Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 10:39 AM Mar 11, 2010
At E3, both Sony and Microsoft announced motion-sensing peripherals to as direct responses to the popularity of the Wii. Microsoft has
been hyping Project Natal ever since. On the
other hand, Sony has been a lot quieter about it's device - until now.
Revealed yesterday at the Game Developer's Conference, the device once rumored to be called "Arc" has been officially named the PlayStation Move, Sony's new motion-sensing
controller looks a lot like the Nintendo Wii Remote, but with some key
differences. The ball you see on the end of the device is tracked
by the PlayStation Eye camera. Camera tracking eliminates the problem of a "lost" signal - even when the
camera loses the Move, it's programmed to extrapolate its position.
That also means that someone walking between you and the camera won't
disrupt your game.
Just like
the Wii Remote, the Move controller also has an internal gyroscope. The combination of gyro and camera tracking reportedly makes the Move much more accurate than the Wii Remote, even when compared to the Wii Motion Plus add-on.
The Move also features a "subcontroller" similar to the Wii Remote
Nunchuk. However, the subcontroller is wireless and (currently)
doesn't feature any motion detection features - it's purely to add more
traditional game controls like a d-pad. Both the
subcontroller and the Move itself are powered by the same long-lasting lithium
ion batteries found in the PS3 DualShock controller.
The Move will be available this Fall in several different retail
packages. Pricing details are scarce, but a kit containing the Move,
the PlayStation Eye camera and an unnamed game will be available for
under $100. A list of Move games and developers is after the break.
My friends, I attended a LucasArts press event last evening, and although I was somewhat anticipating it, the announcement was no less spectacular; Monkey Island 2 Special Edition: LeChuck's Revenge is coming this summer. Not only will it be released, but it will grace the Xbox 360, PS3, iPhone/iPod Touch, and the PC with its presence.
For the PS3 owners out there who actually use Home, there will be Monkey Island avatars, furniture, as well as a virtual pirate ship available soon. It will be great, all five of you can meet aboard and...ya know, do whatever it is people do while using Home.
In all seriousness the new features are amazing and the screen shot comparisons are simply jaw dropping. So do yourself a favor and check out the list of new features and screens after the break -- I promise you it's worth your time.
Chances are you've probably heard of OnLive -- an online, subscription based, game-streaming service where all the processing is done server-side. The PC beta has been ongoing for sometime now, but today at GDC it was announced that the service will be available to the public beginning June 17th for both PC and Mac. At $14.99 USD/month for a subscription, the details are still lacking when it comes to trying to break down the actual cost of playing a game.
The company's COO Mike McGarvey said that:
"[The subscription price] provides access to an ever-increasing library of high-end, new release game content and a host of exclusive community features such as Brag Clips and massive spectating."
"Individual titles will be available for purchase or rental on an a la carte basis. Specific game pricing, including rentals, purchases, and loyalty programs, will be announced prior to the consumer launch event at E3. We'll also be announcing additional loyalty discount programs for consumers in the coming months."
It was also said that the planned micro-console could potentially be released later this year. As for the June launch, those interested will be happy to know that OnLive has received support from major publishers such as Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Take-Two Interactive, THQ, and Warner Bros. Launch titles are to include Assassin's Creed 2, Metro 2033, and Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands.
Joystick Division (and just about every other gaming news outlet) was buzzing about the firing of Infinity Ward executives Jason West and Vince Zampella last week, especially Activision's mysterious charge of "insubordination". We had to wonder: What is insubordination at Activision, and how often are people fired for it?
Intrepid reporter Gary Hodges asked the hard questions, but what were the answers? I'll bet they're surprising! (Click to embiggen.)
Mapathy (n.) [map-uh-thee] (often expressed as, "How the hell did you know I was there?!") is a state of indifference to the same old maps one has been playing for the last several months. The Mapathetic individual no longer derives pleasure from blowing up people hiding in the cockpit or on the top of the crane. More than 20 million people may be at risk for Mapathy.
Those of you gripped in fear over their risk of "Mapathy" need worry not, because as the teaser site indicates, the new Modern Warfare 2 maps will be available March 30. If you haven't checked out the site yet, there's not a whole lot there other than the definition and picture above. In fact there's so little -- and that which is there is lacking -- that I feel compelled to write a letter:
Dear Activision,
Your teaser site for the new Modern Warfare 2 maps has left me feeling somewhat hollow. This is not due to any fear that I will sink into some 'mapathetic' state, but rather due to your lack of creativity and the absence of lawls. You guys have a lot of money, go hire some funny and creative motherfuckers similar to the fine gentlemen at Team Fortress.
Perhaps the updates you provide at the site will be awesome and cause me to eat my words, however it's difficult to build a beautiful mansion atop a rickety foundation -- best of luck to you.
Love,
Owen
P.S. - I will still most likely download your maps despite the sad teaser; it is for this reason that I hate you.
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 10:40 AM Mar 10, 2010
One of the most interesting moments of Sunday's Academy Awards presentation was the clip of the short animated film Logorama, a film comprised mainly of brand icons and logos. I had never heard of it, but even the short clip shown made me interested in checking it out, especially after it won the Oscar for its category. Now the next assignment for filmmakers Francois Alaux and Herve de Crecy has been revealed, and it's video game-related: the duo will be shooting a 20-minute promotional video for Ghost Recon: Future Soldier. Written by Children of Men writer Tom Sexton, the live-action short is budgeted between $8-10 million dollars. Ubisoft also produced a live-action film to promote Assassin's Creed 2, so I'm curious if the publisher thinks the next Ghost Recon game will be as big as ACII.
Back in February we reported that Stuart Black -- the senior designer on Black -- is working on a new FPS for developer Codemasters. Today they officially unveiled the game as Bodycount along with a tentative release window of first quarter 2011 for the Xbox 360 and PS3.
Bodycount is being built on Codemasters' proprietary engine dubbed Ego, and is "ripping apart the FPS in an orgy of bullets and destruction". Now there's a solid blurb if I've ever seen one!
On their homepage the only details released so far are as follows:
In Bodycount you become ensnared in a clandestine global power struggle as a powerful combat asset with a green-light to eliminate enemies known only as 'Targets' on behalf of the 'Network'. Equipped with a mouth-watering selection of contemporary weapons, you and opponents tear through destructible cover to execute explosive kills in a shreddable world where operatives are encouraged to leave no witnesses. Complimented by online multiplayer and co-operative game modes, Bodycount will blast outrageous action and spectacular fire-fights from both barrels.
That all looks great to me but as was true with Black, what's promised and what's delivered can be two entirely different products. I'm not holding my breath, but then again I won't deny my excitement at wanting to see the game in action either.
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 12:10 PM Mar 09, 2010
According to Infinity Ward community manager Robert Bowling's Twitter, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 has just hit 25 million unique online players. That's across all three platforms, but no matter how you break it down, that's a huge number. I doubt this means that the game has sold 25 million copies (players who borrow copies from friends and go online would still be counted as unique players), but it's a hugely impressive feat regardless. I've completely given up on the buggy, exploit-filled online game, but clearly I'm in the minority.
I'm sure this is really good news for a company that could definitelyuse some right about now.
Sorry about the tardiness of my post, I just finished my first move of two in the next month here (don't ask) and finally got internet setup. Some of the best news I saw today was the announcement that a Scribblenauts sequel is slated to hit later this Fall. I don't know about you, but that's some pretty damn good news, especially considering that they've claimed the controls will be "way fucking better". Okay they didn't actually say that verbatim, but that's essentially the intended message. Here's all the additional details thus far:
-10,000 more words with a focus on the importance of adjectives
-120 new levels
-Level editor
-New Hint System
-Improved controls (see, almost the same right?)
Seeing that two of my main problems with the first Scribblenauts are being addressed -- controls and adjectives -- there appears to be legitimate cause for excitement.
Feeling like battling fantastical creatures in a mythical realm while at the same time yearning to smash faces and imagine what it's like to have your sweet 16th again? Well then you my friend have a helluva week ahead, and are rather strange.
Monday, March 8th: -50 Classic Games (DS)
-Max & The Magic Marker (Wii)
Tuesday, March 9th:
-Assassin's Creed 2 (PC)
-Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition (PS3, 360)
-Calling (Wii)
-Final Fantasy XIII (PS3, 360)
-Yakuza 3 (PS3, 360)
-Prince of Prussia (PC)
-BlazBlue Portable (PSP)
-Foto Showdown (DS)
-Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space (Wii)
-Racquet Sports (Wii)
-Imagine: Sweet 16 (DS)
Wednesday, March 10th:
-Battle of the Immortals (PC)
-Scrap Metal (360)
Thursday, March 11th:
-Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II Gold Edition (PC)
-Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II - Chaos Rising (PC)
-Spectral Force Genesis (DS)
-BioShock 2: Sinclair Solutions Test Pack (PS3, 360)
Not too long ago I got the chance to sit down with Kalypso Media and get a look at a couple of games. One of them, as you may have seen was M.U.D. TV, and the other was an early version of the DarkStar One port for the Xbox 360. There haven't been a whole lot of space combat simulators in the past decade, so fans of the genre are probably already familiar with DarkStar One - Broken Alliance on the PC. But for those of you who aren't, or if you interested in the port details, read on!
For those of you still gripped in rapture (hah!) over the BioShock 2 multiplayer, you'll be happy to know that 2K Games has got you covered with a series of DLC. The first installment titled "Sinclair Solutions Tester Pack" will be available for download March 11 for a reasonable $4.99, and offer you the following:
-Rank increase to level 50 with Rank Rewards
-Two new playable characters: Louie McGraff (pictured above) and Oscar Calraca (pictured after the break)
-20 new trials*
-A third weapon upgrade for each weapon
-Five additional masks*
*Some items are only available after a player achieves a rank of 41 or higher.
Hit the jump for a screen of Oscar Calraca both in character selection and in-game.
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 11:18 AM Mar 05, 2010
If I didn't know before I loaded it up, I might not have known that this was a trailer for SOCOM 4 until the logo at the end. The announcement trailer is the typical gameplay-free pre-rendered teaser, and the SOCOM games have never really had much of a distinct look. But hey, that's not the point. The point is that SOCOM 4 has been announced, and it's a big franchise for Sony. Not one that I personally enjoy, but I figured many of you would still like to know.
Round 1 of what will undoubtedly be an extensive battle took place earlier this morning when Zampella and West filed a lawsuit against Activision. The two Infinity Ward heads were fired for 'insubordination' and 'breach of fiduciary duty', and responded with a lawsuit seeking to be awarded their unpaid royalties (about 36 million).
Activision's retort expressed their disappointment in a statement emailed to Kotaku:
"Activision is disappointed that Mr. Zampella and Mr. West
have chosen to file a lawsuit, and believes their claims are meritless. Over eight years, Activision shareholders provided these executives with
the capital they needed to start Infinity Ward, as well as the financial
support, resources and creative independence that helped them flourish and
achieve enormous professional success and personal wealth."
"In return, Activision legitimately expected them to honor
their obligations to Activision, just like any other executives who hold
positions of trust in the company. While the company showed enormous patience,
it firmly believes that its decision was justified based on their course of
conduct and actions. Activision remains committed to the Call of Duty
franchise, which it owns, and will continue to produce exciting and innovative
games for its millions of fans."
Nothing is confirmed yet, but allegedly both Zampella and West were in communications with other companies prior to their termination -- falling in line with the accusation of 'insubordination'. If you're interested in looking over the official court documents, head over to here to check it out.
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 12:00 PM Mar 04, 2010
With all this talk of Blur multiplayer Beta keys, now seems like a good time to check out the trailer for said beta. Looks pretty cool, and if the actual gameplay matches the craziness of this trailer then I can see having a lot of fun with this game.
I've got another batch of multiplayer keys to give away. You can find them here.
Lara Croft is returning, but not to stores. Square Enix announced today that the Tomb Raider star will be back in 2010 in Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, which will be available for unspecified platforms via digital distribution.
"This is a
really exciting project for Crystal Dynamics, we have created something
completely new and very different to what people might be expecting,"
said Darrell Gallagher, General Manager of Crystal Dynamics. "Lara Croft
is such an iconic character in videogames, with Lara Croft and the Guardian
of Light we have created what we believe is a truly original digital
experience."
This isn't the first time Lara has starred in a downloadable game; the Tomb Raider: Anniversary content was originally DLC for Tomb Raider: Legend. I find it interesting that this new game doesn't bear the Tomb Raider brand at all. There was some discussion that Lara Croft needed a reboot last year - maybe this game will be the first step in a new direction.
