patents Motorola holds for video decoding, Wi-Fi connection, and console-to-accessory connections. And earlier this month, a German court decision banned the sale of Xbox 360 consoles in that country, though it had no immediate effect, because Microsoft was granted a preliminary injunction.

The ITC is expected to conclude its investigation by August 23.

Max Payne beats Diablo to UK No.1

Max Payne 3 outdid its predecessor by a factor of 10:1 in its first week on sale, pipping Diablo III to the UK All-Formats number one. It was the second-biggest launch of the year so far--just behind Mass Effect 3, and Take 2's first number one since LA Noire hit the top spot in 2011.


The official sales charts only include physical sales, however, as digital downloads are not tracked as part of the main chart. In stores and from traditional online retailers, 11 percent of Diablo III's sales were of the limited collector's edition, compared to two percent for Max Payne 3.

FIFA Street kept up its strong performance, slotting in at three, refusing to budge from the top five despite a 17 percent drop in sales. Last week's number one, Sniper Elite V2, saw a 68 percent drop in sales as it found itself in fourth place.

FIFA 12 rounded out the top five following an eight percent drop in sales, while Prototype 2 dropped to six after a 15 percent decline in sales. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 bucked the trend to post a 21 percent rise in sales and re-enter the top 10 at seven, sneaking ahead of Battlefield 3, which saw sales slip two percent.

The top 10 was rounded off by Assassin's Creed: Revelations and Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympics.