en-gb The official news feed of reliable video gaming news website zConnection. http://zconnect.org.uk/ soapy@zconnect.org.uk soapy@zconnect.org.uk http://zconnect.org.uk/feeds/zconrss.png http://zconnect.org.uk/ 144 144 zConnection ©2007-2011 zConnection Media, all rights reserved. All content is property of their respective publishers.
This is 2012, not the middle of the '90s, but it seems some game publishers haven't got the memo yet. While it was once the norm for games to be released in the West years after their Japanese launch, or in Europe months after North America, we've seen a welcome gravitation in recent years towards a single worldwide launch date for major releases. Gone are the days where games are released in North America ...]]> http://zconnect.org.uk/article/why-are-game-publishers-still-screwing-europe http://zconnect.org.uk/article/why-are-game-publishers-still-screwing-europe Sat, 04 Feb 2012 20:58:49 GMT
Woody Harrelson didn't know what he was letting himself in for when he agreed to do a Q and A session on Reddit yesterday for promotion of his new film Rampart. He probably thought a group of polite cinema-goers would ask question after question about the film and nothing about his previous work or his personal life. It didn't quite work out that way, with the AMA (ask me anything) not only turning into ...]]> http://zconnect.org.uk/article/woody-harrelson-in-reddit-pr-fiasco http://zconnect.org.uk/article/woody-harrelson-in-reddit-pr-fiasco Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:31:07 GMT
A blog entry on the official Team Fortress 2 website has teased a brand new project slated for 2012, with little elaboration besides the fact that it is neither a hat nor a map. The blog entry, which covered a number of new things coming this year, also mentioned that the last of the "Meet the Team" sketches would be released, surely putting the speculation to rest as to whether or not the Pyro is ...]]> http://zconnect.org.uk/article/secret-team-fortress-2-project-in-the-works http://zconnect.org.uk/article/secret-team-fortress-2-project-in-the-works Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:36:41 GMT
2D action RPG Fortune Summoners is now available from Steam and GamersGate, publisher Carpe Fulgur have announced. Set in the country of Scotsholm, in which magic-imbued elemental stones are bountiful, the indie game follows the story of Arche, an energetic little girl who has just begun attending the Minasa-Ratis School of Magic. Claiming to boast over twenty-five hours of gameplay, the game takes on a side-scrolling format as players lead their party of three through ...]]> http://zconnect.org.uk/article/fortune-summoners-hits-steam-and-gamersgate http://zconnect.org.uk/article/fortune-summoners-hits-steam-and-gamersgate Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:28:42 GMT
Want to try out Frogster's upcoming MMO, TERA, in advance of the closed beta? You're in luck! The official Sneak Peek event will take place this weekend between 3 PM and midnight on both Saturday and Sunday, giving gamers with an access key a chance to try out the game. Characters created during the event will be capped at level 22 and will be wiped once the event is over. Gamers in need of ...]]> http://zconnect.org.uk/article/tera-sneak-peek-key-giveaway-begins http://zconnect.org.uk/article/tera-sneak-peek-key-giveaway-begins Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:58:02 GMT
Mark Sheppard and five others have been added to the line-up of Doctor Who Convention, BBC Worldwide announced today. The actor, who played the role of Agent Canton Delaware III in the opening episodes of Doctor Who's sixth series, has appeared in a number of perennial science fiction shows, including "Firefly" and "Supernatural". The other additions are as follows: Nick Briggs, voice of the Daleks; Neil Gorton, a visual effects specialist from MillenniumFX; Ian ...]]> http://zconnect.org.uk/article/doctor-who-convention-lineup-extended http://zconnect.org.uk/article/doctor-who-convention-lineup-extended Thu, 02 Feb 2012 01:36:03 GMT
Trion Worlds today announced Rift Lite, a free version of the game which allows Trion account holders to enjoy the game's first twenty levels with no commitment or playtime restrictions. Rift Lite débuts today at the same time as the Rift 1.7 patch, which introduces the new River of Souls Chronicle, improvements to PvP, and facilitates marriage in time for their world record attempt. "In the past ten months, Rift has evolved at a ...]]> http://zconnect.org.uk/article/trion-worlds-announce-rift-lite-trial http://zconnect.org.uk/article/trion-worlds-announce-rift-lite-trial Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:03:03 GMT
