Namco Bandai: “Project X Zone” [3DS] – Annouced for US & Latin America | Anunciado para EE.UU. y Latinoamerica

[EN]: Many gamers had already heard about this game in Japan, but today’s news coming from Namco Bandai will make them really happy. Project X Zone, a 2D fighting-style strategy RPG game will feature 50+ characters from 29 different franchises, and will be arriving to North America and Latin America later this summer.

With a team of two characters (a Pair Unit) and the support of another character (a Solo Unit), players can fight by using many of the moves their characters are known for. Players will control the characters to do Solo Attacks, Support Attacks, Cross Hits and Finishing Moves.

Although not included in the press release, the game will keep the original Japanese voices of the game. The title will also be released in Europe and Australia, according to Destructoid.

The game has been developed by Banpresto and Monolinth Software.

[ES]: Muchos jugadores ya habían escuchado acerca de este juego en Japón, pero la noticia de hoy procedente de Namco Bandai los hará muy feliz. Project X Zone, un juego 2D de rol y estrategia al estilo de combate contará con más de 50 personajes de 29 franquicias diferentes, y estará llegando a América del Norte y América Latina a finales de este verano.

Con un equipo de dos personajes (una unidad par) y el apoyo de otro personaje (una unidad sola), los jugadores podrán luchar con muchos de los movimientos por los quelos  personajes son conocidos. Los jugadores controlarán a los personajes para hacer ataques individuales, ataques de soporte, golpes cruzados y golpes de gracia.

Aunque no se incluye en el comunicado de prensa, el juego mantendrá las voces originales japonesas del juego. El título también será lanzado en Europa y Australia, según Destructiod.

El juego ha sido desarrollado por Banpresto y Monolinth Software.

[Sources/Fuentes]: Namco Bandai (press release/comunicado de prensa); Destructoid: Project X Zone getting localized, coming to North America [http://www.destructoid.com/project-x-zone-getting-localized-coming-to-north-america-242789.phtml].

Nintendo Direct (US & Japan) – 2012.02.22

[English]

The American and Japanese versions of Nintendo Direct were very different and one was much longer than the other. The great thing about this is that we get specific info about new games on our North American region.

The Japanese Nintendo Direct had a lot to offer this morning via its recorded broadcast:

• As announced previously, the end of the Wii Ma services is coming to an end in April in Japan.
• Scenes of Battle mode, single-player mode on Kid Icarus Uprising, as well as info on how to achieve  and form a Genesis in the game.
• Fire Emblem Awakening will be released on Apri 19th, and will have paid DLC content. The first content will be available on May 31st.
• The DS gane Pokémon + Nobunaga’s Ambition is making its debut on March 17th and will cost 5800 yen.
• Another Mario-related sports game is coming to the 3DS as Mario Tennis Open on May 24th.
• The first-ever trailer Rune Factory 4 was shown during Nintendo Direct.
• New games arriving to the Nintendo eShop are Denpa Ningen RPG, The Rollong Western, and Game Gear support (with games arriving next month).
• Gane Center CX shared his skills playing some Virtual Console Game Boy games
• One unexpected announcement was the collaboration among Sega, Capcom, Namco Bandai and Banpresto in developing a Nintendo 3DS. Nothing else was specifically said about this joint effort but some info will be released at a later date.
• Other games and content announced: a new Brain Age game, new Monster Hunter 3G quest, Hatsune Miku demo, and videos of Kingdom Hearts 3D and Dragon Quest Monsters Terry’s Wonderland 3D.

The American version of Nintendo Direct lasted about 12 minutes long and the video along with other trailers are  now available on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo 3DS users.

• Dillon’s Rolling Western is out now on the Nintendo eShop
• Kid Icarus Uprising: gameplay action and mechanics, StreetPass functionality, game modes, and the original game.
• Mario Tennis Open: May 20th, fast-paced gameplay, local wireless and online play in single, double and open matches.
• Xenoblade Chronicles: April 6 release date, game art winner
• Spirit Camera: New trailer on Nintendo eShop; April 13 release date.
• The Last Story, a game produced by FF creator Hamaguchi, will finally arrive to North America this summer. XSEED (and not Nintendo) is bringing the game, after the demand of American gamers and the release of the game in other parts of the world. No specific release date.

