Archive for March 5th, 2007
Readers pick best webcomic: Smooth Moves
Filed under: Culture, Online, Polls
Before we get with the post, a note of thanks to all the commenters that, until this morning at least, were very civil and kind in their discussion of this week’s webcomic wrapup.
Sure, we’ve all thought about the dirty things Wario would make us do if Smooth Moves was not an all-ages Nintendo title. VG Cats’ Scott Ramsoomair makes the latest crack on the joke and takes top titles.
Second place goes to the Penny Arcade Sony satires, while third was apprehended by Scott Johnson of Extra Life.
Thanks to everyone who voted, and be sure to let us know of any gaming comics you stumble upon this week!
Continue reading Readers pick best webcomic: Smooth Moves
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Blind Item: This Company Wastes Money
Pointing Fish says that a big, big company hasn’t been very careful with money of late. We can’t tell you if it makes hardware, software or both ’cause that hint would give it away. Know that while this company doesn’t mind charging the crap out of customers, it also doesn’t mind wasting money. How, you ask? For executive meetings, teleconferences aren’t used. Oh no, that would make too much sense. Instead, those foot-in-mouth-inserting executives are flown to the company’s headquarters. And first class at that! So, Kotaku-land, who is it?
Joystiq interviews Sam & Max designer, Dave Grossman
Filed under: PC, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Adventure, GDC
Apparently, the streets of San Francisco are simply bustling with adventure game designers wandering about in search of inspiration and that one inventory item they callously overlooked. We were in possession of one microphone and one unbelievable obnoxious blogger, both vital items for an upcoming, uh, life puzzle. Look, we just needed an intro paragraph, alright?
Above you’ll see Telltale’s game designer and dedicated poet, Dave Grossman, being interrogated about things like episodic content, the hiring of console programmers and, of course, Sam & Max Season 2. (SPOILER: It’s is in the planning stages.)
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Guitar Hero II 360 Screens
No surprises here. Still looks a lot like the PS2 version, still looks a little shinier. I would have preferred more shots of Peter Moore belting out a tune but beggars cannot be choosers - these’ll have to do.
[via Jeux-France]
Clip(s): All You Can Eat Metroid Commercial Buffet
It’s the game advertising equivalent of a monkey turning into a man! Not quite, but it is still interesting to see how promoting Metroid has evolved. Picking up where Flynn left off, web site Aeropause has a look back at Metroid’s American and Japanese TV spots over the years. Nice cross-culture comparison. Just check out Famicom Disk System ad (above) and the NES one (after the jump) with added Rad Racer 3D headaches.
Japanese Metroid Ads
American Metroid Ads [Aeropause]
Joystiq interviews Sam & Max creator, Steve Purcell
Filed under: Culture, PC, Adventure, GDC
Following the careful application of alcohol and a sufficient number of thinly-veiled threats, Joystiq managed to maneuver Sam & Max creator, Steve Purcell, in front of a camera to discuss his role in the deeply disturbed duo’s episodic endeavors. As you might expect, ancient mysteries are unearthed, the very nature of humor is dissected and generally, hilarity ensues.
Take heed: this will undoubtedly be the greatest Steve Purcell interview that deeply involves the Power Rangers you’ll ever see.
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Speedball Sequel Gets Remake
Al-right. Who wants another completely unnecessary remake of a classic old game? YOU DO. Least, Frogtster Interactive think you do. They’re behind a remake of Speedball 2. Yes, the same Speedball 2 that’s still a great game 16 years on, and was in no need of a tacky update whatsoever.
It’s PC-only, and is due in “Summer 2007″. The only bright spot is that, according to Eurogamer, original Bitmap Brother Mike Montgomery is at the helm. Maybe he can be the one remind the art team that this isn’t an Unreal Tournament mod.
Control Games With Your BRAIN
Using motion controls is so 2006. Using your brain to dictate game play is teh future. Australian star-up Emotiv created a mind-reading game controller prototype called Project Epoc that’s getting over a million dollars in funding from the Australian government. From Emotiv’s website:
Project Epoc is a headset that uses a set of sensors to tune into electric signals naturally produced by the brain to detect player thoughts, feelings and expression. It connects wirelessly with all game platforms from consoles to PCs. Project Epoc now makes it possible for games to be controlled and influenced by the player’s mind.
Engaging, immersive, and nuanced, Emotiv-inspired game-play will be like nothing ever seen before.
Jacking into the Matrix! We should really strap on Plunkett’s head to see what the hell happens. Luke, thoughts?
Brain Controller [Emotiv via Med Gadget]
EA Boss Larry Probst’s Farewell Tour
With his time in the job almost up, Larry Probst has hit the farewell circuit and is dishing out his final thoughts on the industry he’s leaving…well, he’s not really leaving behind at all. He’s just going to do a lot less work. Anyway, as is customary these days, when leaving a big job in the industry you have to throw in your $0.02 worth.
