While N.O.V.A. may look an awful lot like Halo, it packs a lot of great content into an all-around excellent first-person shooter.
Score: 9.0 / superb
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Source: http://reviews.teamxbox.com/xbox-360/1980/Final-Fantasy-XIII2/p1/
[UPDATE] Microsoft confirms that Phil Harrison has been named head of Microsoft Studios Europe in a move "completely unrelated to [Peter Molyneux's] departure."
Microsoft will hire longtime Sony executive Phil Harrison to head up the studio's European operations, according to sources speaking to GamesIndustry.biz.
The unnamed tipsters say Harrison--formerly of Sony, Atari, and London Venture Partners--will join the Xbox 360 maker as head of Microsoft Game Studios Europe. An announcement through official channels is expected later today.
[UPDATE] Microsoft made Harrison's hiring official this morning. Harrison has joined the Interactive Entertainment Business team at Microsoft as corporate vice president. As part of leading Microsoft Studios Europe, he will oversee UK-based developers Lionhead Studios, Soho Productions, and Rare Ltd.
"Phil's role on the IEB leadership team is completely unrelated to Peter's departure," a Microsoft representative added. "Phil will lead Microsoft Studios' European organization, but will also influence the broader performance of IEB's European business. We will continue to rely on our stable of first-party developers as we determine if and when the Microsoft Studios Europe Creative Director vacancy should be filled. Peter's previous role as Lionhead Studio Manager is being filled by Lionhead COO Mark Webley."
Harrison spent 15 years at Sony Computer Entertainment, where he most notably held the position of president of worldwide studios.
Harrison has been employed as a general partner at London Venture Partners for the past two years. Prior to that, he served as president and board member at game publisher Atari.
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Source: http://www.gamespot.com/news/former-sony-executive-joining-microsoft-report-6365946
Rovio's strategy megahit slingshots onto social networking giant with new power-ups, social features.
Facebook is a hot spot for casual games, but until today, it lacked arguably the hottest on the market. Today, Rovio's ultrapopular strategy game Angry Birds landed on the social networking giant.
Angry Birds on Facebook offers gamers new power-ups and additional social features. The new power-ups are Sling Scope, King Sling, Super Seeds, and Birdquake.
As for the game's new social features, those who play Angry Birds on Facebook can brag about their high scores with news feed posts, and they can give friends "mystery gifts," which contain power-ups.
Angry Birds is available on a number of platforms, including the 3DS, PSP, PlayStation 3, iOS and Android mobile devices, Google Chrome, Google Plus, and Amazon's Kindle Fire. The game has been downloaded over 500 million times, including 6.5 million instances on Christmas Day alone.
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Source: http://www.gamespot.com/news/angry-birds-hatches-on-facebook-6350378
It's GDC time, so we decided to round up some indie game developers off the show floor! We've got adventures, physics, music, and Greece!
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Source: http://www.gamespot.comhttp://www.gamespot.com/shows/on-the-spot/?event=on_the_spot_gdc_201220120308
Deep, accessible, and visually stunning, Infinity Blade II sets the standard for iOS gaming.
Score: 9.0 / superb
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Source: http://www.gamespot.com/infinity-blade-ii/reviews/infinity-blade-ii-review-6346878/
Spanish retailer indicates Activision's unannounced Call of Duty sequel being readied for release during typical launch window.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 will go on sale this November, according to Spanish retail site Fnac.
Activision had previously confirmed that a new Call of Duty title would ship in 2012, but did not provide a name or a release window. Call of Duty has had new installments debut between late October and mid-November every year since the franchise was launched in 2003.
The retail listing does not provide further information regarding the game, and as of press time, Activision had not responded to GameSpot's request for comment.
This is far from the first indication that this year's Call of Duty game will be Call of Duty Black Ops 2. Two weeks ago, Amazon France reportedly posted (and then pulled) a listing for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. Later, a contract art studio employee's resume included mention of the game.
Treyarch developed the original Call of Duty: Black Ops, which was set during the Cold War. For more on the original Call of Duty: Black Ops, check out GameSpot's review.
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Source: http://www.gamespot.com/news/black-ops-2-due-this-november-retail-radar-6363855
The Desolate Brown Lands are featured in The Lord of the Rings Online Update 6: Shores of the Great River.
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Konami pushes high-def combo pack to March 20 for Xbox 360 and PS3; will include remastered versions of PlayStation 2 games Silent Hill 2 and 3.
Silent Hill HD Collection will not be out on March 6, according to a statement provided to the GameStop-owned Game Informer magazine.
The high-definition Silent Hill combo pack is now scheduled to be released for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on March 20. No rationale was provided as to why the pack was delayed, and as of press time, Konami had not responded to GameSpot's request for comment on the matter.
This is not the first time Silent Hill HD Collection has been delayed. Originally announced with a fall 2011 release date, the pack was later delayed to January 24 and then to March 6.
The HD Collection includes new versions of Silent Hill 2 and 3, complete with new voice-overs for the characters.
Gamers will have a heap of Silent Hill games to choose from in March, if all plans remain intact. Silent Hill: Downpour is due out for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on March 13 with the PlayStation Vita game Silent Hill: Book of Memories due on March 27.
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Source: http://www.gamespot.com/news/silent-hill-hd-collection-delayed-further-report-6362858
