Remember these lovely ladies? Yeah. Turns out Kojima didn’t hire them just to pout for a few publicity shots, get all slimy, zoomed-in and combative and appear as boss characters. No, turns out they had to be employed for these voyeuristic – and more than a little creepy - photo shoot features as well. The breathing may well make these (three more after the jump) NSFW, so click “play” with caution.
A still unconfirmed rumour has it that actor Michael Ironside will not be returning as Sam Fisher in Splinter Cell: Conviction. Game site Sarcastic Gamer says that the actor was “quietly axed” from the franchise and will be replaced for Conviction. According to the Sarcastic Gamer insider:
He was getting to way too egotistical about the project and extremely difficult to work with…He was also asking for a shit load of money… He pretty much tied his own noose.
Granted, this is still unconfirmed and Ubisoft apparently hasn’t offered an official comment on this rumour. US? We’re on the fence: Ironside is the voice of one of Ubisoft’s biggest franchises, which is why it’s hard to believe they’d let him get away. (That would be a total buzz kill for Conviction!) Then again, because he is so important, maybe he’s become “difficult”. Watch out, though, Ubisoft. Piss off Ironside and he’ll totally scan you. KA-BOOM!
Ironside’s Ego Demands [Sarcastic Gamer Thanks, Drew!]
I know, it’s the PR equivalent of water torture with Blizzard and Starcraft 2, what with their “one at a time” release of assets, but it’s been a few weeks since we indulged them. They’ve today released three new images for Starcraft 2: a single screen, and two pieces of artwork. One piece above, the other – and a very busy-looking screen – after the jump.
A lot of detail went into Metal Gear Solid 4. A lot. Why, just check out how much care went into rendering the face of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder suffering, Beauty and the Beast Corps member Laughing Octopus — plus the care given to her rear and crotch. No, wait! That’s after the jump as some might find the screenshots spoilerific. Others might find them NSFW. And others will applaud Kojima Productions’ attention to detail, S&M gear and helmet slime.
I’m probably going to go to a special level of Hell for reminding you guys of this, but, the Princess Bride PC/Mac game by casual developer Worldwide Biggies is now available for purchase. It’s $US 19.99, which works out to be $21.13.
Now, I’m not sure what’s scarier: the system requirements recommending a 2.8GHz processor (what is this, Assassin’s Creed?); or the developer’s name containing a word I automatically associate with jubblies.
To be honest, I haven’t played it, though that’s mainly because I don’t want to. If you’re brave enough to not only pay for it, but indulge in its, uh, uniqueness, please, let us know your thoughts before you shoot yourself.
Okay, I may be exaggerating. The site says the game includes voices from the original cast (including – somehow – Mandy Patinkin), so it can’t be all bad, right?
Princess Bride Game [Official site]
It does! I mean, look at this thing. It looks amazing. Absolutely amazing. Speed, bright colours, Sega music, speed, blue skies…oh man. And yet…it’s a Sega game. A Sega Sonic game. Made after 1992. Part of me wants to give myself over to the excitement, while the other part is afraid. Afraid they’ll find some way to balls this up.
People still play Diablo II? They must, considering Blizzard continues to pump out patches for its eight-year old title. Whenever I start to think about how impossible this scenario is, I remind myself that people still play Solitaire too. Hey, if a game’s addictive, it’s addictive.
Along with a reset of the competition ladder, the patch removes the game’s ancient copy protection. If this gives you any trouble, Blizzplanet has a fix that should sort you out.
Diablo II Patch Information [Blizzard]
Phew! Sure seems like Sega listens to fans. After the first Yakuza game was released with an English language dub, erasing the brilliant original Japanese one, people complained. Why not, you know, release the game with subtitles? It is called Yakuza and English dubbing, no matter how good, kills the mood! Well, that is, unless you’re one of those can’t-see-foreign-movies-with-subtitles people. For the PS2 sequel, Sega points out on the game’s official site:
Chatting at the Game Education Summit in Dallas, Warren Spector has spoken out over lengthy single-player games, questioning their place in today’s market.
One-hundred-hour games are on the way out. How many of you have finished GTA? Two percent, probably. If we’re spending $US 100 million on a game, we want you to see the last level!
Two things: firstly, he’s not advocating everyone go casual. Just…if you’re making a SP game, don’t make one that’s SUPER-long, OK? Secondly…he’s wrong. While the gaming market is currently expanding, it’s not changing. Difference being, people aren’t walking away from games like Oblivion to go play Wii Fit. Those guys are still out there, and they still want big, SP games. Be a shame if developers stopped making them.
Spector: ‘One Hundred Hour Games Are On The Way Out’ [Gamasutra]
Anyone still using their Wii Fit Balance Board? Matthieu and Simon, students at German Research Centre For Artificial Intelligence, are! They’ve got the board hooked up to a PC via Bluetooth and are using the Nintendo peripheral as a World of Warcraft movement controller. Nice to see some folks still using the Balance Boards innovating.
Oh, and the music used in this video is FRIGGIN’ AWESOME.
WoW Fit [Rock, Paper, Shotgun]
