The premise/story is an often-overlooked portion of a game. Innovative gameplay, realistic physics and cutting edge graphics are traits that gamers seem to focus upon when talking about games. But how many truly great games have all of these factors plus an interesting and thought-provoking storyline? Well, the story was one of the reasons I was drawn towards Infernal, along with the graphics, gameplay and physics. Unfortunately when all of these ingredients are on the verge of going sour it can make for a bland gaming experience.

Read the rest of this entry »

According to internet reports, Konami will be releasing an Xbox 360 version of Metal Gear Solid 4 some time in 2008.

According to reports from British multimedia website Digitalspy, Konami has decided to port its former PS3-exclusive, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, over to the Xbox 360 some time during 2008.

The report details that the Xbox 360 iteration will contain exclusive content not featured in the PS3 version, and mentions that a “stripped-down” version may possibly find its way on to Nintendo Wii.

“The game is set after the events of MGS2 and players will reprise the role of top secret agent Solid Snake with appearances by characters throughout the MGS series. With the addition of online capability, MGS4 is a leading product and will signal the dawn of a new gaming era for the MGS series”, Konami stated.

“MGS4 brings a totally new concept and situation, resulting in the toughest Metal Gear infiltration mission ever devised.”

Obviously, we’d like to note that at this stage, these reports should be taken strictly as rumors, as we are currently unable to substantiate anything Digitalspy has reported. Additionally, the website failed to cite its information, though it seems questionable as to why such a popular website would post fake information. Similar reports have also cropped up on websites including Digg.com.

We’ll keep you posted on any developments.

Originally from GWN

Surely Sony Computer Entertainment would be mad not to bring its flagship gore-fest God of War to the PlayStation 3 - and if the latest hints are anything to go by, the Santa Monica studio is at least considering it.”There’s definitely the enthusiasm of us wanting to do that, to make the God of War III,” series director Cory Barlog told ShackNews, “but there’s obviously no commitment to that right now.”

Right, so officially they’re not working on it but that doesn’t stop him offering thoughts on what a third game in the series would feature.

“Put it this way. If we ever do get to make God of War III, it’ll have connections to all the games, just like [God of War PSP] has direct links to [God of War] II. So if you go and you play this game, if you remember in II or you go back and play II, you’ll see situations that are directly explained because of the PSP [version] and [this game] helps flesh out [the mythology] even more. All these games have a connection to each other.”

If your memory goes as far back as 2005, you’ll remember that magazine press reported a PS3 God of War installment alongside the second PS2 version. Perhaps SCE will have something to say about it come E3 in July.

Originally from GamesRadar

What we heard: On May 8, the debut of Halo 2 on the PC was supposed to herald in a new age of Vista-enabled gaming on Windows Live. But then its launch was pushed back to May 22 and then again on May 24, when the game was officially–and suddenly–delayed to May 31.

Today, though, rumors began to spread like an unchecked rash that Halo 2’s postponement had a fleshy origin. According to numerous online reports, the Master Chief’s Windows Vista debut was delayed because the build shipped to retailers contained partial nudity.

The reports about the Halo 2 nudity were confirmed by an unlikely source–Microsoft itself. Famously recalcitrant when it comes to rumors about its games, the software giant flat-out admitted that Halo 2 contained risqué content. “An unfortunate, obscure content error which includes partial nudity was included in our initial production of Halo 2 for Windows Vista,” the company told.

One thing Microsoft would not comment on was a nonobscured photo attributed to Halo 2 that showed an error message displaying a young Caucasian male’s rear end to the camera. Photos of said derriere surfaced on various sites, including popular blog Kotaku (WARNING: ADULT CONTENT), all of which said it came from the the PC game.

Microsoft declined to address the photo, saying only that the nude image in question in Halo 2 could not be seen by those simply playing the game. However, the ESRB had no such qualms about describing the game’s interior posterior. “The content in question, although likely to be inaccessible to the vast majority of users, displays a photograph of an individual showing his bare backside to the user when a particular error occurs,” an ESRB spokesperson said.

