Discounts are great, especially when you can scratch that ‘get it now’ itch and pick something up on the cheap! If you’ve not had a chance to play Vanquish, Sonic & SEGA’s All Stars Racing, Virtua Tennis 4, or Aliens vs Predator – you can now pick them up directly through your Xbox 360 at a discounted rate!

Vanquish

PlatinumGames redefined yet another genre, this time taking on the cover to cover 3rd person shooter and cranking it up a notch. Well, make that a few notches to be fair – Vanquish takes the slow moving shooter into new territory with an arcade twist. Faster and more intense than anything you’ve played thus far, backed with tight controls and expert pacing!

Originally price: $39.99/£29.99
New price: $19.99/£14.99
Buy it now!

Sonic and SEGA’s All Stars Racing

A game that’s perfectly crafted for a Sonic or SEGA fan, with tons of characters and environments ripped from SEGA’s history. Hey, our friend Ryo Hazuki even makes an appearance, forklift and all! Let’s not forget the game is also an incredible cart racer and well worth the pickup!

Original price: $29.99
New price: $19.99
Buy it now!

Virtua Tennis 2009

A classic SEGA franchise returns with new players, new courts, and new modes of play. Perfect for any fan looking for a bit of tennis action at a reasonable price!

Original price: $29.99
New price: $19.99
Buy it now!

Aliens vs Predator

Craving some carnage? Fan of Alien, Predator, or the unstoppable Colonial Marines? Aliens Vs Predator can fill this need and give you a chance to play as your favorite death dealer! A perfect game to pick up while you wait for the incoming Aliens: Colonial Marines and Aliens: Infestation games!

Original price: $29.99
New price: $19.99
Buy it now!

Some exciting news for you — Aliens vs. Predator is available now — right now! –  on Microsoft’s Games on Demand service, and coming next week, the smash-hit award-winning Bayonetta will be joining it (Bayonetta releases on February 22nd)! If you haven’t had a chance to play these terrific games, or just want to add them to your digital library, now is the time. And, what a marvelous coincidence: I’ve been spending more time recently with both these games.

Aliens Versus Predator

I elaborated on my love for the Aliens mythology pretty extensively when the game was coming out. Both Aliens and Predator are kind of fantasy-horror benchmarks and there’s a reason various companies have thrown the two iconic beasts together for several decades now (with humans stuck in the middle, the squishy pink meat in the Aliens/Predator sci-fi horror sandwich).

AvP gets down to the very nitty-gritty first-person-shooter style that enhances the game’s science-fiction/horror aesthetic. The three campaigns are interwoven stories and the true coup of the game is in delivering three completely different styles of play — both for multiplayer matches and for single-player, the Marines, Aliens, and Predators have virtually nothing in common except the challenge of mastering their particular strengths and weaknesses.

The Marines are the most traditional — stuck in godforsaken environments with little more than a pulse rifle, a pistol, and the occasional flame thrower. Multiplayer modes such as Survivor require teamwork as a group of marines work to fend off Aliens, and Infestation mode pits a progressively shrinking band of marines against a progressively growing hive of aliens.

Predators are, well, predators. The game places a premium on using stealth to stalk your prey, and you can learn to use deception and misdirection to gain an advantage while waiting to execute a brutal finishing move to turn your prey into a grisly trophy. While the Predator gameplay is probably closest to my preferred style of play — sneak up in a cloaking field, rip someone’s spine out, disappear, repeat — the Aliens (as you could guess from my link above) are nearest and dearest to me. They also represent the most radical difference in approach of the three classes, where learning to navigate the walls and ceilings and dark corners of a space aren’t just a tactical advantage, they’re essential to survival.

I’ve always loved that playing as an Alien and playing as a Marine — especially through story mode — have such radically different feels. Being an Alien means being part of the “hive”, and learning to survive on the ceiling and, for once, being the hissing monster inside the ventilation system. As a Marine — well, this is one of the few games that has actually physically scared me. Wandering through a dark corridor and having the telltale sound of your motion tracker go off in the pitch dark is a shock to the senses, and a trick Aliens versus Predator pulls off  beautifully.

Bayonetta

Bayonetta will be hitting Games on Demand this February 22nd. Convenient timing: I played this game when it came out, naturally, but haven’t really blazed through it until just recently. This is a pretty incredible game and I feel just fine saying that, without hyperbole, regardless of the fact that I work for SEGA. Everything about Bayonetta is over-the-top and yet, somehow, it all coheres; Platinum Games made a truly spectacular action game here which somehow manages to be one of the sexiest, most difficult, and most fun games of 2010, and in quite a while, period.

Enough with that hyperbole though; by this point you’ve probably heard most of Bayonetta’s accolades. If you haven’t had a chance to try this game, designed by Hideki Kamiya (Devil May Cry), hopefully Games on Demand convinces you (and there’s still of course an Xbox Live demo available). The game features upgradable weapons, hosts of new combat moves to learn, and a high-fidelity gameworld that looks consistently imaginative and spectacular. For all the boasts about difficulty — and it is difficult, forcing you to actually unlock anything above “normal” — the game also welcomes newcomers or those just wanting to tear around and have fun, with the “easy” and “very easy” modes making it no problem to simply tear through enemies and have a grand time doing so.

