Prototype 2 preview
Viral infections are incredible things, according to Radical Entertainment’s Dave Fracchia. “If you look at viruses when they get into the body, they disguise themselves so they can get into different cells. They explode, they eviscerate.”
This process, he says, is the inspiration for the pathological violence of Prototype 2’s Blacklight virus – but the analogy only stretches so far. That is, unless the common cold ever figures out how to pull the guns off an attack helicopter.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 rumoured multiplayer and release date details hit official forums
Treyarch and Activision are yet to officially announce anything about the next Call of Duty. We can expect all that to be revealed around E3 time, but there’s already plenty of evidence about suggesting that this year’s CoD will be Black Ops 2. A big list of features and changes attributed to the upcoming sequel has been plonked on the Black Ops forums, and since removed, and then reuploaded to some different forums, and then removed again.
MP1st noticed pulled the info from a cached copy of one of those forum posts. The list contains lots of precise details about returning game modes, ditched game modes, ditched gadgets (like the RC XD), balance changes and word of a November release date.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 free XP weekend arrives, IW apologise to PC fans
Do you like experience? Not life experience, like visiting new places and meeting new people, the other kind. You know, the numbers kind that gradually increases with every action, unlocking juicy rewards at regular intervals? Then you’ll want to log into Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 this weekend. For every point of XP gained shooting men in their faces, you’ll get ANOTHER point of XP free. YES.
Infinity Ward creative strategist Robert Bowling aka @fourzerotwo, announced the free weekend in a tweet spotted by Blue’s News. “Turning on Double XP for everyone on Modern Warfare 3 this weekend! All platforms and playlists included.”
Call of Duty: Devil’s Brigade was in development by a secret team. Got secretly cancelled
The Verge have reported on a top secret Call of Duty game that was in development five months before the release of the first Modern Warfare. Call of Duty: Devil’s Brigade was cancelled nine months in to development, was a third-person affair, and focused on the “superheroes” of WWII who later inspired the formation of the Green Berets and the Canadian Special Operations forces Command.
Activision cancelled the project in 2007. The dev team included Jason VandenBerghe, current creative director on Far Cry 3, along with Scott Bandy and Trevor Jalowitz, who now work for Activision. They called themselves Underground Development.
VandenBerghe quotes Infinity Ward’s dominance as one of the reasons for the cancellation: “If the IW guys say they want to control the Call of Duty IP, they don’t even have to say our name. We just got sideswiped. And that happens. I don’t begrudge them for that.”
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 spotted on dev CV and Amazon
The rumour mill is awash with whispers of a sequel to Treyarch’s Call of Duty: Black Ops. Last month it was noted that Activision had bought up a series of Black Ops 2 domain names, a hint compounded by the recent appearance of an Amazon listing for Black Ops 2. The ad has since been pulled, but not before a screenshot appeared on Gameblog, spotted on Joystiq. That’s not the only place that Black Ops 2 has appeared recently.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer free to play this weekend
You can shoot men for free right now in one of the most popular man shooting simulators in the world. A Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 free weekend is underway, offering all maps, classes and weapons to everyone who downloads the client from Steam.
The doors will slam shut again at 1pm PST / 9pm GMT on Sunday, but if you really loved your time shooting men in the head, you can pay slightly less than you normally would to shoot more men in the head in the full game. It’s 33% off until 10am PST / 6pm GMT on Monday. If you already own the game, now’s the time to jump back in and politely school these fresh recruits. Be gentle. It’s their first time.
Prototype 2 preview
Before today I have never been able to imagine what it would be like for a man to uppercut a helicopter. Prototype 2 has shown me the light. The correct technique, according to new protagonist James Heller, is to jump onto the copter’s face, pull the nose down until the rotor blades are inches from the floor, wind up, and sock it on the chin. That will cause it to backflip twice and then explode in mid-air. Prototype 2 is going to be even more crazy and violent than the original.
