Monday, April 30, 2007

NCAA 08 Preview


1up played an early copy of NCAA 08. In years past, I have used the NCAA game as a barometer for Madden. NCAA usually comes out a couple month before Madden does.

It looks promising, I really hope they are both good.

Hands on APF 2k8 Preview

over at 2ksports forums, a guy posted an early preview of APF 2k8. Take it with a grain of salt. I haven't heard if it is true or not.

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My thoughts after 45 minutes with it

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Sorry mods if this is inappropiate after having my other thread closed. If so, and I COMPLETELY undertsand, then close this one up as well and I won't bring it up again.

After posting this late last night I freaked. I mean, I really panicked. I signed an NDA and while I *probably* won't get busted I am still, for obvious reasons, a little worried about this. With that said, I'll leave this here and keep my fingers crossed. One thing I will add before pasting my original thoughts on this AMAZING game is that I am a diehard football video game junkie. It is what got me into gaming way back when Madden was first released on the Sega Genesis so when I say that this game is absolutely the greatest football game ever, I absolutely mean it! Of course, this is just my opinion but I truly believe that once this game is in everyones hands that, while there will be some folks that don't like the player models, the way the announcers talk or what have you, it will most definitely change the way football is done on consoles/PC's from here on.

Anyways, heres what I posted last night.


Sorry it took so long to get back here folks. I had a monster day and then went out to dinner, etc so sorry to keep everyone waiting.

Okay, first off, it is late and I'm beat. Second, I have an all day long photo shoot tomorrow and need to get to sleep. Having said that i'll get this party started and continue as time permits. Bare with me on this guys. It is busy time for me this time of year and the days ahead are booked solid but i'll give you all the answers I can over the next few days or so.

I only got to play the game for about 45 minutes. Thats because they had several people there and wanted to give some of the employees a chance to play. I imagine you'll start seeing other "reviews" or "previews" pop up. However, we were reminded on more than one occasion that we all signed NDAs and were expected to honor this.

60 FPS. Animations that DESTROY ANYTHING YOU HAVE SEEN IN A SPORTS GAME EVER! Incredible weather effects. A presentation that makes Madden's look like a complete joke (we already knew that 2K5 did this but just WAIT until you see what they have done with APF) Reports from the sidelines, great play by play and color (same guys from the previous games). The presentation makes you feel like you are actually watching a real game of football. 2K5 did this great but APF makes you go ****!

In the 45 minutes I played this game I did not ONE TIME notice ANY repeat animations. Sure, the QB dropping back and maybe the WR catching some times were repeated but everything else was truly remarkable to witness. Over and over again I was floored at what I was seeing. players getting pushed, tripped, slapped, falling over other players with killer collision detection. I did notice some flaws but believe me, it will not take ANYTHING away from the otherwise incredible experience.

When I played PGR on the 360 for the first time I was blown away and thought "This is next gen". Well, PGR now reminds me of PGR one the original xbox now. It seems like LAST gen LOL! APF's graphics, while fantastic (and MUCH better looking than what we saw in GI) it is the animations and tackling, running, the fumbles, gang tackles, refs getting in the way (yeah, this game had REFS ON THE FIELD! SHOCKING HUH) the players emotions (although they do look kinda funky at times) that REALLY are going to freak you out. Did I mention that all of this has dynamic lighting and runs at 60 fps?

It is all here. A TRUE football experience that will FORCE EA to get serious about Madden. Seriously, EA's Madden will get a MAJOR overhaul after they see what 2K has done. I did not, for even a SECOND, think about this game not having official NFL teams, players, stadiums. I immediately got lost in the game play. As corny as that sounds, it was true. It was Madden's first video game that got me into gaming in the first place so it is football that I look forward to every year (except these last few years because of the obvious) and APF has brought back this magic in a way that has to be seen to be believed. All without the NFL license. Imagine that .

The demo only had 2 teams to play ( RHinos and I swear I cannot remember the other team...I was too busy having my mind blown I guess) and only one stadium ( with a GIANT rhino that moved around when you scored) but you could change the time of day and weather. The rain and snow effects were unbelievable. Completely convincing and had a tremendous effect on game play. I had a running back go down with an injury and I watched the replay no less than 10 times. It looked THAT COOL! I mean, you could SEE him get hurt and how it happened. Plays that looked so real me and this guy I was playing were actually getting giddy. I was smiling like a 10 year kid and i'm in my 40's.

I know all of this sounds too good to be true but I don't give a **** at this point. I know that this game will come out and every single video gamer who truly loves the game of football will rejoice in what 2K sports have delivered.

