| GamesCom 2009 Mafia II Interview
August 25, 2009 at 9:10 pm
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| | Watch Larger Version of this Video Although it's flying a bit under the radar, the G4tv.com crew has pretty high expectations for Mafia II. At GamesCom 2009, producer Denby Grace went over some of the game's new features. He talked about how the main character behaves, vehicles, how money works in the game, the police system, fun with hookers, the voice acting process, and more. He said: "Death and arrest are handled a little bit differently than other open-world games. Basically, if you die or are arrested, that's a game-over scenario. You're taken back to your last check point. The check point system is quite sensible. It's where you'd expect it to be. We don't ask the player to go over long, laborious sections again and again and again, but we still want to keep the challenge. The whole idea is that by the time you get to the end of the mission, Vito won't have died 30 times or gone to jail 30 times. No, he did this mission in one coherent thing." Check out the entire interview and let me know what you think in the comments section. |
| Scribblenauts Preview: Satisfying And Creative Gameplay Coming In September
August 25, 2009 at 8:33 pm
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| | Most of the G4tv.com staff was utterly charmed by the inventive Scribblenauts at E3 2009. The game is nearly here and Sterling McGarvey got his hands on it for a preview. Here's what Sterling had to say: "Like a genie that gives you what you asked for, good or bad, Scribblenauts’ execution doesn’t always fall in line with your expectations. And that’s something that’s tough to deal with at times. But when you finally put together an idea, no matter how crazy or off-the-wall it might seem, there’s something ultimately satisfying about getting thatStarite . It’s a funny coincidence that the last game to make me so happy to collect a shiny star involved a famous plumber. So while some of my expectations have been curbed by the game’s quirks, I’m still really excited that I should have another gem in my DS library come mid-September." For more hands-on impressions on this wonderfully creative game, be sure to read Sterling's full preview. |
| Star Wars: The Old Republic 20 Minute Gameplay-Heavy GamesCom 2009 Developer Walkthrough
August 25, 2009 at 8:26 pm
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| | Join BioWare and LucasArts as they preview the action-packed gameplay of the sci-fi MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic with 20 minutes of in-game footage! Check out: Gameplay of three classes: The Bounty Hunter, Smuggler, and Sith Warrior The art direction and style exemplified by the three planets: The Sith homeworld of Korriban, the polluted, enslaved planet of Hutta, and the worn-torn world of Ord Mantell. The unique MMO combat cover system Class teamplay A fully-voiced universe The highly customized story and gameplay experiences called "Flashpoints" and more. People... it's 20 minutes, stop screwing around and hit play already. Watch Larger Version | Watch HD Version |
| Dissidia Final Fantasy: Universal Tuning Coming To Japan On November 1
August 25, 2009 at 8:07 pm
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| | Japan gets all the cool gaming stuff. The North American version of Dissidia: Final Fantasy is just shipping and Japanese gamers will be getting their second version of the game in a few months. Called Dissidia Final Fantasy: Universal Tuning, this version of the game will have all the American improvements and a few more surprises. OneLastContinue reported: "Announced via this week’s issue of Shonen Jump magazine, Dissidia: Universal Tuning is Japan’s version of the US version of Dissidia, featuring English voice acting, all of the balance tweaks and upgrades added to the English version, as well as the Arcade mode and rebalanced difficulty. While nothing further is set in stone as of yet, the Final Mix versions of producer Tetsuya Nomura’s games often include a trailer for the next game in the series as unlockable bonus content." The good news for importers is that save files for the original version will be compatible with Universal Tuning. I've been playing the hell out of Dissidia -- even after my review posted -- and can't seem to put it down. If the new version has enough tweaks and a few Nomura goodies, I might have to import it. While I'm on the topic, are any of you picking up Dissidia this week? If you read Japanese, are you just going to hold out for Universal Tuning? Source |
| How Namco Bandai Will Help You Play Invincible Tiger In 3D
August 25, 2009 at 7:54 pm
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| | Namco Bandai will be releasing Invincible Tiger: The Legend of Han Tao this week on both Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network. You can play the side-scrolling Invincible Tiger in 3D, but most people probably don't have a set of 3D glasses sitting around. I know I don't. Luckily, Namco Bandai is going to give you a number of opportunities to grab some -- for free. A Namco Bandai representative explained to me today that anyone who purchases a copy of Invincible Tiger on either download service will gain access to a unique code that can be redeemed at www.invincibletiger.com for a pair (the game features local co-op) of 3D anaglyph glasses. Namco Bandai will ship two 3D glasses to you free of charge. Will you be at PAX next month? Namco Bandai will be there, too, handing out 3D anaglyph glasses to anyone who stops by its both during the convention. Anaglyph glasses ise the red-and-blue 3D that's been around for decades. It's not the same kind of 3D (which is called digital stereoscopic) being employed in the upcoming Avatar or in previous 3D movies like My Bloody Valentine or Coraline. Invincible Tiger is, however, compatible with digital stereoscopic 3D, but you'll need to purchase your own hardware in order to take advantage of that. So while there's no magical way to make 3D glasses appear in your home, there are two easily accessible way to grab a pair of 3D glasses if you're interested. Are you? |