Japan beats USA at FIFA Women’s World Cup; “Angry Bird” seen at game | Japón vence a EE.UU. en la copa mundial femenina de la FIFA; un “Angry Bird” visto en el partido

[English]

Though the US soccer team lost against Japan at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Finals on penalty kicks, it is a great moment of happiness and pride for the country of Japan while still facing problems related to the earthquakes and tsunamis that caused lots of harm to them in March of this year.

Congratulations Japan (日本おめでとう！) for becoming the newest FIFA Women’s World Champions, and thank you to the Women’s US team for giving us more moments of soccer excitement (especially the victory against Brasil which made the US live again the moments of last year’s FIFA World Cup).

And if you watched the soccer game (or not) and missed the Angry Birds reference after the US team scored its second goal, here’s a pic. Also, an ESPN image of the Japanese victory follows.

[Español]

Aunque el equipo de fútbol de EE.UU. perdió contra Japón en la final de la Copa del Mundo femenina FIFA por penales, es un gran momento de felicidad y orgullo para el país de Japón mientras que todavía se enfrentan a problemas relacionados con a los terremotos y tsunamis que causaron gran cantidad de daño a ellos en en mes de marzo de este año.

Felicitaciones a Japón (日本 おめでとう!) por convertirse en el nuevo país campeón de la Copa Mundial femenina, y gracias a la selección femenina de los EE.UU. por darnos más momentos de emoción fútbolística (sobre todo la victoria contra Brasil que hizo que los EE.UU. vuelva a vivir los momentos del año pasado del mundial).

Y si vieron el partido de fútbol (o no) y se perdió la referencia del juego Angry Birds después de que el equipo de EE.UU. anotó su segundo gol, aquí (encima) está una foto.  Sigue también una imagen de ESPN de la victoria japonesa.

Source/Fuente: “Abby is the Bomb” [http://yfrog.com/z/kfammflj], ESPN.

MLG/GSL: Player Exchange Program for 2011 Season | Programa de intercambio de jugadores para la temporada 2011

From/De: Major League Gaming

GOMTV Global StarCraft^® II League and Major League Gaming Announce First-Ever Player Exchange Program for 2011 Pro Circuit Season

Starting at MLG Pro Circuit Columbus on June 3, top Korean pros will play LIVE for the first time at an open-registration tournament in the US and the best foreign players will compete in the GSL

NEW YORK—May 19, 2011—Major League Gaming (MLG), the world’s largest competitive video game league and GOMTV’s Global StarCraft II League (GSL), have announced a historic League Exchange Program that will send the best MLG players to compete in the GSL and allow top Korean talent to play LIVE for the first time at an open-registration tournament in the US. Beginning with the MLG Pro Circuit Competition in Columbus June 3-5, and continuing through the 2011 season, MLG will invite and provide travel for four Korean pros to compete playing Blizzard Entertainment’s blockbuster real-time strategy game, StarCraft^® II: Wings of Liberty^™ on PC at each LIVE tournament.

The inaugural four GSL Pro players competing in Columbus are ST_Bomber (STARTALE, Code A Champion and Next Season Code S), SlayerS_MMA (Slayers, Code A Ro.4), IMLosirA (Incredible Miracle, Code S) and FOXMoon (FOX). These players will be placed directly into the Championship Pools and placement in the Pools will be determined by GSL rank.

“We’re incredibly pleased to partner with MLG on this groundbreaking arrangement. This is very exciting news for the global StarCraft II community,” said Jooyang Oh, Director of eSports, GSL.

“Our mission at MLG is to advance the sport of competitive gaming and with GSL as our partner, we can continue to do that on a global scale,” said Sundance DiGiovanni, CEO of MLG. “Our collaboration is truly revolutionary and we are excited to bring together the top players in the world for intense competition.”

“Major League Gaming and GOMTV are world-class eSports partners, and we’re pleased to see them collaborating on this historic international player exchange,” said Paul Sams, COO of Blizzard Entertainment. “In addition to providing some incredible entertainment for fans of competitive gaming, this partnership also represents a great opportunity to expand the global eSports audience.”