It is 1:00am and thats all for now. Sorry guys but in 7 hours I have to get up and at them : )

Again, I know (and having gone back and read thru this) can understand it seeming a little over the top. And even may come off as a little over zealous (duh) LOL! and i'll be completely honest and admit that I may be *slightly* going overboard (easy to do once you've just played what is,IMO, and soon to be EVERYONES opinion, the GREATEST game of football ever to grace a console! But I can't help it fellas. I am truly STOKED!!!!!!

It is that good. just wait.

I actually feel sorry for EA. This will make the jerks at the NFL who were responsible for the whole "exclusive" BS take notice that they picked the WRONG COMPANY to do their game justice! Oh man. i almost wish I didnt play it. I have no idea how I can wait for this game now. kind of like Cartman when he was waiting for the Wii to be released I guess.

One last thing. I cannot be here everyday and answer a billion questions and don't get to freaked about it. I have way too many responsibilities so be cool. I'll do as much as I can.

Agent 0 comments on the Cover

The NBA gives its players a place to talk to the average fan. They give the player his own blog. Gilbert Arenas, we found out today, is on the cover of NBA Live 08. You can read his excited blog post here here.

Vick’s Skills were Pumped up in Madden, I want 99s
That’s what I’m hoping now. You know the best part about it? They’re giving me full control of the design, the commercials and like they’re letting me do my own media about it. They’re letting me do my own press conference. Most of the time they’d be like, “Dwyane Wade is on the cover of 2006 or 2007…” But this year they’re letting me do my own. I get to say I’m on the cuh-vahhh.


Oh crap, not another devon hester!

Alien Syndrome Wii Control Trailer

I love seeing how the Wii Controls work in trailers. It sold me on Godfather and Spiderman.

NCAA football 08 Trailer

Modding Student Arrested

Fort Bend Now in Richmond, TX reports the arrest of a student for making computer game maps of his school. The game he made the map for was most likely Counter Strike.

The map the boy designed mimicked Clements High School. And, sources said, it was uploaded either to the boy’s home computer or to a computer server where he and his friends could access and play on it. Two parents apparently learned from their children about the existence of the game, and complained to FBISD administrators, who investigated.
Making maps of familiar places is commonplace in gaming. In middle school, some friends and I based an entire campaign around the Middle School. Teachers were present as "Boss Monsters" you had to kill, along with the normal monster fare you would find in a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. Oh and Bill the Cat. Our DM had a thing for Bill the Cat.

We grew up to be upstanding citizens of the community.

The police searched his house, and did they find and guns or bombs??????????

“They arrested him,” Chen said of FBISD police, “and also went to the house to search.” The Lin family consented to the search, and a hammer was found in the boy’s room, which he used to fix his bed, because it wasn’t in good shape, Chen said. He indicated police seized the hammer as a potential weapon.

“They decided he was a terroristic threat,” said one source close to the district’s investigation.

Oh a hammer. A dangerous hammer.

The word terrorist is thrown around all too liberally the last 5 to 6 years, and it has to stop. I wont get into it here, maybe on the Poop Laden Blog some day.

Sources said that although no charges were filed against the boy, he was removed from Clements, sent to the district’s alternate education school and won’t be allowed to participate in graduation ceremonies with classmates.
I don't understand why the boy is being punished. No charges were filed, and all they found was a hammer to fix his bed. Oh ya. He's Chinese.

Madden Producer's Blog

Whenever I find I blog I want to keep tabs on, I hit the subscribe button in FireFox. Guess what? His blog doesn't have an RSS feed. COME ON. RSS feeds are essential in updating your product. Get with the program. Anyway, on with the story.

A few days ago, EA sports' Madden producer, Ian Cummings describes what drives him crazy about Madden. Oddly enough, the pet peeves all directly correlate to the features Madden 08 employs.

Missing Features

What happened to defensive hot routes? The strip ball button? Man lock? Defensive assignments? I actually took part in designing all those features, and not having them in next gen totally sucks. We all know Madden 06 was not what we wanted it to be. In the face of ridiculous adversity, we did ship the game, which many other teams weren’t able to do. But to not have these features in 07, what is the deal with that?

Gang Tackling

This is next gen. NEXT GENERATION. How are players still clipping through each other? Why do all the defenders fall down like bowling pins when a tackle starts? Why do we not have swarming defenders piling on to tackles and cleaning up?

Fatigue. Ugh.

