Mercenaries 2 on four platforms

By Robert Purchese Published 22 February, 2007

PS3, Xbox 360, PC and PS2.

Speculation over which platforms Mercenaries 2 will appear on has finally ground to halt, as EA has announced the game will be coming to Xbox 360, PC, PS3 and PS2 in the Christmas period this year.

It was formerly thought to be exclusive to Sony's next-gen console, though it was also persistently linked with Microsoft's green and white box.

"Mercenaries 2: World in Flames delivers the next evolution in explosive open world gameplay - regardless of the system you play it on," said Andrew Goldman, CEO of developer Pandemic Studios. "All four platforms are incredible gaming machines, and from the beginning we designed an experience that accentuates their individual strengths and delivers the interactive freedom and explosive action Mercenaries fans demand."

The original Mercenaries launched back in 2005 on PS2 and Xbox, fetching much critical acclaim for its brilliant combination of violent action in an open world setting.

The carnage this time will take place in Venezuela, which apparently has a much cooler vibe than previous setting North Korea. However, the Venezuelan government wasn't too chuffed when it found out, fearing it might signify the first step to a real life invasion. We wouldn't expect you'd find the game on general release out there.

Eurogamer recently had a chin-wag with Pandemic Studios president Josh Resnick who told us the developer was working on bringing fans action that was even bigger and better this time around, designed specially for next-generation systems.

"Mercenaries 2 is built on a totally new next-gen engine that will allow our bad-ass Mercs to take the action to a level that wasn't possible on earlier platforms," he told us.

Which makes us scratch our news-beard as to why a PS2 version is in development. Perhaps the continuing strong sales of the platform are to blame? What do you think, Eurogamer reader? Tell us your words underneath.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (46) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Pike #1 5 years ago

    Mercenaries 2 multiplatform??

    Well that's the shock of the century.
    Edited by 1 at 22/02/07 @ 15:35

  • Dizzy #2 5 years ago

    Didn't see that one coming.

  • morriss #3 5 years ago

    It'll be rubbish on PC.

  • crashVoodoo #4 5 years ago

    it'll be rubbish on ps2

    /fixed ;-)

  • dredd97 #5 5 years ago

    so how come it's sony fault?

    pandemic has always hinted it would be multi-platform, just like all games should be..

    no worse than lost planet coming out on ps3...

    pandemic are in it to make money, and being on the ps2, ps3, 360 and pc is a good move by them, sony will still have it's exclusives, just like ms and ninty do, but they are by in large 1st party developers, as 3rd party developers will put it out on every thing going..(just look at EA)

  • asphaltcowboy #6 5 years ago

    Will they all be based off the same version?

    It's not going to be particularly "next-gen" if they have to get it working well on the PS2...

  • Derblington #7 5 years ago

    Ps2 version is being developed seperately.

  • Carrybagma #8 5 years ago

    More Halo specifications please, Rob. :o)

    Why a PS2 version and nothing on Wii? Are EA Wii-phobic, or was it too late to change? The Wii seems to be suffering from Gamecubitis.

  • asphaltcowboy #9 5 years ago

    "Ps2 version is being developed seperately."

    Good, cheers Derb!

  • pauleyc #10 5 years ago

    A PC version? Finally!

  • SBfistfun #11 5 years ago

    delivers the next evolution in explosive open world gameplay

    Horseshit.

    Same game with bigger explosions

  • HarryB #12 5 years ago

    cool, I never played mercenaries much on my xbox, but it has nice graphics and seemed like a lot of fun.

  • IAmBatman #13 5 years ago

    > Which makes us scratch our news-beard as to
    > why a PS2 version is in development

    They need to recoup production costs somewhere.

  • Fairlane #14 5 years ago

    Since the anouncement for X360 was delayed, clearly some negotiation with Sony must have gone "wrong". I guess they don't pay for exclusivity ?

  • JediMasterMalik #15 5 years ago

    Neither does anyone else afaik.

  • Royal Fool #16 5 years ago

    Ayone who expected this to be PS3 exclusive is... well, I don't want to scare the children with foul language.

