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Most of my weekend will be spent playing a little real-life Tetris, as I attempt to find open slots for all the boxes, furniture and knickknacks still in boxes from the relocation endeavor.
First thing I'll be playing in the virtual world this weekend is the iPhone version of Doom: Resurrection, in anticipation of an upcoming review. Probably should update the firmware on that thing so I'm up to speed on all my iPhone needs. I'll also be giving BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger another crack, once the TV, Xbox 360 and all necessary audio-visual equipment is hooked up.
This weekend, I'll also more than likely be picking some games to sell off and give away. There are a half-dozen Sega Saturn games—Shining Force III, Guardian Heroes, Burning Rangers—that will get more use at someone else's house.
What will you be playing this American holiday weekend?
iceman adapted to its full mod "Hokuto No Doom" on the engine "DS DOOM", which will delight many a fan of manga "Ken the survivor."
Quote:
* What is included *
New levels: None (but offers a complete review of the episode 1 levels)
Sounds: Yes
Music: Yes
Graphics: Yes
Dehacked / BEX Patch: No
Demos: Yes (recorded to be compliant with both 1.9 and 1666 versions)
Other: No
Other files required: Doom1.wad to use this "hokuto.wad" as a PWAD
* Play Information *
Game: Doom
Single Player: Yes
Cooperative 2-4 Player: Yes
Deathmatch 2-4 Player: Yes
Other game styles: None
Difficulty Settings: Not implemented
* Construction *
Base: New from scratch
Build Time: 1200 hours during 11 months from October 2006 till September 2007
Editor (s) used: Doombuilder, XWE, Dmgraph, Dmaud, Midi2mus, Dmmusic
Known Bugs:
As sprites are bigger in order to respect original comic / TV animation, heads may be cut by the ceilings on OpenGL port.
- "POSS" caracter size requires a minimum value of "88" from floor to ceiling.
- "Sarge" caracter size requires a minimum value of "104" from floor to ceiling.
We advise you to not play in fast monster "mode as" Sarge "caracter did not have a speed matching with the original TV animation one.
On most TVs and projectors movies and games are too dark or missing detail in dark scenes. GammaX fixes this by adding a Gamma Boost without washing out the picture.
Simply plug the GammaX directly into the HDfury2, HDfury, HDfury Gamer Edition, or any device with RGB output and enjoy a more vibrant picture with perfect shadow details!
Using the original HDfury or HDfury Gamer Edition? The GammaX also includes a cable driver which lets you use monitor cables or long RGB projector cables (any length) without having to plug the HDfury or HDfury Gamer Edition directly into your TV!
The included power supply is not needed when the GammaX is used with the HDfury2, simplifying the cables and connections. (The power supply is needed for HDfury, HDfury Gamer Edition, or other RGB source users).
Many projectors and displays only work with either positive or negative sync RGB signals. The GammaX provides a user selectable positive or negative sync switch for displays that only accept negative sync such as the following projectors: Barco 800-801-808-1208, Dwin 500-700, and so on.
The GammaX is 100% Plug-and-play. No configuration or extra steps required. GammaX works at all resolutions, including 1080p and beyond.
Note: GammaX does not support component signals, only RGB. This includes the HDfury2 set to component (YUV) output mode. If you wish to add Gamma Boost to a component-only capable display, use the Box1020 instead.
- Input: RGBHV HD-15 D-Sub (VGA) Female Connector (direct connection to HDfury1 or HDfury2)
- Output: RGBHV HD-15 D-Sub (VGA) Male Connector (direct connection to TV)
- Cable driver built in allowing you to use an analog output cable of any length. Useful for using the original HDfury or HDfury Gamer Edition with monitor cables or long RGB projector cables. No need to plug the HDfury or HDfury Gamer Edition directly into your TV!
- Power supply included for use with HDfury, HDfury Gamer Edition, or other RGB sources
- Power supply not needed if used with the HDfury2, the HDfury2 supplies the power
- Plug-and-play, no extra steps required
- Adjustable Gamma Boost for restoring lost shadow details
- Slide potentiometer for easy Gamma Boost adjustment
- Compatible with all RGB sources
- Supports all standard HD formats and SD formats: 1080p-1080i-720p-etc. in NTSC-PAL-SECAM
- Supports all PC resolutions including extremely high resolutions such as 1600x1200-100Hz and 1920x1440-60Hz
- 450Mhz large signal (-3dB) bandwidth for virtually lossless video processing
- Full dynamic range for maximum picture detail at all resolutions
- User selectable positive or negative sync output for displays that only accept negative sync (ex: Barco 800-801-808-1208, Dwin, etc.)
- Precise black levels - no black crush or missing details or washed-out whites
There are several offerings spread across DSiWare, WiiWare and Virtual Console today - all in celebration of another Hanabi festival. This typically fills Nintendo's online cupboards with old games previously restricted to Japan, and bumps the price up a bit in the process.
Those oldies are action platform Mega Drive game Pulseman, and SNES strategy game Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen. Both cost 900 Nintendo Points (GBP 6.30 / EUR 9 approx - online-bought points and shop-bought points differ in price).
Today also marks the release of Konami's first WiiWare game Gradius Rebirth, which will be followed by top-down racer Driift Mania later this month and Contra Rebirth in August.
Gradius Rebirth is joined on WiiWare by Bit Boy!!, a pixelated RPG, which has 4-bit dungeons, 8-bit caves, 16-bit strongholds, 32-bit labyrinths, 64-bit arenas and 128-bit worlds. Apparently. Gradius Rebirth and Bit Boy!! cost 600 NP (GBP 4.20 / EUR 6 approx) each.
DSiWare boasts two Mario-themed extras - a clock and a calculator - for 200 NP (GBP 1.40 / EUR 2 approx) each. There's also Brain Challenge, which isn't Brain Training but might as well be. Brain Challenge costs 800 NP (GBP 5.60 / EUR 8 approx).
Fans of Chibi-Robo should enjoy Okaeri! Chibi-Robo! Happy Rich Oosouji (Welcome Home Chibi-Robo! Happy, Rich Big Sweep). The two games are pretty similar. Players pick up trash, sweep floors, and do chores to keep Jenny and her family happy.
Yes, Jenny the little girl who had a thing for frogs is all grown up. She has a boy named Keith who loves wrestling, a dog called Lucky, and Chibi-Robo! Unlike Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol this game takes place inside a house — a messy house you have to clean up. Chibi-Robo has a toothbrush to scrub floors and a new vacuum cleaner to suck up dust.
Chibi-Robo also has a little sifter which can separate dirt from precious gems. These are traded inside Chibi-Robo’s little home for money, which he uses to purchase furniture from a home shopping network. Since Chibi-Robo is so tiny he has to “dance” on a phone to place an order. How adorable.
There are a few gameplay movies of Okaeri! Chibi-Robo! Happy Rich Oosouji over at the official page, which Nintendo finally opened. Welcome Home Chibi-Robo! Happy, Rich Big Sweep is scheduled to come out in Japan on July 23. A North American release has not been announced at this time.
Sega hasn’t forgotten about Infinite Space. PlatinumGames’ second project is being localized. One of the anime shorts created by Production I.G. already has English voice acting.
Along with the clip, Sega announced Infinite Space is on course for a spring 2010 release. The Japanese version came out last month and it topped the charts the week it came out.
The number one game in the Japanese chart comes as no surprise following news earlier in the week that Wii Sports Resort shifted over 350,000 copies during its first four days on sale.
The Nintendo title, bundled with the new MotionPlus add-on, tops the all-format software chart for the week ended June 28 with a total sales of 359,690, outselling the second biggest selling title - Tomodachi Collection - more than five times over.
Its success may have impacted slightly on the Japanese hardware chart for the week too as sales of the Wii were up slightly from 19,386 last week to 21,790.
The console's DS stablemate delivered a near identical performance to the week prior with 45,480 units sold (39,995 DSi and the remaining for the DS Lite) compared to 45,995, and PSP sales remained solid at 26,789 units.
PS3 continued to take steps in the right direction with 11,310 sales, up from 10,359 the week previous. The software chart delivered similarly good news for the system, with three new PS3 releases - Atelier Rorona: Alchemist of Arland, BlazBlue and Agarest Senki Zero - debuting in the top ten.
The Xbox 360 and PS2 systems sold 5,766 and 3,578 units respectively.
The full hardware charts from Media Create follow:
Nintendo DS - 45,480
PlayStation Portable - 26,789
Nintendo Wii - 21,790
PlayStation 3 - 11,310
Xbox 360 - 5,766
PlayStation 2 - 3,578
The top ten best-selling games in Japan follow:
01 Wii Sports Resort (Nintendo) - 359,690
02 Tomodachi Collection (Friend Collection) (Nintendo) - 71,692
03 Atelier Rorona: Alchemist of Arland (Gust) - 43,243
04 Ken to Mahou to Gakuen Mono. 2 (Sword & Magic & School 2) (Acquire) - 38,614
05 BlazBlue (Arc System Works) - 33,768
06 BlazBlue (Arc System Works) - 24,812
07 Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days (Square Enix) - 22,114
08 Agarest Senki Zero (Compile Heart) - 14,466
09 Monster Hunter Portable 2 G (Capcom) - 12,985
10 Sloane and MacHale's Mysterious Story (Level 5) - 12,537
David Amor of Buzz developer Relentless believes that the unexplored casual genre will deliver radical new IP that will sell tens of millions.
Speaking to Develop in an interview published today, Amor drew on the phenomenal success of certain casual IPs, adding that the winning formula is not likely to go away.
“I think that casual games remain an untapped genre; I’ve worked in more traditional genres for years and years before saying “right, let’s make games for other people”, and I don’t think we’re anywhere near discovering how many games can be made to satisfy that audience,” he said.
“Guitar Hero did well, Buzz did well, SingStar did well, Wii Fit did well; this isn’t the end of that.”
“There are games, currently un-thought of in the casual genre, that will sell tens of millions. I’d rather have a business in that category rather than more established ones to be honest with you.”
AntonioND has released a new version of 3D Engine for the DS:
Hello!
This is a 3D engine, which aim is to make easier the procces of making a 3D game for the DS
Characteristics:
-Loader of models and textures from FAT.
-Dual 3D, as easy as normal 3D.
-Can load BMPs of 8, 16, and 24 bits and convert them into textures.
-Hardware-accelerated effects like fog and toon shading.
-You can take screenshots of both screens in dual 3D mode or the 3D screen in normal 3D mode.
-Animated model support, models are drawn using linear interpolation.
-2D over 3D system.
-Very basic physics engine.
-API functions.
-2D text in 3D mode, any character size allowed.
-More things...
TODO:
-Improve physics engine.
-You can ask me for the things you would like to see.
Quirky has released a new version of Bunjalloo a few hours ago, heres the release notes:
Bunjalloo is a web browser for the Nintendo DS. It is free software under and active development. Already Bunjalloo can display simple pages, follow links and view images.
Changelog
Changes 0.7.4:
Fixed freezing after only a few page loads ( Issue 97 )
Changes 0.7.3:
A new NDS banner bitmap by Sam Goldfield
Add new scrolling method - just hold and drag, sort of
Page up and down now scroll just 1 screen
Fix for linked image following a text link, which caused an unclickable text link
Fix crash caused by bad HTML entities
Fix memory leak when unzipping files
Fix for some rarer types of PNG image
Disable button shortcuts when keyboard is visible
Remove automatic DLDI patching of unzipped NDS files
Update to devkitPro r26 and libpng 1.2.37
Atari's slow collapse continues with the loss of the company's most lucrative franchise. No, not Ghostbusters -- it's Dragon Ball, which has produced approximately a billion video games so far. The franchise will now go back to Namco Bandai, the original Japanese publisher of the series. According to a statement by Namco Bandai, the agreement will run for five years beginning in January 2010 and will supersede any existing publishing rights. In addition, Namco Bandai will publish the upcoming Dragon Ball: Raging Blast game for Xbox 360 and PS3, Dragon Ball: Revenge of King Piccolo for Wii, and Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans for DS all this year.
The loss of the Dragon Ball franchise is perhaps the greatest evidence of the financial challenges that face Atari. Earlier this year, the company pulled out of E3, sold its European publishing division, and even sold exclusivity rights for Ghostbusters, all presumably for a small cash influx. With Phil Harrison recently stepping down from his position at the company, it's clear that Atari will see even more troubled times ahead
Voice-activated exercise specialist VPT Technologies has been spotted trademarking the names Fitness Hero and Workout Hero.
Siliconera laid eyes on the patent, which mentions "a web-based videogame system to connect all users in a safe and secure global network".
Phrases like "align the various markets" and "synergistic" are thrown in almost for fun.
Activision has had immense success with Guitar Hero, which has lead to spin-offs of Hero-related rhythm titles. DJ Hero arrives on its wave of marketing-powered excitement this autumn.
Gearbox appears to want a piece of the Hero pie as well, having recently trademarked a quartet of familiar sounding names: War Hero, World War II Hero, Modern War Hero and Brothers In Arms War Hero.
SEGA has announced another adaptation of Japanese anime Bleach for DS, although strategy RPG will be the genre, rather than fighting, and the author and creator of the cartoon, Tite Kubo, will supervise.
He'll help create Bleach: The 3rd Phantom's entirely new and exclusive storyline, which has both familiar and never-before-seen characters you can chat to using an interactive dialogue system.
Experience from fighting - that old RPG staple - also features, as do upgradable abilities and powers. Bleach: The 3rd Phantom requires a mixture of these to overcome different situations. The main characters the Soul Reaper twins, for example, take different approaches but can combine to unleash ultimate moves.
You'll explore an isometric world but fight in 2D. And two friends can fight each other using Wi-Fi.
Bleach: The 3rd Phantom is due for release early next year.
Take-Two and Rockstar are expected to release two brand new downloadable episodes for Grand Theft Auto IV in fiscal 2010, and release GTA V the following financial year.
That's according to analyst Todd Mitchell, who told GamesIndustry.biz that following the release of Xbox 360 exclusives The Lost and the Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, two all-new episodes are due – possibly across both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 platforms.
"I would expect that there would be two more pieces of downloadable content for GTA IV, that's what has been indicated to me, although formats are unsure. It's been indicated to me to me that would be the case," said Mitchell, of Kaufman Bros. Equity Research.
Mitchell also stated that he's expecting Grand Theft Auto V to be released in the 2011 financial year, and there's also the possibility of a new GTA title for the PlayStation 2 next year.
"Coming out of E3 there was no commitment to a new Grand Theft Auto, and I think that's because of Rockstar's track record with delivering on time," said Mitchell.
"Of the three, I'm least confident in saying for sure there will be a new GTA for PlayStation 2, but the track record shows that PSP titles have been repositioned [on PS2]," he said, referring to the recent announcement of GTA: Chinatown Wars for the PSP.
Despite all the talk of Rockstar's biggest franchise, Kaufman Bros. has upgraded Take-Two to a 'buy' rating because the publisher is demonstrating that it no longer needs to rely on GTA to score blockbuster hits.
Newly announced Rockstar title Agent will be released in 2010, said the company, along with an as-yet unannounced title from 2K Games
"We believe Take-Two has a solid line-up for fiscal 2010 even without a GTA V release," noted Kaufman Bros.
"Our outlook includes expected strong sell-through of Bioshock 2, and the release of two 'AAA' titles, each from Rockstar (Red Dead Redemption and Agent) and 2K Games (Mafia II and TBD), reiterations of 2K Sports and 2K Play's annual line-ups, an expected GTA title for the PS2, expected strong sell-through of GTA: Chinatown Wars for the PSP, and new GTA DLC for the Xbox 360 and PS3.
"We now look for the release of GTA V in fiscal 2011, and believe IP introduced in fiscal 2010 can be turned into iterative franchises that will improve Take-Two's long-term earnings profile by lessening its dependence on GTA," said the firm.
Mitchell added: "What we're saying is Take-Two is now becoming a proper company rather than a one hit wonder. After GTA V in 2011, they can come back with more franchises and not be forced to rely on that every other year," he said.
Kaufman Bros. expects fiscal 2010 revenue for Take-Two to hit USD 1.3 billion, and USD 1.6 billion in 2011 with a GTA V release.
"Now that this shoe has dropped, and a case can be made for solid profitability in fiscal 2010 without GTA V, and the follow-on of higher earnings in fiscal 2011 with a GTA V release, we believe the investment case for Take-Two has improved and investors can begin to get more constructive with the name."
The current generation of games consoles could struggle to deliver the types of game experiences the majority of gamers want and end up as niche products within a couple of years, according to Playfish chief executive Kristian Segerstrale.
As the demand for social games distributed via Facebook and other social networking sites grows, he predicts that incompatible, prohibitively expensive games consoles could fail to compete with the more accessible and connected experiences online services can deliver.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Segerstrale said: "I think that games consoles - while they might be an important part of the industry now - might become niche in the next couple of years. It's not at all clear if it even makes sense to deliver this type of gaming on a home console."
While Microsoft's move to market the Xbox 360 as a social entertainment experience is a step in the right direction, ultimately the platform cannot compete with PC and other internet connected portable devices, he predicts.
"The challenge is, no matter how social you try to make a console not everybody has one. Not all your real world friends will have the same console as you do. No matter how social you make it you will only reach, if you like, vertically. You will only reach your friends who have an Xbox 360."
Going on to discuss EA's entry into the social gaming market, Segerstrale was positive about the publisher's involvement, saying a big presence in the market by them will lead to higher quality experiences for users.
"They clearly believe, much as we believe, that games are becoming services and that retail distribution for games will decline quite rapidly from here onwards. And I think that the most important thing for social games is to ensure the quality of the end user experience."
"The only threat that I see to the industry is that in the search for early profit and maximising early results for companies, companies will act overly aggressively in how they try to monetise users, which is not good for anybody," he added.
The current-gen UK console install base has hit 24.2 million units, according to data released by Chart-Track.
Wii comfortably leads the way in the UK with 5.4 million units sold as of June 27, 2009. Xbox 360 sales are currently at 3.9 million while PS3 sales sit at 2.2 million, says Chart-Track.
On the handheld front DS sales are approaching ten million units and in comparison PSP has shipped 3.3 million units so far.
Nintendo's still winning then. Full data follows:
DS - 9.4 million (including 300,000 DSi sales)
Wii - 5.4 million
Xbox 360 - 3.9 million
PSP - 3.3 million
PS3 - 2.2 million
Universal Music has pledged its back catalogue to a new karaoke game set to challenge SingStar. CasualGaming.biz's sister site MCV has revealed that French label Mindscape will publish U-Sing in time for Christmas across the UK and Europe.
The firm has previously signed distribution deals with UK publishers for releases in the territory – such as its deal with Koch for Deal Or No Deal and Golden Balls games, plus the upcoming Coronation Street title.
However, MCV reveals that U-Sing will be independently published by Mindscape following the deal with Universal.
A Mindscape spokesperson told MCV: “U-Sing will offer the whole family the chance to sing the hits of Universal Music – from the biggest known classics through to the latest trendy tunes.
“Each country will have its own list of most popular local and international artists.”
The U-Sing brand will become a full series in future, with each game offering different game modes and Voxler voice recognition technology.
They will be marketed in France, the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Benelux and Australia and will eventually become available on all platforms.
Artists such as Amy Winehouse, Black Eyed Peas, Girls Aloud, Paul Weller and Lady GaGa are on Universal’s books – but U-Sing’s song line-up is yet to be confirmed.
The title appears to fit with Universal’s ‘U’ re-branding. Its UK website was last year renamed to Umusic.co.uk.
I've worked for a few hours today, trying to let the user add levels directly from FAT, and I've finally done it! It's pretty much self-explanatory when you look through the folders, but I'll give a quick explaination.
When you convert a background with PAGfx, you get some .bin files as well. This is what we'll need, though, first, let's look at how a level folder is laid out:
Code:
Level folder structure
.../levels
->[levelname]
-> StageBG
-> CollisionMap
-> BackBG
-> MidBG
- config.iniStageBG: required.
CollisionMap: required:
BackBG: Optional, this goes at the very back of the level, so it should represent something in the distance
MidBG: About halfway between the stage and the back background. Can be used for clouds or something.
config.ini: This is the heart of the entire level, here, you specify the width, height, any modifiers, and you also place the objects/enemies in the stage. It should look a bit like this:
Code:
;Level configuration file
[Level]
width = 1424
height = 256
gravity = 1200 ;The gravity (max velocity) of the objects. Default is 1000.
music = jumper.mp3 ;Music, located in .../music/
;Width and height only apply to StageBG and CollisionMap
[Scrolling]
midscroll = -128 ;Scrolling of the middle background... eg, clouds moving
backscroll = 0 ;Scrolling of the back background
[Object2]
x = 164
y = -64
class = 2
flip = -1 ;The direction that the AI moves in (-1 or 1)
[Object3]
...
;You can have as many objects as you need....
Like I said before, when converting the backgrounds with PAGfx, you get some .bin files, named *_Tiles.bin and such. To use the backgrounds in your level, place the files in their respective folders, then rename them all to tiles.bin, info.bin, etc.
I'll document this much better later, but I'm tired and hungry
In "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince", Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was.
Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching.
Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts.
He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.
See Harry and friends in action before the movie hits the cinema. The Half Blood Prince is available on multiple platforms:
Xbox360™
Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince US US$ 64.90
Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince ASIA US$ 49.90
PlayStation3™
Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince US US$ 64.90
Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince ASIA US$ 49.90
Nintendo™ Wii
Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince US US$ 54.90
PlayStation2™
Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince US US$ 44.90
Nintendo DS™
Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince JPN US$ 48.90
Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince US US$ 34.90
Sony PSP™
Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince US US$ 44.90
Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince ASIA US$ 42.90
PC Game
Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince (DVD-ROM) US US$ 34.90
Geo Stelar and the rest of the gang are back in an all new adventure. How can Geo Stelar and his friends fight with the threat of “Meteor G” closing in on Earth?
Moreover, what power can Mega Man harness by using the “Noise Change” system which controls the power of “Noise”?
Mega Man Star Force® 3 blends a unique formula of RPG exploration elements with fast-paced action.
As players travel and battle between coexisting worlds, the physical world and the virtual Wave World, they will encounter enemies in the virtual Wave World, battling them on three-by-five battle grids with their Battle Card deck.
Mega Man Star Force® 3 also adds a new feature called “Rezon,” which allow players to fill in profiles about battles and their team name/symbol.
Get the Black Ace version if you are the speed attack type and get the Red Joker for powerhouse player characters.
Renegade Kid is apparently working on a kid-friendly platformer for the DS while it develops a sequel to Dementium. The developer showed IGN that its other new project is Maximillian and the Rise of the Mutant Mudds. Players will use a water pack (think Mario Sunshine) to double-jump chasms of doom and squirt the baddies to death.
Renegade Kid plans to push its already impressive technical knowledge with the DS even further with Mudds. The developer doesn't know if it'll go the retail route or check out DSIware, and there isn't so much as an inkling of a release window. Check out a video of the game after the break.
Namco Bandai shined some light on how Nintendo DSi enhanced games work with screenshots from Idolm@ster: Dearly Stars. Plug the game into a DSi and you get more menu options.
The screenshot on the left is what you see if you play Idolm@ster: Dearly Stars on a Nintendo DS. On the right you have the Nintendo DSi main menu, which includes the QR code option. The DSi’s camera can be used to read QR codes, which are kind of like barcodes for cell phones. QR codes give idol masters access to extra items. So far, Namco Bandai has not announced any plans for paid downloadable content for Idolm@ster: Dearly Stars. Maybe, they’re making Idolm@ster trading cards with QR codes.
Rune Factory is probably one of my favourite games of all time. I loved the hell out of the first one and I’m still pouring as much time into Frontier as I can. Neverland Co. and Natsume seemed to have invested a lot into making sure the characters were varied and fun, and that is one of the reasons the original cast is so memorable.
Unfortunately, Rune Factory 2 didn’t quite grab me the way the first one did. Maybe it was because it wasn’t as much of an improvement as I hoped it would be. But certainly, the main reason was that I just couldn’t bring myself to spend more than a couple hours with Kyle, the ever-blushing shota protagonist of the sequel.
I think making sure that the character you play as appeals to as wide an audience of people as possible, visually, is important. Raguna looked and acted believable. He wasn’t OLD by any means, but he was old enough to be convincing as someone who would grow into an experienced farmer, get married and look after a family.
Kyle? Not so much.
And now, we have the protagonist of Rune Factory 3, revealed in this morning’s issue of Famitsu. Now, don’t get me wrong; I was…and still am perhaps…excited for this game.
I don’t have anything against effeminate characters. I’ve played and loved enough Square Enix games, but this…this…manwoman…with his fringe (is that what it’s called?) and bangs and hairband is a bit too much.
This is the guy you’re supposed to be. Whatever the hell happened to preserving a sense of believability?
Oh, RF3 is about 80% complete and will release this year in Japan. This could be XSEED’s upcoming DS reveal, considering Frontier was published by them. The protagonist can transform into some sort of a…were-woolie. The main girl is very reminiscent of Mist and another one looks a little bit like a female Laharl.
I’m going to go sulk in bed now. I’d appreciate it if someone could tell me if I’m overreacting here. The only other time I can recall flipping out like this is when Nintendo made Retro Studios give Samus that horrendous anime makeover for Metroid Prime 2.
Normally when Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter whips out his crystal ball and starts getting the vapors, he doesn't have time to turn on his minirecorder and take down the futurespeak channeled through his body. Luckily for us (and you!), he not only recorded it this time, but also wrote it down in the form of the 2009 Interactive Industry Report! We delved through the beast of a document this afternoon and found an interesting segment regarding the Nintendo Wii relying on "slower adoption rates of current generation technology" (read as: high-def displays) to help boost sales.
Pachter writes on page nine of the report, "The global recession served to benefit Nintendo at its competitors' expense," referencing Microsoft and Sony as having slower console sales this generation due to HDTV functionality built into the systems. He argues that consumers who might purchase the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 are more likely to buy the Wii not only because of the lower price point, but because of the subsequent HDTV purchase price. "Expect most consumers to defer purchasing a PS3 or an Xbox 360 until they have purchased an HD monitor," Pachter explains. Though we're not convinced that the same folks who would be purchasing an Xbox 360 or a PS3 would be running out to buy a Nintendo Wii in every case, we digress.
Among the many fascinating (and not so fascinating) takeaways from Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter's recent and massive industry report are revelations about the current console adoption rate. As much as the Wii has seemingly penetrated previously untapped demographics (see grandma's now defunct bridge club) and ostensibly raised console adoption rates to new highs, the current generation is practically dead even with the last one when comparing the two generation's first four calendar years on the market. That is, from 2005 (when Xbox 360 launched in late November) through 2008, the current generation of consoles (Wii, PS3 and 360) combined for approximately 78 million unit sales, according to Wedbush Morgan estimates. Comparatively, from 2000 (the year PS2 launched) through 2003, the previous generation (GameCube, PS2 and Xbox) combined for 78–79 million unit sales. However, in this pivotal fifth year, Wedbush Morgan predicts the current adoption rate will begin to pull ahead of the previous rate.
For once, a Japanese publisher has managed to create a teaser site without having the identity of the new game revealed by Famitsu scans before the official unveiling. Because Jump scans revealed it first.
The Jump scan shows the same dragon-riding artwork found on the teaser site, with two more characters than the site currently shows, revealing a party of four. Final Fantasy Gaiden: The Four Warriors of Light (not related to the Game Boy Final Fantasy Adventure, known in Japan as Seiken Densetsu: Final Fantasy Gaiden) is an original turn-based Final Fantasy RPG for DS, in the same style as the recent Final Fantasy DS remakes.
The scan refers to a "four-person party adventure," but we can't tell if that means multiplayer or if it's just a reference to parties controlled by a single player. According to IGN, the main character is a boy who must rescue a princess from a witch.
The battle system is a familiar turn-based, menu-driven system, with what appears to be the addition of a sort of action points: each character's status includes a certain number of yellow dots, and each action seems to have a dot next to it, indicating a cost. Final Fantasy Gaiden will be out this fall in Japan, and we wouldn't be too surprised to see it in North America the following summer for $40.
Industry veteran Ian Livingstone has warned that 2009 will be an all or nothing year for publishers, as new releases either climb high in the charts or completely sink at retail.
Speaking exclusively to GamesIndustry.biz, the life president of Eidos said that publishers are pumping more money into developing and marketing bankable franchises, leaving smaller titles choked on store shelves.
"A lot of titles have already hit the shelves and there is a deluge planned for Christmas, but I think 2009 will be remembered as the year of 'roast duck or no dinner'," he said in an interview published today. "Big ticket titles continue to sell well but many of the smaller titles will probably disappoint their owners."
"There's a glut of product and in a discerning market there is no room for mediocrity. To make a suboptimal game with a suboptimal marketing spend is a recipe for disaster," he added.
"I think we'll continue to see more production resources going into fewer titles supported by even bigger marketing budgets. Publishers are continuing to raise the investment bar, ensuring the mega-franchises will rule."
It’s news that will be greeted with nothing less than total delight from its hordes of fans – 505 Games has captured the rights to publish a video game based on cherished film licence Grease.
The game, which is being developed by UK outfit Zoe Mode, is being produced in conjunction with Paramount Digital Entertainment (who will also co-publish the title) and will allow players to sing and dance alongside Danny and Sandy using motion controls, microphones and the DS’ touch screen.
“We are really excited about working with Paramount Digital Entertainment to turn this world famous film into a video game for the very first time,” 505 MD Ian Howe stated.
“Working with such a well known and much loved brand is a great opportunity and we believe the collaboration further strengthens 505 Games’ entertainment portfolio.”
Paramount Digital Entertainment’s senior VP of video games John Kavanagh added:
“Paramount Digital Entertainment is pleased to be working with 505 Games to develop Grease. Grease is the ideal opportunity to reach a broad gaming audience who love to sing, dance and have fun with a party-style game.”
This is the first gameplay footage of FIFA 10, EA's next footy effort packing all of that juicy new tech it talked about early last month.
It's only a short trailer, apparently all actual gameplay footage, and it looks really bloody nice. Slow motion slide tackles, furry grass and realistic ball physics are all present and correct.
According to EA it "features core gameplay refinements based on responsiveness and intelligence, plus a completely overhauled Manager Mode that includes more than 50 major improvements."
A release issued back in May unveiling 'Countdown To A Healty Body - Active Health With Carol Vorderman' stated that Active Health could sync with Wii Fit. Nintendo's let us know that it won't, it was a mistake.
The original release explained that the DS title will link up with Wii Fit. Turns out, it won't.
"Active Health allows you to input any exercise completed on Wii Fit into your personal activity log but the two systems do not directly sync with one another," Nintendo has explained.