It’s bad enough that the Madden 07 shipped without fatigue and that it had to be patched. But even with the patch, fatigue is barely even a part of this game! I can’t think of too many things that are more important to a simulation of football outside of stamina and fatigue. It changes the way teams play on so many levels! What good is having a big bruising back without fatigue? What good is it to run a no huddle offense without fatigue? What about a ridiculously hot game in Miami or the thin air in Denver? Those are real life obstacles NFL players have to deal with…why aren’t they in the game? Also, why doesn’t fatigue update dynamically during a play? Vick can run sideline to sideline at full sprint for 10 minutes until someone gets open in Madden right now. That’s obviously less than ideal. And what about fatigued animations? I’d love to see players breathing heavy at the line, or taking longer to get up, or even struggling to run for those last few yards on a big kick return.

Pre-Play Cut Scenes

Why don’t the players run to the line realistically from the huddle in the gameplay camera? I loathe cut scenes most of the time, mainly because I’m totally out of user control. I can’t set up my offense or defense, and after I’ve seen those cut scenes once or twice I’ve had enough.

Later in his blog, He made excuses for the shortcomings of Madden 07. Excuses are like buttholes, everyone has one and they are full of shit.

Only one thing can make the alienated Madden Fan a believer again, and that is a solid product.

You can follow this link to read the excuses.



Jumping puzzles in 3D games

I have never been a fan of jumping puzzles. They are the most annoying game mechanic ever. You know, the puzzles you spend an hour trying to get to the top of, then make one miniscule mistake and you go tumbling to your death and or lose an hour more of your life getting back up to the spot from which you fell.

Popular and annoying in the 8 and 16 bit eras of gaming where Sonic and Mario ruled, the annoyances have returned in 3D fps games such as Crackdown.

Today Newbcakes and I ran through the last few bosses of Crackdown in Sai-Gen and Volk. The kingpin bosses of the two islands were on top of towers, reachable only by platforms. The player must jump from platform to platform and time their next jumps so they dont fall into the lake, and we were getting pissed off. Time after time, ending up in the lake, it was balls.

So many possibilities for screwing up exist in 3D. Angle, velocity, rockets knocking you off, a Z axis and not being able to see the ground add more layers of complexity. On top of that, if you hit a pixel of geometry anywhere, you lose all momentum and fall to the ocean; wasting the time you should be out shooting bad guys.

There is no point to this, game developers! Ladders are a much more efficient use of players time. Anyways, it isn't fun.

Three XBL Arcade games this week

Centipede
Millipede
Catan

I really don't care about the 'pedes, but I am intrigued by Catan.

Legendary board game "Catan" arrives on Xbox LIVE Arcade

Brush up on your plans for expansion and hone your trading strategies because "Catan" is coming to Xbox LIVE Arcade for Xbox 360 this Wednesday, May 2 at 0900 GMT (2:00 a.m. Pacific).

"Catan" from Big Huge Games is the Xbox LIVE Arcade edition of the legendary multiplayer board game Settlers of Catan. With over 10 million units sold, Settlers of Catan is one of the most popular board games to hail from Europe, and has been translated into twenty-five languages from the original German.

"Catan" for Xbox LIVE Arcade puts players in the role of colonists on a newly discovered island, where they vie for control of valuable territory and resources through strategy and trading. The game can be learned in just minutes, but will challenge players of all skill levels, even the experts!

Klaus Teuber, creator of the original Settlers of Catan board game, had this to say about the collaboration with Big Huge Games: "I had no doubts that Brian Reynolds would do a great job, and the first version of the game exceeded my highest expectations. The AI is so clever that I even lost several games in a row! Hands down, this game for the Xbox LIVE Arcade is an amazing achievement."

Newbcakes, Ruud, Dave17 what do you think? A replacement for Worms?

Burnout Paradise

Kotaku posted a trailer that looks really really sweet. A press release accompanied the screenshots and trailer.


For anyone that has played Crackdown with me or has watched my driving in Godfather and other driving games, they know how much I love to crash. I hope I get points for running over pedestrians.




Hibachi!!!


Team Xbox reports Agent 0, Gilbert Arenas, to be the cover athlete for NBA live 08. This is great news for heze, my sparring partner in NBA 2k7.


“This is a dream come true,” said Arenas. “I’m a huge gamer and have been playing NBA LIVE since 1995. I never imagined that I would see my face on the cover of an EA SPORTS videogame.”


I wonder if heze is going to switch to Live next year, since his favorite player in the whole wide world is on the cover. Kevin Garnett could end up as his teammate next year. He wishes.

Sunday, April 29, 2007

Umbrella Chronicles: Wii developer interview

The guys over at Codename Revolution posted this interview this afternoon.



Executive summary: Wii users are noob.

A few quotes

"The Wii user likes easiness"
"We had to compromise to lower difficulty level"
"UC's original play system was similar to RE4"

I really hope they are still developing the RE4 like UC. Also known as Resident Evil 5, For the Wii.