As the headline suggests Red Dead Redemption has been violently shoved from its April release date to that of May 18th. Okay so maybe it was more of a strategic push than a violent shove, BUT I FEEL PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY HURT BY IT!
According to Ben Feder -- developer Take-Two's CEO -- this delay puts the game's release in the third-quarter, which apparently is "the optimal time frame to release what is being hailed as the next generation of sandbox games".
It's the ones that you care for the most that can cause you the greatest amount of pain...you are so right Oprah, you are so right.
Regrettably, we here at Joystick Division don't normally cover many Indie titles. I'd like to say that that's going to change, but considering I have absolutely nothing to base it on, I won't. However, just because we don't always have time to write about them doesn't mean we have no love for them. In fact, when I was looking over the finalists for the upcoming Independent Games Festival, I was so drawn in by a certain title's visuals, that it compelled me to ignore all other gaming news and present you with this post. The title I'm referring to is Limbo, and can be found under the "Excellence in Visual Art", as well as the "Technical Excellence" categories for the upcoming IGF.
If the screen above effected you as it did me, you'll be happy to know that Playdead -- the developers behind Limbo -- just announced an XBLA exclusive summer release, followed by a multi-platform release at a later date. You can find a few more screen shots after the break, but for a video teaser and concept art, head over to its home page.
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 11:41 AM Mar 03, 2010
Seriously, what's going on here? Buying the Heavy Rain movie rights I understand. The Prince of Persia movie could actually be good. But Space Invaders? Why? Just why? A completely plotless video game with enemy designs that flat-out won't
work on screen doesn't seem like a natural fit for a movie adaptation,
but apparently it's happening. Here's a snippet of the Variety article
that broke the news:
Warner Bros. is negotiating to acquire feature rights to the landmark
shooter from Taito, the Japanese company that originally manufactured
the game. If the rights issues all work out, the project would bring on
Hollywood fixtures Mark Gordon, Jason Blum and Guymon Casady as
producers.
I suppose if Warner Bros. took the name and grafted it onto a generic alien invasion script no one would get too upset. After all, there aren't exactly a ton of Space Invaders purists out there. But seriously, I can't think of any outcome in which a Space Invaders movie is anything other than completely unnecessary.
Early this morning, a version of the Halo: Reach multiplayer Beta trailer leaked online. Bungie moved quickly to deal with the situation, officially releasing the trailer you see above. If you're a Halo fan, it will be hard not to get excited by what you see in this video: assassinations, jetpacks (no, really!), large-scale battles and more. It looks like the Halo series you know, but definitely kicked up a notch.
And if you're not a Halo fan, please keep your comments to yourself. We already know what you think.
There's been a lot of buzz recently regarding Activision, and more specifically the future of the Call of Duty franchise. Recently there was talk of Infinity Ward losing some key players, as well as CoD testing some new waters. Today Activision confirmed the loss of Vince Zampella and Jason West -- two heavy hitters from IW -- announced a 2011 CoD game from a yet-to-be-specified developer, AND told us that Sledgehammer Games will be creating a separate CoD game that breaks into the action/adventure genre. Phew, that is a lot to take in.
Just as suspected, the Call of Duty game to be released this holiday season is being developed by Treyarch -- no surprise there. As for this "unannounced developer", I would guess that they are the ones who will handle taking CoD in a subscription-based direction. I still don't know what to think about that, but I can't help but wonder if Blizzard would step-up and take those reins; crazy I know, but certainly worth considering.
In case you hadn't heard, Sledgehammer games is a developer founded very recently by two creative leads -- Glen Schofield and Michael Condrey -- who previously worked over at EA and brought us Dead Space. I'm very curious to see what direction they take this new action/adventure CoD game in, but based on their track record I will certainly reserve my judgement.
This will probably take a little while to digest, but I'd love to know what your thoughts are. Who do you think this unannounced developer is? What does Sledgehammer Games have in-store?What do you think of a subscription based CoD?
Back in November 2009, a couple of cool things happened: while currently enjoying my new position as Editor-in-Chief at GirlGamer, I was fortunate enough to be selected to join the fraternity known as Xbox Gamer Spotlight.
And as per tradition since 2003, I was interviewed by the one and only Trixie360.
After a couple of months, a 24 hour Xbox suspension (yep. the week after I was in Gamer Spotlight, I got a 24 suspension for having the word "S**t" in my bio. LOLZ), and about 250 requests for my 'autograph' (because she told the kids to ask me for one) it's time for me to interro- I mean, "interview" my dear friend for some revenge...did I say 'revenge'? I mean, 'catch up'. Heh heh.
Considering some of the more recentacquisitions, Sony's purchase of Media Molecule -- the company behind the much acclaimed LittleBigPlanet -- appears to me to be a very sound decision. Now it's true that MM has only one game under their belt, but that one game won numerous awards, and will charm you to no end. Yes they've made some mistakes in handling player created content issues, but overall I believe that Media Molecule has a tremendous amount of potential and learns well from their past errors.
The amount Sony paid for MM was not disclosed, but as with the Rocksteady Studios acquisition (a great snag by WB), I'm sure it was no small number. I hope this works out well for both parties, and I can't wait to see what they're working on next!
A bug affecting the pre-PlayStation 3 Slim models (commonly referred to as PS3 Phat) has been giving gamers a lot of trouble as of late. Not quite the same type of failure as our all-too-friendly neighborhood Spider-Man up there, this one "is being caused by a bug in the clock functionality incorporated in the system" instead of "adult in superhero costume aroused by children".
According to the official PlayStation blog, all the errors that can be attributed to this bug are as follows:
-The date of the PS3 system may be reset to Jan 1, 2000.
-When the user tries to sign in to the PlayStation Network, the following message appears on the screen; "An error has occurred. You have been signed out of PlayStation Network (8001050F).
-When the user tries to launch a game, the following error message appears on the screen and the trophy data may disappear; "Failed to install trophies. Please exit your game."
-When the user tries to set the time and date of the system via the Internet, the following message appears on the screen; "The current date and time could not be obtained. (8001050F)
-Users are not able to playback certain rental video downloaded from the PlayStation Store before the expiration date.
Sony hopes to have the problem resolved in the next 24 hours, but in the meantime they advise PS3 Phat owners to keep their consoles powered down. What does that mean for you? Well, I suppose you could simply play a different console, or if you don't have one...read a book?
*Update - Looks like the bug has been fixed and you're now free to fire up that fatty. Oh and you can also turn your PS3 on now too.
I can't say that I'm going to be rushing out to buy anything this week, but it has nothing to do with the quality of these new games, I just happen to be moving soon. The act of moving is like introducing a black hole into your life -- nothing will escape it, it will consume your everything. So I implore you all as you sit back with a cold beverage -- controller nestled oh so comfortably in your hands -- line up a head-shot, and just before you pull the trigger, whisper my name; this will give me strength I need to carry on.
On a side-note my oatmeal fought valiantly to return from whence it came upon writing "Build-a-Bear Workshop: Welcome to Hugsville".
Sunday, February 28: -Ella's Hope (PC)
-Halfbrick Rocket Racing (PSP)
-Dust Devils (360)
-Royal Envoy (PC)
-Crazy Garage (PC, DS, Wii)
-House M.D. (PC, Mac)
-Hunted (PC)
-City Builder (Wii)
-Theatre of War II - Kursk 1943 (PC)
-Aztec Treasure Hunt (DS)
-Gunbird 2 Remix (PSP)
-Zooloretto (Wii)
-Party Designer (DS)
Monday, March 1st:
-VT Tennis (DS)
-Alganon (PC)
-Build-a-Bear Workshop: Friendship Valley (Wii)
-Mega Man 10 (Wii)
-Dante's Inferno (PSP)
-Build-a-Bear Workshop: Welcome to Hugsville
Tuesday, March 2nd:
-Silent Hunter V: Battle of the Atlantic (PC)
-Major League Baseball 2K10 (Wii, PS3, 360, DS, PSP, PC)
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 10:13 AM Mar 01, 2010
All signs are pointing to a strong debut for Heavy Rain. According to video game sales numbers site VG Chartz, Sony's interactive thriller moved around 500,000 units worldwide in its first week. The site breaks the numbers down by region, with 200k sold in the US, 100k in the UK, 50k in France, 25k in Japan and the rest in unspecified markets.
I've never been completely convinced of the accuracy of VG Chartz stats, but other indicators suggest that the game is selling quite well. The game debuted at #1 on the weekly UK game sales charts, and there are reports that the game is in short supply throughout the region.
Heavy Rain is a game that I enjoyed quite a bit, but I have to admit that I wasn't sure how well the game would sell. I'm happy to report that gamers seem to be embracing this atypical gaming experience.
Let's see, what do we have next on the agenda here...ah yes, more Fisher love. Yeah I know, we got a lot it here at JD, but this is some damn interesting stuff! Today we've been graced with a look at how the co-op game mode of Splinter Cell: Conviction fits into the story, as well as a look at the four other multiplayer modes -- see, interesting!
Below you'll see the first of three videos, kicking it off with co-op. The next two can be found lurking in the shadows after the break.
We haven't talked a lot about Just Cause 2 here at Joystick Division, and I honestly can't say why. There's more than a few of us who enthusiastically converse about it behind the scenes, so upon reviewing the archives I was surprised to see it basically MIA. In hopes of rectifying the situation I present you with this tasty morsel: the JC2 demo will be available for consumption March 4 on Xbox Live, PSN, and Steam.
Said demo includes a 35 square mile island of a promised 400 sq mi -- and much like the transient hooker I just spent the evening with -- it's there to do with as you please. The full game drops March 23, and I don't know about you, but I'm stock-piling cocaine energy drinks in preparation for this adrenaline packed extravaganza.
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 10:54 AM Feb 26, 2010
Sexiest. Road. Ever.
The UK city of Derby asked its citizens to vote on a name for a new road, and the voters chose by an overwhelming margin to name that road "Lara Croft Way."
Created by the now-defunct Derby-based developer Core Design, "Lara Croft Way" was chosen by a whopping 89% of the 27,000 voters. The Tomb Raider star beat out well-know locals like an astronaut, soccer player and an engineer for the honor.
Councillor Lucy Care, cabinet member for planning and transportation,
said: "The vote really captured the imagination of people from across
the world and, despite my lack of gaming knowledge, I accept that a
majority of 89% for Lara Croft is too overwhelming to ignore."
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 12:53 PM Feb 25, 2010
EA has been betting heavily on "free" day one downloadable content for its recent games as a way to discourage the purchasing of a used copy. Like Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will include a code for "free" additional game content. In this case it's two additional multiplayer maps, which you can see in the trailer above.
Anyone who purchases the game used will still be able to obtain the maps, but not for free. This strategy is all part of what EA calls "Project Ten Dollar," an effort to force buyers of used games to shell out an additional ten bucks if they want the same content as players who purchased the game new. And since the additional content is obtained via direct download, EA isn't splitting that additional revenue with a retailer.
It's certainly news to me that Final Fantasy I & II are currently available for download in the App store, despite the fact that they both have a post date of February 11th. They're available for $9.00 each, and are relatively large files -- FF I is about 75 MB and FF II is about 143 MB -- so make sure you're connected to WiFi or download via your computer.
For those interested in the details, both FF I & FF II include all the bonuses of the most recent re-makes (about 5 additional dungeons each). I'm currently downloading FF I, and will let you know my thoughts on the port and how the controls feel later today.
Is bigger always better? Your sister thinks so I suppose that depends on who you're talking to. Size preferences and sexual innuendos aside, Nintendo announced today that the DSi XL will be available in the US March 28 -- all for a somewhat reasonable price of $189.99.
I myself have had a DSi XL for a few months now, and in all honesty it's great for playing around the house or lengthy car/plane trips. However if you enjoy shorter, more frequent gaming sessions -- many of which occur on the go -- then the XL just becomes cumbersome.
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 10:05 AM Feb 24, 2010
There's a good chance you've never heard of either company, but Left Behind Games and Digital Praise have decided to work together on a common mission. The two publishers are the industry's biggest Christian-focused gaming companies, and now the two are merging into one.
Left Behind Games is best known for the strategy games based on the best-selling Christian novel series, while Digitial Praise's biggest hit is its Christian Rock spin on Guitar Hero called Guitar Praise. Both companies also publish software aimed at very young gamers, and the merged company's goal is to bring Christian games to the "next level."
Michael Patcher, gaming's most high-profile industry analyst said, "I think that the Christian video game
market is a significant market currently underserved by traditional
publishers. This merger will allow Left Behind Games to be well
positioned to serve the millions of people of faith that enjoy
Christian entertainment."
