In the wake of Spider-Man 4 getting canned and replaced by a 3D lower budget reboot film to be directed by Marc Webb (ya, his name is Webb), some wondered what would happen to the inevitable movie tie-in game that would go with it to likely disappoint gamers and fans alike.

While we know we won’t be getting that, we do know thanks to GamePro that there’s a coming major reveal of Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, the game by Activision which sets out to shift the tide for the fumbling series.

Here it is, Tuesday already,  and that can only mean one thing:  I’ve gotta go pick up God Of War 3!  Seriously, though, we are looking at another packed week of new releases.  Here they are, broken down by platform:

Microsoft Xbox 360

• Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening 3/16
• Metro 2033 3/16
• Resonance of Fate 3/16
• Perfect Dark 3/17

On the whole, games companies are cruel. Every day, we hear statements from a company, telling us how fantastic they are, and how terrible their competitors are. Such as how Sony’s PS3 is better for publishers than the Xbox 360, or how the lack of Blu Ray was key to Xbox 360 sales and continued sales dominance over the PS3. Suffice to say, it can all get a little tedious. So it’s refreshing, if incredibly shocking, to see a big company like Nintendo admit their faults.

Speaking to Industry Gamers, Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime admitted that Nintendo doesn’t cater to the Bioshock 2 audience sufficiently, and that they need to reinforce the support behind their 3rd party developer community:

“For us, it is important that third parties bring their very best content to our platform. You could say ‘Why?’ It’s because… well, let me focus in on the West. There are 28 million Wiis out there in the marketplace. We know, based on our data, that we’ve got consumers from 5 to 95 playing on that platform. The fact of the matter is we know we create great content for younger consumers, we know we’ve got great content for more casual players, and we want fantastic content for that more active player who loves Metroid or Zelda but maybe also wants something like a BioShock 2 to play as well.”

So how could Nintendo achieve this? According to Reggie, Nintendo has already done its part and now it’s all on the developers to make the good games.

“First, as a platform holder our responsibility is to create a large installed base for developers to create content, to provide them with the tools and the insight to help them create great games, and to have in place a profit model that motivates them to create the content and reap the rewards. We’ve done that; global installed base is over 67 million for Wii and there are 120 million in the DS family. So there’s a large installed base, an easy platform to develop for and a strong set of tools out there…”

It’s well known that titles developed by Nintendo on the Wii have incredibly long lifespans. So it was interesting to see Reggie discuss the sales of games such as Dante’s Inferno and Bioshock 2 , both multiplatform games that aren’t available on the Wii. For Reggie and Nintendo it’s not so much about a single title like Dante’s Inferno, but rather:

“How can the development community create content that will strike a chord with consumers and be financially attractive?”

All in all, it’s certainly refreshing to see Reggie be so open about Nintendo’s flaws. To see Reggie admit they may have been lackadaisical when it comes to that particular audience, well, it’s exciting that Nintendo seems to acknowledge their mistakes in an attempt to fix them.

I know I certainly don’t want Bioshock 2 or Dante’s Inferno my Wii, but what do you want? Do you agree that Nintendo needs to encourage more third party developers to go ahead with more ‘core’ titles?

Source: Industry Gamers

Alright, fans of giant robot action, time to get caught up with Transformers: War For Cybertron.  High Moon Studios Game Director Matt Tieger and friends take you on a behind the scenes tour of the upcoming third-robot action title.  Set on Cybertron during the civil war between the Autobots and the Decepticons, Transformers: War For Cybertron is a completely fresh take on the Transformers universe.  Check out the Transformers: War For Cybertron behind the scenes video:

The Creative Artists Agency (CAA) has managed to pick up the former heads of Infinity Ward, Jason West and Vince Zampella. An interesting move because not many game developer companies have been represented by talent agencies, but with the huge success of the Modern Warfare franchise, it’s no surprise that West and Zampella count as top tier talent.

Wednesday night, during GDC week, held a special surprise for fans of Rock Band, providing press with a glimpse of Green Day: Rock Band.

