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Dragon's Dogma: The Kotaku Review Before 2001, console gaming didn’t quite exist in Korea. The government had taken baby steps to lift its long-standing ban on the sale of Japanese consoles. Console sales haven’t ever been popular, but all three hardware makers seem invested in building on their foothold on the Peninsula. For consoles, this is a huge untapped market. Over at game site Gamasutra, Nick Rumas has a fascinating look at the country’s console progress, standing with the official PS2 launch in late ’01. Rumas writes:
The fantastic Guitar Hero DS concept is, sadly, merely an artist’s impression. We don’t yet know what the DS version of the game will look like. We do know some things, however, thanks to an interview with RedOctane co-founder Charles Huang. And it all sounds good. We’re exploring a lot of things. We’re hoping to really bring the experience to the DS and to do some very, very different approaches. We’re working through a lot of engineering issues with Nintendo. I actually came from a set of meetings with them last week about this. While the technical path hasn’t been set yet, we intend for this to be a very unique experience just like Guitar Hero was on consoles. This will play probably unlike any other DS game that has come out, and at this stage, that’s all I’m afraid we can talk about until we have the engineering paths laid out with Nintendo.
StarCraft? Huge in Korea. The game’s been out something like ten years, and it’s still popular. No wonder the game’s developer Blizzard announced the title’s sequel in Korea. But, really, what’s up with Koreans and StarCraft? We are dying to know! StarCraft II‘s associate producer Tony Hsu explains. We listen. Well, they took the game to a totally different level, one that I don’t think anybody really expected. They were able to micro-manage everything, and do crazy stunts with units that nobody ever thought could be done. I think the game allowed for a lot of that, and it combined with the factions being really diverse, the timing of the release and the storyline. It was just a mix of those things and it worked its way up.
And up and up and up and up… StarCraft II Interview [CVG]
Mark Rein loves the 360, to be sure. Dude’s company made a lot of money out of that Gears malarkey. But he may love Blu-Ray just as much! If not more! Speaking at the Edinburgh Interactive Festival, Rein said that while the size of the 360 version of Unreal Tournament III may have to be compromised, the PS3 version was going swimmingly, all thanks to the wonders of Blu-Ray: We’ll compress some things. But you know, we may have fewer maps on the 360 version… Blu-Ray has definitely given us a lot of legroom.
And the quirky DS games don’t stop! This time, it’s Simple DS Series Vol. 25: The Koushoujin from D3 Publisher. Players take on the role of a police negotiator who has to talk crooks into dropping their weapons. To be totally persuasive, check the bad guy’s background info and scan with a remote camera. The crook’s data sheet tips off players so they know the right things to say and get the criminal to surrender peacefully. There’s a countdown clock for added pressure! Players are then ranked and judged on things like their leadership ability, how calm they are, etc. Off-beat, sure, but this game seems pretty neat. How about a localisation, D3? Negotiating Game [Famitsu via Siliconera]
Shoelaces can be tricky business. Do you tuck em, tie em, tie em in a double-knot? Urgh, too many choices! Me, I don’t even wear shoes anymore, I can get away with just wearing my slippers around the house. If I did have to step out, though? Fair chance I wouldn’t step out in these. They look great, but on my shoes, probably a little corny. As brass knuckles, though…they have serious potential. ‘Game Over’ lace locks [Digital Gravel]
Puyo Puyo-kissing model Yuri Ebihara is back with more Puyo Puyo and more kissing. Previously, Ebihara (AKA Ebi-chan) appeared in the Puyo Puyo DS TV spots and has returned for the console spot. As always, the game’s innocous as is Ebi-chan, who once said: “If someone doesn’t find me cute, I want to know why because then I’ll work on it to get better at being cute.” Yes, yer cute, the game’s cute, blah, blah. Well, played SEGA. This is exactly how you sell Puyo Puyo. Hell, this is how you sell anything.
Nintendo have been big on the message that they’re no longer in competition with Sony and Microsoft. That they’ve moved on. We’ve been hearing it non-stop for the past 2-3 years, and frankly it’s getting a little boring. The only way we’re going to keep listening is if they start making the statements more entertaining. Enter George Harrison! We’re happy to stay out of that. Microsoft is going to get their Halo fans. Sony is going to get their Ridge Racer fans. We just feel that there’s a whole audience that no one is talking to.
Ridge Racer? What is this George, 2001? Surely the PS3 has more games than…oh, I get it. Console Makers: Move It or Lose It [Business Week]
Take your Victorian waffle iron on walks! For a reason only known to themselves, Nevover Electronic has released a seven-inch flip LCD screen that attaches to PLAYSTATION 3s. The screen may have on screen display controls and boast “high speed signal refresh rate optimised for playing fast-action games,” but still, it’s only seven inches. That’s nothing! There are two dual earphones jacks, too — as if somebody would take this contraption out in public. Portable PS3 Player [Nevover via Tech Digest]
Back in December 2001, Interplay were in trouble. They had debts of USD$59 million. Which is a lot! Now? They only owe $US3 million (helps that they sold the Fallout IP to Bethesda). Anyways, with the black side of the books in sight they’re looking to cut loose! Tuscan villa, fast cars, loose women, the works. First, though, there’s business to attend to, like securing some cash for the oft-spoken-of Fallout Online (which they retained the rights to when they made the Bethesda deal). Interplay CEO Herve Caen:
