Activision's Call of Duty franchise may have shifted towards more modern skirmishes, but if you can't get enough of World War II action, The History Channel: Battle for the Pacific (PC, Sony PS3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii) may be just the thing for you. Together with Cauldron, Activision is seeking to bring shooting game fanatics some of the most realistic battles showcasing the carnage on WWII's eastern front. Want to know more? You got it. We've got the latest details just for you.

See the full details o The History Channel: Battle For the Pacific after the jump!

Buy: [ The History Channel: Battle for the Pacific (PS3) ]
Buy: [ The History Channel: Battle for the Pacific (Xbox 360) ]
Buy: [ The History Channel: Battle for the Pacific (Wii) ]
Buy: [ The History Channel: Battle for the Pacific (PC) ]

Last year, the tandem of The History Channel and Activision created an FPS called The History Channel Civil War: A Nation Divided which set users up on a role to defend the Union against the Confederate uprising. The game received a mixed bag of reviews, but now, the franchise is back for more, according to Gamefly.

With listings and finalized packshots, it's all but confirmed that a new installment called The History Channel: Battle for the Pacific is coming to the Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, and Sony PlayStation 3 on November 22nd of this year.

It's unconfirmed whether Cauldron will retain its role as series developer but there hasn't been any news to indicate any changes. The game is rated T for "teen" as an indication to the kind of content we're getting.

Gamefly has been pretty accurate about things like this, so it's a pretty safe bet to expect this title in the slated date. Let's hope the sequel to last year's iteration improves dramatically to get more of us into the interactive history lesson thing.

World in Conflict for the PC has finally passed its final stages and is ready to hit the stands on September 18 in the US and September 20 in Australia and New Zealand!

 

Both the standard and collector's edition of WIC will be available with a not-so-final-as-the-game price of US$ 49.99 and US$ 59.99, respectively. If you remember, the collector's edition will include not only great bonus stuff like behind-the-scenes videos and a documentary from The History Channel, but also an authentic piece of the Berlin Wall. Not bad for an extra ten bucks.

No word yet on the final release date for the Xbox 360 version.

For history buffs who own a PSP, PS2, or a PC, The History Channel: Great Battles of Rome is like manna from heaven. Developed by Slitherine Software, this title should appeal to an audience that has far too often gone unnoticed by other developers.

Gamespot was lucky enough to score an interview with the development director of the game Iain McNeil. In the interview, he discussed quite a few points that should catch the attention of those who haven't picked this game up. One of the more important details that McNeil discussed is the game's focus. He maintains that this is a "real blend of action and strategy."

Before a battle starts, you have the chance to create a battle plan, which is where the strategy comes in, and your men will carry out this plan in battle.

Some players may choose to wing it and skip this section and jump straight into the battles. Once in the battles, it's fast-paced action all the way. In the larger battles, there are thousands of men giving the game a truly epic feel, which has not been seen on consoles before.

In addition to that, this game was also built to be historically accurate considering they did secure a History Channel License for the game. McNeil gave two major reasons why they decided to obtain the license and how it benefits the game overall.

Firstly, they have thousands of hours of high-quality footage, which we were able to search through and use to create the movies you see in the game. These really add to the atmosphere when combined with the superb music and voice-over, allowing the player to become fully immersed in the period.

Secondly, having a well-known license like the History Channel brings the game to the attention of people who might otherwise have missed it. It has also allowed us to do a lot of TV advertising, which has not been possible in the past. The History Channel has been really supportive and it has been great to work with them.

So there you have it. This is a history game for the most discerning war gamers out there. If you want to read the full interview, feel free to click on our read link. The game has already been released so there's no reason not to check it out to see if it's for you. More updates on The History Channel: Great Battles of Rome as it happens.

 

Previously, we reported on the special pre-order program for upcoming World in Conflict and today we got another piece of good news for you guys. Sierra Entertainment has announced the Collector's Edition for the action strategy title.

So what's in bundled with World in Conflict Collector's Edition? Well, behind the scenes videos, a documentary from The History Channel ("Modern Marvels: The Berlin Wall"), special packaging, and - get this - an authentic piece of the wall itself. Hmm, we're pretty certain die-hard fans would want to get that. On top of that, you can also get additional goodies if you pre-order the game. The pre-order bonus applies to both standard and collector's editions.

Here's what Al Simone, senior vice president of global marketing at Sierra had to say:

The World in Conflict Collector's Edition offers gamers the chance to grab a piece of history – an authentic piece of the Berlin Wall, a monument that once divided the Cold War superpowers right through the heart of Europe. In World in Conflict, the Berlin Wall isn't dismantled in the name of global peace, it is obliterated by the collateral damage of the opening salvos of World War III. We are excited to offer gamers this exclusive opportunity to get the amazing added content in the Collector's Edition version.

Sound good? There isn't any info regarding pricing as of yet but we'll let you know once the info becomes available. You can expect World in Conflict to conquer the shelves come September.

If you're the type of player who's into playing strategy video game titles, then you might want to know that the PSP version of The History Channel: Great Battles of Rome is available now in retail stores. The game is a joint project of companies Slitherine Software, Black Bean Games, Koch Media, and cable station The History Channel.

