Saturday, June 30, 2007
Thursday, June 28, 2007
The Darkness Review
The Darkness is a remarkable action game that tells a compelling story from start to finish.
The good
- Amazing voice work and dialogue set the mood right out of the gate
- Stunning graphics, both technically and artistically
- Darkness powers are a lot of fun to use again and again
- Compelling, well-told story
- Can press a button to devour human hearts.
- Most of the conventional weapons are useless
- Enemy reactions and artificial intelligence feel a little too passive at times
- Multiplayer feels a little tacked-on.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Burnout Paradise Extreme racing
Electronics Arts has released five new all new pics of Burnout Paradise, the fifth game in the arcade racing series that gives the player the joy of going crazy in Paradise City, the new racing arena.
PREVIEW: Grand Theft Auto IV
The answer, of course, is that it’s both, a fictional cloak of convenience for a town that in detail and spirit already looks far closer to the Big Apple than any more nominally accurate videogame rendering has managed in the past.
The second question, an obsession for GTA fans ever since Vice City took them back to the cold glamour of 1980s late-night TV, is somewhat trickier: when is it? It has a straightforward answer – GTAIV is set in the present day – but it’s a disingenuous one, because this Liberty isn’t present-day New York. Giuliani never got elected here, the crime crackdown and economic boom never happened; maybe its World Trade Center equivalent was destroyed, or maybe it was never built....more @ Next-gen
Monday, June 25, 2007
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Must See List for E3 2007
Our Must See List for E3 2007
Published June 21, 2007
The traditional May timeframe for E3 has come and gone, and you may have noticed that despite the show's absence, we were still privy to a series of high-profile game announcements, such as the unveiling of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction.
With that said though, the revamped and slimmed down Electronics Entertainment Expo taking place in July still looks to provide plenty of bang for its buck. Heavy hitters like Microsoft, Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, 2K Games, Activision, and more will all descend on the expo to display the latest and greatest in gaming.
Master Chief wants to know about the single-player campaign.
In order to prepare for the upcoming event, we've looked ahead and highlighted some of the titles we're interested in seeing this July at E3. Will they all be there? We're not sure. This is just our wish list, and some of these titles will likely not be there, and there will likely be newly announced titles just as exciting as these. This newly revamped E3 is a thing of mystery, and we're assuming it will be chock full of surprises.
Single-Player Master Chief
The folks at Bungie have crafted the world's most effective smokescreen with the Halo3 multiplayer beta. This remarkable gift to gamers has effectively allowed Bungie to keep mum on the final single-player chapter in the Halo trilogy, as gamers spend less time hounding them with questions and more time enjoying the beta.
While nothing is confirmed (Bungie is notoriously tight-lipped), we hope that this year's E3 will be the launch point for unveiling the Halo 3 single-player campaign. It's time to discover the fate of Cortana, the state of the Covenant, and bring about the resolution of this epic war.
At E3 we shall have the opportunity to add context
and gain a better understanding of these titles.
Nearly Final BioShock?
Irrational Games' first-person shooter/RPG Bioshock has been a hot topic of conversation. Its showing at last year's E3 prompted gamers to ask, "Does it really look that good?" The answer is: absolutely. Even more impressively, further viewing of the trailer on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace demonstrates that the gameplay may even outshine the visuals. This creepy, underwater, alternate reality first-person adventure is nearing the final stages of development, and the quickly approaching E3 seems a perfect place for one last media hoorah before its release.
Beware the Big Daddy.
Halo Wars Expected
Again, while nothing is confirmed, it seems only natural that E3 will be used to further expand on last year's E3 bombshell revelation of the real-time strategy game, Halo Wars. While last year's trailer was a site to behold (available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace), it is high time we get a look at the groundbreaking gameplay and next-gen features.
Understanding EndWar
New to the Tom Clancy brand is Tom Clansys End War, and like Halo Wars, little solid detail is known about this mysterious real-time strategy game. We do know from the recently released trailer (available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace) that it takes place in the not too distant future, and with Tom Clancy attached, we can safely bet that real-world tactics and reasonably evolved weaponry will take center stage.
Preparing for liftoff in EndWar.
Mercenaries Evolved
Perhaps the most surprising game of the last year or so was Pandemic Studios and LucasArts' out-of-the-blue sandbox wargame Mercaneries. Its free-roaming missions and on-the-fly upgrade and purchase system for delivering weapons made for instantly classic gameplay.
With Mercenaries 2: World in Flames, developer Pandemic looks to push the technology to new destructive heights, introduce a vibrant new environment in conflict-ridden Venezuela, and most impressively, introduce cooperative play over Xbox LIVE. We look forward to uncovering more and going hands-on with this title at E3.
