Archive for November 3rd, 2006
Best Buy Wii, PS3 Launch Play Book Info
One of our friendly neighborhood Best Buy moles e-mailed us with some handy launch day info. If you’re one of the unlucky millions to not have a Wii or PlayStation 3 already reserved, instead braving the line in a tent, sleeping bag, or on a warm metal grate, here’s some more info that might make your camping a little easier.
We received our “Wii/PS3 playbook” today that had some nice information in it.
Only a few Best Buys will be opening early, as you posted earlier in the week. The rest will be opening an hour early at 9AM. We are encouraged to keep our lights on all night so that customers who line up outside will not be in the dark. We’ll be handing out tickets to the line about an hour before opening. We are told to not divulge the number of consoles we have to “prevent customer disappoints”. I would think that not telling customers how many we have would be more disappointing.
More details after the jump.
My particular store is getting 24 Wiis. Associates are instructed to tell customers that we don’t know when we will get more. Furthermore, employees are allowed to purchase either a PS3 or Wii, as long as they are off the clock and wait in line just like everyone else. However, resale of any console bought by an employee is expressely prohibited.
Here’s what I think is the worst part of it all. Apparently that report that Gamestop/EB would be the only stores with Wii kiosks wasn’t so off the mark. The Wii kiosks that Best Buy is getting will be NON-INTERACTIVE. To me this is just idiotic on the part of Nintendo. They are gonna show vidoes of their console that is based on using it? Nintendo has something huge in the Wii, why are they squandering it!! People need to get their hands on this thing!!!
Yep. You’ll be competing with the Best Buy blue-shirts for your next-gen console of choice.
Now you know. And knowing is half the battle.
Gizmondo Exec Gets Mistrial
Steffan Eriksson, famous Ferrari Enzo smasher, former alleged Swedish mafiosa, and one-time Gizmondo executive, saw the judge declare a mistrial in his trial for “two counts each of grand theft and fraudulent concealment with intent to defraud.”
Eriksson is no stranger to prison, having served a 10 year sentence for conspiracy to pass counterfeit currency and attempted fraud, but his lawyer said he “wasn’t disappointed with the outcome.” No shit?
Fortunately for burned Gizmondo owners and those who suffered in the wake of the company’s collapse, Eriksson is not quite off the hook yet. He still faces gun possession charges and additional court time.
Come on, legal system. Hasn’t this man suffered enough? Think of the unemployed Swedish call girls he could be supporting!
Mistrial Declared in Tech Kingpin’s Ferrari Crash Case [ABC News]
Sneak King? Sneak King?! Sneeaaaaak King!!!
Say what you want about “advergaming”, but personally, I’m 100% on board with four dollar Xbox 360 games featuring the Burger King. One look at this Sneak King trailer and I think you’ll agree that camping out for the third time in a month for games does not sound totally irrational.
BK 360 Games (Officially) Announced [Kotaku]
What Are You Playing This Weekend?
The week is winding down and the Kotaku staff is just about to head on down to our local TGI Fridays for some artery clogging, cellulite building appetizers and mind erasing fruity cocktails. We’ll hit on the staff, take in about 4,000 calories, then come home for some hair washing, toenail clipping and video game playing.
What will I be playing? I’ll be keeping it strictly portable this weekend (and for the next few weeks) as my consoles are packed away, ready to be shipped to sunny Los Angeles, California. Fortunately, I’ve got Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2 to keep me busy. The game is great, but I must admit that it’s not necessarily my style. I’m almost physically incapable of managing three Mario toys at once, to the point where I’ve come close to blacking out from the brain straining combination of strategy and stylus control.
What are you playing? Video games-wise, that is. I’m quite aware that most of you are cranking up the Loverboy right now, ready to get buckwild, but you must be playing something fun! Let us know in the comments.
Hands-On, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
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By: Mark Wilson
Toward the end of my two day Nintendo visit, I’m sitting with Perrin Kaplan, Nintendo’s VP of Marketing and Corporate affairs. She casually mentions that P. Diddy called to make sure he was getting a Wii at launch, and I’m a little embarrassed for her. Does she not realize who I am - the world famous writer of TDIG - admired around the globe for the keen ability to cut and paste Wikipedia articles, add the word “cock” a few times, and claim it as my own insight? Apparently not.
I want to explain that you don’t name drop around the Name incarnate. But more with Perrin later, because you want to hear about The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for the Wii.