| Rare Is On The Same Page As Microsoft, Thanks To Project Natal
August 25, 2009 at 7:43 pm
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| | Rare believes that Project Natal has put the developer and Microsoft on the same path. Making some...interesting comments to VideoGamer, design director George Andreas said: "I do feel in many ways that -- and I’ve said this to some people as well -- for me this is really the first time that Microsoft and Rare are on a very similar path. We’ve obviously been tasked to create experiences that nobody else can create, which explains things like your Kameos and your Piñatas and your Banjos. But obviously the hardware is aimed at a different demographic, and so we’ve always battled against that." Apparently Rare wasn't on the same page as Microsoft when it was acquired for $375 million. Apparently nobody else can create an experience like Grabbed by theGhoulies . The quote makes me laugh. While there's no denying that Rare was once one of the best developers in business, that hasn't been the case in nearly a decade. It looks like the company still believes that it belongs in the top echelon of developers. Andreas' comment makes Rare look out of touch and full of itself. Of course that's just my opinion. I want to know what you guys and gals think. Will Natal be Rare's ticket bag to the big top? Has Rare been hindered by the demographic the Xbox and Xbox 360 have been reaching? Do you think Kameo, Viva Pinata, and Banjo are games nobody else could have made? Source |
| 25-Year-Old Legal Loophole Nullifies UK's Ratings Restriction Act
August 25, 2009 at 7:08 pm
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| | The United Kingdom and violent video games have a long and well-publicized history of not exactly getting along. Today, however, the rivalry is significantly more interesting than ever thanks to a recently discovered loophole in the UK’s Video Recordings Act of 1984. The BBC reports that when then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative Party passed the law, they failed to notify the European Commission, meaning that for the past 25 years, the law has been on the books illegally, if that makes any sense. What makes this news particularly fascinating is that the act in question made it illegal to sell violent video games and 18-rated DVDs to children. The Telegraph reports that between 1995 and 2007, 1,659 people were successfully prosecuted under the now defunct act. However, according to a government spokesperson, those individuals who were prosecuted prior to this latest revelation, won’t be able to overturn those prosecutions, or “receive financial recompense.” On the other hand, dozens of new prosecutions have been dropped as a result of the news. Thanks to this newly found blunder, retailers in the UK are free from all legal recourse in this area, even if they decide to – oh, I don’t know – set up stands at grade schools and sell nothing but hardcore porn and Manhunt. Fortunately, retailers have supposedly agreed to stick to the guidelines set out by the ratings act until the government can pass the law anew. However, the government isn't expected to pass a new ratings act for at least three months. Hopefully, the UK hasn’t descended into a post-apocalyptic nightmare-scape by the time the government gets around to cleaning up this mess. Source |
| Control Bayonetta With One Button In The "Very Easy Automatic" Mode Dev Video
August 25, 2009 at 6:25 pm
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| | Plantinum Games' developers showcase the "Very Easy Automatic Play" feature in the latest dev video. You'll be able to take control of the fetish witch, Bayonetta, using only a single button. Created as a protection for novice players from being completely destroyed by the game (ahem, Devil May Cry, Ninja Gaiden, etc.) you can read the full update after the jump. Watch Larger Version | Watch HD Version Read More? |
| Analysis: What Battle.net 2.0 Will Do And Why The StarCraft II Beta Isn't Out
August 25, 2009 at 6:13 pm
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| | Blizzard Entertainment formerly announced its plans for Battle.net 2.0 at BlizzCon 2009 along with the features the company hopes to include at and after the release of StarCraft II, which will be the first game to run the updated service. The service will remain free and integrate with World of WarCraft and future Blizzard games. The major features of note and their purposes: A "Real ID" system, tying CD-keys to specific accounts. This is being done to prevent "smurfing" where skilled players create new accounts to play against less experienced players in the matchmaking system. A tiered ladder system, with levels of play for multiple skill levels. Players will be placed into different tiers on the ladder after playing enough games for the system to determine his or her skill level. Ladder seasons will play out for each tier, making ladder play applicable for all players, not just for skilled gamers. Custom game publishing and filtering. Want to play something other than Defense of the Ancients? StarCraft II will allow map makers to "publish" their maps to a database, giving them control over their work and allowing users to search and download maps without having to join games. Premium maps can be offered for a cost with some of the revenue going to the author(s). The first two planned features are major for keeping players that would otherwise grow tired of losing online. Blizzard's Rob Pardo explained during the presentation of B.net 2.0 that the goal with the tier system is to give every player the chance at winning 50 percent of their games by matching them up with opponents of similar skill levels. Combined with the Real ID system to prevent smurfing, this should ensure that the competition is fair and yields worthwhile games for every player. WarCraft III's auto-matchmaking system was actually fairly good at finding matches, but was plagued by smurfing. Read More? |
