For all the cheats, seducers, liars and deceitful... Dante's Infernodevelopers would like to show you what they have in store for you in The Eighth Circle of Hell: Fraud.
You know who you are. The Inferno begins February 9.
It takes a visionary force to understand how to make a great thing even greater, and, in this case, that visionary force is X-Play, who have taken two of the great pop culture icons of our time, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and Twilight, and made them into one spectacular event. Here, for your pleasure, is the trailer that comes from this amazing mash-up.
Prepare to have your head blown off with sparkly, wartime goodness. Commence watching now.
In case you missed the first X-Play of 2010, we opened the new year with a bang, nailing an interview with the genre-shaping director of Avatar, Titanic, and The Terminator, James Cameron. Our own Patrick Klepek sat down with the man himself to talk about the Avatar video game, as well as his thoughts on franchise-based gaming in general, and whether or not making the game has given him the bug to stay active in the gaming arena.
It's a huge interview, and, in keeping with his always honest personality, Mr. Cameron can't resist an opportunity to give a little nudge to Halo fanboys everywhere. Watch the video and see what you think.
Ever find yourself in a situation where all of your friends are talking about the latest and greatest game, and you can't contribute to the conversation because you haven't been paying attention? Solve that problem with our Launch Primers: everything you need to know (except the spoilers) about a game that's about to be released.
Army of Two: The 40th Day PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PSP MSRP: $59.99 (console), $39.99 (PSP) ESRB Rating: Mature
Army of Two: The 40th Day is a 3rd-person shooter based on private military contractors (PMCs) operating in modern day combat settings. It is the sequel to 2008’s Army of Two.
Who's the developer?
EA Montreal is based in -- surprise! -- Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Formed in 2004, EA Montreal’s gameography includes Boogie and SSX Blur for the Wii, games that are decidedly different from their premier franchise, Army of Two.
What's the story?
A couple years after the events of Army of Two, Tyson Rios and Elliot Salem have started up their own PMC conveniently called TWO (TransWorld Operations). The unfortunately-tattooed Alice Murray has joined them as their go-to gal for intel and support. On a mission in Shanghai, something happens, and the boys are drawn into some unwanted combat. The 40th Day is about Rios and Salem making it through this incident alive and profitable.
What’s new?
The aggro meter -- AO2’s silent governor of enemy attention -- returns, alongside an improved cover system more akin to Gears of War. Salem and Rios have new combat options as well, including the ability to take hostages and force enemy surrenders, and feigning their own surrender to lull enemies into a false sense of security.
EA Montreal’s injecting a bit of morality into the otherwise bro-tastic gun fest, with certain moments requiring a judgment call from the player.
Multiplayer/Online?
The 40th Day has co-op throughout the campaign, in addition to four modes of competitive play: deathmatch, Control (maintain control points), Warzone (objective-based) and Extraction (fight off waves of enemies, etc.). The Extraction mode is immediately only available to those who pre-ordered the game -- it will unlock for everybody else in one month. In the spirit of AO2’s theme, every mode in multiplayer is played with a partner.
What'd we say?
Check back with us tomorrow morning for our review of The 40th Day! See it in action:
Alright. Fine. I realize I'm no longer the target demographic for LEGO, even though I consistently find myself playing every single LEGO game that comes out and the upcoming LEGO Harry Potter is one of my most anticipated games of 2010. So when I realized CES 2010 would provide the first opportunity for me to go hands-on with the upcoming LEGO MMO, LEGO Universe, I smiled wide.
At first glance, LEGO Universe doesn't actually look very different from the LEGO games that Traveller's Tales popularized before it, a move the developers told me was done on purpose. Developer NetDevil wanted consumers who have played other LEGO games to come into LEGO Universe with an immediate sense of familiarity. As such, tiny pegs spawn from built LEGOs and the characters even stack them with a strikingly similar set of animations. It's the good kind of familiar.
Most TheFeed readers are probably in my camp, interested in the possibilities of LEGO Universe but unsure whether the game's design will actually make it interesting to play longer than 10 minutes.
The verdict?
While my hands-on time with the game didn't make the former clear (largely because it was in the game's opening world, where the gameplay's very basic), the nearly hour-long demo the folks developing the game presented to me at CES 2010 made a better case for it. LEGO understands there are people who don't have access to a pile of LEGOs in their apartment but would relish the opportunity to bring their LEGO ideas to life and share them with a vibrant online community.