Basically, the Great Battles of Rome takes players to the humble beginnings of the Roman Empire, specifically when it was nothing more but a small village. Controlling vast armies and defeating countless enemies, the objective of the game is to fulfill that small village's destiny and establishe the Empire.

Furthermore, players will be able to customize the said armies using an incredible array of soldiers, legionaries, archers, cavalry, and war elephants. There's an option to play as the strategist and give orders or if you want, you can leave all that to the AI and focus on battling it out with the enemies.

The PSP version of The History Channel: Great Battles of Rome has a multiplayer mode where fans can go head-to-head against their friends in an epic war to remember.

 

Those who pre-order Massive Entertainment's upcoming RTS video game from GAME stores will get a sure treat. Sierra Entertainment (a division of Vivendi) has just announced a bonus pre-order program for World in Conflict that starts on June 22.

So what's the bonus? Those who pre-order the title from a GAME store will get the following: a "Declassified: The Rise and Fall of The Wall" DVD by The History Channel, access to the World in Conflict beta this July, bonus multiplayer maps for the beta event and demo, and account privileges in Massgate (Massive Entertainment's multiplayer software). Nice perks, eh? The "account privileges" means you can secure your in-game handle even before World in Conflict gets released.

If you're located elsewhere, fear not, as the pre-order bonus will also be available to you (we've only confirmed that in Vivendi's online store and Amazon). Anyway, World in Conflict will blast into the shelves come September this year. Stay tuned for more news and updates right here.

Now we're sure that if you've tuned into the History Channel once or twice in a month, you might have caught sight of the particular documentary of the young would-be-Emperor and his triumphant conquest of the Phoenician coast. Tyre, a two-part fortress in the days Alexander the Great conquered the Phoenician peninsula, fell drastically to his army's might.

Being that Megas Alexandros (Alexander the Great) was a student of Aristotle himself, there was no surprise that Alexander was first to develop the early "city destroyers" - or siege engines. Throughout history, it was made known that the unified forces of the Persian Empire and the Macedonian army made use of siege towers and ballistae to breach the most impregnable of fortresses.

But using these weapons was futile for the fortress-city of Tyre, where half of it lay one kilometer out into the sea. When half of the city fell to Alexander's might, the remaining forces of Tyre - which included its elite navy - kept the invading forces at bay within the island-fortress walls, aided by the natural barrier of the sea.

Historians figured that Alexander the Great (or his engineers, whoever the real credit goes to) just had to make use of his weapons to reduce the fortress's walls to rubble, and claimed that the Macedonian and Persian forces built a nearly kilometer long land-bridge to transport men and material to the island.

But what geoarchaeologist Nick Marriner discovered included the fact that instead of the popular speculation that the bridge was artificially erected purely by stone and timber, they actually used a natural sand formation - called a tombolo - to provide the needed stability and foundation for the bridge.

Marriner speculates that in those days, the sea levels were much higher than usual, keeping a part of the supposed peninsula - the part between the raised island and the mainland - underwater. But because waves were ineffectively hitting the mainland due to the shallow water, sand continued to accumulate in that particular area.

"It meant that the causeway foundations could be laid down in relatively shallow water," said Marriner. Nick Marriner is from the European Center for Research and Teaching on the Geosciences of the Environment, located in Aix-en-Provence, France.

Thanks to German gaming news site GameFront, we got hold of a new list of release dates for PAL titles. The list has quite a few PSP titles in it, along with one each for the Nintendo DS and Microsoft's Xbox 360. No PS3 titles, though.

A couple of notable titles are The History Channel: Great Battles of Rome and Earth Defence Force 2017. Puzzle fans also get their own dose of gaming goodness courtesy of the PSP titles Cube and PQ: Practical Intelligence Quotient. Check the list below for the titles and dates.

May 25

• Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales (DS)

June 1

• The History Channel: Great Battles of Rome (PSP, PS2)

June 8

• Earth Defence Force 2017 (Xbox 360)
• PQ: Practical Intelligence Quotient (PSP)
• SBK-07 Superbike World Championship (PSP)

June 29

• Cube (PSP)

Koch Media has announced that it has signed a distribution deal with Black Bean games for the upcoming strategy title The History Channel: Great Battles of Rome for the PC, PS2, and PSP. "I am delighted that Black Bean have once again chosen to work with us," commented Craig McNicol, Managing Director to Koch Media UK, "This is an excellent license and truly underpins the quality of the game."

"This game has given us the opportunity to bring a great television brand to life in the interactive entertainment arena. The blending of dramatic video footage from The History Channel with fast paced gameplay delivers a unique and authentic experience that will have mass appeal," added Chris Mehers, Managing Director of Black Bean Games UK.

Combining compelling gameplay, dramatic video footage and battle simulation, The History Channel: Great Battles of Rome allows players to fully immerse themselves into the battles and campaigns that created the world's greatest Empire. Too bad we still don't have any concrete info as to how the gameplay goes. You can check out this trailer for a bit of a look at the game, though.

We also have a few comparison shots from each of the game's three platform versions below as well as the packshots for the PSP and PC versions above. From left to right, the screenshots below are, from left to right, from the PSP, PC, and for comparison's sake, the PS2.

The History Channel: Great Battles of Rome will hit the PC, PS2, and PSP in May 2007.