Archive for March 11th, 2008:
Square Enix Wants Simultaneous Release
With the Western market becoming more critical to Square Enix, they certainly are changing their tune about release dates. Notorious for long periods of time between Japanese and North American release, Square Enix wants to make simultaneous releases the norm instead of the exception.
The word comes directly from President Yoichi Wada, so it is certainly on good authority that they are aiming to go through with these plans. We already know certain titles such as the Last Remnant are set for simultaneous release, and hopefully other big profile Sqaure Enix games will follow suit.
Bioshock 2 Announced For Aug-Oct 2009
It looks like the wait for more Bioshock really wasn’t that agonizing after all. With a projected launch roughly 2 years after the original 2K Marin has confirmed a sequel to Bioshock is indeed in the works and already on the way. However, while a Bioshock sequel is not surprising, what might potentially be disappointing is that 2K Marin, not 2K Boston, developers of the original Bioshock will be taking the lead on the project.
Some Bioshock staff are now employed with 2K Marin, but at this point it is anyones bet if Bioshock will be a proper sequel or a hopeful quick cash-cow. No word on whether Ken Levine will be involved in the project, or which systems it will be for, but its a pretty sure bet the 360 will at the very least receive the sequel, whether the PS3 will share in the fun remains to be seen.
Retail Week: Toe To Toe With Smash Bros.
You’d think not much else would be available save Smash bros, but that simply is not the case this week. Despite the huge launch, quite a few other interesting titles are releasing this week, even the DS receives a Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates where the audience is most likely to cross over. Naturally, Smash Bros. was available already on Sunday, and chances are you already own it, but just in case you’ve gotten bored, or don’t own the system, check out the other interesting titles that will be popping up in stores this week.
Nintendo Wii: Super Smash Bros Brawl
House of the Dead 2 and 3 Returns
George of the Jungle
Xbox 360: Condemned 2: Bloodshot
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
PS3: Condemned 2: Bloodshot
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
PS2: Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
WWE Smackdown vs Raw Superstar
Buzz! The Hollywood Quiz
Buzz Jr. Robo Jam
El Tigre
George of the Jungle
Sprint Cars 2: Showdown at Eldora
World Heroes Anthology
PSP: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
World Championship Cards
Wild Arms XF
Flatout: Head On
Nintendo DS: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates
Nanostray 2
Insecticide
George of the Jungle
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
PC Games: Seven Kingdoms Conquest
Imperium Romanum
Lost Empire: Immortal
M-Rated Games Lower In Numbers, Higher In Cash
Earlier this year figures came out that said the number of Mature rated games being published was down significantly from past years. Gamers haven’t lost their love of visceral action, foul language and splashes of gore; I’d like to think we just enjoy it when it’s done well. The increase in sales that seems to contradict the logic of decreased numbers probably has something to do with a matter of taste. Gone are the days when bland narratives with a handful of boring characters could entertain us if they simply packed in enough shooting/punching/slashing. Games like Mass Effect, the Splinter Cell series, Bioshock and KOTOR have whetted our appetites for quality entertainment that not only thrills the senses and the thumbs but can engage the mind as well. Though it’s possible to zip through Bioshock and treat the game as a slightly complex FPS, the time spent poring over each morsel of backstory invested in the audio diaries and scribbles on the walls brings the game to a higher storytelling plateau. Although some people shed their love of gaming along with other vestiges of youth when they hit adulthood, many of us still read reviews, strategy guides and website forums along with our newspapers, professional journals and magazines. Many of us have far more discerning tastes and are less likely to be swayed by a little pretty packaging. The vast majority of the ’shovelware’ companies cobbling together quick, dirty products to profit from the unwitting are aimed at children and the ‘casual gaming’ crowd. It’s far easier to put together a ‘restaurant simulation’ game that’ll sell enough copies on the DS to make a profit than it is to create a crowd-pleasing Xbox 360 or PS3 title, which leaves we savvy consumers to spend our money on the products of companies that give us quality products, thus in turn giving them more profits and enabling them to create more quality games. We also have longevity on our side: children probably hit a certain age and grow tired of their brightly colored racing games and simple platformers. They begin to crave more complex, challenging experiences and continue to do so for years. The ranks of gamers grow, and over time we get more adults playing adult games.
Crysis + Nunchuck = Fun?
It seems some rather ambitious individuals have taken it upon themselves to move Crysis beyond the typical keyboard/mouse control scheme which is a staple of the FPS genre. These mad modders have gotten a wiimote and nunchuk to interface with their computer via a bluetooth receiver and have set it up so that certain motions allow for certain game commands. “Wiisis” as the mod is called allows for jumping, crouching, tossing grenades, picking up objects and punching enemies. Hopefully somebody will notice this and work on a quality FPS game for the Wii which isn’t a rail shooter.
Tetris Coming to Wii Ware
When it comes to classic, simple, addicting games, few have had quite so much longevity as Tetris. There have been some clones and 3-d versions over the years but the original experience remains quite strong. With the launch of Wii Ware approaching, companies are beginning to announce some of the games they’ll be creating for it. Hudson and Tetris Online have announced that we’ll be seeing tetratic blocks falling all over again. In addition to the normal single player experience, there’ll be some motion control options and of course an online mode where you can face off against up to six people at a time. There’ll also be a mode where you have to deal with obstacles in your pursuit of the ever-difficult ‘tetris’. I’d love to see a mode where you have to get the blocks in place while a friend on the same console has tools he or she can use to frustrate your efforts via moving pieces, creating holes or plugging gaps.
