Mana Khemia 2 leads the pack for 2009.

Lots of goodies from RPG publisher NIS America. Some remakes, some new ones, and one highly anticipated sequel. It’s no surprise that I loved Mana Khemia on the PlayStation 2 and with the recent PSP enhanced version, there’s no excuse for not checking it out. Well NIS America has finally announced the US release of the sequel on the PlayStation 2. I’m also intrigued by Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! From the video it appears to be a dungeon defense game. There are lots of other goodies coming too, including two PlayStation 3 titles. Check out the full list. In other news, Puchi Puchi Virus for the Nintendo DS finally released. Check out our review (based on a reviewer copy sent last year).

DLC coming to the PS3 plus more packs on the way.

Bethesda have raised their computer skill beyond a hundred and cracked the code, allowing the downloadable content greatly enjoyed by Xbox 360 and PC players to appear on the Playstation 3 via PSN.   Operation: Anchorage will be released for PS3 in late June, followed by the release of The Pitt and Broken Steel in four to six weeks each.

Plus two new DLC packs coming to all three platforms:
*         Point Lookout – Explore a massive new swampland area filled with new quests and content
*         Mothership Zeta – The aliens have returned, and they’re pissed. Experience an alien abduction first hand and find out if you’re tough enough to survive.

Point Lookout will be available in late June for Xbox 360 and PC. Cost will be 800 points or $9.99.  It’ll be available on PS3 after the first three DLCs have been released.  Mothership Zeta is scheduled for release in late July for Xbox 360 and PC. Cost will be 800 points or $9.99.   It’ll be available on PS3 after Point Lookout.

Fallout 3 Game Add-on Pack #1 includes The Pitt and Operation: Anchorage on a disc and will be available for Xbox 360 and PC on May 26.  The Fallout 3 Game Add-on Pack #2 includes Broken Steel and Point Lookout on a disc and will be available for Xbox 360 and PC in August.  Retail versions of the game add-on packs for PS3 are not possible and the DLC will only be available for download online via PlayStation Network.

A Fallout 3 Game of the Year edition will be available in October. It will include the original game plus all five add-ons for $59.99 for Xbox 360 and PS3, and $49.99 for PC.

Sign ups now open!

It’s a good year to be a Megaten fan. Not only did Persona 2: Innocent Sin finally get an English translation patch, but we’re also getting Persona 4 at the end of the year! If that wasn’t enough, Aeria Games has announced that signups for the English closed beta of Shin Megami: Imagine is now open! I’m not usually big on MMORPGs, but I sure love me some Megaten games (the fact that it’s developed by legendary shooter developer Cave is also very interesting). Plus, the price is right, as the game will be free to play, though it will have paid microtransactions to earn some revenue. Click the link here to sign up for the beta!

E3 2009, adult literature, and more.

Wednesday: E3 is slated for a major comeback next year.  The ESA promises that next year’s expo, slated for June 2-4, will be big.  While the show still appears to be restricted to developers, journalists, and the like, it seems as if organizers have taken at least some recent criticisms to heart.  Some of the changes promised in their statement include “increased booth sizes” and “increased qualified audiences.”  Sounds like they’re headed in the right direction. (more…)

We can call them that, can’t we?

We’ve redefined industry terminology many times in the past, and three famous international publishers — Electronic Arts, Activision, and Square-Enix — “ are presenting a strong reason to do so again. They’re purchasing developers who provide considerably different titles than what they’re already known for, and this habit of consolidating the industry shows no sign of stopping.

It isn’t anything new, though these aforementioned juggernauts are heading in intriguing and different directions. For quite some time, EA was known for its mediocre releases, and they were mostly sports-related. Madden and NBA Live were their most notorious titles, while their college and Tiger Woods releases didn’t fare much better. That’s changed, and drastically. The upcoming Mirror’s Edge and Dead Space have been talked about numerous times (both here on TNL and everywhere else), and they’re even trying new things with their tired sports games.

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