During the event, I play Twilight Princess for about nine hours total, but due to press embargoes, I can only talk about the first four or so. To put that in perspective, Nintendo claims testers took 70 hours to play through the game the first time. This article isn’t about plotline or character development - that fun is for you. I am going to do my best to relay the experience of playing and answer all those questions of Wiimote mechanics.
Twilight Princess is broken down into two basic worlds. The first is the normal Zelda land we all know, with Link looking like a young Rod Stewart as he frolics around the countryside to Hyrule. The second world is that of the Twilight Realm, a growing parallel existence of shadow where Link transforms into a wolf ridden by a witch named Midna. Here, living people appear as ghosts who don’t even realize they are trapped in darkness.
Graphics
The graphics of Twilight Princess are both beautiful and disappointing, looking a lot like a high end Gamecube title (or more likely, XBOX) with enhanced shaders. In the normal world, there are moments of brilliance in the glow of the vast horizon, but these touches are difficult to appreciate with Link’s pixilated body constantly front and center. Artistic intention is obvious, but I can’t help wishing that the jagged edges of Link’s arms aren’t more frightening than his sword. Some of the effect is from the proximity we sit to the LCD televisions - which are only a few feet away. From further distances, the image gains cohesiveness and the richness of an oil painting. I often find myself looking around the room to other monitors, admiring the neighbors’ scenery more than my own.
The Twilight Realm, however, has a much cleaner edge from close proximity. This is mostly due to a constant blur effect - but it’s beautiful nonetheless. Highlights in the wolf’s fur glow, and the sky shimmers like the Northern Lights - be they stagnant.
Gameplay/Control
“For gamers, Zelda will probably be number one…for people who are new to this industry, or who used to play and have left…I think Wii Sports is going to be the big draw,” Perris says. I know what she means, and it comes down to the complexity of controls.
Playing as Link is completely familiar, as he brandishes a set of moves similar to recent titles. The nunchuk moves Link through the environment. Jumping between surfaces is not jumping, but running off the edge and engaging an auto-leap. It’s fairly natural after a while.
But how does the Wiimote fair? It’s not horrible, and not stellar. You unsheathe the sword by moving the remote. Fighting with a sword, you have three basic attacks: you can swipe side to side by swinging horizontally. You can swing downward by swinging the remote up to down. Or you can thrust…by thrusting? No. You swing and hold the nunchuk directional pad forward. To me, this button combination takes a lot away from the basic sword control. As soon as simple attacks aren’t one-to-one translations, I begin to miss the point. A jump attack or finishing blow is even less movement based, requiring you to lock on with the Z button from the nunchuk and press A. I want to leap into the air and descend from the heavens, smashing skulls into bits, projecting little brain pieces on fellow journalists, yelling “That’s how the Markster brings it, BITCH! Don’t fuck with Zelda!” Hell, I practiced it. But instead, it’s Z button A button. The combat can still be fun, and the added visceral element will be a loss in the Gamecube version. But the sword attacks simply don’t take full advantage of the Wii controls.
Aiming projectiles takes practice, but can offer surprising accuracy. I find myself avoiding the slingshot or boomerang mostly because I’m playing with the Wiimote resting on my leg. When activating my weapon and aiming, I receive a full screen message telling me to aim the controller at the screen. This happens a ton, though I don’t think it would be an issue if I were standing while playing because then I’d keep the Wiimote in the ready. We are set in highchairs, while I would prefer to rock Zelda hard and deep like Guitar Hero’s ‘More then a Feeling’.
Attacking with the wolf is the only major disappointment in battle. He has one primary lunging attack activated by any simple Wiimote movement. Because of this mono-directional fighting style, I often find myself on the wrong side of an enemy with little choice than to run and turn around (less the wolf’s subsequent anal raping make Twilight Princess ‘M’ for Mature).
There are evil shadow creatures that the wolf encounters, requiring a different type of attack to kill. As I hold Z, a black circle grows on the ground, sparking with purple electricity. When the shadow creatures are all within the circle, I release Z and the wolf combo kills them all - a necessity as if one is left standing, its shrieking will resurrect the others…and generally annoy the hell out of the real you.
But the wolf form offers more interesting features than combat. He has enhanced senses that are easily activated with the touch of the D-Pad. They allow him to see sparkling treasure in the ground (which he can dig up) as well as eavesdrop on ghosts. Something I’m sure will be exploited later in the game is his ability to howl - a real time musical interaction where you control the pitch. But is the howling controlled by the Wiimote? No, and it makes me crave a good Wind Waker port along with that lame conducting game that ended up being just a tech demo.
