Week in Review: Red Steel 2, GTA IV to PC, Game to Comic Converts, and more!

The Week in Review news piece summarizes and highlights the most important gaming related news over the past week. This weekly article, in conjunction with the Rumor Round-Up, will keep you plugged in and in-tune.

On the heels of the Wii MotionPlus announcement, Ubisoft has decided to take a second crack at the first-person action/adventure Red Steel. Ubisoft feels as though the new Nintendo Wii Remote peripheral will offer a level of precision that was absent in the first attempt. According to Ubisoft executive director Alain Corre, Red Steel 2 has already been in development for several months. Additionally, Mr. Corre admitted that the original title did have faults, especially concerning the clunky controls that were supposed to be the hallmark of the title. The director also feels that the Wii MotionPlus is ideal for curing the original’s ailing combat system.

Cryptic Studios is in the process of developing Star Trek Online. The game will be an MMORPG, but it is still in early development stages. On August 10, however, the Star Trek community will get their first glimpse of gameplay footage at the Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas.

This week it was revealed that Star Wars: The Force Unleashed demo code will be available for download this month for the Xbox 360 and PS3. According to Marketing Manager, Matt Shell, the game demo features a special version of the TIE Fighter production facility and is so fun that players will definitely want to pick up the real thing. As an added bonus, many unavailable force powers will be opened for use in the demo and there is even a super secret level ending unique to the demo.

Activision made a somewhat troubling announcement earlier in the week. You probably already know that the merger between Activision and Vivendi was all but completed. As such, Activision has decided that they will be cultivating the Crash Bandicoot and Spyro franchises, but games such as Ghostbusters: The Video Game, Brutal Legend, The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, and World in Conflict: Soviet Assault are getting canceled.

That announcement was pretty alarming to many gamers and the media. After all, Ghostbusters and Brutal Legend were both cover features on GameInformer magazine. These games definitely have their fair share of quality and shouldn’t just be done away with. Well, representatives for these two games have come out to allay fears and let the gaming community know that they are actively shopping around for new publishers.

More than 50 companies, including gaming stalwarts Nintendo, Square Enix, SEGA, Hudson, Namco Bandai, The Pokémon Company, Capcom, and SNK Playmore, filed an injunction this week with the Tokyo District Court to stop sales of “majicon” homebrew carts in Japan. The carts’ “primary” purpose is for the development of homebrewed applications. Of course, these carts also allow gamers to easily pirate software.

Jordan Mechner, most widely recognized as the creator of the original Prince of Persia platformer, has announced that Karateka is ready for a sequel some 24 years after its initial release. The side-scrolling, kung-fu fighter was a treasured gem from the days of the Commadore 64. Mechner told a Comic-Con audience that “There actually is a plan to bring back Karateka. It’s a project I’m going to be involved in. I can safely say it’s not going to be in the way you expect.”

At this year’s Comic-Con, fans were treated to a glimpse of the world of Mirror’s Edge outside of a fancy trailer or stunning game demo. The new EA title, being developed by DICE, will be available in comic form . The forthcoming six-part comic series will be published by DC Comics’ WildStorm. Additionally, the series will be illustrated by Matthew Dow Smith, and will be written by Rhianna Pratchett, who is also the game’s writer. Joining Mirror’s Edge, Wildstorm will also be picking up both Resident Evil and Devil May Cry for a run at ink glory.

NCsoft has started “Operation Immortality.” This initiative will take samples of DNA from US gamers (supposedly this is illegal in Europe), have their genetic code sequenced, digitize the unique signatures, and then create a time capsule and have it delivered to the International Space Station by Richard Garriot of Tabula Rasa and Ultima fame. This initiative is actually free to all, as NCsoft is offering a downloadable trial, which will allow you to send a digital copy of your essence to the stars. Submissions began on Wednesday and will continue to be accepted through August 31, 2008.

A patent filing by SEGA shows plans to revive the Jet Grind Radio game. After Comic-Con, it was believed that the funky, spray tag, inline skater would appear only on the Wii. However, the patent filing seems to dispel that in favor of a more console agnostic approach. Look for the game to be re-imagined for iPhone and iPod Touch.

Grand theft Auto IV and Bully Scholarship Edition will be making their way to Windows PCs according to an updated ESRB list. This doesn’t come as a surprise, but it is the first bit of concrete confirmation.

According to Noam Rimon at SCEA Research and Development, Life with PlayStation will be made available later this month. Life with PlayStation appears to be a service that will bring the Sony community together via worldwide news and information, interactive content, and various channels “on a visually stunning worldwide map interface.”

Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty will release to anxious fans on August 21, 2008. The game will be available simultaneously in North America and Europe. However, Japan will have to painfully wait another 24 hours. The game will offer about 5 hours of gameplay and cost $14.99.

Disney and Prince of Persia’s producer Jerry Bruckheimer have been forced to push back the release of The Sands of Time film. Originally, next summer’s blockbuster was slated for a June 19 release. Unfortunately, the film is now slated to appear on Memorial Day weekend (May 28) of 2010.

Finally, Jim Brown , the former NFL star for the Cleveland Browns turned actor, has filed suit against both Sony and Electronic Arts in New York Supreme Court today. The all-pro running back claims that the companies used his likeness in an edition of Madden football without his express permission.

Thanks so much everyone and we will see you next week!