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UPDATE November 7, 2008
A host of good news on this game, and I thought it was worth bumping this thread. I'll also update the OP with this info.
1. Price (US) has been dropped to $27.99 shipped on Amazon (LINK). It's rumored that this is because the game is about to get a Platinum Hits re-release with some of the DLC added to the disc (in particular, the holiday-themed planes are rumored to be included). You may want to wait on that, but $27.99 is a good deal in the meantime. In addition, the some of the DLC (including the holiday-themed planes) is now free:
Ace Combat® 6 Soars to Platinum Hits Status with Free Downloadable Content
November 6, 2008 - NAMCO BANDAI Games America today announced that Ace Combat® 6: Fires of Liberation for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft has achieved Platinum Hits status and is now available nationwide for a suggested retail price of $29.99. Additionally, players across North America can now download the following previously released premium holiday-themed aircraft and multiplayer stages for free:
F-14D Halloween A-10A Christmas F-14D Zipang Team Battle 1 Battle Royale 1 Co-op Battle 1 Co-op Battle 2 Siege Battle 1
Thrusting players into massive living battlefields, Ace Combat 6 lets players pilot cutting-edge real world aircraft such as the F-22 Raptor and A-10 Thunderbolt as they take on screaming enemy fighter jets, ground-based anti-air emplacements and hulking naval vessels. Up to 16 players can test their dogfighting skills online in a variety of multiplayer modes, including objective-based air raids and cooperative missions. Unanimously praised by critics and fans alike, Ace Combat 6 was chosen as one of Time Magazines top 10 games of 2007 and lauded as bigger, better and even more photorealistic than its predecessors by USA Today.
Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation, exclusively for Xbox 360, is available at retailers nationwide.
2. The Flight Stick Bundle is being re-released as a Best Buy exclusive for $149.99. (LINK) This is showing up in stores already, and should show up online soon. Even better, it's going to be on sale for $129.99 starting Sunday 11/9 (aka, this Sunday). The Best Buy exclusive bundle includes an exclusive "Speed & Angels" DVD lol ), in addition to the rest of the stuff (faceplate, stick, etc).
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Release dates:
NA: October 23, 2007 (game only or flight stick bundle)
Japan: November 1, 2007 (game only or flight stick bundle)
Europe: November 23, 2007 (game only)
Platform(s):
-Xbox 360
-Playstation3 (probably eventually)
North American boxart:
Superior Japanese boxart:
North American flight stick bundle
-includes game, unique faceplate, and Hori flight stick [wired - will also work on PCs]):
EB/Gamestop preorder bonus faceplates (these are different and separate from the LE stick bundle faceplate):
Official Sites:
North America: http://www.acecombatsix.com/
Japan: http://www.acecombat.jp/ace6/index.html
Wallpapers:
1:
1024x768, 1280x1024
2:
1024x768, 1280x1024
3:
1024x768, 1280x1024
4:
1024x768, 1280x1024
5:
1024x768, 1280x1024
6: 1024x768, 1280x1024
7: 1024x768, 1280x1024
Videos:
Trailer 1: http://youtube.com/watch?v=IKgOAdnZ7Aw
Trailer 2: http://youtube.com/watch?v=2bNvn8l0OD8
Promotions:
1. Play & Win Sweepstakes:
Play online weekend of 10/26 10/28, one entry per day, register gamertag at: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/a/acecombat6/playandwin/default.htm
2. $30,000 Military vs. Civilian 2-on-2 Team Tournament: http://acecombat6.ggl.com/
Single player:
15 branching missions
15 planes, with 3-4 weapons load options and color schemes (with related stat changes) each
Multiplayer:
-Battle Royale: 16 player deathmatch
-Team Battle: Up to 8v8 team deathmatch
-Siege Battle: Up to 4v4 - teams alternate assaulting and defending a variety of land, sea, and air-based targets
-Co-op Battle: Up to 4 player coop against computer-controlled enemies in "a selection of cooperative missions"
DLC:
-New plane variants/color schemes: currently there is one free plane, and three 200 point planes (some color schemes adjust aircraft parameters):
*F-16C SCARFACE EMBLEM (free): Scarface squadron coloration from Ace Combat 2. Armor(+), speed(-)
*F-16C TYPE ACE 2 (200 points): Performance characteristics of Ace Combat 2 F-16C variant (lacks SP weapons)
*F-15E ACTIVE STRIPES (200 points): Better maneuverability, reduced armor and payload
*F-14D HALLOWEEN (200 points): F-14 with Jack-o-Lantern pattern. No performance changes mentioned
-All New Higher difficulty single player missions featuring new enemy types (TBA)
-New VS and coop multiplayer stages (TBA)