I tried to explain the game’s over-the-top antics to a friend the other day: “You fight a boss that’s hundreds of times bigger than you, and the boss is a gigantic upside-down face, and the face has wings and dragon heads, and you have to fight the dragon heads while reversing time, and then your body-suit which is actually made of your hair turns into a giant demon and eats the boss.” I’d say “spoiler alert” but I don’t think even that description prepares you for the battle itself.

All that “over-the-top” action actually feels intuitive because Bayonetta’s combat system is so fluid and refined. You pick what kinds of moves you want to learn and how you want to deploy your weapons, and there’s few “wrong” ways to go about it. The game is punishingly difficult to perfect and at the same time will reward your gaming instincts for exploration and perfecting a method of fighting. I can’t speak highly enough of this game and I’m prouder than proud that it’s there in the SEGA stable, earning accolades and gunning down gigantic upside-down-face monsters.

Today we are happy to announce that the second downloadable content pack for Aliens vs Predator is heading to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Steam for PC. This newly designed Map Pack, entitled Bughunt, includes four brand new maps split between Survivor and Multiplayer offerings. For the first time, these new maps will include environmental hazards and new weather effects. Bughunt will be available for purchase on July 7th.

Crashsite – Multiplayer

Crashsite is an outdoors map placing up to 18 players in a Jungle swamp – dominated by a crashed drop ship. Radiating away from the swamp is a waterfall overlooking an expansive vista, which is part of a large “ring” of playable area that surrounds the central swamp, with connecting spokes to aid player movement through the map.

Predators are forced to consider how they move throughout the map, as the “swamp” environment leaves a lot of water pooled on the ground – perfect for removing the cloak and requiring predators to always consider their routes carefully.

Marines have wide open fields of fire, and plenty of areas to back in to a corner – however with multiple entrances/exits to any area and expansive use of trees around the map, their opponents could be coming from anywhere, at any time.

Aliens are confronted with a wealth of areas and places in which to initiate the perfect ambush. From cave system choke points, to tree top perches, there is never a shortage of places to pounce upon unsuspecting prey.

Furious – Multiplayer

Furious is an arena style map placing up to 12 players in a central cylinder shaped area dominated by a huge active furnace in the middle.

Predator players have ample space in which to traverse the map, and hunt other players from the myriad of vantage points offered by a network of interlaced pathways and beams across the roof of the dome.

Marine players must navigate the available paths to the top of the furnace, where they find ample weapon supplies but are restricted in the available space in which they can fight – and must also contend with the random eruptions that eject from the furnace, which will fry any hapless human who happens to be in its path. Fighting at the bottom of the furnace, removes the peril of a long fall and allows superior freedom of movement, but at the cost of reduced firepower.

Alien players have the freedom of a Cylinder shaped map, which allows them to crawl up any wall to reach the top, and pounce upon any camping Predator, or unwary Marine.

Monument – Survivor Map

Monument is an outdoor map set on BG-386 in a previously unseen Monument area to the deceased Predator Lord. With geometry purpose built to suit Alien navigation, Monument provides a challenge to players who are already familiar with Survivor. Aliens can appear from any direction, and if the player stands still for too long they become vulnerable to the Jungle Alien “spitters” who are present in this level.

Tempest – Survivor Map

Tempest is an outdoor map which places players in the BG-386 Colony area on a dark and stormy night. In addition to the never ending Alien swarm, players must also contend with their environment. A constant rainstorm batters the colony, with intermittent flashes of lightning illuminating the environment to show the Marines attackers bearing down on him. After each wave is completed, the fog rolls in for the start of the next one as ghostly shapes begin to stalk the player.

Players can prove their skills on the killing grounds of BG-386 on 7th July 2010.

You read the blog, now see the video of what went down across PlayStation Home. Fan created, fan promoted, fan run and Sega supported. Massive kudos to everyone on the PlayStation Home Moderator program for putting together this fun event. Be sure to check out the forum threads and see all the pictures, including the wall poster we passed out randomly to attendees. Great stuff all around!

After battling it out across the universe, Aliens, Predators, and Marines will face off once again in PlayStation Home in the deadly art of dance. Yes, dance. Starting tonight at 6pm (Pacific Time) in the Central Plaza, players can show off their expertly choreographed moves in an Alien, Predator or Marine costume. Even if you don’t own any of the Aliens vs Predator Home gear (and why not!), come out and support the Home community and you could walk away with an Aliens vs. Predator art item for your apartment to be given out randomly at the event!

Special thanks go out to Jersquall and the entire Home Community Volunteer group for making this possible! Show your support and give them a round of applause, we’ll see you tonight for the event!

