How Bad User Interfaces Are Ruining Video Games And Other Wonderful Things 
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Sunday Comics: Dead Island 
Gearbox: The Wii U Will Get The Best-Looking Version Of Aliens: Colonial Marines 
Microsoft Responds To Reports Of Xbox Live Account 'Jacking' Oooh, Yahtzee is angry today. He doesn’t like Clive Barker’s Jericho very much, and even in the soft, white-gloved hands of his sensitive rhetoric, his Jericho dislike bleeds through into the review…just a bit. Actually, I found it (and all the other mediocre reviews) all quite refreshing, since I assumed that something must be wrong with me—switched at birth with a real video game writer possibly—to have had no interest in this game, ever.
Zero Punctuation [the escapist]
Playboy is paying a fourth annual tribute to the fine virtual ladies of video gaming by displaying them buck naked in their December issue hitting newsstands today. The ‘Playing Rough’ foxes include “Keaira” from Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, “Church & Black” from Jericho, “Morenn” from The Witcher, “Yoko Retomoto” from Kane & Lynch, “A’Kanna” from Conan and “Sarah Morrison” from Tabula Rasa. Ooh, for a moment I thought I saw Morris as in “Zack Morris,” and uhh….was totally grossed out.
If someone were to post naked pictures of me on the Internet, I’m not sure if the word “tribute” would be the first to come to mind. But if that someone were Playboy, and that Internet were Playboy magazine, maybe I would feel differently (don’t worry, I’m joking and would never do anything to hurt pornography). See the KSFW but probably NSFW promo pics after the jump (you pervs).
Clive Barker’s Jericho is now available in stores everywhere, with the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions running $US 59.99, with the PC version at $US 39.99… but don’t buy it. Seriously, if you were going to purchase the PC version of Jericho, go to GameTap instead. If you aren’t a member of the service you can sign up for the $US 0.99 trial and download the game right away. If you are a member of the service…well there you go. You’re just a download away. Honestly I don’t know why Codemasters even bothered releasing the PC version on retail shelves. Oh wait, I know why. It’s to sucker those of you reluctant to try GameTap into paying $US 40 for a game you can get for $US 1. Just trying to save PC gamers a bit of cash here. Seems downright unfair to console players, doesn’t it?
So many good games coming out this week I’m afraid my bank account is going to take quite a beating. Eye of Judgement, Ratchet & Clank, Jericho and Castlevania are all on my short list of games to get this week although one or two of them may have to wait until the cash magically replenishes itself.
The Eye of Judgment (PS3) Battle to the death with cards and a camera.
Painkiller: Overdose (PC) Once a mod, now a for real game.
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (PS3) Ratchet and Clank return with another outrageous weapons arsenal.
Clive Barker’s Jericho (PC, X360, PS3) Control a team of psychic soldiers against legions of the undead.
Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation (X360) Fighting planes are fun!
Mega Man ZX Advent (DS) Mega Man returns!
Conan (X360, PS3) The legendary barbarian graces the 360 with his twitching muscles.
Battlestar Galactica (X360, PC) Downloadable game based on the uber popular TV series.
Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties (PC) Age of Empires III spreads it’s reach to the Asian Dynasties.
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (PSP) All new revamped Castlevania action!
To: Ash From: Crecente Re: Ore vs. Boku FIGHT!!
Just like clockwork: I get back from a trip overseas and I get sick. I thought for sure it wouldn’t happen this time because I was fine On Monday and Tuesday. But come Wednesday, and a day off, and I woke up sick. Trish and I were going to bike to Denver and back (about 32 miles round trip), but instead I spent the day trying not to fall asleep and sort of moping around the house.
Oh, Tristan LOVED the stuffed Pokemon I brought back from Japan for him. You weren’t there when we hit up the Kiddyland in Tokyo, but they had this mammoth Pokemon display set up with a bunch of oversized stuffed Pokemon that I’ve never seen for sale in the U.S. I ended up buying him a big Diagala (I’ve only seen the small ones here) after consulting Mark. Not sure why I consulted Mark since he neither has children nor plays Pokemon, but Tristan hasn’t let go of his Diagala since I gave it to him.
