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Pilotwings 3 sequel might finally land on Wii in December 2007? 2007-06-10 12:38:32 Pilotwiiings! Wouldn’t that be something? We all want a Pilotwings 3 sequel
from Nintendo/Paradigm. After the original Pilotwings (1990) on SNES and Pilotwings 64 (1996) on N64, a GameCube sequel of the flight simulator series was cancelled. At E3 2006 we all got our hopes up when they showed the “flying demo” as part of the tentative Wii
Sport package, but that never happened. So did Nintendo end up expanding the demo to full game internally?
Online game store Gamestop has recently added a listing for a Wii title under the name of Pilotwings scheduled for release in December
2007. While it’s not a confirmation that the game is in development or scheduled for release, previous Gamestop/EBgames listings, like Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition did pan out to be real, so fingers crossed Nintendo will make it official on the new E3 that runs from July 11 to 13 this summer.
Let’s hope this sequel happens, if only to see a video of a happy Wiinintendo staffer runnin
Gears of War novels in the making, first book arrives on August 2007 2007-06-10 10:55:16 We should’ve seen this coming from miles away. During the announcement of New Line Cinema picking up the rights to make a Gears
of War film (due in summer 2009), Epic VP and co-founder Mark Rein mentioned they developed an extensive backstory [to Gears of War] in hopes of utilizing it for a film as well as potential novels. To quote: “We wanted to make an entertainment property that’s not just for games but for other media.”
Through a paperback book listing of “Gears of War 1“ word got out via VH1 that former games journalist Steven Kent (of The Ultimate History of Video Games: From Pong to Pokemon –The Story Behind the Craze That Touched Our Lives and Changed the World fame) has a multi-book deal with Epic. The first 352-page novel in the series will be released in August
2007 by Del Rey Books at a retail price of $12.95.
Similar Posts:None Found Read more:making
Resistance: Fall of Man under fire from the Church of England 2007-06-10 08:52:36 Yesterday the Church
of England
accused Sony of using the Manchester Cathedral in the UK as the backdrop to a violent computer game, and said it should be withdrawn from shop shelves. The church said Sony did not ask for permission to use their cathedral in-game and will be sending a letter to Sony on Monday to demand an apology. A spokesman for the Church of England said if the church’s request for an apology and withdrawal of the game was not met it would consider legal action.
The popular (million-selling) new PlayStation 3 game, Resistance
: Fall of Man, shows a virtual shootout between rival gunmen inside the cathedral. Church officials described Sony’s alleged use of the building as “sick” and “sacrilegious”. There’s just one problem with their statement, the game takes place in an ALTERNATE HISTORY and the discussed scene lasts a few minutes where you are shooting ALIENS!
Take a look at the BBC News report:
Sony spokesman, David Wilson,
LEGO Universe MMO game put together for late 2008 2007-06-10 08:02:17 Still sizzling from the success of the LEGO Star Wars games, the LEGO Group this week said LEGO Universe
is the official title for the upcoming LEGO MMOG being developed by NetDevil. LEGO Universe, currently planned for launch in the fourth quarter of 2008, is designed as the first MMOG professionally developed for LEGO fans and supported by community members from around the world.
The full-featured MMOG will be complete with character advancement, expansive social and community features, and will provide a child-safe alternative to other MMOGs on the market. As a player, you’ll be able to customize your mini-figs and interact in the universe as any character you choose, providing unique opportunities for players to expand and explore with their creations.
“LEGO Universe ties together
all aspects of our community and line of products in an online environment that can be enjoyed by LEGO fans of all ages,” said Mark William Hansen, Director of Business Development, LEG
Top 5 game sales per system worldwide in week 23, 2007 2007-06-09 14:11:22 What are the best-selling games in America, Japan, and Europe (UK) this week? Thanks to Amazon online sales data here are the games that are the most popular now.
Nintendo Wii
North America: 1. Mario Party 8 (Nintendo), 2. Wii Play (Nintendo), 3. Super Paper Mario (Nintendo), 4. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Nintendo), 5. WarioWare: Smooth Moves (Nintendo).
Japan: 1. BioHazard 4 (Capcom), 2. Bokujou Monogatari: Yasuragi no Ki (Marvelous), 3. Wii Sports (Nintendo), 4. Zelda no Densetsu: Twilight Princess (Nintendo), 5. Hajimete no Wii (Nintendo).