It seems that the GAME company, which encompasses both GAME and Gamestation stores, may be seriously struggling to stay afloat over the next few months. After weak Christmas sales, things seem to have gone from bad to worse for the company and things are looking pretty grim. The year began after a shocking drop in sales of 17.5% over the eight weeks leading up to January 7th and was rapidly followed by rumours that ...]]> http://zconnect.org.uk/article/game-company-seriously-struggling http://zconnect.org.uk/article/game-company-seriously-struggling Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:44:40 GMT
The staples of the SoulCalibur franchise are present as ever in the series' latest iteration, SoulCalibur V: we've got a gorgeous fighter set across a variety of distinctive 3D environments, with a story mode that bridges battles with cutscenes, a guest character from another universe, and a hugely fun multiplayer mode. It's Ezio Auditore of Assassin's Creed that joins the roster this time, but he isn't given the spotlight enough for the game to be ...]]> http://zconnect.org.uk/article/soulcalibur-v-review http://zconnect.org.uk/article/soulcalibur-v-review Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:00:03 GMT
A partnership deal that has been described as "landmark" will see the iPlayer video-on-demand service brought to 5 million new households in 2012 via Sky's Anytime+ service. This means iPlayer will be available directly from the television in homes with a Sky box using the Anytime+ service, similar to the iPlayer's availability on Virgin Media and BT Vision boxes. BBC iPlayer is now available on every major UK television platform. "Having the BBC and ...]]> http://zconnect.org.uk/article/sky-partnership-brings-bbc-iplayer-to-anytime http://zconnect.org.uk/article/sky-partnership-brings-bbc-iplayer-to-anytime Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:04:58 GMT
Development of the fifth instalment in the Ace Attorney franchise is underway, Capcom announced at the series' 10th anniversary event. No details are available so far in regards to the game's platform, release window, or its primary protagonist; the first three games in the series featured Phoenix Wright as their lead until he was replaced by Apollo Justice for the fourth game. Right now, it looks possible that the game could be heading to ...]]> http://zconnect.org.uk/article/capcom-confirm-ace-attorney-5 http://zconnect.org.uk/article/capcom-confirm-ace-attorney-5 Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:43:16 GMT
Phillipe Cardon, new CEO of PlayStation France, has been chatting with French site Le Point and has some very interesting things to say, some of which may disappoint fans hoping for a fantastic, shocking E3 this year. Making a comparison between the Wii's transition to the Wii U, he said that there was a lot of pressure on Nintendo because "the Wii is in decline". "In our case, we have a lot less pressure." ...]]> http://zconnect.org.uk/article/sony-next-xbox-will-be-announced-before-ps4 http://zconnect.org.uk/article/sony-next-xbox-will-be-announced-before-ps4 Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:24:50 GMT
You might already have heard about Legend of Grimrock, the dungeon crawler from indie developer Almost Human. The team are currently polishing the game, which harks back to classics like Dungeon Master and Eye of the Beholder, and preparing for an impending launch on Windows, followed by a release on Mac OS X and iOS. After their swift introduction of an alternate control scheme to accommodate a disabled fan was lauded on the front page ...]]> http://zconnect.org.uk/article/almost-human-interview-legend-of-grimrock http://zconnect.org.uk/article/almost-human-interview-legend-of-grimrock Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:02:28 GMT
BBC Worldwide today announced a limited opportunity for attendees of Doctor Who convention to visit the Eleventh Doctor's TARDIS set at the three BBC Wales studios. The 2 hour and 20 minute tour is available exclusively to Doctor Who Convention ticket-holders, and members of the behind-the-scenes team will be on hand to explain the inner workings and answers fans' questions. Six tours will run on 26th March with a limited capacity of 60 places ...]]> http://zconnect.org.uk/article/tardis-tour-for-doctor-who-convention-goers http://zconnect.org.uk/article/tardis-tour-for-doctor-who-convention-goers Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:19:53 GMT
Paradox Interactive's indie hit Magicka today celebrates a year since its launch, during which it has shipped over 1.3 million copies, the Swedish publisher announced today. The satirical expansion Magicka: Vietnam has also gone on to sell 500,000 copies since its release; other pieces of DLC have been downloaded a total of over 4 million times. To mark the occasion, a new piece of Magick has been added to the game; the "Confuse" spell ...]]> http://zconnect.org.uk/article/magicka-celebrates-one-year-anniversary http://zconnect.org.uk/article/magicka-celebrates-one-year-anniversary Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:13:28 GMT