Probst on Will Wright:
Will Wright’s our Steven Spielberg. Will kind of gets to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants, and we pretty much think it’s going to turn out well
Probst on the PS3:
He said that by the time a PS3 buyer has picked up accessories, software and taxes, the grand total comes to $800 to $900. “That’s a lot of money,” he conceded.
Nevertheless, he said that Sony hasn’t tried to overextend itself feature-wise on the PS3, saying that it will take a while for consumers to understand that they’re getting an expensive Blu-ray player “for free” with a PS3.
Probst on World of Warcraft: Hit the jump.
World of Warcraft caught lightning in a bottle. I know they didn’t know what they had. In hindsight, I wish that we had gone out and acquired that business when it was for sale.
Could have, would have, didn’t.
The full interview is locked behind the impenetrable iron walls of the Wall Street Journal’s subscription service, but for a quick transcript pop on over to Next-Gen. Tell them I said “hi”.
Reflections of a Game Guy [Wall Street Journal]
Probst Talks EA, Spore, PS3 Price [Next-Gen]
Losing Balls: Manhunt 2
I liked Manhunt. There’s something enjoyable, something primal, about stabbing a man in the eye with a shard of broken glass just so you can see the gory cutscene. Again. And again.
What, you liked that too? You’re sick. And just for you, Rockstar have released some new details for Manhunt 2:
Later in the game, a member of The Project has both his plums and a pair of vertebrae removed with a pair of pliers
Wonderfully macabre, or shamefully explicit? You decide.
The details have been published in the upcoming British Official PlayStation mag. Click through for the full run-down.
• The Director, gangs, CCTV cameras and death row dodger, James Earl Cash, from the first Manhunt won’t play a part
• Manhunt 2 ’s main character, scientist Dr Daniel Lamb, is locked in a private asylum by The Project - shady backers of a top secret drugs-based weapons program that Lamb was working on
• After breaking out of the asylum, Daniel Lamb goes on the run with psychotic inmate Leo Kasper, who is happy to coach Lamb on the brutal art of violence
• Like the first Manhunt, kills are executed in three deadly shades - Hasty, Violent and Gruesome
• Environmental kills have been introduced (push an enemy face first into a live fuse box, for example)
• Loud ambient noises can be exploited by Lamb to drown out his own crashing about
• When hiding in shadows, if an enemy comes close the player will sometimes have to copy a button combo in order to regulate Lamb’s breathing and ensure that he remains undetected
• Lamb can climb and crawl - two moves that Manhunt’s James Earl Cash couldn’t do
• Guns can be used for stealth kills
The breathing sounds good, might add a bit of action to the worst parts of the first game.
Manhunt 2 rips off testicles [Games Radar]
People Really Hate Bullet Witch
Poor Bullet Witch. Originally released in Japan as an exclusive to a crowd of shrugs. Atari picked it up, had the developer finish the game and then released it in the States. Reviews haven’t been so hot. Over at game site The Last Boss, a list is included why to stay away from this game. Here’s a partial look:
- Idiotic AI
- Unfinished graphics and ugly textures
- Lighted areas too bright
- Dark areas too black
- No lock-on
- Cheap deaths
- Horrendous voice-acting
- Cumbersome system for casting spells
- Camera angle too low to the ground
- Floating brains
- Invisible and visible barriers all over the place
A few months back, I bought Bullet Witch and can agree with the unfinished graphics, bum camera angle and the annoying invisible barriers. But complaining about giant floating brains? Come on!
Eds Note: This list originally appeared here at BBPS.
Bullet Witch Scores [Game Rankings via Costume GET]
Richard Joseph RIP
Richard Joseph passed away yesterday at the age of 53. You mightn’t know him by name, but if you ever had the pleasure of playing a Sensible Software game like Cannon Fodder, The Chaos Engine or Sensible Soccer, or C64 fighter Barbarian, he was the man behind their catchy tunes. One of the few, true gaming music/audio legends.
Joseph lost a short battle with lung cancer.
Rest In Peace.
Richard Joseph dies [Eurogamer]
Ads Hit Counter-Strike
Looks like in-game advertising in Counter-Strike 1.6 has gone gold! That’s right, Valve has “shipped” its previously beta-only experiment which would see increased advertising in its ultra-popular Half-Life mod.
According to CS-Nation, two maps currently support the new ad spots, Dust 2 and Aztec. With time, I’m sure Valve will find new locations to paste up billboards for whomever’s willing to foot the bill.
Personally, I don’t really care. I’ve found the inclusion of custom sprays far more offensive. Man, I’ve seen squids show up in some unlikely places.
