Sony Computer Entertainment has acquired game developer Media Molecule, creator of the PlayStation 3 exclusive title, LittleBigPlanet. Media Molecule will join as part of SCE’s global development operation, SCE Worldwide Studios.

”Since they burst onto the gaming scene, Media Molecule have proved to be a truly exciting and innovative studio, who have proved their world-class credentials with the creation of the incredible LittleBigPlanet,” said Shuhei Yoshida, President, SCE Worldwide Studios. “SCE WWS is all about creating ambitious, innovative and ground breaking games, traits that Media Molecule clearly have. To bring them into our family proves our dedication to creating fantastic new experiences that we believe will cement our position as industry leaders.”

If you’re in North America and you’ve been dutifully collecting Square Enix games, you may have some free stuff headed your way. The end of the current reward period for the Square Enix Members Club is coming up on March 31, at which point Square Enix will ship out rewards depending on your “tier” rank. Tier rank is determined by the number of games you’ve registered through the program.

Source: Joystiq

G4′s The Feed has apparently been in communication with a source at Infinity Ward, and reports that organizational changes may be in effect at the developer’s offices. The source claims that a “bunch of ‘bouncer-types’ just showed up outside of the Infinity Ward offices unannounced. When approached by employees, the non-uniformed ‘bouncers’ were unwilling to disclose why they were there.” It was then reported that Infinity Ward’s studio heads, Vince Zampella and Jason West, were not seen by fellow staff members after a meeting with Activision on Monday morning.

While these events have yet to be confirmed by either Infinity Ward or Activision, Activision filed forms with the SEC that included the following statement on Monday. “In November 2009, the Company released Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, a game developed by one of the Company’s wholly-owned studios, Infinity Ward. As noted above, Modern Warfare 2 was the best selling console title in the U.S. and Europe in 2009. Consistent with past practice, the Company intends to release a Call of Duty game in 2010 developed by another wholly-owned studio. The Company is concluding an internal human resources inquiry into breaches of contract and insubordination by two senior employees at Infinity Ward. This matter is expected to involve the departure of key personnel and litigation. At present, the Company does not expect this matter to have a material impact on the Company.”

Software publisher Stardock and book publisher Random House have announced that Elemental: War of Magic will have a companion novel. Elemental: Destiny’s Embers, written by Stardock CEO Brad Wardell, is expected to release in August. The game will follow shortly thereafter in the fall.

The book publishing deal is apparently part of Random House’s new division to establish transmedia intellectual property. The group will handle collaboration and development across several mediums, offering “editorial services to media companies that will enhance the world-building and storylines of their already existing IP.”

Yesterday we put out the warning that March 1, 2010 would not be a good time to fire up your PlayStation 3, but Sony reports that it is once again safe to do so.

According to the company, “we are aware that the internal clock functionality in the PS3 units other than the slim model, recognized the year 2010 as a leap year. Having the internal clock date change from February 29 to March 1 (both GMT), we have verified that the symptoms are now resolved and that users are able to use their PS3 normally. If the time displayed on the XMB is still incorrect, users are able to adjust time settings manually or via the internet. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.”

Did anyone experience said “inconvenience”?

Mega Man 10 has been launched on Nintendo’s WiiWare service, but the rest of the console kids won’t be left out, as the PlayStation 3 version will follow on the PlayStation Network March 11, and the Xbox LIVE Arcade version goes live on March 31. The title returns gamers to the classic gameplay of 2D Mega Man, while embracing retro platform action and NES -inspired old-school graphics.

The year is 20XX and a suspicious outbreak of Roboenza, a Robot Flu, has broken out. It spreads through the world like wildfire bringing down robots everywhere. Infected robots have rampaged out of control, destroyed the city and are holding it hostage! Who’s behind this mess? It’s up to Mega Man to take on this sinister threat and get to the bottom of this viral mystery.

Sony has promised to fix a crippling PlayStation 3 bug within the next 24 hours. Users of the older 60GB PlayStation 3 models have been unable to access the PlayStation Network, with offline play for a number of games also affected. Sony suggests that consumers Do Not attempt to play any games until the issue is resolved!

“We believe we have identified that this problem is being caused by a bug in the clock functionality incorporated in the system,” said the company. “We hope to resolve this problem within the next 24 hours. In the meantime, if you have a model other than the new slim PS3, we advise that you do not use your PS3 system, as doing so may result in errors in some functionality, such as recording obtained trophies, and not being able to restore certain data.”

Source: Games Industry Biz

Codemasters has confirmed that its Guildford studio has been working on a new first-person shooter for over 12 months.

The publisher has recently cooled its relationships with external studios – new IP titles such as Damnation and Clive Barker’s Jericho have failed to spark at retail – as it puts more emphasis on in-house talent. The new project is being spearheaded by creative director Stuart Black, previously behind EA’s acclaimed 2006 shooter Black.

The game will employ the EGO engine used for GRID, DIRT and Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising, with a team of 80 including senior producer Andrew Wilson, who has previously worked on Black Rock’s Split/Second, and former Sony game director Tom Gillo.

The unnamed game is in development for current generation home consoles.

The British Academy Video Games Awards has revealed their nominees for 2010, with Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Batman: Arkham Asylum and Assassin’s Creed II leading the pack of 40 titles.

Sony’s PS3 exclusive received nine nominations, with all four games recognized in the Action, Artistic Achievement, Best Game, Gameplay and Original Score categories.

This year’s only publicly-voted category, the GAME Award of 2009, features Assassin’s Creed II, Batman: Arkham Asylum, The Beatles: Rock Band, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, FIFA 10, GTA Chinatown Wars, The Legend of Zelda Spirit Tracks, Street Fighter IV, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and Wii Sports Resort in the shortlist.

The GAME British Academy Video Games Awards take place on March 19 at the London Hilton on Park Lane.

Source: Games Industry Biz

The possible end of an era for a UK development powerhouse is in the wind, as insiders say restructuring will lead to many layoffs. Sources at Sony’s Liverpool, UK studio say that its head-count will ultimately be reduced by about half. The news comes after the format-holder confirmed last week that the development team was to be ‘restructured’ following project cancellations.

One affected staff member stated that Sony’s layoff operation was “looking heavy,” estimating that “around half us may be gone.” That estimate remains unconfirmed as Sony has declined to comment.

Source: Develop

The DS demo for Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth is now available for download. Users can download it directly from the Nintendo Channel and DS download stations at participating retailers. This will give fans a sample of what to expect when the game comes out on February 16 across North America.

Ace Attorney Investigations sheds light on the other side of the judicial system with a whole new gameplay dynamic for the world of Ace Attorney. As Miles Edgeworth, players will investigate various locations, work directly with characters on the scene, find contradictions, and get to the truth by presenting decisive evidence. Miles Edgeworth can also make use of the all-new “Logic” system, in which he chooses two pieces of information out of the various pieces he has collected and “combines” them to discover new information. Ace Attorney Investigations features several lengthy, interrelated episodes that will challenge players to use their minds to solve a series of crimes.

Capcom has put together a collection of the Legendary Mega Man Zero titles, bundled together for on-the-go action. The collection is comprised of all four Mega Man Zero titles bundled together on one DS cartridge for the first time. The portable fun begins when the title arrives this summer.