Some information on Tom Clancy’s EndWar, an upcoming RTS based on the universe created by the military author, has surfaced on the Internet. According to this post on Clanbase, the game will feature three factions – USA, Russia and Europe – and will feature both single and multiplayer modes. The camera will be closer to the battlefield, and the game won’t be converted to the PC or vice versa, as the console versions are being built up from scratch. Further information can be found in the post.

In related news, EvilAvatar has posted a way to get a glimpse into the game. Check out the instructions.

According to Korean newspaper Digital Chosun IIibo, source code of NCSoft’s upcoming MMO Lineage III was stolen by former employees and sold to an unnamed Japanese competitor. This is believed to have been done when the ex-employees provided examples of their work during a series of job interviews with the other company in February; they are also believed to have played a part in the leak of the Lineage III program design late last year.

South Korea-based NCSoft projects losses of more than 1 trillion Korean won (US$1 billion) from the theft. The company is also said to be going through troubled times: according to industry insiders, the dismissal of a senior game developer as a result of poor leadership skills caused most of the company’s 90-person development team to quit. There are also internal struggles within NCSoft, though details are unknown.

Following up on the Europeans, Nintendo has announced the titles that will hit the North American Virtual Console service today:

Castlevania (NES®, 1 player, 500 Wii Points): Step into the shadows of the deadliest dwelling on Earth. You’ve arrived at Castlevania, and you’re here on business: to destroy the curse of the Evil Count, once and for all. Make your way through six monstrous floors filled with bats, ghosts, zombies and every kind of ghoulish creature you can imagine. Use the legendary whip Vampire Killer and a host of deadly weapons to battle your way to Dracula’s chamber and the ultimate duel of good vs. evil.

The Legend of the Mystical Ninja (Super NES®, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points): In The Legend of The Mystical Ninja, take control of Kid Ying and Dr. Yang in an action adventure through feudal Japan. A curse has stricken the village of Horo-Horo, and its beloved princess has vanished. Together Kid Ying, a daring young mystical ninja, and Dr. Yang, master of the invincible spirit transformation, must overcome 10 levels of the Dragonbeast to save Princess Yuki. Each stage contains intense 3-D and 2-D zones where the duo must perform dozens of attack moves and solve magical problems and puzzles before advancing. Battle humorous enemies like the Carp Meister, who stuns victims with poisonous fighting fish, Tanaka-U-Out, a knockout artist who wallops opponents with a bone-crushing hammer, and the Sumo Tag Team, kings of the unbeatable belly-buster crunch. Collect coins to buy new equipment and to receive clues, spend some time playing minigames in the arcade or try your luck and increase your fortune at the Quiz House and Horse Races.

Shockman (TurboGrafx16, 1-2 players, 600 Wii Points): It’s been two years since Arnold and Sonya were made into Shockmen. A message from the professor to return to their bodies has them head to his laboratory, but they are ambushed by a mysterious enemy along the way. After narrowly defeating the enemy, they catch a TV news flash announcing the Ryo Empire invasion. They find that the professor has been abducted and set out to rescue him. Shockman is a side-view action shooter that has eight stages, including Action Stages, where you jump and use special techniques, and side-scrolling Shooting Stages. This game expands on the well-paced story from the previous version and contains cooperative elements like shared life and a powerful Team Shockbeam that can be used during two-player simultaneous play.

It has been announced that Washington Wizards All-Star Gilbert Arenas will be the cover athlete and spokesman of NBA Live 08, the upcoming entry in the EA Sports series.

“This is a dream come true,” said Arenas. “I’m a huge gamer and have been playing NBA LIVE since 1995. I never imagined that I would see my face on the cover of an EA SPORTS videogame.”

Arenas finished the 2006-07 regular season averaging 28.4 points and 6.0 assists per game. Arenas was the first player from the 2001 draft class to be named to the All-Star team in 2005 and now has three consecutive All-Star appearances. In the ultimate salute to his climb from relative unknown to NBA All-Star, fans voted Arenas a starter on the Eastern Team at the 2007 NBA All-Star Game.Fueled by a combination of talent and a larger-than-life personality, Arenas has risen from below the radar into the spotlight. His breakout 2007 season included authoring a blog on NBA.com that established a direct relationship with his fans, and a well-known catch phrase (Hibachi!). Dubbed “Agent Zero” in reference to his jersey number, Arenas chose zero as a reminder of his underdog mentality that drives him to succeed. Off the court, Arenas is devoted to many charitable organizations including Scores for Schools, the NBA Cares program, and created the Zer0 2 Hero Foundation to promote the well-being of children.

NBA Live 08 is in development at EA Canada and will be available in stores worldwide this Fall.

Microsoft sent word that Xbox Live will face a triple threat of Xbox Live Arcade games this Wednesday… in the form of Catan, Centipede and Millipede.

The legendary board game Catan will be hitting the service, courtesy of Big Huge Games. The XBLA edition of the multiplayer board game will support up to 4 players, voice chat, 12 achievements and 200 gamerscore points, all new 3D “living world” board, and more.