Although I am definitely not the target audience for either company's software, I still find this news item very interesting. I'm a big believer that we're living in the age of "niche market entertainment," in which movies, music and television can be successful if targeted at a small but dedicated audience. While mainstream games still try to capture as large of an audience as possible, indie games, iPhone games and online games are often going the niche route. Here we have a game publisher pursuing another niche market, and I have a feeling that they'll be pretty successful doing it.
My friends, we find ourselves clutching at the gates of something monumentally glorious. If you gaze at its shrouded wonder long enough, you may catch a glimpse of the gilded door and what lies beyond. What could this wonderment possibly be, what could bring about this feeling of euphoria? Well its the Xbox Block Party of course!
Here marks the end of all pretenses of actual excitement, and I will now fill you in on what you can expect if this Block Party has somehow managed to capture your interest.
-Xbox Live Silver members who purchase Toy Soldiers, Perfect Dark, and Scrap Metal -- all three Block Party titles releasing in March -- and then download the free Game Room will receive a five dollar credit.
-Xbox Live Gold members who do the same will get, in addition to the five dollar credit, a free month tacked onto their Xbox Live subscription.
-A free Gold Membership weekend is also scheduled in which Silver Members will be upgraded to Gold status. To my knowledge this is only for the duration of the weekend, and is limited to the three Block Party titles.
Now before you accuse me of being an unexcitable asshole, know that I don't think poorly of the Block Party XBLA games; in fact I'm looking forward to them. I just think the idea behind Block Party itself is unfathomably stupid.
I loved Arkham Asylum, and apparently so did Warner Bros. -- at least the sales figures anyways. Not content with simply publishing the sequel, WB just purchased a majority stake in the London based Rocksteady Studios. No details on the percentage acquired or price were revealed, but given the success of Arkham Asylum I'm sure it's no small number.
It's good to see that Warner Bros. and its game publishing subsidiary Warner Bros. Interactive still have faith in the video game industry, despite a prettyrough2009. I wonder if any of the other big film studios will follow suit?
Which is not to say that a multitude of great titles are dropping this week, just that Heavy Rain is coming to town and deserves your attention. That and Pony Fetishes 2.
Wait, no I mis-read it, it's Pony Friends 2 -- scratch that. Stupid eyes always seeing what they want to see...
Monday, February 22nd: -Flight Control (DS)
-Mouse House (Wii)
-Flipper (DS)
-Endless Ocean: Blue World
Tuesday, February 23rd:
-Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing (PS3, Wii, DS)
-Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing with Banjo Kazooie (360)
-Arsenal of Democracy (PC)
-Heavy Rain (PS3)
-Napoleon: Total War (PC)
-Last Rebellion (PS3)
-Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's World Championship 2010 Reverse of Arcadia (DS)
It's been known for a while now that Lost Planet 2's campaign offers a 4 player co-op. More recently we found out about some pretty epic (pardon the pun) cameos. Now after X10, I'm happy to report that I got to spend some quality time hands-on and am here to give you my firsthand impression.
I don't think I've ever spoken with anyone who hated GoldenEye 007 on the Nintendo 64. Sure there were certain things that rubbed people the wrong way, but to dislike the game in its entirety: humanly impossible. Additionally there's been a significant fan-base that's been hoping for a re-make of the game, and although this news isn't quite that good, it's still puts a smile on my face.
As you may know, a re-made, HD version of Perfect Dark (originally on the N64) will be released in March over Xbox Live Arcade. But the good news for GoldenEye fans is that Rare -- the developer behind both games -- will include the GE weapons andmaps from the original in the new re-make.
Confirmed this morning at DICE 2010 were multiplayer maps Temple, Complex, and Felicity. If you plan on hopping online come March to play a little deathmatch, I will only warn you once: I'm a laptop sentry-gun whore.
If you've seen the ultimate gamer documentary The King of Kong, then you should know who Steve Wiebe is and why you should root for him. The soft-spoken math teacher battled against brash, unlikable Donkey Kong champ Billy Mitchell for the highest score in the game. Wiebe did in fact beat Mitchell's score in the movie, although the former champ reclaimed the title shortly afterwards.
However, Wiebe is once again back on top, this time as the new champion of Donkey Kong Junior. Twin
Galaxies, the official scorekeeper for video game records,
announced on Wednesday that Wiebe
reached a new high score of
1,190,400. And because he's such a romantic guy, Wiebe set the record on Valentine's Day.
Congrats to Steve Wiebe for his new record. Enjoy it while you can - I'm sure Billy Mitchell will be coming after you again soon.
I have conflicting emotions after viewing the trailer above, and if you've read my hands-on impression you may understand. Essentially my two main fears for SCC were that too frequently the player would be forced to step out of the shadows into action, and that Fisher wouldn't have access to his usual array of gadgets. My first fear was mostly alleviated after X10, but Sam's lack of gadgets was still a concern. Post action packed trailer my initial fear is surfacing again, but the second has now submerged; you see my confliction? Now there's solid evidence that Fisher -- either through an alliance or less reputable methods -- has procured gadgets, wonderful! But he also comes across as some Hollywood bad-ass hero, not a phantom who strikes from the shadows.
It looks like there will be only one way to tell for certain: wait till the full game releases in April. Who knows, maybe they're purposefully screwing with our emotions to keep the pre-game buzz up.
Ladies and gentlemen, not much more needs to be said other than make sure you've checked your Battle.net accounts. Yesterday Blizzard sent out thousands of invitations to lucky gamers, but if you weren't among the chosen don't get overly distraught. On their website Blizzard has said that the test process occurs in phases, so before you go all stabbity on your parents or something know that you're still in the running.
On the off chance that you didn't know about the beta but are interested in receiving an invite, make sure you opt-in via your Battle.net account. If you were among those lucky enough to be selected, share in the love and let us know what you're first impressions are!
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 10:06 AM Feb 18, 2010
The Trauma Center series is one of my favorite oddball game franchises. I'm a couple games behind in the series, but the upcoming Trauma Team looks like one of those games that may actually get me to turn on a Wii. The #1 medical thriller series is more grounded in reality than previous entries, but not so much that it's lost its goofy charm. The newly revealed forensic investigation gameplay looks like a great addition to the formula, as you can see in the video above. I wonder if the forensics aspect will help the game appeal to the millions who watch those ridiculous medical investigation dramas.
Throughout my life there's been a certain something that ever since the first time, I can't get enough of. I like to do it frequently, violently, and above all else I like to do it creatively. Considering that I have a long-term girlfriend who doesn't enjoy violence, it isn't sex -- it's killing zombies. So getting my hands on Dead Rising 2 at X10 last week was a real treat, especially because I got to explore the creative side of zombie slaughter with the item creation.
Who is CrowdStar you ask? How could you not know? I mean they make the incredibly deep and involving Happy Aquarium game on Facebook! With it's rich gameplay and well developed characters it's no wonder that they've seen such success!
I can't keep this up anymore. You already know what I think about most social games on acebook, so I won't drag it out. The real news here is that there are actual companies, one of which rumored to be Microsoft, in a bidding war over CrowdStar. The current estimated price is at $200 million, which may seem ridiculous but is only half of what EA paid for PlayFish in 2009. As crazy as this seems, it could lead to some big payoffs as the market for these applications has been estimated by some analysts to be worth $2 billion by 2012.
Purely by chance I had the opportunity to chat with CrowdStar's CEO about a month ago; let me tell you that he wasn't in the least bit surprised to hear about my views on social gaming. He told me that the population of social gamers are mainly female, which I suppose makes sense considering that they were a largely untapped demographic in terms of video games.
Regardless of what you or I think, it doesn't appear that social gaming is going to disappear anytime soon, and most likely will only get bigger. My only hope here is that Microsoft doesn't win the bid, because I'd really like to keep that shit off of my 360's dash for as long as possible.
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 12:03 PM Feb 17, 2010
On March 9, Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition will hit retail and add two expansions to the core game, but if you can't wait until then the first new episode is available now. "Lost in Nightmares," the first of the two campaign expansions is available now on Xbox Live and will hit PSN tomorrow. The $5 expansion explains how Chris and Jill were separated during a mission at the Spencer estate and also features playable characters Barry Burton and Excella Gionne.
A new $2 costume pack is also available today, joining a free DLC pack of collectible figurines that hit Xbox Live on Monday.
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 11:59 AM Feb 16, 2010
I remember when Criterion's Black was first demoed to the gaming press many years ago. It was supposed to be a very, very big deal - a game that would redefine the very concept of FPS games. Obviously that didn't happen, although Black did turn out to be a completely solid shooter. Even though it never received a sequel and didn't change the genre in any notable way, the game was still good enough that when one of its creators returns to the genre, we pay attention.
Stuart Black, the Senior Designer on Black,* is working on a new FPS for Codemasters, which may be unveiled in next month's UK version of Official Xbox Magazine. The shooter will be a new IP, but that's about all we know right now. Codemasters is a publisher that's done a lot of quality work in the racing genre, but is far less known for shooters (although it published games like Operation Flashpoint). I'm curious to learn more about this mysterious new shooter project.
*Yes, a man named Stuart Black worked on the game Black. He's said to have a rivalry with David HaloReach and Ian CallofDuty.
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 11:31 AM Feb 16, 2010
I haven't yet played Darksiders. That's not because of a lack of interest, but because it came out during a crowded time of year and I simply didn't have the time. The early word on Darksiders' sales numbers is that it was a slight disappointment, so I'm apparently not the only one that couldn't fit it in to the gaming schedule. THQ has already committed to a sequel, and is apparently working hard to buff up the sales of the original. The publisher announced today that it will be releasing a beefy 90 minute demo of the game for both PS3 and Xbox 360. The demo will be out on the 25th and contain the entire "Twilight Cathedral" stage, the first level of the game.
The Darksiders demo will easily be one of the most substantial demos ever released, so check it out if you're curious about the game, or just want a sizable chunk of free game.
Most people knew that eventually Xbox Live would make it onto Windows Mobile devices, although I was expecting it to occur quite some time ago (my senior thesis in marketing actually addressed it a few years back). Additionally, with all the time that Microsoft took in making this happen, you'd think that they would've managed to achieve more. Anyway, enough of my bitching and on to the facts.
Microsoft announced at this year's Mobile World Congress that the upcoming Windows Phone 7 series would incorporate Xbox Live. According to the official press release users will be able to build their gamerscore on the go by collecting achievement points, access leaderboards, and manage their friends list. There will be some turn-based games to play against others, but not in real-time. This means that you would make a move, then go have a wank do something productive until your opponent realizes it's his/her turn to play. You can also check out your avatar! Like on your phone, right there!
Perhaps the most important thing to note here is that the general manager of Xbox Live Mobile, Ron Pessner, said that:
"It has always been our vision to expand the Xbox Live service to connect people to their games, entertainment and friends wherever they go, and the launch of Windows Phone 7 series is an important step toward that goal."
I agree that this is a step in the right direction, but here's to their next move being a leap.
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 10:15 AM Feb 15, 2010
The other day we reported that THQ had planned sequels for Darksiders, Red Faction, de Blob and a few other franchises. Today there is news that the publisher has plans for a few other ways to make money. THQ is teaming up with the SyFy Network to produce a cartoon series based on de Blob, the colorful Wii game that was itself originally an indie PC game.
de Blob is about a blob creature that must bring color back to a worth that's gone monochrome, and the cartoon will kick off the network's new SyFy Kids label. Even though I'm clearly not the target audience for this show, I'm quite happy about this news. Anything that keeps THQ financially healthy keeps another game publisher in the business and encourages more creative competition in the industry.
Many negative things have been said about Microsoft as a corporation, an employer, and a competitor, but I'll be damned if anyone says they don't throw one hell of a party. Yes, I'm classifying X10 as a party, and before you disagree I refer you to my criteria: booze (preferably free), delicious treats, naked ladies friendly attendees, and video games. I know, I'm a geek, I have video games as part of my 'good party' criteria, shut up.
As you may or may not know, X, or Xbox show, first started as an annual major trade event to showcase games in Europe. It was MIA in 04' and seemed to climax in 06' in Barcelona Spain. The past three, X07-X09, were greatly scaled down and took place in The Great White North (or Canada if you don't like nicknames). Now in the year 2010, X took place for the very first time on American soil in the great city of San Francisco. End history lesson.
This has been declared "the biggest year in Xbox history" by Microsoft itself, so needless to say I had the chance to play some pretty awesome titles. Starting next week I'll go into more detail on a few of them individually, but for today I'll report on the interesting and relevant news bits, lovingly condensed for you into a manageable serving size. Hit the jump to take it all in.