Midna is less for battle and more for reaching high distances and long gaps. You hear her giggle in the Wiimote speaker at the appropriate times to call for her assistance. It’s a great use of the speaker, as its presence dwells outside the general stereo sound interface. It’s like she’s right next to you, because she is. If you fail to solve certain puzzles, she eventually chimes in with hints. Without spoiling much, I will say Midna is an extremely fun, cynical and memorable character I will no longer want to see Zelda without. And her prior screenshot manifestation as that stupid arm protruding from the wolf’s back is all but eliminated.
Horseback riding on Epona is smooth and natural. You can call your horse by blowing into a special whistle plant that grows sporadically throughout the world. Read that last sentence again to remember how beautifully ridiculous the entire game is. The horse gallops with the same basic running controls, but will continue to gallop automatically if you pull out the slingshot to attack an enemy. Yes, it’s really freakin’ cool, even if the first four hours don’t offer much in horse battles.
Sadly enough, fishing might be the most natural use of the Wiimote in the whole game. You cast as you normally would think to cast, and pull up immediately as the bobber goes under. It’s simple, natural and offers the one-to-one Wiimote control that I crave more of in the game. Apparently you can collect fish, but we’re thinking pockets of grouper will begin to smell pretty foul by hour 27.
Oh, and there are monkeys. Bare-assed monkeys. Bare-assed monkeys who flaunt their bare-assedness. It’s just something to keep in mind if you are in to that sort of thing.
Final Thoughts
“Do we have the software and the hardware to do something exciting enough to begin taking the industry beyond its solid but average numbers every year? It’s been sort of a 10 billion [industry] for a long time,” Perris said. “Do we have what it takes to lift that up a little bit? We think we do.” What is a little bit of $10 billion?
I attempted to regurgitate my Twilight Princess experience the best that I could. For those who are craving more plot, you can pick up the game soon, I promise. I can tell you that it follows the same archetypal story of its predecessors and looks to offer the deepest character development I’ve seen in any Zelda title yet. The game is remarkably cinematic, but not in the cheesy Hollywood-wannabe way that so often traps the gaming industry. At times, I had moderate issues with the graphics and controls. But part of the reason I am a little down on the game is that the first 4 hours aren’t nearly as exciting or innovative as the four that follow.
Sure, it’s a Gamecube port. From what I understand, the Wii version’s major differences are a wider aspect ratio and Wiimote incorporation. Twilight Princess doesn’t utilize motion as well as some games built for the Wii from the ground up, which I find to be a disappointment. But I do find myself enjoying playing, and I’m enjoying playing in the way one can only enjoy a Zelda title. Does Twilight Princess need to be on the Wii? Probably not. But the game is a little better for it.
A Surprise Visit, Nintendo Style
Knock knock.
I answer the door to my hotel room. Nintendo PR hands me a silver bag labaled “Wii”, and it seems to be the perfect sized bag to carry a certain unreleased Nintendo console. No way it could be a Wii…but I’d better check right away.
I slam the door in PR’s face and run to unpack my loot onto my bed.
Nope, no Wii. Instead we got a Wii hat, Zelda t-shirt, some snacks and a lot of luxury bath products. We’re talking a bath bomb, loofah and special chilled cucumber eye patch thingie. In other words, The Works.
I pretend to be disappointed.
The Halo 3 Legendary Spartan Mjolnir Helmet
Here it is, the Halo 3 Legendary Edition exclusive Spartan helmet collectable. Getting your hands on this hot hunk of plastic—and the game, natch—will cost you a pretty penny, $99. Plus, Gamestop wants to kick in an extra $5 bonus shipping charge on top of that. Ouch!
Hardcore Halo fans willing to fork over the Benjamin will also get the following.
Three bonus discs that contain:
* Behind-the-scenes at Bungie Studios with new insights into the Halo Universe and the making of Halo 3.
* A special hi-res collection of all cinematics from Halo 1 and Halo 2 with director commentary from the Bungie Team bonus
* Community content from Red vs. Blue, This Spartan Life and Exclusive Gamer Tiles & a Theme
* Each unit will be serialized for added individuality and collectability
What say you, Kotaku readership? Will you bite?
Halo 3 Legendary Edition with Halo Spartan Mjolnir Mark VI Helmet! [Thanks, Tim!]