Two of Atari’s best loved coin-op classics Centipede and Millipede will also be available for download. The combined offer will feature support for Dolby Digital surround sound, 12 achievements and 200 gamerscore points, and more.

Catan will cost 800 Microsoft points, while Centipede and Millipede will be available jointly for 400 points.

EA today officially revealed the title for Burnout 5 which is in development for the PS3 and Xbox 360. Dubbed Burnout Paradise, and now scheduled for release this Winter, the game will feature an unprecedented detail in crash deformation and an open world environment where the player will be able to “do anything, anywhere, and anytime!”

“We have been working towards Burnout Paradise for quite some time. Next generation consoles have opened up a raft of new gameplay opportunities and the Criterion team has leapt at the chance to innovate and raise the bar to an all-new high,” said Pete Hawley, Executive Producer, Burnout Paradise. “There are going to be some big surprises and a lot of new features but the core of the game is still pure Burnout. Instant accessibility will be reinforced by innovative on-line capabilities which will see Burnout Paradise smash racing conventions.”

Taking place in Paradise City, the player will be able to explore the city, discover events and look for the best opportunities to crash, jump and pull signature takedowns. Below are the first screenshots.

Paradox Interactive has announced that it has signed on a new turn-based sci-fi strategy through Akella dubbed Galactic Assault. Previously known as Inhabited Islands, and in development at Wargaming.net, the game is scheduled for release during Q3 2007.

Players will be thrust into a deep and harrowing story as four unique races battle for supremacy on the planet Saraksh. Each race possesses and can easily develop distinguishable technologies, leading to the presence of vastly different heavy armored units, transport units and aviation units on the battlefield. The battles take place among vivid extraterrestrial landscapes in 3D with day and night changes as well as dynamic weather conditions that affect the gameplay.In addition to the interesting story line, Galactic Assault offers a revolutionary tactical combat system, more than 70 unique units of great power and high-definition visuals that will immerse players in a horrendous story of war and survival.

Game features include:

• Immersive storyline based on the Sci-Fi novel “Inhabited Island”.
• 4 totally unique races: Land of the Fathers, Khonties, Barbarians and Island Empire.
• Realistic battle system (camouflage, fog of war, return fire, mine laying, fortifications, land and air troop carriers).
• Advanced technology tree and unit upgrade system.
• Realistic full 3D environment with day/night change and weather effects.
• Cinematic Camera mode showing the most dramatic moments

Seems like the PR mishaps before the PS3′s launch didn’t affect Sony’s image after all. According to a research conducted by AlixPartners, the most powerful brand title goes to Sony. Based on a survey of 5,000 consumers in Fall 2006, this index of brands is based on the company’s power by using a trust-versus-distrust formula.

“While Nike was, by far, the most frequently mentioned name when consumers were asked to select any favorite brand, the ratio of consumers who trust Nike – both the brand and the company – to those who distrust it lowered its final score,” said Fred Crawford, a managing director with AlixPartners who also oversees the AlixPartners Consumer Sentiment Index. “On the other hand, other great brands such as Newman’s Own [33rd], Ben & Jerry’s [41st] and 3M [86th] have tremendous trust among consumers, but their penetration in the marketplace remains quite low.”

Other tech companies also made the top ten, including Dell and Hewlett Packard. Microsoft was nowhere in sight.

Activision sends word that it has launched the official Transformers video game site, offering fans the chance to participate in the Battle for the AllSpark, an online worldwide multiplayer experience allowing fans to play on the Autobots or Decepticons team to face off in real time challenges as they struggle to take over the world. Players earn points in one-on-one skirmishes for themselves and their team, with the highest scoring individuals rewarded with a variety of prizes. Also, the side with the largest score takes control of AllSpark and is granted exclusive access to special sections of the site.

The site also offers details and media on the upcoming game, among other things. Transformers, the movie, will be out on July 4, with the game being released for the PS3, Xbox 360, PS2, PSP and DS.

Mario Strikers is set for European release shortly, leaving us on North American shores behind the times are our Wii’s will still not venture online. In an interview provided by Jeux France, they touched upon many of the important online features the game will implement. Notably Nintendo seems to be going strong with Mii support, which will essentially act as your gamer tag. It also mentions that while friends lists will be included, it seems they are linked to individual Miis. It’s hard to say if every game will still have a unique friend code, but at least some thought has gone into it which is always a good sign. Now just bring on the game here!

-Ranked matches will pair players based on win-loss records, but those records will reset at the end of three month “seasons.”
-Unranked matches will make use Mii-specific friend lists, so multiple users on one system can have different friends.
-The player that earns the most ranking points every day will have their Mii featured on the log-in screen as the “player of the day.” Ranking points are earned based on wins and number of goals. Disconnects will be punished with negative ranking points.
-Online matches can have four players at most (no four-on-four networked play). Ranked matches can be one-on-one or two-on-two, with each team sharing a system. Three-on-one and two-on-one matches are available in unranked games.

Read (Joystiq)