As reported by the ruggedly handsome J-to-the-M Zoss, I was at X10 yesterday into what Sinatra refers to as the wee small hours of the morning. I had a great time and got a chance to play what appears to be some pretty awesome games. I'll be reporting on that a little later today, but in the meantime I have some catch-up work to do, so check out some sweet-ass weaponry and epic battle scenes in this new God of War III trailer.
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 11:34 AM Feb 12, 2010
Yesterday Microsoft held an event called X10 in San Francisco, during which the publisher shared a lot of details about several high-profile upcoming games like Halo: Reach, Alan Wake, Fable III and many more. Our intrepid Owen Johnson was on the scene and will be bringing you coverage of the event later in the day.
One piece of media released during X10 was this lengthy Halo: Reach video documentary, which I recommend watching even if you're not one of Halo's devoted fans. Not only does it demonstrate that Halo: Reach looks like a major evolution in the Halo franchise, it's also a fascinating look into big-budget game development.
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 10:56 AM Feb 12, 2010
After a fourth-quarter loss of $286 million, game publisher Activision has enacted some major cost-cutting measures. Hundreds of employees have been cut from Activision-owned developer and a few studios have been closed completely. According to reports in the LA Times and other outlets, about 50 people were let go from Guitar Hero developer/former Tony Hawk developer Neversoft, and more than half of Prototype developer's 180 employees were let go.
Also affected were RedOctane, the original publisher of Guitar Hero. Purchased by Activision after the success of the first game, the company has now been closed along with Guitar Hero: Van Halen developer Underground Development. Finally Luxoflux, creators of the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen game, was closed, with a handful of employees being offered jobs at other Activision studios.
Best wishes to everyone affected and to their families.
With Modern Warfare 2 still looking like the hot and sexy thing that it is, you probably haven't yet begun to think about the next one. But like all young beauties, time will take it's toll, and you'll gradually lose interest. Then one day as you sit at a coffee shop -- newspaper in hand with a latte perched atop it's ceramic counterpart -- the fresh new Call of Duty 7 will strut by, prying your eyes from the funnies and stirring emotions you believed to be long dead...
Then again maybe you won't give a shit about the yet-to-be-named CoD 7, as many people were still playing Modern Warfare when World at War came out. However, that's neither here nor there as it's 2010 holiday release has been confirmed yesterday by Activision CEO Bobby Kotick. He said that they will continue to release an annual installment of the Call of Duty franchise, but did not announce the developer. Due to what Infinity Ward had said about wanting to work on a new title, in combination with Treyarch's David Kim's LinkedIn profile, we can safely assume that Treyarch is the developer holding the reins here.
Another interesting bit from Kotick was that the company intends to take the CoD franchise in the direction of subscriptions, saying:
"If you think about the success we have had in other categories on subscriptions, you can get a sense of the direction we want to take the franchise."
I don't know exactly how they plan on making that work, but considering Kotick's keen business sense, I don't doubt that they will.
I'll admit that it takes a lot for me to get excited about a Wii game, especially a third-party Wii game. However, new game Rock of the Dead has pushed just the right buttons for me - IGN recently got a demo of the game by developer Epicenter, who described the game as Typing of the Dead meets Guitar Hero. Awesome. In Rock of the Dead, you defeat zombies by wailing on your guitar, a gameplay formula that's so simple and badass that I'm already sold. But it keeps getting better! Neil Patrick Harris and Felicia Day are doing the voices, and the soundtrack will include tracks by White Zombie. What else can I say? I'm sold.
If you thought Assassin's Creed 2 was a prodigious title of Herculean proportions (or if you simply liked it), then you may be interested to know that the next installment will find the dashing Renaissance assassin -- Ezio Aduitore de Firenze -- back in Rome.
During Ubisoft's third quarter financial call, they stated that Ezio would be returning to Rome to "strike directly at the heart of the Templar Order." Other than that, they did mention multiplayer again, but not much other than the fact of its existence.
When asked if this quick follow up to AC2 implied that the franchise is going annual, CEO Yves Guillemot replied that he can't comment yet, but it is a franchise they will frequently turn to.
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 11:58 AM Feb 10, 2010
Normally Joystick Division stays focused the "core" gaming audience, with stories about Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony products. However, sometimes some element of the casual gaming industry grabs our attention and simply has to acknowledged. Casual game juggernaut PopCap has announced today the 10th anniversary of Bejeweled, a game that's appeared on pretty much every electronic device every created and been ripped off more often than than possibly any other game. I can't tell you how many times I've heard the phrase "Bejewled clone" to describe some cell phone game, DS game, iPhone game, downloadable game or even Wii game.
PopCap is kicking off a ten-month long celebration of Bejeweled today, and has announced that the franchise has sold more than 50 million copies, making it one of the 10 best-selling games of all time. Congrats to PopCap for causing literally hundreds of millions of wasted man hours around the world.
Yesterday the French arm of Ubisoft hit us with some terrific news: the announcment of a new Ghost Recon title. Said announcement provided such sparse detail, that our imaginations were free to conjure up any type of futuristic setting that our hearts desired. This morning we find an official teaser, which on one hand kills some of the romance of dreaming without parameters, but on the other hand shows us that you can use a motherfucking invisibility cloak.
However I could be a terrible liar, so you should probably hit the jump to check it out first-hand.
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 10:44 AM Feb 10, 2010
According to a new study by the ESPN Sports Poll and EA Sports, placing advertisements in sports games is one of the most effective ways to reach the sports fan audience. According to the results of the poll, 38% of sports gamers spend as much time or more playing games as they do watching the sport. When engaged in the game, players spend no time channel surfing or distracted - the more time players spend focused on the game, the more time they spend exposes to the advertisements.
"Fans consume sports in multidimensional ways," said Robert Fox,
Senior Vice President at TNS and Executive Director of the ESPN Sports
Poll. "Today's interactive entertainment enables fans to engage with
their favorite sports on a platform that looks incredibly close to the
real thing. When a person is engaged in the video game, there is no
channel surfing, and the game is paused only for necessity. This is a
terrific way for real-world advertisers and sponsors to develop
incremental affinity for their brands."
The average sports gamer, according to the study, is a single male between the ages of 18-34 with disposable income. That the advertising industry's dream demographic, so it's no wonder that studies are trying to determine the best ways to reach them.
Not so long ago in the year of our lord two-thousand and nine, Ubisoft filed a trademark for Ghost Recon: Future Soldier. Now, just over two months later, Ubisoft Paris has officially announced the title.
Very few details were given about the game proper, but we were told that it would sport both single and multiplayer, with a 2010 holiday release date on a whole mess of consoles, including the Wii. Other than that all we know is that there is a beta scheduled for this summer, with access granted to those who purchase Splinter Cell: Conviction on the Xbox 360 this April.
Now as for me, I would rather see a far-off future setting that breaches the Sci-Fi genre rather than simply a ten-years from now kind of thing. What do you guys think?
To all you registered Cerberus Network members out there, I have a special announcement for you: as of now you are the proud new owner of the Cerberus Assault Armor and an M-22a Eviscerator Shotgun, congratulations!
Well, almost. All you need to do to obtain your new goodies is fire up Mass Effect 2, log into the Cerberus Network, and begin the download. Here's a brief description of what you can expect:
Cerberus Assault Armor:
Designed for shock troops to turn the tide of battle against creatures or forces that would decimate normal soldiers.
-Increases Heavy Weapon ammo capacity by +10%
-Increases shields by +10%
-Increases health by +10%
M-22a Eviscerator Shotgun:
A longer range shotgun with armor piercing loads. This design violates several intergalactic weapons treaties, so it is not distributed to military forces.
I can tell you right now that downloading these will be the first thing I do upon returning home. Okay second thing. First I have to get out of these ass-less chaps.
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 11:29 AM Feb 09, 2010
Whenever I got out in public, which is something I avoid doing at all costs, I'm always struck by how many little kids are wearing Star Wars: The Clone Wars shirts. What really amazes me is that "The Clone Wars" branding is so much more prominent than the "Star Wars" branding. I guess to the youngest generation, The Clone Wars is Star Wars. It's not surprising then that the next LEGO Star Wars game is based on the series. LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars has been announced for pretty much every console you can think of, and will be arriving this holiday season. I'm sure all those kids at the grocery store will go nuts about this one.
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 11:14 AM Feb 09, 2010
The Japanese video game industry has been in a slump for years, but Final Fantasy XIII producer Yoshinori Kitase and director Motomu Toriyama think that their game can bring it back from the brink of death. In interview with the European PlayStation Blog, one of the two said:
"Some people have been saying that the Japanese game industry is dead,
and all that... I dunno," the creative lead said. "I will say that Final Fantasy XIII
is one really epic title for high definition consoles. With this game,
we are going to resurrect the whole thing." And then they immediately
moved from boastful to confusing: "As for Western games that have influenced us - FPSs mostly. The Call of Duty series, for example."
Final Fantasy XIII sold over a million copies the first day it was available in Japan, so clearly Japanese gamers still care about the franchise. But is one game enough to revive a slumping industry? Only time will tell.
This is looking like it's going to be another rough week on my bank account, but BioShock 2 has promised me that it'll be worth it. That and Scene It? Twilight on the DS. What are you planning on picking up?
Monday, February 8th: -Star Ocean The Last Hope: International (PS3)
Strictly for health reasons, until the release of Red Dead Redemption, I need to every so often be revitalized by fresh screens or new clips. Fortunately enough I came across these enticing new shots in which our hero is performing some good old-fashioned cowboy rope work. It would seem that both humans and animals alike will feel John's wrath come April 27th; he doesn't like to discriminate. Hit the jump to see a few more of these beauties.
You may already know that my excitement for Splinter Cell: Conviction is off the goddamn charts. So consequently upon receiving news that Ubisoft announced a release date that is quite literally, "set in stone", I immediately started drinking dancing in celebration. I say literally because they sent an actual stone to IGN with the date 4.13.10 inscribed on it, I kid you not.
So there you have it folks, Sam Fisher's next endeavor in bad-assery slated for April 13th, 2010. Hit the jump if you care to see a picture of the actual laser etched rock.
I have to admit that I have very little love for social gaming. I don't care if you saved a sick cow in Farmville, I shed no tears if your mafia is under attack and needs assistance in Mafia Wars, nor do I give two shits about how you and your pet have beautifully decorated your house in Pet Society. Now having said that this new 3D first-person "social shooter" by 3G Studios has piqued my curiosity.
Their CEO, James Kosta, has boldly declared that their new title will "bring First Person Shooter games to the masses." going on to say that "it's about fast-paced action and either competing against or forming teams with your friends. We want people to feel empowered and to share in a real video game experience."
I whole-heartedly endorse their efforts to produce a social game that steers the stereotypical casual gamer in a more hardcore direction, but I'm not too sure that it will capture the appeal of the Farmville and Mafia Wars addicts out there. I wish them the best of luck in this endeavor, and I myself have already reserved a handle for the upcoming public beta. Hit the jump if you have any interest in doing the same, and to check out a couple additional screens.
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 11:15 AM Feb 05, 2010
Next week Microsoft is holding an event called X10 in San Francisco, where games journalists will be able to play some of biggest upcoming games for the Xbox 360. Games like Halo: Reach, Fable III and Alan Wake will be there, as will some Xbox Live Arcade Games. One XBLA game in particular should get a fair amount of attention: the new 60 frames per second port of Perfect Dark. It's not as exciting as getting the long-rumored XBLA version of GoldenEye, but it's a close second.
Our Bay Area correspondent Owen Johnson will be heading to X10 to play all the games on display, and if he knows what's good for him he'll bring back hands-on preview coverage of Perfect Dark. Do you hear me, Owen? Come back with preview coverage or don't come back at all!
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 10:30 AM Feb 05, 2010
Despite word that the recent action title Darksiders was a sales disappointment, THQ is pressing on with a sequel, according to the latest investor earning call. The call also revealed that a new Red Faction game is also in the works, as is a sequel to the Wii title de Blob. The Red Faction and de Blob sequels are due in the fiscal 2011 year, while Darksiders 2 and a new Saints Row game are due in fiscal 2012.
I haven't yet played Darksiders, but I'm excited about this news. In the last few years, THQ has really transformed into an exciting company with a lot of interesting original franchises. I know a lot of gamers who love the Saints Row games and I ADORED Red Faction: Guerrilla so I happy to see that THQ will continue to fund exciting core games as part of its catalog.
