Earlier, we posted an article about Mercenaries 2: World in Flames (Xbox 360, PC, PlayStation 3) being delayed until next year. Apparently, European gaming site TVG got confirmation from an Electronic Arts spokesman that the game will be released next year.

This is where things get even murkier. Shacknews recently caught up with representatives from both EA and Pandemic Studios to ask them about the reported delay. According to Shacknews, the EA rep they talked to said that the game is still slated for a Holiday 2007 release.

The Pandemic representative, meanwhile, gave a more ambiguous answer, saying that Pandemic has so far "made no announcements on a final release date for Mercenaries 2: World in Flames." We'll be on the lookout for more updates on just when this game will hit, so keep checking back here.

The last time we heard about Pandemic Studios' Mercenaries 2: World in Flames (Xbox 360, PC, PlayStation 3), we learned that the developers are planning to go underwater for the sequel that should make the franchise bigger than ever.

However, we guess we shouldn't be talking about that yet as the game's release date will be delayed. One representative from publisher Electronic Arts spoke with online site Total Video Games and confirmed that Mercenaries 2: World in Flames will indeed not be making its 2007 release date.

No explanation was provided but the spokesperson said, "We can confirm it will be next year". In the past, we've already reported on several high profile video game titles that are purposely delayed because the holiday season is already congested with releases.

We hope the same thing was what Pandemic Studios had in mind and not some problems encountered during the development stage. Mercenaries 2: World in Flames takes players in the heart of Venezuela which has been invaded after a tyrant interfered with the country's oil supply.

 

Not satisfied with blowing up everything that's airborne and landborne, Mercenaries 2: World in Flames producer Jonathan Zamkoff wants to get wet and wild in the deep blue - the deep, deep blue in fact. Ruminate about submarines, submersibles and torpedoes and we're at the same sonar frequency as Jonathan, who thinks that going water underwater is the next direction for the critically-acclaimed series.

Wait a tick. Does that mean an actual sequel's confirmed, then? Zamkoff replies: "If I have anything to do with it, there will be." So it's not quite confirmed just yet, but there definitely are plans to make one. That's good news for us who couldn't get enough of the GTA-esque action of Mercenaries, being able to steal and commandeer any vehicle as well as massively-destructible environments.

Zamkoff elaborated more on what he believes the sequel should have. "We probably would be looking at underwater gameplay - submarines, scuba tanks and underwater action. I think it would be really cool in Mercs to do some more submersible stuff - take an underwater vehicle and plant some C4 at the base of an oilrig."

He's right, it'd be very cool - and a bit dicey, as you're probably going to go up against the creatures of the deep rather than just armed enemies this time. He also talked about expanding cooperative play to four, eight, or even sixteen players. This man is definitely on to something!

Thinking out loud sessions aside, he also had some news of plans for a Mercenaries 2 demo on PlayStation Network or Xbox Live. He explained that the decision to go ahead with a demo has to be made quickly, as the game's multiplatform release (PS3, Xbox 360, PC and PS2) is pretty much just around the corner.

Well, what do you think, readers? Itching to 'blast' Nemo? It may be a possibility, if all things go well for Zamkoff and his crew. Updates as we get them.

Death in video games can either be very frustrating, or highly amusing. Whether it be by a chainsaw, a booby trap, or even moving hotdogs, sometimes it's more fun to just run your character to his demise. If that's your thing, Mercenaries 2: World in Flames (PS3, Xbox 360, PC) is the perfect game for you. With a promise of 99 ways to die, a single playthrough worth of deaths is just the tip of the iceberg.

To get an idea on how grand deaths are in Mercenaries 2 - so much so that you'd want to die for it - here's a trailer showcasing plenty of massive explosions to send your enemies (or yourself) to the afterlife.

Fans of the first game would know that pretty much everything is destructible, and there are enough ways to send buildings crumbling. The sequel is no different - call an air strike to take down that skyscraper, or request a fully loaded warship to sink bridges. Tagging vehicles with C4 never gets old too, if you want to be more economical.

We kid you not when we say setting off these explosions can't look any more satisfying, and here's the video to prove it. We'll make sure to keep you posted when more of these "99 Ways to Die" trailers surface, so watch this space.

 

The developers at Pandemic Studios showed off some of the new titles from Electronic Arts' line-up during the E3 Media and Business Summit 2007. What was shown to players about Mercenaries 2: World in Flames (PS3, PC, Xbox360) was a sandbox world full of destructible structures, flammable forests, realistic vehicles, and uber fun gameplay. The devs showed off the fact that players were free to do what they wanted, so long as they got the mission done in time.

Through the demo, we saw a lot of improvements over its predecessor. For instance, trees will not become an obstacle to the player any more, water won't drown the mercenaries, and anything in the world can be destroyed. The dev took us from flying a scout chopper, to tearing down a bridge, blowing up an oil rig, hijacking an APC, and calling in an air strike on a base, all the while trampling over cars, towing semis, and unloading a whole lot of ammo on the environment.

With NO loading screen between zones, beautiful graphics, and a lot (and we do mean a LOT) of things to turn to rubble, this game looks really sweet.

Check out the videos to bring out that free wheelin' mercenary in you.

 

Parts two and three of the dev walkthrough await at the Full Article!

Learn more about the characters who made the cut in Mercenaries 2: World In Flames for the PC, PS2, PS3 and the Xbox 360 - and those who didn't - in this character development video that's focused on Chris, the battle-hardened leader of the three operatives you'll be playing as in the game. We get you the skinny on everything about the title that pretty much lets you blow up anything and everything in your path.

