Xbox 360 Fanboy

The debut trailer for Mercenaries 2: World in Flames has been released and we have it embedded above for your convenience. The action in the game looks pretty hot, and the graphics aren't too shabby either. The lighting and explosions are really impressive, and the destructive enviroments look really ... breakable? Either way it looks really cool, and a blast to play. Jacking helicopters looks completely crazy. Did you ever get your hands on the first Mercenaries, and are you ready for some new gen flavor?

[Thanks, Jonah Falcon]

Eurogamer recently sat down with Scott Warner, Pandemic's lead designer for Mercenaries 2. We don't get a ton of new info on the game, but it's interesting nonetheless. One nugget that was revealed is that while most areas will respawn after they've been destroyed, there are certain areas that will remain in tatters after you've blown them to smithereens. The game will feature hundreds of new vehicles including boats, a first for the series. There's bad news for multiplayer fans though, as there are no plans for any competitive multiplayer. Mercenaries 2 will, however, feature online co-op. Hit the "read" link for the full interview.

There is no mention of Bono in the interview by the way, though we expect he was -- as always -- lurking in the shadows.

A group called Venezuelan Solidarity isn't happy about Mercenaries 2 (that sounds awfully familiar). Apparently the group isn't so keen on the game's depiction of Venezuelan locales, not to mention the "extremely realistic" violence Mercenaries 2 encourages in said locales. In an open letter to Bono, Venezuelan Solidarity asks the U2 singer-cum-activist to pull the support of Elevation Partners -- Bono's investment firm -- from Pandemic Studios, developers of Mercenaries 2. The group pulls at Bono's human rights strings, asking that he "reconsider [his] investment in a company that glorifies violence and militarization." Furthermore, Venezuelan Solidarity implores the rock star to prevent the game from being sold "anywhere." That's a mighty tall order, even for Bono.

Whether or not Bono will accept this call to arms remains to be seen. We wait with bated breath.

[Via Joystiq. Thanks, Stynk Monkey]

Today, Pandemic released a few screenshots of their upcoming sequel Mercenaries 2. The graphics look okay, the lighting is fine, and the textures will pass, but there's nothing jaw dropping here. Maybe the in-game explosions will make us wet ourselves, but we don't get the same effect from screenshots. Also, who's enjoying the main character's badass image? Tattoos, stylish hair, tight jeans, and a sleeveless shirt ... he's my idol. Anyone eagerly anticipating Mercenaries 2 and want to share your impressions of the new screenshots?

[Thanks, un1qu3 n3wy0rk]

Our 2007 Game Developers Conference has come to an end, we've had a fun ride, but there is still more to see. And the nice folks over at GameTrailers have their GDC section quarantined off and ready to showcase some of the best Xbox 360 media. You can sit back and watch a new Portal video, maybe some Mercenaries 2, a Fable 2 dog demo, or The Darkness. It's every video they have to offer from GDC that is Xbox 360 related. And we definitely recommend watching the Fable 2 dog demo, because it just might make you think differently about this new "revolutionary" feature. GDC may be over, but your video watching has just begun.

Looks like we need a new "worst kept secret" in the game industry, as Mercenaries 2 has finally been officially announced for the Xbox 360. Following months of speculation, the news breaks from IGN during an interview with Pandemic. The game is set to feature a large, streaming world. To put it in perspective, the world of Mercenaries 2 is the size of all the maps in Mercenaries 1 put together. The game will also feature oh-so-trendy online co-op (system link is still being considered). The game is set to include plenty of vehicles, including jets and watercraft. Finally, Mercenaries 2 is expected to release this fall. Hit the "read" link for screens and more details on gameplay.

[Thanks, Machiavelli 420 # 2]

Update 2: IGN has revised the paragraph again, and has reinserted the phrase claiming the title is coming to both PS3 and Xbox 360. What's going on over there?

Update 1: Looks like someone at IGN spoke a little too soon. The paragraph claiming that Mercenaries 2 is coming to the Xbox 360 has been removed.

After noticing some 360 peripherals in the latest Pandemic developer video, many were led to believe that Mercenaries 2 was headed to the Xbox 360. Pandemic hasn't been shy about the possibility, but as yet no official announcements have been made. We're not sure if this is official, but IGN has now stated that the game is definitely headed to the Xbox 360. The remark is located at the tail end of an interview with Pandemic: "Keep an eye out for [Pandemic's] next release, Mercenaries 2, coming to Xbox 360 and PS3, as well as some cool announcements in the coming months." IGN may have made a mistake there, but we doubt it. So there you have it, it looks like Mercenaries 2 is definitely headed to our favorite curvy, white box.

The interview itself is actually pretty interesting, too. The subject is the importance -- or lack thereof -- of graphics in new gen games. 360 fanboys will quickly zero in on a quote concerning the PS3 vs. the Xbox 360. Coming from Pandemic's Morgan Jaffit, "If you look at the on-paper specs, the PS3 doesn't have this mythical, untapped reservoir of power. There's been a lot of talk about that, but it doesn't seem to be there." He does, however, go on to say that it's possible that the PS3 may eventually have an advantage (apparently he didn't talk to Mr. Gates)

But let's not dwell on fanboy bickering. The important thing is that Mercenaries 2 is coming to 360. It's Mercenaries 2! Hooray, Mercenaries 2!

[Thanks, Ricardo]

Back in July, there was a rumor going around that Mercenaries 2 (only announced for PS3) would be heading to the Xbox 360. Via our friends at Xboxygen, we have uncovered more fuel for that particular fire. In Pandemic's latest Mercenaries 2 developer blog video, there are clear shots of both an Xbox 360 dev kit -- look for the 360 with a huge hard drive in the background -- and a developer holding a 360 controller. Of course, it's possible that the developers are working on some other secret project for the 360. However, given their previous open minded statements, we think it's fairly safe to assume Mercenaries 2 is going multiplatform. Hit the "read" link to watch the video, and remember to keep your eyes peeled.

[Via Xboxygen]