Archive for January 4th, 2007
Jeter Pulls 2K Sports Triple Play
New York Yankee’s captain and the most marketable player in Major League Baseball, Derek Jeter has once again been signed on to be the cover athlete for 2K Sports’ MLB game. He was already the cover athlete for the 2K5 and 2K6 games, as well as Acclaim’s All-Star Baseball series, which ended in 2005.
The 2K Sports hat trick makes a total of 8 console baseball game covers he has appeared on, making him one of if not the most featured baseball player in the history of console game covers.
“It is a real privilege to represent the premier MLB title in the video game industry,” stated Derek Jeter. “Just as I am always striving to improve my game, 2K Sports is constantly improving theirs, and this dedication has made Major League Baseball 2K7 the best MLB video game ever.”
Well at least he believes in the product he gets paid to endorse. Derek Jeter distinguishes himself from other baseball players for me because I actually know who he is. I know more about basket weaving than I do about baseball, so it is a pretty big accomplishment to join the roster of players I can name, alongside such greats as Ty Cobb and the candy bar guy.
Press release follows.
2K Sports Announces Derek Jeter as Official Spokesman and Cover Athlete for Major League Baseball®2K7
New York Yankees’® Captain Derek Jeter to Return as Cover Athlete of the Premier Major League Baseball Video Game
NEW YORK, NY - January 4, 2007 - 2K Sports, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (Nasdaq: TTWO), proudly announced today the return of New York Yankees’ All-Star Shortstop Derek Jeter as cover athlete and official spokesperson for Major League Baseball®2K7.
“We strive with every 2K Sports product to bring the most entertaining and realistic sports experience possible. With Major League Baseball 2K7 we listened to our fans, redesigning the game by strengthening the core gameplay and incorporating new, innovative features,” stated Greg Thomas, president of Visual Concepts, a 2K Sports studio. “When Major League Baseball 2K7 is released later this winter, fans will experience the most authentic and exciting MLB® video game experience on any platform.”
“It is a real privilege to represent the premier MLB title in the video game industry,” stated Derek Jeter. “Just as I am always striving to improve my game, 2K Sports is constantly improving theirs, and this dedication has made Major League Baseball 2K7 the best MLB video game ever.”
Jeter, a seven-time All-Star, had a spectacular 2006 season, finishing with a .343 batting average that ranked second overall in the American League. Additionally in 2006, Jeter won his third straight Gold Glove award as well as winning the Hank Aaron Award for best overall offensive performer for the American League. As the New York Yankees’ team captain, Jeter’s talent, leadership, and determined attitude have earned him numerous accolades, cementing him as one of the greatest players to wear the Yankee pinstripes.
Major League Baseball 2K7 will be available for the Xbox 360™ and Xbox® video game and entertainment systems from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION®3 and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment systems, and the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system. Additional features and enhancements that take the virtual Major League Baseball experience to the next level will be announced in advance of the release of Major League Baseball 2K7 in late winter.
For more information, log onto http://www.2ksports.com
Hands On: DS Stock Trading Game
Blog Q-Taro has a look at Hideo Kojima’s (Yes, that Hideo Kojima) stock trading game Kabutore. The game stars a woman named “Nozomi,” a former high school classmate you run into ten years later. She invites you to an “online trading coffee shop.” Uh, ‘mkay. Writes Q-Taro:
I’ve only just started playing the game which begins at a time over a year ago because the Nikkei 225 starts at 12,291.73, and then progresses daily so you can see your investments go up or down…There’s also a part where you use the pointer to “guess” the trend of the chart by drawing the missing trendline. You get points when you guess correctly. A kind of pointless exercise really. Like most guides to stock trading in Japan, the game deals mostly with how to execute a trade and examine charts (Japanese investors love charts) There’s no discussion of investment strategies or how to choose a good stock. This is not a surprise since online brokers make their money from transaction fees so they don’t want investors to buy and hold.
Sound dry, but players can buy stocks like Nintendo, Square-Enix and Konami. There are also tongue-in-cheek investment funds like the Love Hotel Fund and the Idol Fun. Q-Taro also points out that “Nintendo, by the way is doing really well this year.” Shocking!
Kabutore Hands On [Q-Taro]
One Hi-Def Format to Rule Them All?
The 360 versus PS3 argument often comes down to the question of hi-def DVD format. With neither Blu-ray nor HD DVD taking a clear lead in the format wars and consumers confused over which side they should back, in rides the white knight, Warner Bros. Next week at CES they plan to announce the Total HD disc, which is media capable of playing both HD formats, allowing studios to release one version of their productions instead of having to make two versions or worse, completely snubbing one install base altogether.