LEGO Universe currently contains more than 80,000 different kinds of LEGOs. Here's an impressive fact: whenever NetDevil produced a piece of concept art, it was immediately sent to the folks at LEGO to have a professional LEGO builder make sure it could be properly recreated with actual LEGO pieces. When you build something within LEGO Universe, there will also be an option to have the game spit out a build order that will list what real-world pieces you need to purchase to make it. And when you design something in the game, it'll populate in the world as an example for others.
You can get more ambitious than that, too, in the game's world editor, which provides complete design control over an entire LEGO-based world. You can script the AI movements of enemies and objects using an impressive visual-based scripting language (meaning folks myself won't be completely left out) and if the prospect of building an entire world on your own seems daunting, bring some friends into the mix. LEGO Universe allows multiple people to be building within the same world simultaneously. It also means other users can act as beta testers of content you're building in real-time.
Thousands of CES attendees were signing up to become part of the upcoming LEGO Universe beta. There's no launch date for the beta, but since everyone who signed up at CES was being guaranteed a spot, it sounds like LEGO and NetDevil are going to make the beta pretty open.
Are you excited yet? I sure am.
Have something to share? Sitting on a news tip? E-mail me. You can also follow me on Twitter.
The official release of Dragon Age: Origins DLC "Return To Ostagar " has been delayed, but that doesn't mean you can't play it.
First the delay: Bioware says it caught an eleventh hour bug in the program, necessitating it pushing back the release date. Here's the word from Fernando Melo, the Online Producer of Origins:
"...it's something that was serious enough that we felt it impacted the quality [of the DLC] and we made the choice to delay it to give our fans the best experience with it. That was the reason behind [the delay] -- we want to make sure that we don't cut any corners when we do the DLC."
There's already a lot of content out, there's a lot more coming -- we just announced the expansion pack, and there's more coming after that. I think the worst thing we could do after that is do anything 'to poison the well,' to use the expression, or put fans off from feeling that they're getting the best content from us. It's a long term decision instead of a short term decision."
But if you're itching to expand the Dragon Age experience and can't wait for the official release, there are gamers already playing it, apparently; an illicit torrent is making the internet-rounds.
You should not download this torrent. Besides the disrespect, dishonor and general uncoolness of piracy, the pirated version of the OstagarDLC would contain whatever error Bioware mentioned. Although gamers of a conspiratorial bent are positing that the DLC was pulled at the last minute not because of an error, but because the game experience was just too short. Either way, the illegal file is bound to disappoint.
There is no ETA on the official release of the Ostagar DLC, although Dragon Age: Origins "Awakenings" DLC is slated for a March 16 release.
If you want to get your hands on a copy of Nintendo’s Metroid Prime Trilogy, you might want to hit up your local games store sooner rather than later, as Nintendo has announced that it has stopped shipping its Wii combo-pack to retailers.
In a statement issued to Coffee With Games (via Edge Online), Nintendo confirmed the news, adding, "When first introduced, it was announced that there would be limited availability. However, a reason for this was not announced. That being said, you may still be able to locate a copy via stores that specialize in previously played or used games.
Obviously, this doesn’t clear up exactly why Nintendo decided to make the game only available for a limited time. I contacted Nintendo, and was told to expect an official comment soon.
Anyone planning to pick up a copy of the game while they’re still available? How many people were considering trading in your copy until you heard this news?
Announced at CES 2010, Microsoft will be bringing classic game emulation to the Xbox 360 and Windows PCs in Game Room. The service, which will be released this Spring, will initially have around 30 games available to purchase or play. At this point, Microsoft hopes to release 7 games a week with the final goal being over 1000 games available. The Game Room is an actual 3D space for your avatar that can be customized and decorated. Your friends can even visit your personal arcade. If you don’t care for the virtual space, the entire experience can be navigated by menus.
Initially, games will range from classic arcade titles to consoles titles from the Intellivision and Atari 2600. For a full list of the launch titles, skip to the end of this story. For pricing, the model is a bit different from anything Microsoft has done before on Live. For 40 MS Points or 50 cents, you’ll be able to play a game once. That’s right, just like dropping two quarters into an arcade machine, Microsoft will allow gamers to insert credits into these classic titles. It makes sense if you want to try a bunch of games before buying, in order to find something you like, but 50 cents a pop could add up before long.