"...e's got an attitude! Soooooniiiic, HE'S THE FASTEST THING A-LIIIIII-IIIIIVE!" Oh, sorry, didn't see you there. I was just singing the theme song from the Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon series in celebration of the announcement. You didn't hear? Well, according to Sega's Ken Balough, the new Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 1 will offer old-school 2D gameplay with modern 3D visuals, in addition to classic favorites like spin-dash and power sneakers! Now when asked about the episode 1 tacked on at the end there, Balough told GameSpot in an interview that:
"I think the best way to view it is as a first part in a much larger adventure. When Sega released Sonic 3, ultimately it was the part 1 of a story that saw its conclusion in Sonic & Knuckles. In that same spirit, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is a bigger story, and this is that first chapter. I think it's also safe to say that by the end of the episode one, fans will be very excited to see what's in store for episode two!"
Although
he didn't outright deny or confirm it, considering that S4E1 will be
delivered to the PS3, 360, and Wii via download -- combined with the glaring fact that it
says "Episode 1" in the title -- I'm going to use my investigatory
journalism skills to infer that it will in fact be episodic in nature. Now
whether that's a good thing or a bad thing is probably in the eye of the
beholder. But I for one couldn't be more excited to see Sonic going back to his 2D roots, episodic or not. Especially when you take into account that on the 360
and PS3 the beloved needlemouse will be tearing it up in full HD.
Dust off your red sneakers and
thigh-high running shorts, because Sonic's (hopefully) glorious summer release is just around the
corner.
Oh Vegas, what hasn't happened there? Answer: nuclear fallout...until now that is! Bethesda graced us today with a teaser for their newest addition to the series titled Fallout: New Vegas, in which Sin City can be seen covered in ash and littered with the dead. It's definitely a teaser in the sense that we don't see any gameplay or learn much of anything about the game, but it certainly succeeds in setting the mood and whetting the appetite as we wait for Fall to come.
The development of New Vegas is not being handled by the in-house team that developed Fallout 3, and is instead being created by Obsidian Entertainment. Obsidian consists of many who've worked on past Fallout titles, and have previously gifted us with epic RPGs such as Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II and Neverwinter Nights 2. One last note before checking out the teaser: according to Pete Hines -- Bethesda's head of marketing and communications -- New Vegas should not be viewed as a sequel to Fallout 3, as it is an independent story simply occurring in the same universe. Now armed with that knowledge, hit the jump to see post-apocalyptic Vegas in all it's glory.
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 10:24 AM Feb 04, 2010
You probably already know what the best-selling game of 2009 is. Heck, you can probably guess the top five. But in case you couldn't, here they are. In the blurry, enlarged graph above, you'll see that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was a clear number one, with nearly 12 million units sold worldwide. Nintendo held the next four slots with Wii Sport s Resort, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Wii Fit Plus and the original Wii Fit.
The worldwide sales data is from the combined findings of the US's The NPD group, the UK's MCV and Japan's Enterbrain. Keep in mind that this "worldwide" data only includes the top three game markets, so in reality worldwide sales are even higher.
A couple observations based on this data: Modern Warfare 2's sales were great, but will it hit Activision's goal of becoming the "biggest game of all time?" I really doubt it. Call of Duty 4 sold for a long, long time and I'm sure MW2 will as well, but there seems to be a lot of disenchantment with the multiplayer's consistent bug issues and we're going into a really strong year for games. Even if MW2 doesn't hit the publisher's lofty goal, it's still clearly one of the biggest games of all time.
Second observation: Nintendo's sales figures are great news for the company and potentially bad news for core gamers. NSMBW is the only core game of Nintendo's four on the list. Yes, it sold the best. But with Nintendo doing so well with fitness games and minigame compilations, what's the incentive to develop costly core games? Of course Mario's not going anywhere. But don't be surprised to see him show up in Mario's Wii Workout Challenge.
According to members of the toy industry who met this week at the Nuremberg Toy Fair in Germany, the global decline in video game sales is permanent, while the popularity of traditional toys like board games is on the rise.
Richard Gottlieb, a US consultant who chaired the Building Our Future conference at the gathering, said that board games would rise to fill in the gap left by declining video game sales because "Board games are cross-generational. They bring the family together. Children get a tremendous sense of self-satisfaction from being able to beat their parents in a game."
Gottlieb pointed to the rise in popularity in the US of more complex board games like Settlers of Catan (which also has a video game adaptation) as evidence that board games are coming back into vogue. He also cited games like Farmville as driving down interest in retail games - the logic being that as free games gain popularity, consumers will be less willing to pay for digital game content.
Gottlieb and the other experts at the Nuremberg Toy Fair offered no hard numbers to back up their claims that traditional board games will take up the market segment lost by video games, but I can see the thought behind it. Unlike video games, physical board games can't be made available for free or pirated. But the decline in sales of video games is widely attributed to the economy, not a lack of interest in digital games. For the decline in game sales to become permanent, they will have to stay down after the economy rebounds, something that no analyst is willing to predict when video games are more a part of daily life than ever before.
Despite what you may have experienced over Xbox Live, gamers can be a caring bunch as proven by charities such as Child's Play, Desert Bus, and Extra Life for Kids. Further proof is the production company OneBigGame, who raise funds to help children all over the world, and have on this very day released Chime over Xbox Live Arcade. Developed by Zoë Mode, Chime is an original and innovative music puzzle game available for 400 Microsoft Points (or $5 USD if you don't drink that corporate kool-aid).
The gameplay consists of working with irregular shapes, each connected to a sound from the background music track, to form blocks called quads. These quads unlock more elements of the underlying song, allowing for a different experience each time it's played.
Hit the jump to check out some screens and a tutorial video to give you a better idea of what exactly expect. However with the net proceeds going to charity partners Save the Children and Starlight Children's Foundation, you really can't lose with this purchase.
I don't know about you, but I have some fond memories of slapping my cousins around with the Chicago Bulls in the SNES NBA Jam. So what if they were my little cousins and could barely hold the controller, I WAS A GOD!
Ahem...in case you didn't know, the new NBA Jam is scheduled to be released by EA exclusively on the Wii later in 2010. The couple screens after the jump were snagged from the latest episode of GameTrailers TV, and just like a certain channel 4 news anchor, everyone should see how good they look.
BioShock 2's publisher 2K Games certainly seems to be throwing a lot of weight behind the launch of the game. Last night, the publisher bought the entire first block of commercials to debut the new launch trailer for the game. Clocking in at over three minutes, this BioShock 2 trailer is pretty awesome, but doesn't contain a single second of gameplay footage. If you've got any familiarity with the series at all, it spells out the set-up of the game pretty clearly. But imagine that you're a non-gaming Fallon-watcher. I'd have to imagine that this video creeped you out to no end.
In other BioShock 2 news, GameStop and Best Buy will be holding midnight launches for the game next Monday. In even more BioShock 2 news, I really can't wait to play it.
Capcom doesn't seem too pleased with only 27,000 units of the 2009 Bionic Commando sold, and honestly, who could blame them? The title was co-developed by recently deceased Swedish studio GRIN, and the less-than-stellar results have brought about some significant changes to Capcom's business strategy; no more foreign developers to work on new IPs.
Okay well not entirely. Overseas developers will still be contracted to work on very specific portions of new IPs, but primarily development will be done in Japan. They also note that in the future only titles "with well-established characters and universal themes" will be outsourced to western developers.
This seems like a bizarre conclusion to me, because as you probably know, Bionic Commando is a well established IP. Therefore how the lacking sales of an overseas, co-developed sequel, results in the decision to have them do only sequels (or spin-offs) doesn't really make sense.
Logic (or lack thereof) aside, if this results in Capcom releasing higher quality IPs with greater innovation, then quite honestly I don't care what their reasoning is.
Many people have criticized Dante's Inferno for being too similar to God of War. Agree or disagree, it appears that EA is doing everything it can to distinguish its new IP by adding some very interesting downloadable content. Dubbed Trials of St. Lucia and available for download April 29, it offer players the chance to slaughter denizens of hell along with a partner. That's right my friends, co-op.
As of now it appears that the only cooperative gameplay mode is fighting waves of foes in what is called trials. However an interesting bit is that users will be able to generate and submit their own original trials for other gamers to play and rate, much like that of LittleBigPlanet. For more information straight from the senior and executive producers, check out the the youtube video after the jump.
Just like Rick in Namco Bandai's upcoming Splatterhouse game, Namco Bandai is about to suffer from some deep cuts. Yes, that was pretty forced, but it's hard to be really funny when people are losing their jobs. The company has announced that it will be recording a ¥31 billion ($342 million) loss this March. As a result, the publisher will be restructuring at the end of the fiscal year, planning to trim 630 employees from its staff of 7,000. No word on whether those cuts will concentrate on Namco Bandai's Japanese headquarters or its US office. The decline has been blamed on the poor performance of key titles. In the past year, Namco Bandai has released several Dragon Ball Z games, many casual Wii titles and a few high-profile titles like Tekken 6.
I've been a big fan of The Behemoth since the first time I played one of their games, an early version of Alien Hominid. I'm happy to see the amount of success the company has had with both that game and Castle Crashers, and that track record has got me pretty excited for their third game, which has been officially titled BattleBlock Theater. The concept of this game still isn't as clear as their earlier games, but the new trailer above does clear things up a little bit. Looks like it's a collection of game types in which the players perform for a cruel audience that views combat as entertainment. A cartoony version of Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, if you will.
No release date has been given for BattleBlock Theater. "When it's done" is what I'll assume.
We haven't done a lot for the PC gamer here as of late, and that's something I'm looking to amend. Today has seen the release of some new screens for Diablo III, the other much anticipated Blizzard title. It's true that the game won't see retail shelves till 2011, but that won't stop me from fantasizing after visually consuming your sister them. Hit the jump to see a gallery of the rest, as well as a link to the high-res shots.
I'm fairly certain that you will never again see a news post here that contains 'Reality TV' in the title. At least, I hope not. However as it stands, this is ripe material for you to casually mention to your friends mid-conversation and have a good chortle over. Or perhaps an ice-breaker at the bar. On second thought, no, don't mention this to anybody you're trying sleep with befriend. But don't worry, we've got you covered there too. Try this one, "my love for you is like diarrhea, I just can't hold it in." Works every time. Except for the last time. And the one before that. And the one before that. Okay, it never worked; don't try it.
Moving on...Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) is launching a "competition reality" series available over the PSN for the PS3 and the PSP, starting February 18, 2010. The series will be called The Tester, and revolve around eleven gamers ranging in age and occupation: 22 - 36 and used-car salesman to paramedic. Upon reading the title you probably had a good idea as to what they would be competing for, then you thought to yourself, "why would anyone compete to be a QA tester?" and decided it has to be something else. But no, you were right, these people (yes, even a paramedic) will compete in "grueling physical and mental challenges" to win a QA tester position at SCEA along with a $5,000 signing bonus.
Having been a tester myself I can't endorse the kind of enthusiasm necessary to compete over such a position. For those of us who aren't competing, seeing David Jaffe or one of their other weekly guests tear into some of those poor saps could potentially be legitimate entertainment. Either way we'll find out soon enough with only 17 days to go -- let the countdown begin!
Or just purge your memory of ever having read this, whatever you prefer.
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 10:17 AM Feb 01, 2010
On Saturday, something deep and culturally important happened. I probably don't need to tell you, as I'm sure you were glued to the coverage just like everyone else in the world. But in case you missed it by some strange fluke, I'll fill you in: the new Miss America was crowned. Miss Virginia Caressa Cameron was awarded the crown at Planet Hollywood, and she promptly used her new fame to decry video games.
"Take away the TV, take away the video games, set some standards for our children!" she said in her winner's interview. Okay, that's a pretty gentle slam and it also addresses TV as well as games, but regardless are we going to let her judge our hobby because she's got a crown? I think not. That's not what this country is about, people!
Aside from slamming video games, Miss America will be as the spokesperson for IHOP's National Pancake Day. Seriously.
I have a confession to make: I'm a big fan of Pokemon. No not of the anime series (at least not anymore), or the spin-off games, but the long running video game series developed by Game Freaks. So upon hearing that a brand new Pokemon series was in development for the DS, I squealed with elated delight cracked a manly smile.
According to a Google translation of the official Pokemon website, you can expect the game to be released (probably only in Japan) in late 2010, and to be "reborn in all innovative". I don't know exactly what that means, but it sure sounds wonderful. Oh, and I don't think Jessica Nigri (pictured above) will be appearing in it.
I love a good western complete with guns, horses, saloons, shootouts, and hats. So naturally I was a big supporter of Rockstar's original Red Dead Revolver on the PS2 as it included all of the aforementioned ingredients. Following that logic there's no surprise that Red Dead Redemption is one of my most anticipated games of 2010. I even have a shirt that I lovingly made with a BeDazzler and paint markers! Okay I actually got it at PAX and it hasn't been BeDazzled...yet. Fortunately it wasn't the one stolen from me yesterday.
