PC specialist Contact Sales is celebrating its 15th anniversary by releasing its first console game. Dominic Sacco looks at the power of the farming sim
Silent Hill Downpour/ HD Collection
Konami’s survival horror series is back with two new releases for home consoles. Dominic Sacco puts the pair under the spotlight
YOU MIGHT not think it, but the Farming Simulatorfranchise has sold around 2m copies worldwide. For a game about farming which has previously only been available on the PC, that’s a remarkable feat. Now the series is making its portable debut in the form of Farming Simulator 2012 3D, opening up its predominantly specialist simulation game userbase to include children, families, commuters and casual players. Like the PC games, users can plough fields, harvest crops and buy new equipment to build a mega successful farming business. The 3DS version allows players to work across a 1sq km stretch of land which includes roads, fields and a small village as well as the player’s own house and farm. Users can drive several authentic farming machines such as those produced by Deutz-Fahr, Krone, Horsch, Amazone, Lemken and more. Players can hire digital assistants to help them run the farm and plough corn, rape and wheat. The game also contains its own single- player career mode and a day-and- night weather cycle.
“This is our first foray into the console market and what better release to have than Farming Simulatorfor the 3DS,” Contact
50 March 30th 2012
[INFO]
Released: Today (March 30th)
Formats: 3DS
Publisher: Excalibur
Developer: Giants Software
Distributor: Contact Sales
Contact: 01869 338833
Sales and Excalibur MD Robert Stallibrass tells MCV. “We have had a brilliant response from the trade.”
Looking at the success of Zynga’s
Facebook game FarmVille– as well as the Harvest Moonline of boxed games over the years – proves that farming can be as much fun for casual players than it can for the hardcore anoraks. And Farming Simulator 2012 3D is certainly one title that can attract both camps.
FOR 13 years Silent Hill has been scaring the jeepers out of gamers across the globe. Ever since the 1999 PSone original, through to the 2006 movie and 2008 Homecomingon PS3, the franchise has grown a dedicated following for its psychological horror vibe, disturbing monsters and third- person action.
Now the brand is returning to retail in the form of two new releases: Silent Hill HD Collection, which features Silent Hill 2 and 3, and Downpour. The latter is the latest game in the series and revolves around convicted felon Murphy Pendleton, who breaks out of prison only to stumble upon the eerie town of Silent Hill. “Silent Hill HD Collectionis a celebration of the history of one of gaming’s most iconic brands, while Silent Hill Downpourtakes the series in terrifying new directions,” says Konami’s PR and marketing executive Brian Ayers. “The HD Collectionpulls together the second and third games, and adds HD visuals with a remastered soundtrack to bring them right up to date. “Downpouris a more open Silent
Hilloffering, with newer areas of the mist-shrouded town to be
[INFO]
Released: Today (March 30th)
Formats: 360, PS3
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Vatra Games (Downpour) Team Silent, Hijinx Studios (HD Collection)
Distributor: Open
Contact: 020 8987 5730
explored, including the dark confines of the town’s transport system. If you dare.” Konami is printing ads in specialist video game and horror publications. There will be banners running on games websites, too. The publisher is also offering limited edition T-shirts to customers who’ve pre-ordered Silent Hill HD Collection. There will also be a new Silent Hill movie this year.