If you want to purchase a game, it’s going to run you $3. This enables unlimited play and placement of the game in your arcade space. It won’t, however, allow you to play that same game on your Xbox 360 and PC. If you want cross-platform play, the price will kick up to $5, but will allow you play the game on any supported platform according to Microsoft’s Frank Pape, senior director on the project, which might not be limited to the 360 and PC, though no new platforms were announced at CES. If I had to speculate, I would look to Windows Mobile as a possible platform. Live was just announced for Windows handsets and it would give Microsoft some ground against Apple’s iPhone and its growing game library.
Keep reading for more on Game Room.
While there is no multiplayer planned, gamers will be able to issue challenges to their friends to compete for high scores in any of the games. When entering your arcade, a green light will appear above cabinets that you hold the high score on. Red lights will show games with high scores owned by friends. Friends will be able to visit your arcade, however, and try any of the games you own once, for free, bypassing the 50 cent cost. You won’t have to wait in a line at any virtual machine, though.
The arcade games, themselves, are emulated perfectly and the ROMs haven’t been modified in any way. This is why the achievements are tied to Game Room itself (of which there are 99 initially) and not built into each title. On a per-game level, players can earn 3 “medals” for each title. These are custom to each game, but generally include a high score medal. Certain games will even allow the player to edit different DIP switches for a true arcade experience. The games launch quickly and play well for the most part. The less-than-ideal d-pad on the Xbox 360 controller makes some of the games a little tricky, but the analog stick is more than capable, especially since many of these games were played with arcade sticks originally. Personally, I’ll probably get some more use out of my MadCatz FightStick.
Although the games are starting back in the original arcade era and early consoles, Frank Pape says that the emulation could continue all the way through the 16-bit era. I wouldn’t expect to see any games from NES or SNES, though, as Nintendo isn’t going to license its platform for emulation to a direct-competitor. SEGA’s catalogue is a definite possibility, however. After the initial announcement, representatives from Electronic Arts and THQ approached Microsoft at CES 2010 for potential inclusion in Game Room. Microsoft has finished porting around 400 games with 700 being worked on now.
Personally, I might pick up a few games, but I’ll probably wait until the 8-bit and 16-bit eras before any major purchasing. I was hoping there’d be a subscription-based model, but it looks like Microsoft will be pursuing an a la carte model. Overall, I was impressed by Game Room, but the price of building a collection is worrisome. I don’t know how I feel about paying $3 for an arcade game from the 70’s when I can get a brand-new game on my iPhone for .99 cents. Time will tell, however. Look for Game Room on your Xbox 360 and PC this Spring with the following 30 games available at launch:
Microsoft has been planning to bring Xbox Live support to mobile devices for some time now, and while job listings have, until now, been the primary indication of this, some harder evidence has been brought to light.
According to a recently uncovered (via Kotaku) internal marketing document, Microsoft has definite plans to deliver its mobile Xbox Live service (or Xbox Live Games as it will be known) to Windows-based phones in the near future. Whether the service will be available on other devices or phones isn’t known, nor is when the service will be made available or what exactly it will end up offering users.
Another unanswered question involves the recently announced Xbox Live Game Room, which lets Xbox Live users play retro titles via an avatar-loving online space. While the full service probably isn’t practical on a mobile-device scale, including emulation support could prove to be a rather compelling feature.
I've contacted Microsoft to find out more about all of this, so stay tuned.
According to a prediction by video game industry analyst Michael Pachter, the once red-hot music game genre is cooling off. Pachter predicts that last month's video game sales figures will show a 12% drop in sales over the previous year. Ouch. Pachter said that the sales fall is due to consumer disinterest in music games.
"After two consecutive phenomenal years of growth, with software sales up 34% and 27% in 2007 and 2008 respectively, the videogame software business showed signs of vulnerability, with a precipitous decline in music category [sales]... likely due to saturation for the music genre," Pachter said.
We won't have long to wait to see if Pachter's predictions come true: The official numbers are expected to hit the web on January 14th. Until then, we're all industry analysts, so feel free to leave your own predictions in the comment section below.
