A little while back people were getting excited about a few copyrights Nintendo posted, well I emailed them to find out what was up. Apparently, nothing much!
The "Wii Handle" is allegedly just the Wii Zapper- major letdown there considering most were hoping this was Nintendo's answer to Msoft's Gamertag.
When inquired about the "Soma Bringer" I was told there are no plans to bring it to any Nintendo platform. Hit the jump for the full reply email. Check back here for more on Wii Magic and other patents Hello and thank you for contacting Nintendo,
Just to let you know, there are no plans to bring Soma Bringer to any of our systems. Will it happen in the future? You never know what the future might hold, so keep checking our website's news section (www.nintendo.com/newsmain) for the latest information and announcements.
Once a game has been officially announced, our website's Game List (http://www.nintendo.com/gamelist) represents the best place to find the most accurate release dates. Once there, click "Show advanced filtering" and use the dropdown menus to narrow your search based on system, publisher, number of players, etc.
When you have filtered your search, click on the game's title to see all the available information. If what you seek is not yet available, please check back later. When there is new information to share on announced games or other upcoming products, our website is the best official source!
Remember, any posted release dates are estimates and subject to change. As a product's estimated release date approaches, you may wish to check with your local retailers to see when it may be available in your area.
Now, there is a "Wii handle" in development. It's called (tentatively), the Wii Zapper. So far, there is no release date for this accessory. When it is, our website (www.nintendo.com) will be the best place to find it.
By the way, while you are at our site, be sure to check out the My Nintendo section. Not only does this allow you to monitor the progress of any repairs or part orders that you may have, it also gives you access to the Nintendo Forums where you can interact with other players. Here you can discuss games and systems, and possibly obtain key game play information. Take a look. I think that you will find it helpful.
Nintendo of America Inc.
Name has been removed to protect the innocent
Friday, September 7, 2007
Nintendo clears up some of those mysterious Patents
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Metroid 3 Media Blowout!
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Nintendo Power gives Metroid Prime 3 perfect score!
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Friday, August 3, 2007
Smash Bros Adventure mode revealed!
Adventure mode is nothing new to the series, I was pretty impressed that they squeezed one into Melee. While it was nothing spectacular, It didn't have to be- it was bonus material to one of the greatest multiplayer games in existence. Well, all that is about to change. At the Ssbb official blog they've released the above teaser, as well as some details about the new fully realized side scrolling adventure mode. Apparently they went all out, including a story that deals with character development and histories. If it lives up to what their saying every Nintendo fan in the known universe may suffer from a total and instant implosion of the brain, simultaneously upon its launch.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
extended re5 trailer!
yeah this trailer is amazing! there are so many people! and who the hell was that girl right at the end!? jill? ada? that broad from re: zero!!
And here is the rest of it.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Hidden Messages in Metroid Prime 3
I was watching some e3 videos over at IGN this morning and, being Canadian, spotted some French during a simulated boot sequence (along with 'Wii Format' . I quickly ran it through dictionary.com's translator and found some interesting results.
Hit the jump for more...
I have no idea why there is a huge gap here...
Needless to say this piqued my interest so I further investigated...I found some text that seemed to be German, so I ran that through the translator.
I split up "andrayda" into "an dray da" which, in german, gave me 'in dray there'
?
According to dictionary.com:
Dray
–noun
1. a low, strong cart without fixed sides, for carrying heavy loads.
2. a sledge or sled.
3. any vehicle, as a truck, used to haul goods, esp. one used to carry heavy loads.
–verb (used with object)
4. to convey on a dray.
–verb (used without object)
5. to drive or operate a dray, esp. as an occupation.
6. to convey goods by dray, esp. locally or for short distances.
In all other languages available in the translator dray brings out nothing. So are they talking about a sideless cart, or is there a character named andrayda?
I came across another seemingly German word near the top of the sequence: kämpfen, translated?
To fight
You die if your
I was getting annoyed with the IGN video because it wouldn't let me pause a precise times, so I captured it as a .mov and further analyzed. I was able to go frame by frame and see more of the message. I found another word, moriaiiiii.....i that I recognized from Italian class.
After watching the whole video through again it becomes obvious that this is her ship analyzing her dream: "Neurological readings indicate"
After this sequence we are brought into her dream where a bunch of phazon containers(presumably) explode, the last of which reveals Dark Samus emerging, fully charged. Samus then wakes up in her ship, from the nightmare.
I think it's time we took a look at the numbers here. Being a graphic designer (who is actually siting at work right now...) I began playing with the numbers as colours.
Following 'to fight' is 000DBB - brings up a dark blue similar to 'this one'. Could it represent Dark Samus? Fight Dark Samus? Seems perfectly logical to me...
The next sequence of numbers is 9A723E, revealing an organge-brown not unlike that of Samus' Varia suit. So a fight between the two? Or perhaps within herself? The theme is Corruption after all.
9FF19B is a minty green which, to me means nothing - I'll stop bothering with this line of numbers for now.
There are a lot of #'s that frame the word DANGER, followed by 'overrun'- Seems like a struggle to me, especially since it's followed by 'You die if your' which is followed by a series of numbers as well. 9FF19B reveals a bright purple in Adobe illustrator. Purple played a huge role in MP2:Echoes. It was basically a monochromatic colour scheme for the entire dark side of Aether, in which the very atmosphere hurt you. So maybe this reveals part of the message?
'You die if your Purple?' fully corrupted? We do know this is a game mechanic but the phazon is usually blue. The next 6 numbers bring up gray, no meaning to me. Stop.
Alright well, I'm getting a bit tired of all this number business and so I think I'm going to work on Andrayda again, Latin seems to be the only reasonable language, or maybe Greek.
I tried Latin and get nothing again so I broke it up and:
This doesn't work. Despite it being a game that relies heavily on corridors the sentence just wouldn't make sense...
read more
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Metal Gear Solid 4 gameplay!
ok. umm...looks very very amazing! im dont have words just in shock!
And here is the rest of it.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Rockstar ports another game to Wii (and 360)
It's Bully. Not much to say about that, the game never appealed to me. I guess Reggie wasn't kidding when he said they were working closely with Rockstar to get some games on Wii.