| Castle Crasher's DLC Hits Tomorrow
August 25, 2009 at 5:48 pm
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| | As TheFeed's editor of countdown clocks, I have to applaud developer The Behemoth for its latest edition to this important marketing genre: This countdown clock will expire in nine hours, but rather than counting down to when we will learn of an important event in the future, when this timer reaches zero, something will actually happen: You'll be able to download DLC for Castle Crashers. The Necromantic Pack will be available tomorrow, August 26th, for 160 Microsoft Points. It will include: Two new Characters: The Necromancer and The Cult Minion A new Animal Orb Dragonhead. Two new Weapons: The NG Skull Mace and yes, …the damn Chainsaw. There should also be picture packs. Not only that, but The Behemoth hints at even more awesomeness on its forums, saying that the DLC release is "Just in time for Castle Crasher's birthday (on the 27th)." and "I don't know about you, but birthdays make me think of presents." Hmm...usually you give someone a present on their birthday, as opposed to expecting one, but I think in this case it will be the reverse. Find out for sure on the developer's blog on the 27th. I'm expecting cake. Source |
| Fable III's New 'Touching' Mechanic Doesn't Involve Project Natal
August 25, 2009 at 5:46 pm
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| | Peter Molyneux is a big believer in Project Natal. The designer's Milo demo was an important part of Microsoft's presentation at E3. At GamesCom 2009, Molyneux announced Fable III and talked at length about Fable III's "dynamic touch" mechanic, which will allow players to interact with the characters in Fable III on a new level. During his presentation, however, he never mentioned using a controller to perform these actions and acted out many of the possible actions with his own hands. Does this mean Fable III is using Project Natal, too? Not quite, based on what Molyneux told Billy Berghammer during post-presentation interview at GamesCom last week. (This part was cut from the video interview that went up on the website earlier today.) "Oh, yeah" sighed Molyneux, when asked about Project Natal in Fable III. "So, basically, after my press conference, all these PR [public relations people] came and said 'Oh, my god, people are gonna think this is Natal, they're gonna think this is Natal, you've gotta stand up on stage, get everyone back in the room' and by this time almost everyone had left. So, let me make this clear: this dynamic touch is not an announcement of Natal in Fable in any way." Molyneux's answer doesn't preclude Fable III from Project Natal -- I'd be surprised if there wasn't some support -- but if that's the case, Molyneux isn't ready to talk about it yet. |
| Guitar Hero 5 Renders Muse Frontman Matt Bellamy
August 25, 2009 at 5:43 pm
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| | Guitar Hero 5 continues to render musicians into their sonic lineup with a new behind-the-scenes video. This time, Muse's frontman Matt Bellamy steps in front of the mo-cap sensor cameras to capture his likeness for the game. Watch Larger Version | Watch HD Version |
| NHL 10 Demo Trailer Packs A Punch
August 25, 2009 at 5:26 pm
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| | NHL 10, the latest installment of the critically-acclaimed hockey franchise, would like to remind everyone of the meaty demo (that was made available exclusively last week to XBL Gold members) is now available for silver members and will be hitting the PSN store this thursday. Also, it's packing some catchy tunes. Watch Larger Version | Watch HD Version |
| Music Game News And Cataloging Site Plastic Axe Launches
August 25, 2009 at 5:22 pm
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| | If you eat, breathe, and inappropriately dream about music games, then let your web browser’s bookmarking function know you’ll be stopping by in a few seconds. See, veteran video games writer, musician and G4tv.com contributor Joe Rybicki recently launched Plastic Axe, a passion project of his, designed specifically for the millions of virtual rock lovers out there looking for all the latest and greatest news pertaining to all of your favorite instrument-based music games. The site offers plenty of music news and gaming updates, so you’ll know exactly what’s happening in the world of digital rock-dom, but the real kicker is the site’s Vault, an evolving database of over 1,800 songs from 18 music games. In addition to providing you the artist, song name, release date, disc and game the song appeared on, each song has a direct link to Amazon and/or iTunes (if the song is available for purchase). It’s a solid little feature that has the potential to bring many a music enthusiast’s credit card to its knees. In other words, this is one seriously comprehensive collection, so if you ever have to settle a debate over a particular song or a particular music game, or you feel like dropping hundreds of dollars, 99¢ at a time, you know exactly where to go. |
| Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars PSP Release Date: Oct. 20
August 25, 2009 at 5:08 pm