Today’s hottest game video: PS3 web browser in action
Filed under: Culture, Sony PlayStation 3, Video
We’re leapfrogging to spot number three tonight, because the top slots are currently being pwned by the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess trailer (117,537 views!) and the intro video that we’ve already hit. Coming up a distant third (a paltry 27,797 by comparison) is the PlayStation 3 web browser in hot, glorious video action.
Some of the cool features are that you can have six browser sessions active at any given time, you can punch in addresses and text using the controller, a usb keyboard or *snap* a bluetooth keyboard. Slickest of all is the ability to use the left analog stick as your mouse, FTW! It will be pretty sweet to surf the web between gaming sessions, but it would be even sweeter to be able to upload screenshots of yourself owning someone online to a website using the browser. Give us some kind of smacktalk feature, Sony. We’re gonna need it.
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New Gorgeous Virtua Fighter 5 Screens
Sega gave us some new screens of their upcoming arcade to PlayStation 3 fighter Virtua Fighter 5 and damn does it look sexy! Especially that hunky Blaze!
Check out the full gallery for more shiny beefcake and demure lady brawlers, but keep in mind these are 720p shots. Not for the faint of heart (or the 56K crowd)!
Virtua Fighter 5 Screenshot Gallery
Scion xA “Pimped” With PlayStation 3
At this week’s SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) show, nestled within the Sony “Xplod” booth, lives this heavily customize 2004 Scion xA. Custom painted in PlayStation 3 red and black, the car also contains a real, working, all-hooked-up PS3.
Hooked up to what? Tons of monitors! A roof embedded 46″ widescreen TV, another 26″ TV in the rear hatch, and thirteen additional monitors installed throughout the interior means your passengers can watch you play Gran Turismo HD from any angle.
Plus, they removed the steering wheel, which, if I’m reading the narrator right, means the car is now controlled with a PlayStation 3 SIXAXIS. If so, cool, but I somehow doubt it.
Check out the video at CarTV to see it in action.
Today in Joystiq: November 3, 2006
Joystiquery
Japanese hardware sales, 23 October - 29 October: platinum premium edition
Joystiq Zeitgeist: Seriously scary dead system reviews (Oct. 28 - Nov. 3)
Today’s hottest game video: Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess Trailer
The Political Game: Can you create a gaming city?
Metareview - Neverwinter Nights 2
Xbox Live Demo roundup
Happy Halo music day
News
GFW mag peeps Bioware’s latest RPG, Dragon Age
New Smash Bros Brawl trailer flaunts combos, Fox
Dave Navarro to promote Guitar Hero II in LA
Wii Startup Disc is (surprise!) a set up disk
Geometry Wars Mobile published by Sony
1UP pulls Neverwinter Nights 2 review
PS3 to hit Taiwan, Hong Kong Nov. 17
First pics of retail PS3 game cases
Video games are the new Ritalin
PlayStation 3 XMB walkthroughs
MLG goes FTW on USA TV
Surprise: EA is profitable
Rumors & Speculation
More evidence Live Anywhere reaching Zune?
Rumor: HD movie downloads on Xbox 360
Culture
Extensive World of Warcraft play desensitizes humans
What if: Madden’s All-Nintendo team
When do you play video games?
New CD mutilates 8-bit tracks
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Sponsors Thanks
Our engines are rarin’ to go, and the Kotakumobile’s tires hug the starting line. Our Sponsors are sitting in the crowd, cheering us on. We thank Fox Soccer Channel, Nokia, Rockstar Games and Yahoo for their support during this race. We’ve been waiting all week for this. No, wait. We’ve been waiting all our lives. One, two, three, GO!
Unanswered Virtual Console Questions Answered
The folks at CV&G squeezed a handful of good info nuggets from the Nintendo PR hive mind, mostly about the Wii’s Virtual Console platform and how we’ll be controlling it.
First the bad news: no, you won’t be able to stash your VC titles on an SD card and take them to your buddy’s house. You’ll need your Wii for that. And, no, you won’t be able to use the Classic controller to play Gamecube games. That’s kind of a bummer for me, as I’m a vocal anti-fan of the purple pad.
However, you will have some options when playing Virtual Console downloads. You can use your Wavebird, Classic or Wii Remote to play NES titles, making it easy for you to choose the controller that will help you finally make it through Urban Champion.
Read on to sleep better at night about your upcoming Wii purchase.
