Archive for September, 2006
Leaked Footage From WoW: The Burning Crusade
You might want to hit the mute button and take off your thinking caps before watching, as this footage of the upcoming World of Warcraft expansion, The Burning Crusade, violates many rules of taste and grammar. Still, if you’re looking for a very private tour of the forthcoming landscape and a look at new mounts, beasts and more, look no further.
Commodore 64 Joins The Wii Virtual Console?
In the most recent issue of Nintendo Power, it has been reported that the Commodore 64 will join the NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, Sega Genesis, MSX and Turbografx 16 as one of the available platforms for the Wii Virtual Console.
Gamasutra’s re-reporting of the Virtual Console update says that no game titles are specified but that “indications” are that classic Epyx titles, games like California Games, Summer Games, Impossible Mission, and Jumpman, may make an appearance. We’ll wait for an official announcement and keep our fingers crossed for a downloadable version of M.U.L.E.
Report: Commodore 64 Titles Join Virtual Console [Gamasutra]
UPDATE: User Ferry wrote in to say that the Nintendo Power editors were speculating that C64 games will hit VC Land and that a handful of Epix games were being “reworked” for the Wii. From his e-mail: “A Nintendo Power editor merely speculated the announced C64 games would come to the Virtual Console, when in fact two are being remade for the PSP, DS, and Wii. To quote: ‘System 3 will release Impossible Mission on PSP & DS in January 2007, 3 weeks later it will come to Wii, with California Games for PSP & DS in May 2007, and again 3 weeks later it will come to Wii.’ Hope this helps.” Thanks for the info, Ferry!
TGS ‘best of’ round part two: you asked for it
Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Sony PSP, Nintendo Wii, Action, Adventure, Fighting, Puzzle
A smattering of additional game videos from the Tokyo Game Show, culled together from what you wanted to see added to our best of list.
Videos are embedded after the jump.
Elebits trailer – stylish cartoon graphics, innovative gameplay, snappy music. It’s like the Pikmin have returned, and this time for our souls.
Heroes trailer – Ghost in the Shell meets The Matrix meets Lords of Dogtown in a dark video game headed for the Wii. If you can get past the bad voice acting, “Hear the lullaby? Rest in peace, baby,” this looks impressive.
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops – this game is set as a sequel immediately after the events of MGS3. Impressive graphics, online play and the cinematic storyline really puts the PlayStation in PSP. Snake? SNAAAAAAAAAKKKKKKE!
Bleach gameplay – Wii men with big swords fighting each other. This is what playing games with the Wii-mote should be all about.
Got any more you loved from the show? Drop us a line and let us know.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Peter Moore Guarantees 100 Million 360 Sales?
Headline answer? Yes! Real answer? No.
What Peter Moore actually said to GamesIndustry dot biz is that the company would really, really like to sell a hundred million Xbox 360s. This is obviously a very difficult accomplishment (which is why Moore made no such guarantee—shareholders don’t like off the cuff sales promises like that), one that requires software and services that target an audience beyond the “core gamer”.
So what did Pete say exactly that’s got the message board console crowd in a tizzy?
It’s about getting people to interact with the games console, regardless of whether they do it for 30 hours a week or ten hours a week, whether it’s my mum or my sister or my daughter. Those are the people we need to get. If you’re going to hit 100 million you need to address that market. We’re still finding ways to be able to do that, but we will. I absolutely guarantee that we will.
Will Microsoft be able to address that market? Maybe. Personally, I don’t see Viva Pinata doing it, but if Peter Moore guarantees it, they must have something else up their collective sleeve.
Moore outlines Microsoft’s 100m Xbox vision
Blow up U.S. tanker in Iranian game
Reuters covers the release of Counter Strike, a game that charges players with the goal of sinking a U.S. oil tanker in a critical channel, blocking the path that two-fifths of all the world’s oil travels. Iran’s government sponsored the game for distribution within that country.