I’m very pleased to announce that from tomorrow, and for a limited time only, full outfits and furniture items from Aliens vs Predator will be available in the PlayStation Home Thread Store on the PlayStation 3. These costumes, a male and female version for each species in the game, are offered as complete packages, but also available to download separately. Additionally, there are some special furniture items available, such as some Wall Art, mini-statues, and perfect for any living area – a Facehugger-in-a-tube!

These downloads are accessible for a limited time, and will be taken out of the Thread Store on April 30th, so don’t delay (because you know you’ll be jealous of a full Alien outfit later!)

Aliens, Predators, and Marines! Looking for a bit of a change of scenery in your fragging? Look no further than the Swarm Pack, a collection of maps for play across Survivor and Multiplayer modes. The pack features four new maps, detailed below:

Two new Multiplayer maps

Outpost: The site of the original Weyland-Yutani colony on BG-386 was abandoned, and soon reclaimed by the planet’s voracious jungle plant life. It is now the perfect hunting ground for all manner of wildlife.

Docks: The caustic alkali waters of BG-386 put an end to Weyland-Yutani’s planned shipping activities. But this dockyard soon became an historic battleground.

Two new Survivor maps

Machine: As well as processing exotic ores, the BG-386 Refinery provided electrical power to the colonists at Freya’s Prospect. The lights may still be on, but nobody’s home. Yet.

Hive: Deep in the heart of the Freya’s Prospect Refinery lays the Xenomorph Hive. Beware all who enter here.

The Swarm pack is now available on Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, and Steam.

——

Now that you know about the maps, I’m going to pass out one code each for Steam, Xbox Live, and PlayStation Network for our faithful blog readers.  Thanks for reading and supporting us, we hope you enjoy the codes:

PlayStation Network: LB6P-GDB2-EMRG

Xbox Live: PMKP6-MTKJB-BGY8G-KCPY3-FBCVD

Steam: NLS2G-K595K-ZFDBV-QAEXG-6GDKN

These codes are only good for one redeem, so best of luck and pre-congratulations for the winners.

Major League Gaming and Gamebattles are launching an 4v4 online tournament to prove who is the best in the Aliens vs Predator galaxy! The competition is for all Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 players who are looking to prove their worth in the online game. Along with fame and glory, you’ll also be walking away with a piece of the $5,000 prize being offered. Here’s the full scoop from Gamebattles:

Take home a share of the huge $5,000 prize pool in the Aliens vs. Predator 4v4 Online Tournament! This is your opportunity to show your skill and win some cash by playing SEGA’s newest first person shooter. Compete in the online ladder to earn your spot in the single-elimination, 32-team tournament where the 1st place winner will take home $2,500! Registration is FREE and the top three teams will take home prize money. Open registration started March 1st and will remain open until ladder play closes on April 30th. Play began March 8th, so grab your copy of Aliens vs. Predator for the Xbox 360 and get your team signed up today!

You can sign up for the ladder on the GameBattles website and play in Ladder play until April 1st. As noted, the tournament runs in a 4v4 format across Jungle, Pyramid, Refinery, and Temple maps in both Domination and Species Deathmatch modes. Don’t hesitate to join up and play, you’ll get to compete with the best of the best and have a chance to walk away with some easy money, just for playing AVP – not bad at all!

Good news, AVP fans! The first downloadable content for Aliens vs Predator will be available on the Xbox Marketplace, the Playstation Store, and Steam. The DLC has 4 maps that were previously only available in the Special Editions.

Two new multiplayer maps are for six different modes (Deathmatch, Predator Hunt,  Infestation, Species Deathmatch, Mixed Species Deathmatch and Domination) :
•    Docks: The caustic alkali waters of BG-386 put an end to Weyland-Yutani’s planned shipping activities. But this dockyard soon became an historic battleground.
•    Machine:  As well as processing exotic ores, the BG-386 Refinery provided electrical power to the colonists at Freya’s Prospect. The lights may still be on, but nobody’s home. Yet.

Two new Survivor maps in which up to four Marines battle to stay alive against increasing swarms of Aliens:
•    Outpost: The site of the original Weyland-Yutani colony on BG-386 was abandoned, and soon reclaimed by the planet’s voracious jungle plant life. It is now the perfect hunting ground for all manner of wildlife.
•    Hive: Deep in the heart of the Freya’s Prospect Refinery lays the Xenomorph Hive. Beware all who enter here.

The “Swarm Map Pack” will be available on March 18th for $6.99 or 560 Microsoft Points.

We have a special promotion straight from the good folks at Brady Games; a 20% discount on the Aliens vs. Predator strategy guide! This one-of-a-kind strategy guide provides you with everything you need to get the most out of Aliens vs. Predator. To redeem, visit www.bradygames.com and order your copy of the Aliens vs. Predator Official Strategy Guide, enter coupon code BGAVP20, and receive a 20% discount on your purchase! Good luck and see you online!