The inclusion of said nudity has caused Halo 2’s M for Mature rating to be tweaked by the Entertainment Software Rating Board. Now, the game’s label must include the words “partial nudity,” and all boxed copies must be relabeled–hence the delay. “As a result of updates to retail packaging, Halo 2 for Windows Vista will now ship from manufacturers on May 31,” Microsoft said before apologizing for said delay. Microsoft also released a Halo 2 patch that will make the nude content totally unviewable, and anyone wishing to play the game online must auto-update the game with said patch.

Bogus or not bogus?: Not bogus.

Originally from GameSpot

You all remember God of War, right? Yes, the bloody, balls out, action based wanderer and brawler that stands tall as one of the best games of the last decade. If the answer to that question happens to be no, then give yourself ten lashings for missing out on one of gaming’s best ever titles.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tired of the same old two dimensions? Perform the necessary tasks to play in 3-D for as long as you like!

Endless 3-D Super Paper Mario!
Beat the Flopside Pit of 100 Trails twice and get Mario’s Card. This will allow you to go into 3D for as long as you want.

Originally from GamePro

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End came close to being a great movie-based video games because it plays well, something that cannot be said of Activision’s abysmal Spider-Man 3 and Shrek the Third.

Disney apparently couldn’t help its subsidiary, Disney Interactive create an authentic video game based on an upcoming film destined to break box office records. No one signed Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom or Keira Knightley to provide voiceovers. No one shelled out the dough to capture actual tracks from films, instead settling for music “inspired by the movies” and no one stopped developer Eurocom from altering key scenes from Dead Man’s Chest, one of the two films the game chronicles (At World’s End being the other). As a result, gamers must put up with (Jack Sparrow excluded) lackluster acting, passionless music and events that don’t coincide with the source material. Not that people should even watch the cut scenes, which not only look worse than the rest of the game, but also feel disjointed and unfinished, thanks to awkward pauses and a lack of dialogue. Apparently, not even second rate actors come cheap.

Despite all this, there lies an entertaining video game, not an amazingly polished or even well designed one, but fun nonetheless. Players experience key battles from both films, wandering around Tortuga, scaling pirate ships, battling the Kraken, exploring a dangerous tropical island and hunting for buried treasure, all the while hacking their way to victory. Eurocom does a good job delivering swashbuckling to the masses at the expense of a block button. An innovative dodge mechanic takes its place, where gamers look for a red circle underneath and opponent’s feet and then tilt the left analog stick, side stepping their adversary and executing a trip, slash or back body drop. All one must do to defeat the ugly pirates and Davy Jones’ henchman is button mash, which causes their selected pirate, whether it be Sparrow, Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann or one of the game’s numerous characters to slice and dice their foes. At the same time, they can also execute special moves, twirling around and sticking bad guys or even working as a team to unleash two-character attacks. Gamers can even switch between pirates on the fly by pressing left or right on the d-pad, allowing them to explore new combos.

This works well, even in the face of linear missions that force gamers to hit switches, explore one area before proceeding or kill a certain number of enemies to move on, all thanks to a point system that rises the more secret items/coin bags people collect and special moves they perform. The more loot they snag, the more points they earn a better chance at overtaking fellow pirates on the Xbox Live leader boards. This alone drives the game, carrying players to its conclusion. It masks its warts, even the boring and oftentimes unfair dueling segments where players, moving at a much slower pace, swordfight an artificially controlled opponent (or another person in the limited multiplayer mode). Similar to Microsoft’s Xbox 360 video game, Crackdown, the concept of collecting outweighs most of the negatives. Forget about the lack of an Xbox Live multiplayer mode and that most of the secret “extras” amount to unimpressive storyboards and character models.