Personally, I gotta agree about the saturation of the music genre. I love guitar/drum/turntable based gaming experiences, but over the last few years, I've been consistently and completely served by the genre. Maybe it's a lack of imagination on my part, but it seems to me that every wrinkle in the "playing fake music" style of game has already been done, twice. Not that this is a bad thing; it just indicates that game companies reacted to interest in the genre with a lot of new, great product. I (and most gamers I know) consumed it, and now I'm looking forward to the next, new genre to capture my imagination. The initial romance with Rock Band/Guitar Hero is a memory, and I doubt anything in the music game pipeline will cause the same spark. After all, Green Day: Rock Band probably won't compare to The Beatles: Rock Band.
Crytek fans patiently waiting for an update on the development of Crysis 2, announced by Electronic Arts and Crytek in the summer of last year, should be happy to hear that EA has confirmed it's scheduled the release of Crysis game sometime before March 30, 2011.
March 30, 2011 is the end of EA's fiscal year 2011. I can't confirm the game's actually Crysis 2 because that's not how Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello referred to the upcoming Crysis release on a conference call with analysts discussing recent revisions to EA's financial outlook.
"I think we've got a fabulous title plan for fiscal [2011]," said Riccitiello. "We've got a great new version of Medal of Honor, a revitalized Need For Speed, Sims on console, FIFA in a World Cup year, an innovative and new take on Madden, Dead Space 2, Crysis at full margins, a new MMA game and many others."
Riccitiello is most likely referring to "Crysis at full margins" because while Crysis was a PC exclusive, Crysis 2 was announced for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 simultaneously.
Have something to share? Sitting on a news tip? E-mail me. You can also follow me on Twitter.
It looks like Madden NFL could be in for a shakeup in 2010. Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello told analysts today that his company is currently preparing an "innovative and new take on Madden" for release in fiscal year 2011 (which would dictate a release date before March 30, 2011).
Madden NFL is typically released every August.
Riccitiello's comment came during a conference call about the company's financial outlook.
It's been a tough year for Electronic Arts. The company has taken a beaten financially, punctuated by today's news that EA has revised its outlook for the end of its fiscal year.
What could be in store for Madden NFL, though? Time to speculate away.
Have something to share? Sitting on a news tip? E-mail me. You can also follow me on Twitter.
That's it, folks. Another CES is in the books. Brian Leahy and I headed to Las Vegas last week to cover the first major event of the 2010 season, a show that's moved further away from video games every year, but remains a technological institution that's influence on games is undeniable.
1. In A Post-Avatar World, 3D Is The Next Big Thing
WHAT WE SAID: "At CES 2010, it will be shocking to find a device that isn't incorporating 3D technology somehow, whether it's in your television, computer monitor or the phone that's resting in your pocket. It's the new tech buzz, the new HD. Even if it's not priced consumer-friendly, if you're not thinking 3D, you're crazy."
WHAT WE SAW: That depends on who you talk to. According to the tech industry, the response to Avatar means it's full-steam ahead for 3D in the home. You could not walk five feet without bumping into 3D something or other. That's not exaggeration or hyperbole, but a reflection of how amazingly prominent 3D was featured at CES 2010. With the next-generation disc wars over, the industry needs something new to push. At CES 2010, it was 3D. Games, music, movies, sports -- it was all shown in 3D. The only medium missing was books, which is something I'm sure they're working on, too. The technology was not consistent across every TV, every medium, and every piece of eyewear, however, meaning the 3D experience changed every five feet. Plus, while CES is supposed to be a "consumer" show, nothing at CES 2010 looked like it was ready to show up on Wal-Mart's shelves. Most people are just getting around to picking up a vanilla HDTV. They might buy ! a 3D-capable set eventually -- but it'll be by accident. CES 2010 did little to provide evidence consumers want home 3D, only that the tech's there.
WHAT WE SAID: "Expect a number of tech companies, emboldened by Microsoft and Sony's approaches to motion expected to arrive in 2010, to push interactivity in new directions. Tablets are making a big emergence in the coming year, following consumer's embrace of touch with devices like the iPhone. Whether it's through a camera watching body movements, sensors hooked into arms, moving fingers across a screen or something else entirely, the controller is changing."