Based on the outcome of the MLG Columbus Pro Circuit, the top three non-Korean finishers will earn placement into GSL’s Code A tournament with all travel and accommodation expenses provided by GSL.  Beginning with the MLG Pro Circuit Anaheim on July 29-31 and continuing through the 2011 season, the 1st place finisher will be placed into the GSL Code S and the 2nd, 3rd and 4th place non-Korean finishers will be placed into GSL Code A.

Coming off of an action-packed Pro Circuit opener in Dallas last month, the Columbus competition is the second of a challenging, six-city US Pro Circuit tour that places the most talented players alongside their toughest opponents.  In addition to the four Korean Pros, more than 200 players from around the world will compete in StarCraft II at the Columbus Pro Circuit, including Dallas winner dignitas.Naniwa, second place finisher ROOT.Kiwikaki, and Idra from Team Evil Geniuses who placed first at the MLG Pro Circuit event last year in Washington DC. Other notable players to watch include TLO and Tyler both from Team Liquid.

More than $1 million will be awarded throughout the year making this the largest MLG season to date. Fans can purchase spectator passes online or on-site at the Columbus Convention Center. Those that can’t make it in person can watch in real-time all weekend in standard or high-definition at www.majorleaguegaming.com. Three live streams will be dedicated to the three featured games and a fourth live stream will offer commentary, interviews and highlights.

The Pro Circuit Schedule
June 3-5:                              Columbus, OH – Columbus Convention Center
July 29-31:                           Anaheim, CA  – Anaheim Convention Center
August 26-28:                    Raleigh, NC – Raleigh Convention Center
October 14-16:                  Orlando, FL – Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center
November 18-20:             Providence, RI – National Championship
Rhode Island Convention Center

ABOUT MAJOR LEAGUE GAMING
Founded in 2002, Major League Gaming (MLG) is the dominant media property exclusively targeting the approximately 40 million consumers in North America who have a passion for playing video games as a competitive social activity. The company exclusively represents the best professional gamers and gives millions of aspiring gamers around the world an opportunity to compete, improve their skills, and socialize through our thriving online competitive community and live Pro Circuit competitions. For more information: www.majorleaguegaming.com.

ABOUT BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT, INC.
Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft® and theWarcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® franchises, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment’s track record includes thirteen #1-selling games and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company’s online-gaming service, Battle.net®, is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.

Nintendo: Wii @ $149.99, ‘Nintendo Selects’ games @ $19.99 – May 15th

From/De: Nintendo

NINTENDO UNVEILS NEW WII PACKAGE AT $149.99, LAUNCHES ‘NINTENDO SELECTS’ $19.99 WII GAMES

Having Fun with Family and Friends Just Became More Affordable than Ever With New Suggested Retail Pricing

REDMOND, Wash., May 4, 2011 – Nintendo is dropping the suggested retail price of its Wii™system to $149.99 and including a Mario™ game with the Wii hardware. Starting May 15, the newly priced Wii system will come in either black or white with the Mario Kart™ Wii game and a matching colored Wii Wheel™ accessory, replacing the previously included Wii Sports™ and Wii Sports Resort™ games.

Also on May 15, Nintendo launches the new Nintendo® Selects collection of Wii games, a set of popular games that millions of people have already experienced, at a suggested retail price of $19.99. The four must-own games in this collection are The Legend of Zelda™: Twilight Princess, Animal Crossing™: City Folk, Mario™ Super Sluggers and Wii Sports, which is available for the first time as a separate software purchase. Parents and video game fans can now easily expand their library of fun, family-friendly Wii games.

“From the day it launched, Wii has let players of all ages and experience levels have fun with one another,” said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “The new suggested retail pricing for both the hardware and select games will help create more of these magical moments for even greater numbers of people.”

With Mario Kart Wii now included with the Wii hardware, players will be able to enjoy fun go-kart racing with Mario and all his Mushroom Kingdom pals right out of the box. The Wii Remote™ Plus controller, Nunchuk™ controller and Wii Wheel included in the package will all match the hardware, meaning they will be either black or white. The new black Wii Wheel will also be available separately at a suggested retail price of $9.99.

Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://wii.com.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™ home console, Nintendo 3DS™ and Nintendo DS™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 3.5 billion video games and more than 577 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at http://www.nintendo.com.

Nintendo 3DS Midnight Launch @ Best Buy’s

From/De: Nintendo

NINTENDO 3DS CHANGES THE WAY YOU VIEW PORTABLE ENTERTAINMENT

New System’s March 27 Launch Ushers in the Era of 3D Fun without Special Glasses

REDMOND, Wash., March 21, 2011 – Nintendo introduces portable entertainment in 3D – without the need for special glasses. The Nintendo 3DS™ system goes on sale in the United States on March 27 at a suggested retail price of $249.99. It comes with a collection of pre-installed games and fun features, with more on the way.

“Nintendo 3DS can play 3D video games and take 3D pictures, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg,” said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “The 3D display is amazing in its own right, but just as compelling are the new forms of game play it delivers, and the groundbreaking ways it will connect players to new content … and each other.”

To celebrate the arrival of the system, Nintendo is holding a midnight launch event starting at 9 p.m. Eastern time on March 26 at the Best Buy store in Union Square in New York City. The event will feature hands-on Nintendo 3DS demos with food, music and giveaways (while supplies last), all leading up to a countdown to midnight, when the Nintendo 3DS system goes on sale. For those who can’t make it to New York, additional midnight launch events will be held at several Best Buy stores throughout the country. Fans can visit http://www.bestbuy.com/3DS for more information. Nintendo is also installing more than 6,000 kiosks at retailers across the country over the next couple of months to let people demo the new Nintendo 3DS system.

Nintendo 3DS has 18 games available on launch day, with more than 30 total available by early June. Nintendo-published games available March 27 include:

• Pilotwings Resort™, a high-flying aerial adventure that lets you soar over a tropical island in a plane, on a hang glider or with a rocket belt. You can take on more than 30 challenging missions, or go sightseeing and snap pictures in the game.
• nintendogs™ + cats, which lets you train and interact with your very own puppy and kitten. They react to your voice and will even welcome you with a lick of the face as you lean in. There are three different versions of the software, each featuring a different starting breed: Toy Poodle, Golden Retriever or French Bulldog. In each version, players can eventually unlock all 27 different breeds to enjoy.
• Steel Diver™, an action-packed and immersive 3D submarine combat adventure. Take command of your sub to control its speed, depth and pitch, and use both the touch-screen and motion-sensitive controls to navigate through lush undersea environments and fire torpedoes at enemy ships and obstacles.

Nintendo’s third-party publishing partners are rolling out their biggest names for launch day. Games ready for March 27 include Super Street Fighter® IV 3D Edition from CAPCOM, The Sims™ 3 from EA, Madden NFL Footbal l from EA SPORTS, Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D from Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., LEGO® Star Wars® III: The Clone Wars™ from LucasArts™, RIDGE RACER® 3D from NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc.,Super Monkey Ball™ 3D from SEGA, BUST-A-MOVE UNIVERSE™ from Square-Enix, Inc., SAMURAI WARRIORS®: Chronicles from TECMO KOEI AMERICA Corp., plus Asphalt™ 3D, Combat of Giants™: Dinosaurs 3 D, Rayman® 3Dand Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon® Shadow Wars from UBISOFT.

Meanwhile, Nintendo is working on Nintendo 3DS games from its top franchises, including The Legend of Zelda™: Ocarina of Time™ 3D, Star Fox™ 64 3D, Kid Icarus™: Uprising and new installments in the Super Mario™, Mario Kart™, Animal Crossing™ and Paper Mario™ series. The system is also ready to play nearly every single Nintendo DS™ game with its original 2D graphics. Nintendo DS games that required the use of the Game Boy™ Advance slot are not compatible with the Nintendo 3DS system.

Nintendo 3DS features two screens. The top screen displays 3D images without the need for special glasses. The bottom screen is touch-sensitive. It also has three cameras. One inner camera points at you, while two exterior cameras let you take pictures of your friends and family in 3D or 2D. It weighs approximately 8 ounces and is available in Cosmo Black or Aqua Blue.

