Thursday, July 31, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Nintendo admits Wii 2 is in development
Isn't it too soon to already be talking about Wii 2? A better question is: Are you all that surprised?"Nintendo, as you might expect, is approaching things a bit differently. President Satoru Iwata freely admits the company is already working on the Wii’s successor. However, he adds that he doesn’t view the hardware as particularly interesting."I believe that Nintendo will release a Wii successor as soon as sales start slipping for the current Wii console. Why? Because Nintendo well knows that is shipped a last-gen underpowered piece of hardware. Hardware that is not capable of delivering experiences that the XBox 360 and PS3 could. It's not a matter of if, but a matter of when consumers figure out that the Wii doesn't truly deliver on it's promises. This is why they're releasing Wii Motion Plus, an add-on for the Wiimote that makes 1 to 1 motion possible. From where I'm standing, that should've been part of the Wii's design from the start. I, like many of you, own a Wii, which I only use (mainly) when people come over that have never played the Wii. It has become a novelty in my home. I have friends who also own the Wii, and they have the same experience... It collects dust, until people come over.
To make matters worse, Nintendo as a company has decided that the hardcore gamer is no longer their top priority. The casual market is...
Don't hate the messenger...
Monday, July 28, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
PLAYSTATION 3’s First Homebrew: Pong
Remember Pong, the 1972 Atari-develpoed title we all knew and loved once? Well, here it comes again as the first hombrew (as far as I know) for the PLAYSTATION 3. A nifty coder who calls himself Dragula96 was the one who was able to do this.
Playing Pong on your PLAYSTATION 3 is quite easy. You just need to follow a few simple steps before you and your buddy are reliving the 1972-days.
Hit the jump for the tutorial on how to get Pong on your PLAYSTATION 3.
1. Download the game pack here.
2. Extract the file and you should get a director called "AVCHD". Place it in the root of your memory stick or USB drive.
3. Power up your PLAYSTATION 3.
4. Connect your USB drive or memory stick to your PLAYSTATION 3.
5. Go to the [Video] menu in the XMB.
6. Select your device, then [AVCHD], and after a small load, Pong begins.
Only two-players are available at the moment. Tell us how it is.
The original report can be found here
Friday, July 25, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
E3 2008: Dead Rising Wii in America This Winter
Excited about playing Dead Rising with Wiimote controls? You won't have to wait long.Capcom announced the official U.S. release details today for its Wii version of the popular Xbox 360 zombie game. Titled Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop, the game will be available this winter in the U.S.
Based on the engine that powers Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition, the game will feature a number of tweaks over the Xbox 360 version, including a more "seamless" save system and motion-controlled zombie bashing.
If they overhaul the gameplay and get rid of the screw-up-once-and-you-have-to-start-the-game-over baloney that killed the last game for me, that would be great too. (Source Wired)
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
E3 2008: What You Didn't See
With the curtains drawing on E3 for another year, how did your predictions for the show work out? As anyone who read last week's column will no doubt have noted, my own insistence that predictions are a mug's game turned out to be painfully accurate - with the list I offered of things to watch out for being hit and miss, with an emphasis on the miss.
In fact, casting an eye back over the various predictions for last week - my own included - it's clear that there's another story to be told about E3's conferences and announcements. Many commentators have bemoaned the fact that this year's show simply hasn't produced the fireworks we'd hoped for - but the really interesting thing about this year's E3, I'd argue, is what you didn't see.
There are a few really blatant things that you didn't see - for instance, you didn't see Bungie's new Halo game. That seemingly came as a surprise to Bungie as much as it did to the media. The developer had launched an ominous looking countdown on its website which eventually fizzled into annoyed nothingness when Microsoft took the last-minute decision not to unveil the game at E3 after all - leaving the announcement of a cross-platform port of a game we already knew about two years ago to be its biggest conference announcement.
Additionally, we didn't see any sign of Microsoft's motion controller. Now, I confess that I'm not entirely clear how well into development Microsoft's Wiimote-challenging efforts are, so it's possible that it's simply not ready for the limelight. Equally, it's plausible that some clever bod at the company looked at a script for the press conference and realised that if another copycat "lifestyle" element was introduced, the chances of Don Mattrick being pelted with finger buffet sandwiches by outraged hardcore gamers would increase exponentially.