WHAT WE SAW: Microsoft confirmed Project Natal is for the holidays, marking the first steps to properly revealing the Xbox 360 motion add-on. CES 2010 also included some interesting attempts to push motion and physical interactivity in new directions, such as a motion-controlled version of Left 4 Dead 2, and an influx of tablets. Tablets, widely believed to be a major focus of CES 2010, took a backseat to 3D, perhaps because most people are waiting to see Apple's rumored tablet to unveil later this month. Even in cases where tablets were being demonstrated, however, gaming was not on the agenda, but Project Natal and other interface experiments underscore a trend that's not going away.
3. Mobile Advancement Begins Eyeing DS, PSP
WHAT WE SAID: "At CES 2010, mobile hardware will continue to move forward at a faster clip than DS and PSP, as consumers are more accustomed to replacing their phones every few years than their handheld gaming platform. More developers will show an understanding of what makes games work on a cell phone, increasingly removing the need for many users to have a gaming-specific device. The endgame is a ways off, but it's close enough for Nintendo and Sony to start paying attention."
WHAT WE SAW: The biggest news in mobile took place just before CES 2010, when Google officially announced and started selling the Nexus One. More developers are on iPhone, however, which means the most innovation is still happening over there. Nintendo briefly talked about a successor to the DS, but has not addressed the largest difference between mobile and gaming handhelds: a persistent data connection. At the moment, gaming handhelds rely on Wi-Fi hotspots. CES 2010 didn't provide much evidence which direction gaming companies are moving in, but the increased persistence and acceptance of mobile and mobile gaming doesn't change our original prediction, it only means it's going to play out over a very long time.
***
And with that, CES 2010 is a wrap...until next year. Did you notice something we didn't?
Have something to share? Sitting on a news tip? E-mail me. You can also follow me on Twitter.
2005's critically-acclaimed, action/strategy game, Darwinia, will be gracing a new gaming audience when it arrives in the enhanced form of Darwinia+ via Xbox Live Arcade. This edition will combine souped-up versions of Introversion Software's, Darwinia, and multiplayer counterpart, Multiwinia, for the first time on a console.
Fans of the original and neophytes interested can check out more updates here and watch the new trailer below.
It's 2010 and while we've been busy eating only fiber cookies, drinking diet coke and trying to kick our addiction to porn, we are finally ready to bring you quality video game-centric programming once again.
Tonight, X-Play returns to the airwaves with its first episode of a brand-spankin' new decade and we're bringing the hurt. Check it out as Blair Herter takes a look at all the fancy fitness games to help you kick start your new year's resolution, James Cameron shares his thoughts on Avatar and has harsh words for all of you Halo Fanboys out there and we start to recap the Best Games of the Decade.
But that's not all! we're also giving you a preview of Red Dead Redemption, the new game from Rockstar, and debuting our highly anticipated trailer for Twilight: Modern Warfare 2. You are not going to want to miss it.
It's going to be one hell of a ride, so buckle the f*&k up and tune in tonight at 6:30 PM!
Could NBC's current fiasco with late-night be the boon that Heroes fans didn't even know they needed?
With diminishing ratings and popularity, it would hardly be original to assert that NBC's Heroes has fallen from grace and is in desperate need of a lucky break of some kind. The network's current late-night situation with Jay Leno's impending 11:35 return is one that will greatly affect the futures of Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, and (perhaps even more so as he is the most expendable,) Carson Daly. However, the freeing of five 10 pm prime-time spots throughout the week, may just be the incentive executives need to keep the once phenomenal, now on-the-fence superhero drama from getting the axe. However, its future still remains in question.
Having just wrapped the rest of its current season, there is a stark reality that what footage currently sits in the can (it's all digital now, so I guess it would be the metaphorical "can,") could very well be the last bit of footage that Heroes will ever air. While the show made many headlines last year with huge shake-ups in the creative team and new cast members, its (valiant) attempts to revamp itself creatively have not stopped the show's hemorrhaging. The question remains: Did the Heroes team film a season finale that would adequately serve as a SERIES finale?
It's possible, since Heroes was never a show that indulged in proper cliff-hangers, but rather, preferred to wrap-up its season's storyline into a neat package. (Which, you can argue, hurt it in the long term.) However, the looming shadow of cancellation is something that has been following this show for some time. Therefore, the idea of possibly wrapping the series altogether must surely have crossed their minds. A finale that would leave a healthy mix of finality and questions would serve it well, even if the series does ultimately get renewed.
What, then, are the show's chances of renewal?