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| | According to Rockstar Games' twitter feed, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars for the PlayStation Portable will be available on October 20th. The company promises "first screens and more coming soon." When those screens and more are revealed, we'll get you the news right away. The Nintendo DS version of Chinatown Wars was critically lauded (93% on Game Rankings) but didn't sell as well as many had expected... do you think the PSP version will meet the same fate? Or is the install base of PSP users a difference crowd than Nintendo DS users? Let us know in the comment section bellow! Source |
| Justin Timberlake Selling Cologne In An MP3 Player Bottle
August 25, 2009 at 5:03 pm
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| | Classy French perfumer Givenchy is creating a new fragrance based on Justin Timberlake's unique stench. Play is contained in a bottle that looks like an MP3 player or an iPod. According to Givenchy, the bottle, designed by French sculptor Serge Mansau, was inspired by "mobile multimedia gadgets, those quintessential objects of modernity and style that have become both everyday objects and icons of our era." Look for a series of Justin Timberlake ads in glossy magazines this month. The fragrance comes in both regular and "intense" varieties. Speaking of intensity, here's a little advice: Go easy on the cologne, fellas. Easier even than you think you should go. Seriously, that's too much. Half of that much. Just a tiny hint. That's what the ladies like. Just a tiny, tiny bit. Oh, and don't buy Justin Timberlake cologne in a dumb MP3 bottle either. It's stupid and desperate. Find some classy fragrance instead. It will cost you, but it will be worth it. You know what, all of this stuff with cologne is pretty complicated. Just forget it. Order a pizza and play Bubble Bobble instead. Source |
| Comic-Con '09 Bonus Video: Chrystall Friedemann On The Line
August 25, 2009 at 4:46 pm
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| | Check out this bonus video from Comic-Con '09, where G4tv.com Reporter Chrystall Friedemann takes to the waiting line to talk to the assembled freaks and geeks about the things they've been waiting in some cases as many as two days to see. Watch Larger Version | Watch HD Version |
| Halo 3: ODST Vidoc Bip. Bap. Bam. Welcome To Firefight, Achievement Tracking Visually Confirmed!
August 25, 2009 at 4:24 pm
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| | Horde mode in Gears of War 2. Survival mode in Left 4 Dead. Zombie mode in Call of Duty: World at War. These modes have created many virtual war stories told time and time again, forged from surviving wave after wave of enemies with comrades. Now, here's Bungie and cigar-chewing Sgt. Johnson with their second vidoc examining in detail the finer points of the Firefight mode in the upcoming Halo 3: ODST for what looks to be many more virtual tales of valor down the road. Watch Larger Version | Watch HD Version @ 1:43 in the video Achievements Tracking looks to be visually confirmed. Woo! |
| PlayStation 3 Slim Spotted At Best Buy -- Are You Buying One This Week?
August 25, 2009 at 3:36 pm
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| | The PlayStation 3 Slim is here. It's true! G4tv.com's Billy Berghammer spotted a stack at Best Buy (while he was buying some soap opera box set). Now that Sony's latest and cheapest is here, the crew wants to know if you're buying a PS3 Slim this week. So are you? Huh, huh, huh? |
| Comic Book Writer Peter David Responds To Shadow Complex Controversy
August 25, 2009 at 3:26 pm
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| | Last week, I wrote about the brewing controversy between Shadow Complex and the gay community. Some gay people are not buying the game because of Orson Scott Card's involvement; they do not appreciate his anti-gay stances and do not want to support any of his works (or in this case related works). Renowned comic-book writer Peter David (The Incredible Hulk, Young Justice), who wrote Shadow Complex's story, posted a lengthy response to the Gamasutra article that made numerous people aware of the issue. David, who was described by GayGamer as "straight but extremely gay-friendly" said: "You never asked me. I wrote the game, and obviously I have some interest in the matter. Why did I not hear from you? I'm one of the more visible pros on the Internet. Aspiring comic artists who live in the mountains of Peru and speak English as a second language manage to track me down with little problem, yet my inbox has no record of you asking me to speak on the record. So although you are naturally entitled to your opinions, and certainly expressed them well, please don't act as if you performed journalistic due diligence, because if you had you might have said, 'Gee, I wonder if Peter David has anything to say about it, because he typically has something to say about everything.' I believe it's not a complex (nice pun) question at all. I believe the answer to free speech is always more free speech. If you believe that Orson Scott Card is saying things that are wrong at the top of his lungs, then you say so at the top of yours. If he's donating money to organizations dedicated to infringing gay rights, you donate money to organizations that support them." David believes that boycotting Card's works because people disagree with his opinion isn't the answer. He said, "That is intolerant. It's inelegant. It's cheap and vicious and small-minded." While Chair Entertainment, Epic Games, and Microsoft have declined to comment on the issue, it's nice to see that one of the game's creators is encouraging dialogue, whether you agree with him or not. What do you think of David's comments. Between the original article and his response, have your thoughts on the matter changed or progressed? Source |
| Best Buy Offering $100 Plus A Free Game To...Keep Your PS3?