More surprising from my perspective is the fact that Sony's motion controller wasn't in evidence either. Whatever about the development status of Microsoft's peripheral, Sony's version is definitely well down the road - it's easily come far enough for viable prototypes to be kicking around in the labs. Whether it was a last-minute exclusion from the Sony conference or not is hard to say, but either way, it may have been fortuitous. The company's big selling point for its motion controller was to be how much more accurate than the Wiimote it is, enabling true 1:1 matching of actions to the screen. Unfortunately, Nintendo had shown off a Wiimote add-on block that does exactly the same thing all of half an hour previously.
Actually, once you start delving into it, there are all sorts of questions to be asked about the Sony conference. Where, for a start, was the new game from Fumito Ueda and the team behind ICO and Shadow of the Colossus? Ueda's previous titles may not have been commercial dynamite, but they cemented the PS2's reputation as the home to quirky, beautiful games which enthused the hardcore and delighted older audiences. Equally, where was Siren: Blood Curse? Launching in a matter of weeks, it's an ambitious use of the PlayStation Network distribution system and the best survival horror game of the generation to date, with huge appeal to the large and diverse audience attracted by horror gaming.
The PS3 could do with a dose of that right now - instead, with Sony announcing lots of first-person shooter games and Microsoft crowing over Final Fantasy, the two companies seem to be locked into a death-spiral, grimly determined not to do a damned thing to differentiate their offerings until the bitter end. Everything you do, I can do... Well, pretty much the same, actually.
There's plenty more we didn't see at E3 - a show which, this year, seems to have raised more questions than answers. We heard that the Mario and Zelda teams are hard at work, but we've got no idea what they're working on (frankly, the fact that "Nintendo is working on a Mario game and a Zelda game!" was considered a viable headline is a stinging condemnation of the week's conferences as a whole). We know that Microsoft has redesigned its Xbox 360 interface to incorporate Mii-style avatars, but the whole value of the Mii concept lies in its clever integration into a wide range of Wii software - Microsoft has a lot of explaining to do about the planned uses of it's Xbox Miis (Xiis?) before they start to seem like a worthwhile move.
One other thing we didn't see was any sign of a proper reconciliation between Sony's various territory organisations. While some European and Japanese software made it onto the roster at the main Sony event - which is fairly strictly a Sony Computer Entertainment America shindig - the announcement of a new PS3 model for Europe was relegated to a SCEE-specific event at the end of the week. Some big European games (such as Killzone 2) also joined Japanese titles like Siren on the list of titles curiously absent or relegated to a brief trailer glimpse at the event. Its fortunes may have improved in the past year, but Sony's market is still under siege from two exceptionally strong competitors - this really isn't the time to be presenting a fractured face from the media, or burying any of your line-up.
There is one final thing that wasn't in evidence at this year's E3. Following the news as it emerged over the course of the week's events, it was extremely hard to see a strong case for the event continuing to hold pride of place in the industry's calendar. One of the biggest problems with the old E3 was that top publishers had stopped bringing their key games to the show, believing that individual showcase events could provide a better environment for major announcements or hands-on play. The new-look E3, it seems, hasn't solved that problem - and with the platform holders seemingly also choosing to move major announcements away from the show, there must be a lot of journalists and analysts coming back from Los Angeles today who are wondering if the expense associated with covering the show is actually justified.
E3 stands on increasingly fragile ground - it's increasingly apparent that if even one of the platform holders drops out, the whole event will have trouble sustaining its appeal. What I was looking for this year as evidence that all three platform holders are truly committed - that they aren't just going through the motions by saving up a few weeks' worth of announcements and popping them all onto a convenient stage. That, most of all, was something I didn't see. On the strength of this year's performances, it's hard to see how E3 can avoid becoming even more diminished in importance in the coming years. (Source GamesIndustry.biz)
In fact, casting an eye back over the various predictions for last week - my own included - it's clear that there's another story to be told about E3's conferences and announcements. Many commentators have bemoaned the fact that this year's show simply hasn't produced the fireworks we'd hoped for - but the really interesting thing about this year's E3, I'd argue, is what you didn't see.