Held at the RockIt Room in San Francisco (with an open-bar courtesy of MTV Games and Harmonix), press and friends were invited to check out the new product and interact with studio heads.

I interviewed both John Drake, Rock Band Network Manager for Harmonix (who sings a mean Eric Cartman version of “Poker Face”), and Harmonix CEO, Alex Rigopulus.

In the current issue of UK gaming magazine Edge, Codemasters confirms that Dirt 3 is in development.  Says Codemasters Studios vice president Gavin Cheshire, “There’s some great stuff coming from Birmingham that’s going into Dirt 3.”  Though not terribly surprising news, this is the first official word that a third game in the Dirt series is on the way.

Great looking and well reviewed, Codemaster’s Dirt series practically owns the genre of rally racing games on the current generation of consoles.  Sony’s Evolution Studios, once attached to the World Rally Championship PS2 titles, are now fully focused on the Motorstorm games.  However, Gran Turismo 5 does feature WRC events, so perhaps Dirt 3 will have some competition after all.

This week’s episode of  Spike TV’s GameTrailers TV featured the world premier trailer for EA’s new NBA Jam.  If you’ve been pining for the glory days of 2 on 2 arcade basketball, pine no longer.  This Wii exclusive appears to stay true to what made the original Jam so addictive.  Check out the NBA Jam trailer:

Following in the footsteps of the Biggest Loser and Survivor, the Bachelor franchise is about to get a video game treatment – so gamers, will you accept this rose?

According to TV Guide, the game will allow players to “go against the game’s characters for alone time with the Bachelor or Bachelorette. And to keep in the true spirit of the reality show, players can sabotage other dates to up their odds to win the final rose.”

In addition, players will interact with an avatar of host Chris Harrison as well as digital versions of past bachelors and bachelorettes including Jason Mesnick.

We won’t have to “Wake You Up When September Ends” – Green Day: Rock Band will be premiering on consoles everywhere on June 8, 2010.

The release information comes just a month after the game was officially announced.

MTV and Harmonix, also highlighted the fact players will see notable improvements from the regular Rock Band 2 – though, features like the 3-part vocal harmonies introduced in Beatles: Rock Band will be also be re-used here. The game will feature 47 tracks, with songs titles including: “Brain Stew,” “Jaded,” “Hitchin’ a Ride,” “American Idiot,” “Wake Me Up When September Ends” and “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.”

Last week 2K Games announced that it would be bringing NHL 2K11 to the Wii. This seemed like a logical decision; lower developing costs and no competition made the Wii look like their best bet.

Unfortunately for 2K, it would appear as if EA has decided to take its long anticipated shot at hockey on the Wii as well with NHL 11.

Yesterday, the official Wal-Mart website updated its blog confirming that NHL 11 would indeed be coming to the Wii this year.

Will Wright knows a thing or two about developing games and building new businesses. He is an industry veteran, having founded game shop Maxis in 1987, later sold to EA. Now he runs an entertainment think tank called Stupid Fun Club.

At the 2010 Game Developers Conference, he gave an interview with IndustryGamers which included his thoughts about the Wii. Check out what he had to say after the jump.

Team USA and Vancouver Canucks Center Ryan Kesler has been chosen by 2K to be their cover athlete for the upcoming Wii only title NHL 2K 11. After scoring a late goal in Team USA’s first meeting with Canada in the Olympics, USA fell to Canada in overtime of the Gold Medal game.

Kesler is already a very well-established international player after taking home Gold Medals in the 2002 World 18U Championship and 2004 World Junior Championship. With his 2010 Winter Olympics Silver Medal in hand, he will get another chance at Gold in Russia in 2014 (assuming the NHL agrees to play along).

Rock Band is releasing a four pack of Lady Gaga’s music, including the songs: “Bad Romance,” “Just Dance,” “Monster,” and “Poker Face.” Starting next week the pack will be available on the PS3 and Xbox 360, and individual songs will be available for all three major consoles. In addition, a special cover of “Poker Face” done by South Park’s Eric Cartman will also be made available.

