It's official: Blacksite: Area 51 (Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, PC) creative director Harvey Smith, one of the developers behind Deus Ex, and parent company Midway Austin have parted ways after Smith's "public resignation". This ends the partnership that the two began in 2004 after Smith bolted his old team by dishing out strong words in a recent interview.

Midway Studios Austin's latest game for the first person shooter genre, Blacksite: Area 51 (PC, Xbox 360, PS3), may have had much promise, but it failed to meet expectations of players and reviewers alike. Game designer Harvey Smith, known for his work on the memorable Deus Ex, looked back on the critical errors made while developing BlackSite.

Details and more at the full article.

You can't blame the government for hiding all those dirty little secrets they have on Area 51. The aliens they keep there sure are scary - or at least that's what it looks like from the videos we have of Midway Games' Blacksite: Area 51 (PC, Xbox 360, PS3), a game with enough aliens and men in black (fatigues) to last you a lifetime.

Check out the multiplayer gameplay videos we have after the jump!

A new gameplay montage has arrived for BlackSite: Area 51 (PC, Xbox 360, PS3) from Midway. Great graphics and detail are demonstrated in the footage (as expected of the modified Unreal Engine 3) and a lot of shouting "What the hell is that?!" Check it out at the Full Article.

Midway Games game designer Josh Hamrick discussed multiple features in the multiplayer mode of BlackSite: Area 51 (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC) on the official developer's blog. He pointed out that this first person shooter will have four multiplayer gameplay modes and eight maps taken from the single-player game when it comes out this November 12.

Hamrick gives more details on the Capture the Flag (CTF) multiplayer mode as well as the design of the eight maps. If you want find out more, click the "read more" link below.

 Midway Games has announced that its upcoming first-person shooter BlackSite: Area 51 has gone gold and will be available on retail November 12, 2007 across North America. This is true for BlackSite: Area 51's Microsoft Xbox 360 and PC versions.

Sony PlayStation 3 owners eagerly awaiting BlackSite: Area 51's release will have to wait until December of 2007 to get their hands on the title as Midway Games announced its later launch date.

A demo for the Microsoft Xbox 360 version is already out on the Xbox Live Marketplace so that players can sample a chunk of BlackSite: Area 51's single player mode.

Contrary to notions, BlackSite: Area 51 is not related to the PlayStation game Area 51 released in 1995. BlackSite: Area 51 features squad-based gameplay with one-button commands for ease in combat. Its plot revolves around an alien infestation in a small Nevada town near the top secret US military facility Area 51 where players must contain and eliminate the threat before everything gets out of hand.

Buy: [ Blacksite: Area 51 (PC) ]

Buy: [ Blacksite: Area 51 (PS3) ]

Buy: [ Blacksite: Area 51 (Xbox 360) ]

With BlackSite: Area 51 for the Microsoft Xbox 360, Windows PC, and Sony PS3 coming up this November, Midway Games is looking to invade the airwaves with a new TV spot. The new advert features what appears to the residential area of Rachel, Nevada, and a civilian who's survived the initial destruction the Xenos sowed in the town. The spot's partly live-action, so it should give the viewers an opportunity to compare how the game graphics mixes with the real thing.

BlackSite: Area 51 will put you behind the controls of Aeran Pierce, a Delta Force shooter whose task is to eliminate the alien menace that's begun breaking out of Nevada's Area 51. You'll also get to control your very own team, although you'll want to keep their moral up to keep yourselves fighting fit. Expect the 360 and PC ports to arrive next month, with the PS3 release following along in three weeks. For now, enjoy the clip.

Earlier this month, we reported that another title, BlackSite: Area 51 will be missing its date with the PlayStation 3. According to reports, Midway Games' upcoming video game is suffering from development problems, "missing online features," and some difficulties stemming from the Unreal Engine 3.