Mario and Sonic at the Olympics 'Debut'
I don't care how lame this game ends up being the first shot of Sonic and Mario - their shoes, is just one of the most iconic things I've seen in a while. Awesome
Silicon Knights getting Epic
This may be one of the most misleading titles I've ever given a post. No, it definitely is. Silicon Knights has filed a lawsuit against Epic games based on the fact that they were sold on an engine that just doesn't deliver. They believe that Epic withheld newer versions of software they bought in order to keep a leg up on their competition, not to professional if you ask me. The house that Dyack built goes on to accuse Epic of sabotaging the development of Too Human and has stated that it was so bad that they had to actually build their own engine. Too Human will no longer be using the Unreal 3 engine- thats progress if you ask me: I hate all this engine licensing, its like saying you've renovated your house when all you did was give it a fresh coat of paint. Developers should just build their own engines, why depends on Epic to tap the potential of these new consoles? Clearly they aren't doing a very good job at it. One company with all the power? dangerous...
Hit the jump for the Press release
via Kotaku
SILICON KNIGHTS SUES EPIC OVER UNSATISFACTORY PERFORMANCE OF UNREAL ENGINE 3
ST. CATHARINES, ONTARIO, CANADA, July 19th, 2007 - Video game developer Silicon Knights, Inc. has filed suit against Epic Games, Inc. for breach of contract, fraud, and several other tort claims in federal court in Greenville, North Carolina. In the lawsuit, Silicon Knights alleges that it has lost revenue as a result of the considerable delay in developing its video game for the Xbox 360, Too Human, because Unreal Engine 3, a game engine licensed from Epic, did not work as Epic represented it would and, moreover, Epic has been unable or unwilling to fix it.
As Denis Dyack, President and Founder of Silicon Knights, explained, "Our strong preference is to focus on making games, not be in court. Unfortunately though, as explained in our lawsuit, we have had extensive problems with the Unreal Engine 3 that Epic has been unwilling or unable to rectify. For more than a year, we have been trying to reach an agreement with Epic to resolve these issues without resorting to litigation, but were unable to come to reasonable terms with Epic. Regrettably, we are now forced to go to court in order to achieve satisfaction. We remain hopeful, however, that we can reach a reasonable business resolution with Epic at some point."
The lawsuit further alleges that Epic in fact never intended to deliver Unreal Engine 3 as a fully functional game engine as promised. Instead, Epic collected licensing fees from Silicon Knights and others in order to fund the development of its own video game, Gears of War. "No doubt Gears is a fun and phenomenally successful game, but as we alleged in our complaint against them, we strongly believe that from the perspective of someone waiting for a game engine that Epic promised it would deliver almost two years ago, it seems pretty clear that Gears was built on the backs of the Unreal Engine licensees. We certainly stand by our allegations in the lawsuit that instead of using our licensing fees to develop and support the Unreal Engine 3, Epic used that money to build Gears," said Mr. Dyack.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Rockstart bringing Table Tennis to the Wii
Dtoid is reporting that the rumours have now been confirmed. Rockstars critically acclaimed Xbox360 game is getting ported over to a system that it might actually be fun on. Sweet, still won't buy it. I am curious though, as to how the graphics will turn out, hopefully Rockstar can do better than Manhunt 2 because that is just one ugly Wii game.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Soulcalibur 4 PICS
mgs 4 gameplay details
Yesterday at the Sony post e3 conference Kojima played a demo of mgs4 and the following article from kotaku gives some details of the gameplay! i cant wait to see a video of that, i will have that up as soon as i find it, also, during the 20th anniversary party of metal gear solid kojima will be presenting the multi-player of mgs4 :D
OHHHH YEAH! METAL GEAR SOLID 4 ACUTALLY USES THAT SIXAXIS FUCTION!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
more metal gear on psp!
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Endless Ocean is gorgeous, relaxing, boring?
The first trailer for the underwater sea exploration game formerly known as 'Forever Blue' (a title I prefer) was shown yesterday at e3 and the graphics are stunning, I can't wait to learn more about this game, there is a lot of potential and right now it seems that they only want to show us how it looks because...well...it looks good- but boring. The game supposedly lets you dive with a friend via Nintendo's WiFi Connection. It's a pretty cool idea, just hope it holds my interest. Oh- and as appropriate as the music was, it was still horrible and cheesey. Game music should never have lyrics, who develops this SEGA?
And here is the rest of it.
MORE METROID 3!
A pretty awesome Developer Walkthrough there, game looks better everytime I see something new...which is almost every time I hit refresh...I love e3. Hit the jump for more.
Wii Fit unveiled!
This is just crazy. Watch Reggie introduce a new game, and some weirdo hardware.
Hit Gametrailers.com for more
Mario Galaxy Videos - masterpiece
The Bee Mario power-up is probably the greatest thing to happen to Mario since the Tanooki suit. This game looks to merge the styles of Classic Mario titles and Mario 64 better than any other Mario game out there. This game truly looks like it could surpass the first 3d Mario in terms of fun, and that is no small feat. Hit the jump to see a new trailer aswell!
Metroid Prime 3 Trailer
I never thought that I'd ever be wishing for the end of summer so hard.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
New MGS4 trailor...it is perfect!
The trailor answers questions while reveling new ones, and ITS IN ENGLISH! love the voice acting! oh and by the way, watch the whole thing! its amazing! :D early 2008 it will be released on ps3, i cant wait!
And here is the rest of it.
Metroid 3, Mario Galaxy Screens
Here! Mario is looking incredible, Metroid...I really need to see in motion.
Nintendo Press Conferece - LIVE
Kotaku has a live feed up right now and I'm jacked in. The guys are just getting in now (11:37am) and the event is set to start at in a half our. Happy music in there... 3 huge screens span the stage, giant NINTENDO Logo projected across all three, really wish I was there...
Hit up the jump for the rest of the show!
starting!
montage showing all positive press News, Colbert Report, South Park, Talk shows, high lights DS and Wii. Showing lots of homebrew stuff, cool.
Lots of web vids, nice sense of community coming through. Awesome music too wow.
REGGIE TAKES THE STAGE! Deja Vu!
Reggie's happy, he said so.
Celebration for all- this e3 is a turning point for game industry. Coming out party of the industry, finally clear that games will be seen alongside tv, movies and music as an entertainment staple. Everybody is a gamer.
Lots of stats about industry growth...up 114% in Japan...whoa.
Reggie says this is due to the 'expanded market' thanks to DS and Wii.
69% of ALL industry growth comes from Nintendo products.
portable play v. console play = 50/50 in 06
DS accounts for a quarter of ALL hardware sales in the US
reaching older gamers
numbers show unprecedented growth for Nintendo
reaching female gamers
Nintendo brings in 33% women
industry = 20% women
95% gamers are 6-24yr old males
65% of 29-43 yr old people play wii regularly
1 in 8 senior citizens play regularly
many firsts in game history.
