By Eli Green
February 14, 2008 - 23:59
A happy Valentine's Day to all of our readers that celebrate it. To those that don't we extend a happy Anti-Valentine's Day, sticking it to the man or whatever it is that you like to do, or not do, on this day. This will be the last edition of Video Game Bits for this week.
Today,
Electronic Arts released eight
Burnout Paradise
advertisements on YouTube that spoof online dating commercials. The
ads are really meant to get people talking about the game's online
play, its open world racing and other features, but are, overall,
just a well done, and hilarious, ad campaign. You can see our
favourite below, or check out EA's YouTube channel at
www.youtube.com/user/ea.
Electronic
Arts announced the return of one of the most beloved and best-selling
real time strategy franchises of all time today.
Command
& Conquer: Red Alert
is
coming back, after a seven-year hiatus, with a new game designed for
Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC.
Command
& Conquer: Red Alert 3
takes a number of moments from history and rewrites them, creating a
messed up alternate future.
The game's story unfolds as the desperate leadership of a doomed Soviet Union travels back in time to change history and restore the glory of Mother Russia. Unfortunately, the mission takes a turn for the worse, creating an alternate timeline where technology has taken a completely different course of evolution and the world's new superpowers are in the midst of World War III. The Empire of the Rising Sun has risen in the East, making World War III a three-way struggle between the Soviets, the Allies, and the Empire, with armies fielding weapons and technologies like Tesla coils, heavily armed War Blimps, teleportation, armored bears, intelligent dolphins, floating island fortresses, and transforming tanks.
“ It’s been too long.” said Chris Corry, Executive Producer at EA Los Angeles. “Fans have been waiting for a new Red Alert game for seven years, and we’re working hard to ensure its well worth the wait. The team is staying true to the series’ roots while adding new elements like a co-operatively played story-driven campaign, an astounding new faction that will shake-up the Red Alert universe as we know it, and units that will help make Red Alert 3 everything our fans have been waiting for. And by bringing naval combat into the heart of the game design, we’re transporting that fast, fun and fluid C&C gameplay to the high-seas in ways that you’ve never seen before.”
That's right, the game includes sea battles as well. It also includes a fully co-operative campaign, letting players go it alone, or with a friend. EA will be running a beta program for the PC version of the game later this year. For more information on the beta and other aspects of Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 , check out www.commandandconquer.com.
Starting
February 20
th
,
Xbox 360 owners with Xbox Live memberships will be able to get news
from GDC right in their living rooms, or wherever they have their
Xbox 360s, at no charge. Microsoft will make this free, high
definition content available for download via the Xbox Live
Marketplace, including footage from the keynote address. Footage will
also include
never-before-seen
gameplay, demos, screenshots, game trailers and interviews from the
GDC show floor.
Electronic
Arts announced today that
NCAA
Football 09
will be coming to Wii and will feature EA
SPORTS Family Play.
To
commemorate t
he
first
NCAA
Football
video
game on Wii, the video game’s packaging will feature a platform
exclusive NCAA college team mascot. The mascot to appear on the video
game's cover will be chosen by voting, which begins today. Fans will
be able to choose their favorite NCAA FBS (formally known as Division
1-A) college team mascot by visiting www.ncaafootball09.com
and casting their vote. The site will accept a vote per day, so if
you have a particular mascot you would like to see on the box cover,
you can cast your ballot all you like until voting closes on March
6
th
.
The winning school's mascot will be announced March 14
th
on the
NCAA
Football 09
website.
Rock
Band
Build your Rock Band library by purchasing these song game tracks. (Arguably) Punk Pack 2 includes all three songs. For song credits, visit www.RockBand.com.
Truth
Hits Everybody
- The Police ($1.99 USD/$2.99 CDN)
Teenage
Lobotomy
- The Ramones (
$1.99
USD/
$2.99
CDN)
Complete
Control
– The Clash (
$1.99
USD/
$2.99
CDN)
(Arguably)
Punk Pack 2 ($5.49 USD/$6.49 CDN)
File
sizes: 10.9 MB - 24.3 MB (singles), 55.9 MB (Track Pack).