The Kane and Lynch Experiment
Speaking of cooperative play, IO-Interactive's announcement of Kane and Lynch: Dead Man caught everybody a bit off guard. This seemingly well-into-development title burst onto the scenes several months ago. Both Kane and Lynch are hardcore criminals, and when they're freed from incarceration during transport, it's not to enjoy the sweet taste of freedom, but to serve the nefarious interests of Kane's previous employer. You'll play as either Kane or Lynch, switching between them in single-player or choosing one or the other when playing with a friend.
They make a quite a pair.
Early announcements and coverage highlight the disparity between Kane and Lynch, and how they play and react differently to all manner of situations. After going dark for several months after the initial announcement, it will be exciting to see how this promising action title is shaping up.
Mass Effect, Ace Combat 6, and More
All the recent press releases and game announcements have provided a glimmer of detail to get us excited about upcoming games. At E3, we shall have the opportunity to add context and gain a better understanding of these titles. The preceding list only highlights a few of the most exciting prospects. Don't forget about games like All-Pro Football 2K8,Mass Effect, Virtua Fighter 5, Ace Combat 6, Strange Hold and much more. Keep your browser tuned to Xbox.com as we gear up for coverage leading up to, during, and beyond E3.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Xbox 360 sales hit a wall euro wall
Sales of the Xbox 360 in Europe have hit a wall according to a new report from Screen Digest, which suggests Microsoft is struggling to expand the user base for the next-gen console.
"For Xbox 360, European hardware sales seem to have hit a wall. The target market is still too focused on adult males and the brand does not enjoy the same cachet in non-Anglo Saxon markets as it does in the US and, to a lesser extent, the UK," reads the report.
While there are no concerns about appealing to a dedicated gaming audience, "failing to break out of a small number of genres and thereby appealing to groups outside of hardcore gamer," is a bigger problem according to Screen Digest.
Despite these issues the report does highlight that some of the most anticipated titles for the coming Q4 are for the Xbox 360 and Xbox Live is described as a "beacon of hope".
According to the analysts group, the Nintendo Wii is splitting business models across the industry.
"Some publishers are investing much less saying they will leave the platform drivers to Nintendo and ride their coat tails by spending very little on mediocre quality titles which will give some return."
On the other hand, "the combination of lower development costs and fastest growing installed base confers significant economic advantages in publishing games for Wii relative to competitive consoles, and this has lead to some third-party publishers increasing investment levels in developing for the platform."
The report points out that a low return on Wii software may hamper investment by publishers in other formats, as it simply does not generate as much profit at a time when PS3 and Xbox 360 development costs are rising.
And on the PlayStation 3, the report criticises Sony for not educating consumers as to what's in the box and relying too much on the PlayStation brand. Because of this a price drop is inevitable, says Screen Digest.
"A price drop before the end of the year is inevitable and would be in line with previous PlayStation first time price reduction timings."
"Marketing material has tended towards the esoteric and abstract and has seemingly failed to resonate with the consumer."
It also points out that Sony could drop a "bombshell" by the end of the year with a combined price drop and the launch of the Home virtual networking and online game service.
news by http://www.gamesindustry.bizMonday, June 18, 2007
Mass Effect
The galaxy is trapped in an endless cycle of extinction. Every 50,000 years, an ancient machine race invades the galaxy. With ruthless efficiency, the machines wipe out all advanced organic civilization. They leave behind only the scattered ruins of technology, destroying all evidence of their own existence.
Few believe this ancient legend. You, however, know it to be true. The fight to stop this extinction event has become the most important mission in the galaxy.
It is your mission. As Commander Shepard of the SS Normandy, you will take your elite recon squad across a galaxy in turmoil, in a desperate race to stop the return of an enemy without mercy. To stop this enemy, you must act without remorse, without hesitation, and outside the limits of the law. Your only imperative is to preserve the safety of civilized life in the galaxy - at any cost. You must become the tip of the spear of humanity, for you alone know the full extent of what is at stake if you should fail.
Science-fiction Role-playing: Perfected
Mass Effect allows you to create your own customizable version of Commander Shepard (or jump in and use the pre-created character) and plunge yourself into the center of an epic science-fiction story. Choose your squad-mates, your weapons, skills and abilities, and customize your vehicles, armor and appearance - you are in complete control over your experience.
In the course of your mission to stop the machine invasion, you may choose to follow the path of the soldier, the tech-specialist, or the biotics-specialist…each of which brings an arsenal of unique yet equally powerful abilities to use against the enemy. Wield a multitude of weapon types with precision accuracy…utilize your technical skill to turn enemy war machines against their creators…or unleash the full power of Dark Energy against your foe with devastating effects.