Like Prototype, the sequel will let you climb, dash and glide around New York city. You’ll consume operatives of the evil Blackwatch corporation to steal their memories and identities. Your mission is to track down Alex Mercer, the shapeshifting anithero of the first game using the powers that turned him into a mutant killing machine.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 DLC schedule lists maps, missions and new game modes
A calendar on the Call of Duty site outlines the release schedule for all of the Modern Warfare 3 DLC that will be released this year. As well as the two maps they’ve already teased, ten more multiplayer arenas, six more missions and two new modes are listed. That makes up the 20 chunks of DLC Activision promised a week or so ago.
The schedule is aimed at those signed up to Call of Duty Elite, though the extra missions, maps and modes will make their way to the PC eventually. Black Ops DLC took about four weeks to cross the desert that separates Xbox Live land and PC gamer world. Check out these Modern Warfare 3 screenshots for an early look at the first two maps, Piazza and Central Park.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 screenshots show new maps set in Italy and Central Park
Here are nine new screenshots from the first two DLC maps for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. The maps will arrive first for Xbox 360 Elite subscribers, but will likely come to our machines about a month later. The sunny, continental map, Piazza is a tight, winding map set in Italy. As with every Call of Duty map “attacks from behind, above and below are an ever-constant threat,” but there will be a strong close combat focus, with plenty of flanking routes.
The other map will be called Liberation, and is set in a militarised Central Park, full of long sight lines perfect for snipers. If there’s one thing everybody loves most about Call of Duty, it’s snipers. “Always be aware of nearby sightlines to avoid becoming fodder for the enemy,” reads the fact sheet. Alternatively, just go sniper and own the map yourself. Screenshots ho!
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 to get 20 chunks of DLC in nine months
Here’s a trailer showing off the first couple of maps scheduled to land later this month for Call of Duty Elite subscribers on Xbox. All of the extra maps should be making their way to PC after a delay, though they won’t be through the Elite service, which isn’t available on PC.
This “season” of DLC releases is set to deliver 20 downloads over the next nine months. Each release will consist of extra maps, game modes and even story missions. Black Ops DLC arrived a month after each Xbox launch. It looks as though we can expect similar days for Modern Warfare 3′s extra maps, but there’s plenty on the horizon for Modern Warfare 3 fans. We’d love to see more Spec Ops missions, how about you?
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 domain name snapped up by Activision
After the success of Call of Duty: Black Ops, it seems sensible for Treyarch to use their next turn developing CoD to turn out a sequel. Gamesradar mention a Fusible report indicating that publishers, Activision have managed to secure the Black Ops 2 domain name.
Activision bought up a series of domain names up to Blackops6.com, but Black Ops 2 was held by a private owner until now. Fusible mention that the Call of Duty publisher has managed to buy it up through brand protection agency, MarkMonitor, suggesting that Activision are keen to secure rights to a site for the sequel. They could be protecting the Black Ops brand in the long term, but given the first game’s sales figures a second game would be no surprise. Would you be interested in more BLOPS?
Portal 2 – PC Gamer UK’s co-op game of the year
In most co-operative games, players don’t work together so much as work beside one another. The closest you’ll get to real teamwork is pulling the trigger at the same time. Portal 2 doesn’t work that way. Its co-op problems are impossible without a friend, and each reality-twisting solution forces you to share a brain.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 DLC to include new Spec Ops missions and “things that players have never seen before”
After years of pricey map packs, Call of Duty fans can look forward to some more varied DLC next year. Infinity Ward’s Robert Bowling has been talking about plans for new Spec Ops missions and “a variety of things that players have never seen before.” Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer and Raven will all be working on producing regular updates throughout 2012.
“The way we’re doing downloadable content this year is unlike we’ve never done before,” he said, speaking in a Call of Duty Elite video spotted by CVG. “Not only in how you can get it – in content drops or choose for the collection – but also the type of content you’re getting.”