Virtual Console: Secrets exposed [C&VG]
1UP pulls Neverwinter Nights 2 review
Filed under: PC, RPGs, Business
In a move reserved for only the most high-ranking of screw-ups, 1UP.com has pulled their review of Neverwinter Nights 2. Stating that the review did a “disservice to fans of the RPG genre.” We have what is said to be the original review after the break.
It’s a very difficult decision to pull a story. An editor would normally rather suffer the wrath of an angry readership than go forth with a retraction. Not only does it show a lack of respect to the writer of the piece, but it shows a collapse in the editorial chain of command at a publication. As our metareview showed this morning, 1UP gave NWN2 a 5 out of 10, which was quite the departure from the rest of the reviews. Not that publications can’t have different opinions, but seriously, when was the last time you saw a decent game get below a 7?
The alleged original article written by Matt Peckham and re-posted by “Citizen_Ska” on the 1 Up forums. We sincerely hope this isn’t the original review, and if it was, good move by 1UP’s editors for removing it :
As everything-the-original-did — and more — follow-ups go, Neverwinter Nights 2 deserves a banner&something like “mission accomplished.” Think the sequel to Jurassic Park, where Spielberg’s all “You want more dinosaurs? I’ll show you more dinosaurs…” As a contemporary CRPG, on the other hand, NWN2 leaves a lot to be desired, and that’s too bad, because these are the guys who brought us Planescape: Torment and Icewind Dale 2…and therefore they are the guys I’m least inclined to take issue with.
But issues exist, and defining them is really no more complex than saying, “Hello D&D superchrome, buh-bye storytelling and character development (you know, those things you’re supposed to “immerse” yourself in).” The idea seems to be that we’re meant to rah-rah about a superabundance of feats, spells, races, prestige (advanced) classes, and math-equation tickers full of the usual “I attack you with a +4 sword of –” booooooring. Fine, sure, dandy…but when is a “role” not a “role”? Simple: when it’s a rule to a fault.
Ever loyal bites
I’m cruising for a bruising (don’t I know it), but NWN2 is a splash of cold water to the face: A revelatory, polarizing experience that — in the wake of newer, better alternatives — makes you question the very notion of “RPG by numbers.” It foists Wizards of the Coast’s latest v3.5 D&D system (a molehill that’s become a mountain at this point) onto your hard drive with stunning fidelity, then tacks on dozens of artificial-looking areas vaguely linked by forget-table plot points you check off like grocery to-do’s.
Sure, the interface is sleeker with context-sensitive menus and a smart little bar that lets you more intuitively toggle modes like “power attack” and “stealth,” but with all the added rule-shuffling, NWN2 seems like it’s working twice as hard to accomplish half as much. Worse — and blame this on games like Oblivion — NWN2’s levels feel pint-sized: Peewee zones inhabited by pull-string NPCs with no existence to speak of beyond their little playpens. Wander and you’ll wonder why the forests, towns, and dungeons are like movie lots with lay-about monsters waiting patiently for you to trip their arbitrary triggers. As if the pencil and paper “module” approach were a virtue that computers — by now demonstrably capable of simulating entire worlds with considerably more depth — should emulate. It’s like we’re supposed to park half our brain in feature mania and the rest in nostalgic slush, and somehow call bingo.
The dungeons feel especially stale, so linear and inorganic they might as well be graph-paper lifts filled with room after room of pop-up bogeymen (Doom put them in closets; NWN2 just makes the closets bigger). Maybe you’d rather chat with the dumb NPCs that speak and sound like extras in a bad Saturday morning cartoon? Oh, boy — there’s the portrait “plus” sign! Time to shuffle another party member (improved to four simultaneous) through the level-up grinder, which you can click “recommend” to zip past…but then, what’s the point?
Rule-playing game
In all fairness, it’s not entirely developer Obsidian’s fault. D&D certainly puts the “rule” in role-playing, and a madcap base of D&D aficionados is no doubt ready to string me up for suggesting that faithful is here tantamount to folly (to these people, I say: “Go for it, NWN2’s all you’ve ever wanted and more”). Call me crazy — I guess I’m just finally weary of being led around on a pencil-and-paper leash and batting numbers around a glorified three-dimensional spreadsheet in a computer translation that should have synthesized, not forklifted.