Visceral

Obviously, the Wii remote is very intuitive when playing tennis, bowling, or even boxing. But there's a visceral element to the Wii, as well. There's something much more dark and satisfying about shaking the remote and nunchuck to finish off a strangulation execution. It's part the mimicry of the action and part the flourish you're allowed -- the expression of the move.

It's like watching a pro play DDR -- it's not just about tapping the directions with your feet, it's about making a whole dance out of it.

So, yeah, the Wii doesn't specialize in Mature games (and it doesn't have to). The graphics aren't as rich and detailed as the PS3 and the 360 but the environment feels so much deeper simply because of the control scheme.

I'm guessing Nintendo knew that.

Brain Waves: The new Wiimote

The Houston Chronicle posted a thought provoking article regarding the future of controllers. A prototype of a light saber and Darth Vader's mask has been developed.

Behind the mask is a sensor that touches the user's forehead and reads the brain's electrical signals, then sends them to a wireless receiver inside the saber, which lights up when the user is concentrating. The player maintains focus by channeling thoughts on any fixed mental image, or thinking specifically about keeping the light sword on. When the mind wanders, the wand goes dark.


How will this technology be used in the future?

Adding biofeedback to "Tiger Woods PGA Tour," for instance, could mean that only those players who muster Zen-like concentration could nail a put. In the popular action game "Grand Theft Auto," players who become nervous or frightened would have worse aim than those who remain relaxed and focused.


I am no so sure this will be fun for some people. I know Hammer has a hard time concentrating when we play Madden or Excite truck, cause I get into his head, however Some gamers are always looking for the next challenge to conquer.

EEG monitoring is a great way to make a game more challenging without a cheap ass cheating computer player, we have all been cheesed by a few.

Sony seeks money printer.

Tired of watching the Nintendo DS print money for the past two years, Sony has partnered with Hasbro to form super voltron money printer.

Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS) announced today that it is working with Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. on the trading card component of the highly innovative THE EYE OF JUDGMENT™ game for the PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system. The global relationship, which covers Japan, Europe, the U.S. and Asian markets, taps Hasbro’s core expertise in trading card games through its Wizards of the Coast subsidiary. Wizards of the Coast holds a patent on trading card games and the methods by which they are played and also produces MAGIC: THE GATHERING®, the world’s premier trading card game. Under the agreement, Hasbro will create, manufacture and distribute the trading cards associated with THE EYE OF JUDGMENT video game.

THE EYE OF JUDGMENT presents a new style of gameplay where the player brings creatures of trading cards to life for battle in 3D. Through use of a 3 x 3 board and trading cards, each encrypted with CyberCode, players conquer the field by selecting a card and placing the coded card in front of the PLAYSTATION®Eye for their respective creatures to come to life and battle. Each creature has various skills which will determine the outcome of the battle. Players take turns placing cards as they jostle for control of the board; the winner is the first player to conquer five of the nine fields.

“We are very excited to enter into a collaboration with Sony Computer Entertainment on trading cards for THE EYE OF JUDGMENT which will deliver a ground-breaking entertainment experience that uniquely blends the global popularity of traditional trading card games with next-generation video games,” said Phil Jackson, Group Executive of Hasbro Games. “Together we’re creating a virtual world that brings fantastic trading card-based creatures to life for unprecedented interactive battles that will appeal to millions of fans around the world. It is innovation at its best.”

“THE EYE OF JUDGMENT represents a totally new genre in gaming,” said Phil Harrison, Corporate Executive, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. and President, SCE Worldwide Studios. “Combining Hasbro’s clear market leadership in trading card games with the immense power of PLAYSTATION®3 and PLAYSTATION®Eye, is a powerful formula that will result in a revolutionary video game experience that will amaze and engage gamers around the world.”

THE EYE OF JUDGMENT is slated for release in fall 2007. The game has already received early accolades from media around the world as well as a prestigious Japan Game Award in the “Futures” division held at last year’s Tokyo Game Show.


Magic the Gathering + the PS3 Eyetoy + the PS3 hardware = $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Video: Downloadable Games

Downloadable games are a thing I would like the gaming industry to push. It saves resources, cuts away the middle man and saves me a trip to the store, Saving all of us money. XBL arcade is a start, but the gaming industry must think bigger.

E3 2007 Rival Emerges

Shacknews reports a rival to E3 2007, this summer, in Santa Monica. The rival conference's preliminary name is E.I.E.I.O. - Expo for Interactive Entertainment: Independent and Original - Fun Fest 2007. Here is the full news item.