There are a few really blatant things that you didn't see - for instance, you didn't see Bungie's new Halo game. That seemingly came as a surprise to Bungie as much as it did to the media. The developer had launched an ominous looking countdown on its website which eventually fizzled into annoyed nothingness when Microsoft took the last-minute decision not to unveil the game at E3 after all - leaving the announcement of a cross-platform port of a game we already knew about two years ago to be its biggest conference announcement.Additionally, we didn't see any sign of Microsoft's motion controller. Now, I confess that I'm not entirely clear how well into development Microsoft's Wiimote-challenging efforts are, so it's possible that it's simply not ready for the limelight. Equally, it's plausible that some clever bod at the company looked at a script for the press conference and realised that if another copycat "lifestyle" element was introduced, the chances of Don Mattrick being pelted with finger buffet sandwiches by outraged hardcore gamers would increase exponentially.
More surprising from my perspective is the fact that Sony's motion controller wasn't in evidence either. Whatever about the development status of Microsoft's peripheral, Sony's version is definitely well down the road - it's easily come far enough for viable prototypes to be kicking around in the labs. Whether it was a last-minute exclusion from the Sony conference or not is hard to say, but either way, it may have been fortuitous. The company's big selling point for its motion controller was to be how much more accurate than the Wiimote it is, enabling true 1:1 matching of actions to the screen. Unfortunately, Nintendo had shown off a Wiimote add-on block that does exactly the same thing all of half an hour previously.Actually, once you start delving into it, there are all sorts of questions to be asked about the Sony conference. Where, for a start, was the new game from Fumito Ueda and the team behind ICO and Shadow of the Colossus? Ueda's previous titles may not have been commercial dynamite, but they cemented the PS2's reputation as the home to quirky, beautiful games which enthused the hardcore and delighted older audiences. Equally, where was Siren: Blood Curse? Launching in a matter of weeks, it's an ambitious use of the PlayStation Network distribution system and the best survival horror game of the generation to date, with huge appeal to the large and diverse audience attracted by horror gaming.
The PS3 could do with a dose of that right now - instead, with Sony announcing lots of first-person shooter games and Microsoft crowing over Final Fantasy, the two companies seem to be locked into a death-spiral, grimly determined not to do a damned thing to differentiate their offerings until the bitter end. Everything you do, I can do... Well, pretty much the same, actually.
There's plenty more we didn't see at E3 - a show which, this year, seems to have raised more questions than answers. We heard that the Mario and Zelda teams are hard at work, but we've got no idea what they're working on (frankly, the fact that "Nintendo is working on a Mario game and a Zelda game!" was considered a viable headline is a stinging condemnation of the week's conferences as a whole). We know that Microsoft has redesigned its Xbox 360 interface to incorporate Mii-style avatars, but the whole value of the Mii concept lies in its clever integration into a wide range of Wii software - Microsoft has a lot of explaining to do about the planned uses of it's Xbox Miis (Xiis?) before they start to seem like a worthwhile move.
One other thing we didn't see was any sign of a proper reconciliation between Sony's various territory organisations. While some European and Japanese software made it onto the roster at the main Sony event - which is fairly strictly a Sony Computer Entertainment America shindig - the announcement of a new PS3 model for Europe was relegated to a SCEE-specific event at the end of the week. Some big European games (such as Killzone 2) also joined Japanese titles like Siren on the list of titles curiously absent or relegated to a brief trailer glimpse at the event. Its fortunes may have improved in the past year, but Sony's market is still under siege from two exceptionally strong competitors - this really isn't the time to be presenting a fractured face from the media, or burying any of your line-up.
There is one final thing that wasn't in evidence at this year's E3. Following the news as it emerged over the course of the week's events, it was extremely hard to see a strong case for the event continuing to hold pride of place in the industry's calendar. One of the biggest problems with the old E3 was that top publishers had stopped bringing their key games to the show, believing that individual showcase events could provide a better environment for major announcements or hands-on play. The new-look E3, it seems, hasn't solved that problem - and with the platform holders seemingly also choosing to move major announcements away from the show, there must be a lot of journalists and analysts coming back from Los Angeles today who are wondering if the expense associated with covering the show is actually justified.
