You may remember, a few months back Activision filed a trademark for a game called DJ Hero. There was no official press release or announcement, leaving some people wondering if they were just covering their bases so no-one else could snatch up the name. Well, that game has now been totally confirmed...... sort of.
While speaking to CNBC, Activision's CEO Bobby Kotick said the following: "We have this product called DJ Hero coming out later this year which is a turntable that you can actually play competitively, spin discs and mix on". There has still been no official announcement of the game, but I think this pretty much confirms it's existence.
The little info that's known about the title tells us that it will play much like Guitar Hero, with colored notes that scroll along the screen and around a "platter". Holding buttons on the controller while scratching the deck is the key to victory, a familiar concept to any fans of current rhythm games. There will also be a whammy-bar-like sound effects dial, and a crossfader, although I don't know exactly what that will be used for. The game will also feature licensed music by popular artists, allowing for fun mash-ups.
So the real question is, are Activision over-saturating the market and diluting their most profitable brand? In 2008 we saw the release of GH: World Tour and GH: Aerosmith as well as two handheld Guitar Heros for DS. This year we have GH: Metallica and probably the sequel to World Tour, as well as any other DS titles they have planned. And of course, they're not the only ones selling virtual band games right now. So is there room in the market for yet another rhythm game; one that doesn't even have a fake instrument as recognizable or iconic as a guitar or drum kit?
Guitar hero: World Tour has sold 3.4 million units so far, which is nothing to scoff at. However, NPD data reveals that only the Wii version has made it into the monthly top ten best sellers list, indicating that the series may have peaked. Also bear in mind that much of the Guitar Hero gameplay was already established when Activision bought the license, so how will they do when developing a brand new rhythm game all by themselves? Hopefully we'll find out the answers to these questions soon, once some official info is released by the company. Now lets all have a moment of silence for 7 Studios, whose upcoming game, Scratch: The Ultimate DJ, is pretty much dead on arrival!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
A hero unmasked
Friday, January 30, 2009
Bit of a trip
I don't usually spend much time covering WiiWare games. In fact, since Nintendo launched their answer to the XBLA and PSN, there hasn't been a single title that has tickled my fancy. Until now. Joystiq just released an exclusive video of Bit. Trip: Beat, a new rhythm game developed by Gaijin and published by Aksys (don't worry - I hadn't heard of them either).
On the surface, it looks sort of like Pong meets Rez. You have a panel on the left-hand side that can be moved up or down. Little dots fly at you in time with the music, and by bouncing them back you play a note, so a continuous combo will keep the tune going. By the looks of it, missing too many will cause your panel to shrink - making it harder - but this can remedied by getting your combo back up again. The video even teases a boss battle, which looks even more Pong than the rest of the game! Here's the list of features taken from the official site, including a slightly worrying misspelling of the word 'rhythm':
- Classic Arcade-Style Gameplay
- Retro-Inspired Art Style
- Music/Rhthym-Based Gameplay
- 8-bit and Chiptune Music
- 4-Player Local Co-op Multiplayer
For now, here's the video for you to check out:
New DLC - Be grateful
This week in Rock Band we are visited by the Grateful Dead, who bring us a nice 6-pack of songs. This is the second time we've gotten tracks from the band, but strangely enough, no full albums yet. We've gotten albums from a number of bands so far, so I wonder why they're sticking with random grab-bags for the Dead. I'm not really all that familiar with their music, but I can only assume that not all of the tracks would translate that well into a rhythm game, or wouldn't be fun to play. Well, whatever the reason, this week's selection can be yours for only 800 MSP ($10), but each track can be individually purchased for the usual price of 160 MSP ($2).
Here's what's on offer:
Hell In a Bucket
Don't Ease Me In
Cold Rain and Snow
Doin' That Rag
Fire On the Mountain
Uncle John's Band
Note: Click on any song for expert drum videos. Sorry, they're not all great quality this week - Not as many people uploading them, apparently.
So, as I said before, I don't really know the Grateful Dead that well, but the last 6-pack released by them had some classics that couldn't be missed. This time, though, I didn't really hear anything that grabbed me, so I decided to skip them all, but since next week's selection has already been announced, I'm pretty sure I'll be bringing you more reviews fairly soon.