Europe: 1. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Nintendo), 2. Mario Strikers Charged Football (Nintendo), 3. Wii Play (Nintendo), 4. Cooking Mama (505 Games), 5. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (Disney).
Xbox 360
North America: 1. Forza Motorsport 2 (Microsoft), 2. Gears of War (Microsoft), 3. Guitar Hero II Bundle (RedOctane), 4. Final Fantasy XI (Square Enix), 5. Shadowrun (Microsoft).
Japan: 1. Riot Act (Microsoft
Dungeon Maker: Hunting Ground gets a PSP release date on June 19 2007-06-09 12:41:58 Xseed announced Dungeon
Maker: Hunting Ground will be released on PSP on June 19th, 2007. The action-RPG offers addictive gameplay with a simulation dungeon creation element and real-time battles.
You play as a young dungeon maker looking to make his name in a small town. To do that, you’ll go hunting for monsters to collect items, gold, and to fulfill requirements to complete the various quests given by townspeople. It’s a completely different take on fantasy gaming, one that will keep you guessing and playing for hours. Complete quests to access the rarer weapons, armors, and accessories to upgrade your warrior Trade dungeons, which you can do by using the network connectivity of your PSP to trade dungeons with a friend.
Key features include:
* Friendly village people.
* Design and modify a customizable dungeon, floor-by-floor, using simple controls to quickly develop a detailed dungeon.
* Lay out and improve your dungeon to maximize its attractiveness — and lure i
Pokemon Company CEO answers why he thinks the system with Pokemon on it will win the console wars 2007-06-09 07:20:14 It’s not often that you get to discuss the future of the Pokemon
franchise with one of the head honcho’s behind one of the most successful franchises in gaming history. And since Pokemon is so successful it’s a property that Nintendo generally keeps close to it’s chest, not revealing too much about what goes on behind the scenes.
However, Tsunekazu Ishihara, CEO of The Pokemon Company, was interviewed while on his whirlwind tour of the UK (to promote the two latest Pokemon titles at the Nintendo Wii Flat in London) and he talks about the future of the Pokemon franchise, his thoughts on who will win the console wars and multiplatform gaming, the suggestion of a Pokemon MMO, and how the audience to his brand has grown and evolved with the series.
GameSpot UK (GSUK): Pokémon has been an incredibly long-running franchise. Why do you think it has managed that longevity when many other series have been forgotten?
Tsunekazu Ishihara (TI): I think perhaps the continu Read more:answers
Final Fantasy Piano Collections - Cheon Ho Park plays Melodies of Life from FFIX 2007-06-09 07:18:45 This is the sixth installment of the “Final
Fantasy Piano Collections” series of videos by Cheon Ho Park. This time he does another rendition of the beautiful Melodies
of Life theme from my personal favorite game in the series, Final Fantasy
IX.
The tune is definitely a moving one, if you have never heard it do your ears a favor and give it a listen. And if you missed the last installment, then check out his piano rendition of “Vamo’ Alla Flamenco”.
Similar Posts:None Found
Wii Development Team Interviews - Part 4 - Wii Sports Volume 2 2007-06-08 19:27:23 For the second volume of the “Iwata Asks” WiiSportsInterviews
(And if you didn’t, read the first volume of the Wii Sports
Interview), the developers talk about their experiences developing Wii Sports Bowling and Boxing, two sports that were added later on when they realized that baseball was not so popular in every part of the world, so they needed more sports.
They talk a lot about their experiences seeing people play the games for the first time and about how accessible the game was, particularly once they showed it off at E3. It’s great to hear developers talking about how the focus of their development was not on sales, but rather on making a game that would be fun for their own family to play! They then get into each individual sports game and give tips & comments on them.
The next interview will focus on the development of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess! Enjoy and look forward to that tomorrow.
Part 3 - They Tried to Serve An Imaginary Ball Read more:Development
, Volume
Video Games Live contest ends today. You could win a free trip with VIP access and more! 2007-06-08 15:52:37 I just wanted to let everyone know of a Video Games
Live contest currently running that ends today! (Friday, June 8, 2007)
The winner receives a free trip with special VIP access to the Video Games
Live show in Washington, DC, performed by the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center on June 30th! (Unfortunately it’s only open to those in the U.S. who are over 18)
In addition to that, you will be awarded a free video camera and Xbox Prize Package, as well as be allowed to take a guest. What you do with the video camera is document your trip experience which will then be shown on ManiaTV’s Arcade segment. Time is running out so enter the Video Games Live Contest now and good luck!
