Resident Evil 6 coming November 20, 2012

Capcom has confirmed that Resident Evil 6 is in development and is coming this November.

The game is being released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on November 20, 2012. A PC version is coming at a later date. Capcom describes the game as a "blending action and survival horror" and is "the most ambitious, immersive and feature rich title of the series to date and promises to be the dramatic horror experience of the year."

The Capcom developers say Resident Evil 6 has been in development in secrecy for a number of years and has the largest team working on the game in the series' history. The staff currently sits at about 150 people, but if you include contributing parties, the total could reach as high as 600.

Resident Evil 6 will follow Leon S. Kennedy and Chris Redfield who will be "joined by new characters, each with their own unique perspective and involvement, in this relentless dramatic horror experience enacted on a global scale." The game's story between Chris and Leon will progress simultaneously. Leon's story is set in America while Chris' is in a city in China.

Leon S. Kennedy and Chris Redfield will star as the main protagonists, but Capcom says there's an additional main character, an unnamed male who's described as "the man who's told to save the world."

Executive producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi also confirmed zombies are returning for the sixth game, and noted that there are "many secrets" still surrounding them. A new enemy was also revealed, the Javo.

He also said that the game is being made to be the "ultimate horror entertainment" and highlighted two key concepts: "The fear the lies ahead" and "everything is overwhelming."

Here's a synopsis of the game's plot:

It has been ten years since the Raccoon City incident and the President of the United States has decided to reveal the truth behind what took place in the belief that it will curb the current resurgence in bioterrorist activity. Due to be by the President’s side is his personal friend and Raccoon City survivor, Leon S. Kennedy, but when the venue suffers a bioterrorist attack, Leon is forced to face a President transformed beyond recognition and make his hardest ever decision.

At the same time, Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance member Chris Redfield arrives in China, itself under threat of a bioterrorist attack.  With no country safe from these attacks and the ensuing outbreaks, the entire world’s population is united by a common fear that there is no hope left.

“Resident Evil 6 represents a giant stride forward in the evolution of the series,” commented Katsuhiko Ichii, Head of R&D and Global Marketing. “The development team, led by Hiroyuki Kobayashi, is working tirelessly to deliver the most impressive Resident Evil title ever both in terms of scope and production values.

"We are all genuinely excited by the title and cannot wait to share it with the world.”

Alan Wake on PC in 2012

Remedy Games is getting ready to launch Alan Wake on Steam this February -- the developer's first self-published title -- with a hefty FAQ session on its forum. Steam's Alan Wake will not be available on Mac, won't use Games for Windows Live and won't have a demo. It will use Steamworks, support keyboard and Xbox 360 controller input, and will include 'The Signal' and 'The Writer' DLC packs with the game.

Alan Wake on Steam can support stereoscopic 3D through NVISION 3D, although it is performance-intensive, Remedy warns. For normal gameplay, the expected system requirements are fairly standard.

Remedy says it is "still finalizing the optimizations and graphics scalability, so some details can still change," but these are the minimum specs for Alan Wake on PC:

• OS: Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7
• PROCESSOR: A dual core processor is required:
• AMD: Athlon X2 2.8GHz
• Intel: Core 2 Duo 2GHz
• MEMORY: 2 GB
• HARD DRIVE: 8 GB
• VIDEO CARD: DirectX 10 compatible or later with 512MB RAM
• AMD: ATI Radeon 3650, 4450, 5550, 6450 or higher (per series)
• NVIDIA: GeForce 8600GT, 9500GT, GT120, GT430, GT520 (per series)
• SOUND CARD: DirectX 9.0c compatible
• INPUT: Mouse and keyboard, Xbox360 controller also supported

For max settings, Remedy suggests the following:

"For a solid performance, Remedy recommends a modern quad-core CPU and a graphics card with around 2000 in 3DMark Graphics Score as seen here. For max settings and high resolutions, a top of the line graphics card and CPU is needed."

Video Game Awards 2011

At tonight's Video Game Awards, Sony and Spike finally quit teasing us and formally announced The Last of Us, the next game from Uncharted developers Naughty Dog. Set in an America ravaged by a horrifying fungal infection that has left a few survivors in a desperate struggle for survival.

The trailer indicates a very Uncharted-looking bunch of people running from some very 28 Days Later looking infected. The Last of Us is due exclusively for the PlayStation 3 in 2012.