Apparently, an anonymous insider contacted Ars Technica about BlackSite: Area 51's mounting problems:

The PS3 version is experiencing issues and missed deadlines... Midway isn't happy at all about the progress, and it's a story I've heard over and over this year across the industry when it comes to the PS3 and cross-platform titles.

Sadly, this means that we might be seeing BlackSite: Area 51 on the PS3 later than its Xbox 360 and PC counterparts. As of now, we can look at these tidbits as speculation, as there hasn't been an official confirmation regarding this. Let's cross our fingers and hope for the best. More news about this when we get them, so stay tuned.

  

The last time we heard about Midway Games' alien-smashing FPS, BlackSite: Area 51 for the Windows PC, Sony PlayStation 3, and Microsoft Xbox 360, we found out that the Sony PS3 version of the video game was delayed. While it's certainly unfortunate, it's no reason not to get acquainted with the creatures you'll be riddling up with bullets come BlackSite: Area 51's release, and this update does just that. Let's take a look at the two major factions you'll be coming toe-to-toe with in BlackSite: Area 51, namely the Xeno and the Reborn.

Let's tackle the Reborn first. These dudes are packing some very high-end weaponry which makes sense, considering they've been subjected to every inhumane experiment science can offer. Grafted with Gray technology and mutated with alien DNA, the Reborn are super-soldiers built to take down any threat with uncanny precision - threat being you - and it's going to be hard to get these guys to cry uncle.

So, what comprises the Reborn faction? There's the Soldier type, the Scout type, and the Leader type, each one stronger, faster, and deadlier than the last. The Soldier forms the bulk of the Reborn, being your typical humanoid Reborn. The Scout is more alien-like in appearance, with elongated legs and a twisted profile. The Leader type, naturally, is the deadliest of all the three, sporting not only immense physical strength and mental acuity, but superb self-awareness and combat utility. Good luck taking one down.

From the heavily-armed Reborns, we move on to the Xeno - and while they may not have any toys that go ZAP or BOOM, they're just as dangerous. The bestiary for the Xeno consists of the bug-like Drudges and Scrabs, the beam-spitting Fire-Brute, the worm-like Flathead, the Xeno-spawning Spore Towers, and the Bug-Ridden.

While all of the Xeno types can easily rip and tear into your common armed soldier like no one's business, it's the Bug-Ridden you'll have to watch out for the most - for they're humans infected with a virus that spawns from the Xeno. Not that they're particularly more dangerous than the other types, it's just the fact that you're fighting something that was once human - certainly a bit more disconcerting than killing an alien. Yeesh.

Well, those are the enemy types revealed in this update. Here's hoping we do get an armory that's just as varied and awesome-looking as the enemies we'll be using them on.

Buy: [ Blacksite: Area 51 (PC) ]

Buy: [ Blacksite: Area 51 (PS3) ]

Buy: [ Blacksite: Area 51 (Xbox 360) ]

Midway Games released an official statement concerning its financial status and some of its most anticipated titles this holiday season. It seems that the delay for the PS3 build of Stranglehold (also on Xbox 360 and PC) is just the beginning as more titles are being pushed back.

First of all, Midway said that it is lowering the total expected sales for BlackSite: Area 51 because of "the adverse impact of the split shipment between the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 systems." There was no word, however, regarding the PC build of the next-gen FPS title.

Aside from that, the PlayStation 3 version of Unreal Entertainment III is also being pushed back to Q1 of 2008. The game was originally expected to ship to retail stores together with the PC build this November. Given these developments, we are uncertain if the timed PS3 exclusivity holds or both the PS3 and Xbox 360 build will ship together.

"While we regret that these delays will cause us to lose some valuable holiday sales in the near term as well as shift revenue for some of these titles out of 2007 and into 2008, we remain confident that our technology strategy and product plan position us to grow both revenue and market share," said Midway Games CEO and President David F. Zucker.

Midway Games originally anticipated a US$ 225 million full year revenue at the end of this year. However, the company has now lowered its expectations to just US$ 170 million.