In other news, NPD Group released the 2008 sales figures for Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero: World Tour this week. As far as the full band kits go, World Tour sold 3.4 million compared to RB2's 1.7 million. This really comes as no surprise though. After all, World Tour released simultaneously on 360, PS3, PS2, and Wii, where as RB2 had a staggered release over a couple of months. Then you have to consider that they only counted full band kits, but many Rock Band players may have bought just the stand-alone disc and used the instruments from the first game. But the biggest reason is simply because Guitar Hero has the name brand that uninformed consumers turn to. Most people have no idea who actually developed them, or that Activision bought the Guitar Hero license; they just turn to the one that sounds the most familiar. Then again, I guess you wouldn't expect a shameless knockoff to sell as well as the original, right?
There was also an interesting story circulating this week that originated on Billboard. In an article about Rock Band, the site stated "MTV said it plans to increase the number of available songs this year to as many as 5,000". This was then picked up by various news outlets, although most people could see how unrealistic the idea was. After all, the current library is about 500 tracks, so to get another 4,500 in 50 weeks would require about 90 songs a week - far too much to expect from the developers, and way too many for consumers to buy.
Harmonix responded by releasing a statement that pointed people toward the original Ars Technica quote that started the confusion. In an interview with Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos, Ars Technica asked whether the company felt constrained by the 'Rock' part of Rock Band. In his response, Rigopulos said:
"That said, one of the great promises of the catalog moving forward, as the catalog expands from 500 songs to 5,000 songs or whatever in the coming years, is that we're going to be less constrained from a genre standpoint, and I think you will see us starting to branch out into... whether it's country or R&B and jazz or funk, or things of that sort. With the critical mass of the "rock" core covered, of course we'll keep expanding it, but the critical mass is covered, so now we can start to branch off in ways that haven't made sense in the past but will make sense moving forward. "
So that's where the 5,000 figure came from. It's clear that this was just a misunderstanding that got out of hand, but one thing that can be taken away from this should be the fact that Harmonix are intending to keep supporting the game with regular DLC releases. We should also be getting a more diverse selection in future which can only help broaden the appeal of the game. So we may not be getting 5,000 tracks this year, but it sure sounds like they want to work towards it someday.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
DS2? Try DS-10!
So, you want to make music on your DS, do you? Okay, check out the awesome Daigassou Band Bros. DX. Oh, but you want something in English? Well, how about the Korg DS-10 Synth? Oh, I see; it's only available online so you can't be bothered to buy it, right? Well, worry no more. Gamestop recently revealed that they will soon be stocking the portable music software in actual stores.
The DS-10 Synth, for those who don't know, brings the power of Korg synthesizers into your pocket. It offer two dual oscillator synth parts and four synth/drum parts, which can be recorded in real time via the on screen keyboard and drum pads or via the 16-step sequencer. Effects and modulations can also be added in real time using a touchscreen MIDI controller, not unlike Korg's Kaoss Pad. All manner of variables can be tweaked to create fully original sounds and music, and creations can be shared wirelessly with friends. You can even connect up to 8 units together for the ultimate mixing session.
So, since this product has been available for a while now, why haven't you heard about it here before? Well, I had always intended to buy it upon release, but had enough on my plate this holiday season to keep me occupied and just sort of overlooked it. Now it's back in my mind though, and will be available in Gamestop on February 10th, so I'll definitely be picking it up this time. Look forward to a review, and hopefully a few songs, sometime next month.
For now, here's a video of the DS-10 in action, so you know what to look forward to:
Not this time (trial)
It's January 29th, and you all know what that means, right? It means that it's time for the world of Mirror's Edge to expand, with the release of the Pure Time Trial Pack. For those who don't know, this is a series of maps that take you out of the city and into a surreal, colorful, floaty-platforms kind of landscape. Having finished Mirror's Edge's story mode, I've been looking forward to adding some additional levels for a while, in which case, what am I doing here writing? Shouldn't I be off free running through environments that look like the offspring of Mario Galaxy and Wipeout?
Unfortunately, Big Download revealed yesterday that the Pure Time Trial Pack will not be released today, and will instead be arriving sometime in February. An EA spokesperson said, "To offer a completely smooth experience for players, DICE announced today that the DLC map pack for Mirror's Edge on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC will be delayed until February. However, the free exclusive map for PlayStation 3 players will be available to download on January 29 as previously announced. " So at least PS3 users will be getting something today; the rest of us, not so lucky.