Konami's Metal Gear Solid: Rising is now Platinum Game's Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. Raiden, apparently channeling his unstoppable child soldier roots, has gone fully cyborg ninja in order to hack, slash and grotesquely dismember every single thing that exists.

Before this year's Spike TV Video Game Awards properly started, the event's pre-show debuted a live-action, non-gameplay trailer for Tekken Tag Tournament 2. Aside from being well choreographed and remarkably stylish, the trailer offers little insight into the title other than the fact that it will be coming to unknown consoles sometime during the 2012 holiday season.

Winners of the 2011 Spike Video Game Awards

GAME OF THE YEAR

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

STUDIO OF THE YEAR

Bethesda Game Studios

CHARACTER OF THE YEAR

The Joker – Batman: Arkham City

VIDEO GAME HALL OF FAME AWARD

"The Legend of Zelda"

GAMER GOD AWARD

Blizzard Entertainment

BEST XBOX 360 GAME

Batman: Arkham City

BEST PLAYSTATION 3 GAME

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

BEST Wii GAME

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

BEST PC GAME

Portal 2

BEST HANDHELD/MOBILE GAME

Super Mario 3D Land

BEST SHOOTER

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

BEST ACTION ADVENTURE GAME

Batman: Arkham City

BEST RPG

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

BEST MULTI-PLAYER

Portal 2

BEST INDIVIDUAL SPORTS GAME

Fight Night Champion

BEST TEAM SPORTS GAME

NBA 2K12

BEST DRIVING GAME

Forza Motorsport 4

BEST FIGHTING GAME

Mortal Kombat

BEST MOTION GAME

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

BEST INDEPENDENT GAME

Minecraft

BEST ADAPTED VIDEO GAME

Batman: Arkham City

BEST SONG IN A GAME

"Build that Wall" (Zia's Theme) by Darren Korb – Bastion

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Bastion

BEST GRAPHICS

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A HUMAN MALE

Stephen Merchant as Wheatley – Portal 2

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A HUMAN FEMALE

Ellen McLain as GLaDOS – Portal 2

BEST DOWNLOADABLE GAME

Bastion

BEST DLC

Portal 2 Peer Review

MOST ANTICIPATED GAME

Mass Effect 3

GAMETRAILERS.COM TRAILER OF THE YEAR

Assassin's Creed: Revelations – E3 2011 Trailer

EA SPORTS NFL BLITZ DIGITAL COVER ATHLETE

Ray Rice

Grand Theft Auto V debut trailer

The trailer for Grand Theft Auto V is finally here! I noticed a lot of familiar environments in the trailer, but all centered around Vinewood, a stand-in for Los Angeles. We're definitely getting back into some of the places we visited in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Our hero is a dad who says he's trying to be a good guy, but, well, it's a Grand Theft Auto game, so you can guess how well that works out. There are also a lot of images of financial ruin, so we're guessing the current economic crisis is going to play a big role.

Watch the debut trailer for Grand Theft Auto V below.

Grand Theft Auto V is officially announced!

Rockstar Games has finally announced the long rumored Grand Theft Auto V on it's official site. It was just a matter of time before they announced this. We weren't given any news about the next installment in this very popular franchise. 

However, we got a first look at the new Grand Theft Auto V (Five) logo. And at the bottom of Rockstar Games' site is a text that says, "Trailer 11.02.11." 

So it's safe to say that on November 2nd, we will get to see where the next game will take place. Many believe that it will take place in San Andreas? However, in the end, it doesn't matter because it will be amazing wherever it will be.

This is very exciting news to me because I've loved the Grand Theft Auto franchise ever since the first game. And I loved it even more when it turned into the 3D third-person shooter we all love today. I'm going to buy Grand Theft Auto V on the release date, just like I did with Grand Theft Auto IV.

Syndicate officially announced!

EA and Starbreeze Studios' remake of PC gaming classic Syndicate has been one of the industry's worst-kept secrets. First unveiled as "Project Redlime," copyright filings fingered the actual product over a year ago. And this morning, after leaking details of the game on its own Origin service over the weekend, EA and Starbreeze are finally ready to "reveal" Syndicate to the world.

"We are excited to finally reveal what we've been working on the past couple years," Starbreeze CEO Mikael Nermark told a press release. "It's been a great experience working with EA, and an amazing opportunity for us to use our expertise in the first person shooter and action genres to bring back, and reignite, the signature action/espionage gameplay of Syndicate."