Built-in games and applications include Mii Maker™, which uses facial recognition technology to create a Mii™ character that looks just like you; Face Raiders™, which requires you to shoot at comical depictions of your own face as well as others around you; AR Games™, which superimpose graphics and animations on the real world using the included AR Cards; and Nintendo 3DS Sound, which lets you listen to MP3 or AAC music files, or make your own recordings and play with them using fun filters. The StreetPass™ feature lets some of your games and applications wirelessly swap small bits of game data as you pass other Nintendo 3DS users throughout the day, if you choose. SpotPass™, on the other hand, lets the Nintendo 3DS system detect wireless hotspots or wireless LAN access points and allows users to obtain information and game data when the system is in Sleep Mode. Free software and videos will also become available with future system updates.

Soon Nintendo will roll out a series of additional features for Nintendo 3DS, including an Internet browser, an online store called Nintendo eShop, the ability to access 3D Hollywood movie trailers, automatic and free access to more than 10,000 AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots nationwide and the ability to stream Netflix movies (Netflix unlimited membership required).

For a comprehensive look at all the hardware specs and features of Nintendo 3DS, visit http://press.nintendo.com/nintendo3ds.

Remember that the Nintendo 3DS system features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo3ds.com.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™ home console and Nintendo DS™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 3.5 billion video games and more than 577 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at http://www.nintendo.com.

Blizzard: “WoW: Cataclysm” – Global Launch Events

From/De: Blizzard

World of Warcraft(R): Cataclysm(TM) Official Global Launch Events

Blizzard Entertainment to celebrate with players at multiple stores around the world on the eve of new expansion’s December 7 launch

IRVINE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Blizzard Entertainment today announced several official launch events to celebrate the upcoming release of World of Warcraft®: Cataclysm™, the highly anticipated third expansion for the world’s most popular subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game. Starting on the night of December 6, key retail partners in the US, Canada, France, Germany, Russia, Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain, the UK, and the region of Taiwan will welcome gamers who want to be among the first to purchase and play Cataclysm. Members of the World of Warcraft development team will be on hand at each of the events to meet with players and sign their copies of the expansion.

In Canada, the launch event will take place at the EBGames/GameStop located at 425 Queen Street West in Toronto, Ontario, starting at 10:00 p.m. EST on December 6. Before the expansion goes on sale at midnight, gamers will enjoy a dance contest showcasing players’ favorite moves from the game and featuring great prizes for the winning competitors. For further details on each of the global launch events, visit www.blizzard.com/company/events/. In addition to the official Canadian launch event, other retail locations around the country will open at midnight to support gamers looking to pick up their copy of the expansion the moment it goes live. Please check with your local retailers for further details.

Funcom: “Bloodline Champions” Beta – Over 100,000 players

From/De: Funcom

Over 100,000 Players Flood Into ‘Bloodline Champions’ – Get Free Beta Access and Join the Fun Today!
– Over 100,000 players have joined the free-to-play-game in just a few weeks –
– Free beta keys now distributed on sites in the US, UK, France, Germany and Italy -

Durham, USA – November 3rd, 2010 – Funcom and Stunlock Studios’ upcoming online multiplayer game ‘Bloodline Champions’ is opening up to gamers across the world. Over the past few weeks over 100,000 players have joined the game to challenge each-other in furious battles in the upcoming free-to-play arena game. Now, Funcom and Stunlock Studios would like to invite even more players to join the fun. This week sites in US, UK, France, Germany and Italy started out giving out free beta keys, giving everyone the opportunity to experience the fast-paced action of ‘Bloodline Champions’.

All you have to do is visit this page on the official ‘Bloodline Champions’ website to see where keys are being given away. Keys are first come, first serve and the give-away is time-limited.

“We are very excited about the growing interest that we are seeing for ‘Bloodline Champions’ in the various gaming communities,” says Funcom Vice-President of Sales & Marketing, Morten Larssen. “Funcom is thrilled to be a part of this success story as a publisher, and with over 100,000 players now having joined the free beta, we are more convinced than ever before that Stunlock Studios have put together a rock-solid online multiplayer game that will appeal to both the competitive gamers out there and to the mass gaming audience.”