An official Steam application is now available for iOS and Android in closed beta, Valve have announced. The app can be downloaded freely, but only selected users will actually be able to use the service; users can register their interest in the beta by installing the application and inputting their Steam ID. "The Steam app comes from many direct requests from our customers," said Valve's Gabe Newell. "Seeing which of your friends are online ...]]> http://zconnect.org.uk/article/steam-for-mobile-devices-enters-closed-beta http://zconnect.org.uk/article/steam-for-mobile-devices-enters-closed-beta Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:46:26 GMT
The official demo of King Arthur II: The Roleplaying Wargame is now available for download on PC, publisher Paradox Interactive have announced. The demo contains the tutorial and first mission from the game, giving gamers a sixty-minute taste of gameplay in advance of the game's launch tomorrow. Those who pre-order King Arthur II before the end of today will also receive the special prologue chapter King Arthur II: Dead Legions for free. You can ...]]> http://zconnect.org.uk/article/king-arthur-ii-demo-available-now http://zconnect.org.uk/article/king-arthur-ii-demo-available-now Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:06:41 GMT
Namco Bandai have detailed the "Dark Edition" of The Witcher 2, which will become available exclusively on Xbox 360 from April 17th. The luxurious compilation includes the game itself, as well as the original soundtrack on CD, a Making-Of DVD, the official quest handbook, three decals, a map of the game world, a replica of Geralt's wolf's head medallion, and a 200-page artbook, all contained in a thick cardboard box decorated with a wolf's head. ...]]> http://zconnect.org.uk/article/the-witcher-2-dark-edition-detailed http://zconnect.org.uk/article/the-witcher-2-dark-edition-detailed Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:28:13 GMT
Namco Bandai have confirmed a launch date of April 17th for the Xbox 360 version of The Witcher 2, which was released on PC in May last year to critical acclaim. The Xbox 360 versions comes with a handful of new additions and improvements, with a series of never-before-seen cinematics, including a brand new CGI intro directed by BAFTA winner and Oscar nominee Tomasz Baginski. Other enhancements include the introduction of new quests and ...]]> http://zconnect.org.uk/article/april-17th-xbox-360-launch-for-witcher-2-confirmed http://zconnect.org.uk/article/april-17th-xbox-360-launch-for-witcher-2-confirmed Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:28:03 GMT
SoulCalibur V publisher Namco Bandai and London-based fitness centre Gymbox have teamed up to present the SoulCalibur V Swordsman Workout, the pair announced today, which will consist of a brand new fighting fit workout class, running every Tuesday evening at 7 PM throughout February. The exercises, lifted straight from the movesets of Mitsurugi, Siegried, Pyrrha, and more, are designed to provide an ultimate cardio and muscle workout. Each forty-minute session takes participants through sixteen ...]]> http://zconnect.org.uk/article/gymbox-presents-soulcalibur-swordsman-workout http://zconnect.org.uk/article/gymbox-presents-soulcalibur-swordsman-workout Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:45:40 GMT
Square Enix have slashed the prices of twelve Final Fantasy titles available on PlayStation Network in Europe, PlayStation Blog have confirmed. Final Fantasy I, II, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, and Tactics: War of the Lions have been reduced from £7.99 to £3.99, while Dissidia, Dissidia 012 - Prologus, and Dissidia 012 have been reduced to £9.99, £1.19, and £13.99 respectively. An additional 10% discount is also available for PlayStation Plus members, who ...]]> http://zconnect.org.uk/article/final-fantasy-prices-slashed-on-psn http://zconnect.org.uk/article/final-fantasy-prices-slashed-on-psn Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:48:02 GMT
Valentine's Day isn't typically associated with gaming, but developer Trion is eager to create video gaming history on February 14th by setting the Guinness World Record title for most virtual marriages in a 24-hour period. Their MMO Rift will support in-game inter-player marriages as of Update 1.7, which is slated for release at the start of February, and every player who takes part in the Rift marriage record attempt will receive an exclusive "Tier of ...]]> http://zconnect.org.uk/article/rift-to-break-virtual-marriage-record http://zconnect.org.uk/article/rift-to-break-virtual-marriage-record Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:42:48 GMT
