Aug 31
NEC dared to take on SEGA and Nintendo in the 16-bit wars. Plus, the top 16 Turbo games.
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Aug 31
The long awaited 1.50 patch for, yes, Battlefield 2, has been in beta for a few months now and DICE has finally set Sept. 1 as its release date.
Changes include hit detection improvements and balance tweaks for jets. The new additions in this patch include Vista support, widescreen support and compatibility with the Novint Falcon controller. Two maps, Operation Blue Pearl and Highway Tamp, are in as well as the two booster packs released for Battlefield 2 called Euro Force and Armored Fury. The booster packs, which were originally sold at $10 each at release, added new maps and new vehicles but will now be free with the 1.50 patch. It’s not Battlefield 1943 but at least it’s something that will keep us busy until its release.
Aug 31
N-Europe writes: "The sequel to the breathtaking WiiWare launch title LostWinds has been named, and is featured in the latest issue of EDGE."
Aug 31
The PlayStation 3 Slim is generating tons of interest which will undoubtedly increase when commercials hit North American televisions all at the tune of $299. The PS3 Slim however isn’t the only console hovering at that price point as Microsoft has also dropped the prices on 360 models. But what if Microsoft took it a bit further? What if there was actually a slimmer version of the Xbox 360? IndustryGamers asked analysts if it was a possibility and according to David Cole of DFC Intelligence, it’s an absolute. “I think it is a question of when not if. However, the when part is a big uncertainty…rumors have been going on for a long time.” Said Cole, “As cost efficiencies allow smaller and more reliable is always a good thing,” pointing to the likelihood of a hardware redesign to accompany the launch of Project Natal.
Michael Pachter on the other hand, gives it to us straight saying, “I don’t think so. They had a redesign to eliminate the RROD issue, changed the heat sink, fan and a couple of other components. I’m not sure that they need to redesign the box, although I see the Elite black box becoming the standard.” Other analysts point to the size change as contributing factor towards the public’s opinion on the console’s failure rate. Regardless, an Xbox 360 Slim shipping with Natal would make for an interesting SKU.
Aug 31
Instead of the usual one, this week we have two videos sharing the number one spot. Those being the first two PlayStation 3 Slim commercials Sony unveiled some days ago. Watching these ads, it almost feels like Sony is finally getting serious about marketing their product the right way (well, there have been a few exceptions) and has found the right people and put them in charge of creating the campaign to advertise the PS3’s new look and $299 price point.
Raphael Cua: “My vote definitely has to go for the new PS3 ads. Sony’s finally taking the right steps with releasing the redesigned Slim at a cheaper price and their advertising campaign reflects that welcome change. Funny and informative, these two ads are a marked improvement over their baffling “white room” ads during the system’s launch. I’m looking forward to seeing the rest of the ads in this campaign and looking forward to what Sony has in store for 2010. If this change in direction for Sony’s marketing is any indication, it’s going to be a good year.”
Aaron Yorke: “PS3 commercials win for me, hands down. The dude from the Holiday Inn and Dustin Pedroia MLB The Show spots is turning into an advertising all-star before our eyes. He delivers his lines perfectly and he makes every ad he’s in enjoyable. Add to that the fact that the ads themselves are pretty clever and you have a big win for Sony. Analysts have already predicted a major September sales jump for PS3 and these ads certainly won’t hurt.”
Joshua Kopstein: “The announcement of the new PS3 must be a giant weight off Sony’s shoulders after the PR blunder that led up to it. Nice to see that they have a sense of humor about their failure to evade the Internet’s seasoned matlockery.”
Sebastian Nordlund: “Although none of the videos this week really gave me that feeling of satisfaction, I’ll admit that Sony’s latest productions featuring the PlayStation 3 Slim are quite full of what makes a consumer want to pay attention to them. They’re short enough to keep you glued to the TV. They’re informative enough, yet not too much, leaving you wanting more. And what affects us humans most of all, they’ve got humor.”
We also liked:
Emmanuel Petti: “My vote goes straight to the Serious Sam HD trailer. I have to admit that I never actually played the original Serious Sam but that trailer made me want to give not only the original a whirl, but also the HD redux. I just can’t help but liking trailers that do something different. Screw the Sony ads, they can’t even make sure they spell “Blu-ray” correctly for crying out loud! I like the Sony ads because I’m a geek for motion graphics and at the end of those things they have very awesome kinetic typography. But the Serious Sam HD trailer is just too funny. Any trailer that has a random shot of spaghetti and someone yelling “pasghetti!” as the bowl of noodles rockets off into space gets a winning vote in my book.”
