Archive for May, 2007

This is truly amazing! Things that came to mind while I was watching the clip ranged from a gigantic iPhone to Minority Report. I can’t believe Microsoft is releasing this. I couldn’t get any pricing info but if I do I will post it. Here’s a bit of the release info that was posted on their site and the marvelous video clip: Read the rest of this entry »

Well, having played this for several hours now, I can say I’m wowed. This is definitely a very distinctive, fun and enjoyable game.

WT:SnR could be said to combine aspects of 3 Japanese fighting games, each of varying popularity. From the Virtual On series, it draws vectored dashing (controllable and cancellable in mid-dash), which, like in VO, also affects the nature of the characters’ distance attacks. From Psychic Force, it draws a 2D playing field and stick+button special move combos, and defensive force fields. Gauge management, an aspect of both aforementioned games, is also present, but much more in the vein of Virtual On than PF. Finally, from the Power Stone series, WT draws immense, screen-filling powerup modes for all fighters, allowing them to unleash over-the-top attacks that can, if used well, turn the tide of a fight.
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Well I called it in one of my first videtorials. It would be REALLY stupid for Konami to spend all this money on the game and only release it on PS3. To increase sales of the game it only makes sense to go cross platform. The key here is game sales, not system loyalty.

source: Destructoid

[Edit] I noticed some traffic coming here today and decided to go back and read the original article at Destructoid. It seems that they got a lot of heat from it and edited it for internet Mattlockery. Ron Workman is a genius!

God Bless you, Kotaku, for bringing us this news today.

It looks like the next big Firmware update comes with DVD upscaling, PSP’s access their PS3’s though the net, and more! Even if it isn’t really that big of a deal to some of you… you have to admit, it’s about damn time Sony did SOMETHING right. Check the link for more.

PS3 Firmware to hit 1.80

With Halo 3’s Beta already out and running, there seems to be a minor stir starting already. Will this game live up to the inevitable hype it’s bound to create? No. In fact, it never will. Why? Because Halo is one of the most over-hyped game series to date.

So, what is it that makes people praise these games so much?

Reason 1: It’s the good stuff!

Obviously they’d have to be pretty good games to begin with. Controls have to be solid, buttons configurations need to be comfortable, camera placement had to be done well. In most (if not all) cases these games are of genre defining quality. They don’t just play well, they set the standard from which most future games in their genre go from.

Reason 2: They introduce new players.

This, in my opinion, is the main reason why people over-hype them. Since these games are so good, it gets introduced to new people in a variety of ways. These people pick up the games, play the genre for the first time and think “Wow…. Where has this been all my life?”. It’s new, it’s exciting and interesting. It introduces fanatics to their ‘Precious’. It becomes even more exaggerated when it’s a game that has introduced people who had never really played games much before then. Final Fantasy 7, Metal Gear Solid, Halo, World of Warcraft, God of War…. all of these games did well to bring newcomers into the world of video games. Naturally, they’ll want to show that appreciation.

*Looks at the many, many video game Internet forums*

Reason 3: Sequels increase loyalty.

Essentially it breaks down to this formula.

Amount of time the players have to wait + the quality of the sequel after it’s released * the level of fanaticism of the player = Hype for the series overall. In my theory, this is how Final Fantasy stayed alive over the years. Number 7 generated so many fanatics that it helped to carry the entire series for quite a while.

Reason 4: A sense of community.

And, finally, we have the last reason. In my opinion, people tend to appreciate games more if it helps produce a common bond with their peers. This is especially apparent with those who play Online Multiplayer games such as Halo or World of Warcraft. The social contact only helps to add to more loyalty to the a-typical fanboy.

In conclusion, it’s not really a bad thing to appreciate a game for what it’s worth. To enjoy games is really what this is all about. However, you have to remember that just because it’s a good game doesn’t mean you have to blindly follow it off a cliff. Learn to accept what minor flaws it may have, or even the idea that not everyone lives, eats, and breaths this particular obsession of yours.

Microsoft Game Studios today announced that “Forza Motorsport® 2” has gone gold. In addition, a brand-new playable demo of the game’s campaign mode is now available on Xbox LIVE®.
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Capcom®, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today announced plans to issue a downloadable playable demo of the PC version of Lost Planet™: Extreme Condition, which will be available simultaneously worldwide on May 15. While the game has already shipped more than one million units worldwide on the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, this PC version features PC-specific enhancements. Lost Planet for PC is rated T for Teen by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) and will be available in June for a suggested retail price of $39.95.
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Xbox World has posted some Halo 2/3 comparison shots. You can see that the beta version of Halo 3 looks as good as the Halo 2 final shots. There’s better lighting in the Halo 3 shots but as you know, the final build is supposed to look a lot better. Only time will tell!