DS reaches 40million months ago world
Wii sold out for all 33 weeks of its life
Wii poised to become #1 worldwide very soon. Nintendo NOT a fad Nintendo IS the future.
60 american games in wii catelog
over 300 for DS
another 140 + 100 for Wii by the end of 08.
14 of the top 20 wii games from 3rd parties. 3rd party sales more than half unit volume.
VIDEO
Highlighting community/fan videos showcasing a worldwide love of nintendo and dedication of their fans. Nintendo shortcuts videos shown (clips)
DESTRUCTOID
Wii Fanboy shown
among other blogs...
INCREDIBLE ZAPPER SHOWN! OZZI STYLE!!
looks so intense. one of those model commercials.
RE: Umbrella Chronicles playable this week using the Zapper shell!
Capcom not alone. SEGA bringing Ghost Squad to Wii, shows gameplay.
Another Medal of Honour game using the zapper? 30 player Multiplayer?!??
Wii zapper game being made within Nintendo...
Zapper with game for 19.99!!!!!
like swords??? Soul Calibur Legends shown- meh...
Wrestling game being shown, double meh.
Ninja Gaiden DS shown, brand new stylus gameplay
are you deep? Try square enix!
Dragon Quest Swords shown shortly
MARIO AND SONIC AT THE OLMPIC GAMES
4 player multiplayer, sweer trailers, Mario keeps up with Sonic pretty well. Must be all the carbs....
SMASH BROTHERS!
Reggie talks about the sites updates, giga bowser, controls.
DATE - December 3rd 2007!
best smash bros ever- BY FAR!
another Video.
TheHylia.com people speak about their 'hardcore view' on games DS = cell phone, must have at all times.
say Wiisports made them realize the Wii's potential
talking about Metroid and Zelda love.
Their on stage to play new games! Bill Trinen is back! love this guy.
PHANTOM HOURGLASS - all touch mean trimmed down experience? NO!
guy takes notes on his map with ds touch screen. Touch control revolutionizes items like grapplehook, some really great possibilities. Make tight ropes, beat on enemies, grab items, swing. Wow....
graphics are really impressive. Bill says LoZ:PH is his favorite Zelda ever. Says Japan agrees- best selling Zelda (JPN) in a while.
Hardcore and casual gamers both love it.
METROID PRIME CORRUPTION!!!
game looks nice, battle sequence...
Lock on free aiming.
Lock on = orbit point, shoot anywhere while circle strifing.
Hyper mode;
too long and you get corrupted, balance ultimate power with ultimate price.
Graphics are hard to tell, doesn't look too much better than prime 2 from what was shown.
12:30 mark
Online? We're serious
Video showcasing DS chat, Mario Kart, Web Browsing, Wii channels.
MapMii? Shows Wii owners on a map? Not sure if this is new channel.
5.5 million using NinWi-Fi service, none have paid.
VC= 5.6 million downloads
112 games already
WiiWare
unique downloadable content
NEW CHANNEL COMING
Check Mii out channel
post Mii's other users can vote on it...
let down...
sure but will nintendo get serious about online play? talks about Pokemon (online and DS connectivity, bleh)
Talks about Mario Strickers Charged,
want more? EA's titles come online, Madden 08, FIFA 08 The experience will not be dumbed down for the Wii, exclusive Mii modes
Squares Dragon Quest Monsters Jokers - online.
Activisions Guitar Hero III online, exclusive wireless controller?
new announcement;
MARIO KART WII ANNOUNCED!!! ONLINE FIRST QUARTER NEXT YEAR!!!
grahics are pretty nice, very smooth. More racers, more fun? Stay tuned....
Variety of control choices: Wii Wheel shown, lame peripheral?
Comes with MKWii
expanded audience video:
retirements homes shown, elderly talking about how much they like Wii and DS. CheapyD!
Kotaku shown!
SUMMA!
-FEED DEAD?!-
now I have to stare at Summa's ugly mug...
okay, the video started over from the beginning of the conference but I've skipped ahead and the expanded audience video is playing again, fingers crossed...
cheapyD again...
Kotaku again...
Summa again - STOPPED!
SUMMA KILLED MY FEED !!!!
OKAY - Kotakus feed is running, quality is hurtin though and no nice multi angle...
Iwata is talking... casual gamers again...
Best game design is open to all skill levels. Miyamoto is coming out to show off a new title. Don't know if it's the feed or Iwata thats making it hard to understand...
There is video lag, audio continues on...Fixed! This guy is missing alot their showcasing Mario Galaxy but I can't see ANYTHING!,
people talk about games Brain Age 2.
Reggie talks about it now. New games/challenges, says it's really hard to purposely loose at Rock Paper Siccors Aug 20 date
Mario Galaxy!!
says its the first worthy successor to Mario 64.
Running upside down.
I think something is seriously wrong with this video, I can hear but the video is WAY behind
NOVEMBER 12 date for galaxy???
Nintendogs, brain games, wii sports help expand.
Nintendo Just getting started with these types of games
Puzzle games..EA' s MySIMS
uh...I think the internet just broke...
clearly way too many people watching, the show must be coming to a close soon, we're hitting 1:00
I'm still left without any video- trying gamespot now.
OKAY Kotaku just came up again, sound only though, I guess it was another video. Introduces WiiFit
a health game? I can't see anything so....
Some technoesque music and whistleblows, music seems to be affected by performance as it sounds to be changing dynamically.
1UP FEED IS BACK! WiiFit comes with a FOOT PAD!!! looks like some really impressive hardware actually... playing a monkeyball style game with your feet!?
Miyamoto is taking stage,
"Have you all been getting your sweat on lately?"
Felt that Health must be included in the Wii library inorder to appeal to the family and mass market.
The pad can read your balance and actually measures how balanced you are while stretching inorder to grade you..
Step aerobics showcased. Sort of like DDR...for old people...
Seems to be getting faster, could be fun...
Twists, again shows you how balanced you are, to make sure you are doing the exercise efficiently. They really went all out here.
OVER 40 activities!
Hes talking about the pad. er - The 'Wii Balance board' It measures your weight, your balance shift, will also be used with later games to interact with not only your hands but also your feet- quite awesome. Wireless like the Wii remote, no need to attach.
MIYAMOTO IS GOING TO BODY CHECK REGGIE!!!
oh...they mean their going to check his body...
jokes all around about Reggies weight and such, pretty funny banter.