As NBC exec Angela Bromstad told Sci-Fi, there has been no decision made about the show's fate. However, she did tell TV Guide that the series' performance has been "very strong" and could have a chance to return. At this point, creator, Tim Kring, will have to meet with NBC some time in the future to pitch the idea of continuing the series. According to Bromstad, it is standard practice for showrunners to pitch season renewels. However, I can't imagine Jerry Seinfeld having to do this in the heyday of his show. This is clearly standard practice for shows "in trouble."
On what could be considered a bright note for the show, Bromstad also asserted that should Heroes be renewed, it would not have to suffer any sort of budget cuts, adding that it was always responsible with its budget, anyway.
It's a shame, really. I actually think Heroes has done a reasonable job this season in focusing its storylines. Robert Knepper's Samuel Sullivan is an excellent villain, whose devious and mysterious nature is a welcome change from the bluntly (almost comically) homicidal Sylar. However, the stain of the past few seasons is still present and the constant return to themes from season one almost seem like desperation. While it has its moments, it unavoidably still feels like damaged goods. For their sake, hopefully, they can make the cumulative quality of the season pay-off into a memorable season finale that will remind us why we were head-over-heels for this show in 2006. Also, with "The Late Shift Part 2" playing out right before our eyes, perhaps, Conan O'Brien's pain will be Peter Petrelli's gain.
Fans of co-op-centric, military shooters, winter sports, HD remakes and/or walking simulators will be mighty pleased with this week’s new releases. EA’s Army of Two: The 40th Day aims to tickle your bro-ny bone (check back soon for my review), while Konami’s Walk It Out for Wii aims to get you all fired up about something you probably never thought would be the subject of an entire game: walking! And if you're looking for some nostalgic twitch shooting remastered in HD, then Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter should do the trick.
Slowly but surely, Netflix is establishing itself as the de facto streaming movie service. It's been a massive source of interest on Xbox 360, recently found a way to appear on PlayStation 3 (thanks to a disc loop hole) and seems to be on the cusp of its next move: Nintendo.
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings told reporters (via Gizmodo) at CES the likelihood of Netflix partnering with Nintendo was "excellent," though Hastings declined to elaborate further.
Rumors of Netflix making a Wii appearance have swirled for months. With PlayStation 3 out of the way, it sounds like Netflix is making final moves before expanding to yet another platform.
Fans of heavy machine guns and freeing endless amounts of P.O.W.s in arcade-style, shooter chaos can rejoice once more. Atlus and SNK/Playmore are not only bringing Metal Slug XX to Sony's PSP, but have released a trailer to give a peek into the latest the series' has to offer.
What is the status of the long-rumored Metal Gear Solid movie? Apparently things aren't looking too good. Let's put it this way: If the movie were Snake himself, you'd be watching a "game over" screen as someone is yelling "Snake? Snake? Snaaaaaake!!!" over the codec. At least, that is the case, according to producer, Mike De Luca.
In an interview with Collider, De Luca revealed that the grim outlook was due to an apparent conflict in agendas between Konami and studio, Columbia Pictures. As De Luca explains:
"I don’t think it’s going to move forward because I got the sense that there may not be enough of a coordinated will at this point on the side of certain parties to see a movie get made. And I get it because the problem with a lot of these adaptations is it’s such a huge franchise for the video game company. A movie can only hurt. If the movie’s great, you’re probably not going to sell more games. It’s such a separate thing. The franchise being as big as it kind of helps the movie…I’m not sure the movie does the same thing for the game."
Nothing specific has been revealed regarding the issues in contention, but it's easy to imagine how Konami would be protective of its signature franchise. Much of what made the MSG series unique was its grandiose storyline, ingrained quirkiness, and colorful characters. I can imagine a studio exec with no knowledge of the game looking at the story, saying: "Ah, screw this whole "Liquid Snake and Shadow Moses Island" thing. It's too cold and dreary. Let's make this Ninja be the main bad guy. He'll be in charge of a drug cartel -- in Miami, and we'll just say he's Snake's long-lost brother who was married to Meryl or something."
