Blazing Angels Squadrons of WWII Announced for 360

[Evil Avatar]

Xboxde.com (http://www.xboxyde.com/news_2392_en.html) and Xbox365.com (http://www.xbox365.com/news.cgi?id=GGPrHHLHNL12150944) are both reporting that UbiSoft will be releasing Blazing Angels Squadrons of WWII in the first quarter of 2006 for the Xbox 360.

Developed by Ubisoft, Blazing Angels Squadrons of WWII features innovative squadron-based combat, in which each artificial intelligence wingman's specialized skill can be used to the pilot's advantage. During the course of the 18-mission campaign, players will evolve along with their wingmen into an ace fighting force. Spectacular graphics enhance the combat experience in true World War II battle sites such as England, Germany, France, Morocco, Pearl Harbor, Midway and Tokyo. The heroic storyline that follows the evolution of a single squadron and the cinematic presentation create moments reminiscent of classic World War II movies. Pilots fly in close to Germany's industrial terrain during a bombing raid or emerge from the fog and cloud cover over London to engage the enemy. Up to 16 players online can engage over Xbox Live online game service in head-to-head dogfights or cooperative team play between squadrons in 10 additional missions.
http://www.evilavatar.com/images/thumbs/angels_small.jpg

[Everlost_MI]

Good God, I want that game!

[ElectricMonk]

It does look nice dosen't it?

Although I fear it may be a bit too arcadey

[fitbabits]

Sweet bananas, that looks pretty!

[TheEpicOfTyler]

Did the 40's lack color?

[bapenguin]

Wow...that looks great. Wonder what kind of online play it'll have.

[Harlan Hoyt]

Did the 40's lack color?

Didn't you read Calvin and Hobbes? The world slowly became color in the late fifties and early sixties, although it was splotchy and somewhat grainy at first.

That does look amazing. I hope the fog and smoke effects aren't too overdone -- it almost looks cartoony. And I hope they find a way to stradle the too easy/arcade, too hard/sim line.

[Suicidal ShiZuru]

What else will it be on?

[KhitomerRouge]

Awesome! If there was a "Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe" upgrade, I would totally be Ubisoft's bitch.

[gojira]

Xbox 360's were supposed to be available again today, Dec 18th, right? So.... what happened, did anyone get one?

Lot's o' Xboxes, no Xboxes, somewhere in between? Just curious...

[inmostlight]

Dear Microsoft,

You paid all that money for the Crimson Skies license. DO SOMETHING WITH IT.

And put zeppelins back in, too. My gaming desire to dodge Art-deco skyscrapers in a retro-futuristic prop plane as I attempt to shoot down the escort fighters of the blimp I just incinerated is NOT BEING MET, and something must be done!

[MosBen]

Didn't Crimson Skies for the Xbox sell pretty well? I just assumed we'd be getting another entry on the 360...

[Suicidal ShiZuru]

Crimson Skies on Live was awesome, still is. SP was great too.

[UnderHero5]

Dear Microsoft,

You paid all that money for the Crimson Skies license. DO SOMETHING WITH IT.


They paid for the liscense?
Hasn't it always been theirs? They made the first one on PC, after all.

Unless there was another one in the series that I'm not aware of...

[Red Cloak]

MS created the franchise but the dev team that made the Xbox version are no longer with MS. This will have to do. ;)

[Wombat]

MS did not create the Crimson Skies franchise. It was a board game originally, published by FASA, who also created Mechwarrior. MS bought FASA, mostly for Mechwarrior and got Crimson Skies at the same time. At the moment Microsoft doesn't seem to be doing anything with any of the FASA properties.

[RandomViolence]

MS did not create the Crimson Skies franchise. It was a board game originally, published by FASA, who also created Mechwarrior. MS bought FASA, mostly for Mechwarrior and got Crimson Skies at the same time. At the moment Microsoft doesn't seem to be doing anything with any of the FASA properties.

Which is fucking stupidity.

[Red Cloak]

Which is fucking stupidity.

Shadowrun is being deved right now. MechWarrior is a tricky franchie to make fora console, both MA games were trash. Crimson Skies was great on the Xbox though.

[TheBrainKills]

It looks good, but the river is devoid of any ships, looks odd to me.

[Twigz'N'Berries]

MS did not create the Crimson Skies franchise. It was a board game originally, published by FASA, who also created Mechwarrior. MS bought FASA, mostly for Mechwarrior and got Crimson Skies at the same time. At the moment Microsoft doesn't seem to be doing anything with any of the FASA properties.
Well that is not exactly true.
Shadowrun is one of the worst kept secrets for the 360. How it will be pulled off is still anyone's guess. But due to the games fanbase, they need to do an excellent job with it....that would be a great game to release over Xbox Live Arcade....can you imagine a slightly updated version of the Genesis classic. Damn that would rock.

