Weekly Videogame Releases Of the Week (Console and PC) May 14 2012 – May 20 2012

Gameplay of Diablo III in action! The long-awaited sequel launches on May 15, 2012 for PC!

What videogame releases of May 2012 release this week? The week of May 14th to May 20th sees some HUGE heavy hitters in the videogame arena.

The biggest release of this week, if not of the month, is most definitely Diablo 3. Diablo 3 is the long-awaited Blizzard-developed sequel to the hit hack-and-slash loot-dropping action RPG series that blew up on the PC and became one of the biggest and most long-played PC videogame series of all time. The original Diablo was released way back in 1996 with its sequel, Diablo 2, hitting over a decade ago in 2000. To put that into perspective, Diablo 1 was released the same year as Super Mario 64 on the N64 and Diablo 2 was released a year BEFORE Final Fantasy X. Old games indeed, but even so people still routinely play and praise them today!

Finally, a modern entry in the series has been released with Diablo 3! This game has been in development for an ETERNITY, first announced way back in 2008. So the game has been in-development for no less than four-years! A true eternity in videogame time. Will the game be worth the wait? We’ll have to wait and see! But already the game sits pretty atop the pre-order charts, so sales for Activision Blizzard are sure to be through the roof!

The Diablo III Collector’s Edition logo. Epic.

Not to be outdone is the long-waited third entry in Rockstar’s Bullet-time action series “Max Payne”, with Max Payne 3. Finally the action hero of last-generation is being restored for modern times. So this is a very exciting release and definitely one of the biggest and most highly-anticipated releases of the year!

Another big release this week is Game of Thrones, a huge, epic western-style RPG published by Atlus Games (Of Japanese RPG fame), and based on the hit TV show of the same name. It’ll be interesting to see how big of game it is, and how well it sells. Making it an RPG in the vein of “The Witcher” or “Skyrim” was a very smart idea… The 3DS is also getting a new title with Mario Tennis Open from Nintendo & Camelot!

Console and PC Releases of the Week, Physical and Digital (May 14-May 20th 2012):
* Diablo III + Collector’s Edition (May 15th) – PC
* Max Payne 3 (May 15th on Xbox 360 and PS3. May 29th on PC)
* Game of Thrones (May 15th) – Xbox 360, PS3
* Mario Tennis Open (May 15th) – 3DS
* Battleship (May 15th) – Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS; Based on the movie of the same name.
* Akai Katana (May 16th) – Xbox 360; Bullet-hell 2D side-scrolling Shooter published by Rising Star Games.
* Test Drive: Ferrari Legends (May 15th) – Xbox 360, PS3
* Kids Learn To Think: A+ Edition (May 15th) – DS

Here is a Diablo 3 Trailer:

Max Payne 3 Launch Trailer:

Keep an eye out for the Digital Releases of the Week this Thursday.

See Previous Weekly Videogame Releases Articles:
* Digital Videogame Releases of the Week (May 7th – May 13th 2012) – Minecraft Xbox 360
* Videogame Releases of the Week – May 7th 2012 – May 13th 2012 – Starhawk
* Videogame Releases Of the Week (Physical & Digital): April 30th – May 6th 2012 – Tera Online
* Videogame Digital Downloads of the Week for April 23-April 29th 2012 – The Walking Dead: The Videogame Episode 1, BloodForge
* New Videogame Releases – April 23rd – April 29th 2012 – Prototype 2
* March 19th Videogame Releases – Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, Ninja Gaiden 3, Kid Icarus: Uprising, Silent Hill HD Collection
* The History of Videogame Handheld Systems, Portable Gaming On-the-Go

 

Wii U $300 Price To Be Cost of New Nintendo System? Rumor and Speculation

The Wii U Controller Tablet & TV in background. Thanks to Gametyrant for the photo.

Wii U price $300 dollars? That may be what Nintendo will charge for the upcoming next-generation console, according to a new rumor.

Reportedly, the cost of the components that the Wii U is made of tap out at a price of about $180, which means that Nintendo would be making a substancial profit if the final Wii U price ends up being $300 or anything above that amount. As the launch price of systems go, according to history, $300 is actually fairly cheap to charge for an all-new videogame system, particularly one that has such an advanced tablet (with its own built-in touchscreen, like an iPad) as a controller.