Age of Conan System Requirements
Wondering what sort of a monster you’ll need to run to play the upcoming highly anticipated Conan MMORPG? Well, wonder no more for the game’s official website now points the way to an extensive FAQ that offers details on the game’s system requirements. Here it is:
Required
OS: Windows Vista/XP
Processor: 3GHz Pentium IV
RAM: 1GB RAM
Video Card: Shader Model 2.0 and 128MB RAM: NVIDIA GeForce 5800 or ATI 9800Recommended
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz (E6600) or better
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce 7950GX2 or better
RAM: 2GB or moreEnhanced for: DirectX 10, 64-bit processors, multi-core
Supports Parental Controls on Windows Vista
Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures is set for release this May on PC, with a Xbox 360 version in the pipeline for 2009.
Rock Band Gets Serj Tankian, Black Tide
Harmonix has officially announced this week’s downloadable tracks for Rock Band after a slight delay in their schedule. This week sees the release of “Shockwave” by Black Tide, “Crushcrushcrush” by Paramore and “Beethoven’s C***” by Serj Tankian (ex-frontman of System of a Down).
All three songs are master tracks will be sold separately for 80 Microsoft points (or $0.99) per song. It will be available today on Xbox Live and Thursday on PlayStation Network.
Take-Two Enacts Severance Plan for Employees
Reuters is reporting that Rockstar and 2K Games’ parent company Take-Two Interactive is introducing a severance plan for employees fired in the event of a corporate buyout. The plan will give executives up to 1.5 times their salary with bonus for up to 18 months if they are fired within a year of a change in corporate ownership and control. Sadly, non-executive employees will receive only six months of pay.
“The bid probably created fairly large internal disruption and without a severance plan, employees are worried about losing their jobs,” said Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey. “They want to keep people focused and give them some sort of support.”
EA recently proposed an acquisition of the company, offering approximately $2 billion total. Take-Two rejected the offer, but seems to be preparing itself for a hostile takeover just in case.
Mila Kunis Joins Max Payne
In more Max Payne movie news, Variety reports that Mila Kunis has been set to star opposite Mark Wahlberg in the upcoming live action film adaptation of the crime noir game.
Best known for her role in “That ’70s Show” as well as voicing Meg Griffin in “Family Guy”, Kunis will play an assassin who teams up with Wahlberg to avenge her sister’s death.
The film’s script has been written by Beau Thorne and is being directed by John Moore. It currently doesn’t have any release date attached to it.
Iron Chef Game Announced
Destineer has announced the development of Iron Chef America: Supreme Cuisine for the Wii and DS. In development at Black Lantern Studios, the game, as one can get from the title, pits players against master chefs in a series of culinary challenges in Kitchen Stadium. Building on the television show of the same name, it will feature the voice and likeness of Mark Dacascos, the show’s host.
No gameplay details were disclosed for the title, though the game’s official website indicates that it will be a mini-game centric title similar to that of Cooking Mama.
Iron Chef is set to burn kitchens this Summer.
Xbox 360 Now Competes With Wii in Europe
Putting it in the same league as the Nintendo Wii, Microsoft has announced that it is lowering the retail price of the Xbox 360 family of consoles in Europe.
Starting March 14, consumers will be able to purchase Xbox 360 Arcade, the model without the hard drive, for £159.99, twenty quid cheaper than the competing Wii. The Premium model, which includes a 20GB hard drive, can be bought for £199.99, a saving of £50 over the current price. Meanwhile, the most expensive model – the Xbox 360 Elite – with the 120GB hard drive will be priced at £259.99, a bit cheaper than the competing PS3.
The new prices put Microsoft at a comfortable spot in the market, catering to both families on a budget as well as gamers with money to spare. Nice going, Microsoft!
1UP and GFW to go Sims Crazy!
Following up on word that information on The Sims 3 is coming on March 19, 1UP Network announced that both its print and offline properties, 1UP and GFW, will be revealing world-exclusive details about the upcoming highly anticipated lifestyle simulation title. A first-look at the game will be in the April/May 2008 issue of Games for Windows, which will ship to subscribers now and available on newsstands starting March 18, one day before the game’s site goes live.
Throughout March and April, 1UP will debut a full game preview, provide further details on the game as well as the recently announced Sims Carnival. It will also feature developer Q&As, host podcasts and more.
Is the world ready for another Sims game? Yes, it is. It indeed is.
DoReMi and Puyo Puyo Attack Wii Virtual Console
Nintendo keeps on bringing retro goodness to its Virtual Console service on the Wii. This week’s additions are two titles imported straight from the land of the rising sun: DoReMi Fantasy and Puyo Puyo 2.
DoReMi is a SNES action game where players take on the role of a boy named Milon as he sets off on an adventure in a fairy-tale world. The player has to rescue his kidnapped friend, with his bubble shooter as his only weapon, as well as retrieve five legendary instruments and stars by defeating the bad guys. It is available for 900 Wii points.
Puyo Puyo 2 is a retro Sega Genesis title going for 900 Wii points. It is a head-to-head puzzle game, having players clear the grid of falling patterns called puyos by forming chains of four or more same-colored puyos in a straight line or one of several geometric patterns. Basically, it’s a glorified version of Tetris.
Brain Challenge and Bliss Island Heading to Xbox Live Arcade
Microsoft sent out word that it will release Brain Challenge and Bliss Island on Xbox Live Arcade this Wednesday. The first title, as the name implies, is a brain training program that helps players develop stress-management skills through a variety of games. There is a personal coach that helps players develop their abilities of five cognitive functions, including logic, maths, memory, visual thinking and concentration.
Bliss Island, the second title, is an updated version of the popular PC puzzler, having players explore the titular island to win over 25 unique challenges across nine levels. It offers online competitive gameplay as well as leaderboard charts.
Both titles will be released tomorrow for 800 Microsoft points each.