Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Soccer? Pretty Great

11:40PM Brian Ashcraft | To: Crecente From: Bashcraft So, yeah, everyday I’ve been playing soccer when the kid. When I was younger, I played soccer for a few years, but later, got more interested in baseball. The kid really likes soccer, and man, I’m quite enjoying it! Don’t remember liking soccer this much. It’s really a great game — love the passing, love it. What you missed last night Two New Tatsunoko vs. Capcom Characters Revealed! Sony Files Multi-Touch Portable Patent Microsoft: If We Launch A Game On 360 & PC Simultaneously, We Shoot Ourselves In The Foot Too Human: “This Has To Be The Worst Game I’ve Played In The Last 5 Years” Let’s Dress Up Chun-Li Rock Band 2’s Guitar Is Easy On The Eye” Too Human Hands-On: Six Hours In And Half-Way Home More »
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Activision Boss Wants Cheaper Consoles

11:20PM Brian Ashcraft | Activision honcho Bobby Kotick is worried. Very worried. Video game consoles are expensive! And to buy them, you need money. Lots. As Kotick points out: It used to be the case that we did well during slowdowns because if you couldn’t afford to go to the movies or to travel to a theme park, you stayed home and played a computer game. But now I think that the hardware manufacturers are going to have to think about reducing their prices because the cost of purchasing some of this stuff is prohibitive. I dunno, as a kid, I kinda always remember video game consoles being expensive. But hey, that’s because I was like a little kid and little kids have no money. But I’m an adult now, and it’s all relative, Bobby Kotick! Speaking of adults, Bobby also pointed out that the adult geared games are as important to the industry as R-rated movies. That’s echoing similar things Kotick stated earlier. This leas us to believe that yes he will probably say the same thing again. Guitar Hero firm Activision [Times Online via MCVUK] More »
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Two New Tatsunoko vs. Capcom Characters Revealed!

11:00PM Brian Ashcraft | The recent location test announcement for Capcom arcade game Tatsunoko vs. Capcom hinted at new fighters. Well, impatient people, today we bring you new Tatsunoko vs. Capcom fighters! Pictured is Street Fighter III main character Alex, complete with droopy overalls and everything. Joining wrestler Alex is genius mechanic Gan-chan from Tatsunoko Production anime Yatterman. Check out the screens below. 『タツノコVS. CAPCOM』に「ヤッターマン」が参戦だ、ヤッター！ [Dengeki] More »
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Sony Files Multi-Touch Portable Patent

10:40PM Brian Ashcraft | Before Phil Harrison left Sony to work for Atari, he cleaned out his desk. But before that, he was inventing stuff. What kind of stuff? Futuristic stuff. A new Sony patent has surfaced for a handheld gizmo that features a touchscreen and “pressure pads” running around its edges. According to the US Patent and Trademark Office, it’s a “handheld device with touchscreen and digital tactile pixels” that can also be used to control the touchscreen. There’s no specific mention of the PlayStation Portable, but the patent does mention potential uses in phones, gaming devices and portable media players. What’s more, it does sound suspiciously like what we heard last year about the rumoured PSP2… Hit the jump for images of the patent. More »
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Microsoft: If We Launch A Game On 360 & PC Simultaneously, We Shoot Ourselves In The Foot

10:20PM Luke Plunkett | While many publishers today see the PC as a handy way to make a quick buck on the side – see Capcom for reference – not everyone thinks releasing major titles on console and PC simultaneously is a good idea. Like, Microsoft Europe don’t. Indeed, Microsoft Europe’s Peter Zetterberg thinks it’s a terrible idea. Why? Because while many people have PCs, not so many people own 360s. Using the German market as an example, he says: If we launch a game that is on 360 and PC simultaneously, we basically shoot ourselves in the foot by allowing the German market to choose to play the PC version – because they are more likely to buy that than spend their money on the Xbox 360. Oh Peter. MGS Europe: Simultaneous releases would “shoot ourselves in the foot” [GI.biz] More »
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PS3 Trophies Will Make Unlocking Noises