E.I.E.I.O. is in response to a pared down E3. Last year, E3 was the biggest gaming event of the year pulling gamers from all over the world and 400+ companies. This year, however, the conference is invite only consisting of 33 companies. Big press and Big game developers are solely invited.

At E3 2006, we learned the PS3 is overpriced, the Wii is super ownage, Gears of War is the bestest thing ever and Spore is the ultimate god complex game. Will the average gamer discover the same amount of information as E307? Probably not. The bigger the entity, the further away from the average gamer.

Quote from Gamecock:
Gamecock is all about promoting the artists and bringing original games into this bloated and originality-starved industry. Gamecock is talking about plans for an E.I.E.I.O. - Expo for Interactive Entertainment: Independent and Original - Fun Fest 2007 - to be held on the same days as E3. What do you think? It would be great to have an event that supports the "uninvited" - the industry's best and most talented studios.

Hopefully Gamecock follows through with this idea.

What's being played on Xbox Live

From Major Nelson's Blog.


Xbox 360 Top Live Titles (UU’s)
1 Gears of War
2 Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas
3 Command and Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars Demo
4 Guitar Hero II
5 Call Of Duty 3
6 3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures
7 GRAW 2
8 Oblivion
9 Crackdown
10 Pro Evolution Soccer 6


Let's take a look at #9 and #10.

Crackdown: I have been playing this for the last week. I now know why it is so popular. Online Co op. Hopefully developers will see this and include online co op to all of their games. I am looking at you Bethesda.

Pro Evo 6: This is the Pal? version of the great soccer game by Konami. This game is as unpopular in the US as it is popular in Europe.

The Wii online community is gr8!


Wiigg found a new social bookmarking site for the wii. You can read the post here.


The Wii's Internet channel opens the door for an entirely new kind of website, from social networking to streaming media. Instead of finding these sites on your computer, writing down the address, and then going to it on the wii, simply use www.wiifaves.com to manage all your wii-friendly bookmarks. Simply add it while you're on your computer, then check it out next time you're on the Internet channel. If you're looking for something new, search through other users' bookmarks to find quality and relevant wii-friendly web content.



Thats cool, now I want to play Games online.

Forza 2 demo the week of 5/1


According to Sliced Gaming, the Forza 2 demo will hit XBL marketplace sometime next week. Sweet. I hope my Mad Katz steering wheel gets here by then. You can read the full rumor here.


According to French websites www.xbox360france.com and www.xbox-attitude.com, Microsoft have confirmed that Forza Motorsport 2 will be complete and ready to go gold mid next week, and the demo will hit the Xbox Live marketplace at the same time.
I know one of the cars available in Forza will be a Buick Regal. I am partial to the Regal, since it was the first car I had ever owned.

Saturday, April 28, 2007

Madden 08 Gamespot Preview


During the NFL draft, Gamespot sneakily posted a preview of Madden 08. EA also released a few screenshots.

What did the Madden team at Tiberion add? Pretty much nothing so far. This version of madden looks like a patch release of Madden 07. This will probably be the game Madden 07 should have been.


It starts with overhauled animations, specifically tons of new branching animations. How many times in previous Madden games did you throw to a tight end or wideout near the sidelines, only to have the animation take the guy out of bounds when he clearly could have gained a few more yards by staying in bounds? According to producers, that will be a thing of the past, thanks to branching animation that was borrowed from another EA property: NBA Street Homecourt. No, you won't be watching Reggie Wayne execute triple back-flips into the end-zone, but on those crossing routes where he's heading to the sidelines, you'll likely see him plant his feet once he's hauled in the ball, and angle up-field to gain those crucial extra yards.


Should have been in years ago.

And speaking of tackling, gang-tackles, long missing from the series, debuted in the PlayStation 3 version of Madden NFL 07 and will now spread to include every version of Madden 08. As producers demonstrated in a video, tacklers can be added onto a pile at any point when trying to bring down a ball-carrier; equally important, tackles can be shed dynamically thanks to the aforementioned branching animation technology. One particularly cool video example of this showed Tomlinson, wrapped up by a defender, make a spin move, only to have an incoming defender run into the defender that first wrapped up LT, knocking him off the running back and letting Tomlinson gain a few more yards in the process.


Same.