That five-of-10 is actually a hedge, by the way. For D&D fans who want to play an amazingly thorough PC translation of the system they’re carting around in book form, it’s proba-bly closer an eight or nine. But if, like me, you want less “rules for rule’s sake” and more depth and beauty to your simulated game worlds, you can certainly find more exciting prospects. Part of the reason we call them “the good old days” and think fondly of games past is that it’s always easier to love what we don’t have to play anymore.
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Lost Planet Icy Hot Collector’s Edition
Capcom announced today that the Xbox 360 exclusive third-person action shooter Lost Planet is going to have a very special edition.
What’s so special about it? The usual: metal case, alternate cover art, book with exclusive concept art, plus tons of digital art content and bonus $10 price increase.
Folks willing to shell out the seventy big ones will also be treated to a time-exclusive multiplayer map, one that the folks in coach won’t get until Summer 2007. That’s right, cheap ass grumblers, no bonus map for you! Oh, hush, you’ll still get it as a free download from Xbox Live, you’re just going to have to have some patience.
The game is still shipping in January (get it? it’s cold that month!) and is currently totally awesome. Hit the jump to peep some-so-hot-it’s-cool press release action with further details.
Capcom Breaks the Ice with Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Collectors Edition
SUNNYVALE, Calif - Nov. 3, 2006 — Capcom, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today announced that its arctic sci-fi action shooter, Lost Planet: Extreme Condition just got even cooler, with a Collector’s Edition that will be available in stores simultaneously with the standard edition. Packaged in a custom designed SteelBook case featuring exclusive cover art , this premium set will include the game, art book with exclusive concept art and a heap of multimedia content. As a special bonus, gamers that purchase the Collector’s Edition will have exclusive access to an additional multiplayer map for several months before it is made available as a free download on Xbox Live Marketplace, in summer 2007. Exclusively available for Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the standard edition will carry a suggested retail price of $59.99 and the limited Collector’s Edition will be available for $69.99, while supplies last. Lost Planet carries a “T” rating for teen audiences by the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) and will be available across North America on January 12.
Capcom debuted the first peek at Lost Planet’s multiplayer action at this year’s Leipzig Games Convention where its riveting action netted top honors as the Best Xbox 360 Game at the show. Combining a gripping single player campaign and intense multiplayer modes with support for up to 16 players via Xbox Live online game service, Lost Planet promises to be an epic gaming masterpiece. Taking full advantage of Xbox 360’s unprecedented power, Lost Planet will contain an unrivalled level of detail as advanced light sourcing is used to ensure a realistic presentation that enhances every explosion, smoke and particle effect. Enormous world maps unfold as players battle the hostile creatures during blistering weather conditions throughout vast snow fields and deserted cities either on foot or with armed vehicles. Fostering a real-time loading system, players can expect a seamless experience that leaves them completely immersed.
“Capcom has one of the most devoted fan bases in the industry and we want our fans to know that we are listening,” said Charles Bellfield, vice president, marketing, Capcom Entertainment, Inc. “More so than any previous title, fan feedback on message boards including the game’s official community site has been tremendous. The wealth of content included in the Collector’s Edition is a direct result of input we have received from our fans.”
Lost Planet Collector’s Edition offers fans a flurry of extra content:
* One exclusive bonus multiplayer map that will only be available in the Collector’s Edition until summer 2007
* Custom designed exclusive cover art, for collector’s edition only
* Premium packaging in a sleek SteelBook metal case
* Exclusive art book with concept sketches from all stages of development including character renders, VS renders and enemy art
* Soundtrack of select songs from the game
* Fan kit assets for gamers to create their own Lost Planet websites
* Action packed videos and trailers
* Wallpapers, AIM icons, board icons and signature banners
* Digital art files including screens, character art and environment shots
In Lost Planet, human snow pirates navigate VS (Vital Suits) through unforgiving arctic environments, fighting against the indigenous Akrid creatures for the precious thermal energy they need to survive. For one such pilot named Wayne, death almost seemed imminent until he was fortunately rescued. However, he can only remember a few fragments of his past including the slaying of his father by these enigmatic menaces. Yet under the shroud of ice, a devious plot has been set into motion by the Neo Venus Construction Corporation (NEVEC). What really happened to Wayne and how will his destiny become intertwined with NEVEC’s plans? Encounter valuable allies and dangerous enemies on Wayne’s search for the truth.