Source: Xbox World

First Double Dragon and now Rush’n Attack! It’s too good to be true!

Here’s the official release:

The Xbox LIVE Arcade library, now 58 games strong and growing, continues to expand and provide every type of gamer with accessible, pick-up-and-play game experiences. An electrifying lineup of racing games, card and board games, and both original and classic action games will be coming to Xbox LIVE Arcade in the future, including the following (not in chronological order of release):
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Wow! I knew this was coming and I’m more than excited about it. Not only are we getting the classic brawler on Xbox Live, but the graphics and music have been enhanced! You get both the original and HD versions of the game! Here’s the full release:

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The World Of Warcraft is a cultural phenomenon. It’s unlike any other MMORPG that’s been released. Over 8 million subscribers alone should be enought to etch it in stone as a National Pasttime. When you walk down the street to hit the local 7/11 and you hear some guy screaming out of his window about rogues stunlocking abilities, you realize that WoW is as big as life. Yeah, I’ve screamed about rogues too. I can relate to that guy and I don’t even know him.

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In an interview with Official Playstation Magazine, Rockstar’s Dan Houserwas asked the following:

“On PS3 you’ve got a guarantee that every machine is going to have a hard-drive and, with Blu-ray, you’ve got plenty of storage, whereas on Xbox 360 there’s no guarantee of a hard-drive and you’re working with the DVD format. Does that create limitations?”

To which he replied, “Yep.”

He continued, “To be honest with you we haven’t solved all those riddles yet.” The difficulties aren’t limited to working on Microsoft’s box, as Houser explains that “both have enormous challenges” and that “both have their own particular pleasures and pains.”

Will the 360 version suffer from any of these ‘limitations’? It’s possible, depending on how massive this game will actually be. Frankly, I’ve got goosebumps. I’ve never been one to be very excited about a GTA game. In my opinion, it significantly lost it’s luster sometime after GTA 3 was first released and over-rated. That was no small game, but the idea of filling up a Blu-ray disc AND using the HD for extra content makes GTA 3 seem downright……. well……. small.

This comes from PSPSPS.

“The machine’s architecture is tricky, and I don’t like Ken Kutaragi.” So says Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of Blue Dragon and Final Fantasy. Speaking in an interview with EGM magazine (via 1UP), Sakaguchi was pleased with the software for the Xbox 360, but criticised the company’s marketing. “”Microsoft has to change its marketing strategy in Japan. There are a lot of excellent games on the 360, far better games than what’s on the Wii or PS3. But not a lot of people in Japan have a clear idea what games like Gears of War are all about. Just look at the Windows Vista commercial — it’s terrible.”

The PlayStation 3 has had some problems when it comes to getting decent exclusives RPG, with a lot of developers choosing to develop for the Xbox 360 as well as hinting at multiplatform releases for mega-franchise Final Fantasy. Development costs are high and multiplatform’s the current developer survival technique. Nevertheless, the Xbox 360’s had a bit more luck with RPGs. If the PS3 gets a roster of games that’s good enough to attract serious numbers to the console in the long run, then we could see some RPGs return to Sony. Until then, there’s not much to do but wait.

source: http://shinymedia.headshift.com/cgi-bin/mtshiny/mt-tb.cgi/29642

On Thursday, May 3, at 9 a.m. GMT, Xbox LIVE® gamers should ready their weapons and prepare for battle as “Gears of War®”, rated M for Mature, releases four new action-packed multiplayer maps in the thrilling “Hidden Fronts” Multiplayer Map Pack. For 800 Microsoft points, COG soldiers and the Locust Horde will clash once again for control of these four dynamic new areas, including Bullet Marsh, Garden, Process and Subway.

Bullet Marsh: In this Kryll-infested swamp, an old generator still powers the area lights. A few stray bullets could easily knock out the generator, leaving combatants to fend for themselves against the Kryll.

Garden: This overgrown and crumbling conservatory still has a working fertilization and pesticide system. This system can pose a serious hazard to anyone who ventures into the greenhouse without first venting the air.

Process: Teams must fight for control of this subterranean Imulsion processing plant, still active despite the cessation of the Pendulum wars.

Subway: Timgad’s Central Subway station used to serve as a central hub for commuters. Now the tunnels are crawling with Locust.

The “Hidden Fronts” Multiplayer Map Pack will explode onto Xbox LIVE Marketplace on May 3 for 800 Microsoft Points as gamers steady their aim, pull the pin from their grenades and get ready to battle once more! All four of the new maps will be made available at no cost over Xbox LIVE on Sept. 3, 2007.

If you have played and loved Final Fantasy 12 for the PS2, then you’ll get an extra fix on its sequel. Filled with the same characters and environment from the PS2 version, there’s a few added twists and the summons are actually useful this time around.
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