In Syndicate, you play "Miles Kilo, Eurocorp's latest prototype agent," tasked with navigating a "Machiavellian world run without government oversight with many syndicates vying for total dominance of their local market place," set in the year 2069. Helping you navigate that complex web of intrigue: GUNS!

"Our goal with Syndicate is to provide a challenging action shooter for today's gamers as well as fans of the original," says EA Partners' Jeff Gamon. But if you're worried you won't have enough guns, Syndicate offers "a separate and deep 4-player co-op mode featuring missions from the original cult classic." And while it may have taken EA and Starbreeze some time to officially announce the project, it isn't wasting time in getting it into our hands; Syndicate is expected to be released in "early 2012" for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive coming to PlayStation 3

It's now official that a new Counter-Strike game is coming in early 2012. Counter-Strike: Global Offense will be releasing on the PC (Steam), PlayStation 3 (PSN), and Xbox 360 (XBLA). Valve says the game, which is being developed by Hidden Path Entertainment, expands on the game's original action.

"Counter-Strike took the gaming industry by surprise when the unlikely mod became the most-played online PC action game in the world almost immediately after its release in August 1999," said Doug Lombardi, VP of marketing at Valve. "For the past 12 years, it has continued to be one of the most-played games in the world, headline competitive gaming tournaments and selling over 25 million units worldwide across the franchise. CS: GO promises to expand on CS' award-winning gameplay and deliver it to gamers on the PC as well as the next-gen consoles and the Mac."

A version of the game was ported to the Xbox in 2003, but it's historically been a PC franchise. It should be interesting to see how console audiences who grew up with Call of Duty respond to the game.

Counter-Strike remains one of the preeminent competitive shooters around, even more than a decade since its release. If you go to any major eSporting event, you're bound to see the game in action. Elements of the game have even transcended the virtual world. While it remains popular, fans have been asking about a sequel for years now. And Valve has been dodging the subject for nearly as long.

The rumor about a new Counter-Strike game started when a post on eSports site ESEA had broken down some of the details, which was purportedly from pro players and others who recently visited Valve's offices to give feedback on the upcoming game's development. The game was supposedly called Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and it could be released as early as the first quarter of next year. It's said to be running on an updated version of Valve's Source engine, and it focuses on 5 on 5 gameplay. There are also obvious additions such as new guns, maps, and grenades.

Read the official press release below.

VALVE ANNOUNCES COUNTER-STRIKE: GLOBAL OFFENSIVE (CS: GO)

Next Gen Console, PC, and Mac Release Targeted for Early 2012

August 13, 2011 - Valve, creators of best-selling game franchises (such as Counter-Strike, Half-Life, Left 4 Dead, Portal, and Team Fortress) and leading technologies (such as Steam and Source), today announced Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO).

Targeted for release via Playstation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, and Steam (for PC and Mac) in early 2012, CS: GO will expand upon the team-based action gameplay that it pioneered when it was launched exactly 12 years ago (CS beta 1, August 1999).

CS: GO features new maps, characters, and weapons and delivers updated versions of the classic CS content (de_dust, etc.). In addition, CS: GO will introduce new gameplay modes, matchmaking, leader boards, and more.

"Counter-Strike took the gaming industry by surprise when the unlikely MOD became the most played online PC action game in the world almost immediately after its release in August 1999," said Doug Lombard, VP of Marketing at Valve. "For the past 12 years, it has continued to be one of the most-played games in the world, headline competitive gaming tournaments and selling over 25 million units worldwide across the franchise. CS: GO promises to expand on CS' award-winning gameplay and deliver it to gamers on the PC as well as the next gen consoles and the Mac."

CS: GO is being developed by Valve in cooperation with Seattle-based Hidden Path Entertainment. The title is targeted for release in early 2012 and will be playable at this year's PAX Prime and London Games Festival.

For more information, please visit http://store.steampowered.com/app/1800/

Family Guy Online announced!

Fox has announced that Family Guy Online, a Family Guy MMO, is in the works. The free-to-play browser game will feature fully 3D graphics, a quest-based gameplay style and tons of crazy humor that has made Family Guy one of the most popular cartoons in the history of television. The open beta launches later this year, but you can build your character right here, on the Family Guy Online official site.