Player fatigue has been a sore point in the past few Madden entries and the team has taken that into consideration with Madden 08, blowing out the feature this time around. As producers put it, every action on the field will count against a player's fatigue rating. You spend time scrambling around in the background with Michael Vick, and sooner or later he's going to wear out. In addition, temperature and location will make a difference to your player's performance--think of the thin frigid air at Mile High in December, or the sweltering late-summer heat in Miami. Just as in real life, those kinds of conditions will have an effect on how your team plays. This improved focus on fatigue should definitely affect how you play the game--do you go run-and-gun in order to tire out your opponent's defensive backs, or grind it out with your running backs in order to punish your foe's defensive line? Furthermore, you'll want to stay aware of your player's fatigue ratings as the game progresses? Calling a no huddle after you just sent your wideouts on streaks downfield? Bad idea. In fact, taking your time snapping the ball will actually benefit your team, as they get a chance to catch their breath before the next play.
Yes, Bug fixes. I recommend reading the entire article. Let me know if you come to the same conclusion. Madden 07 1.1

Good Game News: Moms


Over at Health News Digest, they suggest moms use casual computer games to unwind. You can read the article here. This paragraph caught my attention:


Web sites such as RealArcade.com, Lifetimetv.com and GameHouse.com provide hundreds of casual computer games that busy moms can try for free. Louden recommends a quick game of Super Collapse! 3, Aloha Solitaire or one of the many versions of Sudoku to help moms achieve relaxation, mental stimulation and a sense of completion.


lifetimetv.com????? Isn't that the channel in which every movie ends in the killing of an abusive husband. Oh man, don't let Jack Thompson see that.

The 5 Commandments of Wii


Zane Jamal across the Atlantic shows us what the Wii had to teach us. #5 is my favorite. You can read the entire list here.



5. Exploit fat people as your agenda.


I loled like I never loled before.

Manhunt 2 preview at gamespot


Gamespot has a 2 page long preview you can see here

The PS2 game will support a USB headset and microphone, allowing you to make noises to distract enemies and help you line up for a kill.



Wow sweet, The wife thought I looked strange driving in Call of Duty 3 on the Wii. Just wait til she hears me make bird calls and fart noises on the headset. Oh wait I do that already when I play Gears of War with the guys.

Manhunt looks like Splinter Cell with more blood. Am I right on this. Discuss in comments.

Mutant League Football gets some press from Joystiq



Joystiq, every week, has a poll of the webcomic of the week. In this installment, the featured picture was pulled from mutant league football.

Closed circuit to nintendo. Please make this a VC game.

Call of Duty 4 trailer

COD3 was a dissapointment let's hope 4 is better. WWII shooters are overdone, modern middle eastern wars are not, yet.

Halo 3 public beta info




The folks over at Team Xbox have some juicy info for all of you looking forward to Halo3. There is a diagram of the button mapping, and a few details on split screen.

You’ll also be pleased to hear that split-screen will be an option, although limited to two people in the Public Beta. We’ve also done something cool with the splitscreen display for HD monitors – instead of stretching the horizontal or vertical axes into big, scary too wide or too tall horrors, we’ve sensibly windowed the action, maintaining lots of screen real estate, but preserving a proper, playable aspect ratio.


I love when Bungie innovates. This is also good for ian0375 he loves to play split screen online Gears Of War after school with one of his buddies.

This is also a good feature. You can same game videos. Great for catching that butthump or teabag on film.

This feature we’re testing is for the moment, just a fun addition, that’s planned to grow into something pretty amazing by launch, and that feature is Saved Films. The version you’ll try in the Beta, is very, very, very limited. We just want you to play around with the general concept. You’ll be reading more about this in the gaming press in the next month or two, and of course you can try it out for yourselves in less than a month.


Liongames Has a deal with Halo 3. 39.99. Tony from Lion Games is a frequent poster on cheapassgamer and passes on his savings to us, the gamers.

Forza 2 Demo "Real Soon Now"



1up reported there will be a Forza demo RSN.

Just don't ask when. "...it is coming soon but we haven't been told a date and Turn 10 doesn't set the dates. In other words, I don't know when the demo is coming so please stop asking :)," said community manager Che Chou. "I know you guys absolutely can't wait to get your hands on the demo but there's a marketing timeline, and even though it may not make a lot of sense now, trust me, there's a rhyme and reason at work here."


Another reason why I hate marketing.

Wiis Will be at Target/Gamestop 4/29


The Comsumerist reports there will be Wiis this sunday.
At least 60 Wiis will be arriving and selling at Target stores this Sunday, according to an inside source.


This brings up an interesting point. Was the Wii shortage artificial? I am not a big conspiracy guy, but I think it was. The shortage benefits:

  • The Store (Target/EB/etc): increased foot traffic and increased drive by buying.
  • Nintendo: So, so, SO much hype for the machine, the games, the accessories. Word of mouth, exponentially better than TV, radio or email spam ads.
  • Mainstream Media: They have some video game story they can latch on to that doesnt have to do with guns, boobs or drugs.
Also, about this time last year, the Xbox 360 widely became available. I see a pattern.