August 25, 2009 at 3:19 pm
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| | And the console deals just keep on coming. In anticipation for the mad rush of eager gamers looking to get hands on Sony’s new PlayStation 3 Slim, Best Buy has instituted a lit’al bribery scheme to help keep PS3 Slims in stock. Sources tell Kotaku that the mega-retailer is now offering to give customers $100 and a free copy of either inFamous, MLB 09: The Show or Killzone 2 if they are willing to hold onto their 80GB PS3s instead of exchanging them for Slims. That is of course if you purchased a qualifying PS3 in the last 30 days and you have the receipt. However, if the lure of brand new PS3 Slim is too strong for you to resist, then you can still trade in your fat PS3 and get $100 back as well when the Slims arrive on store shelves. Since this isn’t an official sale, its availability might differ from location to location, and in fact, I just spoke to three different Best Buy’s here in Los Angeles and got three different answers (One store hadn’t even heard of the promotion; one is offering $100 but no game; and one is offering the $100-plus-a-game deal). Also, the stores I talked to said they won't be selling PS3 Slims until the official release date next week, however you can bet somewhere there's a street date about to be broken. Finally, don’t expect to pull off some brilliant counter scheme of your own either, because not only will your receipt most likely be marked at checkout, but apparently your free game will be rung up as $0, so if you try and return it for store credit, you’ll get, that’s right, $0. I guess you could take the game and trade in at GameStop, but these are three of the PS3’s best games, and trading in any of them would be a serious waste of a quality product. Anyone out there taken advantage of this deal yet? Details please! Source |
| Be Question Of The Week On The Show Formerly Known As TheFeed Nightcap
August 25, 2009 at 3:09 pm
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| | We're currently retooling TheFeed Nightcap with a new name and a new look, but as the behind-the-scenes kinks are worked out, we'll be shooing a new episode this week. Every episode, the crew discusses a question fielded from the G4tv.com audience, which means I'm turning to you for help. What do you want everyone to talk about this week? There are two small requirements. 1) Your question must be related to video games. 2) In order to be picked, your profile must have an avatar associated with it. Good luck! |
| Retailers Bundling An Extra Controller With Xbox 360 Pro And Elite?
August 25, 2009 at 2:43 pm
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| | In addition to a supposed price cut, it looks like some retailers will be packing in an extra controller with the Xbox 360 Pro and Elite in order to counteract Sony's price cut and the PlayStation 3 Slim. A photo of a Target advertisement for next week was submitted to Engadget. The ad says, "Free additional controller, a $49.99 value." It's an interesting ploy that will make console-purchasing decisions tougher for casual consumers. Although the PlayStation 3 offers Blu-ray capabilities, WiFi, and free online play, some customers might be more attracted to an extra controller. While I expect any self respecting enthusiast gamer to be informed about the functionality of each system, there are a lot of consumers that don't know or don't care about feature sets. If the ad is legit, do you think an extra controller is enough to push a casual customer towards an Xbox 360 and away from a PlayStation 3? Source |
| Muramasa: The Demon Blade Boss Trailer: Not So Garden Variety
August 25, 2009 at 2:41 pm
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| | Gather 'round young Shinobi and Kunoichi as Ignition Entertainment tours the not so garden variety assortment of bosses in their Wii side-scrolling action RPG Muramasa: The Demon Blade. Expect many deaths and a lot of pain and suffering if you dare attempt to complete this offspring from the PS2 Odin Sphere-creators. Watch Larger Version | Watch HD Version |
| Pirate Bay Still Sailing
August 25, 2009 at 2:27 pm
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| | I obviously do not support illegal file-trading (perish the thought!), but it's hard not to like file-trading site The Pirate Bay. Months after its founding members were charged in Sweden and fined millions of dollars, and the day after a judge ordered that the site be closed, The Pirate Bay is still up and still hosting links to files. Re-posted below is a Pirate Bay communique sent to the world this morning. Please enjoy: We have, ourselves, full confidence that if all do their duty, if nothing is neglected, and if the best arrangements are made, as they are being made, we shall prove ourselves once more able to defend our Internets, to ride out the storm of war, and to outlive the menace of tyranny, if necessary for years, if necessary alone. Even though large parts of Internets and many old and famous trackers have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Ifpi and all the odious apparatus of MPAA rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the ef-nets and darknets, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Internets, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the baywords.org, we shall fight on the /. and on the digg, we shall fight in the courts; we shall never surrender, and if, which I do not for a moment believe, the Internets or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the Anon Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in Cerf's good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old. Signed; The Pirate Bay Crew - Now until needed. What this means in light of the Pirate Bay's recent sale to Global Gaming Factory X, and the promise that the Pirate Bay would go legit remains to be seen. Source |