    I think the PS2 version is a result of EA's publishing deal.
    Edited by 1 at 22/02/07 @ 17:00

  • Anthony_UK #17 5 years ago

    My problem is that with all the exclusives drying up now for PS3, as much as i like the idea of having one. I'm having a hard time trying to convice myself the next metal gear is worth £475.....
    Edited by 1 at 22/02/07 @ 17:08

  • JediMasterMalik #18 5 years ago

    Motorstorm? FFXIII? DMC4? White Knight Story? Uncharted?

    They PS3 not having any good exclusives is the biggest gaming myth since "the PSP has no good games".

  • rhinoxious #19 5 years ago

    The point is not that PS3 won't have any good exclusives, as pointed out, but rather when will it have enough to make it worth buying at its ludicrously blu-ray inflated price.

    Not for a while IMHO

  • manic_mouse #20 5 years ago

    And Lair, don't forget it!

  • Derblington #21 5 years ago

    hmm, indeed :(
    Edited by 1 at 22/02/07 @ 17:42

  • Weezer #22 5 years ago

    Because that was ages ago and it wasn't as much fun to kick newcomer Microsoft as it is to hoof in those arrogant fuckers at Sony.

    What's a 'PSP'?

  • dllord #23 5 years ago

    "Weezer" LoL! so true!

  • Beano #24 5 years ago

    "Because that was ages ago and it wasn't as much fun to kick newcomer Microsoft as it is to hoof in those arrogant fuckers at Sony. "

    Yes, Sony are the bad guys and MS are our saviour... yay!

  • The-Bodybuilder #25 5 years ago

    That's the problem when you make a unique, yet comparitively different console from it's competitiors. It will miss out on all the top multiformat titles.

    Alas, my biggest fears for the wii is coming.

  • Xerx3s #26 5 years ago

    It's surprising that EA didn't release a GBA version as well.

  • urban #27 5 years ago

    pc aye? cool.

  • spongebob #28 5 years ago

    Lost Planet on PS3, who said that?

  • The-Bodybuilder #29 5 years ago

    >"Lost Planet on PS3, who said that? "

    Not happening.......yet.

  • enzima #30 5 years ago

    @JediMasterMalik

    They PS3 not having any good exclusives is the biggest gaming myth since "the PSP has no good games".

    Stop it, please. You are embarassing yourself. Really.

  • JediMasterMalik #31 5 years ago

    How so?

  • enzima #32 5 years ago

    No, seriously. Can you find more than 3 decent games for PSP?

    EDIT: i have one too, its not about Sony.
    Edited by 1 at 22/02/07 @ 19:46

  • JediMasterMalik #33 5 years ago

    A challenge?

    Fair play. There are 82 according to Metacritic, it's the best proof I can think of.

    http://ww w.metacritic.com/games/psp/scores/

  • ph101 #34 5 years ago

    PS2?
    that bodes badly for any "next gen" experience you might expect from this. And as someone said, why no Wii version..? EA have done several other Wii titles - so I don't really get it.

  • enzima #35 5 years ago

    Look, i am not trying to prove you my point is right and yours is wrong. Show me all the best sites in the world saying psp is the best. No probs for me, but allow me to disagree.
    Now, tell me what you think are 3 great games for psp. Just to see which games you like.
    I liked:
    MGS:pO,Micromachines, Ridege Racer (the first one). And in all honesty no other game impressed me.
    I think the psp is a very beatifull console, its just too much of a hybrid: its not really portable (in the way that its games look like ps1 games, not GB style, if you know what i mean), and not really a console (ah, the lack of a second analogic stick....).
    My opinion, i hope i didnt offend nobody;)

  • JediMasterMalik #36 5 years ago

    Ok, but that was not the point. You asked if I could name 3 good PSP games. Just because you do not like them, or are not impressed by them, does not make it bad. What I posted is the closes thing to proof of the PSP having good games, which is what you asked. You did not ask to name 3 titles, you would like. That's totally subjective.

    To say I was making a fool out of myself for stating something so obviously true is over the top.