While obviously things need to be tweaked in order to adapt a story from a different medium into a watchable movie (be it from a book, comic title, or video game,) it would be pointless if the soul of the story was sacrificed for convenience. I'm not saying we need to bombard moviegoers with every long-winded speech and codec conversation, with references to things like The Philosopher's Legacy and La-li-lu-le-lo, but let's at least try to tell a story that takes place in the same universe. Those other things can be used to expand the story further in sequels. If this issue was tearing this project apart, it's a good thing Konami resisted. As De Luca further explains:
"I think there’s some things…the video game companies are very protective of their property and there are certain things a studio requires freedom-wise to market and distribute a movie effectively in a global marketplace and sometimes getting those two things to match up is really hard. And in the case of Metal Gear Solid, the agendas just….not because the parties weren’t amicable, it was just kind of impossible to get the agendas to match up."
One slight bone to pick: The idea that video game companies (in general) are "very protective of their property" is invalidated from just about EVERY video game film ever made. From Double Dragon, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (the first film was okay,) to even Nintendo's mascot in Super Mario Bros., the track record isn't exactly impeccable. (And do we even need to get into Uwe Boll to further examine this angle?) However, if De Luca is speaking as an insider about how things have been within the last few years, then we might take it as a good sign that game companies may not be so quick to give Hollywood the green light without looking into things. That may be the silver lining with this situation.
Regardless, it appears that we are being spared from what may have been a painful bastardization of this sacred franchise. While I personally am not opposed to the idea of adapting the Metal Gear mythos into a film, hopefully, it will come down the pike at a time when it can be made properly.
Adult actor and crusty old porn guy Ron Jeremy has a bone to pick (get it??) with the video game industry. Mr. Jeremy faced off with Craig Gross, an anti-pornography media activist, at a CES debate last week and the two locked horns over porn's place in our lives. As you'd expect, the subject of children accessing adult material was raised, and Mr. Jeremy said: "We don't want kids to watch porn," but went on to say. "[Studies have] found that violent video games are much bigger a negative influence on kids."
Ouch! That's a low-blow, and a very debatable one -- I'm not sure what Ron Jeremy's sources are, but you can bet I'm digging to the bottom of this important issue.
Along with his opinions on gaming, the debate revealed that Jeremy is so tech-backward you have to contact him through a fax machine, or so alleges Mr. Gross.
I think Ron Jeremy is just mad because he looks like Mario, but doesn't get to star in popular and beloved video games -- See photo above. What do you think -- does Ron Jeremy have a point?
Despite demonstrating the weak financial prospects of the mature Wii game market, MadWorld caught many people's attention, for some rather obvious reasons. And while the market for ultra-stylized, over-the-top violent and gory Wii games has yet to hit its commercial stride, director Shigenori Nishikawa is pulling for a sequel somewhere down the line.
"I think MadWorld was very well received and was acknowledged for its innovative graphical style and gameplay. We would definitely be interested in making a sequel in the future,” Nishikawa reveals in the upcoming issue of Official Nintendo Magazine.
It isn’t that surprising to hear a developer say they’d like to see another installment in a franchise they’re particularly proud of, but this is one case where the financial realities of a sequel and the creative ambitions of a developer are in direct opposition. Not that a sequel is completely out of the question, of course, but it probably won’t be seriously considered until a steady stream of popular mature Wii games are released.
Would you be interested in seeing a MadWorld sequel? Did you buy the first game?
Unless something dramatically changes, we're never going to play Obsidian Entertainment's Aliens RPG. Sega cancelled the project before an official unveiling. Thanks to the magic of YouTube and someone keen to show the world what Obsidian was working on, however, we've been given our first (albeit dark and grainy) look at how the Aliens RPG was shaping up.
Based on the video, which remains unconfirmed but looks legitimate, the Aliens RPG would have been a squad-based, third-person shooter RPG. It's difficult to glean too much more from the available footage, as it's clearly from a very much unfinished game without much context.
It's better than nothing, though, and Obsidian has been keeping themselves busy ever since. The studio's Fallout: New Vegas should be unveiled soon and maybe, just maybe, Sega will finally release Alpha Protocol (which was supposed to release in October) one of these days.
The new Aliens vs. Predator ships next month on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.
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These Mass Effect 2 trailers continue to raise eyebrows as the rebellious, bald warrior, Subject Zero,speaks her peace on why she's under Shepard's command.
On a side note, at the disgust of fellow Feed writer, Jake Gaskill, I find her oddly attractive for some reason. Sign me up Jake, sign me up!