Chad George: “While it is great to see the PS3 getting an updated sales pitch and Serious Sam HD going all Japan-a-vision, Blur is, without a doubt, my choice. Bringing viral marketing full circle, the PR people have hit the nail on the head by comparing the racing gameplay to some well known YouTube videos. Sooner or later all marketing will come from the user generated world, but Blur has beat the crowd to the future.”
Aug 31
Guitar Hero 5 is at our doorstep, virtually banging the bejesus out of the door in true rock’n’roll fashion and once again, Activision is set to demonstrate that the franchise will keep on making money with , music and peripherals, just the way it’s always done.
But how can you resist buying the game when you know that legendary musician – and whatever else you want to call him – Kurt Cobain will be performing alongside yourself? Recently released by Activision, the video above shows Cobain in his traditional long blond hair, rugged and fluffy jacket, rocking out Smells Like Teen Spirit and Lithium to a crowd in a state of nirvana… just the way we are right now.
Aug 30
As we say goodbye to another August of fun in the sun, we say hello to September, a month with a number of highly anticipated MMOs set to release. Because Sept is such a prolific month for MMOs we thought a Sept preview of the upcoming MMO releases was in order.
First up to release on Sept 1st is none other than Champions Online, the highly anticipated spiritual successor to City of Heroes. We actually have been lucky enough to spend some time with the game during the beta and as far as super hero MMOs go, we’re impressed. If you are at all familiar with City of Heroes then you’ll more than likely love Champions Online.
It has everything City of Heroes has but so much more. Unlike CoX, the game will be launching with PvP an addition we’re really interested in. From our limited experience with it we found it to be extremely entertaining. There are also item slots that boost your character’s ability to kick ass, they’re a lot like the enhancements found in CoX but they’re more unique and make more sense. The character customization is bar none. Not even City of Heroes can touch it. They’ve added so much ability to the character creation system that it would be impossible to see a duplicate of yourself ever. You can even create beast characters that run on all fours, how do you top that?
The server setup took a little bit to get used to but after figuring it out the overall concept made a lot of sense. Traditionally MMOs have set servers that are usually very permanent and they become your home. You only ever mingle with other people on that server and you better hope that your friends also pick the same server you’re on otherwise you’ll never get to play with them. Also traditionally the servers have specific functions. For example, you would have a PvP server where you would be able to PvP anywhere at anytime and then regular servers for players who want to exist without looking over their backs all the time. Champions Online is set up as one world with shard servers. This means that you can always get to your friends no matter what which is awesome. There are no PvP servers but that’s ok because it wouldn’t make sense if heroes where running around attacking each other all the time when they should be defending the city.
If you’re into comic books and you enjoy MMOs then Champions Online is an awesome game to check out. The mechanics are all there to create a deep MMO experience and it has awesome visuals to boot. You could spend hours and hours just creating your character’s look. Needless to say we think CO will make some waves when it releases in just a couple days.
Dungeons & Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited will be released just 8 days after Champions Online on Sept 9. The major difference between DDO Unlimited and CO other than the obvious, is that DDO is going to be free-to-play. This is another game we had the pleasure of playing during the beta and this will more than likely be the best free-to-play MMO on the market.
One of the things that struck me the most about this game was how much voice acting there was in it. Just running through a beginner dungeon there was so much talking going on between all the characters involved. The graphics are top notch for the free-to-play MMO and the combat is fast paced enough that it should satisfy any MMO player’s need.
This game is a no-brainier for D&D fans everywhere and even those not interested in D&D should also check it out as it won’t hurt you, being free and all. The thing to watch out for though in these free-to-play situations is that they’re supported by microtransactions. Just pay attention when you’re playing this game because purchasing things on the DDO store can add up quickly and make the free-to-play MMO not so free.
On Sept 15 the post apocalyptic MMO Fallen Earth lands for Fallout fanboys all across the land. Now the FE devs would tell you that this “isn’t the Fallout MMO” but we all know that while it isn’t exactly, it is the quasi-Fallout MMO.