As you progress throughout the game you will improve your character's skills, abilities, and equipment (including weapons, armor, biotic implants and more) to ensure that you have the means to face the growing threat before you.
This customization also extends to the MAKO - the rover with which you will explore the surface of hostile alien worlds. You can improve your vehicle's grip, speed, armor, boosters, weaponry and more.
The role you choose to play in Mass Effect will have tremendous consequences on the galaxy around you. You will face moral dilemmas in which the decision you ultimately make will significantly alter the fate of civilized life in the galaxy.
The Vastness of Space Beckons
Your mission will take you into the deepest reaches of known space - and beyond. Aboard your ship, the Normandy, you will choose which planets to investigate, and where to take your team. In addition to the major worlds of the main story arc, you will have the freedom to visit a wide array of uncharted planets and other locations such as asteroids and abandoned space freighters adrift in space. On many worlds, take your team planet side in the MAKO in order to explore and find alien life, ancient artifacts and ruins, rogue trader colonies and a host of other amazing discoveries.
Lose Yourself in a Living Galaxy
Mass Effect combines astonishing photo-realistic graphics with innovative new dialog systems to create a cast of living characters to interact with. Engage these characters in real-time conversations that allow you to immerse yourself in dramatically charged situations.
Characters communicate with full voice-acting and amazing animation that displays their emotions right down to subtle nuances in their facial expressions. Every wrinkled brow and slight twist of the mouth is captured to infuse every interaction with a feeling of realism.
Lead Your Squad in Intense, Real-Time Combat
The struggle to stop the return of the machines will ultimately be a violent one. You will assume responsibility for the lives of your squad as you lead them into often uncharted, hostile alien environments. Each decision you make could mean the difference between victory and disaster. Although combat will take place in real-time, you will have the ability to pause combat and issue commands to your squad which they will then execute with the precision of a highly trained elite force. Upgrading certain skills and abilities as you level up your character will also allow you to increase your ballistic skill - this can ultimately lead to easier aiming, more damaging use of weapons, and biotic effects with the power to turn the tide of battle in your favor.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Too Human
(news from http://www.xbox.com)
Step into the world of Too Human, the epic action-game for Xbox 360™ from famed developer Silicon Knights®. As the Cybernetic God Baldur, you get thrust into the midst of an ongoing battle that threatens the existence of mankind.
An ancient machine presence has forced the God’s hand. In the first of a three part trilogy, Baldur is charged with defending mankind from an onslaught of monstrous war machines bent on eradication of human life.
- Synergy of melee and firearms combat: It takes more than brawn and raw strength to supplant the machine hordes. Utilize a sophisticated blend of seamless melee and firearms combat to vanquish foes close and far. Feel each punishing blow through advanced visual effects .
- Advanced cinematic presentation: Characters and environments come to life with unparalleled visual fidelity. Experience the full excitement of combat through a dynamically driven presentation system that portrays the combat with cinematic quality. A sweeping orchestral score sets the mood for heartbreak, anger and bloodlust as each tune encapsulates you within the immersive gaming environment.
- Intuitive combat provides new level of accessibility: Perform Baldur’s elaborate and complex combat maneuvers through the press of a button and chain together rapid-fire combos with ease. Through the use of an intuitive combat system, Too Human provides gameplay that is easy to learn and rewarding to master and introduces combinations of weapons combat on a level that exceeds the bar previously set by some fighting games.
- Modern take on a classic story: The story chronicles the ongoing struggle between Cybernetic gods, machine giants and mortal men on a massive scale never before seen. Play the role of a cybernetic god charged with protecting the human race against a relentless onslaught of machines.
$50 million for GTA IV Downloadable Content
Friday, June 15, 2007
GTA IV
article by (http://www.gamesindustry.biz)
A Take-Two spokesperson has confirmed to GamesIndustry.biz that the episodic content planned for Grand Theft Auto IV will be exclusively released for the Xbox 360.
Talk of an exclusive deal began following the release of Take-Two's Q2 financial report on Tuesday. The report stated that the episodic content would be released on 360 during the 2008 fiscal year - with no mention of PlayStation 3.
Now a company representative has told GI.biz, "The Grand Theft Auto IV episodic content is exclusive to Xbox 360."
The financial report also stated that fellow Take-Two title LA Noire is due out in fiscal 2008. The spokesperson suggested that both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 releases are likely, stating, "LA Noire is being developed for next-generation systems."
GTA IV will launch on both consoles on October 19.
article by (http://www.gamesindustry.biz)
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Xbox 360 Price Cut: For Real This Time?