Left 4 Dead gameply trailer and other bits


Some new info about this game from a preview Games Radar.

As of right now, 8 people can play on a server/game together. 4 people as survivors and 4 people as the zombie bosses.


To make a total player count of eight, four other players have spawned as four special zombies who live happily among the ravenous hordes. The Boomer, a fat flesh-balloon filled with explosive gases and zombie-attracting vomit. The Hunter, a quick and agile zombie who jumps out of dark corners. The Smoker, with his 50-foot prehensile tongue. And The Hulk, who is not unlike his greener namesake. As the survivors make their way through the level, it's these infected players who must stop them with their particular zombie powers. Helpfully, they've got infinite lives, so they won't be worried about being a tad gung-ho.


I really hope they increase the number of players per server on Xbox live. 8 players is good, but 12-16 would be outstanding.

Whether they're trapped under a Hunter, lying wounded on the floor or just perilously clinging to a ledge after being punched out of a window by a Hulk, saving a teammate is an awesome feeling, and it creates countless unscripted moments of fear (and subsequent relief). Small touches like the ability to lock doors as well as shoot holes in them add some spice to the proceedings, while the so-called AI Director works silently in the background to orchestrate the flow of zombie hordes.


This is why this game will be popular. For all of the experiences your friends can share and laugh about. Up to about a year ago, this only happened on MMORPGS. Games like Crackdown and Gears of War Co-op have the same sort of feeling, Especially Crackdown.




Shadowrun end of beta event and faq

Apr 30 is the official end of beta for Shadowrun. A lot of the developers will be on IRC during the day monday.



With the beta coming to an end, we'd like to invite all fans of Shadowrun to join us in one last get together before the beta wraps up.

Join us on IRC chat channel #Shadowrun.FASA on the Gamesurge server from 1-7 PM PDT on Monday, April 30th. We'll be giving away prizes, answering questions about the game, and chatting with everyone while we play Shadowrun.

Never used IRC before?

For an easy to use Java-based IRC client, go here.
After choosing a nickname and connecting, type: /join #Shadowrun.FASA

See you on Monday!


Also posted was the end of beta faq it includes demo info.

Q: When will the demo come out?
A: We can't announce a date yet. We should be able to tell you what the release date will be soon.

Q: What will the demo be like? Just like the beta?
A: Can't discuss it at the moment, but please stay tuned.

Q: Will the demo be playable outside of the US?
A: Yes! US, Canada, Latin America, much of Europe, and even some parts of Asia. And it will be localized. We think Shadowrun sounds really cool in Chinese, especially.

Q: So what did you learn from the beta? Did it make the game better?
A: We got a ton of great information about networking, game balance, economy, bugs, and teamwork / community out of the beta. We're telling everyone in Xboxland that closed public betas are the way to go to make better multiplayer games. It certainly made ours a lot better. And in the process, we got to know a lot of great people. And they kicked our butts at our own game. Hm.


My only concern with the beta is with cheesing. In the beta videos I didn't see anyone cheesing. (#7 Definition). This will make or break the game. If the game is fun to play and the glitches are nonexistent, the game will flourish. If the game is glitch riddled or has 1 or 2 overpowered combos or overpowered shotgun in gears of war.

This game also needs to rev up the hype machine. Not many people that play games casually know about shadowrun. FASA needs to hire someone like cliffy b to hype it up. He did a great job hyping up Gears Of War.

I am really looking forward to this game. It looks to me like Counterstrike meets Halo. Peanut butter and Chocolate all over again.

Friday, April 27, 2007

C&C 3 on Xbox 360: multiplayer impressions


Team Xbox got their hands on a some multiplayer C&C 3. You can read the preview here. One interesting mechanic/feature of this game is described.

One of the coolest elements of the game is the fact that you can use the Xbox Live Vision Camera to see and be seen by your opponents. When playing, you’ll be able to see the other players in the corners of the screen throughout the action, giving you plenty of opportunities to flip them the bird or moon them. Wait, did I say that? I meant “wave to them or tell them how well they are playing.” Granted, this isn’t one of those features that is essential, but definitely adds to the fun.


More games need to use the vision camera. I want to moon people that cheese me in Madden, flip off people that glitch in Gears Of War and stick my tounge out at people who play as Brazil in Winning 11.






Wii News: April edition from Nintendo

You can see the Wii News from Nintendo.com that was in my inbox tonight. Really not much to see, an ad for the brower, super paper mario. Pretty low key.

