EA’s Boom Blox Bash Party is out and people are already making levels for download featuring famous stuff to wreck.
It’s not often one gets invited to a rival media outlet’s party. But that’s what happened on Thursday night when I found myself at the IGN AU Select Awards, rubbing shoulders with these three idiots gentlemen.
IGN is saying that earlier news that Dead Space: Extraction would support Wii’s MotionPlus technology “is merely misinterpretation,” according to an unnamed Electronic Arts representative.
Because, I dunno, herding animals around is fun or something, there’s an game coming soon via Capcom, called “Flock”, first noticed this week when the developer unveiled its E3 lineup. More or less, you’re manning an alien spaceship that’s making off with flocks, gaggles, coveys, clowders, murders, cackles, prides etc. of animals. Your means of encouragement? Why, a death ray of course. PETA should love the shit out of this game. IGN describes it in very Lemmings-friendly terms. If that’s your cup of tea, it’ll be out via Xbox Live Arcade, Playstation Network, and for PC download, soon.
IGN: Flock Preview[IGN]
Can’t say I’ve ever used the Inside Xbox section on the 360 myself, but hey, maybe you do. Then again, maybe you don’t, and nobody does, which is why Microsoft have announced that they’ve signed a deal with IGN to bring the site’s IGN Strategise segments to Xbox Live. Or, more specifically, that they’re bringing the site’s IGN Strategise segments to Xbox Live, and they’ll be hosted by Jessica Chobot. Neat way to get the IGN brand on Xbox Live without worrying about editorial concerns, that (Strategise being a video hints and tips section).
Variety’s Ben Fritz opined in his column The Cut Scene last week that the concept of an “exclusive” review, specifically the case of IGN’s Grand Theft Auto IV review, was something he found troublesome. His entry on the matter read that Fritz seemed less concerned with the 10 out of 10 score, but that IGN securing an exclusive review—as it often does with game announcements, media and interviews—was the thing ethically troubling. (We suggest you read Fritz’s original post, lest we misinterpret it in some sort of telephone game.)
The reviewer in question, Hilary Goldstein, editor-in-chief at IGN’s Xbox 360 channel, talked to GameDaily about the GTA IV review mini-hubbub, chalking up Fritz’s concerns to a possible grudge.
A clip recently posted to IGN titled “Ladies of Liberty City: Very Bad Things” featured a montage of some of Grand Theft Auto IV‘s more lewd and violent behaviour. A portion of that clip—perhaps the most objectionable portion—can still be seen at Gawker with the re-hosted full rip over at Boinkology. It can’t be seen at IGN anymore, as the Fox owned entertainment site tells MTV Multiplayer “In this case, we crossed a line in how we portrayed some aspects of the game and we’ve taken this video down.”
Misery loves company! It’s OK, Capcom. You weren’t the only ones to leave an IGN watermark on your own Okami art. Bradygames left one on the cover of their Okami Wii strategy guide, too! What’s even kookier is that the watermark appears in a different spot on the book’s cover than on the game’s cover, meaning it’s not just a case of re-using the same art from Capcom’s cover. Whoops. Wonder if they’ll offer replacement dust covers?