The topical nature of the game isn’t new; Kuma Reality Games mirrored real-life U.S. strikes against Iraq. The anti-American sentiment isn’t even new, as seen in Night of Bush Capturing.
This trend of all sides using games as propaganda interests us. Are games more persuasive than radio broadcasts and dropping leaflets? When will bombers start dropping games over enemy states?
Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
World Of Warcraft Hits South Park
South Park keeps on keepin’ on, entering its 10th season (!!!) and kicking it off World of Warcraft style. Check the preview for a sneak peek at Wednesday’s upcoming ultimate crossover for night elves and the boys who love them.
World of Warcraft Comes to South Park
Up close and personal with the Wii
Filed under: Nintendo Wii
IGN’s Wii Fanboy-in-Chief Matt Casamassina gets fairly intimate with the Wii and does his best Vanna White during a hands-on look at the unit. The music screams “CHRISTMAS!” too loud, and beats you over the head with their “hallelujah” joke, but who’s paying attention to that stuff?
While we know it’s coming soon, getting under the hood and seeing things like the GameCube interface under the flap right now gets our fingers itching. What will that SD card slot be used for besides storing images and saved games? Will every GameCube title be supported? Can you use the nunchuck controller as a weapon on opponents in the same room with you?
Waiting is nearly impossible, and we still have all of October to get through. We just hope that this sucker will come in black, because it looks a bit too much like it received a teeth whitening, especially next to Mattboy.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Nintendo Moving To Single Friend Code For Wii?
We’ve been getting tipped today that Nintendo will end it’s current implementation of the “Friend Code” system, one that requires players to have a unique code for every Wi-Fi Connection game they want to play with people they know. According to a number of sites, Nintendo of Europe has “confirmed” that the Wii will have a single unique identifier and that you’ll be able to join online games with friends in a simpler fashion.
The only problem we have is that no one is actually citing the source of this confirmation. The European Wii site has a translated version of the roundtable discussion that Satoru Iwata and the Wii engineers conducted, which, while filled with info, doesn’t explicity mention said changes. The only information that I can find nestled in these interviews related to online gaming is the following:
I should just stress the point, in case anyone gets the wrong idea, that this network basically works in the same way as the one for Animal Crossing on DS. That is, connection is not possible unless both users register each other.
Hopefully, sites like N-Europe are correct and simply failing to link to the proper information, but for now, we’re going to consider this a rumor and get in touch with Nintendo to get a response.
News: Nintendo Confirm Console Specific Code
University of Texas: games might slow aging process
Filed under: Culture, Business
The University of Texas (go Longhorns) is designing games and researching their effect on older players, according to Yahoo! News. The University of Virginia (go Cavaliers) questions the Texas goal of maintaining mental and physical agility with games.
The image of older gamers flailing around with touch-sensitive gloves and VR helmets is our favorite detail of the $13-million project. The future has never been so retro. Mihai Nadin, the professor who heads the research says, “This is not a marketing opportunity but a social responsibility.”
But we think it should be a social responsibility and a marketing opportunity. After all, the article makes the obligatory Brain Age reference, citing sales of roughly seven million total copies. Those weren’t just given away. Publishers of casual games have already been selling to this older demographic; we don’t think it’ll take long for other games to reach an older audience.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
The “Video Game Decency Act” is on the move
Filed under: Culture
The U.S. government keeps adding more munitions into the war on the terror of video games. There is the “Truth in Video Games Act,” (H.R. 5912) then the announcement that the ESRB must complete every game (S.3935) and now the “Video Game Decency Act” (H.R. 6120) is marching through the U.S. Congress.
Introduced by Republican Fred Upton, the bill is designed within the “guidelines of the Constitution, [and] is a simple, surgical approach to provide new regulatory authority for the Federal Trade Commission to punish bad players in the video game industry.” You hear that? They are going after “bad players” now. So unless you have a video game championship under your belt, the FTC is coming for you. Better start practicing.