E3 stands on increasingly fragile ground - it's increasingly apparent that if even one of the platform holders drops out, the whole event will have trouble sustaining its appeal. What I was looking for this year as evidence that all three platform holders are truly committed - that they aren't just going through the motions by saving up a few weeks' worth of announcements and popping them all onto a convenient stage. That, most of all, was something I didn't see. On the strength of this year's performances, it's hard to see how E3 can avoid becoming even more diminished in importance in the coming years. (Source GamesIndustry.biz)
High Voltage's Corso: Wii Deserves Better Games Than It's Getting
Talking to Gamasutra during E3, High Voltage creative director Matt Corso has been discussing the developer's just-announced Wii FPS The Conduit, suggesting that, for the core gamer, "The Wii is a really cool game system... it's worth better games than it's getting right now."High Voltage (Harvey Birdman, Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude) has been working on the Wii-exclusive first person shooter for some time, with the alien-heavy title - featuring with both a single player campaign and online multiplayer components - tentatively scheduled for release in Q1 of 2009.
Speaking to Gamasutra about the circumstances that made High Voltage create the game as a Wii exclusive, Corso commented:
"It seems that no developer was really pushing the system, and we wanted to really take advantage of the hardware and show that the Wii is capable of doing much more than what people were actually doing on it.
Also, we felt there weren't enough hardcore first-person shooter-style games available on the system, and this system is so perfect for that style of game. We saw an opportunity to take advantage of it, and make something really special for the system.
The Wii is a really cool game system. It's worth better games than it's getting right now. There are some great games out there for the system, but it just seems like there's such an opportunity to do so much more with it. Considering it's such a popular system right now, it just doesn't make sense to not focus on making really quality games."
Corso also weighed in on graphical fidelity and quality of Wii titles, noting:
"The system can actually display some really quality visuals, and right now the bar has been so low that it was easy to exceed that bar at first - and now we feel we're just going way beyond that point.
But you know, it makes sense. The Wii is very strong, and it's going to have a lot of staying power, and it's going to be here for a long time to come. We as a studio see no reason why we shouldn't take advantage and try to develop the best experience possible for the Wii."
The full interview with High Voltage's Corso will appear on Gamasutra in the near future. (Source Gamasutra)
Friday, July 18, 2008
E3 2008: Sony's Ambitious Console MMO Plans
LOS ANGELES -- One thing was made very clear during my meeting with Sony Online Entertainment: The company absolutely must have some amazing technology up its sleeve for The Agency and DC Universe Online.
Both games, unlike traditional MMOs, were built from the ground up to feel like console titles -- The Agency is a first-person shooter, and DC Universe Online is an action title -- a necessary step in courting each game's planned PlayStation 3 audience.
Really, the only similarity they share with traditional MMOs is that each game has a persistent world with persistent characters. (Source Wired)
Wii Overtakes 360 as Console Leader in US
When the craziness surrounding the Wii's launch hadn't died down months after the fact, it became clearly evident that Nintendo had a hot commodity on store shelves. As it turns out, the momentum hasn't slowed. Nintendo announced today via text message (of all places) that the Wii has officially passed the Xbox 360 as console leader in the US. According to the imminent NPD results, the console has a 10.9 million install base.
We'll have full results soon - stay tuned! (Source Kombo)
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Warhawk Update Adds Two New Gameplay Modes
With E3 now here, a post on the PlayStation Blog announces a new update for Warhawk, noting that it introduces two entirely new gameplay modes for every map, including the Booster packs. Oh, did I say this update was free?The v1.4 update will introduce ‘Hero’ and ‘Collection’ modes. The Hero mode gives one player superpowers, giving him the opportunity to go berzerk on the opposing team. Points are distributed when Heroes kill and are killed. Collection mode is best described on the blog post.
The update also offers improvements to the game, including mini-map refinements, and more. (Source DigitalBattle)
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Portal: Still Alive details
When we last left Portal: Still Alive, we were very unsure as to what the XBLA title would contain. Valve was cool enough to tell us that Achievements were confirmed, but not much else. GameSetWatch was able to corner Valve’s Doug Lombardi and get a few answers.The game is indeed a standalone version of the Portal sold with the Orange Box set, with several new levels. These newer levels will not feature any sort of story elements associated with the original game, including GLaDOS’ murmurings. Also, Still Alive is set to be an XBLA exclusive, which doesn’t mean much considering the way Final Fantasy XIII showed us how exclusivity can change hands quickly.