  • enzima #37 5 years ago

    I´m sorry you got offended, i thought i was sarcastic, didnt mean to get personal. Anyway, it seems you find a lot of appealing games on psp, i was just wondering which.
    Dont be afraid to answer, its not a trap :p

  • JediMasterMalik #38 5 years ago

    If you must know:

    MGS, Lumines, Wipeout, GTA, Tekken, Syphon Filter, Ratchet and Clank, Daxter, Loco Roco, LSWII, Tales of Eternia, Killzone. Some I own, some I don't, all I'm interested in.

  • enzima #39 5 years ago

    not bad, though i never tried tekken and syphon filter. All the other i have/had/tested. But i almost lost faith in psp, no game really inspire me. I dont see the ds that much better. I guess portable games are not the best for me.

  • mkreku #40 5 years ago

    Woah.. I am SO getting this on the PC! Why didn't the original Mercenaries appear on the PC? I was hoping it would, but it never did..

  • tiddles #41 5 years ago

    From now on we'll probably see as many exclusives on PS3 as there are on 360, with the majority of titles appearing on both platforms... the bottom line is that next-gen games development is just too expensive to release on one platform only unless you're a first or second party developer. And as some have mentioned above, don't be surprised if some more former third party 360 "exclusives" start popping up on PS3...

  • JediMasterMalik #42 5 years ago

    SHATAP!

  • Derblington #43 5 years ago

    ph101 - Because EA aren't making the game. Pandemic have dev'd each version (bar the PS2 version, which they are overseeing) and EA have recently agreed to publish the games.

  • 3william56 #44 5 years ago

    Correct me if I'm wrong here, but not only is the venerable PS2 still the most widely owned console by about a zillion, it's still outselling everything, even the mighty Wii. Would be daft *not* to release it on the PS2.

    The real question is why devs and publishers are so quick to abandon such a monster consumer base, though obviously it's not been as utterly brutal as the Xbox being taken to the glue factory the second the 360 hove into view.

  • PlugMonkey #45 5 years ago

    pandemic are in it to make money, and being on the ps2, ps3, 360 and pc is a good move by them

    Yes it is, unless Sony are willing to send the money truck round and make it more profitable for them to be an exclusive. Which is how you get exclusives. Which Sony didn't do. Which is why it's their fault.

    I would imagine they just don't have sufficient money trucks left after sending them round to SquareEnix, Konami, Capcom and Namco for The Big Four of Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid, Devil May Cry and Tekken.

    The problem there being that I got bored during FFVIII, DMC2, MGS2 and Tekken 3 respectively, so I don't really care about any of them.

  • mike_mgoblue #46 5 years ago

    What did I tell ya...I said that Mercenaries 2 would be available on the Xbox 360, too...just like I pointed out that Fight Night Round 3, Assassins Creed, Unreal Tournament 3, and many others would end up on the Xbox 360.

    Reliable sources have told me that Metal Gear Solid, Devil May Cry 4, Final Fantasy XIII, and Tekken are all on their way to the Xbox 360. Those games are CURRENTLY in development for the Xbox 360, but due to contractual obligations, the developers are not allowed to officially announce them for the Xbox 360 yet...just like with Mercenaries 2, Assassins Creed, Unreal Tournament 3, and many others.

    Now, Ubisoft says that Assassins Creed will have better artificial intelligence on the Xbox 360; they publicly said that...and Unreal Tournament 3 will be released first on the Xbox 360 and the PC, but the Playstation 3 version will be last. Fight Night Round 3 was released first for the Xbox 360, too, even though it was originally announced only for the PS3...see my point.

    As far as Lost Planet goes; that one, along with Dead Rising will always be exclusive to the Xbox 360.

    Saints Row and Enchanted Arms were never intended to be exclusive to the Xbox 360; it just ended up seeming that way because they were delayed so many times for the Playstation 3, because the PS3 is so difficult to make games for. Saints Row and Enchanted Arms don't say, "Only on Xbox 360" on the box...

    Lost Planet and Dead Rising DO say, "Only on Xbox 360" on the box! There are exclusive contracts that make it that way.

    Xbox 360 is a much better videogame system than the Playstation 3!!! That much is for sure!
    Edited by 1 at 25/02/07 @ 21:29