Seriously though, despite the awkward phrasing of this bill, H.R. 6120 seeks to give the FTC the power to “pursue financial sanctions” against publishers who “try to deceive the ratings system.”
The Truth in Video Games Act is one thing, and making the ESRB play through every game all the way (no matter how ridiculous that sounds) is all good and fine. However, once words like “decency” start getting thrown around, we are touching the line of censorship and that’s bad for everyone.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Zone of the Enders 3 For PlayStation 3?
Hideo Kojima’s other PlayStation 2 franchise, Zone of the Enders, last saw an entry back in March of 2003. While the first was a commercial success, mostly due to the included Metal Gear Solid 2 demo, it was largely panned by critics. ZOE2: The Second Runner was its evil twin, a limited release that became a coveted, well reviewed title, bordering on collector’s item. (That reminds me, ZOE2 is now available for purchase at Game Quest Direct, if you’re looking for it.)
Now there’s talk of a third being readied for Sony’s PlayStation 3, much to the delight of Jehuty fans.
We’d heard talk of it recently being featured on the cover of PSM3 as a teaser. Now reader Martin sends us the above scan of what PSM3 had to say. Not much info, true, but they allude to Kojima and company spilling more mecha action beans soon. Watch this space!
Gamer wins Xbox, receives dirty pants
Filed under: Culture, Microsoft Xbox
Gamer Chip Caddell found himself the lucky winner of a used Xbox, games, and accessories on eBay. However, little did he know that he would also receive two bonus items: soiled pants, and a dirty towel.
The seller must be trying to save on packing materials, but this is a bit ridiculous. At least he didn’t use human hair, or his discarded underpants. Maybe these were testimonies on behalf of the seller, “These games are so good, just look what they made me do in my pants” or “You’ll need a towel to clean up when you piss yourself over the graphic capabilities of this baby.”
Another possibility is that Chip bid only on the pants and towel, and a bricked Xbox got thrown in to jack up the weight and let the buyer gouge him on the shipping costs.
[Thanks, Rich]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
This Day in Gaming, September 30th
1998: LucasArts releases Grim Fandango for PC in the US. It’s an acclaimed game based upon the Aztec mythology of the afterlife, but it failed commercially. I actually feel bad for having never played it and contributing to this game’s failure.
1998: Edioes releases Deathtrap Dungeon for PC in the US. Think of it as Tomb Raider with Lara Croft ugly/possibly switched at birth sister.
1999: Microsoft releases Age of Empires 2: The Age of Kings for PC in the US. I admittedly suck at RTS games, but nothing is more fulfilling than marching an army of war elephants into an opposing camp - even if I need to network with an idle computer to do it.
Have gaming history, trivia, or famous birthdays you’d like to see in TDIG? Drop us a line at tdig@kotaku.com
Sony On 360, Wii Competition: “We Don’t Care”
Oh, Ken! You are so quotable. The littlest Sony executive told games trade MCV that, despite considerable interest in the Wii on his home turf and strong sales of the Xbox 360 westward, he’s not gonna sweat it.
When asked by MCV whether the rival consoles will outstrip Sony’s next-gen machine, he replied simply: “We do not care.” But he conceded that Sony is still struggling with the production of PS3’s Blu-Ray drive: “Right now, it is an issue, because we can’t manufacture enough blue laser diodes for our PlayStation 3s. But we will resolve that.”
You better, Kenny! I need me a blue laser diode and I need it right quick. MCV apparently squeezed this info from Kutaragi at the TGS PlayStation 3 showcase at the Sony TK building, which we attended.
In other executive quotes, Sony’s sharp-dressed cue ball Phil Harrison let loose that Genji: Days of the Blade and Resistance Fall of Man are “definite PS3 launch titles.” Yay! Now if I can just win that PS3 we’re giving away…
Kutaragi laughs off rivals [MCV]
Full version of Gears of War leaked? [update 1]
Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Adventure
Gears of War has been pirated and uploaded to an Xbox 360 binaries group on Usenet. The file clocks in at around 7.2 gigs in 157 parts, and will require someone with patience, bandwidth and no sense of morals to download.
