Activision Details Next-Gen Games

By Digital Trends Staff May 8, 2006

Activision today provided more details on its next generation console line-up for the upcoming Sony PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii and already released Microsoft Xbox 360 platforms. All of these games promise to take advantage of these three machines’ next generation graphics for more a more realistic gaming experience.

Titles being detailed, said Activision, include Call of Duty 3, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam and Tony Hawk’s Project 8. Call of Duty 3 (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii) will be available this fall and will take players through a â€œseamlessâ€ Allied WII narrative set in combat during the battle for the liberation of Paris during the Normandy Breakout campaign. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii), meanwhile, will take players into the comic book world as they engage in an action/RPG hybrid that involves over 140 Marvel super heroes and villains. This latter game will allow players to create their own super hero team from over 20 playable characters.

Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam (Wii) will let players this fall take part in a skateboard experience based on head-to-head racing as they go through downhill competitions in locations like San Francisco, Machu Picchu and Hong Kong. Tony Hawk’s Project 8 (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360) will deliver to players enhanced physics and responsive controls as they as they aim to become the number one skater by competing against some the world’s top pros.

“Activision will showcase a diverse and well-rounded game slate at this year’s E3 convention,” said Mike Griffith, President and CEO, Activision Publishing, Inc, in a statement. “We expect that our well-established brands and multi-platform development strategy should continue to provide us with an advantage in the new console era. The next-generation console systems feature significant visual and audio enhancements that will continue making video games more accessible to audiences worldwide.”

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While most people may only associate Activision with the Call of Duty franchise, this developer turned publishing juggernaut has a much more varied and far-reaching history than the insanely popular first-person shooter franchise that dominates sales year after year. The name Activision has been around nearly as long as home console gaming has, and in fact, it was the very first third-party studio to ever exist in the games industry. If you go back to the old Atari consoles, you'll find its name on plenty of old and crunchy titles. Throughout the decades, this company has undergone many changes, taken on new studios, and grown to be one of the most successful businesses in all of gaming.

Having such a storied history across the decades of gaming as a publisher, Activision has brought us hundreds of excellent titles. Sure, it has been a little single-minded lately with how many Call of Duty games it is making compared to everything else, but it's worth remembering all the variety it once gave us and hope that Activision might branch out again in the future. The one thing that doesn't change is the fact that Activision knows how to publish great games, and we've gone back through its catalog to share the best Activision games of all time. This list won't include any Blizzard games even though the two companies fall under the same roof, and we'll also limit one game per series to cut down on repeating Call of Duty games.

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