I’m probably the last person to be giving my opinion on Rock Band or Lady Gaga. Any love I have for the plastic music peripheral genre slowly dies with every track pack or expansion released. And Lady Gaga gives me the creeps. Nonetheless I’m sure there’s a good many of you out there who just can’t wait until next week to sing some “Bad Romance.” Have fun!

That’s right guys and gals, it’s time to pick up your plastic guitars, prepare your drum kits, and massage your throat - Rock Band 3 is coming to town.

Just moments ago, Viacom President and CEO Philippe Dauman confirmed that Rock Band 3 is on schedule for a Holiday 2010 release and… well, that’s all he did. There’s absolutely no news as to which songs will be featured, whether the title will be backwards-compatible or what format the “career” mode will take.

All we have is a name and a timeframe. So here’s where we hand it over to you, our dear Game Rant readers. What do you want to see from Rock Band 3?

A Wii game based on the series of exercise DVDs, 10 Minute Solution, is coming out this spring. Activision, partnered with Anchor Bay Entertainment, will be bringing the series to your living room where you can exercise without embarrassment. 10 Minute Solution revolves around building exercise regiments that last, you guessed it, ten minutes a day.

Players can pick from aerobics, cardio boxing, and assorted mini-games. Coupled with the the Wii Fitness Board, gamers will participate in games that double as routines rather than just following an instructor on the screen. David Oxford of Activision comments on the game’s effectiveness.

Ubisoft Montreal has just released the first gameplay video of the upcoming Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands and, well, it looks interesting to say the least.

A mix between developers interviews and gameplay snippets, the new video shows off many of the acrobatic skills that played such a prominent part in making The Sands of Time the huge success that it was. And thankfully, the team seems to be incredibly hyped about the upcoming title ( it would’ve been rather disconcerting if it had been otherwise). I’m not sure if I like the look of the new Prince, but hey, Sands of Time was always about the gameplay, right?

Kotaku has published a new list of the Wii’s most played  games.  Though the list has experienced terribly little churn for many months, it is still fascinating to see which games are helping keep Nintendo’s casual powerhouse on top of the heap.  Titles are ranked on total play time per person per month (Game Rant’s summary of these numbers is approximate).  Let’s have a look:

1. Super Smash Bros. Brawl 75
2. Animal Crossing: City Folk 68
3. Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock 58
4. Call Of Duty: World At War 50
5. Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn 50
6. Harvest Moon: Tree Of Tranquility 49
7. Rune Factory: Frontier 48
8. The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess 47
9. Rock Band 2 46
10. Harvest Moon: Animal Parade 44

The latest update in Activision and Infinity Ward’s legal battle (previous posts are here and here) is Activision’s search for internal documents pertaining to Infinity Ward’s alleged “insubordination” and “breach of contract”. An internal memo that was in circulation around Activision before the lawsuit was filed details what they are looking for, exactly:

Yes, you read that right; the Shaun White series is moving off of the snow and onto the pavement.

Ubisoft announced Shaun White Skateboarding today, which is set set to be developed by their Montreal counterpart. This game marks the first skateboarding installment of the Shaun White series. Shaun White’s impression?

A little while ago, we saw that Take-Two’s list of 2010 titles did not include NHL 2K11. The annual franchise seemed to be going extinct due to fierce competition with EA’s line of NHL games.

Yesterday however, Take-Two confirmed that their NHL series was not dead, but just coming as a Wii exclusive.

As a Wii exclusive, NHL 2K11 should generate some decent profit for Take-Two, as the title will be the only hockey game series on the console.

It’s been a tough 2010 for gamers (and American hockey fans) so far. With so many great games releasing left, right and center you better believe you are going to have to pinch some pennies in order to afford that paper bag lunch you bring in to work everyday. So Game Rant, being the kind, caring, compassionate, and modest souls that we are, have compiled a list of games coming out in the current month of March so you can map out your game budget and ensure that your dollar is well spent.