For more information on Lost Planet, please visit the official site at http://www.lostplanet-thegame.com or join the growing community of fans at http://www.lostplanetcommunity.com
Capcom is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment. The company develops its products for all popular game systems, PC and wireless devices. Founded in 1983, the company has created world renowned franchises including Resident Evil, Street Fighter, Mega Man, Devil May Cry, Onimusha and the newly released Dead Rising. Headquartered in Osaka, Japan, the company maintains operations in the U.S., United Kingdom, Germany, Tokyo and Hong Kong. More information about Capcom and its products can be found on the company’s web site at www.capcom.com.
Canadian Teens Call for Bully Ban
A couple of teenagers in Ontario Canada have started a petition to get Rockstar’s Bully banned from store shelves. Katie Neu, 14, and 17 year old Robert Frenette met after he discovered the girl had written a book on bullying. Bonding over their personal experiences being picked on, the two decided to join forces against a common foe - a video game neither of them have played.
Neu, who admits she hasn’t played the game, said she has seen reviews and the game’s website and heard from Frenette, who played the game online, about its content. “From what I’ve heard, it’s was extremely graphic and violent and not appropriate,” she said.
That’s correct, Frenette played the non-online game online, and Neu read several reviews and surfed a website. Junior Jack Thompsons in the making there.
Having received the support of many parents, written letters to government leaders, and set up an online petition, experts in bullying agree that they are now at least 150% more fun to push around than before.
Area teen fights for ban on Bully video game [The Record, via GamePolitics]
Japanese hardware sales, 23 October - 29 October: platinum premium edition
Filed under: Nintendo DS, Nintendo GameCube, Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PSP, Microsoft Xbox, Microsoft Xbox 360
Though we’ve gone to great lengths to deny and cloak the truth, it is frequently in our best interests to be direct with our readers. You see, we’ve been having trouble making ends meet. In fact, all of our efforts to do so have resulted in one of the ends physically and quite brutally assaulting the other. One even tried to hire a hitman. Our lack of financial power has become so abysmal, that one of our boggers has had to make due without “L” key on his hideously malfunctioning keyboard. His description of the Xbox 360’s Eragon demo as “ame” lacked a significant amount of punch, not to mention sense.
And that’s why we’ve decided to make more cents. In a bold move to build up our shared bank account under the pitiful pretense of providing the reader with choice, this week’s Japanese sales chart will find itself next to equine protection devices and sleek sports cars — huddled beneath the gigantic umbrella of microtransactions. By clicking once and going through to the second half of the post, you agree to pay Joystiq 12 Joy Points to unlock the information. You can purchase 11 Joy Points at a time for just 1200 Microsoft Points. Don’t worry, as a matter of convenience, we’ve already obtained your credit card information.
Note on choice: You could simply highlight the text, but why bother clicking and dragging your mouse across the desk like a slave pulling a granite block for his pyramid-obsessed pharaoh?
- DS Lite: 158,681 
41,740 (35.69%)
- PSP: 25,908 5,637 (27.81%)
- PS2: 21,832 
548 (2.45%)
- GBA SP: 1,858563 (23.25%)
- Xbox 360: 1,565 278 (21.60%)
- Game Boy Micro: 1,351 309 (18.61%)
- Gamecube: 644 6 (0.94%)
- DS Phat: 114 16 (12.31%)
- GBA: 15 22 (59.46%)
- Xbox: 7 1 (16.67%)
[Source: Media Create]
CHART UNLOCKED
- DS Lite: 158,681 41,740 (35.69%)
- PSP: 25,908 5,637 (27.81%)
- PS2: 21,832 548 (2.45%)
- GBA SP: 1,858563 (23.25%)
- Xbox 360: 1,565 278 (21.60%)
- Game Boy Micro: 1,351 309 (18.61%)
- Gamecube: 644 6 (0.94%)
- DS Phat: 114 16 (12.31%)
- GBA: 15 22 (59.46%)
- Xbox: 7 1 (16.67%)
TRANSACTION SUCCESSFUL
You have 10 Joy Points remaining. Why not spend them on:
- Next week’s unpredictable Japanese sales chart (11 Joy Points)
- Yet another anti-Nintendo Joystiq news post (23 Joy Points)
- Yet another anti-Microsoft Joystiq news post (23 Joy Points)
- Yet another anti-Sony Joystiq news post (3 Joy Points)
- A scathing satire on macrotransactions (99 Joy Points)
- Joystiq’s upcoming review of Gears of ??? (11 Joy Points to unlock full recommendation)
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Round-Up PS3 NYC Clips
Sony held a Playstation 3 event in New York City Thursday to show off the games and console interface. Gawker’s very own Richard Blakeley was on hand to shoot some footage for us. Here’s a round-up of the videos he did.