| The Saboteur Races Out New Screens
August 25, 2009 at 2:16 pm
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| | Pandemic provides another look at The Saboteur's Irish, racing mechanic hero Sean Devlin and the slick ride he'll be using in his Nazi-murdering romp through Paris. Juicy. The Sabotuer arrives December 8 on the the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. More Images... |
| Blizzard Discusses (Well, Teases) Its Plan For Returning To Consoles
August 25, 2009 at 2:14 pm
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| | Everyone wants Blizzard to make a console game. The studio hasn't touched consoles since StarCraft: Ghost was canned and despite off and on rumors that various platform holders were courting Blizzard to release a version of World of Warcraft, nothing's come of it. At BlizzCon 2009, however, Blizzard started deliberately hinting in interviews it's moving towards a console project. "I can tell you that philosophically, the company is interested in consoles," said Battle.net project director Greg Canessa to Shacknews. "Many of us are console gamers. We all have Xbox Live gamertags, and we all play Xbox at home, and so we love Xbox. And we love Sony and other platforms as well. We have a great deal of respect for them." Canessa said if Blizzard embarked on a console project, it wouldn't want to spend a bunch of time retooling a computer game -- it should naturally fit. The hot rumor around BlizzCon, perpetuated by Blizzard employees in interviews, was Diablo III could make the jump onto a game pad. Another issue, Blizzard told Shacknews, is bringing the Battle.net experience onto consoles, too. "How that would work, the details, I have no idea," said Canessa. "Couldn't tell you today. [pause] I actually do have an idea, but I can't talk about it. [laughs]" Source |
| TheFeed's Weekly Music And DVD Release Picks
August 25, 2009 at 1:59 pm
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| | Today's music and DVD releases are all over the stylistic map. I encourage each and every TheFeed reader to enjoy a wide-range of different entertainment products and to not dismiss any specific genre out of hand, for there is something worthwhile about every different kind of art, and who are you to dismiss a style or movement that makes so many other people happy? Except "Jazz Fusion." That stuff just sucks. Anyway, onto my non-comprehensive list of music and DVDs out this week! Oh, Sleeper: Son of the Morning -- "Son of the Morning" is one of the names of Lucifer, so you might expect an album bearing Satan's nickname and a pentagram-like cover to be a slab of heavy metal nastiness about slaughtering goats and smiting your enemies with great and powerful vengeance. But you'd be wrong. This is a Christian album! It's Christian metal, sure, but it's still Christian music. Son of the Morning will let you bang your head, mosh and otherwise rock out while not endangering your eternal reward in heaven, so it's totally worth it. But the "Son of the Morning" title is false advertising. I think Jesus would be angry at the deception. But what do I know; I'm no theologian. Is Rock and Roll actually the devil's music? Listen to Oh, Sleeper and decide for yourself. Lhasa:Lhasa -- As the leader of a notorious Los Angeles street gang, I'm generally known as a hard-rocking, face-slapping mother-effer who will kill you where you stand and bury your bones in a garbage dump. But recently, some young bloods who joined my clique caught me listening to Lhasa's new album. They were like, "Hey, man. Why are you listening to this quiet, soothing slightly rootsy collection of well-crafted tunes from a soulful female singer-songwriter? Didn't you first hear her music on Public Radio? Aren't you down any more?" First I tried to explain that public radio is cooler than they think, then I murdered 16 cops to try and build my rep back up, but the damage was already done, and I was forced to leave the gang in disgrace. The moral of the story: Don't let other people define you. If you like listening to quiet, thoughtful music, do it! Fly free like a beautiful butterfly! Also, don't do drugs. Read More? |
| New Xbox 360 Games On Demand -- Burnout Paradise, NFS ProStreet
August 25, 2009 at 1:48 pm
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| | Unlike Xbox Originals, Microsoft is seriously committed to adding new content to its Games On Demand downloadable service over Xbox Live. This week, the company has added Burnout Paradise and Need For Speed: ProStreet to the lineup. Technically, Microsoft also uploaded FIFA 09, but since it's not available to anyone in Australia, New Zealand, North America or the U.K., the announcement is somewhat mooted. Both Burnout Paradise (4GB) and Need For Speed: ProStreet (5GB) are available for $19.99 in North America, but pricing is not standard worldwide. You'll want to check Xbox.com to verify pricing in your region before deciding $19.99 is a worthy price -- it might not be $19.99. I'm still debating pulling the trigger on Assassin's Creed, since I'd like to give the original a shot before the sequel later this year, but $29.99 is a little pricey. In this case, Ubisoft and Microsoft are only encouraging me to head to GameStop, where the game's used price is $19.99. |
| Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Character And Map Pack Plus DLC Launch Trailer
August 25, 2009 at 1:47 pm
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| | The retro Character and Map Pack Plus DLC launches Thursday for the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions ofTransformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Here's the nostalgia-soaked launch trailer with old school Starscream, Megatron and of course Optimus Prime for good measure. Watch Larger Version | Watch HD Version |
| Second Mass Effect DLC Pack Now Available On Xbox Live
August 25, 2009 at 1:32 pm
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| | Heads up, Mass Effect fans. The second ME DLC pack, "Pinnacle Station," is now available on Xbox Live for 400 Microsoft points. Here’s the full description, as if you need more motivation to quench your thirst for all things ME while you await the next bit of Mass Effect 2 news: “Test the limits of your combat prowess aboard a remote, top-secret Alliance space station. Do you have what it takes to hold the top spot amongst the best of the best? This module includes a new land-able space station, 13 exciting combat scenarios, and approximately 2-3 hours of game play. Required: you must achieve Spectre status before embarking on this mission.” If you haven't gotten around to playing Mass Effect, now would be a great time to finally do so, since it's available via download on Xbox Live for $19.99. Plus, it will give you a much more meaningful jumping off point once Mass Effect 2 is released next year, since you'll be able to carry over your character's data into the new game. Anyone checked out the new DLC pack yet? Thoughts? How does it compare to the "Bring Down the Sky" DLC? |
| Lumines Coming To iPhone, Prepare To Have Shinin' In Your Head Again
August 25, 2009 at 1:29 pm
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| | Who doesn't want to own Lumines on yet another platform? (Actually, I'm probably good.) The classic Q Entertainment music puzzler is coming to the iPhone, according to a report filed by 1UP. The iPhone version is scheduled for a release before the end of September and will not be just a straight port, as Q Entertainment is building new skins and music for the game. Coinciding with the release of Lumines on iPhone will be price drops on both the Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network downloadable versions of the game. No word on what exactly a price drop entails, but clearly Q Entertainment is purposely engineering to have the Lumines name in the headlines again. What for? A new sequel? Source [image credit: flickr / muskeetu] |
| CrimeCraft Launches With Explosive Ability Trailers
August 25, 2009 at 1:00 pm
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| | Vogster drops a bundle of CrimeCraft videos with today's launch of the game examining a handful of character abilities you'll be able to employ in their gritty MMO shooter. Quick and short, the videos serve as a great window into where this project has come to. Watch Larger Version | Watch HD Version Spray and Pray - Switching their LMG to an alternate fire mode, the attacker empties an entire clip while focusing their fire. This increases damage dramatically. The frenzy of this attack also boosts the attacker’s adrenaline, making them feel more resistant to pain for a short time. Read More? |
| Wii Sports Resort Sells 1 Million Units In The US, 3 Million Worldwide
August 25, 2009 at 12:53 pm
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| | It has only been a month since Nintendo’s beach-side compilation game Wii Sports Resort was released in the United States, but Nintendo has managed to sell over 1 million copies of the Wii MotionPlus-fest during that time. The game has also surpassed the 1 million mark in Japan and Europe, which, if I've done my math correctly, means over 3 million copies of the game have been sold so far. Not too shabby. More impressive though is that there are now over 2 million Wii MotionPlus accessories in the wild just in the US. This clearly proves how successful the Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 bundle and the individual sales of the Wiimote add-on were leading up to the release of Wii Sports Resort, which also comes bundled with the attachment. How many of you Wii users acquired your MotionPlus’ via bundle vs. individual purchase? |
| Invizimals Trailer Takes A Dramatic Turn For The Worse
August 25, 2009 at 12:29 pm
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| | Sony and developer Novarama send you on the "dramatic" hunt for Invizimals, hidden creatures made of pure energy you can only catch with the PSP Camera in order to save mankind. Yes, this is serious business. Watch Larger Version | Watch HD Version |
| Sony Losing Money On Each PS3 Slim Sold
August 25, 2009 at 11:15 am