Nine new screenshots of Vigil Games' upcoming Darksiders II emerged today, showing off a little more of the action-adventure game slated for launch later this year. Whereas players took control of War in the first game, the second sees players step into the shoes of Death, whose weapons are demonstrated in some of these images. You can check out the screenshots by clicking the thumbnails below, and you can read more about the game ...]]> http://zconnect.org.uk/article/nine-new-darksiders-ii-screenshots-emerge http://zconnect.org.uk/article/nine-new-darksiders-ii-screenshots-emerge Wed, 25 Jan 2012 01:03:13 GMT
It's a common complaint, Microsoft points add an element to buying where you soon forget the value of your money. It doesn't help that, in the US, points are worth significantly more than points in the UK and yet they charge the same amount of points for everything. This may not be a problem much longer with the rumour that Microsoft are phasing out their points system, thanks in part to the Windows Phone. ...]]> http://zconnect.org.uk/article/microsoft-may-be-ditching-points-on-360 http://zconnect.org.uk/article/microsoft-may-be-ditching-points-on-360 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:13:51 GMT
It's a booming market, somehow. We can't help you figure out why, but Konami's Love Plus is now in its third iteration, a stereoscopic outing called "New LovePlus", which takes advantage of the Nintendo 3DS' augmented reality features to impressive effect; impressive enough that, while still a little creepy and likely relegated to a very small niche of single men, the game appears to be a technological feat. Augmented reality gaming is still in ...]]> http://zconnect.org.uk/article/new-loveplus-is-japans-weird-3ds-dating-sim http://zconnect.org.uk/article/new-loveplus-is-japans-weird-3ds-dating-sim Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:42:26 GMT
Nintendo have announced a new agreement with Boingo Wireless which will give Nintendo 3DS owners the ability to connect their device to the latter's extensive network of airport Wi-Fi hotspots for free. Boingo manage Wi-Fi hotspots in airports including London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London Stansted, Southampton, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. 3DS devices will automatically connect to a Boingo hotspot in the vicinity, allowing for online gaming and the use of the Nintendo 3DS Internet ...]]> http://zconnect.org.uk/article/uk-airports-to-host-nintendo-3ds-hotspots http://zconnect.org.uk/article/uk-airports-to-host-nintendo-3ds-hotspots Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:38:45 GMT
The original soundtrack to acclaimed indie game Dear Esther will be released for digital download, developer The Chinese Room has announced. The 17-track OST, composed by Jessica Curry for 2008's Dear Esther mod, has been re-orchestrated and re-recorded by Curry in advance of the launch of its remake. The game has received an Independent Games Festival nomination for Excellence in Audio. The game has also been nominated for Excellence in Visual Art, the Nuovo ...]]> http://zconnect.org.uk/article/dear-esther-to-see-soundtrack-release http://zconnect.org.uk/article/dear-esther-to-see-soundtrack-release Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:02:46 GMT
I was young when I first played The Secret of Monkey Island. I didn't beat it until years after my first shot at it, but it was cemented in my memory far before then: early in my discovery of the game, I knew it was my favourite game of all time. That's held steadfast, although challenged, for the past few years, much in the same way I profess Donnie Darko as my favourite film of ...]]> http://zconnect.org.uk/article/my-favourite-game-the-secret-of-monkey-island http://zconnect.org.uk/article/my-favourite-game-the-secret-of-monkey-island Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:58:24 GMT
Mike O'Brien, founder and president of ArenaNet, has confirmed that Guild Wars 2 will "aggressively" ramp up its beta test events in March and April in advance of the game's official launch later this year. In his post on the official ArenaNet blog, O'Brien talked about the Chinese New Year, the hard work that went into the game's production, and briefly about plans for the year. "Guild Wars 2 has captured the imagination of ...]]> http://zconnect.org.uk/article/guild-wars-2-beta-expands-ahead-of-2012-launch http://zconnect.org.uk/article/guild-wars-2-beta-expands-ahead-of-2012-launch Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:19:17 GMT
Resident Evil 6, currently slated for a worldwide launch on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on November 20th, will feature six-player co-operative play, according to the Microsoft website. The game's Xbox.com page claims the inclusion of 2-player offline co-op as well as online multiplayer for up to 8 players, and online co-op for up to 6 players. Capcom have not officially confirmed any details about the game's online or co-op modes, the game itself ...]]> http://zconnect.org.uk/article/sixplayer-coop-for-resident-evil-6 http://zconnect.org.uk/article/sixplayer-coop-for-resident-evil-6 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:20:23 GMT