Tecmo Asks for PS3 Price Cut
- Scribbled on July 3rd, 2009 by Jonah Falcon
- Filed in Industry News, Interviews, Sony PlayStation 3
Tecmo is the latest publisher to ask Sony to drop the price of the PlayStation 3, following Activision CEO Bobby Kotick’s demands for one.
“Whenever I discuss this with Sony reps I always ask them: ‘Please cut the price’,” Tecmo’s Kenji Matsubara told CVG. “Sony introduced cutting-edge technology in the PS3, that’s why people in the industry accept that the PS3 cost is so high, but we’d welcome a price cut.”
It’s an interesting, diplomatic take, but the phrase to underline is “I always ask them: ‘Please cut the price’”, which seems to indicate it’s been an issue for a long while. It’s also a weird mixed message, praising the technology and “accepting” the cost, but then doing a face heel turn and “welcoming” a price cut - just after saying he’s been constantly requesting one. Since Tecmo is a Japanese company, a little more tactness is to be expected - unlike Valve and Activision.
Regardless, a price cut is a certainty in the late Summer/early Fall. Question is: by how much?
(Thanks, Joystiq PS.)
Fez Coming to Xbox Live Arcade
- Scribbled on July 3rd, 2009 by Jonah Falcon
- Filed in Microsoft Xbox 360, Platformer, Xbox Live Arcade
If you were wondering what the next Braid would be, it could be Fez, the brilliant combination 2D/3D indie platformer - think Paper Mario meets echochrome by way of Crush.
Developer Polytron confirmed that it will be bringing the game to Xbox Live in early 2010.
In development for over two years, the 2D platformer takes place in 3D environments, where the player can shift between perspectives to reach far-reaching platforms.
The title, which adopts a pixel art style and chip-tune music, won the excellence in visual art award at the Independent Games Festival in 2008.
Let us know what you think.
(Thanks, Digital Spy.)
Two Worlds II Announced
- Scribbled on July 3rd, 2009 by Jonah Falcon
- Filed in Microsoft Xbox 360, PC, Press Release, RPG, Release Date(s), Sony PlayStation 3
Southpeak Interactive has announced Two World II, a sequel to the poorly received Elder Scrolls-style roleplaying game, which is promised to fix all the issues from the first game, including a completely overhauled AI and balancing, better writing, a new active combat system, and a better graphic engine.
The story of “Two Worlds II” is staged a couple of years after Part 1 - and it will lead you into hitherto unexplored parts of Eastern Antaloor where you’ll find many brand-new locations packed full of atmosphere - from dusty deserts to awe-inspiring temples.
The game will again be developed by Reality Pump, and is currently scheduled for release on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC this Winter.
(Thanks, Worth Playing.)
Click “Read more…” for the press release.
Guilty Gear 2 Hits Europe September 4
- Scribbled on July 3rd, 2009 by Jonah Falcon
- Filed in Fighting, Microsoft Xbox 360, Release Date(s)
While BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger is getting rave reviews on its release, Arc System Works is set to release Guilty Gear 2: Overture in Europe on September 4, 2009.
Offering a full single player campaign, four way multiplayer over Xbox LIVE or two player local multiplayer, Guilty Gear 2: Overture will also feature 50 unique units designed by famed series artist Daisuke Ishiwatari. Many familiar characters return to the game, including Sol Badguy, Ky Kiske and the mysterious That Man, all of whom have their signature special attacks recreated for the first time in glorious 3D.
You can see screenshots here.
(Thanks, Strategy Informer.)
Wolfenstein 3D Comic Book Trailer
- Scribbled on July 3rd, 2009 by Jonah Falcon
- Filed in Game Videos, Microsoft Xbox 360, PC, PlayStation Network, Shooter, Sony PlayStation 3, Xbox Live Arcade
To celebrate the recent release of Wolfenstein 3D on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network - as well as the release of the Wolfenstein remake - id and Activision has released a graphic novel version of the Wolfenstein 3D story - right down to the final face-off between Blastowicz and a chaingun armed Adolf Hitler. This is the epitomy of cool.
