I gotta go back…back…back to WWII again. Whoa whoa I gotta go…back to WWII…again. [/end Grease sing song]
I know it’s been the fear of many Call of Duty fans that the next entry in the series would shift back to World War II and shift back to Treyarch. Well, that fear has been realized with Call of Duty: World At War. But before you get into a frenzy about yet “another” World War II game, let me just say that it sounds and looks really, really good. Why shift back to WWII? Who knows but for the first time ever the Call of Duty franchise is going to incorporate co-operative play! That’s worth the price of admission alone.
I know looks can be deceiving but thankfully we’ll get to see the first premiere featuring gameplay of Call of Duty: World At War this Friday via Xbox Live Marketplace following the 10PM PST debut on Spike TV.
“With Call of Duty: World at War, we’re re-defining peoples’ expectations of WWII games and we’re looking forward to showing gameplay video for the first time,” said David Pokress, Head of Marketing for Activision’s Owned Properties Business Unit. “On Friday, we will begin to pull back the curtain on a range of in-game features - from cooperative gameplay to new weapons like the flamethrower - that take players to a WWII that they’ve never experienced.”
Activision sent the first images from its upcoming game, Guitar Hero World Tour. You get a glimpse of the newly added drumset. It has a better look to it than the Rock Band drumset with the addition of the cymbals (not to mention they’re placed pretty cool). You’ll actually feel like you’re playing a real drumset it appears. I love the fact that it will all be wireless!
Screenshots: Guitar Hero World Tour
The folks from Activision sent word on a special pre-order promotion going on with Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. Guitar Hero: Aerosmith features songs spanning their long chart-topping career as well as hits from their favorite groups like The Clash, Cheap Trick, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts and more. Pre-ordering will give you access to a special bundle which includes guitar, the exclusive Aerosmith faceplate, an Aerosmith tour book and of course, the game. (and don’t have a panic, the Guitar Hero III axe still works with GH: Aerosmith so you can simply buy the game alone)
Pricing is as follows:
$99 for Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii, $89 for PlayStation 2 wireless and $109 for the two-guitar (wired) PlayStation 2 bundle which includes both a black and silver guitar. I’m not sure if the pricing or bundle will change if you don’t pre-order. I’ll see if I can find out those details. That faceplate is rather sexy but I think I’m good without it.
[Update] I confirmed with the folks behind the news and the Aerosmith faceplate will not be sold separately. The only way to get it, is to pre-order. And the pricing is also only a pre-order bundle deal.
I was going to post some screenshots for Guitar Hero: Aerosmith but they really aren’t what you haven’t seen before in previous Guitar Hero titles so I decided to show off the new logo instead. If you don’t believe me about the screenshots, then take a look for yourself.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is about to get a refreshing boost of new energy with 4 new maps. The Variety Map Pack will be available on April 10 (a week after the previous April 3 mention). Although the date has changed, the price has not so get ready to dish out the same 800 Microsoft Points for them.
The Variety Map Pack includes four new multiplayer maps. “Creek” is a wide-open village ravaged by combat where concealment is the difference between life and death. In “Broadcast,” fight throughout an enemy communications building with confined corridors and wide-open parking lots. “Chinatown” is a foggy downtown district, lit only by a full moon and the neon glow of the city. “Killhouse” features a desolate training warehouse filled with a variety of building mock-ups and soft and hard cover points.
Screenshots: Variety Map Pack COD4
I know the DDB is ready for this one! Activision is set to release the Variety Map Pack for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare on April 3rd along with the release of the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Game of the Year Edition in stores.
The Variety Map Pack includes four new multiplayer maps. “Creek” is a wide-open village ravaged by combat where concealment is the difference between life and death. In “Broadcast,” fight throughout an enemy communications building with confined corridors and wide-open parking lots. “Chinatown” is a foggy downtown district, lit only by a full moon and the neon glow of the city. “Killhouse” features a desolate training warehouse filled with a variety of building mock-ups and soft and hard cover points.
How much: 800 Microsoft Points
I like Jack Black. Do I like Jack Black as a kung-fu fighting panda in Dreamworks’ upcoming film, Kung Fu Panda? Yes I do. And with most things these days there is a video game to accompany its release.
In the Kung Fu Panda video game, players embark on an epic, action-packed adventure as they master the specialized Kung Fu fighting styles of Po the Panda, the unlikely hero, his teacher Shifu, and the legendary Kung Fu masters, the Furious Five: Monkey, Tigress, Viper, Mantis and Crane.
Video: Kung Fu Panda Trailer
The next time you fire up Call of Duty 4 and connect to Xbox Live you’ll be prompted for the latest patch to fix a few issues with the game. Fans of the game should be happy with the new things this update brings.
Host migration, improved accuracy for snipers and ACOG scope users, an expanded Kill Cam, upgraded Spectator Cam, a Quick Mute option and a few other fixes.
[Update] - My buddy Robert (402) from Infinity Ward posted all the update details.
To celebrate the recently announced ground-breaking collaboration with Aerosmith, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock fans will have the opportunity to download and jam to Aerosmith’s “Dream On.” The song will be available for free from February 16-18 so make sure you’re rockin’ out on those days to score the free song.
I’m really surprised at the announcement and I’m wondering if there’s enough Aerosmith appeal to entice gamers to buy a game dedicated to them. Oh well, you get a free song so yay.
In a really surprising move and something that even shook me when I read it, Activision announces Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, the first game built around the legendary music of America’s Greatest Rock ‘N Roll Band: Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer. Slated for release this June, this latest installment from the franchise with the #1 best-selling video game in 2007, puts players in the shoes of Perry (guitar), Whitford (guitar) and Hamilton (bass), as they rock out alongside frontman Tyler and drummer Kramer. Gamers will experience Aerosmith’s GRAMMY® winning career, from their first gig to becoming rock royalty, in a way that no other entertainment vehicle offers.
“Having a game built around Aerosmith has been a huge honor and really a great experience for us,” says Joe Perry. “We’ve put a lot of ideas into the game so that fans can have fun interacting with our music, getting inside our body of work and learning about the band’s history.”