Wii is measuring him...
shows a shift in his balance.
Creates charts like Wii sports and you can track your progress for months and compare with your family and friends...This may actually be incredibly usefull.
Weird feeling to be sold on something after rolling your eyes at the announcement not more than 10 minutes ago.
Mii integration is pretty funny. It measures your BMI and Mii will grow.
Reggie says muscle is heavier than Fat, Miyamoto says 'nice excuses'
both of them are competing in a 'soccer header competition' You lean to make your Mii hit the ball, pretty wild!
You have to avoid things like panda head and cleats! crowd laughs.
REGGIE WINS! OLE OLE OLE (music plays, not my idea)
Reggie's closing statements
Nintendo's moment to lead:
Market shares increasing is secondary goal
Primary goal is to steal your leisure time for games, stop you from consuming entertainment, want you in the game, future belongs to all of us.
We won't just be happy, we will be satisfied.
THATS IT!
Pretty exciting, some really odd surprises, can't wait or the hands on stuff...
Nintendo Press Conference - UPDATE
e3 is finally upon us! And while it seems we've missed Microsofts show, it looks like I'll be blogging Nintendo's conference as I watch it stream live via 1up. Nobody is really sure what to expect, but I know what Wii needs- a deep hardcore game that looks half decent.
It starts at 9:00am PST
UPDATE: It would seem that the show will start 3 hours from now, nuts...
E3: Microsoft Event
At 8:30PST (11:30EST), Microsoft kicked off the E3 coverage with unbelievable style. With Peter Moore calling this years holiday line up the BEST one ever. With these new game announcements, Microsoft is sure to win over some new people in the crowd, let's see how Sony and Nintendo will hold up against the behemoth known as Microsoft and their Xbox 360. From touting their own horn to a surprise Capcom game, let's get this show on the road! Read on gamers.
So, the Microsoft conference started off with a band opening with the Halo 2 theme, these people were found on YouTube and were asked to come in. From their Peter Moore took the stage and started mentioned how well the Xbox 360 is holding up against the Wii and Playstation 3 combined, and let me tell you, the 360 is definetly in the clear.
The first game on the stage was Rock Band, they played a quick song, showing off some of the new toys Harmonix has in mind for this game. Peter Moore had to be cut off from doing so bad, then was later put back on, doing alright, at least he's a good sport. The game looked like Guitar Hero, but introduced the drums and vocals to the mix. It looks real fun and visually appealing, but we'll soon see how well the two new peripherals (more so the microphone) will hold up.
Second game on the spot light was Viva Pinata: Party Animals which is being developed by Krome Studios according to the trailer.
Next we have Mass Effect, as the trailer rolls I can already tell you guys that this game looks better then the previous trailers, the game looks way more polished then before. Mass Effect has been announced to debut in November! (mark your calenders kiddies).
Now for the business side of this presentation, and the numbers are phenomenal. Moore is boasting on the fact that people will spend more money on games then music this year. 5.6 million 360's sold, higher then any other console. Since the Wii and PS3 launched consumers have spent $2.4 billion on Xbox accessories, game and hardware. Moore went on to say that holiday 2004 had the highest selling point thanks to 3 major franchises; Bungie, Rockstar and EA. The games being Halo 2, Grand Theft Auto San Andreas and Madden 2005 and that these same franchises will will rack up 1/3 of sales this year with Halo 3, Grand Theft Auto 4 and EA's complete sports line up.
Next up was a video of all the games that are coming out this year, I forgot to mention that at the beginning of the event Moore said that every game seen tonight (with the exception of 1) will be available this year, apparently. Here's the list:
Jeff Bell, Microsoft corporate VP takes the stage now announcing a new family game, some may recognize it, it's called "Scene It?" (yes, the board game) was announced along. The game will come with video clips in HD and new controllers.
Bell then went on to talk about EA's sports line up saying that this years game will run "twice as fast" and then calls in Reggie Bush from the New Orlean's Saints. Bush and Bell go head-to-head in Madden 08. Bell gets destroyed.
Bell goes on to talk about Xbox Live saying that last year they wanted to reach 6 million users, well they did that and then some! With now more then 7 million Xbox Live members, Microsoft is well on it's way. They're now predicting 10 million come next year.
Through Live Bell goes on to say that there has been 45 million Xbox Live Arcade games downloaded, which then a video montage of XBLA games shows. List here:
Breaking announcement of the original Sonic the Hedgehog and Golden Axe, both part of Sega's vintage collection will hit the Marketplace that night! (they're both out now, they seemed to be available as soon as the conference was over)
Next up was talk about the Video Marketplace, not big news for us here in Canada, or well, anywhere, but the US really. 2,000 hours of content and $125 million spent. There's been deals with Disney and Touchstone to bring some new movies to the marketplace tonight, all in HD. These movies include:
Now for the big announcement if you don't live in the USA. The Video Marketplace will launch in Canada and Europe!
On stage next is Shane Kim, Microsoft Games Studio head and corporate VP. Confirms PGR4 release date in September as they show off Project Gotham Racing 4 with a demo. This demo also confirms motorcycles in the game. PGR's trailer looks extremely well done.
Kim goes on and touts about Alan Wake, Halo Wars, Fable 2 and Too Human. Also, Kim has gone on to say that yes, Peter Jackson is still working on the Halo movie. Kim goes on to talk about their new line of "Games for Windows" games, announcing that Viva Pinata as well as Gears of War will make there way to PC. Gears will also come with new levels, achievements and the monster we all saw in Gears' Mad World commercial can now be fought in the PC version.
Cliffy B, from Epic enters the stage and shows off a demo of Gears on PC while fighting brumak (monster from trailer). He then paused as the behemoth was falling, saying "I don't want to spoil the surprise".
moore takes the stage again to talk about some new partners that have added achievements for Live for Windows; Eidos, THQ and Sega. Moore also goes on to say that Windows Live will soon be built right into the Unreal 3 Engine.
Games for Windows video montage!
From there, Moore talks up Call of Duty 4 showing a trailer then having the developers at Infinity Ward to show a demo of it. Developers say, they've been working on COD4 since COD2 finished up.
HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT
Infinity Ward has announced that there will be a multiplayer beta soon, exclusively for Xbox 360. Check out http://www.charlieoscardelta.com for more information.
Now, we have the GTA4 trailer, nothing new, it's the second trailer released. Moore boasts that both trailers are running real time on the Xbox 360 and that 2 new episodes will be available for download in Spring 2008.