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| | London's The Times sat down with Sony's head Kaz Hirai at GamesCom 2009, and conducted a fascinating interview in which Hirai revealed that Sony will still lose money on every PlayStation 3 it sells: When asked point blank whether Sony loses cash on each PS3 Slim it sells, Kaz said, ""If you're just talking about the hardware alone, the quick answer is yes." Sony's not sweating it, though. "[Losses per console sold] makes good headlines, but I don't actually know that that's the true nature of the business that we're all in, whether it's PlayStation, Xbox or the Wii. I think the better indicator is to look at the business as a whole platform, to ask: Are you profitable in terms of the hardware, software and peripherals. And the answer t o that question is yes on a gross profit level since the last fiscal year." In other words, Sony is taking a small hit on each console, but overall, making a profit... or so it says. Hirai didn't say how much his company loses on each console, but, in the past, GameSpot estimated that it costs Sony around $252.10 per unit to make a PlayStation 3, so let's assume the Slim is a little more expensive to manufacture than the fat. When you consider that the original production costs of a PlayStation 3 hovered over $800, the (probably) small loss per unit Sony is taking with the Slim can be seen as victory. Sony has always said the PlayStation 3 was a ten year console, and it's now halfway through year 3, so we'll see how it shakes out over the long haul. Source |
| Sega Confident There's Room For Both Alpha Protocol And Dragon Age: Origins
August 25, 2009 at 11:00 am
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| | Just like last year, there are two major RPGs being released this fall. In 2008, it was Fallout 3 and Fable II. In 2009, it's Alpha Protocol and Dragon Age: Origins. Is there room for both? Sega president and COO Mike Hayes expressed extreme confidence during a phone interview last week about Obsidian Entertainment's upcoming spy RPG, which drops on October 6th. "The thing we're most excited about really is it's the first RPG of the season to come in," said Hayes. "I think we're well placed and also being a modern day spy RPG, I think there's a very good point of difference that [means] we're certainly getting a lot of interest from consumers in general." Clearly, Hayes is pleased that BioWare and Electronic Arts chose to delay Dragon Age: Origins by a few weeks, moving the massive fantasy RPG out of the October release schedule and into early November (the PlayStation 3 version has an unspecified release date later in November, however). "I think there's enough space between [both games]," he said, pausing. "Well, I mean, it's never perfect but I think that it's spaced out quite well. But I think we're so encouraged with the progress we've made on the product that Alpha's turning out to be one of our big launches of the period, so fingers crossed on that one." I asked Hayes whether Alpha Protocol would be the game that finally helps Obsidian Entertainment break into the RPG mainstream. The studio was given a chance with Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II, but since then, it's been a niche couple of years, despite a continued hardcore PC following. Obsidian's relationship with Sega has even had ups and downs, with Sega canceling the Aliens RPG that Obsidian spent several years developing for Sega. "They're a hugely talented outfit," said Hayes. "I think what we've been so pleased with is the concept [behind Alpha Protocol] from day one has been easily understood and I think it's been readily taken on by fans, so I think with there ability to create something pretty special I think with the rapport we've gotten, we've got something to your point, which will be in an RPG world, something more mass market." Are you making a choice between Alpha Protocol and Dragon Age: Origins this fall? |
| Final Fantasy Artist To Draw Internet Art
August 25, 2009 at 10:53 am
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| | Artist Yoshitaka Amano (Final Fantasy and Vampire Hunter D) is wading into the shallow end of the internet by creating drawings based on ASCII art from message board 2ch (home of 4chan.) Web crawling people will vote on which one of the four 2ch characters they want the illustrator to do his interpretation of. Please note, one of the characters in the weird internet election is clearly Pedobear. He's on the left. According to Kotaku, "The drawing will be shown live on Nico Nico Douga" today from 8:00 to 8:30 PM Japan time. I don't know what Nico Nico Douga is, exactly, but I'm going to find out. I have a feeling Pedobear is going to win this internet poll and we'll finally see what would happen if the internet mascot had been created by one of the greatest character designers in the history of video games. I can't decide if this is win or fail... Source |
| Morning Hangover #40: Patrick Sees Red And Raymond Goes Backwards
August 25, 2009 at 9:00 am
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| | Welcome to "Morning Hangover" -- an excellent way to start your day with the crew at TheFeed...no matter what you're recovering from. Every morning you'll hear musings from two of TheFeed's editors and have the chance to share your thoughts on what's going on in the gaming world. So buckle up, welcome the arrival of the PS3 Slim, and keep reading! Patrick Klepek: A few weeks back, Billy took me to task for not caring that Red Faction: Guerrilla features a largely forgettable, predictable storyline. The mechanics driving Red Faction were more than enough for me, enough to compel me to finish the game this past weekend, actually. I don't have a problem with gameplay driving the narrative, rather than the other way around. I'm not suggesting we should support game developers slacking on their narratives, but it's clear Red Faction's labor of love was in the game's destructibility. The narrative in Red Faction is how you destroy the world around you, not the end game of the rebellion. You tell your own story. For me, that was more than enough. Read More? | | | 
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