Is it real? Nobody knows. While it is hard to imagine this being legit, it definitely represents a problem to the developers. We’re surprised the feed didn’t get the smackdown immediately, but trying to rollout a significant next-gen title might occupy most of your free time.
If people could just be patient, this game will be in your hot little hands very soon. So stop wasting your time downloading useless binaries, and just stare at a calendar. Or you could go to a preview of Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, and get hands on with Gears afterwards.
[Thank, Bran]
[Update, took out the link ... we're definitely not encouraging piracy here, folks.]
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Itagaki: I’ll Never Leave You, Xbox
Melting man and breast enthusiast Tomonobu Itagaki loves the Xbox 360. Don’t let that niggling PlayStation 3 version of Ninja Gaiden trouble you, Xbots, Team Ninja’s crusty producer isn’t even working on it. He’s left that up to Yousuke Hayashi, who requested that he be allowed to bring the Ninja Gaiden franchise to a broader audience. Hayashi previously worked on the expanded Ninja Gaiden Black for the original Xbox, so his ninja porting skills seem capable.
Check the interview for more on Itagaki’s love of Sega and Microsoft hardware, as well as a clue as to what he’ll be focusing on after Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 ships (hint: it’s Ninja Gaiden 2).
Ubisoft prez sends some 360 “love”
Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Business
It’s a good thing that Sony’s Ken Kutaragi reportedly doesn’t care about the competition, because if he did he might be worried about the strong words of support for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 coming from Ubisoft president Yves Guillemot during an interview with GameIndustry.biz.
Guillemot said that Ubisoft granted an exclusive Splinter Cell title for Xbox 360 because, “Splinter Cell was created on the first Xbox, so we thought it was important to come back for one volume with Microsoft to create a very good quality title focused on using the full power of the system.” He added later, “We love Xbox 360 because it’s easy to develop on and that’s why we want to put great quality products on it.”
Ubisoft is clearly hedging its bets in the next-generation console race by offering plenty of launch support for the Wii and brining major games like Assassin’s Creed to the PS3 as well as to the 360. Still, this laudatory interview from the company’s president is sure to brighten the mood of any ardent 360 supporter.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Playstation 3 for Free From Kotaku
Don’t forget to check out our Playstation 3 contest this week. Today’s the last day to solve the first question and win an extra entry. You can turn in your answer next month for this month’s question, but you won’t get the extra entry.
Star Wars Battlefront 3 Coming To 360
According to UK games outlet CVG, the next iteration of the Battlefield inspired, team based shooter with a Star Wars coat of paint will be hitting the Xbox 360, courtesy of TimeSplitters dev house Free Radical. Citing the recently announced partnership with LucasArts and unnamed sources, CVG has no more details other than “it’s coming” and that former Battlefronters Pandemic Studios will not be on board for the next sequel.
Free Radical is currently grinding away on the next-gen shooter Haze, also for the 360, PS3 and PC. No word on whether the next Battlefront will hit other platforms, but considering the franchises history, a PC and PlayStation version seems likely.
Free Radical scoops Battlefront [CVG]
Pac-Man Dunny T-Shirt Hotness
Let’s get you up to speed. Pac-Man is a video game character created by Namco. Dunny is a series of soft vinyl toys from Kid Robot. A t-shirt is a short sleeved garment you put on your torso, usually made of cotton. Put all these things together and you have the above—a semi-sweet tee that will get you “props” from the urban vinyl and video gaming crossover market.
Based on the 2004 design from Dalek, it features the iconic Dalek eyeball on the back and is fabricated of delicious 100% soft ring spun cotton. The shirt will set you back 30-bones American and also comes in blue for the delicate types. Get one, kids. It’s a limited edition tee and you kind of look like a slob without it.
Thanks for the pointer, Josh.
Kidrobot Tee Dalek Pacman For Men
