LucasArts announced at a Game Developers Conference related party tonight that The Secret Of Monkey Island 2 is getting a Special Edition. The Special Edition will contain all of the things you would expect based on the Special Edition of the original Monkey Island, such as high-definition art, remastered music, and the ability to switch from old school graphics to the updated look (an oddly fun device in the Special Edition of the first game).

In addition to the normal trappings, however, LucasArts’ Craig Derrick said that the Special Edition will be getting new controls as well. According to Mr. Derrick, “In addition to the point-and-click interface, we’ve added the ability to move Guybrush around, so you feel more connected to him”.

The Monkey Island 2: Special Editionwill be released on the PSN, XBLA, iPhone, and PC in the Summer of 2010.

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Sony is preparing new handheld products to compete with Apple’s iPhone and upcoming iPad, according to the Wall Street Journal. They are reporting that Sony is prepping a “smart phone capable of downloading and playing videogames,” in addition to “a portable device that shares characteristics of netbooks, electronic-book readers and handheld-game machines.”

No details on whether the smart phone would be a PSP-branded machine, but Big S certainly has an interest in defending its mobile device business. For Sony, as a manufacturer of both phones and portable gaming devices, Apple is becoming an increasingly formidable competitor.

via Kotaku

Ubisoft is giving gamers a chance to check out Assassin’s Creed II Multiplayer on the iPhone for free…if you hurry that is. The app is available gratis through Tuesday March 2nd, thereafter it’ll set you back $2.99. AC2 Multiplayer features gameplay with up to four people via Wi-Fi where the goal is to hunt down and assassinate the other players before they kill you. The game features three environments to stalk through, six power ups to enhance your lethality, and twenty four achievements to brag about.

via Shacknews

Capcom has released a fact sheet and several new in-game images from the recently revealed Street Fighter IV for iPhone. The info is mainly highlighted by the roster, which includes SF favs Ryu, Ken, M. Bison, Chun-Li, Guile, Dhalsim, Abel and Blanka. Also, we get word of the game’s fully customizable “Visual Pad” control system that allow you to move the D-pad and buttons anywhere on the screen while you play. Check out the full fact sheet after the jump and the new images right here. We’ll keep you posted on more SFIV iPhone info as it emerges.
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So we already know that Capcom will be bringing Street Fighter IV to the iPhone, but up until now, we haven’t had the chance to actually see the game in action. Well, feast your eyes on the below video which, courtesy of Slide to Play, showcases the rather impressive looking title in action…That is, until you consider the controls, which look cumbersome at best…Anyway, watch the vid and judge for yourself!

via Kotaku

Fans of music in gaming and game audio in general will appreciate the fact that The Game Audio Network Guild (G.A.N.G.), the non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and recognition of game audio, recently announced the finalists for the 8th Annual G.A.N.G. Awards that are designed to honor outstanding creative, technical and artistic audio achievement in the world of interactive entertainment.
 
Voted and judged upon by the game audio industry and members of G.A.N.G., the finalists represent an array of the best audio in games from 2009.  The standouts for nominations this year include Assassin’s Creed II and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves which received 9 nominations each.  Final voting has begun and the final winners are chosen by the entire membership of the G.A.N.G. organization.  Over 2,000 people representing over 30 countries have signed up as members of G.A.N.G. since its inception in 2002.  The winners will be announced at the 8th Annual G.A.N.G. Awards ceremony being held on Friday, March 12th, 2010 in San Francisco, CA during the Game Developers Conference.
 
“The level of quality for game audio continues to get higher and higher each year,” said Tommy Tallarico, G.A.N.G. Founder, CEO and Chairman. “It’s so important to make sure that the talented game audio individuals from around the world get the recognition they deserve.”  G.A.N.G. President Paul Lipson added, “This was one of our biggest submission years yet and over 70 game audio professionals on our global advisory boards helped in deciding the final nominees.  With the level of talent these days, being voted as a final nominee is a remarkable accomplishment.”

Finalists for the 8th Annual G.A.N.G. Awards are listed below by category in alphabetical order after the jump.
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Yeah, so, as we all know Facebook is kind of a big deal these days and since we here at the ‘Axe are all about empowering the gaming masses to speak their mind, we thought we’d roll out our official Facebook fan page in an effort to showcase the Epicness of the ‘Axe throughout the net. Basically, we’re gonna tap into some FB action in order to spread the word about YOUR Member BattleCries, YOUR interaction in the forums, YOUR voting in the EBA Polls, and otherwise create this huge gathering of geeked out goodness within the Facebook community. We’ll be hosting FB-specific discussions, dropping props to users, and of course participating in all of the jack-assery that Facebook can handle (which is A LOT…trust me…)

Obviously, to do that, we’re gonna need you boys and girls to become fans of the ole’ EpicBattleAxe.com…Which is rather painless and one click away right here (assuming you have a FB account).

Also, we’re open to hear your suggestions about using Facebook. Have a great idea or wanna see EBA utilize a feature you’ve come to love? Let us know and we’ll be sure to give it a look!

Alright gang, tell your friends, tell your enemies, tell the world! EpicBattleAxe.com is getting ready to write a new chapter…and Facebook is only the beginning.

Capcom recently revealed that the beloved Street Fighter franchise will be coming to Apple’s iPhone this March in the form of a very “touchy” Street Fighter IV…despite the lack of physical controls. The news, which first surfaced over on IGN, brings word that Capcom has spent “months” coming up with a suitable control scheme to properly recreate the arcade stick on the iPhone’s touch screen. Also, the iPhone version apparently pulls its assets directly from current-gen code, meaning that in terms of graphics, the game should offer the same character models with minimal color or detail loss.

Oh, and as far as the game’s roster, Ken and Ryu are the only two confirmed thus far, but Capcom is promising a “large” roster in the final version featuring both classic characters and SFIV newcomers. The game will also have a “Dojo” mode where you can practice up with said characters and get used to the new control scheme.

Lastly, the report states that the game will feature multiplayer for two brawlers via Bluetooth, but other details are pretty sparse. Specifics on pricing, the full roster, modes, etc. are yet to come, but we’ll of course keep you posted as new info emerges.

So, SFIV fans, you happy about this???

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Several weeks after the announcement of Apple’s new iPad there has been a lot of talk regarding the presence of the new device and how it will impact the gaming industry (if at all).  Some sites have gone so far as to blatantly make fun of the device (not that it doesn’t necessarily warrant it) but after having some time to let it all soak in, I thought it would be good to put things in perspective and see what the EBA Community thinks about the matter.  Not to single out Kotaku (even though I will with Example 1 and Example 2), but it seems to me that some of the information being put out there for gamers is not being properly put into perspective.  After all, this is Apple, a HUGE company, and while hardcore gamers might not feel the impact directly, publishers and developers dedicating time/resources to the platform means that gamers will most likely be impacted in some shape, way, or form. So, let’s take a couple swigs of the ‘ole spirits and discuss, shall we?
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Kotaku reports this morning that The Sims 3 will be making its way to both consoles and handheld gaming systems sometime in Q3 2010. This according to EA’s financial results report, which listed the undoubtedly temporary title “The Sims 3 on Console Title” within its forecast.

The game is expected to hit pretty much every platform, but we’ll keep you posted on the details once things get all “official” like.

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