Friday, August 15, 2008

Activision Boss Goes Toe-To-Toe With Record Label

11:20PM Luke Plunkett | So Warner bros. think they deserve a bigger cut of Guitar Hero profits, do they? Over Bobby Kotick’s dead body. The Activision boss has hit back at the music label’s claims, telling them to not only pull their head in, but to cover their arses at the same time: I think his view was … that [Warner Music] should be compensated the way they might for a performance on iTunes. But this is an entirely different business that is very technically complex. We’re going to favour those publishers that recognise and appreciate how much we can add value to their artists. Lump it or leave it? Them’s fighting words. Think Bobby’s worried? No way. Bobby don’t worry. Kotick slams Warner Music [MCV] [Pic] More »

LittleBigPlanet, So Electric, So Gassy

11:00PM Brian Ashcraft | Yes, we know that LittleBigPlanet will let players slight stuff on fire and BURN THINGS. But that’s just fire. What about other elements? Or the weather? According to Media Molecule’s Mark Healey: You can set fire to pretty much anything, you can also make things ‘electrified’, or turn them to gas, which is very cool… By water, I assume you mean ‘real water’ that acts like real water does! This isn’t in the initial release, but we have some cool ideas for how to integrate it into a possible future DLC — of course, it will have a slight LBP twist to it… There is fog that you can tweak, and you could pretty easily fake a thunderstorm with the right sound effect objects and some ‘emitted’ rain drops or something. Electrified? Gas? Possible water DLC? Tweakable fog?! Fake thunderstorms?! Woah. Exclusive Interview with LittleBigPlanet Co-Creator Mark Healey [LBP Forums] More »

Get Your Capcom-Branded…iPods?

10:20PM Luke Plunkett | Odd. But different! Capcom have teamed up with Etchstar, a – would you believe it – etching company, to offer an etching service for your shiny, metallic objects. Ever wanted a Sagat iPod? You got it. A set of Cammy dog tags? You got it. A Leon Kennedy boiler plate? You can…probably get it. No word on pricing for this stuff, but since it’s custom-made, you may as well brace yourself for “expensive”. You Got Cammy on my iPod [Capcom] More »

Make Your Xbox 360 BIGGER

10:00PM Brian Ashcraft | Lian-Li Industrial, an “executive upper-class aluminium PC chassis manufacturer”, has whipped a proper PC-like casing for the much slimmer Xbox 360 console. The maker claims it reduces heating and noise issues. There’s a 1500rpm rear fan to quietly draw heat from the Xbox 360’s innards. It’s also bigger: The Xbox 360 Arcade measures 295 x 100 x 80mm, compared to Lian-Li’s case 415 x 250 x 160mm. The best part? Lian-Li says some “DIY knowledge for the transfer of components”. Tired of RRoD taunts? Turn your Xbox 360 into a PC [Register Hardware via Xboxer] More »

LittleBigBlockOfFlats

9:30PM Luke Plunkett | There are many, many ways you could tart up a dreary, Communist-designed block of old flats in Eastern Germany. You could knock them down, for starters. Or, if that’s a little drastic, you could always give them a new coat of paint. Or you could overboard and cover the entire side of the building in a LittleBigPlanet motif ahead of the Leipzig Games Conference, which kicks off next week. Up to you. More »

Guitar Hero In Your Breakfast Yum

9:00PM Brian Ashcraft | Man, when I was a kid, there were some great prizes in breakfast cereal. Today? Not sure. But it seems like Kellogg’s Canada is offering a Guitar Hero toy. There are four different ones. The Guitar Hero prizes can be found in Mini-Wheats, Frosted Flakes, Fruit Loops, Corn Pops and Rice Krispies. I really love cereal. Wish Japan had a bigger selection. Guitar Hero Mini Game Promotion [Kelloggs Thanks, kylo4!] More »

How Pro Evo 2009 Differs From Pro Evo 2008

8:30PM Luke Plunkett | I was bitterly disappointed with Pro Evo 2008. Like Konami had dropped off a basket full of soccer-ball-shaped lemons, and I’d eaten every last one. And I wasn’t the only one; the game sold well enough, but there was a general feeling that Konami hadn’t taken advantage of the next generation of hardware like they could/should have. Heck, they even made some parts of the game worse, crippling the team edit suite. So they’ve got a lot to prove with the upcoming Pro Evo 2009! Let’s see if they’re doing enough, by taking a look at the new/improved features this year. More »

Xbox Live Gets Music Videos, Whether You Want Them Or Not

8:00PM Luke Plunkett | Microsoft today announced a deal with Warner Music that will see the label’s music videos made available for download over Xbox Live. There’s no mention of how much they’ll cost, or whether they’re in HD or not. Some of the first batch of artists featured will include Death Cab For Cutie, Flo Rida, Matchbox Twenty, Panic! At the Disco and T.I. Warner’s Larry Mattera says of the deal: With this agreement, we can take advantage of Microsoft’s music platform and provide gamers what they want: music videos from their favourite artists that can be downloaded quickly and easily. Man, when Larry says “what they want”, he’s not kidding. You can take your Bionic Commando and cram it, I’m off to grab a tub of ice cream and settle in with the girls for a Matchbox Twenty music video marathon! More »

Akuma Is Here To Whop Your Street Fighter IV Butt

7:30PM Brian Ashcraft | While we’ve known that the character was on the roster since earlier this year, Capcom has announced that from today Akuma has entered the Street Fighter IV arcade fray. The boss character is limited to popping up in the single player mode apparently when there’s a “strong” arcade player. Sounds like he’s here to kick arse and take coins. Hit the jump for another pic. More »