This is just brilliant, really. If the Total HD disc gains widespread acceptance then consumers won’t be as wary of choosing a player, gamers can go back to arguing over games instead of movies, retailers will move more product, and neither HD DVD or Blu-Ray formats have to admit defeat by the other.
The only thing that could screw this up is pride on the part of the specific format backers, though I put forth that any studio that tries to force a format down our throats once the Total HD disc becomes widely available doesn’t care enough about the consumer to warrant our money anyway.
New disc may sway DVD wars [CNET via Evil Avatar - Thanks Chilly!]
Don’t Forget, Lost Planet Contest
Just a reminder that the deadline for our Lost Planet contest is tomorrow at midnight Kotaku time. We’ve got ten copies of Lost Planet to award. How to enter? Create something game related out of snow, ice, dirt, sand, mud, clay and snap a pic. Send that pic to kotakucontest@gmail.com along with your name and address. But note, we will get mean and nasty towards big fat cheaters like Nikolai! Boo Nikolai BOO!!
Lost Planet Contest Rules [Kotaku]
Kotaku Magu: Edge’s Twilight Princess Poster
One of the things I always liked about Edge magazine was the fact they rarely resorted to dishing out free crap in an attempt to shift copies - they could normally rely on the content of the mag alone to do that. But lately, it seems they’ve regressed a little - the last 4-5 issues have come wrapped in plastic, packed in with stuff like advertising rags masquerading as “supplements” (the “objective” PS3 insert was nothing but one long 360-bashing rant).
But…I digress. The latest issues has hit newsstands, and this month I’ve bought the thing JUST for the insert, which is an A2-sized poster of the awesome artwork from the Twilight Princess manual. And before you say it, yes, free Zelda posters are enough to move me to gross acts of hypocrisy (though seriously, the issue is the “Edge Awards” one, and is pretty damn good).
A note of caution, though - it’s pretty flimsy along the folds, so don’t go too nuts unwrapping the thing.
Kojima Doesn’t Care About HD, Interested In Wii
Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima let out a few choice tidbits in a recent issue of GamePro magazine. His big, huge title MGS 4 is currently a PS3 exclusive and should stir up much interest in Sony’s new console when it is eventually released. So, Hideo, what do you think about Blu-ray? Dish!
You may hear Blu-ray is huge, gigantic, 20 GB or so, but that’s not really that big to us. One basic [gameplay] with HD visual and 5.1 sound takes up so much space that the capacity will become too small in no time.
Enough with Sony! What about the Wii?!
Wii! [laughs] Yes, I want to do it. I’m saying this everyday. But first, I have to face this giant that is called Metal Gear Solid 4, so until I’m finished with that, I can’t do anything.
But the Wii isn’t HD! It doesn’t have 4D!!
We’re not the ones who are saying we want HD. I’m not interested, myself, about HD at all. MGS games tend not to care about how clean the screen looks…we deliberately make the graphics look dirtier to give the atmosphere more life.
And there you have it. Hideo Kojima: Interested in storage and the Nintendo Wii, but not HD. At all.
Kojima Quotes [Sling's Sarcastic Crapland]
In Search of Okami Tattoo Guy
Hey hairy-calved Okami-loving Kotaku reader, this message is for you. A certain gaming magazine dedicated to the Playstation-scene would love to show-off your glistening-shaved calve and the wonderful Okami tat located thereupon. Please make yourself known to us editor types so we can hook the two of you up.
You know, the more I stare at that thing, the more I agree with McWhertor, it does inspire a gag reflex.
PSWii Winner’s Thank You
Chad, also known as that guy married to that woman who sang a song in our PSWii60 contest, wrote to spread his joy at now owning all three next-gen consoles.
I just wanted to thank your company for sponsoring the PSWii60 contest with Pinger. My wife is wonderful, to say the least, and just the thought of entering this contest for me was good enough. I had no idea she would actually win, but I tell you, I was pretty darn happy!
Now, what is a man supposed to do with all 3 systems? Oh yeah, go out and spend a ton of money on games, accessories, cables and such. The PS3 looks amazing in full 1080p splendor on our HDTV. We’ve also enjoyed “Superman Returns” on Blu-Ray from Netflix. The Wii also gives quite a workout when you play tennis long enough. Who said you can’t be active while playing video games (other than DDR). That’s okay, however, I temper my Wii workout by sitting on my rear trying to level my rogue on World of Warcraft (I curse my friend for introducing this to me 2 months ago!!). Where was all this stuff before I had a kid?!