At least the game looks good. Sunlight bursts through green foliage, water flows realistically, the Kraken’s tentacles tear apart the Black Pearl and Jack Sparrow has his bizarre mannerisms. Not all of the faces look good, odd considering Eurocom scored digital scans of the actors, but for the most part, At World’s End is one fine looking video game, so good that it makes the fuzzy, low resolution cut scenes look awful.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End is one of the best and worst movie-based games. On one hand, it features a simple play style that almost anyone can learn, and collecting stuff to beat people online never gets old. On the other, Disney deserves an empty rum bottle to its collective head for not having the foresight and/or putting forth the effort to do one of its greatest franchises justice. Clearly, the bottom line was more important than creating something special.

Final Score: 7 (out of 10)

Originally from GameDaily

Final Fantasy maker rakes in record sales, but profit falls; unconfirmed reports say PS3 RPG won’t be out until next spring–at the earliest.

Two weeks after its massive Gamers’ Day outside Tokyo, Square Enix has reported its earnings for its 2006 fiscal year, which ended March 31, 2007. The prior 12 months saw the company’s revenue soar 31.3 percent year-on-year to 163.4 billion yen ($1.3 billion), its best-ever annual haul.

Operating profit for the fiscal year was 25.9 billion yen ($213.1 million), up from 15.47 billion yen ($127.21 million). However, due to the vagaries of finance, the company’s net profit of 11.62 billion yen ($95.54 million) was actually down 32 percent. That’s because during the past fiscal year, the company only had 3.0 billion yen ($24.6 million) in tax write-offs, versus 9.0 billion yen ($74.1 million) the prior year.

In total, Square Enix shipped 16.9 million units of software to retailers during its last fiscal year. As a result its packaged games operating income of 16.3 billion yen ($134.1 million) on 51.3 billion yen ($422.1 million) in net revenue, up from 9.6 billion yen ($78.9 million) on 45.9 billion yen ($377.4 million) the year before. Online games saw 6.8 billion yen ($55.9 million) in operating income on 13.7 billion yen ($112.7 million) in net revenue, up from 5.9 billion yen ($48.5 million) on 15.7 billion yen ($129.1 million) the previous annum.

The AFX news service quoted Square Enix chief financial officer Yosuke Matsuda as saying, “Packaged game sales did well, in particular in North America and Europe, led by such titles as Final Fantasy XII.”

Of more interest to gamers is what Square Enix has planned for its next fiscal year–or, more accurately, what it doesn’t have planned. According to several online reports–most stemming from an IGN translation–Square Enix president Yoichi Wada told a press conference that Final Fantasy XIII would not ship during Square Enix’s current financial year.

“It will take a bit more time,” Wada reportedly said about FFXIII. “At the very least, this fiscal year is definitely out of the question.” When contacted by GameSpot, Square Enix USA reps claimed they were unaware of Wada’s comments and were waiting on official word. “We’ll get a translation to you as soon we receive one,” was all a rep would say.

Originally from GameSpot

Will Stationary complexes be removed? If yes, then for when is this planned?

NW: We’re removing the majority of static complexes in exchange for exploration sites. 1/10. 2/10 and COSMOS complexes will remain static but you’ll need to get out your scan probes to find your favorite 10/10. These changes will go live with Revelations 2.0

Will Agents #5 be available? What types of missions will they give out?

NW: Level 5 agents are part of Revelations 2.0. The goal of level 5 missions is to give a challenge to players who are running missions in groups. Level 5 missions are balanced to be much too hard for solo players to complete. Along with these group missions, we’re introducing features to promote running missions in a group such as sharing loyalty points, standings increases and ISK rewards between gang members when a mission is completed.

What exactly will the sovereignty of constellation give and what will be the conditions of claiming constellations?

NW: By the time readers see this there should be an extensive dev blog that outlines everything involved with the new sovereignty changes. The biggest new features are outpost upgrades which can increase an outpost’s manufacturing, refining, research or offices. There are also new starbase structures like system scanning arrays and the jump bridge. With the highest level of constellation sovereignty all of the structures in your capital system become invulnerable to attack.