Attention to detail, like in that of Uncharted 2, allows me to take a step further into the game's world and become more immersed. So reading that every person you shoot falls differently, and that enemies will be knocked back according to the "true momentum" of your gunshot has got me...aroused. Check out the following clip to see for yourself.
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 10:30 AM Jan 29, 2010
Borderlands is the type of game that's found some rabidly devoted fans, but by this point, they may have done everything there is to do in the main game and the first two DLC packs. Given the success of both Borderlands and its DLC expansions, it's no surprise that a third pack is on the way. A new expansion called "The Secret Armory of General Knoxx" will be released sometime soon and raise the level cap from 50 to... something higher than that. According to developer Gearbox, the third DLC will feature "never-before-seen enemies in a huge new environment complete with tons of brand new missions." You can see one of the new enemies in the shot above. A second screen is after the jump.
Here's some more news that paints gamers in a good light. The Xbox-exclusive track "All You Need is Love" for The Beatles: Rock Band has raised $217,780 for Doctors Without Borders. As announced at last year's E3, all proceeds from the track were donated to the charitable organization, which will use the fund to help with the relief efforts in Haiti. Gamers who haven't yet downloaded the track have until January 31 to download the track and have the price donated towards the organization.
Congratulations to Microsoft, Apple Corps, Harmonix, MTV Games and all gamers who downloaded the track for participating in a program that will bring some relief to a country that desperately needs it. More information about Doctors Without Borders can be found here.
Okay so it's not actually called "Triangles Ahoy!", that's just a really, really stupid name I inexplicably came up with on the spot. The real news here is that Steve Demeter, of Trism 1 fame, just announced that he's bringing Trism 2 to the iPhone, iPod Touch, and -- you guessed it folks -- the iPad.
In case you didn't know, within two months of the original Trism's release, Demeter pulled in over $250k in profit from his app alone. That's a pretty big deal, and hopefully sends a message of hope to all you indie developers out there.
As for Trism 2, I'm curious to see what changes will be made to the original winning formula. For the life of me all I can imagine are new puzzles and modes of play, which I wouldn't see as a good reason to drop another (presumably) $5 on. I may very well be alone in this, but here's to me being wrong anyway.
Just like many others out there, I'm sure you're wondering how and why Marcus and Dom popped up in that Lost Planet 2 video earlier this week. There's probably a multitude of complex theories and explanations, but as Kotaku found out upon contacting Cliff Bleszinski of Epic Games, the simplest explanation is often the correct one.
"They [Capcom] contacted us about the cameo, and we said 'heck yeah'. We're mutual fans of each other's work and cross-overs are darn cool so we sent over the Marcus and Dom models for implementation."
Being a big fan of both Gears of War and Lost Planet, I couldn't be happier to see Capcom and Epic playing together so nicely. However it's important to note that although the presence of their character models have been confirmed, Bleszinski was sure to point out that he can't speak on the game's controls; that he will leave in Capcom's capable hands.
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 10:11 AM Jan 27, 2010
I have a feeling that a few of you out there are playing Mass Effect 2 this week. If you're not, you should be (review coming soon). Like Dragon Age a few months ago, Mass Effect 2 shipped with a code for "launch day" DLC that included a new party member, Zaeed. Except that launch day DLC wasn't actually available on launch day due to some mysterious last-minute issues. Fortunately, Zaeed is now available through the in-game Cerberus Network, the pipeline that delivers free new content to anyone that bought the game new. Only a day late - that's not so bad, right? I know, I know. A day is like a week in internet time.
Bayonetta is a fine game with a fine protagonist. Unfortunately, it's a little less fine on the PS3. That's not console bias, it's just a fact - the PS3 version has longer load times and lots of graphical glitches that make it clearly less polished than the 360 version. Fortunately, it looks like a new patch is coming tomorrow that will help clean up some of the issues. The new patch will allow players to install the game to their PS3 hard drives, which should lessen loading times. Sadly, it won't do anything to address visual shortcomings, but a second later patch may help with that.
The patch has only been officially announced for Japan, but it's coming out tomorrow - the day when new PSN content is made available. I'd expect to see it then. I played the game on 360 so I won't know for sure. PS3 homies, please let me know if it goes up tomorrow - or doesn't!
In case you were on the fence about picking up Dead Rising 2 upon its release, prepare to be swayed; you can now duct tape shit together and kill zombies with it. If you're a fan of zombie games and that alone doesn't sell you on it, well then I don't know what drugs your mother did while pregnant with you what will. I mean look at that picture...that's a chainsaw, two of them in fact, duct taped to both ends of a fucking paddle. You can be the MacGyving Darth Maul of zombie killers! Without the lightsaber stabbity from Obi-Wan of course.
Shit...I just referenced Episode 1. Check out the other screen after the jump while I go get a cat o' nine tails and a hooker to beat me with it.
Much like a princess eating cake, the Xbox Live Games On Demand library is constantly expanding. Today finds Dead Rising and Halo Wars added to the arsenal, ready and willing to be downloaded at your earliest convenience. Now I can't recommend Halo Wars because I'm not a big RTS fan...well and the fact that I haven't played it, but Dead Rising I can vouch for. You can trust him, he's a cool guy. Maybe he'll even smoke you out sometime, or buy you a beer; that's just the kind of dude he is.
If I'm not making any sense (which is known to occur), what I'm trying to say is that if you haven't spent any time with Dead Rising, the $19.99 price tag is well worth it. If you've had your eye on Halo Wars, it can now be yours for $30.
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 10:32 AM Jan 26, 2010
In the US, Monster Hunter is one of Capcom's lesser series. In Japan, it's a juggernaut that can't be stopped. Microsoft landing a new Monster Hunter title as a presumed exclusive should be a huge boost to the company's Japanese fortunes, right? Maybe, maybe not. Monster Hunter Frontier is actually a port of a PC MMO from 2007, and from the trailer above it doesn't look like they've put any effort into improving the original graphics.
Playing the game will require the player to purchase a "Hunter Life Course Coupon" for 1,400 yen ($15), which will give them 30 days of access to the game as well as a one-month Xbox Live Gold subscription. I'm going to guess that this game won't be coming to the US, and that most of you really won't care.
Crossover time! I Have to admit that I didn't see this coming, although it does make a certain degree of sense: Gears of War's signature gorilla-esque COG soldiers will be appearing in Capcom's upcoming Lost Planet 2. There's not much we know about this crossover yet, although you can see Marcus and Dom in action in the YouTube trailer above (until it's taken down). We can fairly assume a couple things though: the Gears characters will be exclusive to the Xbox 360 version of the game, and will probably be simply skins for the co-op modes. We'll find out for sure on May 18th.
Bungie is offering you a chance to immortalize your personal artwork by submitting an emblem design for their contest. What? You're not an artist? No worries. To put it in their own words, "If it's not pixel-perfect, it's won't be a problem. We're willing to look past your lack of artistic skills and see the awesome idea underneath."
All the specifics are here, but generally speaking this is what you can expect:
-Your emblem must consist of only 2 colors.
-Your emblem must look good when it's tiny.
-Must be original -- no National flags either.
-Must be submitted between now and 11:59PM PST on February 5th, 2010.
-Nothing offensive, rude, icky, racist, or otherwise "stupidly ridonkulous.".
Good luck all ye who choose to partake, may your designs be dong-free and have nothing to do with Rick Astley.
Curious about how the upcoming Aliens vs. Predator compares to the original Aliens vs. Predator? This dev diary has got you covered. Okay, so there's not a ton of really substantive information in this video, but it's still pretty cool to look back and see shots of the original game paired with the remake. The new version of AvP is looking pretty solid, but I'm almost more impressed by how well the original has held up.
We're starting to do a "new release" post each Monday because...well, this shit be relevant! In addition it always brightens my day when I see exciting titles in the week's line up, and I'm hoping it does the same for yours.
Nintendo DS:
-Legend of Kay (Mon - Jan. 25)
-Number Battle (Mon - Jan. 25)
-Horrible Histories: Ruthless Romans (Tues - Jan 26)
-Imagine: Party Planner (Tues - Jan 26)
-Playmobil Knights (Fri - Jan. 29)
PC:
-Blood Bowl (Tues - Jan 26)
-Horrible Histories: Ruthless Romans (Tues - Jan 26)
-Mass Effect 2 (Tues - Jan 26)
-Hotel Giant (Wed - Jan 27)
-Legend of Vraz (Thurs - Jan 28)
-The Lost Cases of Sherlock Holmes, Vol. 2 (Fri - Jan 29)
-Mole Control (Fri - Jan 29)
-Simplz: Zoo (Fri - Jan 29)
PSP:
-Shadow of Destiny (Tues - Jan 26)
PS3:
-MAG (Tues - Jan 26)
Xbox 360:
-Blood Bowl (Tues - Jan 26)
-Mass Effect 2 (Tues - Jan 26)
Wii:
-"Aha, I found it!" Hidden Object Game (Mon - Jan 25)
-Horrible Histories: Ruthless Romans (Tues - Jan 26)
-No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle (Tues - Jan 26)
-Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Justice for All (Tues - Jan 26)
-Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars (Tues - Jan 26)
In a recent interview for the March issue of Game Informer, the director of Platinum Games, Hideki Kamiya, dropped a hint about a possible Bayonetta 2. Now this probably comes as no surprise to you considering both the overseas and domestic success of Bayonetta the First. However, the interesting bit comes when Kamiya says that "Personally, I'd like to approach the world of Bayonetta from a different angle, in the form of a spin-off."
Now I don't know about you, but that excites me. Perhaps it's because I support the unconventional, or because the unknown allows the imagination to run wild, but I too would like to see a spin-off. Despite my initial doubts, the first Bayonetta proved to be truly kick-ass. So if Platinum Games decides to do a spin-off, I for one will support their decision.
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 12:00 PM Jan 22, 2010
Did you play Tony Hawk: RIDE? No, I didn't either. The latest entry in the long-running Tony Hawk series was met with both poor reviews and poor sales, but that doesn't mean the series is dead. Tony Hawk himself confirmed that the next game is in the works via his Twitter account:
Just met with @robomodo about our next project and it's already much better than I expected. Details soon. Chicago is not warm.
I'm absolutely not surprised that there's another Tony Hawk game in the works. It's a long-running annual franchise that's made Activision billions of bucks over the years. The series has been in a slump for a long, long time, hitting its lowest point yet with RIDE. But Activision spent a lot of money on developing the board peripheral and Tony Hawk's not a cheap man to keep under contract, so expect them to keep pressing forward with the games for several more years.
Apparently one of the biggest criticisms of digital content distribution portals, such as Steam, is that it leaves no room for a used games market.* Enter Green Man Gaming, a soon to launch PC portal where gamers will be able to trade-in their pre-played games, and receive credit to be used for future downloads. The catch? There will still be no "used games" market for DLC -- just a digital graveyard where the traded-in key codes go to be buried.
How exactly will all this work? Hit the jump to read on.
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 10:25 AM Jan 21, 2010
Let no one say that the gaming community isn't a caring bunch. A few days ago, Bungie announced that they would be giving money to Haiti based on how many players used a pro-Haiti logo in Halo 3. But it's not just the big guys that are trying to help. For the next four days, The Behemoth, the tiny indie developer behind Castle Crashers and Alien Hominid, will be giving 100% of the proceeds of all DLC sold for either game to the Haitian relief efforts. What's more, the studio's employees will match the money raised dollar for dollar. This is in win-win-win in my mind. Haiti gets help, you get great game content, and The Behemoth comes out looking like the classy folks they are. So what are you waiting for? Go grab some great game content for a good cause.
That headline is a pun, because in the in one of the downloadable expansions for Heavy Rain, you'll play as the villainous Origami Killer. Get it? Comedy gold! I'll be taking over for whichever late-night talk show host gets fired next. Anyway,the Heavy Rain Chronicles will be DLC prequels to the game that will explain the motivations of some of the central characters. One, as we so hilariously already mentioned, will be the Origami Killer. Another will center on FBI profiler Norman Jayden and explain how he developed his drug addiction and received a nasty scar. The third will explain why photographer Madison Paige can't sleep. Two final Chronicles will focus on the characters Ethan Mars and Scott Shelby, but nothing has been revealed about the contents of their episodes yet.
According to Eurogamer, which translated this info from French gaming site Gameblog.fr, the Heavy Rain Chronicles will be about an hour long. I'm unclear if that's an hour per episode or total.
To all you skeptics out there, I sympathize with you. Emulators on the iPhone have a history of getting the cane as soon as they take center stage in the App store. However you can allow yourself some excitement because this time around it's an official, full virtual console, slated for an early February release.