In this video, we learn that while the two Matts (the Lead Character Artist and the Story Designer/Writer) had made it a point to try and include new playable heroes in the sequel, they decided instead to just go with the original three you were able to play with in the first game.

But even with the decision to stick with the originals, there were still challenges they had to face - namely re-inventing their looks to be more next-gen. Chris himself had a lot of prototypes, each one completely different from the other, before Pandemic's creative team finally settled with what we now see Chris as.

More information about the arduous process of character-making in the video. Enjoy!

Prepare to step back into the boots of a hardened Mercenary in this world premiere trailer video of Pandemic's Mercenaries 2: World in Flames. We give you a sneak peek on what to expect with this highly-anticipated sequel to the game that gave you the license to blow up anything - literally anything - in your path.

The trailer itself is in true Mercenaries style: loud, brash, and has loads of explosions. The next-gen bells and whistles are obvious here, with smoother, better-looking character models and even more impressive explosions. We get to see the three members of the team, each doing what they do best: Steal vehicles in mid-flight, blow stuff up, throwing grenades into tank holds, blowing MORE stuff up, performing hazardous stunts with expensive-looking cars...did we mention making a lot of stuff go boom?

The Mercenaries are back, and it's time to get paid. Watch out for its multiplatform release (PC, PS2, PS3, Xbox 360) sometime this year - we know we'll be!

Speaking with Eurogamer, Scott Warner revealed that once Pandemic Studios were done with Mercenaries 2 anything is possible - even a handheld version of the game. Here's Scott Warner's words:

At the moment we're only concentrating on the versions of the game we've announced, but I'd love for us to work on a handheld version of Mercs! Anything's possible!

What has Pandemic Studios currently busy at the moment is Mercenaries 2: World in Flames, which is being custom built for next-gen consoles, the PC, and the PS2. After they're done with that game, we just might see more Mercenaries for the PSP or the DS.

Mercenaries 2 is set to feature fully destructible environments and is set to look a lot like Venezuela.

This combination of destruction and Venezuela is something that the aforementioned country doesn't seem to like - heck they even asked Bono to do something about it.

Anyhow, all the mercenary focus on next-gen platforms (and Venezuela) should end by Winter, as Mercenaries 2: World in Flames game is set to be released by then. Will we see a PlayStation Portable version of Mercenaries? We certainly hope.

"What are these mercenaries really like?" quizzed Pandemic Studios director Cameron Brown, who's just become the subject of an interview regarding his studio's upcoming Mercenaries 2: World in Flames game (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PS2, PC).

This latest Q and A session with Pandemic's head gives us more details on the three mercs that will be making their comeback - Christopher Jacobs, Jennifer Mui, and Mattias Nilsson.

What makes this interview interesting is that instead of treating the famed trio as detached, pixelated entities, Mr. Brown's gone off to describe them on a personal basis, as if they were real breathing personalities who've walked into his office. Hilarity ensues. Here are a couple of choice statements:

Chris Jacobs
Anyway, he'd be making some wisecrack about the last time he came in for his paycheck, the time he made me try one of his incredibly awful cigars, and I hacked and coughed for five minutes, then got dizzy and had to sit down. Then he'd suddenly go all quiet and business-like, say "gotta go!" and that would be it until next time he's in to collect his check.

Jennifer Mui
It's always funny when Jen comes in to the office. She leaves this trail of drooling guys in her wake. And though she looks oblivious and aloof, she knows exactly what effect she's having. The thing that bugs me is that I have to remind her of my name every time. "I'm Cameron. Remember? The director of the project?" Yeah, whatever.

Mattias Nilsson
He very rarely answers his cellphone. He is a notorious pocket dialer, though. Since he has my direct line on speed dial, it's not uncommon for me to get a call from him at 4AM. Last time I picked up I heard a sound that I can only describe as a fuel tanker plowing through a death metal concert. In an abattoir. I've learned to let the machine pick up.

On the more combat-centric matters, Mr. Brown vouched for each of the three's strengths. Jacobs was best described as an "M1 Abrams tank," who could soak up damage the best amongst the three, while Jennifer was the smooth operator who excelled at stealth and long-range shootouts.

As for Mattias, Cameron described the game's resident (trigger-happy) hatchet-head as someone who spends most of his time causing things to bust apart into their component parts with explosive force. He added, "Mattias is fortunate to be blessed with a natural agility that makes him capable of getting out the way."

That's the latest we've picked up on the game for the moment. Guys out to "see" more info on Pandemic's upcoming multi-platform game are invited to check out our game videos. Or, if you fancy reading up on the full details Mr. cameron has to offer on these three mercs, head on over to the read link posted below.

There is quite detailed work that goes into making a mohawk look just right in Mercenaries 2. This latest Web Blog from Pandemic Studios and GameTrailers features Lead Character Designer Matt... (why didn't you guys print his last name, Pandemic?) talking about his job. Perhaps this interview may also have some educational and employment-related benefits, too.

And Matt also describes how the character of Mattias, ExOps' favorite hatchet head, has changed from his appearance in the first Mercenaries to the here-and-now of Mercenaries 2: World in Flames (PS3, Xbox 360, PC). With that said, his mohawk's sharp enough to chop down petrified trees. Goodness, how does this guy ever conduct ExOps' covert missions?