Active Health With Carol Vorderman is due to be released on August 7. We're sure you're gutted.
A large war is whipping the world into a whirlwind, destroying numerous planets and lives. Although civilization allowed people to live in cities scattered across the universe, violence never stopped.
50 years ago, the demon queen led her invasion, and later came the virtual beasts. Both menaces were taken care of, however, the troubles with humans carries on.
Science and technology allowed people to alter their off spring's genes. Coordinators are people who are genetically adjusted and seemed to have better physical or mental attributes than normal natural borns.
The differences in abilities set the two types of people apart and grudges, as well as envy is the source of current strife.
Each camp, the Naturals and the Coordinators, has their military force and war is about to start. Board your robot and get ready to enter battle. The mechas come from a multitude of series, from the relatively new classic Gundam Seed to King Geiner.
Nintendo stealth announced a new Chibi-Robo game for the DS slated to come out later this month and they still haven’t said anything about it. Doing a little digging we discovered this upcoming Chibi-Robo game gives the little robot a little vacuum cleaner.
In Okaeri! Chibi-Robo! Happy Rich Oosouji (loosely Welcome Home Chibi-Robo! Happy, Rich Big Sweep) players plug-in to dust patrol. When you vacuum dirt you also get riches! Money can be spent on new tools for Chibi-Robo, but the altruistic robot’s goal is to make others happy. So, you can also use money and play interior designer in Jenny’s home.
Chibi-Robo learns the saying one man’s trash is another man’s treasure on July 23 in Japan. Nintendo of America has not announced plans to publish Okaeri! Chibi-Robo! Happy Rich Oosouji at this time.
Change the style of your Nintendo DSi with XCM Eye Candy Shell, available in various different colors. Install with supplied tools for your own custom look
Industry observers expecting videogames to follow music and offer full console game downloads in the near future are wrong - it won't happen until at least 2019, according to a report by Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter - and even then downloads will represent less than 50 per cent of total game sales.
Full game downloads won't become a reality until console hard drives get bigger, the report reasons, since game files can exceed 10Gb in size and the average Xbox 360 only has a 20Gb hard drive, with only a small percentage of consumers owning the Elite version of the console with its 120Gb hard drive.
"In ten years, we envision a world where the typical console has a terabyte or more of storage, and where full game downloads are the norm," the report states.
Furthermore, there will always be consumers that place value on owning a physical copy of a game.
Currently, up to one-third of all games traded in the US are used, which logically indicates that one-third of consumers place some measurable value on the ability to resell a game.
Some consumers will also want the portability a physical disc allows - to take their games to different locations and loan them to friends - predicts the report.
"There will always be a sizeable number of consumers who value the trade-in option and portability, and we expect those consumers to favour physical goods over digital downloads. Thus, we expect that digital downloads will represent less that 50 per cent of total game sales in ten years' time."
While storage capacity remains limited, the download model Pachter expects to see more developers emulate is the 'creeping download' one - or selling games in instalments.
"We think that the poster child for this scenario is Grand Theft Auto IV on the Xbox 360, a game first sold in physical form, with additional levels sold periodically thereafter through downloads. After a tepid embrace of its first downloadable episode, Take-Two decided to offer the first and second episodes in a combined physical package, with the two episodes allowing full game play without the purchase of the original GTA IV game disc.
"This model reinforces our belief that packaged goods will capture the majority of game purchases for the next ten years."
The number of second hand games trading annually in the US has reached an estimated 100 million units, accounting for one-third of games sold every year and bringing in revenue of USD 2 billion, according to an industry report published by Wedbush Morgan.
However, the research finds that as few as five per cent of new games sales are affected by the pre-owned market, and the trade in of old product could result in more new games being bought.
"The vast majority of used games are not traded in until the original new game purchaser has finished playing - more than two months after a new game is released - typically well beyond the window for a full retail priced new game sale," said analyst Michael Pachter.
According to Pachter, the commonly held perception that retailers such as GameStop are 'pushing' used games on customers prepared to buy new ones is largely untrue and that, on the contrary, used game sales are benefiting new games sales by providing currency to gamers with less disposable income to purchase additional games.
"If trade-ins occur at GameStop, they should position the trade-in customer to buy more new games than he/she would otherwise normally purchase. Because the average used game value is around 20 per cent of the new game price, we think that used game trade-ins fuel incremental sales of over six per cent of total new game sales, suggesting that the cannibalisation from the used game 'push' is more than offset by the benefit from used game currency," the report concluded.