Dubbed the "Ultimate Genesis", it will come with Space Harrier II, with other games available for purchase through the App. Here's the line-up and pricing thus far:
Sonic the Hedgehog: $5.99
Golden Axe: $4.99
Ecco the Dolphin: $2.99
Shining Force: $2.99
According to Gizmodo the emulator is a little slow on non-3GS iPhones, but that won't stop me and my 3G from kicking the shit out of Death Adder come this February.
Oh, and if anyone from Sega is reading this, Road Rash please!
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 12:30 PM Jan 20, 2010
Microsoft's Project Natal has received much more press coverage than Sony's PS3 wand thingie (which may be called Arc), but one thing it had going for it was that it was supposed to hit months earlier. That ain't happening. Sony has announced that its new motion wand is being pushed back to the Fall to allow developers more time to create games for the device's launch.
Expect to hear an announcement from Capcom about the delay of the motion-controlled Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition any day now.
The Rock Band Network, announced back in July, goes into public beta today. As music game fans probably know, the Rock Band Network will allow bands and individuals to convert their music into playable Rock Band tracks that will be available to anyone.*
A Rock Band Network membership is free, but a $99/year XNA Creator's Club membership is also required. Participants will receive 30% of the proceeds of all tracks sold. Submitted songs will be vetted through the RBN community by undergoing both "Playtest" and "Peer Review" processes before being made available to the public.
I'm unsure how popular the program will be, especially given the decline in popularity of the music game genre. Regardless, I think the RBN is a major moment in video game history - there's never been such a high-profile effort to involve the public in creating content for a major mainstream game.** Whether the public takes advantage of this opportunity remains to be seen.
*Anyone playing on an Xbox 360 console, at least. Certain tracks may be made available for the PS3 and Wii, but only Xbox 360 players will have access to every published song.
**RBN appears to be casting a wider net than anything I'm aware of in the modding community. If I'm wrong on that, please let me know.
In what seems to be degenerating into schoolyard name calling, Electronic Arts has publicly responded to former executive Mitch Lasky's earlier criticism. Lasky had slammed EA and it's current management in his blog immediately after the company announced that it would be off-target for it's fiscal year, and that the packaged goods business would be either flat or down in 2011. Armed with some very good points, Lasky tore into EA saying that it is "in the wrong business, with the wrong cost structure, and the wrong team, but somehow they think that it's going to be a smooth two-year transition from packaged goods to digital. Think again."
Hit the jump to read EA's response, in which they essentially call Lasky a little bitch.
The year is now 2010 and Activision Blizzard is without-a-doubt the leading power in the videogame industry. With Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 racking in over $1 billion in sales and World of Warcraft consistently earning hundreds of millions each month, the company is showing no sign of slowing down. And the man at the head of this multi-billion dollar company, Bobby Kotick, could not be more happy.
His happiness is apparent in an interview with Game Informer where he laughs about a missed opportunity to acquire Blizzard in 1995. The asking price back then? Seven million dollars. Twelve years later in 2007, Blizzard was worth $7 billion.
The lucky company to snatch Blizzard up for the seven million was Davidson & Associates, who later went to Vivendi. In the interview, Kotick talks of a dinner with Davidson and mentions his now hilarious comment about their acquisition of Blizzard.
2009 was tough. We all know that. It wasn't just tough on you and me and Charlie Sheen, it was tough on the big three console manufacturers as well. Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft all saw revenue drops in 2009, although perhaps not for the reasons you'd expect. According to Gamasutra, Microsoft and Nintendo actually sold more hardware and software in 2009 than 2008, so the drop in revenue is likely caused by price drops.
Sony, on the other hand, saw a revenue decline of over 1 billion dollars, thanks primarily to the steep decline in PS2 sales - $700 million less than in 2008. Considering how long the PS2 has been on the market, I find it pretty impressive that it's still so key to Sony. However, given its decline, 2010 will probably be the last year the PS2 has any significant presence in the market.
I can appreciate why an organization such as the ESRB exists, which is to say, I see it's purpose. However, whether or not it succeeds in said purpose is not what currently concerns me. My concern lies in the amount of plot related details divulged to the public in the name of...what? Allowing us to make informed decisions? Why is it important to explain the context of the scene, give us the name of the character present, and then follow it up with a goddamnplay-by-play? Is this the kind of knowledge people are asking for these days to make purchasing decisions?
I understand that the ESRB wants to equip parents with the proper knowledge of what their offspring could encounter while playing a game; I'm not unsympathetic to this. Just do us gamers a favor and keep all the potentially plot related details out of it. Or perhaps at the very least, how about a spoiler warning? Hit the jump to read the ESRB rating summary of Heavy Rain (SPOILER ALERT!).
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 12:00 PM Jan 18, 2010
According to this GameStop listing, Borderlands is getting a retail add-on pack that's coming on February 23. The disc would include the two Borderlands DLC packs that have been released so far: "The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned" and "Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot." The disc will set you back $20. I'm curious who this disc is for, as anyone who's playing Borderlands without an online connection is straight-up nuts. And if you have an internet connection, why not just buy the DLC from the online stores? Regardless, I see this as good news. 2K is supporting the game, which is a good sign for the continued life of the franchise. And I do loves me this franchise!
You may remember the news from last year that Bionic Commando/Wanted: Weapons of Fate developer GRIN was working on a Final Fantasy game before the company shut down. Supervised by Square Enix, GRIN's fate was sealed in part by the fact that Sqeenix was reportedly unhappy with the studio's work and pulled them off the project. Now some supposed footage of the game, codenamed "Fortress" has found its way online.
Honestly, it's pretty unexciting stuff, and I can see why Squeenix wasn't jazzed about it. But looks into early game development are rare, so I thought I'd share. Fortress is reportedly still under development, although it probably won't look much like what you see here.
[Update: The video above has been taken down, but you can still find it online at various sites. Thanks to Spartacus for the tip.]
I love the Resident Evil games. So few franchises have been so successful at combining legitimate scares with clunky dialogue, ridiculous extras and nonsensical plots into a cohesive whole that somehow works. This new trailer for Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition has got it all: Spooky mansions, awkward dialogue, silly alternate costumes, gloppy monsters and tons of explosions. So in other words, I'm completely sold.
In case you haven't been following this title, RE5: Gold Edition is the re-released version of RE5 with new costumes, new enemies and most importantly, two new gameplay scenarios. The PS3 version will also support the Sony motion wand. The disc-based versions of the game will be out in March, but you'll be able to download the first new game episode in February and the second one in March.
The Writer's Guild of America is once again giving out an
award for "best qualifying script" in video games from 2009. The
nominees this year are:
Assassin's Creed 2 - Story by Corey May,
Script Writers Corey May, Joshua Rubin, Jeffrey Yohalem; Ubisoft
Entertainment
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 -Written
by Jesse Stern, Additional Writing Steve Fukuda, Story by Todd
Alderman, Steve Fukuda, Mackey McCandlish, Zied Rieke, Jesse Stern, Jason West,
Battlechatter Dialogue, Sean Slayback; Activision
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves - Written by Amy Hennig; Sony Computer Entertainment
Wet - Written by Duppy Demetrius; Bethesda Softworks
X-Men Origins: Wolverine - Script Writer Marc Guggenheim; Activision
I will withhold my comments for now because I'd like to hear what you think, rather than poison your minds with what I think (there will be enough of that to come). Do any of those nominees deserve the award? Is there a game that they didn't nominate that should get it? What are your thoughts?
I know what you're thinking: have the masterminds at Atari created a video game capable of achieving levels of awesome never before dreamed of by mortal man? Indeed they have my friends, especially if you're a long time fan of the Project Runway TV series.
Have you dreamed of designing your own dress? Creating a standard-definition virtual avatar of yourself to deck out, then show off said dress to a bunch of NPDs who won't heckle or judge you (unless of course you want them to)?
Well dust off your balance board and begin your squat-thrusts, because come March 2 everyone can be pretty and under-fed! Go strut your stuff gentlemen...and ladies? There have to be some ladies who read this right?
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 11:40 AM Jan 13, 2010
You have got to be kidding me. Every time the release date for the new Splinter Cell game rolls around, Ubisoft delays it again. After a completely retooling the project, Splinter Cell: Conviction was supposed to come out in 2009. Then February 23. Now it's being held until sometime in April, according to Ubisoft's latest financial performance update. That same update also had some news about a new Raving Rabbids game, a new Assassin's Creed thingy with multiplayer (no platform given) and the delay of RUSE to 2011. But I don't care about any of that right now. I feel like Charlie Brown after Lucy pulls away the football.
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 12:00 PM Jan 12, 2010
That concept seems to be the selling point for Metal Slug XX, the new Metal Slug game releasing late next month for PSP. A revamped version of Metal Slug 7 for DS, this trailer makes me want to pull my PSP out of cold storage and start shooting.
One of my most anticipated (and most delayed) games of 2010 finally has a release date. Heavy Rain, the gorgeous pseudo-sequel to cult adventure game Indigo Prophecy, will be hitting stores on February 23. The PS3-exclusive title has the potential to be the best-looking game to date as well as an entirely unique gameplay experience, so you'd better believe I'll be checking it out.
Microsoft's recently announced Game Room lets you play classic arcade games in a virtual arcade space. The Xbox 360 already has another feature that lets you play classic arcade games. You may have heard of it. It's called Xbox Live Arcade. XBLA has seen several classic arcade games in the past, but according to Microsoft, those previously released classics won't be compatible with Game Room. I reached out to Microsoft on the subject, and a PR contact explained that the Game Room games are 100% arcade accurate, while the XBLA games typically feature exclusive enhancements like improved graphics.
I've checked the list of Game Room titles against the list of retro games released for XBLA, and fortunately there isn't a lot of overlap. Centipede is available on XBLA and has been announced for Game Room, so if you have it for XBLA and want it in your Game Room, you'll have to buy it twice. Maybe you really, really love Centipede.
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 12:00 PM Jan 07, 2010
At CES this week, Microsoft released the video above, which tags their motion-sensing camera code-named Project Natal as a "Holiday 2010" release. That release window should come as absolutely no surprise to anyone who follows the game industry, but it's nice to see it nailed down regardless. The video also gets a little deeper into how Natal actually works, and I stress the word little. Most of this is fluff, but some concrete tech info is still better than none.
The Consumer Electronics Show is taking place this week in Las Vegas, and there are always a few bits of interesting gaming news that come out of that show. One such tidbit is the announcement of Game Room, a new virtual arcade for Xbox Live and Games for Windows Live. In this virtual game space, you'll be able to play some of your favorite classic arcade games and customize your space, as well as give your Avatar another meager reason to exist.
Developed by Krome Studios, Game Room itself will be free, although the games in it will not be. You can buy individual plays for 40 ($0.50), 240 ($3) to own the game on either XBL or Windows Live, or 400 ($5) to unlock the game for both your Xbox and PC. No word yet if your previously purchased retro arcade games will work in Game Room, but I'll reach out to Microsoft to see what I can find out.
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 12:00 PM Jan 06, 2010
Well, this is... unexpected. Sony is going to be releasing a Michael Jackson "This Is It" PS3 bundle in Japan on January 27. Basically, the bundle includes a PS3 Slim and a copy of the concert film on Blu-ray. Has the moratorium on tasteless Michael Jackson jokes been lifted yet? Good. Here are a couple, but feel free to add more in the comments.
1). He's still finding a way to get into young boy's bedrooms. 2). Shouldn't that console be white?
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 10:00 AM Jan 06, 2010
Here's the first trailer for Dragon Age: Awakening, which will be released March 16 for $39.99 on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. A copy of the original Dragon Age: Origins is required to play. Sold.
Man, just when I thought I'd escaped from the grasp of Dragon Age, it pulls me back in! Rumors of this DA retail expansion started flying a couple days ago, but now it's official. Even though the original game is ridiculously large and has already been expanded by DLC, it's getting even more content in the form of this disc-based expansion. Dragon Age: Awakening takes place years after the ending of the original game, raises the level cap (which I didn't manage to hit by the end of the game) and allows you to "re-spec" your attributes. Of course, the expansion features new areas, spells, enemies and party members. Thanks, BioWare. My spring was already super-crowded, and now there's another game I absolutely must play. If my wife leaves me, I blame you. Well, you and the drinking.
Here's the blurb from Gamestop:
For centuries, the Grey Wardens-the ancient order of guardians, sworn
to unite and defend the lands-have been battling the darkspawn forces.