NBA 07
Need for Speed Carbon
Mobile Suit Gundam
Motorstorm
Tony Hawk Project 8
Call of Duty 3
PS3 Music Browser
PS3 Picture Browser
PS3 Movie Browser
First Geometry Wars Phone Screens
This batch of screens just popped up in my email. They are, I’m told, the first images of Sony BMG Music Entertainment’s Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved Mobile. It looks pretty damn neat, I just hope it turns out better than Lumines, which I heard sucked hard. Jump is home to more screens and the fact sheet.
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved Mobile
Publisher: Sony BMG Music Entertainment
Developer: Hardcore3D Wireless in conjunction with Bizarre Creations
Platform: Mobile
Genre: Arcade
Website: http://www.geometrywars.com
Description:
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved Mobile is the Xbox Live Arcade’s smash hit faithfully brought to mobile devices. A modern arcade-style game in the spirit of Robotron: 2084, Asteroids, and Tempest, the player controls a “ship” that must annihilate an onslaught of circles, squares, and diamonds. This is the most intense action ever created for cell phones - deep gameplay and simple pick-up-and-play controls combine for the ideal mobile game experience. Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved Mobile brings gamers the addictive action of the original, anywhere and anytime.
Features:
· The award winning, #1 Xbox 360 Live Arcade smash hit comes to mobile
· From the devious Weavers to fearsome Repulsars, slippery Snakes, and powerful Gravity Wells, it’s all here in the mobile version
· In the farthest reaches of the galaxy, evil shapes await. The circles, squares, and diamonds are out to get you - destroy them all!
· Deep gameplay and simple pick-up-and-play controls
· The spectacular visuals will mesmerize as you engage in a limitless, compelling, breathless challenge
· Blast away at enemies with unparalleled precision and intensity, 360 degrees of movement and targeting
· Intuitive “tap” control allows you strafe or fire in front of you
· The weapon system is upgradeable, but only through the point system, upgrading every 10,000 points. New weapon upgrades at 10,000 points, new lives every 75,000 points and new bombs every 100,000 points
· New features such as numerous Challenge Modes (such as Untouchable, Survivor, and Points Monster), where players will try to reach a defined objective. The player can post his best times or scores for each challenge on a local challenge list and a network leader board.
Xbox Live Demo roundup
Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Adventure, RPGs, Simulations, Strategy
There’s been a lot of new demos out on Xbox Live Marketplace lately, some good, some bad. Some of them might end up saving you $60, since the demo could be craptacular, but you could also find yourself desperate for the full version. That’s the whole mystery of the marketplace. Roll the dice and see what you think.
Eragon: (415.28MB) This game is only going to appeal to fans of the book and the upcoming film. The graphics are not what you’d call “pretty,” and it feels as if the game was tossed together over a drunken weekend using old code found on a floppy disk in a dumpster outside of Electronic Arts. It plays like Lord of the Rings meets Knights of the Old Republic. You have a sword, a bow, Jedi-like magic powers, and face an onslaught of identical foes. You can call in a dragon for air support every now and then, almost like having a special Dragon-whistle. *TWEET* “Hey! Take out that SUV in front of me! Thanks, girl!” Now that would come in handy.
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Double Agent: (702.31MB) No surprises here. It’s the same old Splinter Cell that you’ve come to love or hate. Ubisoft could just start calling these games Splinter Cell: The Sequel and you’d get the drift — although this one has some big changes to the multiplayer, new plot, still fun … if you’re into that sort of thing. Fire it up and and see what you think of the latest installment. Then go try out the next one down and see which one knocks your socks off. Double Agent is the biggest download of the group, so get one of the smaller ones first and let this load in the background while you get some game on.
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas: (477.57MB) Can they make the titles to these games any longer, please? Soon it’ll be crossover time and you’ll have Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Cell Splinter Six of the Old Republic Theft Auto to deal with. This is the second smallest download, barely ahead of Eragon, but it really manages to put the money where the megabytes are. This demo alone makes us want to pony up the money for the real things. Plus come on, Vegas, baby, Vegas.
F.E.A.R.: (542.72MB) And then there was F.E.A.R — an explosive ballet of destruction, clone commandos and kicking evil little girls in the head. In slow-mo. What more can you ask for in a free demo?
What demos have you been checking out? We wanna hear about it.
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