Moore back in the spotlight announces that for the Japanese market they're introducing a new series to the Xbox 360, trailer rolls...
RESIDENT EVIL 5!!!!!!! Yes, Capcom will be releasing RE5 on the Xbox 360, unfortunately this is the only game that wouldn't be released this year. The trailer will be available to download on Live on July 26th.
Next up is Assassin's Creed, Moore hands the spotlight to Jade Raymond, who demos the game in real time. The combat in this gmae looks smooth and the graphics and style of gameplay that Assassin's Creed introduces is fresh and unbelievably cool!
Moore then goes on to compare the Halo trilogy to the Star Wars trilogy when... a live action trailer directed by Neil Blomkamp, the would be director of the Halo movie. Short shows the interior of a USNC weapons factory. Assembly lines make warthogs as space marines suit up in armor. Pelican drop ships load up on troops, getting ready for a big battle. Then out of nowhere the trailer ends. Once the trailer finished up Moore took no time in bringing out the Halo Xbox 360, also announcing a plethora of Halo accessories coming September 25th.
Coming to the end of the conference Moore wraps things up, "But before we go, let's make sure we finish the fight."
New Halo 3 trailer!!!! Earth is in flames. Terence Stamp voice-over shows action aplenty. New enemies--brutes in armor and what looks like flying grunts. Master Chief is hip-shooting a Gatling gun. Cortana looks like she's in trouble.
That's it! The event is done. You're up next Nintendo.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Konami says PS3 not viable market, they wish it were...
Joystiq is reporting that an executive at Konami has stated that the PS3 user base does not justify exclusivity of MGS4, especially when considering the cost of development these days. Kitaue says, "Since Metal Gear Solid was born for the PlayStation, we would like to keep it a PlayStation game. But we might have to take some steps."
Let the speculation begin...
First NiGHTS Footage.
A pretty cool trailer was revealed today, being the first day of e3 expect a lot of media. The trailer is the first glimpse of NiGHTS in motion which fans hoped would be enough to make the hideous graphics shown in the screen shots ignorable. I don't think it does. A lot of it is prerendered and the voice over has a decidedly Disney feel, but the gameplay shown doesn't really get me very excited...Not at all really.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
E3: Xbox 360 Line-up
E3 brings us hope and dreams for future games and until this year E3 was a huge deal, but now that E3 isn't all bells and whistles, what will E3 be like this year? Here is Microsoft's line-up of games for this years E3 conference. Thanks to www.xboxic.com, we bring you this list.
Activision
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PS3, Xbox 360)
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Guitar Hero III (PS2, Xbox 360, Wii, DS)
Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PS2, DS)
Bethesda Softworks
To be announced (Fallout 3, presumably)
Capcom
Devil May Cry 4 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Rocketmen: Axis of Evil (PC download, PSN, Xbox Live Arcade)
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix (PC download, PSN, Xbox Live Arcade)
Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix (PC download, PSN, Xbox Live Arcade)
Talisman (PC download, PSN, Xbox Live Arcade)
More to be confirmed.
Codemasters
Cliver Barker’s Jericho (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
HEI$T (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Rise of the Argonauts (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Turning Point: Fall of Liberty (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
D3Publisher of America
Dark Sector (Xbox 360, PS3)
Eidos Age of Conan (PC, Xbox 360)
Kane & Lynch: Dead Men (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Electronic Arts
Army of Two (PS3, Xbox 360)
Burnout Paradise (PS3, Xbox 360)
FIFA 08 (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PS2, PC, PSP, DS)
Half-Life 2: The Orange Box (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Madden NFL 08 (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PS2, PC, PSP, DS)
Medal of Honor Airborne (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames (PS3, Xbox 360)
NASCAR 08 (PS3, Xbox 360, PS2)
Need For Speed: ProStreet (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PS2, PC, PSP, DS)
Rock Band (PS3, Xbox 360)
The Simpsons (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PS2, PSP, DS)
Skate (PS3, Xbox 360)
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PS2, PC)
Gamecock
Dungeon Hero (PC, Xbox 360)
Hail to the Chimp (PS3, Xbox 360)
Unannounced title (possibly Section 8 )
Unannounced title (TBC)
GSC Game World
“The next game in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series.” (could be a multiplatform title)
Konami
To be announced.
LucasArts
To be announced.
Majesco
Kengo: Legend of the 9 (Xbox 360)
Microsoft
Blue Dragon (Xbox 360)
Halo 3 (Xbox 360)
Lost Odyssey (Xbox 360)
Mass Effect (Xbox 360)
Project Gotham Racing 4 (Xbox 360)
Midway
Blacksite (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
John Woo’s Stranglehold (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Unreal Tournament 3 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Namco Bandai
Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation (Xbox 360)
Beautiful Katamari (Xbox 360)
Culdcept SAGA (Xbox 360)
Dynasty Warriors: Gundam (PS3, Xbox 360)
Eternal Sonata (Xbox 360)
Rockstar Games
To be announced.
SEGA
Condemned 2 (PS3, Xbox 360)
The Club (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
The Golden Compass (PS3, PS2, PC, Wii, PSP, DS) [Xbox 360 version oddly missing]
SEGA Rally (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Universe At War: Earth Assault (PC, Xbox 360)
Sierra
Crash of the Titans (Xbox 360, Wii, PS2, PSP, DS, GBA)
TimeShift (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Unannounced title (TBC)
Square Enix
To be confirmed.
Take-Two
BioShock (PC, Xbox 360)
NBA 2K8 (PS3, Xbox 360)
NHL 2K8 (PS3, Xbox 360)
Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution (”next generation consoles and handhelds”)
THQ
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 (PS3, Xbox 360, PS2, PSP, DS)
Further titles to be confirmed.
Ubisoft
Assassin’s Creed (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Further titles to be confirmed.
Warner Bros. Interactive
FEAR sequel (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Please note that these games are known as confirmed for E3, more will possibly be announced and this list will be updated accordingly.
Friday, July 6, 2007
New Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles trailer
Good old Destructoid has brought this little gem forth. A gorgeous new trailer- and when I say gorgeous, I mean this game looks absoloutely incredible . Graphics keep looking better, see that scorpion?? that giant Tarantula?? I can't get enough of this. To find the trailer follow this link and click the buttons that say 'NEW' I can't understand why the trailer is all in English and yet the site is all in Japanese...
Thursday, July 5, 2007
TUROK VIDEO!