Legend spoke that slaying the Archdemon would have put an end to the
darkspawn threat for centuries to come, but somehow they remain. You
are the Grey Warden Commander and have been entrusted with the duty of
rebuilding the order of Grey Wardens and uncovering the secrets of the
darkspawn and how they managed to remain. How you choose to rebuild
your order, how you resolve the conflict with "The Architect", and how
you determine the fate of the darkspawn will be but some of the many
complex choices that await and shape your journey as you venture to the
new land of Amaranthine.
According to The Sun, a high security insane asylum in the UK called Broadmoor Hospital has been lavished with 22 Wii systems, valued at 5,000 Euros, thanks to the good British taxpayers. The "hospital" is home to the criminally insane and the video game systems are being supposedly part of the patients' "treatment".
The Sun's source had this to say:
"When you think of their crimes and the misery they have caused, you have to ask if it's right for society to pay to entertain them. This cash could have been spent improving care in the wider NHS. In the meantime all we hear is laughter as patients play with their new toys."
Considering the hospital is already equipped with plasma televisions, Xbox and PlayStation systems, the addition of the Wii had to be made -- if only to give patients a proper choice for their gaming entertainment!
A spokesperson from Broadmoor claimed the Wii systems are meant to increase exercise (while using Wii Fit). But I think we can all call bull on that statement. If I were a British taxpayer, I would be calling up someone in power and demanding some answers!
I'm sure there is some orphanage in the UK that could use those systems for a better cause. Heck, if every orphanage in the UK have proper entertainment, I'm sure there's an old folk's home that could use them (see picture of happy old people playing Wii above).
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 12:00 PM Jan 04, 2010
Okay, this isn't a trailer for the actual game, which we all know is never happening. It's a trailer for a live action Duke Nukem film from Finnish production company HMCindie. Enjoy the trailer - it's probably the most you'll ever see of either the game or the film.
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 10:23 AM Jan 04, 2010
I write about sports games about as often as I actually watch sports. But this little news item may affect... someone... out there, so it's my duty to share. As of February 2, EA is closing down the online server for many of its online sports games. The most significant is Madden 09, so if you preferred it to Madden 10, too bad. Also getting cut are games like the boxing dud Facebreaker and NBA Street. Full list after the jump.
Even a non-sporty guy like me knows that Farve's no longer a Packer. That's probably why they're pulling the servers, right?
I'm sitting here bemoaning the fact that there's absolutely nothing happening in the world of games right now when it hit me that I should be cherishing this time off. After all, the way it used to work was that the Christmas season was nuts, and then things were slow until at least March, but possibly even longer. How long until the craziness starts up again? Two more freakin' days. This Tuesday, Bayonetta and Darksiders release, and these two big-budget action games are just the start. Also coming up this month: Dark Void, MAG, Mass Effect 2 and No More Heroes 2, just to name a few. February looks just as packed, too.
So, which of these January releases are you looking to play? I'm focused on Bayonetta, Dark Void and Mass Effect. Hope you saved your gift cards, kids!
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 11:46 AM Jan 02, 2010
As seen on GeekWeek, this controller pic was snapped in Japan, where the replacement for the Wii's terrible classic controller has hit the market. This best be coming here, Nintendo.
UPDATE: So this is apparently the Classic Controller Pro, and it's been available in Japan for months now. Thanks to Dread fro pointing this out. As for me, Ball = Dropped. Sorry guys.
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 10:14 PM Dec 30, 2009
One of my favorite Futurama episodes is the "Anthology of Interest II" episode that includes a pretty awesome parody of some classic video games. The climactic final battle of that story has been recreated by a bunch of German indie developers who apparently like that episode as much as I do. Considering that the game copies Space Invaders, uses art, characters and voices from Futurama and stays true to Fry's "All Rush mixtape" for the soundtrack, I have a feeling that this thing will be online for oh, about ten more seconds.
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 12:00 PM Dec 30, 2009
Xbox has been running an excellent series of deals leading up to the New Year. I grabbed the final two Fallout 3 DLC packs I hadn't purchased the other day, so it looks like I'll be returning to that dark place in my life where nothing outside the Capital Wasteland matters to me. But for you fine folks who will be carrying on without me, today has a great deal for you: Castle Crashers for $6. Marked down from $15, you'll never have a better time to buy this excellent co-op brawler if you don't already have it. I'd join you online to play, but... you know where I'll be.
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 11:00 AM Dec 29, 2009
I have a lot of memories of Blood Bowl from when I was a kid - at least, memories of its box. Like lot of people who grew up to be totally awesome, popular adults, I spent a lot of time in hobby shops, browsing the RPG books and miniatures. I remember seeing the Blood Bowl game and thinking it seemed like a great idea: a violent fantasy version of football.* I never actually played the game, but now that might actually change. SouthPeak is bringing Blood Bowl to the 360 next month and the PSP sometime in the Spring. The game's been out for some time on PC, but I'm far more likely to check out random games on my console. Anyway, this tangent-filled post also has a trailer, so I'll shut up now while you watch it.
*Which is already a violent fantasy, if you think about it.
EA and Dante's Inferno want to put you into the holiday spirit, and have released their festive, violent take on The Twelve Days of Christmas. But this video isn't only a clever way to get a little bit attention on the holiday - it's a reminder that the Dante's Inferno demo is available now. Check it out and play it over your vacation if you get a chance - I've played it, but I'm curious to get our readers' take on the game.
If you're a Command and Conquer fan concerned that C&C4 wouldn't have enough of the Tiberium harvesting that you just can't live without, this new trailer should soothe your fears. It explains how gathering the trademark mineral works in the rejiggered multiplayer mode, as well as how it fits into the fiction of the series. Basically, I'm just posting it because I found it supremely silly that EA felt the need to create a lengthy trailer about resource gathering. It doesn't get more exciting!
If you've played Modern Warfare 2's multiplayer in the last week or so, you've probably noticed that it's been... less polished than usual. Fortunately, a new patch is live today that should solve issues on all platforms. On 360, the patch is supposed to address issues like the infinite ammo glitch, "Public-Private" match exploits and balancing the 1887 gun. The issues I've experienced online lately include much more lag than normal and getting thrown into playlists that I didn't expect, such as choosing Team Deathmatch and getting placed into a Domination game. Hopefully issues such as these will be repaired as well. And would it kill you to change the map rotation mix, Infinity Ward? We're all sick of playing Karachi over and over.
Coming towards the end of the year, everyone is giving their opinions on this and that. Even here at Joystick Division, we have tons of lists and features planned for the next month looking back at not only 2009, but the past decade in gaming. Until we get all our lists up, I'll be using the Daily Noon Reading Extravaganza to give props to others. Not mention whatever random stuff I read throughout the day. And I read a lot, so enjoy the list today.
The Daily Noon Reading Extravaganza will be on hiatus until Monday, the 28th.
Either Gabe Newell has gone mad after being bitten by a rabid prostitute or Valve is really feeling really generous during these terrible economic times. It was probably those darn rabid prostitutes.
Either way, the latest holiday sale to hit digital game distribution platform, Steam, is one any PC gamer can appreciate. Literally every game seems to be discounted to some degree, except for Modern Warfare 2. But that doesn't matter, I would buy a second copy of bug-ridden Mirror's Edge at full price over a multiplayer PC game that lacks dedicated server support.
Enough of my political ranting, everyone hates Activision and everyone loves Steam (not counting Randy Pitchford). So this holiday season let's show it by spending our long-awaited seasonal allowances on games. Only good games though -- if I catch anyone trying to buy the new Wolfenstein, I'm going to ban you from the internet. Just play it safe and get GTA4 for $7.50. My copy is 80% downloaded already. Merry shopping, readers!
*UPDATE: Brave New Gamer has an awesome breakdown of what you should buy.
Commander Shepard and his crew are kicking ass while I sit back and chew my bubblegum. That's the way I like it and that's the way it's gonna be. Well I guess before I can play this, I should probably finish the original. And I've only got a month to do that. Alright readers, I'm going to go play Mass Effect, you guys hold down the fort and enjoy this video.
I'm trying my best to get with the festivities readers, so bear with me on my last work day before my vacation.
Starting today, Quake Live will allow players to skin their characters as "Festive Santa" or "Vixen" and access to a holiday themed map called Silent Night. Despite the fact that I suck terrible reindeer balls at Quake Live, I might have to sign onto my cobweb-ridden account to play as Santa and reign terror on the Vixens of id's free-to-play FPS.
The festive features will be available for the next two weeks, so get your Santa on as long as you can.
I'm not sure how many gamers need to learn about the plot of the new
Aliens vs. Predator game in order to win their interest, but the new
AVP story trailer is here regardless. I can't say that there are any
surprises in there (no Alien/Predator/Human love triangle or
anything),but if the plot's not your thing, there is still plenty of
bloody action spectacle on display.
Joystick Division can't always be your main source for the greatest original video game content on the web. Anton and I try our bests, but the man keeps us down. Therefore, we will show some love to our fellow gaming publications and link out to what we're reading throughout the day. The content you'll find in this post will mostly be features, interviews, exclusives, etc. Hope you enjoy and spread the love this holiday season, gamers!
Either Cliffy B is working overtime or Epic Games is sneaking their way into the iPhone market. The video below shows a writer from AnandTech playing a modified version of Unreal Tournament on an iPod Touch. The game runs on their latest engine, Unreal Engine 3, which was used to make Gears of War 2.
That's pretty crazy. While Unreal Engine 3 will only run on 3rd generation iPod Touch and iPhone 3GS devices, it's amazing to see the power Apple's gadgets can put out. The company has yet to announce any official plans to license the engine or create a game for the platform, but says licensing will be available "at some point in the near future".
Check out the full details on AnandTech's hands-on with the engine over at their site.
Amazon is quickly becoming my favorite place to order games; and deals like this prove why. Besides offering release-day deliver for free, you can easily get the latest games discounted for pre-order. At this point, anything that saves a gamer a trip to GameStop on release day is a good thing. After my latest experience of waiting in line for Halo 3: ODST with sweaty 14-year-olds and their mothers, I'm done with GameStop (unless I need a used game quick).
But enough of me convincing you of GameStop's flaws and Amazon's perks, you all are smart readers and probably know that already. I'm just reinforcing that by constantly drilling it into your impressionable heads at any opportunity.
The video game world wept when UGO killed EGM after acquiring the 1UP network back in January of this year. The new independent EGM is being head up by Steve Harris, one the magazine's original founders. Sales and marketing will be handled by Time-Warner.
The relaunch will incorporate the web in the form of an "interactive version" called EGM[i]: The Digital Magazine. Buyers of the print copy will receive a code that gives them special access to online exclusives including "article extensions and original content."
More information from the official press release below:
This first issue of the new print edition of
Electronic Gaming Monthly will carry an April cover and include a
special cover story continuing the EGM tradition of highlighting the
best games of the year. The premier issue of the re-launch will also
boast game previews, a new Review Crew featuring the return of Sushi-X,
and commentary from a host of columnists including EGM personalities
such as Quartermann, Dan "Shoe" Hsu, Sean "Seanbaby" Reiley, and many
others.
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 10:19 AM Dec 21, 2009
You watched the teaser trailer for the Batman: Arkham Asylum sequel, right? Wasn't much there - or was there? GameTrailers' Pop-Block has dissected the video, adding in a bunch of comments on the little things they noticed. Apparently, there's much more to it than you might expect, with hints about the appears of Batman characters like The Penguin, Black Mask, Catwoman and more. It's an interesting video to check out on a slow news day.
Posted by J. Matthew Zoss at 11:03 AM Dec 18, 2009
- The band, that is. Psyche. Acclaimed musician Owen Pallett, better known by his game-inspired stage name Final Fantasy. He's released a statement about the change below, in which he clearly states that this move is to avoid any legal or trademark issues. With his latest album his first to find distribution in Japan, he was clearly concerned that a lawsuit may have been coming his way in the future. The move was probably a smart one for Pallett, as well as a relief for Square Enix, who probably would have sued eventually, but now won't have to endure the bad PR.
Pallett's statement is below.
Friends,
I began playing solo violin shows in 2004. Although
it was essentially a solo project, I named the band Final Fantasy, as
the experience-- and the tone of the material-- was reminiscent of the
hours and hours I had spent as an adolescent playing those epic JRPGs.
But the laws of trademark infringement exist for good reason, and so I
am voluntarily retiring my band name. In the new year, my record
Heartland is coming out, and it is my first to be released in many
territories, including Japan. With this in mind, I feel it is in my own
best interests to definitively distinguish my music from Square/Enix's
games.
So, I am no longer playing shows as Final Fantasy.
Subsequent releases, including Heartland, will be issued under my own
name, Owen Pallett. Prior releases will sometime soon be re-packaged
and re-issued.
I thank Square/Enix their kindness and support, and I thank you all for your understanding.
($0.50), 240