10:00PM Brian Ashcraft | Xbox 360’s Achievements make a noise when unlocked. Not only that, a recognisable noise. But what about PlayStation Trophies? Will they make a noise? When the Sony 2.40 Firmware FAQ went live yesterday, it was sadly noted that the PS3 Trophies would not make an in-game sound effect when achieved. Wrong! Says Sony’s Jeff Rubenstein: Actually on my way home, I got an email from Eric [Lempel, director, PlayStation Network Operations] asking me to update this post; there *will* be a sound effect when a user unlocks a trophy. You’ll be hearing it soon enough. Hopefully a lot… But what will they sound like? Ah, the suspense! Firmware v2.40 FAQ [PlayStation.Blog via Videogamer] [Pic] More »
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First Look At FIFA 09, PS3 Gets Exclusive ‘Game Mode’

9:30PM Luke Plunkett | Being an EA Sports game, when we talk the latest version of FIFA, we’re not talking sweeping changes. We’re talking the slightest of tinkering. Especially when you consider they’re closing the gap on Pro Evo’s lead in the quality stakes, and as such obviously don’t want to go blowing that with any radical alterations. So when EA are talking up FIFA 09 with stuff like “Custom Team Tactics” (plus other “innovations” you could swear they already introduced between FIFA’s 98-08), it’s only of interest to the sharpest point of the FIFA fanbase. What is interesting, however, is an improved animation system (long FIFA’s chief problem), as well as talk of the PS3 version of the game scoring an exclusive “game mode” not found on the other iterations. Being PS3-only, could it be related to Home? The option of a quick kickaround in the park, jumpers for goalposts, perhaps? More »
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Too Human: ‘This Has To Be The Worst Game I’ve Played In The Last 5 Years’

9:00PM Luke Plunkett | Poor Denis Dyack. Too Human’s not even out yet, and already, the knives are out. None sharper than this one: over on the Eurogamer boards, one of the site’s mods – a chap who claims to be a journo – says his Too Human review NDA is “against [his] human rights”. He also says “this has to be the worst game I’ve played in the last 5 years”, citing everything from the game’s animation to its supposedly repetitive combat. This follows on from a few hands-on impressions hitting yesterday that range from the wary to the downbeat to the cautiously damning. None of which are the final word. But all of which will nevertheless be taken as final gospel/reviews by the impressionable and trollish (despite the potential that one is a complete fabrication), which should make a fascinating case study in the construction of internet preconceptions for some student, somewhere. “Interview with Silicon Knights about Too Human” [Eurogamer, via VG247] More »
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How Japan’s Numero Uno Xbox 360 Fanboy Spent June

8:30PM Brian Ashcraft | Look at your calendars! It’s July. Last month was very busy for Japan’s biggest Xbox 360 fanboy Jamzy. Jamzy occupied himself with video games, some lady’s bellybutton and dog cake. Jamzy’s list of game’s he played last month includes two PSP games (Tales of Rebirth, Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G), two DS games (Derby Stallion DS, Daigassou Band Brothers DX) and two Xbox 360 games (Mobile Suit Gundam Operation: Troy, Battlefield Bad Company). That’s right, Jamzy doesn’t play PS3 or Wii — he’s serious, haircutting business! In the picture above, Jamzy plays through Battlefield Bad Company at an EA event. After the jump, his dog has a birthday part, and Jamzy puts the animal in funny outfits. Ah, to be the underdog’s dog… More »
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‘Gears of War 2 More Emotionally Effecting Than BioShock’

8:00PM Brian Ashcraft | Gears of War has great gameplay. Beyond that, we really don’t remember much about it. (Oh well, we remember that The Cliffster made it back when he had another name.) But according to voice actor Carlos Ferro, who’s Dominic Santiago, the sequel packs an emotional wallop. Says Ferro: I said it. It’s going to be more emotionally effecting than Bioshock. A lot happens. Good games don’t have to do everything right, they just need to do at least one thing right (and really right). Everything else is gravy — emotional crying scenes, included! Gears 2: More Emotionally Affecting than Bioshock [Team Xbox via videogaming247] More »
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