Details Emerge About Call Of Duty Elite

BY

Leading the charge in the future offerings of cross-platform services, Call of Duty Elite  {link no longer active} is now open for Beta registration. Players will be able to link their Facebook accounts to Elite to pull in “Likes” and find friends who are also using the service. Elite also introduces groups and clans which play a larger role in Modern Warfare 3. Similar to fan pages on Facebook, users can track and compare within these mini-communities of players. Clans are more limited and players can only belong to one clan with a cap on how many players can be in a single clan. Available on web browsers, consoles and mobile apps, Elite will work with all future Call of Duty games, including Black Ops with four major sections: Career, Connect, Compete and Improve. Full launch will occur alongside Modern Warfare 3 in November with the Beta already open for use in Black Ops. Largely free, a premium membership is needed for access to full functionality and access to downloadable content. A new video on the beta site captured in Theater Mode The Legend of Karl demonstrates how the service will allow users to take their game to the next level. According to Karl, Call of Duty Elite {link no longer active} is what it would be like if organized sports and social networking had a baby and they gave that baby a flamethrower.

 

Suit Up Your Avatar Like Shao Khan Or Scorpion

BY

Now available for download, Mortal Kombat Avatar items {link no longer active} let fans on the Xbox Live be the legend of Mortal Kombat. Download a full male or female Scorpion or Sub-Zero outfit for 240 points or a Ermac Mask or Shao Khan Helmet for 160 points. Just want to represent Netherealms Try on a Mortal Kombat t-shirt for 80 points and get back in the arena and FINISH HIM!

Smurfs 3D Launches Deep, Rich Content Web Experience

BY

Get Smurfy on a new interactive website for the highly anticipated Smurfs 3D. Navigate with the arrow keys to explore videos, trailers, browse stills, cast and crew details or choose from a suite of mini-games to play like Gargamel’s Where are the Smurf’s , Papa Smurf’s Potion Commotion , Clumsy Smurf’s Central Park Dash , Gutsy Smurf’s Stargazer Quest or Brainy Smurf’s Challenge! {links no longer active}. An interactive sound board {link no longer active}reintroduces the voices of the Smurfs to a new generation. Download Twitter Skins, Profile Pics, Ecards and Wallpapers to help spread the word that the Smurfs are coming! Just make sure not to run too fast or Clumsy will take a tumble.

Also, a free-to-play game called Smurf’s Village {links no longer active} is available for iOS devices. Fans that download and play for free to begin but must pay for additional in-app content. Use guidance from Papa Smurf to build a new village for the Smurfs to call home. Based on the original cartoon and comic art, players begin the game with only a single mushroom house and a lone plowed plot of land. Progressing quickly, players can build specialized houses, elaborate gardens with colorful crops, bridges to span running rivers, trodden paths, and more. Mini games like Greedy Smurf’s Baking Game, Papa Smurf’s Potion Mixing Game,Painter Smurf’s Painting Game, Lazy Smurf’s Fishin’ Game and a new free Handy Smurf mini-game and unlock additional bonuses. Players can connect with friends through Facebook and Game Center to send gifts to other friends’ villages. Fans can stay connected with breaking Smurf-related news and content on the official Facebook page. Smurfy!

Red Faction: Armageddon Getting Big Ad Spend

BY

Reports are that THQ will spend at least 1 million British Pounds ($1.6 million) on the TV campaign for Red Faction: Armageddon in the U.K.  They will also run extensive cinema advertisements until July 7 at screenings of X-Men: First Class and Green Lantern.

The company is also planning a two-month print campaign in consumer magazines and online ads for both fans of the game and sci-fi in general with POS materials as well. This is not to mention the movie Red Faction: Origins coming to Syfy.

“The marketing focus is around engaging sci-fi gamers, many of whom are existing fans of Red Faction”, said THQ s senior brand manager Mark Fisher. “By engaging with this audience fully, which we are doing through a number of means, including our attendance at events such as the SFX Weekender and the MCM Expo, we anticipate word-of-mouth to spread from this audience into the more mainstream gaming community. One of the key focuses is to reach Guerrilla players and convert them into day-one Armageddon purchasers.”

THQ indicates that the Red Faction series has racked up over 3.5 million in sales since 2001, with Red Faction: Guerrilla accounting for 1 million of those sales. According to THQ, however, the game was actually played by three times as many people as there were copies sold.

Source: MCV

Social Games Entering Margaritaville

BY

THQ has been focusing on creating a social game called Margaritaville Online, based upon the seminal Jimmy Buffett song. Using the late ’70s song lets THQ exploit the Ville name phenomenon of Zynga titles and avoid an possible legal pitfalls.

The game will launch on Facebook and iOS and offer an immersive 3D paradise, filled with frozen concoctions, music and adventure. THQ’s previous social games have included the decidedly more core oriented title UFC Undisputed Fight Nation.

Source: Blog Herald