Madden 08 first screenshots tomorrow



I just got this in my email, looks like we will see what EA has up thier sleeves.

click here for the email

Xbox 360 New Platinum Hits

I am a regular lurker at http://www.cheapassgamer.com/ and I really hate paying full price for games. I will post here universal price drops/good deals/rebates so you can take advantage of them also.

Saints row 29.99
lego star wars II 29.99

New FFXII Ifrit boss battle video

I like the final fantasy games, but I can only play them on my handhelds. They are great for killing about 20 minutes to an hour of time, at a time. looking forward to this one.


New Spiderman 3 TVG trailer

I am looking forward to this on the wii. Sandbox gameplay as a superhero is how it was meant to be.

What I'm Playing Tonight

  • Crackdown 360: I need to finish this or just level my character enough to play with stompy and newbcakes
  • SSX blur Wii: Fun to pick up and play
  • Godfather Wii: need to finish it
  • Winning 11 Soccer 360
  • Nhl 2k7: need to figure out feints

Good Game News



Every time I turn on the TV video games are getting a bad rap. Finally something good out of the news.


SHELBY, N.C. Early every morning, you can find nine-year-old Davien Hayden playing video games.
This week, his daily habit may have helped save his family's life.

Davien says he got out of bed Tuesday morning and heard falling glass. He says he smelled smoke, then yelled for everyone to get out of the house.

That's not even the best part

All seven family members got out alive. They're describing Davien as a hero, but he says he'd like to stay out of the spotlight, saying, "Too much fame, dude."
He just wants to be left alone, playing his video games. My hero.

I wish they would have said what he was playing. It was probably GTA3:Vice city.

Money and games

Over at Slashdot Games they have an item on how much Microsoft's games division is losing. The original is on Gamasutra:


Microsoft has released its third quarter results, showing the company's Xbox-encompassing Entertainment and Devices division posting a $315 million loss and sales slipping 21 percent to $929 million, as the overall company saw $4.93 billion in profits and $14.40 billion in sales.


Compare that to Nintendo's latest financials:


Nintendo Co., Ltd., today reported final consolidated fiscal year revenues of 966.5 billion yen and operating profits of 226.0 billion yen for the year ending March 31, 2007, an increase of 90 percent and 150 percent, respectively, over the same period one year ago. Both numbers are record highs for the company.


Imagine what would happen if Microsoft couldn't leverage its monopoly on desktop operating systems to finance its gaming and entertainment forays. There's a place in the home for the 360 and the Wii -- and a place in many homes for both -- but remember that Nintendo gets there on their own and Microsoft gets there because they can afford to lose billions of dollars.

Left 4 Dead

There are a few games I am looking forward to this summer/winter

Left 4 Dead is one of them.

Co op survival horror + players as the zombies.

This 1up preview really makes me want to get it.


All Pro Football 2k8



Since EA and the NFL inked an exclusive licensing agreement, the Madden Football games (06/07) have been dissapointing and sloppy. Madden 06 on the 360 was put together so quickly, a lot of the features that were in last gen's version were not there. I gave them a pass. First generation games on a new console are either ports from previous consoles or tech demos.

Madden 07 on the 360 was buggy at best sloppily excecuted at worst. The clock ran after the 2 minute warning if a penalty was called, the clock should stop. The menus were laggy offline. The game wasn't as responsive as the previous versions due to sloppy graphic programming.


Also, Madden 07's feature EA hyped the most: 3d Grass.

Madden 08's hype so far? The Madden Curse. It was a nice run for Vince Young, I hope he has good insurance.

On to what I really want to talk about APF 2k8. Here is the hook. Legendary players playing side by side. Teams will be made up from these players.

2k sports is hyping:

  • Better AI.
  • Instead of a 0-100 rating system, the rating system will consist of icons these represent the positive and negative effects the player has on the field. The interview with Game Informer uses an example of a mobile QB that is a fumbler. Sounds a lot like Culpepper. I wonder if they have a small hands icon. They also have special abilities. Game informer uses 4th quarter comebacks as an example.
  • They are including game mechanics the NFL doesn't want madden to include for example: Injuries occuring in real time and having animations associated with them and on field banter.
One thing no one knows about right now is the online component. I will make a wild guess here. You will draft your team offline and you will be able to play that team on line. A couple of reasons for this. The teams in the game have no real life counterpart and the players will probably be all of roughly the same calibur, with the exceptions of the special abilities and small hands handicaps. If this is the case, I know a lot of people that will pick this up either with madden or instead of madden.

the price point right now: 59 dollars for ps3/360 versions. Visual Concepts and 2ksports need to work together to lower the price by 10-15. If they do that, madden is dead.