Of course, we don’t know how accurate the report is regarding the component parts that make up the Wii U, so all of this should be taken with a grain of salt. It is simply speculation after all. But the source at “Forget the Box” claims its component prices are accurate.

The Wii U console with tablet controller. Will it cost $300?

Additionally, the same source says that the GPU that powers the Wii U will be in line with the power of competing current-generation consoles (Xbox 360 & PS3), while exceeding them to a lesser degree, but not exponentially being more powerful. Nintendo went this route in order to “keep hardware costs down to maximize profits” according to reports.

How much do you think the Wii U will cost at launch and is $300 too high of a cost for you to pay for the Wii U system? Considering that the PS3 launched at a whopping $600 (and that iPads still go for that high) and that the Xbox 360 launched at $400, then $300 seems like an entirely reasonable price, and I think that may be the price Nintendo does indeed launch at.

We may learn the price details of the Wii U at E3 2012 (June 5–7), although Nintendo has gone on record saying we WON’T learn the price at E3. But we’ll wait and see.

Here’s the debut video of the Wii U from E3 2011.

 

Xbox 720 Durango (Codename), Successor to Xbox 360 System, Already Manufactured? Dev Kits Given To Developers?

A fake mock-up of the next-gen Xbox 720 Durango (codename).

Is the Xbox 720 Durango already being manufactured and are Xbox 720 development kits already in possession by top-tier game devs and publishers?

That is one of the rumors that is making the rounds on the Internets.

According to GameSpot and IGN, an unspecified source has leaked news that the Xbox 720 Durango, or it’s development kits rather, are being assembled already at a manufacturing plant by Flextronics, a Texas-based Electronics firm. This would make sense as some rumors have stated that certain developers have already gotten the first Xbox 720 Durango hardware (called a Development Kit) so that they can start making games for the upcoming next-generation console. Whether the specs have been finalized already or not is an open-question. Typically developers start working on games on a PC with “target specs” before they then transfer their code over to the actual development kit (i.e. the game system itself) once they get their hands on one.

According to other reports, Microsoft insists that the Xbox 720 Durango will NOT be shown at E3 2012… although one finds it hard to believe that the system won’t make some kind of appearance.

Nintendo is set to reveal their next-generation console, called the Wii U (also a name that could change) at E3 2012. It first made it’s big splash debut at last year’s E3 2011 and will likely be released this year. And the PlayStation 4 is also heavily rumored as coming soon… possibly this year. Possibly not. It looks like the console manufacturers Sony and Mirosoft, with the exception of Nintendo, may be holding off one more year before unleashing the next-generation on gamers.

Flextronics was the same company that manufactured the original Xbox, so it would make sense that Microsoft might return to them for the Xbox 720 Durango’s assembly. Microsoft even had them, along with two others, originally tapped for the Xbox 360’s assembly. Another rumor says that Flextronics also has “comprehensive marketing, software, and hardware tests of the next Xbox” already ongoing.

E3 2012 is only one month away (taking place taking place from June 5–7) so we will find out soon whether the next-generation is indeed hitting this year or not! Are you ready?!

I sure as HELL am NOT! lol. I still have games from the PS2/GameCube/Xbox1 generation I’ve yet to get around to playing…. :( My current-generation game playing is completely abysmal. Much to my dismay….

Here is a video showing off some of the wild rumors regarding the Xbox 720 Durango from earlier this year.

 

Videogame Releases of the Week – May 7th 2012 – May 13th 2012

Starhawk has been a long time in coming, but the game is finally here!

What videogames will be released this week?

Looks like the “summer doldrums” are in full swing, as this week is as barren as can be for videogame releases on consoles and PC. Of course, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a great game mixed in… It’s just you have to wade through a number of no-name PC games to reach it!

The biggest news this week is the long-awaited release of the PS3-exclusive online third-person spaceshooter hybrid, “Starhawk”. A spiritual-successor to the PS1 launch game “Warhawk”!

Here is the launch trailer for Starhawk.