Ads Now In CS1.6 [CS-Nation]
Lost the Game
Don’t get excited, this is a spoof, but it made me all nostalgic and misty-eyed for games like Knight Lore and Sam Fox Strip Poker. According to Wikipedia, the real Lost: The Videogame is in development (that doesn’t make it true of course), but it’ll probably end up being in that fancy hi-def everyone’s yapping about, probably with real voiceovers by the actual actors, and lots of photorealistic environment shots that are indistinguishable from the stuff you see on TV.
3 colours is good enough for me…
Lost: The Game [Broken-TV]
Reggie, Where The Wiis At?
Nearly four months after launch, Wii-less gamers are still camping out and lining up for the next rumored Wii shipment. So what is Nintendo doing to catch up with demand?
Nintendo of America prez Reggie Fils-Aime spoke on the subject in a recent interview with The Hub.
Nintendo manufactured, through the end of December, four million units worldwide. And to put this in perspective, the ramp up you need to have from a manufacturing standpoint to make four million units, and to make them flawlessly — our defect rate is miniscule — that’s a huge challenge. Yet, because of the demand, because of the buzz, we could not satisfy consumers worldwide.
We work with our retailers to supply them on a regular and ongoing basis. Some retailers make decisions to hold product to support their circulars that typically drop on Sundays. But I’m now looking at a report that says in 93 percent of retail outlets, there are less than three hardware units available. That is a huge issue and something we’re working very hard to fix.
Look, Reg. Less talk, more stock, okay? If this keeps up, someone’s gonna get shot and then you’ll really be sorry.
Hoo-Wii! [The Hub]
Hello Kitty X Space Invaders Goods Now Available
Why stop the wildly successful synergy of Sanrio’s Hello Kitty and Taito’s Space Invaders with just cell phone straps? Clearly, there is public demand for hand towels and “face” towels (aka regular sized towels). Mascot monolith Sanrio is ready and willing to placate the masses.
What about fasteners, you ask? They’ve got that covered, too.
National Console Support has all these wonderful collaborative products in stock now, ready to ship. Buy now. There will never be a crossover on this level possibly ever again.
Hello Kitty X Space Invaders Blow Out [NCSX]
Armoured Core 4 Trailer
It’s not all Gundam in the world of giant robot games this week. Oh no. Armoured Core 4 is also on its way, and is looking quite lovely.
Today in Joystiq: March 5, 2007
Joystiquery
GDC 07: Trip Hawkins on Mobile Gaming’s “Inferiority Complex”
Today’s most Hero(es)ic game video: Heavenly Sword on NBC’s ‘Heroes’
News
GameTrailers.com hacked
Shadowrun cross-play requires Games for Windows Live Gold account
New games this week
Microsoft embiggens memory unit, XBLA game size
Nielsen: One-third of TV owners play game consoles
Dream-Build-Play offers prizes for original XBLA games
Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts haunts Wii Virtual Console
Wall Street Journal calls Kutaragi a Sony ’stumbling block’
No ‘online capabilities’ for 3rd party Wii games in 2007, says SNK boss
Mizuguchi to reveal new XBLA game
God of War PSP revealed on back of God of War II booklet
LEGO MMO in the works by indie dev NetDevil
Forza 2 on May 24, in Japan
Resistance updates detailed, modes & maps mentioned
Japanese Famitsu, delivered straight to your door
Tower of Goo evolves into World of Goo, 2D Boy is born
Rumors & Speculation
Games blamed for decline in Aussie pet ownership
Culture & Community
How to get your girlfriend to play video games
The weirdest PS3 commercial you will ever see
20 high-profile game endings documented and spoiled
How to build an $800 gaming PC
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Rumor: Rez, Every Extend Extra For XBLA
Could Tetsuya Mizuguchi’s masterpiece Rez be en route to Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade service? Is The Miz’s remake of PC freeware shooter Every Extend not far behind? That’s a definite maybe on both, if this month’s EGM rumors are to be believed.
Adding more fuel to the fire that Miz and Q? Entertainment will be bringing a version of the previously-for-PSP game Every Extend Extra is today’s report from CVG that reveal this week’s GDC will be the time and place for a new XBLA announcement from Q. Could it be Gunpey? Meteos? What will it be?!
We’ll let you know if we corner Miz!
GDC: Mizuguchi’s new XBLA game [CVG]
Tower of Goo evolves into World of Goo, 2D Boy is born
Filed under: Culture, PC, Puzzle
The Experimental Gameplay Project has produced a number of crazy, unique, and surreal games, such as On a Rainy Day, Attack of the Killer Swarm, and probably the most famous, Tower of Goo. Recently project founder Kyle Gabler stepped up with buddy Ron Carmel to start a brand new indie game studio, 2D Boy. The bubbly had barely been popped when they announced their first project, World of Goo.
What is World of Goo? According to the 2D Boy website, “it is extremely mysterious.” Let’s go out on a limb and say it will be a lot like Tower of Goo but inflated to full-game proportions.
[Via Independent Gaming]
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