Remember the last turok that came out on ps2 and xbox and GC, and do you remember how much it sucked! well the latest edition in the man vs. dinosaur franchise is now commin to ps3 and xbox360. And it looks great! powered by unreal 3 engine and hey! you got a knife! the executions look aw some, damn maybe mgs4 and rez5 will have something like that. Hit the jump to see 2 gameplay videos from gametrailors.com
New Enhanced Xbox 360 Warranty
Once you hit the jump you'll be reading a direct quote from Peter Moore, taken directly from the Xbox.com website. To find out more about the new enhanced warranty hit the jump or check out Major Nelson's blog, and download his latest show, where he interviews Peter Moore about the said warranty.
Open Letter From Peter Moore
To our Xbox Community:
You've spoken, and we’ve heard you. Good service and a good customer experience are areas of the business that we care deeply about. And frankly, we've not been doing a good enough job.
Some of you have expressed frustration with the customer experiences you have had with Xbox 360; frustration with having to return your console for service after receiving the general hardware error message on the console.
The majority of customers who own Xbox 360 consoles have had a terrific experience from their first day, and continue to, day in and day out. But when anyone questions the reliability of our product, or our commitment to our customers, it's something I take very seriously.
We have been following this issue closely, and with on-going testing have identified several factors that can cause a general hardware failure indicated by three flashing red lights on the console. To address this issue, and as part of our ongoing work, we have already made certain improvements to the console.
We are also implementing some important policy changes intended to keep you in the game, worry-free.
As of today, all Xbox 360 consoles are covered by an enhanced warranty program to address specifically the general hardware failures indicated by the three flashing red lights on the console. This applies to new and previously-sold consoles. While we will still have a general one year console warranty (two years in some countries), we are announcing today a three-year warranty that covers any console that displays a three flashing red lights error message. If a customer has an issue indicated by the three flashing red lights, Microsoft will repair the console free of charge—including shipping—for three years from the console’s purchase date. We will also retroactively reimburse any of you who paid for repairs related to problems indicated by this error message in the past. In doing so, Microsoft stands behind its products and takes responsibility to ensure that every Xbox 360 console owner continues to have a fantastic gaming experience.
If we have let any of you down in the experience you have had with your Xbox 360, we sincerely apologize. We are taking responsibility and are making these changes to ensure that every Xbox 360 owner continues to have a great experience.
This will take a few days to roll out globally, and I appreciate your continued patience as we launch this program. I've posted an FAQ that should address some additional questions, and we'll update it over the next few days.
I want to thank you, on behalf of all us at Microsoft, for your loyalty.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
DS gets Camera, quirky game.
The DS is getting a rather slick looking camera that plugs into the GBA slot as you can see. I'm not sure if that image on the left is a live trace of the player, but if so it seems to be some pretty intense technology(looks like an avatar though). The game this comes packaged with is called 'Adult Face Training' Which I suppose helps paralysis victms as well as Jean Chretien...
via GoNintendo AGAIN!
Hit the jump for another pic of the cam, and a DS stand?
I'm not a huge fan of Camera Peripherals but I'm not totally against them...Maybe we'll get a DS printer too, since that was so successful on the GameBoy.
Forever Blue Screens - wow.
GoNintendo took a peak over at NeoGAF today before I got a chance to. Oh well, I like what I see These screens along side the Metroid ones really have me excited for these second generation Wii titles. Looks like we're finally seeing a definite improvement in graphics. GAFfers speculate that the taped an extra xbox onto the Wii. Bravo.
Hit up GoNintendo for more gameplay details.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
No More Heroes Preview on X-play
Courtesty: X-Play: The MusicalMETROID 3 BLOW OUT!
Firstly, here are a plethora of beautiful screenshots over at neoGAF
GoNintendo has also posted this interview from GamePro which promises a very, very polished experience, no online multiplayer, and epic music. This second interview from Play Magazine
Is more of this same, but has some other interesting tidbits about the games development and what not. I could not be more excited for this game. Go out and play the other two if you haven't and slap down a pre-order for corruption because it sounds like it's going to be the best yet.
Monday, July 2, 2007
Metroid Prime 3: DELAYED!
Luckily it's only a week (Aug 27). This is my most anticipated game right now, so it still blows. Nintendo tried to hide this little detail in a press release which revealed that Phantom Hourglass will be coming to North America on October 1. Hit the jump for the alternative image for this post.
via GoNintendo
Friday, June 29, 2007
Gamecock brings Survival Horror to the DS with Dementium: The Ward
Survivor horror is a genre that has made huge strides lately and now Gamecock is bringing it to the handheld market, and right too - no ports or remakes here. Watch the trailer to see the surprisingly intuitive looking gameplay!
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Big Japanese Devs shift focus to Nintendo hardware
It would seem that Old dogs can learn new tricks and everybody is jumping on board. The once ruler of the video game market (though always remaining the most profitable) is making a startling comeback as it's new formula proves innovation is key. Nintendo's glossy white warriors have been dominating the charts everywhere since launch. In Japan the Wii is selling out the PS3 3 to 1, while in North America that number is slightly less impressive at 2 to 1 - ya, thats still huge. Don't take my word for it though, Variety Asia entertainment is reporting that major Japanese developers are focusing on Wii and DS.
Hit the jump for a quote containing some surprising numbers.Namco Bandai will up its Nintendo titles by 109% to 115; Sega by 96% to 49; and Capcom by 5% to 20. Meanwhile, the three majors intend to cut shipments of titles for Sony machines by 30%-40%.
hurts to be Sony, especially considering that Nintendo is catching up with them in overall worth aswell. Not bad for a 'games only' company.
Shipments of Nintendo titles will total 26.88 million units in fiscal 2007 vs. 23.29 million units of Sony game software. Capcom alone will boost its Nintendo shipments 81% to 4.7 million units.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Dragon Blade: A promising Wii Exclusive nobodies ever heard of
IGN had some hands-on time with a brand new Wii exclusive from the guys who brought you Panzer Dragoon. The game takes place in an ancient asian region- presumably Japan and promises some intense motion based action.
Hit the jump to see some highlights from IGNs report.Sam Guilloud, product manager for D3 Publisher of America spoke on the team's influence for Dragon Blade, stating that, "We really want the player to have an arcade experience by just getting involved in the game. We want them to feel like they're the ones kicking ass, rather than spending too much time looking for 'jars of honey,' playing mini-games, or doing side quests. It's about getting them involved in the game, and letting them really take it to the enemies. There's really not a lot of content on the Wii that's actually 'action-oriented.' There's a ton of family games and casual games, a lot of sports titles and first-person shooters, but there isn't really a good hack-'n-slash game that lets people go nuts and really kick ass."