Now, if you’re anything like me, the announcement of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands left you a little puzzled. What happened to the fantastic (if admittedly easy) cel-shaded Prince of Persia? Critically well received and incredibly well-designed, Prince of Persia (the 2008 version) was a strong, enjoyable romp that left the player gagging for more. Especially with that cliffhanger ending. So, where did it go?

Michael McIntyre (level design director of The Forgotten Sands and the 2008 title) spoke to Kotaku recently, explaining why The Forgotten Sands harked back to the Sands of Time trilogy, seemingly abandoning everything that the 2008 title stood for. According to McIntyte, work started on The Forgotten Sands long before Prince of Persia shipped, so critical success wasn’t a factor in their decisions. Speaking of the differences within the series, Mcintyre says that;

If you were waiting for the MLB 10: The Show demo before the game’s release date, you’re out of luck. The last two year’s demos for The Show have come out two to three weeks prior to the release date but this year, the demo won’t come out till at least two days after the game hits retail shelves.

“I am not sure what purpose would be served by misleading you. We said there will be a demo….and there will be a demo. The simple fact is….The demo HAS been completed….the demo HAS been submitted for approval and posting. We, as devs of the game, have absolutely ZERO control as to when it gets approved or posted.”

And no, that isn’t ‘New Super Mario Galaxy 2‘ – That’s due for release in 2040.

Following yesterday’s release date announcement, here at Game Rant, we realize that you probably want to see more of Super Mario Galaxy 2. Well, look no further dear reader, because we’ve got the brand new trailer for your viewing pleasure.

Thematically, the first half of the trailer appears to be very similar to the first Super Mario Galaxy – a title which, admittedly, I wasn’t too fond of. Heck, they even re-use the same robot-boss that was in the first title. My first thoughts were; do Nintendo not care that they’re rehashing the same game? Will they really force the Nintendo faithful to buy the same game again?

At Nintendo’s recent Media Summit, the gaming giant finally announced dates for several highly anticipated games.  It’s an impressive list, both in terms of the pedigree and the sheer number of releases.  Japanese blockbuster Monster Hunter Tri in April;  Fan favorite Super Mario Galaxy 2 in May;  Treasure’s  Sin And Punishment: Star Shooter in June;  Metroid: Other M, co-developed by Nintendo and Tecmo’s Team Ninja, also in June.  My non-scientific methods conclude that this is the most dense, title-rich stretch of important releases in the history of the Wii.  But why now?  And what’s on the horizon?

Capcom’s hugely successful Wii game Monster Hunter Tri will be released to US gamers April 20th.  The game will be available bundled with the new black Classic Controller Pro for $59.99, or on its own for $49.99.

There are also some great incentives to pre-order.  Reserving the game at your friendly neighborhood GameStop nets you a Monster Hunter Tri 500 Point Card, good for purchases on Nintendo’s WiiWare, Virtual Console, or DSiWare channels.  Be on the lookout for demo discs at GameStop beginning March 8th

They say that good things come to those who wait, and as Nintendo’s Media Summit was drawing to a close today, a good thing certainly did come; namely, a release date for the Team Ninja/Nintendo collaboration Metroid: Other M.

Metroid: Other M will be dropping into stores on June 27th, just one month after the recently confirmed Super Mario Galaxy 2 release date.

Sometimes, news is surprising. Quite often, you can guess any piece of news on a given day. “There’s going to be another Halo game.” Really? “2010 will see another Guitar Hero release.” Wow!

But, sometimes, it can knock you right off your feet. Especially when Nintendo, a company famed for taking a long time to release their games, suddenly announce a release date for one Super Mario Galaxy 2. It’s even more shocking when they tell you it’s coming soon. Very soon.

Free stuff is always nice. Whether it’s a ‘Buy-one-get-one-free’ deal at your local Walmart, an unexpected item that didn’t scan when you walked through security (and didn’t get caught!) or a quick kiss from that special someone, getting something for nothing is always awesome.

So, fans looking forward to picking up Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands should be delighted to see that according to the BBFC page for the upcoming release, the title will include the Xbox Live/Playstation Network title Prince of Persia: Classic.

According to the BBFC, The Forgotten Sands will include;