Are there any plans to change POS Warfare, which will reward battles, not POS-spam like it does right now?

NW: Starbase Warfare is undergoing a lot of change in Revelation 2.0. POS-spam is going away with the new staking nerf on anchoring time. The more towers you lay down, the longer they will take to anchor. The next thing players will notice is that they can now place guns outside of their starbase and with a skill they will be able to take control of them. This means a well-defended starbase will be much more deadly but also means attackers will be able to do hit and run tactics against individual structures.

When will battleships and battle cruisers from technology 2 appear in the game? What will they do?

NW: We’ve already got tech 2 battlecruisers in the form of Command ships and they are quite popular. Tech 2 battleships are definitely somewhere on the horizon but we won’t be seeing them in Rev 2.0. Don’t expect tech 2 battleships to fill a heavy assault role; we want them to fill more specialized roles when they are introduced.

How many people are involved in the development of EVE online? How much did the CCP grow, compared to the launch of the game in 2003? Are you planning to increase the amount of GMs and developers?
NW: If we’re counting volunteers — who, by the way work very hard on EVE; I should know since I started as one — then there are over 700 people currently involved with EVE’s development. If we get picky and only count the people on the payroll then the number is just under 200. CCP has grown quite a bit since its inception. At launch there were 25 employees. I was employee #35. Now I can look out through the glass walls of my office and see most of the 34 members of my department. I’m really happy with how far we’ve come since I’ve been part of the team. We’re slowly increasing our team and using some outsourcing when it seems prudent. We’ve got new GM teams in Shanghai and Atlanta which helps the Reykjavik staff cover all 24 hours of the day. If readers are interested in moving to Iceland or America they should check out our jobs page at http://www.ccpgames.com/jobs.aspx.

EVE online has a powerful PvP aspect, but it’s though that PvE (missions) in the game are undifferentiated and repeated. Are there any plans to diversify this part? You could, for example, add interesting chain errands, the completion of which would take a month’s game time. Or something of the sort.

NW: We’ve ramped up our content creation staff quite a bit recently. We used to have one dev (Zrakor) writing missions and now we’ve got three full-time agent mission authors and three full-time exploration encounter authors. But that’s just who we’ve got in-house here in Reykjavik. There is also the new team of writers from White Wolf and their large pool of freelance writers that we now have to draw from. We’re just starting to feel the effects of the White Wolf merger in the content creation side and so far things are working out great. Everyone is really excited to work with each other because there is a ton of mutual respect between the two groups.

It’s obvious that with the development of EVE Online, new ships will be added. Please tell us what the players should expect. Will there be some kind of new Doom Stars that are indestructible? Or maybe some highly specialized ships? If you can, give us some examples of the prototypes that are being worked on.

NW: There are no new ships coming in Revelations 2.0 but we will be introducing Heat. Heat is going to open up a lot of gameplay possibilities for us. Tech 3 ships and modules will be making better use of Heat than their tech 1 and 2 counter parts. More play testing needs to happen before we can really decide the direction we want to go with all these new tech 3 ships.

Is the improvement of graphic effects planned? Will the client be made for Direct X 10? What will be improved? Are advanced soundings planned?

NW: Currently all the graphics in the game are being redone in high resolution to support modern hardware and software that people have now. That coincides with the new version of our rendering engine that both looks better and performs faster. The stuff I’m seeing come from the artists looks amazing. I’m actually predicting some players will get blown up in the days after this stuff is released because they will just be sitting in space outside a space station amazed at how cool it looks. On top of all the graphic upgrades we’re doing we’re also improving the sound. We now have a full-time audio engineer working on the engine and our composer has been cranking out 5.1 versions of the audio tracks. These are exciting times indeed.

Originally from Goha.ru