Sam Guilloud, product manager for D3 Publisher of America spoke on the team's influence for Dragon Blade, stating that, "We really want the player to have an arcade experience by just getting involved in the game. We want them to feel like they're the ones kicking ass, rather than spending too much time looking for 'jars of honey,' playing mini-games, or doing side quests. It's about getting them involved in the game, and letting them really take it to the enemies. There's really not a lot of content on the Wii that's actually 'action-oriented.' There's a ton of family games and casual games, a lot of sports titles and first-person shooters, but there isn't really a good hack-'n-slash game that lets people go nuts and really kick ass."
Game seems like it could be a really solid God of War clone- I'll take it!
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Tomb Raider: Anniversary (ps2) review
Unlike Perri when I write a review I will try and make it as short as I can, but also giving you my opinion and information to weather it’s even worth renting or worth buying. Today the review is Tomb Raider Anniversary for the PS2: a remake of one of the most popular games that started a well known series.
Read on. To view my review!
Aesthetics. 4/5
I never played a Tomb Raider game before, not even when I had ps1 but I wanted to play this game very badly when I herd it was coming out, so I rented it. The graphics in Tomb Raider for the PS2 are very good. The environments look nice, there’s a lot of detail, which is great because the first level takes place in the ruins of an ancient city. Keeping in mind this game does not look as good as God Of War 2, but I mean HEY! Nether does MGS3. Lara Croft as compared to the environments looks…well ok; she doesn’t have as much detail as her environments that she wonders around in. You can really notice this when you move the camera around so it’s close to her. This leads to another thing; the camera can be a pain in the ass. Sometimes you are not able to see where you are able to jump too when you go from white block to white block. I do like how the game looks, you have to get used to the camera and once your passed that its all smiles from there. I like the controls too, they use the ps2 controller well everything is pretty easy to get used too, its very user friendly.
Sound. 5/5
I really like the sound track, its suitable and its goes great with the game. The roars and barks for the animals are helpful too, for example. Before you were to fight a wolf you would hear a howl and then the thing would run out from behind a corner. This gives you time to aim and get ready to unload 2 mags on him. The raptors are great to shoot!
Game play. 5/5
The game play is fine, it controls like a 3rd person shooter should. There is a new game play mechanic in Tomb Raider; it’s kind of like the matrix. Whenever an enemy charges at you it goes into this slow-mo mini game where when it shows you on the bottom right of the screen you dodge left or right using the “O” button and the left analog stick. Then when you dive out of the way you have the chance to do an instant kill once your aimer is aligned with the head of the animal. HEEEEAD SHOOT!(UR:T announcer voice) This is helpful when you fight the T-Rex, that’s pretty much how you beat your first boss battle. Also there are interactive cut-scenes which are pretty kool, its not as intense as some in Resident Evil 4, but they fit into the game nicely, its doesn’t seem forced.
Immersion. 5/5
I didn’t want to put it down. I really enjoyed this game and I kept it 3 days passed the due date from Rodgers. The puzzles are great, keeps you thinking and frustrated. They basically consist of figuring out how you get from point A to point B by climbing and jumping, etc. Tomb Raider keeps you on edge and your always asking questions ever time you turn a corner. I’ve only completed 25% of the game, but like I said. I didn’t want to stop playing it, so I bought it yesterday morning.
Recommendations.
Hmmm. Well any Tomb Raider game, Prince of Persia (1 & 3), I’m sure there’s more I just cant think of any.
Bottom Line.
This game may be on ps2 but its one of the best out right now.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Buy this Game! Zack & Wiki
I have to admit that I was never really excited about this game, not even the screenshots won me over. Yes, this is the game formerly known as Project Tresure Island Z nobody thought the name could get any worse, yet somehow- it did. Zack & Wiki: The Search for Barbaros' Treasure is a mouthful, yes - but it looks fantastic! Nice to see some polish coming to the Wii, the animation is beautiful and the style is great. Over at IGN Matt and Bozon (Wii editors) have a little campaign going. They want people to buy this game, they've been playing it and say it is a must have! The last Eternal Darkness on the Cube, not many bought it but it is an amazing game. I'm thinking this will be added to my library eventually, how about you?
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Beautiful Katamari a 360 Exclusive?
Is Microsoft bringing another PS exclusive to the 360??? Is Beautiful Katamari even coming out for the Playstation 3?! What's this about a Namcom-Bandai/Microsoft exclusivity agreement? Read on gamers.
So from when it was first announced, back in March by way of a cell phone image we knew that Katamari was coming to the 360. There were listings for both a Wii and Playstation 3 verison. However, about a month later Namco-Bandai was found comfirming Katamari for the 360 and PS3, omitting the Wii copy. At the same time they also confirmed the rumoured name: Beautiful Katamari, this was back in April.
Well, as of yesterday (June 15th), N'Gai Croal from Newsweek's video game blog has claimed an exclusivity deal between MS and Namco Bandai is very close to happening with an announcement more then likely to be made during the E3 event. To back up these allegations, Croal notes that Namco Bandai have already started a 360 exclusive trend what with; Ridge Racer 6, Eternal Sonata and Ace Combat 6 coming solely to the 360 console. Adding to this list is: Mobile Ops: The One Year War, Culdcept Saga and a Japanese only game Zegapain XOR.
It seems Namco Bandai has an exlusive deal on other platforms, PS3's Tekken 6 and Ridge Racer 7, so they aren't swearing allegiance to one console or another and with Soul Caliber IV on the the way cross platform games are still coming. This exclusivity deal is just a rumour, for now....what seems to be happening is Microsoft reaching out to the Japanese market
Friday, June 15, 2007
You thought the rivalry ended with the fall of the Dreamcast!
This is a little fucked up, to say the least. An article on Kotaku.com which takes quotes from the Vice President of Marketing for SEGA America, Scott Steinberg is actually talkin "smack" about the Wii. He proclaims that it will be out dated in 2-5 years time in graphics and in motion controls. He is also very much favouring the PS3 and 360 saying developers will get more value from them, due to there processing power and better graphics they can provide. Hmmmmm as of right now i dont think its the best idea to start stirring up the shit with Nintendo, maybe once the PS3 is leading in sales, then that may be a good time....when ever that may be.
Maybe Scott is still sour about seeing our lovable/badass blue hedge hog on a nintendo system! GOD! I wish they would make a GOOD sonic game! just bring it back to 2D! :(
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Zelda: Phantom Hourglass site goes live
The title really says all you need to know, check it out.