What is most interesting about FE is the way the factions are set up. Normally MMOs are dual faction and it’s black and white with not grey area to worry about. This isn’t the case with FE as it has six factions and the ability to remain neutral. This feature alone makes the game worth playing.
Unlike other MMOs FE doesn’t use fixed classes and allows you to pick and choose your skills, kind of like Fallout. The idea is to focus on the player rather than the class and its abilities. Just like other MMOs it has tons of equipment and weapons to get as well as vehicles. Unfortunately between all the MMOs out there we’re worried that this one will get swept under by Champions Online and Aion. Speaking of Aion..
Fortunately for Aion, the game is going to release late in the month on Sept 25. This game is already being pitted up against the mega MMO World of Warcraft as to be the next contender when it comes to fantasy MMOs. We have covered Aion alot here at TVGB so be sure to check out our coverage of it.
We’re not convinced that AIon will be able to take on WoW head on more so with the recent announcement of Cataclysm, but we do think it will be very successful in its own right. Where we think AIon will have the most impact is fans of JRPG like Final Fantasy. The game has the stylings and story of a JRPG but the mechanics of a western MMO like WoW. This we think will be the combination that will draw both JRPG and standard MMO fans together to create a brand new set of fans. While Aion won’t kill WoW, we are expecting it to become a major contender in the MMO space.
In other MMO news:
Aug 30
Massive, Inc., a Microsoft advertising subsidiary that already places ads inside all major EA Sports titles, as well as Guitar Hero, will be capitalizing on your Guitar Hero spin-offs this autumn. According to Media Week, the Xbox 360 versions of upcoming Activision titles DJ Hero and Band Hero will be littered with advertisements from sponsors.
While I doubt the ads will be invasive or affect gameplay, there’s something to be said for Microsoft sticking ads in a music game whose music is laced with a “stick it to the man” attitude. Corporate logos — the symbol of capitalism — in the background don’t really match up with the theme of Activision’s music . And it’s not like the player is seeing a benefit from the extra revenue pulled in from ad sales. Software MSRPs continue to be in excess of $50 in order to make up for the costs of producing hardware. The recent hardware price cuts only give further incentive to keep software prices up.
Despite whether consumers see a benefit or not, in-game ads are for sure a great way to make money, as Massive general manager JJ Richards explains the benefit of going with videogame ads over TV spots this fall, “What many advertisers may not know is this fall (and winter) there [will be] a host of chart toppers that will help them engage the highly coveted male 18-34 demographic in a more efficient and less interruptive manner than traditional TV ads.”
It certainly looks like these types of ads have a future, but I’d be cautious about being too invasive, especially in where it might turn off the player. Putting ads in sports that are based off of TV broadcasts with the same type of advertising is one thing. Trying to scrape some extra cash off of more atmospheric game could lead to problems with fans.
Aug 30
Being blessed with a LostWinds sequel, while pleasant, is no real surprise, seeing as how Frontier Developments’ WiiWare project tore up the sales charts following its May 2008 release. The innovative 2-D adventure, in which players use the Wii remote to control the wind to solve puzzles and guide the hero Toku towards his destiny, is still easily one of the best WiiWare titles available for download.
Now, according to the latest issue of Edge Magazine, we know that part two will be known as LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias. New features include the Zelda-like power to switch between winter and summer to solve puzzles as well as Toku’s ability to swim. When you throw in a cyclone move that can be used to drill through rocks and move water, Winter of the Melodias begins to feel like a fresh and exciting WiiWare adventure.
While there are no screens or movies as of this date to wet your appetite, the title’s wintry theme is projecting an equally wintry release date. Hopefully we’ll see this one before the holidays. I promise I’ll try to learn what a Melodia is before then.
Aug 30
Other things do happen at Playboy Mansion, aside from the obvious that is. It’s that time of year to bring out those pink shirts again as Activision continues to advertise their upcoming Guitar Hero 5, this time with the sexy gals of Hugh Hefner, and himself as well. Check out the Guitar Hero World Tour and Guitar Hero Metallica ads after the break to gain some perspective of the pink shirts we’re talking about.
Can you believe the mad skills these Bunnies have? They hop around in all their sexy grandeur, yet without looking at the TV, they get it all right! If only the living room here at TVGB HQ looked exactly like that… we’d be hopping too!
(Guitar Hero World Tour)
(Guitar Hero Metallica)