"We're going to deliver the essence of the show," said Gary Rosenfeld of Fox, "The development team includes two writers from the show, because we know that Family Guy has to be funny... I think we'll definitely attract core gamers, and we'll also attract a more casual gamer who's a fan of the show." 

The game features class-based gameplay, with different classes patterned after well-known characters from the TV-show. You won't be able to play as Peter Griffin, but you will be able to play as an oblivious slob who's like Peter Griffin. According to the game's creators, the Peter-type class will function like a tank in a traditional MMO, and the rest of the family's characteristics will be represented as well. "Stewie, for instance, is small and really good with gadgets, so he probably takes a lot of damage and likes to dish it out from afar with his smart weapons," said Ian Verchere of developer Roadhouse.

The game is built on the Unity engine, and aims to hit the sweetspot between a core game like Halo and casual games like Farmville. "It's a difficult balance," Verchere said. "We're really happy with how the Unity Engine makes the game accessible to basically anyone with an online connection but also delivers a good quality graphical experience."

As for the most important question about a Family Guy MMO, "Will players fight a giant chicken?", the people behind the game are tight-lipped, but said, "Players will have to check in to find out."

Call of Duty: MW3 debut trailer!

You have been waiting for it to land for weeks, and after an entirety of anticipation it seems, we can finally bring you the very first gameplay trailer for Modern Warfare 3, Infinity Ward and Activision’s latest Call of Duty title which will land later on this year.

The trailer is pretty awesome too, just as expected. It picks up where the teaser trailers left off, only this time we see some actual gameplay and of course, the first look at the quality of graphics that will be featured in the new game.

And we’re pleasantly surprised – the game looks really good. We’re not quite sure if the graphics top Battlefield 3 just yet, but it’s clear that the guys at Infinity Ward have come up with a game that looks graphically superior to Modern Warfare 2.

The trailer itself shows off gameplay from the four countries mentioned in the teaser trailers, these are America, England, France and Germany. We have to say that we’re pretty blown away by the underground scene in London, that looks like a lot of fun and the graphics look amazing.

Watch the trailer below and see if you are impressed by what you have seen or not. Is Modern Warfare 3 now a day one purchase for you or not? The trailer also confirms that the game will release on November 8th, 2011.

Hitman: Absolution officially announced!

Agent 47 is preparing another hit, in a game that developer IO Interactive says will mark a new chapter in the series. Publisher SquareEnix has just released a teaser trailer, emphasis on the "teaser," which shows little but what we can assume is Agent 47 affixing a silencer to a pistol and a snake curling around a gun. The title of the game, Hitman: Absolution, been floating around the Internet for a while, after reports of a trademark filing from SquareEnix surfaced and a teaser image (which appears in the trailer below) was used in a viral marketing campaign.

However, the accompanying press release seems to suggest that this will be a fundamentally different experience than previous games in the series.

Game director Tore Blystad is quoted as saying, “For the first time we are taking Agent 47 on a personal journey which allows us to explore other parts of the Hitman fantasy. This is both a familiar and yet significantly different experience from other Hitman games; something our silent assassins will relish, as will all those new to the Hitman world.”

This is echoed later in the release, which states "Hitman: Absolution combines much-loved classic gameplay with completely new features never seen before in the Hitman franchise."

The game is running on IO's proprietary Glacier 2 engine, and will be shown to the public at this year's E3 convention. Hitman: Absolution will be released for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.

Dead Island debut trailer

It's rare that, with a single trailer, a game goes from "completely off our radar" to "has complete dominion over our minds" -- yet that's what's happened when we caught the debut trailer for Techland's Dead Island. First announced in the summer of 2009, then never heard from again, the game now has a publishing partner in Deep Silver, plus one of the most invigorating trailers we've seen about zombies in a good, long while. Check it out for yourself after the jump.

IGN's preview of the game has turned out some equally savory details: According to Techland, Dead Island is a "first-person zombie-slasher/action-RPG," set in the luxurious Royal Palms Resort in Papua New Guinea. Players are tasked with escaping the island getaway, using all manner of found melee weapons (axes, pipes, etc.) to carve a bath through disturbingly realistic walking cadavers. Sounds like the camp that usually characterizes the zombie genre is going right out the window for this one.

The game is scheduled for a 2011 release on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. We've got our fingers crossed that it's as good as the trailer lets on.