Videogame Releases of the Week
* Starhawk (PS3)
* Street Fighter X Tekken (PC)
* Warlock: Master of the Arcane (PC)
* Nexuiz (PC)
* Nancy Drew: Tomb of the Lost Queen (PC)
* House of 1,000 Doors: Palm of Zoroaster – Collector’s Edition (PC)

Digital releases will include:
* MineCraft (Xbox Live Arcade)
* Datura (PlayStation Network)

Will you be picking up Starhawk this week? I hope this game sells extremely well, the game deserves it after spending so much time in development. And it looks absolutely awesome. Hopefully the barren release week will work well in the game’s favor.

 

You Should Buy: Pixel Nation – Quarterly Book Series Volume 1

This classic videogame art of a mature Mario and Princess Peach graces the cover of Pixel Nation Volume 1

Do you bemoan the lack of proper videogame magazines and the rate at which they have died? Does a physical publication of high-quality, rich color, indepth editorials and videogame-filled goodness on all things retro gaming appeal to you?

If so, then you have no excuse… You will want to keep your eyes peeled for “Pixel Nation Volume #1“, the first in an all-new magazine-like book series by self-titled new videogame-only publisher “Pixel Nation”; which is just the first in a series of similar products that seek to delve into the new age of videogame-based publications which don’t try to compete with gaming magazines new and old, but instead carve their own niche through the beauty of gaming.

Besides purchasing this great book, you will want to check out other publications that this company offers, including: NES-Bit Magazine System Issue 1, Pixellation Issue 1, Hidden Treasures: Rare & Unappreciated Gems, Mega Drive: Total Issue #1 and The History of Nintendo – Volume 1. The store also has the Pixel Nation videogame forum that I encourage you to check out!

Stacks of the first volume of Pixel Nation. AVAILABLE NOW! Purchase yours at pixel-nation.co.uk

If you are someone who finds what they offer to be very, VERY cool (like myself), then I urge you to put your money where your mouth is and support this type of independent, videogame-focused art. We cry out for it, and people are offering it, let’s join in the revolution and help them succeed!

Here is more information about Pixel Nation the publishing company, and the self-titled quarterly book series “Pixel Nation”:

Pixel Nation is a fiercely independant publishing company, specializing in hardprint publications about video game history, art, design and culture. We celebrate our independance and all that brings to us, allowing us to create bespoke niche market products of the highest artistic integrity, products that a mainstream corporate publisher could never take on board.
Pixel Nation is an organically created, independantly run company, celebrating all that is positive and unique about limited edition print medium.

About the Pixel Nation – Quarterly Book Series
Pixel Nation Publishing has some very exciting books planned for 2012 and beyond. But our very first published work will be our self-titled “Pixel Nation” quarterly book series. This quarterly, professional publication is a high quality, full color, glossy, 100-page A5 book, dedicated to classic videogames, in particular; focusing on the beautiful art and design of those classic games, and hopefully inspiring our readers to consider the contribution humble videogames have made to their lives.

There has been an opinion that printed medium is dying, with future communication and media being the sole realm of the Internet, but Pixel Nation must disagree. Print media is not dying, it is just evolving. Pixel Nation will not attempt to compete with the myriad of online sources for the same subject matter, nor compete with similar corporate published magazines.

We believe in a technological age where media is being buried behind layers of simulation, there is a great deal to be said for an actual tactile, high quality, printed item.

Pixel Nation is not tied down by the corporate homogenization and limitations placed on traditional magazines and books on this subject. It is filled with informative, thought-provoking articles, exclusive interviews, high quality artwork, and much more. Pixel Nation will not try to be a chronicle of gaming news, rather a timeless art and reference guide to games both classic and modern that carry with them the spirit of retro, and with content that will never be out of date.

Pixel Nation is unlike any video game publication you have ever experienced, so throw away the rulebook, because Pixel Nation has arrived! This is a Nation without borders! Are you ready for the revolution?

Key Features:
* High quality collectable quarterly book series
* Professionally produced, proudly independant publication
* 100 Full Color Glossy Pages!
* A timeless art and reference guide to classic games.