The DS games just keep looking better, and better!
Time Crisis at home on your PS3
Well this is kool news, Namco has made it official that one of the greatest arcade shooters is coming to the PS3. It will include a new version of the light gun, one that will work with LCD screens and according to IGN there will be a new game play feature where you can look left and right. That's really awsome, i cant wait to see how it will look :)
I was just watching the F1 Montreal race on speed channel today, its a re-airing of the event and i just saw this crash, its one of the most insane things Ive ever seen!
here's another angel
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Yet another Indie game hoping to get inside your Wii - Capucine
It would seem the Wii as become somewhat of a haven for indie developers that make big promises and then fade into obscurity...Anyways, with the surfacing of Pollen Sonata, and an actual gameplay video I suppose a new bar has been set. If you say your making a game, prove it. Simple right? Well, thats exactly what the French developers who created Capucine have done. They actually have a ton of media over at their site, check it out - keep in mind this is likely very early footage, but I still find it impressive. Graphics are decent, will undoubtedly be worked on, but I see a lot of potential. Hit up the site for the interesting plot and unique gameplay info!
via Dtoid
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Ubisoft tapping into the power of the DS with Brothers in Arms
It would seem that Ubisoft has really gotten comfy with Nintendo's behemoth of a handheld, and has found out how to get the most out of it's visuals. It begs the question though, where was this Ubisoft at the Wii launch? This game honestly looks better than Call of Duty 3 on the Wii. I didn't think I'd ever see destructable environments on the DS, but it happened. Aaron Linde at Destructoid points out that the game looks like it belongs on the PSP and states that Wii games will eventually start looking good- lets hope.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
DOXOfeature: Dyack at IASC, The 8th Art.
This past week I had the pleasure of attending the 'Immersive Worlds' conference at Brock University. There were many interesting Game related lectures going on, my most anticipated? Dennis Dyack. He spoke of many things, Too human, Gaming as Art, the future of gaming and revealed little more about his new SEGA game to me. (very little)
Full report, and the 'one question exclusive interview' after the jump!
Dennis kicked off his speech by showing us a real time cinematic of Too Human, it’s the same build he showed us last time, still looks great. He then went on to introduce his colleague Barry Grant who happens to be a professor of Film studies at Brock University, but also belongs to the Silicon Knights team. He spoke a great deal about the history of film and the uphill battle film makers faced when trying to convince the masses that moving pictures deserved to be taken seriously as an art form, and not strictly as entertainment. He draws many parallels to the gaming industry, sharing the same mentality that Dyack himself has expressed many times before; Games are moving away from a past of strictly entertaining people and moving into a future where they are held in much higher regard. An interesting comparison he shared was that early film, much like gaming, found its popularity in spectacle- something that lost it’s appeal overtime. As film matured though, the evolution of characters, and story telling was able to create compelling pieces of art that held more than ones eyes- they made you think. This is where Silicon Knights believes gaming is going, more accurately, it is where Dyack and Co. want to take it.
At that point Dennis took the stage again and recollected a talk he had with Hideo Kojima. During the production of Twin Snakes Dyack asked Kojima what they could have done to make a bigger impact with Eternal Darkness. Kojima gave him a simple answer:
This was the sole inspiration for the ‘controllable cut scenes’ in Too Human. He brought up the fact that there are standards for cinematography that should not be ignored in gaming and that even limitations of film are being emulated in games in order to achieve the same sense of immersion. He gave us an example. In film, the background of a scene is often out of focus, minimalizing distraction for viewers. This was originally a limitation of primitive cameras, but has carried on because it is a technique that works. In this current generation of gaming we are seeing more and more depth of field being created through atmospheric perspective (essentially- sharper in the front, blurry in the back) which is something that games are not limited too, in fact it’s quite the opposite. Gaming hardware needed to get more advanced to pull off this ’restriction’. Dyack then went into another direction, he spoke about how we have reached a point where technology does not drive the industry, and that it was backwards thinking to say otherwise. He calls out for more creativity, and more academia in gaming. Rich stories, and deep character design, he calls for a Renaissance 2.0. He states that the art will drive the industry, the science - just as it did in the day of Michelangelo. I have to admit it was a pretty inspiring little segment. He explained how the mentality of some developers is like that of a stereotypical high school student, his example; Rockstar. He believes that if you ask somebody at Rockstar what makes their game fun, they don’t have satisfying answers, and will simply say something like, ‘Hey it’s a cool game, because I’m cool, and I made it. I’m a Rockstar.’ Again questioning the maturity of the industry, but also questioning sales.
He expressed that he was a bit dissatisfied with sales of Eternal Darkness, especially after the success of Legacy of Kain (which he blamed partly on platform). This caused him to think hard about a games marketability and what it is that people want to play. He stated that he believed graphics played a huge part in this, using Gears of War as an example (as he did last time I saw him speak) he said that it was one of the most beautiful games he had ever seen but that the play mechanics were average at best, and that the story would have been better had it not existed. He actually downplayed the importance of gameplay a little bit, stating that a lot of games that have ‘the play’ and not ‘the look’ tend to attract less gamers. He continued, saying that games like Mario and Zelda are often successful (not to mention over 20 years old) due to this synthesis. He then spoke of the engagement theory. Dyack claims, that games sell based on the level of engagement offered to the player and that different attributes hold certain weight.
Controversially, he believes in this as a sort of hierarchy, placing gameplay at the bottom. I would assume that each attribute doesn’t hold much more weight than the next, but Silicon Knights does seem more concerned with telling a story.
I came out of the presentation rather impressed with Silicon Knight’s vision and commitment to that vision. Judging from what I’ve seen of the game so far it seems that they’re making large strides towards their goal and it’s really exciting to see as a gamer. After wards I approached Dennis who actually recognized me. I told him I didn’t want to ask him another question he couldn’t answer, at least not in front of everybody. So I asked him a few in private. He wouldn’t elaborate much on the SEGA project (which he revealed to me months ago, as a multiplatform title), but continued to ask him about it:
Me: I know SEGA has been reviving a bunch of their old franchises lately, like Alien Syndrome, is this another attempt at that?That’s all he would say about that, I’ll admit it’s more exciting a prospect than an old IP coming back , look forward to it- just not anytime soon.
Dyack: No no, this is something that we’re building- something brand new.
Hit this to see our report from SKHQ where the first tidbit about the SEGA game was revealed to me
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