Thanks again, and Happy New Year!
Chad
Sincerest apologies to Chad’s son who has, apparently, now been orphaned.
Sims Wii Looking More And More Familiar
Point, meet my old friend, EA. You seem to have missed each other.
A new batch of Sims Wii screens have surfaced, and as promised, it’s gone all fat-headed. Big eyes, big heads, bright colours, cute little houses…the resemblance to Animal Crossing and Harvest Moon is quite shocking. And coincidental, I’m sure.
On the bright side, the game is promising DS connectivity (if Nintendo ever get around to announcing it themselves), and some kind of mysterious online functionality, which could mean anything from swapping clothes (YES!) to sending messages (YES!) to visiting other people’s towns and writing “BALLS” all over their new designer floor rug (NO THANK YOU).
That’s about it for the bright side, though. Just why does the Wii need this, exactly? At least the real Sims had a point - the way this thing’s looking all it’s going to do is get stomped by Animal Crossing.
Sims Wii [CVG]
PS3 Info For Noobs
Over at the Evil Avatar game forums, there is a handy thread on how to get the most bang for your PS3 buck. Everything from saving money and choosing cables to starting up the machine and creating a Hong Kong PlayStation store account. A simple, solid guide. Think of it as Cliffs Notes for your PS3.
Evil Avatar PS3 For Starters Thread [Evil Avatar via Aeropause]
Get a Free Games For Windows Script
If you’ve been interested in checking out the recently rebranded Games for Windows: The Official Magazine magazine, now’s your chance. The former Computer Gaming World mag is running a promotion that’s giving away a free year’s subscription. If you’re interested hit the link below by Jan. 8.
PC’s Blue Ocean Deeper Than Nintendo’s?
That’s what Gamasutra writer Rick Sanchez thinks:
To look at it another way, perhaps episodic gameplay affords PC developers a blue ocean opportunity. For two years we have been listening to Nintendo talk about broadening the games market. Their solution for this in the living room is a next gen platform with last gen features with a gimmicky controller that is less expensive than other next gen systems. All their rhetoric about broadening the market feels more like a justification for a product that competes with the PS2 for quality but loses to it for catalog of games and price.
Ouch. His particular argument in this instance (the piece is primarily about episodic gaming) is that the Wii costs $250 while everybody already owns a PC, so through raw installed user base numbers the PC is the more financially viable platform for casual gaming.
Maybe, but…maybe not. Right now (and for the foreseeable future) PC’s are a one-man show. The real strength of the Wii is shaping up to be it’s inclusiveness in a physical sense (as opposed to playing online); think of all the promo ads, and then the actual YouTube vids, of groups of people seated (or jumping) around the TV playing Wii Sports - now try and imagine them doing the same for some $9 PC game.
Yeah, I can’t either.
Why Bother With Episodic Games? [Gamasutra]
Clips: Japanese Pro Bowler, Cute Popstars Wii-Bowl
Sure, hardcore gaming skills don’t really come in handy while playing Wii Sports. But what about pro-bowling ones? The above clip from Japanese TV shows a professional bowler (in the striped shirt) having a go in a bowling for dollars (er, yen) contest. The result? He picks up a spare. Next up is pop singer Fujii Fumiya, followed by Jpop idol Aya Matsuura. She knocks out a strike and gets a *secret* present (a Wii?). Another singer steps up — This time Hiroko from duo mihimaru GT. Interesting bit: She gets bowling tips from the pro! Wii Sports bowling tips!
After her, suit-wearing Tsunku steps up. The Osaka-born recorder producer is responsible for bringing us Morning Musume believe-it-or-not. Then, it’s the other half of mihimaru GT, miyake, who brags about scoring 200 in real bowling. Continuing the parade of popstars, is Korean superstar BoA, who admits to being bad at video games and promptly gets a strike. Diito for singer Ami Suzuki. After her, some dude named “K” steps up (don’t know him, seems cocky), and he sucks it up. Last but not least is one of my favorite comedians Tomomitsu Yamaguchi, who picks up a spare. Interesting to see how quickly people take to Wii Sports and enjoy it, especially the non-gamers and cute Japanese popstars.
Stop the format wars! This disc is both Blu-ray and HD DVD!
Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Business
Warner Bros has announced it will unveil a videodisc next week, dubbed Total HD, that plays in both HD DVD and Blu-ray drives. We’ve known about this decision since September, when the studio filed a patent for such a disc. (Though the patent mentions embedded DVD, this news report doesn’t.)