There is also mention that all of the new levels are apparently going to come from Portal: The Flash Version MapPack, which is a Portal enhancement from the popular flash game. This is especially interesting considering that the flash version of Portal is simply a fan created game. Regardless of the validity of the new map offerings, I’m sure we’re all excitedly waiting for the next incarnation of Portal on XBLA.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
E3 2008: Downloadable Movie Service Goes Live TONIGHT
We knew about it before, but it was officially revealed at Sony's E3 press conference today...and best of all, this excellent and appealing service won't be available later this year, or a few months from now, or even in a few days: it goes live tonight.That's right, movie and TV fans, the downloadable movie service for the PlayStation 3 is ready to go this evening, according to Sony's Jack Tretton. Most all the big movie studios - MGM, FOX, Sony Pictures, Disney, Warner Bros., Paramount, Lionsgate, etc. - have already signed on to be part of this revolutionary electronic delivery service. As of tonight, you will see a new tab pop up on the PlayStation Store; it's a Video tab, and when there, you can browse all the movies that are currently available for download. You can get most of them in both standard and high-definition, and you can either rent them or purchase them outright to be permanently stored on your PS3. Prices for renting and buying range from $2.99 to $14.99, and as for download times, the Network's Eric Lempel said it will take "about one hour" to download a two-hour standard-definition movie. Television shows will be coming soon as well, but that's not all...
Like much of the content you can place on your PS3, this content can also be transferred to the PSP for viewing on the go. Want to watch "Napolean Dynamite" when heading out for a long trip? Download it to your PS3, shift it to your PSP, and you've got it made in the shade. We don't need to tell you much more, 'cuz you can see it all for yourself later on today! (Source PSX Extreme)
E3 2008: Sony Unveils MAG - 256 Player Online
Sony today announced MAG (Massive Action Game), a game that features 256 player online. Players will be placed into squads of eight. The game will reportedly allow for character growth, making sure to push players in certain directions to keep the action from becoming chaotic. The game will also reportedly have ongoing campaigns.The game is being made by Zipper Interactive, the same developer that is currently making SOCOM: Confrontation for the PS3.
More on this game as it becomes available. (Source Ensights)
Xbox 360's New User Interface
LOS ANGELES -- Here are some images of the new user interface for Xbox 360, which Microsoft announced Monday morning at E3. The new UI, which will be launched this fall, will include a much cleaner menu that makes content browsing less painful, as well as Avatars -- virtual representations of players that look kind of halfway between Sony's Home characters and Nintendo's Miis.Below, a few more shots of the new dashboard, courtesy Microsoft.
See complete article and more screenshots here.
E3 2008: 80 GB PS3 Hits $399 this Fall
80 GB PS3 will be launched this fall for $399. The system will come with the same exact functionality as the 40 gig version. Enjoy the price.
Sony hopes to entice those that have yet to make the jump from PS2 to PS3 to do it with this.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Warhawk v1.4 Update Contains New Gameplay Mode, More
Over at the PlayStation.Blog, Dylan Jobe, Game Direct of Warhawk, has told us that that v1.4 update will come with two new gameplay modes completely free. It is coming very very soon.... in about 48 hours from now. Yeah, it is launching July 16, 2008 at 10:00 GMT.There are two new gameplay modes. The first is "Hero", which randomly selects a player as their teams Epic hero.
"Players score points for their team by killing the enemy Hero or by killing enemies while they’re the Hero. The team that reaches the score limit first (or has the most points when time runs out) wins the game."
The next gameplay mode is called "Collection", in which four energy cores are scattered around the map. Each team has a reactor where energy cores are take to score points.
"The Cores are displayed on your character and the more you are carrying, the more you see whirling and orbiting around you. You’ll also see them on the mini-map as pulsing energy symbols. The score is displayed in the upper right corner as usual, but there is a new display there for Collection mode. It’s the little yellow number that shows you how many Cores your team currently is currently carrying. This ends up being critical for knowing where your focus should be; Offense or Defense."
If you thought that was enough for an update, your wrong. It also comes with the Quick Join feature, which allows you to just jump into one of your favorite games easily. It picks the best game based on your connection, latency, current filter settings, etc. in just a few seconds.
There is also an updaet to the mini-map. The new update allows you to see where you need to take your Flag (in CTF) or Core (in Collection) as many players complained it was hard to see where you needed to go.
All the other updates include updates to the Awards, Spawning, and such. What an amazing update! (Source ScrawlFX)
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