Of course I lied and said it was my idea to get it for him. In fact, I went out of my way to say that Mark had suggested I buy him something awful like a can of Japanese Brussel Sprouts because… well because, that’s how I roll.
What you missed: Justify Your Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword SCi hemorrhaging cash, blames PS3 New PS3 Model? The Great Halo 3 Giveaway I played Phantom Hourglass Live Jericho isn’t as crap as Fahey had… hoped?
So I got a chance to play the demo for Clive Barker’s Jericho earlier on my Xbox 360, and I have to say it wasn’t nearly as bad as I expected it might be. It wasn’t anywhere near as scary as I had hoped, but it was still much better than Hexen. As an FPS it is pretty mediocre, with each character having two weapons to choose from on top of their various supernatural powers, and no jump button, which just made me sad. I just like jumping, okay? The graphics fall into the shiny school of next-gen, with everything glistening in the light of your weak flashlight. Enemies seemed pretty dumb, but they are reanimated corpses, so you can’t expect much there. My favourite part of the whole demo was when one character, the female ninja Church, had to crawl through a series of tunnels alone to open a door, though the sequence was marred by the game’s darkness; even with gamma up full I could barely see anything. While I’m not exactly impressed, I am certainly interested. I’ll probably pick up the game via GameTap for the PC once it hits next month.
I can’t remember a game in recently memory I’ve been conflicted about as much as Clive Barker’s Jericho. I want it to be amazing and terrifying, but from what I’ve seen so far it could wind up amusing and terrible. Well now’s the time to find out, as the demo for the game has gone up on Xbox Live, the PlayStation Network (in Europe on Oct. 4th), and also for the PC via Codemasters’ Website. The 360 demo runs around 885MB and has the Jericho team infiltrating the sewers and catacombs beneath an ancient fortress. Apparently you’ll have to take full advantage of your squad’s special talents in order to survive. I’ve got the demo downloading as we speak, so I will more than likely be back later today with impressions. This is it Jericho… it’s go time.
So Germany’s USK have refused Jericho classification, which effectively kills the game there since it can’t be advertised (at all) or sold to anyone under the age of 18. Think Codemasters mind? They couldn’t give a toss. A statement issued yesterday reads: Following a review by the USK ratings board, which declined to give an official rating, Codemasters has decided not to change the artistic vision of the renowned author and filmmaker Clive Barker though cuts and extensive changes.
Codemasters respects Mr Barker’s creative ideas, despite the German distribution and marketing consequences for the title. Therefore Codemasters will release the PC version of Clive Barker’s Jericho in its original form on the 26th of October for adult gamers and Clive Barker fans.
Good on them. Overseeing appropriate content is one thing, but the USK are mad as hatters, so it’s nice seeing a publisher telling them where they can cram it. Jericho Horrifies German Ratings Board [Next-Gen]
GamePolitics has the latest news on the fate of Clive Barker’s Jericho in Germany. It seems that there are gamers in Europe who, like us, have to put up with the RC rating.
With the fat RC stamp still wet on its classification application, Jericho won’t find its way onto the Xbox 360 or PS3. German players without a PC will have to forgo the FPS horror game, unless they’re willing to pick it up in another country.
My heart missed a beat when I read this news. Luckily for Australians, it’s an easy thing to check games (including those yet to be released) and their ratings over at the Office of Film and Classification (OFLC) website. Jericho‘s MA 15+ means that, as far as they’re concerned, it has a clean bill of health.
Jericho Denied Rating in Germany [GamePolitics]
Ah, Atari. The publisher the keeps on keeping on. Despite having a rough time of it over the last few years with the sale of Shiny back in 2006 and the resignation of CFO Bruno Bonnell in April this year, the company still maintains their place on the NASDAQ. Just.
After a bit of a delay, Atari has filed their 2006/2007 fiscal report. While the publisher’s losses have held steady at $US 69.7m ($81.6m), profits have slump by 40%, sitting at $US 122.3m ($143.2m).
I know I’ll be picking up a copy of Clive Barker’s Jericho when it comes out, as well as Alone in the Dark 5, even though it’s MIA at the moment. But I think Atari will need a little more than my hard-earned tokens to up those figures.
Atari files delayed annual report [GamesIndustry.biz]