The ramifications of such a disc, if it’s priced to compete, would render the format wars obsolete. If you’re planning on buying a new-gen game console based on the HD disc it can play (and the PlayStation 3 is a bargain for a Blu-ray player), the adoption of Total HD discs would make the decision a tad easier (and more game-specific).
Will the disc have the goods? We’ll find out the full details next week at the Consumer Electronics Show.
“But that plays on Blu-ray, you can’t stick it in there.”
“Watch me!”
“Oh … Oh, my.”
[Via Firing Squad]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Animal Crossing Puppet Show
I don’t need these for practical reasons. The last thing my left hand needs is to owe my right hand hundreds of thousands of bells. It does enough dreary, repetitive tasks as it is.
But as plush-like collectibles? Yes. PLEASE. And before you ask, no, you can’t get the KK Slider one. For some reason it was pulled, even though you can still get the pink goat and cat girl ones. Nobody wants them. They want KK. Or Pelly. Or Blathers.
Animal Crossing Hand Puppet [NSCX Shop, via GameBrink]
Didn’t Namco already make this game?
Filed under: Hacks, Action, Puzzle
If Shanda’s Rolling Ball isn’t a trademark violation then we don’t know what is. Slap a green Martian suit on this kid and the image is indistinguishable from Katamari Damacy. How long before Namco’s lawyers make the call to Shanda headquarters?
FYI: Shanda is a Shanghai-based publisher that specializes in online games.
[Thanks chen]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Korea’s PlayStation Igloo
Nothing says PlayStation like a giant igloo. Or something like that. To promote the PS2 and the PSP, Sony Korea apparently created this lounge filled with flat screen TVs, a bar with playable PSPs, a bottle of wine and a bird cage. More pics after the jump, including an insightful PS2/PSP reaction comparison.
Korea Igloo PlayStation [QJ.Net]
Acclaim & IGA link up for six-game ad deal
Filed under: Online, RPGs, MMO, Business
Acclaim and in-game advertising firm IGA Worldwide have agreed to terms on a deal that will place advertisements in six of the publisher’s MMOs. According to Acclaim CEO Howard Marks, the IGA partnership will allow the company to continue to offer its online games for free.
Under the terms, ads are set to appear in 2Moons, 9Dragons, DANCE, BOTS, and two additional titles yet to be announced.
See also: In-game ads put devs in control
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Castlevania In 2D: Another Study
Shortly after we posted that nice little Sonic sprite retrospective, Brandon over at Insert Credit reminded us that there’s a third, older comparison piece available that everyone seemed to miss. This one’s for Castlevania, and due to the series longevity and number of versions there’s a few to get through.
I never knew there was an Amiga version.
Oh, and if all these sprite collections are tickling your artistic fancy, they’re all excerpts from a book by Lawrence Wright entitled “Character Design for Mobile Devices” you might want to check out.
Castlevania Sprites [NFG, via Insert Credit]
Playing Dirty: The queer hero
This week, Scott Jon Siegel contributes Playing Dirty, Bonnie Ruberg’s column on sex and gender in video games:
In her last several columns, Bonnie has talked about the role of effeminate men as protagonists in video games. In her examples, she’s discussed threats to the heterosexual male archetype, and, I believe, has hinted at the possibility for an even more potent figure: the queer hero.
In my mind, the queer hero is almost a challenge to the industry, which so often writes archetypal characters for the sake of easy identification by their audience. Homosexuality has been present in video games for years, but often as a farce — at best, a flamboyant frog in Rare’s Banjo-Tooie but, at worst, figures to be ridiculed, as amusing as a minstrel show.
The queer hero is not merely “gay for gay’s sake.” Rather, I define the queer hero as a protagonist whose orientation is arguably less-than-normative, but which ultimately plays no part in the telling of his or her story. This automatically discredits the lipstick lesbians of Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix, whose “taboo” romance played an overt role in the game’s marketing to a young male audience. No, the queer hero is, to put it simply, “cool,” and seen as “cool” neither because of his/her sexuality, nor in spite of it.
Assuming this character couldn’t possibly already exist, I’ve fantasized for years about the making of a truly great game, with a protagonist who just happens to be gay. But one random, crude webcomic made me double back on my assumption, and take a closer look at one of gaming’s most popular franchises. In Resident Evil 4, Leon S. Kennedy, the once-rookie cop from RE2, returns to the series wearing blue-jeans and a bomber jacket — dressed for success. I played through the entire game without giving it a thought, but looking back, I think I found my queer hero.
Continue reading Playing Dirty: The queer hero
Permalink | Email this | Comments