Demos
MLB
08 The Show
Demo
There
is a reason why ESPN Magazine claims
MLB
08 The Show
is “the most realistic baseball game ever created” - because it
is. But don’t take our word for it - get your own hands-on
experience with the
MLB
08 The Show
.
Nothing Gets You Closer.
File
size: 1.01 GB
ESRB
Rated E
Game Videos
MLB
08 Road To The Show
Tutorial
There’s
a reason many gaming editors are saying “(The Show) is the best
baseball franchise ever created”. But take a look for yourself with
a first look as the team heads into spring training for the 2008
season.
MLB
08 The Show
:
Nothing Gets You Closer.
File
size: 56 MB (HD)
LittleBigPlanet
Create-A-Level
PLAY,
CREATE, and SHARE with
LittleBigPlanet
!
Imagine a world with no limits – a world that’s yours to shape,
build and explore. Imagine the possibilities, then jump head first
into the reality.
LittleBigPlanet
puts the power of absolute creation into your own hands. If you can
see it, you can enhance it. If you can’t see it, you can invent it.
File size: 79 MB (HD)
Tony
Hawk’s Proving Ground
- Launch Trailer (free)
File
size: 46 MB (HD)
Conflict:
Denied Ops
Diary 2 (free)
In
this developer diary Dave Cullinane, Environment Art Manager at
Pivotal Games, gives some insight into the design process behind
creating some of the locations featured in the new co-op FPS,
Conflict:
Denied Ops
.
File
size: 539 MB (HD)
Conflict:
Denied Ops Diary
3 (free)
In
this developer diary hear from James Nicholls, Senior Designer at
Pivotal Games, as he discusses the artificial intelligence, co-op
gameplay design and multiplayer modes used in
Conflict:
Denied Ops
.
File
size: 626 MB (HD)
Burnout
Accolades Trailer (free)
Burnout
Paradise
is the first hit of 2008 and the press just can’t get enough of it!
Check out some new gameplay footage and see what the critics have to
say about
Burnout
Paradise
in the newest trailer!
File
size: 82 MB (HD)
Turok
“Weapons”
Trailer (free)
From
Quiet Kill stealth to all guns blazing,
Turok
offers over 13 different weapons for you to choose how to fight. Each
weapon also has a secondary feature that gives you critical options
in the heat of combat. Gameplay Vignette #4 showcases these weapons
in all of their glory.
File
size: 12 MB (SD), 41 MB (HD), 44 MB (1080)
You can also see it right here.
Turok “Creatures” Trailer (free)
Turok
gameplay vignette #3 features the most lifelike dinosaurs available
on next-gen. Experience the clenching of raptor jaws, the enormity of
a T-rex battle, and the excitement of going head-to-head with a
variety of creature enemies. Your mission? Survive at all costs.
File
size: 12 MB (SD), 43 MB (HD), 56 MB (1080)
Movie
and Blu-ray Disc Trailers
The
Ruins
Trailer (free)
Based
on the terrifying best-seller by Scott Smith,
The
Ruins
follows a group of friends who become entangled in a brutal struggle
for survival after visiting a remote archaeological dig in the
Mexican jungle – where they discover something deadly living among
the ruins.
File
size: 15 MB (SD), 54 MB (HD), 71 MB (1080)
PS3 Themes
Super
Stardust HD
Theme (free)
Customize
your PS3 system with a cool Super Stardust HD theme. This theme
allows you to change up the look of your background and XMB icons.
File
size: 3.77 MB
Here is this week’s content release for the PLAYSTATION Store for PC. To download these games to your PSP, navigate to http://store.playstation.com. There, you’ll find descriptions of the content and directions on how to get started. For more on the PLAYSTATION Store for PC, please click here.
Downloadable Games
* Twisted Metal: Head On ($14.99 USD/$15.99 CDN)
Demos (free)
*
Patapon Demo
*
MLB 08 The Show Demo
Game Videos (free)
*
Twisted Metal: Head On Behind The Scenes 3
*
Twisted Metal: Head On Behind The Scenes 4
PSP Wallpaper (free)
* Twisted Metal HO Wallpaper #2