Rumors have been flying for several weeks now about a possible price cut for the Xbox 360. First it was a rumor, then Microsoft denied it, and now someone inside the company is claiming that the denial was a ruse. Apparently a source for The Gaming Life is claiming that there really is a plan for a price drop in the core system from $299 to $199. He explained the ruse was to prevent informed customers from waiting for the price drop to buy the system:
"They want to get Halo 3 out the door and sell as many systems as possible. They know that Halo 3 will help system sales. After the initial launch they will drop the price to $199 in order to boost sales over the holiday season. The original plan was to wait until Grand Theft Auto IV was released and then lower prices, but with Take-Two Corporate being in a very fragile state, Microsoft in unsure that it will be out in the fiscal year.”
So the rumor continues. Personally, as someone who wants to buy an Xbox 360, I wish they'd quit toying with my emotions at least. Now we just need Sony to jump on the price drop bandwagon.
(article by http://news.filefront.com)
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
PS3 faster than Xbox 360, harder to manage
(This article is from http://www.gamepro.com)
"Since PS3's Cell processor allows more features -- better physics, more complex graphical processing, lighting or sound -- there is inevitably going to be more cost in supporting those extra features," Sony officials said. "It's not that PS3 is harder to write for, it's just that you can do more with it.
"If a game starts life on PS3, then man-hours per feature or costs related to asset production are comparable with industry norms."
But what if a game doesn't start life on the PS3? What about ported games?
According to Dr. Dobb's, applications must be "radically redesigned" for porting due to the Cell's finicky architecture, limited support, and scrupulous compiler. Translation: Developers can't just recompile their existing 360 builds as ports for the PS3 without first making significant development changes.
Sony says the same.
"If your game starts on Xbox 360 you will have to re-engineer aspects of the game to run properly on PS3. This means additional effort," writes Sony's Dave Karraker after consulting with the company's development team. "Some developers have been complaining about this, but I don't believe we can solve that," he adds.
Prevailing belief maintains that developing games for Sony's PS3 is more difficult than Microsoft's Xbox 360. If it is, third-party developers aren't jumping at the chance to talk.
"Nobody wants to touch this issue right now," conceded one anonymous publisher who works on high-profile ports for both the PS3 and Xbox 360. The source declined further comment.
But a report by Dr. Dobb's long-running software journal confirms what many suspected -- that the PS3 is immensely powerful but difficult to work with.
When comparing next-gen architectures, the journal found that Cell development can be more costly than the PC-inspired innards of the Xbox 360. "It's difficult to program for," say the authors when speaking of the PS3. "Software that exploits the Cell's potential requires a development effort significantly greater than traditional platforms."
Greater effort requires greater costs, and that could leave publishers wary when undertaking new PS3 projects.
Even Sony acknowledges the PS3's complexity while admitting to its development challenges. "There is a trade-off between performance and versatility," said Sony's product development group in an email to GamePro.
But ultimately the company sees the situation in a slightly different light.
And maybe they don't have to assuming developers appreciate the differences of each platform. "The 360 is a different machine with good, but lower powered hardware in a different architecture. Developers have to view them as two different machines not as a common platform," concludes Karraker.
Developers have a choice, then: Leverage the superior performance of the PS3 at an additional cost, or make due using a more developer-friendly, less-capable Xbox 360. Despite added development challenges, the Dr. Dobb's report ultimately advocates the PS3's untapped potential. "Programming the Cell processor may be tricky, but the performance gains are worth the effort." One of their benchmarks observed Cell performance to be 22 times higher than a comparable Intel chip.
So the PS3 is more capable and scalable than its contemporaries, at least in a technical sense. But until developers determine how to harness its power, the Mercedes could be stuck in second gear for a while.
(This article is from http://www.gamepro.com)
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Monday, June 11, 2007
BioShock Hands-On
Ken Levine and the BioShock team at Irrational Games have pulled a fast one on Electronic Arts. The 800-pound publishing behemoth may own the rights to the System Shock name, which prevents Levine and company from directly following up their exemplary second installment in that famous sci-fi action-adventure series. But luckily, EA can't copyright the distinctive gameplay mechanics and uncanny sense of atmosphere that made System Shock 2 such a classic. Irrational has brought those elements fully to bear in its new game, which has already been called a spiritual successor to System Shock 2 almost ad nauseam since it was announced nearly three years ago. But it's an appropriate label: Gameplay-wise, this is System Shock 3 in all but name. And so what if they had to come up with an original storyline to make this game? A declining undersea art deco utopia sounds a lot more interesting than a boring old spaceship to us any day...more