Forget Gears of War...Huxley will be the killer title for the 360. It is still under the radar a bit and not overhyped, which can only be a good thing.
http://www.worthplaying.com/press/199/Huxley_049.jpg

[XenonCJ]

Shadowrun is being deved right now. MechWarrior is a tricky franchie to make fora console, both MA games were trash. Crimson Skies was great on the Xbox though.Why is it tricky for the console?? The damn controllers are practically DESIGNED to control a mech. For starters, the 2 analogue sticks would be great for torso twist and leg movement direction...

[A-Team]

What else will it be on?
It was originally announced for the Xbox, so just the Xbox and X360.

[Borys]

Looks like one of the past 3DMark's.

It's a sad, sad day for PC gaming when even the aviation games move to consoles :(

[Harlan Hoyt]

From 1up.com (http://www.worthplaying.com/article.php?sid=27772)
Huxley takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where humans have mutated into two opposing races, Sapiens and Alternatives. They are currently battling over a new energy source, Lunarites, but in the process, they are also battling for the continuance of each race.

Am I the only one who is sick up to their fucking eyeballs of "post-apocalyptic" universes? Isn't this world interesting enough for you, game developers? Does setting it in an warped, dangerous, generic, extreme post-acocalypse make games all that much more interesting? An infinite universe of settings, plots and ideas and we play the same eighteenth generation copies of The Road Warrior and Blade Runner out over and over again.

[Royal Fool]

Xbox 360 in port shocker?


Am I the only one who is sick up to their fucking eyeballs of "post-apocalyptic" universes?
I suppose I could understand it if you're a member of Jehova's witnesses.

[mightbe]

Wow...that looks great. Wonder what kind of online play it'll have.

Probably checkers. Maybe a hold'em tournament.

:p

[mrbandersnatch]

Ah, an interesting 360 title. THAT might persuade me to buy an XBox 360 yet.

Interestingly BTW I was in a CEX shop in London and while TWO people were trying to sell them their 360s. Its been out what...2 weeks and people are bored of it already!!?? They refused to buy one of them and I was very tempted to approach the chap...but then common sense reminded me that there arnt any games I want to play on it yet ;)

[bapenguin]

MS did not create the Crimson Skies franchise. It was a board game originally, published by FASA, who also created Mechwarrior. MS bought FASA, mostly for Mechwarrior and got Crimson Skies at the same time. At the moment Microsoft doesn't seem to be doing anything with any of the FASA properties.

Just because you haven't heard anything doesn't mean nothing is happening. My guess is we'll be seeing a Mech Assault (not Mechwarrior unfortunately) sequel next year as well as a Crimson Skies sequel.

[Steve_Erhardt]

Regarding Blazing Angels... I hope it's good. Secret Weapons over Normandy was SUCH a let-down. =( But this is coming from Ubi, so I'm betting it will be. Ubi has been hitting them out of the park for me, the last couple years, which is a good thing.

Regarding MechAssault... those really ARE, make no mistake, GREAT games. What they are NOT is the console version of Battletech or Mechwarrior. Give 'em some slack... they are fast-paced, arcade mech games with a Mechwarrior motif. They weren't EVER meant to take the place of the right-proper Mechwarrior games and calling them trash because they didn't do what they never intended to do is just... a little too critical.

Now, that doesn't excuse MS for sitting on their thumbs and tickling their colons as far as a genuine Mechwarrior installment goes... you wanna beat up on them for THAT, be my guest, I'll hand you the rocks/broken bottle/rotten tomato. If it wasn't for the community (MekTek, Mechstorm, various leagues and map makers), Mechwarrior 4 Mercenaries would have dried up ages ago, no thanks to lazy-ass MS. Hopefully all this lip-service they've been spewing about a renewed thrust on PC gaming is genuine and we'll see some new MW luvvin' in the offing.

As for CS, I'd love to see a sequel to either the PC game or the Xbox game (preferably both). Simply BRILLIANT efforts on both.

[Knite]

I like the PC version of Crimson skies a little better, if only because controlling the planes worked like controlling planes, not the Stick left = turn left thing, it was stick left = ROLL left and rudder = rudder.... but I digress..

I didn't realize it, but the Xbox version of crimson skies runs on the 360. Nicely enhanced (rez increase, 4xAA) with no framerate burps that I noticed. It appears there's even some texture filtering because the planes themselves looked great!

[Rommel]

Ah Crimson Skies, soon I will be ready to kill you all again. I missed whipping the entire interweb thingy in that series.