Hasta La Gadget!

Rumor has it Respawn Entertainment is working on a science fiction online shooter mech game that will be an Xbox 360 and Xbox 720 exclusive. The project is said to have been underway for some time now, and a teaser image has been released, which you can check out in all its blurry wonder after the jump. This information comes from multiple sources that spoke to Kotaku.

The sources who spoke to Kotaku said that the game is a “battle of Davids and Goliaths,” with the Davids being foot soldiers decked out in heavy armor and the Goliaths being huge exoskeltons called Titans, which are piloted by the soldiers. Reportedly, the Titans are more agile than similar offerings found in Steel Battalions and Mechwarrior.

To keep the Titans from pummeling everything and everyone into the dirt, the game maps keep the number of them allowed in game play to a limited amount and foot soldiers are equipped with weapons that allow them to destroy the mech machines. Such a rumor follows in line with some recent trademarks that Respawn Entertainment has nabbed, including things like “Titan” and “Titanfall.”

The sources went on to say that the game will allow for 16-player matches, and that it will run on the Valve Source Engine. A gamer’s own progress is implemented into an “overall balance of power” via the utilization of a faction system. While nothing official has been said and no hard dates were given, word has it the game will be, at the least, playable by next year.

[via OXM]

Xbox 720 integration tipped for TITAN mech exclusive is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

If you’re a fan of the videogame XCOM: Enemy Unknown, you will be very interested to hear about a new game in the franchise. This new game isn’t a sequel or a follow up to Enemy Unknown, rather it goes into the original story behind what happened before the events in Enemy Unknown. The new game is called The Bureau: XCOM Declassified.

The game will launch in North America on August 20 with the international launch set for August 23. 2K will offer the game on the Xbox 360, PS3, and Windows computers for $59.99. The game is set in 1962 at the height of the Cold War. The storyline takes players into the original story for the clandestine XCOM organization and its first encounter with the enemy.

In the game, The Bureau was initially established to provide covert defense against the Soviet Union. Players will play as Special Agent William Carter leading a squad of agents to defeat the unknown enemy. 2K promises that the game will offer calculated combat designed to force players to think and act tactically.

The Bureau will be a third person perspective game and players will be able to transition in and out of a unique Battle Focus ability. The game also uses the concept of permanent consequence making each decision that the player makes effect the outcome of the game. The game is up to pre-order right now and those who do pre-order will get a special Codebreakers side mission as a bonus.

[via Erasethetruth]

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified lands on August 20 is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The Girl Scouts offer a number of different patches that scouts can earn for completing various tasks. The Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles have announced that they have teamed up with Women in Games International to create a new patch that scouts can earn. The new patch is earned when Girl Scouts learn to design video games.

To earn the patch the scouts will use E-line’s game design software called Gamestar Mechanic. The program for earning the video game design patch is being designed to meet Girl Scout patch requirements and the focus on the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math academic initiative. The Girl Scouts isn’t the only scouting program that offers merit badges to help encourage children to design video games.

Earlier this year, the Boy Scouts of America announced a merit badge for game design. That particular merit badge was officially unveiled at the SXSW Gaming Expo in Austin, Texas. The Boy Scout badge allows kids to design not only video games, but board games, dice, and card games as well.

The Girl Scouts and Women in Games International believe that creating a patch in video game design will help get young girls excited about technology and science. There’s no indication at this time of exactly when scouts will be able to earn the video game design patch. However, it does appear that the Girl Scouts’patch will be specifically for video game design unlike the Boy Scout merit badge, which allows the design of board games and more.

[via Polygon]

Girl Scouts of greater Los Angeles to offer a video game design patch is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Gears of War: Judgment fans have some new content to look for this week from Microsoft. The second map pack for the video game is set to release for VIP Season Pass holders on Tuesday, April 23. The map pack will be available for everyone globally on April 30. The map pack is called the Call to Arms Map Pack and will bring three new multiple player maps and a new mode.

The map pack will also feature six armor and gun skins allowing for additional customization of your in game character. The new game mode is called Master at Arms. The three new multiplayer maps are set against the backdrop of the Locust invasion of Halvo Bay.

The maps are intended to provide a mix of close quarters and vertical combat. The new maps also bring 10 achievements worth 250 Gamerscore. The three maps include Terminal, Blood Drive, and Boneyard. The new game mode, Master At Arms, is a free-for-all game mode exclusive to Judgment.

The goal is for players to earn a kill with each of the 20 different available weapons without resorting to melee or grenade use. Every successful kill with one of the available weapons automatically progress the player to the next weapon until all weapons are used. The map pack will cost 1000 Microsoft Points and VIP Season Pass holders will get the map pack at no cost.

[via Major Nelson]

Gears of War: Judgment Call to Arms map pack detailed is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Last month we mentioned that the video game Company of Heroes 2 had entered closed beta. The closed beta gave players a chance to get a sneak peak at the multiple player and skirmish game play modes of the game. During the initial closed beta, players had to have special beta access keys.

The beta period for the video game has now entered the second phase making it easier for players who are interested in the game to get into the action. All players have to do to be offered access to the second phase of the closed beta is to click the like button on the official Company of Heroes 2 Facebook page. Clicking the like button on that page will send the player to be key generation tool.

That special beta key is needed to gain access to the video game closed beta session. The closed beta is still being hosted via Steam and players will need the free Steam client to redeem the key and play the game. During the second phase of the beta, players will still get to compete in the multiple player and skirmish game play modes.

Beta phase 2 offers access to six maps and the ability to play alone or with teammates against the AI. Players have access to the first 40 levels of progression for the game and the ability to customize load outs to suit their play style. Company of Heroes 2 will be available for PC gamers in June of 2013.

[via Company of Heroes]

Company of Heroes 2 beta heads to second phase is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.