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Have Your Say On Video Game Pricing 
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Dragon's Dogma: The Kotaku Review We were wondering when the Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 footage would start rolling in. And look at that, here it is! Above is a hands-on with the PS3 version. The Konami game will be out this October on every imaginable platform. This should hold the PES diehards over until a demo surfaces.
Thanks, Jeffrey!
Widescreen owners, you are missing out hot BioShock SLEEVE action. While the game shows the full picture in standard 4:3 ratio, it crops the top and bottom slightly in widescreen. Fuckles! I knew something was missing in that BioShock demo (A sleeve!). This apparently affects both PC and Xbox 360 versions and has annoyed some players, while others don’t mind. BioShock Creative Director Ken Levine has made an official reply over at the 2K Forums, writing: Hey guys-
Sorry about all the conflict. IG development people (specifically Chris and Rowan who are both on vacation) were trying to take a day off today (we’ve been working about six months 6-7 days a week). I’m trying to see what everybody’s concerns are and consult with the staff.
I know people are frustrated, but we are dealing with internet time here. It wasn’t until 7 pm EST that I was able to even talk to anybody in our Australian studio, which is open today (9 AM their time).
I hear you that not everybody was thrilled with the PC launch. And I’m trying to collect information and see what the facts are. PC game development does not function in a matter of seconds or hours, especially when most of the team is on vacation. But I hear you, and we’re looking into the issue. I’ll only ask you have a bit of understanding as to the time scale that software development issues must occur in.
Best regards,
Ken Levine
An apology, people on vacation and some unhappy campers. Still, chill out hyper people! Ken is on it, doing his best so you too see that sleeve. A note from Ken on the widescreen concerns [2K Forums, Thanks Brendan!]
Southpeak Interactive describes Ninjatown as “a quirky but intensely addictive strategy title.” It’ll be on dispaly at the Leipzig Games Convention, and the game will be out first quarter 2008. I don’t care if it’s Wednesday, this clip is the cutest thing you will see all week. Mark my words.
Cute Ninjas Okay [Dtoid]
There’s a pretty interesting article up over at Gamasutra, examining the testing process behind Crackdown. Microsoft had never had to test a big, sandboxy game like it before, so it tells the story of how they had to adapt in order to get the job done. It also throws up some useless, but handy, statistics on the game. Seems Crackdown was divided into 495 “blocks”. There was an average of 12 bugs per block, and these bugs took an average of 12 minutes to locate (using old testing methods; new ones had to be written up to deal with the game’s scope). The hidden orbs scattered around the game created over 10,000 environment bugs. All useless, certainly, but an interesting read nonetheless! GameFest: Testing Crackdown’s 495 City Blocks [Gamasutra]
It’s the gaming legal battle of the century! Silicon Knights is taking Epic to court for lack of Unreal 3 Engine support. SK honcho Denis Dyack is ready for the court showdown, saying: We have a law team that’s really fantastic and they’re going to get the case out there and I am hopeful and confident that justice will be done. Besides that I really can’t comment.
Oh, Denis. You are too much! Elsewhere, Dyack says that the Epic counter-suit that claims Silicon Knights was trying to “take Epic’s licensed technology, pay nothing for it and use it any way it pleases” would not affect Too Human‘s release date. At this point, is that even a concern? SK Is Confident [Games Industry]
Lucky Microsoft’s release schedule is a little fuller in the second half of the year. Because right now, I can’t remember the last time I saw a 360 game in the Aussie top 10. It’s all Nintendo, or Sony, or Nintendo, or Sony. Apart from this month. Which is Nintendo, Sony and World of Warcraft. Just to break things up a little.
1) SingStar 90s (game only) 2) Pokemon Diamond 3) SingStar 90s (bundle) 4) Mario Party 8 5) Pokemon Pearl 6) Brain Training 7) Brain Training 2 8) SingStar Pop Hits (game only) 9) WoW 10) Harry Potter (PS2)
[charts courtesy of GfK]
How good is BioShock? Quote: “THE GAME WAS SO FACE MELTINGLY AWESOME IT BLEW UP MY COMPUTER.” Yes, it’s that good. Over at game forum NeoGAF, member Epiphyte recounts his PC woes after downloading the BioShock demo. According to him: I was about 15 minutes into it, having very much enjoyed what I had seen so far, when I came upon the first Big Daddy encounter. I watch in rapt attention as he charges a splicer when suddenly BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM. It sounds as though a string of firecrackers has been detonated in my computer case, as well as each BOOM being punctuated with a bright blue flash coming through the case window.
For about half a second I sit there stunned. The first thought in my mind is “Holy Fucking Shit, that is the greatest effect I’ve ever seen. They should have given this game an 11.” Immediately following this a sickening realisation dawns on me as I look over at my tower. Blue Smoke! The magic blue smoke that makes electronics work is escaping from my PC.
What follows is a 30 second vaudeville act of me simultaneously cursing, falling as I try to leap out of my chair, and finally ripping the power cord from the wall. But the blue smoke was already out, and the smell of ozone in the air told me the bitter truth. Bioshock had fried my computer from the inside and blown the capacitors.
Apparently Epiphyte’s caps inside the power supply blew up, and some motherboard capacitors might have been blown as well. There’s a word for this, and that is “BioShocked.” BioShock Killed My PC [NeoGAF]
Sure, Microsoft’s Sidewinder Mouse has features coming out the whazoo. But design-wise, the mouse leaves a lot to be desired. Not Microsoft’s fault! That company is wall-to-wall engineers. No wonder the new mouse lacks slick industrial design and looks like a vehicle from Dune. (Not that there’s anything wrong with Dune!) And the red on all black colour scheme is, well, kinda emo. Anyway, we’re picky and bitchy. You, you take a look. Let us know whatcha think.
At the Leipzig Games Convention today, Microsoft Hardware announced its SideWinder line. Microsoft’s SideWinder Mouse was built from the ground up and designed specially for gaming. The mouse is tricked out with various features like one-touch Windows Vista Games Explorer access, Quick Turn button that lets users check their in-game perimeter, a weight cartridge system for personalising the mouse’s weight and an LCD built onto the mouse. The mouse will go on sale this October for $US79.95. We were guessing it would retail for more, but it’s only 79 bucks. “Only 79 bucks.” Ha! Hit the jump for the full press release:
The PlayStation Eye (ie EyeToy 2) and Wii Remote are kinda similar. Both rely on your movements, anyways. Can’t they just get along? Nope. CVG are intent on turning brother against brother, and asked Eye of Judgement director Kazuhito Miyaki whether he thought Sony’s new camera was a better gaming option than the Wii Remote: In Eye of Judgement it’s all about summoning the creatures. With other games it’ll be about creating a whole different dynamic so, in a way, you could say there is much more potential and ability in our technology.
He may be right! The feature-set for the new camera sounds impressive, especially the multi-directional microphone. So it might have “potential”! Then again, the new EyeToy could also have the “potential” to be played twice then put in the cupboard. Just like the old one. Sony: Eye Toy has more potential than Wii Remote [CVG]
