nucleargaming

During the latest episode of their “BlizzCast” podcast, StarCraft 2 producer Chris Sigaty revealed some good news for long-patient StarCraft fans: It’s still Blizzard’s intention to release StarCraft 2 in the first half of 2010…even if that means shortening the beta more than they originally planned.

“We were targeting three to five months for the beta, we’re really at a three month period of time for the beta at this point. We are still targeting the first half of this year… [for release],” Sigaty said during the podcast. Their original time-span for the beta would have put the release of StarCraft 2 into the second half of the year at the earliest, but with three months (counting February, perhaps, as the first month), that would have it ending by around April, and leave May and June to institute any tweaks, balancing, or bug-fixing and have the game out on store shelves.

This week, Nintendo held the third and final leg of its global media summit in London, presenting mixed news for Europe’s gamers. As in the United States, Super Mario Galaxy took top billing. But Mario fans in the EU have to wait until June 11 to see the game–weeks later than the May 23 US release date.

The other big title of the global shows, Metroid: Other M, was not given a date for Europe at the presentation. However, the publisher did say that Samus’s Team Ninja-developed adventure, which has been confirmed for a June 27 release in the US, would hit Europe at some point before the end of September. Capcom’s Monster Hunter Tri was confirmed for a Europe-wide release on April 23 (three days after its US release) with free online multiplayer.

WarioWare: D.I.Y. is scheduled for EU release on April 30, just over a month after it becomes available in the US. The DSiWare title Photo Dojo was also confirmed for European release at the event, but no release date was given for the territory. The game is due to be released in the US sometime this spring.

In one bright spot for European gamers, Nintendo confirmed that Sin and Punishment: Successor of the Skies will arrive on the continent a full month before it is due to come out in the US, under the title Sin and Punishment: Star Successor, on May 7. Nintendo also confirmed that it is to publish Dragon Quest IX: Sentinel of the Starry Skies in Europe, as well as the US this summer, but no date was given.

When Microsoft launched the Xbox 360 and Xbox Live Arcade, it did so without much support from top-tier third-party publishers. Beyond casual specialist PopCap Games, the most notable name on the Xbox Live Marketplace at launch was Midway, with the publisher selling arcade classics Gauntlet, Smash TV, and Joust from day one.

Now those games–as well as Cyberball 2072, Robotron: 2084, Defender, Paperboy, Rootbeer Tapper, and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3–have been pulled from the Xbox Live Marketplace. A Microsoft representative said the group of games was removed from the service late last week “due to evolving rights and permissions.”

Those problems don’t seem to have affected the publisher’s PlayStation Network titles, as games like Mortal Kombat II were still available on the PlayStation 3 downloadable storefront this morning.

While that prevents gamers from adding those titles to their library for the first time, they aren’t gone from the service entirely. As the Microsoft representative said, “Xbox Live members will always be able to play and re-download any titles they have already purchased.”

Capcom is going for it this March, bringing the acclaimed fighter to Apple’s handhelds. But this is no quickie, banged-out port. Capcom has taken months to come up with suitable controls for a platform with no physical buttons, employing a virtual pad and move buttons to recreate the arcade stick right on the touchscreen. After all, without great controls, what’s the point?

Capcom is not accepting any loss of the console game’s beloved art direction in the iPhone edition. It has taken assets straight from the current-gen code, so the new art style that won universal accolades is faithfully recreated on the iPhone’s smaller, but crisp screen.

Capcom promises that fan-favorite fighters beyond Ryu and Ken (the first two Capcom is willing to confirm) will round out a large roster. While names are not yet spoken, Capcom has confirmed that the iPhone cast features both classic brawlers and new characters created for Street Fighter IV. So, there is an excellent chance your personal favorite will end up in the mix.

Now, hardcore gamers coming into Street Fighter IV with lofty expectations are understandably concerned about whether or not Capcom’s virtual pad will offer the same, precise controls needed to truly master the game. That’s fair because to competitive players, Street Fighter is a contest of exactness and finesse. To alleviate worries, Capcom offers a number of control configurations so players can find their favorite position, button transparency, and set-up.

Multiplayer? Street Fighter IV allows two players to trade blows over Bluetooth, just like the arcade or console edition. So, spending a little time in Dojo Mode isn’t such a bad idea, especially if you want to answer your iPhone and tell whoever is calling that you just hammered your friend flat into the ground.

As promised, the long-awaited iPhone and iPod touch rendition of PopCap’s lawn defense force sensation Plants vs. Zombies is now available through iTunes.

Sporting an impulse-friendly $2.99 price point, the mobile version includes the same fifty levels, twenty-six zombie types, and forty-nine perennial varieties as the PC version.

The Xbox 360 version is scheduled to release later this year.

Activision Blizzard President Mike Morhaime announced today that the Starcraft II closed beta will be coming this month.

The beta will allow players to test out the multiplayer gameplay and the new, improved Battle.net. In addition, it will allow Blizzard to gauge whether there are still improvements to be made to the title (it’s Blizzard, so yeah, they’ll find plenty, I’m sure, they always do) and it will allow the game to generate extra buzz as the forums begin filling with discussions about the gameplay.

The beta will be offered in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan and South Korea.

As far as we’re aware, gamers can still register and hope that they will be selected to participate in the beta. Details can be found at Blizzard’s StarCraft 2 site.

Ubisoft offered a few new tidbits today about the multiplayer-enabled Assassin’s Creed II follow-up due out this year.

“There has been a lot of excitement around the next installment of [the] Assassin’s Creed franchise,” Ubisoft CEO Yves Guilletmot told investors. “What we can say today is that it marks the return of the now legendary Ezio, but this time he will strike directly at the heart of the Templars order in Rome. In addition to this full new adventure, players will also be able to challenge their friends in a very innovative assassination multiplayer.”

It was also stated that all of the company’s currently announced games should be released before Christmas 2010, suggesting a holiday release at the latest.

Wil Wheaton will deliver the Keynote address at PAX East, the east coast edition of the Penny Arcade Expo coming to Boston, MA next month. “We’ve always considered Wil as the keynote speaker for PAX, so it’s only appropriate he kick off the first PAX East,” said Robert Khoo of Penny Arcade. “Wil is one of us. We accept him. Wil speaks to all gamers, from the console jock to the keyboard fanatic to the pen-and-paper devotees.”

You can register for the event on this page, but at this point only day passes for Friday and Sunday remain.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii has been a massive hit for Nintendo, with reports showing the classic platformer sold nearly 10.5 million units globally in its first two months of sale. The game has also been a popular one for illegal downloaders, too, with Nintendo saying copies of the game were available on the web as early as November 6, 2009, days before its official release.

However, it seems Nintendo has nabbed a pirate, today reaching a settlement against an individual in Australia for illegally copying and uploading New Super Mario Bros. Wii in November last year. Queenslander James Burt has been ordered to pay a damages bill to Nintendo of A$1.5 million ($1.3 million). Nintendo says this fee is to compensate the company for the loss of sales revenue caused by Burt’s actions.

A Nintendo Australia spokesperson reported that apart from the loss of revenue caused by piracy of the game, the fact that an Australian was the first to illegally upload the game could jeopardise the release timings of future Nintendo titles. Typically, Australians have had to wait days and sometimes months after other regions for Nintendo games to be released locally. New Super Mario Bros. Wii was a rare occurrence where Australia received the game earlier than any other territory.

“Nintendo Australia is always pushing for games to be released here at the same time as the rest of the world, so we were pleased to get New Super Mario Bros. Wii before anyone else,” the spokesperson said. “Unfortunately, due to the actions of this individual, future release dates may be affected for Australia, which is disappointing for us.”

Speaking to Bloomberg Television, EA Sports president Peter Moore revealed they’re planning on making a version of Madden NFL as a Facebook app.

“We have to make Madden more accessible,” Moore began. “You’ll see us on Facebook going forward.” This, naturally, would be a “simpler experience” than the yearly console versions of Madden, Moore said, but he left any other details about the project out.

An interesting side note, however: Electronic Arts recently purchased social games maker Playfish for a plum $300 million. And just earlier this week, Playfish president and general manager Kristian Segerstrale was reported as teasing that they’re already working on a “well known” EA brand, but didn’t say which. Could it be EA Sports’ Facebook Madden? Seems likely, but we’ll have to wait and see for an official announcement.