G4's X-Play is turning one thousand! On February 1, television’s longest running video game series will air its 1,000th episode, so we're celebrating with a show jam-packed with awesome: Hosts Adam Sessler and Morgan Webb will present a retrospective of the series’ greatest moments, there will be appearances by game industry luminaries, and much more.
The 1,000th episode will also mark the launch of X-Play in high-definition (where G4 HD is available). The six-hour celebration begins with a "Best of X-Play" marathon on Feb. 1 at 1PM ET/PT, leading into a special one-hour "X-Play 1000th” special at 6PM ET/PT, only on G4. Beginning today, Monday, January 11 you can vote for your ten X-Play favorite episodesto be shown in the five-hour, 10-episode “Best of X-Play” marathon.
The roster of 1,000th episode special appearances include:
Will Wright, Creator of The Sims
Cliff Bleszinski, Founder of Epic Games and Creator of Gears of War
Todd Howard, Executive Producer and Designer for Bethesda Softworks
Tim Schafer, Founder of Double Fine Productions
Ted Price, President and CEO of Insomniac Games
Plus:
Brand new comedy from a surprise guest
X-Play’s most brutal game reviews
The first X-Play episode with Adam and Morgan, and Morgan's first television appearance on The Screen Savers.
Adam Sessler’s first appearances on Gamespot TV and Extended Play
An homage to Morgan’s many hair styles
Where are they now? Featuring X-Play’s most beloved characters
We're just a few weeks out from Mass Effect 2, but at CES last week, BioWare was already chatting up plans for the third entry in the currently-proposed Mass Effect trilogy to IGN.
"We are already at work on Mass Effect 3," said Mass Effect 2 project director Casey Hudson about the next game. "'[We're] building the first bits of the story, putting that together."
Even though Mass Effect 3 will finish out the current story arc, the massive success of the franchise makes it seem unlikely that BioWare will be shelving the series anytime soon.
You see that? Yeah, that's not a tablet computer or a 3D plasma television. Attack of the Show will be featuring the wild side of cutting edge car technology in a special segment of Rides, Whips & Hoons. This time, we're taking a look at the exclusive Ferrari Enzo XX Evolution, the swanky Bentley Continental Supersports and the fire fighting Amatoya concept car. Get ready to rev your engines at 7:00p tonight!
ESPN let the cat out of the bag last week, but now it's official: Electronic Arts announced this morning that a new version of NBA Jam is headed to the Nintendo Wii.
EA promises to revive the franchise with "vintage NBA Jam gameplay, and all-new features that deliver a fresh new take on the game. Featuring the sights and sounds that fans of the franchise will instantly recognize, EA Sports NBA Jam mixes the old school with the new, to deliver a one-of-a-kind sports presentation on the Wii."
Along with the classic gameplay you probably remember, the new version of Jam will feature "true-to-life body types," updated physics, and "visible player emotion." It's a Wii exclusive and it's scheduled for release in 2010.
So, on a scale of one to 100, how excited are you for this game? I'm hovering around a 66. I have many fond memories of the original (Boom shaka-laka!), but on the other hand, it's for the Wii only! Couldn't we get a 360 version?
Welcome to Morning Hangover -- an excellent way to start your day with the crew at TheFeed...no matter what you're recovering from. Every morning you'll hear musings from our editors and have the chance to share your thoughts on what's going on in the gaming world.
The recent Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas has me (and everyone) thinking gadgets. Specifically, I've been considering which recently invented electronic products are the most vital to my life. Here's my picks:
Cell Phone: for obvious reasons.
GPS System: When I was given this a couple years ago, I debated returning it; after all, my sense of direction is fine, but after using it for a bit, I've realized that never needing directions anywhere, ever, is a huge life-change.
iPod: Again, for the car. I spend a lot of time driving, and if I were forced to listen to actual radio instead of podcasts and my music, I think I'd go crazy.
Jet-Pack: My Electro-tron 4300 personal Jetpack isn't available commercially, but I love hopping over buildings!
What about you? Got any can't-live-without-it gadgets?
The big news this week is obviously CES, that yearly gathering of the tech tribe that takes place in Vegas. We've got a ton of coverage right here at G4TV.com, of course. Check it out.
We also had time last week to bring you all the original web shows you love:
1. In A Post-Avatar World, 3D Is The Next Big Thing
3. Mobile Advancement Begins Eyeing DS, PSP
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