Gaming News – Labor Day Recap 09/07/2009
ByPS3′ Platform-level Support For Online Functionality Was ‘Late,’ Sony Says.
“We were late to offer the platform-level support, to make the online functionality work at that level,” says SCEE president of worldwide studios. http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3175900
Halo 3: ODST
Bungie’s new offices are rubbish. Aside from a makeshift motion capture studio they exist solely to handle the massive amounts of admin Bungie now generate as an independent developer and are as terminally beige as offices tend to be. Only the stack of Peter Jackson’s Halo props and a makeshift motion-capture room remind you there’s a game studio just a quarter-mile down the road, but if the offices are a disappointment, ODST is anything but. http://rss.computerandvideogames.com/c/674/f/8604/s/60510ad/l/0L0Scomputerandvideogames0N0Carticle0Bphp0Did0F2225940Dcid0FOTC0ERSS0Gattr0FCVG0EGeneral0ERSS/story01.htm
The moment that Japan has been awaiting for over half a decade may finally have arrived today, thanks to a teaser and some Internet Matlockery. A Japanese Youtube flash ad had been teasing the reveal of Final Fantasy XIII’s release date today, and a few impatient kids decided to dig a little deeper and find out ahead of time. http://www.destructoid.com/flash-ad-gives-final-fantasy-xiii-release-date-away-147777.phtml
Grading on a curve.
It may be the so-called ‘Triple A’ and ‘top-tier’ cash-cow mega-titles—or their predictable litters of sequels—that end up dominating the gargantuan, seizure-inducing video-display walls (and obnoxious, building-wide, visible-from-orbit banners) at the Electronic Entertainment Expo every year… but for my money, the real soul of the gaming industry still lies in those relatively unsung projects and promising, oddball, up-and-comer games. Throw in the promise of letting players make, tweak, and tool around in our own (easily-created) content and, well, you’ve also just thrown a potentially fascinating wrench into the whole anticipated-games grading-curve. http://www.gamerevolution.com/preview/ps3/modnation-racers
Project Natal, PlayStation Motion Dev Kits ‘Embedded’ at Take-Two’s Studios
With both Project Natal from Microsoft and Sony’s motion controller expected to launch in 2010, game companies are getting their hands on the dev kits and are starting to flesh out game concepts for the new technologies. Speaking on the conference call after Take-Two’s Q3 fiscal results CEO Ben Feder confirmed that Take-Two’s various studios are hard at work on games for Natal and Sony’s motion controller. http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/news/project-natal-playstation-motion-dev-kits-embedded-at-taketwos-studios/
Diablo III: Monk Supernova Preview
More grisly and grotesque than it’s predecessor, Diablo III has more in store than just destructible environments.
It’s early morning in Sanctuary, the birds are chirping and the pitter-patter of locals pumping water from the village well outside sounds like an elephant is stampeding through your head. The rising sun illuminates your quaint village on the edge of Tristram but all you can think about is how your mouth is dryer then that witch doctor you came home with last night. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gamepro/~3/QtPEnBYtXbs/
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Arcade Attack Hands-On
It’s like a blast from the past in this side-scrolling beat-’em-up.
Ubisoft are bringing these heroes in a half shell back in full force to celebrate the franchise’s 25th anniversary, with games such as TMNT: Smash-Up, TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled and recently announced TMNT: Arcade Attack for the Nintendo DS. Arcade Attack was being shown for the first time at the 2009 Penny Arcade Expo, and we got a chance to play through this side-scrolling beat-’em up and face the menacing Hun. http://www.gamespot.com/ds/action/teenagemutantninjaturtlesarcadeattack/news.html?sid=6216907
Rockstar’s PS3 Exclusive Agent Coming in 2010
In a Q&A session found over on the official Rockstar Games news wire, it looks like the publisher has accidentally confirmed that its upcoming PlayStation 3 exclusive — Agent — will hit the streets next year in 2010. http://feeds.gamespy.com/~r/gsfeeds/all/~3/xnsKM8GSplc/1021941p1.html
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
Army of Two: The 40th Day Review
I find it a bit odd that, after finishing Army of Two: The 40th Day’s campaign in about seven hours, what I remember most isn’t its co-op mechanics, nor its cast of mask-wearing musclemen. Sure, I eventually think about that stuff when I put my mind to it, but [...]