To get a taste of the Video Games Live experience visit the official Video Games Live web-site and take a look at the video below for a Legend of Zelda segment.
Similar Posts:None Found
Soul Calibur IV teased for PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2008 2007-06-13 18:05:11 Namco Bandai has released a teaser for Soul Calibur IV that shows off the new in-game character models. The fighter is finally confirmed for both PS3 and Xbox
360 release in 2008.
The game isn’t all about the buff male and bosom female fighters, it also tells a story that is “Transcending history and the world, a tale of souls and swords, eternally retold. Soul Edge and Soulcalibur. The story of these two awakened swords and the warriors that have been drawn to them slowly heads towards its inevitable conclusion…”
As you can see Ivy, Mitsurugi and Nightmare are back and they will be joined by new characters as well. The game features realistic environments, interactive stages, enhanced AI, and a new battle system.
Prince of Persia Classic is the Xbox Live Arcade release this Wednesday 2007-06-13 16:14:19 From today, May 30th at 9AM GMT (2AM PDT), you can play Ubisoft’s Prince
of PersiaClassic
on Xbox
Live Arcade for Xbox 360. Prince of Persia Classic will be available worldwide for 800 Microsoft Points (that’s $10 / €9.60 / £6.80) and is rated T for Teen (Animated Blood and Violence).
Escape from Jaffar’s dungeon within the hour and save the Princess! Prince of Persia is a high-definition 3D adventure platformer based on the original 1989 hit.
Click on the bottom-right corner arrow to view it full-screen.
In Ubisoft’s Prince of Persia Classic, gamers take on the role of the prince as he embarks on a mission to rescue the princess before she has to wed the wicked Jaffar – all of which must be accomplished in under 60 minutes! Jumping across platforms and avoiding traps, the prince must collect bottles of potions to keep his power bar charged as he duels enemies on his way to the princess.
Key game features include:
* Enhanced character designs, Read more:Wednesday
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles PSP intro shown, game gets September 11 release date 2007-06-13 15:54:10 The legendary PC Engine action game Castlevania
: Rondo of Blood, is a lost chapter never seen before outside of Japan, is reborn on the PSP. The remake titled Castlevania: The Dracula
X Chronicles for PSP gives the 1993 classic 3D graphics and goes back to the side scrolling gameplay. Gamers take up the Vampire Killer whip as Richter Belmont as they seek to destroy the maniacal Dracula.
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles also includes unlockable versions of the original Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night games, which is a pretty sweet deal to get those two of the most beloved video games of all time updated for a new generation of gamers. The American release date is on September
11th, 2007.
Bloody intro
cinematic to the PSP remake:
Continued below with stage 1 in-game footage:
Fish Tycoon casual PC sim port coming to DS this Christmas 2007-06-13 14:16:57 Another day, another port. Fish Tycoon
, originally an online PC game made by Last Day of Work and published by Big Fish Games (haha… ha ha, oh man what a coincidence!), won the 2006 iParenting Media Award and was ranked in the top ten casual games for 2006 for 40 weeks. DS owners will get to try their hand at raising and breeding over 750 types of fish as Aquaria Interactive (are you starting to see a pattern here? I am!), Majesco’s new internal development studio, will be doing the PC-to-DS port of Fish Tycoon for this Christmas
, and with a casual-friendly retail price of $19.99. Here’s how the PC version starts:
Key game features include:
* Special DS-only features: 7 exclusive fish yield nearly twice as many fish types as the PC version (over 750!); all new 3D environments and several new tank decorations;
* Extensive use of the Touch Screen to breed fish, make purchases and decorate tanks;
* Simulated real-time experience yields potential surprises every time
Square-Enix sees handhelds as driving the future of gaming 2007-06-13 12:15:10 Yoichi Wada, chief executive of Square
Enix, said “There is a new breed of gamers in the market – we have to make games for all kinds of people,” in an interview with the FT and continued “In the old days, we could just focus on the PlayStation or the GameBoy, but the environment has changed completely.”
Square Enix announced Dragon Quest IX earlier this year, the latest installment in its successful franchise, would be a DS exclusive. The move was groundbreaking, as previous Dragon Quest installments were made primarily for the PlayStation and PS2.
“We chose the Nintendo DS because the widest array of people use it, including people who previously did not play games before,” said Mr. Wada. Nintendo has sold more than 35 million DS handhelds globally, and expects to sell 22 million units this year. In contrast, Sony aims to ship 11 million PS3 consoles this year.
Mr. Wada said certain next-generation consoles were over-engineered for today’s gaming environment. He concl
Oblivion Versus Two Worlds video comparison 2007-06-13 01:12:53 Two Worlds
publisher Zuxxez’s Dirk Hassinger said he believes their MMORPG is a more complex and in-depth game than Oblivion
: “Two Worlds may seem to be in the Oblivion template, but the two games are very different once you get beyond the surface. Two Worlds offers a more focused, grittier experience and a lot of correlating features are deeper in Two Worlds. On top of that, our overarching storyline is a touch darker and more involved. That’s not to say that Oblivion is a worse game, just that Two Worlds has more ‘meat’.” They also claim added special hub & PvP arena’s for online multiplayer on PC & Xbox 360 when the game gets released on July 17th.
What does Bethesda’s year 2006 game The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion have to say about this comparison
to Two Worlds? Oblivion still looks graphically better after a year and is proven as an interesting game with Patrick Stewart voicing the King, oh… aside from that, it had 1.7 Read more:Two Worlds
, video
Super Smash Bros Brawl in 2D SNES-style video 2007-06-13 01:02:01 What would SuperSmash
Brothers Brawl
look like if it were first released on the SNES? This video
transforms your favorite Smash Bros. into 2D, watch how they get upgraded from NES to SNES-style in this reenactment of the E3 2006 Solid Snake unveiling video you know all too well.
“It’s show time!” indeed, very well done by SS128.
Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon trailer shows first Wii gameplay footage 2007-06-12 16:11:58 Square-Enix’s Chocobo’s MysteryDungeon
is coming to Nintendo Wii
. The gameplay
consists of random dungeons and turn-based battles like the PlayStation original had ten years ago. But in this sequel it’s done in a bigger, bolder production for the Wii.
Like the Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales on DS, the Wii adventure follows Chocobo on a quest. This time to recover memories lost by villagers to a mysterious force, and the game footage shows these memories are personified as shiny sparkling objects that will be collected throughout the game to progress.
See the first footage of the upcoming Wii RPG here:
Click on the bottom-right corner arrow to view it full-screen.
3D Realms to reveal two new games in 2007, neither is Duke Nukem Forever 2007-06-12 15:47:56 Raphael Van Lierop, 3D Realms’ new creative director, says two big announcements are coming from the company this year, but neither game is Duke Nukem Fornever.
To quote: “I can say that we have a big announcement coming in the next four weeks, and I’m not sure, but I believe we have another major announcement coming in the next four to six months… while I can’t say exactly what these are, are they about Duke Nukem Forever
? No.”
1UP reports that Mr. Van Lierop confirmed the game is alive and well and understands the fan anticipation over its release. He’s even played the game, but acknowledges that 3D Realms understands their have been mistakes along the way. “They [3D Realms’ Scott Miller and George Broussard] will be the first people to admit that they made some mistakes with regards to Duke Nukem Forever. But I’ve seen it. I’ve played it. And I really believe that when it does come out people won’t be disappoi
AMA to vote on adding video game and Internet addiction to list of mental disorders 2007-06-16 23:07:15 The American Medical Association will be deciding this month whether or not to recommend that video
game and Internetaddiction
should be included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, reports the Wall Street Journal on its Health Blog.
The House of Delegates, the AMA’s decision-making body, will vote on the issue later this month. If it decides that excessive gaming constitutes a mental
disorder, the decision will then be passed upward to the American Psychiatric Association, which has the final say on these matters.
The decision to vote on the issue comes from a recommendation made by Mohamed K. Khan–chairman of the Council on Science and Public Health–in a 10-page report entitled “Emotional and Behavioral Effects, Including Addictive Potential, of Video Games.”
Khan writes that “although video game overuse can be associated with any type of video game,” the most common to exhibit signs of addiction were players of Read more:disorders
, mental disorders
Top 5 game sales per system worldwide in week 24, 2007 2007-06-16 18:23:23 What are the best-selling games in America, Japan, and Europe (UK) this week? Thanks to Amazon online sales data here are the games that are the most popular now.
Nintendo Wii
North America: 1. Mario Party 8 (Nintendo), 2. Wii Play (Nintendo), 3. Super Paper Mario (Nintendo), 4. Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree (Nintendo), 5. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Nintendo).
Japan: 1. BioHazard 4 Wii Edition (Capcom), 2. Wii Sports (Nintendo), 3. Hajimete no Wii (Nintendo), 4. Mahou Sensei Negima!? Neo-Pactio Fight!! (Marvelous), 5. Wii de Yawaraka Atama Juku (Nintendo).
Europe: 1. Wii Play (Nintendo), 2. Mario Strikers Charged Football (Nintendo), 3. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 (EA Sports), 4. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Nintendo), 5. Cooking Mama (505 Games).
Xbox 360
North America: 1. Forza Motorsport 2 (Microsoft), 2. Guitar Hero II Bundle (RedOctane), 3. Gears of War (Microsoft), 4. Shadowrun (Microsoft), 5. Tenchu Z (Microsoft).
Japan: 1. Trusty Bell: Chopin no Yume (Micros
Tekken Dark Resurrection, PS3 Store version, gets online fighting in update 2007-06-16 17:48:34 Looks like Tekken
will FINALLY be taking the fight online
, but maybe not in the way we had expected. Sony has announced that an update is coming that will add online-play to their Playstation Storeversion
of Tekken 3: Dark Resurrection
.
The new online mode allows fighters to participate in ranked and nonranked matches, with matchmaking options including an opti match, quick match, custom match, and friend match. Players can also view their opponents’ stats and voice-chat with one another while observing fights that are going on in a viewing mode (Just like the arcade!). A news ticker will scroll on the screen with regular updates on the weekly, monthly, and overall rank leaders.
And the update will not all be online goodness. You’ll also be getting two new single-player modes. Practice mode affords you a virtual dojo, where you can practice your moves, while Survival mode tasks you with defeating as many opponents as possible with a limited health bar.
No release date has
Prince of Persia Classic compared to original 2007-06-16 16:10:48 Prince of PersiaClassic
was this Wednesday’s Xbox Live Arcade release from Ubisoft. The original 1989 Prince of Persia hit platform game has been ported to many systems over the years following its release, but none as great as this 3D graphics in a 2D world remake on Xbox 360’s Xbox Live Arcade. Let’s compare the different versions of PoP!
Read more:Prince
Sony’s cynic apology to church reveals Resistance: Fall of Man sold 2 million 2007-06-15 18:19:15 You might remember last weekend Resistance
: Fall of Man was under fire from the Church of England, as they accused Sony
of using the Manchester Cathedral in the UK as the backdrop to the PlayStation 3 FPS game. The church’s demands were dismissed by Sony and all they got was their apology. To quote: “It was not our intention to cause offense by using a representation of Manchester Cathedral in chapter eight of the work,” the letter said. “If we have done so, we sincerely apologize.”
UK’s Prime Minister Tony Blair told lawmakers this week that companies like Sony should focus on their wider social responsibilities and not just profit. The church was particularly concerned because Manchester has a history of gang-related gun violence, reported Breitbart.
Sony said it did not accept “that there is any connection between contemporary issues in 21st century Manchester and the work of science fiction in which a fictitious 1950s Britain is under attac Read more:million
Half-Life 2: Episode 2 release date is October 9th 2007 on PC, Xbox 360 & PS3 (includes Team Fortress 2 & Portal) 2007-06-15 17:42:16 Valve confirmed that the trio of new Half-Life 2 Source-powered games will be released for PC, Xbox
360 & PS3 on October
9th, 2007. The suite, sold at both retail and through Valve’s Steam download service, will consist of the shooter sequel Half-Life 2: Episode
2, the team-based multiplayer game Team Fortress
2, and the action/puzzle game Portal
. Valve is handling development of the games on PC and Xbox 360, with EA UK’s Chertsey, Surrey office bringing the titles to PlayStation 3.
Today’s news follows rumors originating last month that the PlayStation 3 versions of the games would be delayed into 2008. Valve’s Doug Lombardi told Shacknews that development has been progressing well on all three platforms.
Electronic Arts is distributing the games at retail as a package entitled Half-Life 2: The Orange Box, which also includes the original Half-Life 2 and last year’s Half-Life 2: Episode One. It will sell for $49.99 on PC and $59.99 on Xbox 360 and Pla
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