Batman: Arkham Asylum Interview Video
- Scribbled on July 2nd, 2009 by Jonah Falcon
- Filed in Action, Game Videos, Interviews, Live for Windows, Microsoft Xbox 360, PC, Sony PlayStation 3
A new interview video has been released for Batman: Arkham Asylum. The all new video features insightful interviews with Game Director Sefton Hill and Lead Narrative Designer Paul Crocker from Rocksteady Studios as well as famed Batman: The Animated Series and Batman: Arkham Asylum writer, Paul Dini.
The game is being published by Eidos, and will launch worldwide on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC on August 25, 2009.
“Redefining Splinter Cell” Developer Video
- Scribbled on July 2nd, 2009 by Jonah Falcon
- Filed in Action, Game Videos, Microsoft Xbox 360
Destructoid has posted a new developer video titled “Redefining Splinter Cell“, detailing the improvements and changes to Splinter Cell: Conviction, which we checked out at Ubisoft’s E3 conference.
The video is pretty cool, but Destructoid had to go through hell to get it:
By the way, this video took us over two hours to download and an hour to upload. Ubisoft sent this thing out in a stunning one-gigabyte .ZIP file. The hosting for it bombed right before we finished downloading, so we had start it all over again. Talk about annoying. We demand a Conviction cloth map or designer tee shirt in return for our vigilance.
Yeah, tell Ubi what for, Brad!
No More Heroes Dumping Wii for 360 or PS3?
- Scribbled on July 2nd, 2009 by Jonah Falcon
- Filed in Action, Industry News, Interviews, Nintendo Wii
In a startling statement by Grasshopper Manufacture CEO Goichi Suda, the acclaimed No More Heroes series will be abandoning the Wii for a “new platform.”
Suda states:
“I really want to make NMH a big franchise and with this second episode have bigger success. I’m putting a lot of care into developing this IP, as I feel there’s a lot of potential. “I think this is the last NMH that is going to be developed on Wii. To expand NMH to new possibilities, we need a new platform. Wii is a great platform, but we’ve done everything we can with it now.”
No More Heroes was our 2008 Wii Game of the Year, but only sold an embarrassing 440,000 worldwide, with a puny 74,000 sales in the first week. No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle is due for release on the Wii sometime in January 2010.
How do you think No More Heroes would translate to the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3?
(Thanks, Videogamer.com.)
Battlefield 1943 Official Release Date Confirmed
- Scribbled on July 2nd, 2009 by Jonah Falcon
- Filed in Microsoft Xbox 360, PlayStation Network, Release Date(s), Shooter, Sony PlayStation 3, Xbox Live Arcade
The tentative release date for Battlefield 1943 is now the official release date.
The massively multiplayer shooter will be available on Xbox Live Arcade for Xbox 360 users for 1200 Microsoft Points next week on July 8, while PlayStation 3 owners will be getting it a day later on the PlayStation Network for $14.99 USD.
Are you hot for some Battlefield? Let us know.
(Thanks, Console Monster.)
Miyamoto: Zelda Wii Not “Radically Different”
- Scribbled on July 2nd, 2009 by Jonah Falcon
- Filed in Interviews, Nintendo Wii, RPG
Shigeru Miyamoto is stating that the upcoming Zelda game for the Wii that was announced at E3 will not be “radically different” from previous Zelda games.
So what’s Zelda supremo Shigeru Miyamoto got up his sleeve for the new game? According to comments made to Nintendo Power, not that much.
“I don’t think it’s going to be that radically different,” Miyamoto told the magazine.
Maybe he’s just making sure Zelda’s fanbase doesn’t get too excited, too soon. The game’s likely to be some way off.
What do you want from a new Zelda game for the Wii? Let us know.
(Thanks, Videogamer.com.)
Band of Bugs Gets Avatar’ed
- Scribbled on July 2nd, 2009 by casualgamerchick
- Filed in Microsoft Xbox 360, Press Release, Strategy, Xbox Live Arcade, Xbox Live Marketplace
NinjaBee has announced the support for Avatars in their game Band of Bugs. In addition to the Avatar support, NinjaBee is releasing “game changing” downloadable content for Band of Bugs.
Avatar support will allow players to replace the hero, Maal, with an Avatar of their choosing. The players will be able to play through Story mode using the Avatar they chose. The Avatar change will also work in eight-player Spider Hunter mode. Spider Hunter mode allows players to challenge or work with their friends over Xbox live to battle deadly spiders, mosquitoes, centipedes and more.
The new Downloadable Contentent (DLC), The Tales of Kaloki, is based off the first Xbox Live Game NinjaBee released. Players are transported to space to play the game. The game is still based on Band of Bugs, but adds new tile set, new characters, new story, new skills, new strategy, new attacks and new abilities. Essentially, it is an entirely new game to beat.
“We’re giving you an entirely new game,” said Steve Taylor, president of NinjaBee. “The Tales of Kaloki DLC is Band of Bugs but with long-range combat using lasers, rocket launchers, OO rays and a ton of other sweet weapons to blow attacking space ships to smithereens. It’s all the wackiness from Outpost Kaloki X and tactics from Band of Bugs rolled into one, and we’re stoked to be releasing it.”
The DLC sounds like a great set of content for the game. It is nice to see entirely new game features coming with DLC. It feels like you get more for your money. It is better than just getting a new multi-player map or a few new levels.
Click “Read more…” for the press release.
AVGN Reviews Mario Is Missing
- Scribbled on July 2nd, 2009 by Jonah Falcon
- Filed in Casual Gaming, Game Videos, Humor, Retro, Reviews
One of, if not the, worst Mario titles ever released, Mario Is Missing, gets eviscerated by The Angry Video Game Nerd. This is edutainment at its nadir.
As usual, this is NSFW.
Zero Punctuation Reviews The Sims 3
- Scribbled on July 1st, 2009 by Jonah Falcon
- Filed in Game Videos, Humor, Mac, PC, Reviews, Simulations, Strategy
Ben Croshaw gets cruel with his peeps in The Sims 3.
Capcom Announces Retro Classics for PSN
- Scribbled on July 1st, 2009 by Jonathon Howard
- Filed in New Release(s), PlayStation Network, Press Release, Retro, Sony PSP, Sony PlayStation 3
Capcom announced today on the Playstation US Blog that they’ll be bringing many older games to the PSN this summer. Leading off this release schedule is Capcom Classics Collection: Remixed for the PlayStation Portable, due out tomorrow. The collection will have 20 odd games - you can see the list here or after the break below. The great majority of this games are pretty poor - just giving it a precursory look I’d say out of the twenty, today there are only about six worth playing, maybe.
Much better news is what is coming later from Capcom: more Playstation and PSP legacy titles including such must haves as: Mega Man Powered-Up, Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max, Resident Evil 2, and Power Stone Collection. Those are games I can get excited about having on my PSP!
(Thanks, Sony.)
New Uncharted 2 Multiplayer Demo Coming
- Scribbled on July 1st, 2009 by Jonah Falcon
- Filed in Game Demos, Interviews, Shooter, Sony PlayStation 3
Joystiq is reporting that a new Uncharted 2: Among Thieves multiplayer demo will hit PlayStation Network, as the beta invite only multiplayer demo had expired a few days ago.
According to Naughty Dog co-president Evan Wells:
“Yes, we’re going to have another multiplayer demo before the game hits shelves. The exact timing isn’t finalized yet, but it should be available to an even wider group this time, so if you missed the last one I don’t think you’ll have any problem getting in this one.”
This probably means it’ll be a freely available demo, unlike the first, which was given to those who purchased inFamous or attended E3.