This isn't the first time DLC has been delayed, but it's a shame that companies don't announce set-backs until the day of release, or just before. Presumably, they were working so hard on getting things finished that they didn't even realize what day it was. I know that no-one's to blame in this situation, it's just a little disappointing when you've been looking forward to something for a while, only to find out you won't be getting it. Oh well. I'm still having fun with the time trials that ship with the game and I haven't unlocked every achievement yet, so I guess I have that opportunity now. I'll bring you a review of the new pack next month, assuming there aren't any more delays.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Geared up for action
This week on Zero Punctuation, Yahtzee takes a look at Gears of War 2, the further adventures of Mark, Dom, and co. as they try to save the world from the horror of the locusts. And not the eat-your-crops kind of locusts; the blow-your-face-off-with-a-shotgun kind of locusts. Now I liked the first Gears of War a lot. In fact, it was one of my favorite games of 2006. Not because of the amazing story or innovative gameplay, but because it had a fun shooting mechanic and played great in co-op. However, I haven't really gotten too far in the second one yet, as it's familiarity hasn't been able to draw me away from other, original holiday season games. Therefore, I'll hold off judgement until I've had a chance to play all the way through.
I do have one question though. In the little time I've played Gears of War 2, it's apparent that the locust army has gotten a lot more powerful since the last game. Instead of simply facing grunts with machine guns, the Gears are now up against massive beasts with rocket launchers strapped to their backs, or infantry riding them. Mark, Dom, and the rest of the crew were tasked with wiping the army out at the end of Gears 1, but now things have gotten worse than ever, in which case, why the hell are they back on the job? Surely their commanders would realize that they didn't exactly clear things up last time, so might not be able to this time either. Then again, how do you fire a man with a chainsaw-gun in his hand?.....
Here's the review. As always, it contains plenty of strong language so is NSFW.
Check out the rest of his videos here.
Try before you die
We just can't seem to get away from zombies these days. They've been popping up in all sorts of games, from Grand Theft Auto to World of Warcraft, not to mention 2008's fantastic Left 4 Dead. We mustn't forget the Granddaddy of them all, though - Resident Evil. As you may know, the next title in the survival horror franchise is due out in March, but Capcom were nice enough to deliver a demo to the Xbox Live Marketplace a couple of days ago, which shows off a couple of the levels. Now, I'm not exactly the biggest Resident Evil fan, but couldn't resist trying it out.
The demo takes place in some African or South American location, and should be familiar to fans of RE4. The over-the-shoulder camera view remains from that title, but the controls have been tweaked to make them a little more shooter-like, with movement on the left stick and aiming on the right. Apart from this, though, control seems very familiar, and players must still plant their feet before aiming their laser-sighted gun. Obviously, the graphics have been improved over it's last-gen counterpart, but this is something we've become used to after three years of high-def visuals on Xbox 360.
The first of the two levels starts you inside a building, as you hold off the advances of the undead hordes. Much as in RE4, the best tactic is to shoot a zombie in the head then rush in for a kick while they're stunned. However, you no longer always kick; you may throw a punch or uppercut instead, depending on which way the zombie is facing, which may not have the desired effect of knocking down all the approaching enemies. After a few minutes of this, the ceiling caves in and it becomes apparent that staying inside might not be the best idea. Plus, there's now a huge dude with an axe heading your way.
Running out into the surrounding village will give you some room to think, and also provide you with some much needed ammo. However, this is where your ultimate goal becomes unclear. I spent quite a while trying to kill axe-guy, but he can sure take a lot of punishment without going down. Fall victim to his giant weapon and you'll find yourself at the game over screen, which then requires you to start all over again, so I found it best to just avoid him. If he does catch you with his massive blade, or if you just take too much damage from zombies, you'll be 'dying', which means you limp around slowly until your partner can come and revive you.
This highlights biggest change from RE4 - You now have a partner helping you out. This second character can be controlled either by the AI or a second player. However, the first level doesn't really showcase any of the co-op sections. Instead, you must simply stay alive long enough for the rescue chopper to come; a familiar scenario for anyone who's played Left 4 Dead. It's only in the second demo level that you start to see some real team-up points. Although this section also takes place in some remote village, it provides a little more variety from the first one. There are a few points where you must throw your partner across a gap, then provide cover with a sniper rifle while they clean up with a submachine gun.
This second level quickly reaches a point like the first one, though, in which you are simply in a village with a big guy coming for you; this time it's a bag-on-head chainsaw guy like in RE4. Unfortunately, this guy can take you out in one hit, so he's best tacked from a distance if you don't like the idea of starting the demo all over again. However, after enough sniper shots to the head he will go down, at which point the demo ends.
So, how was it then? Well, I didn't really like it, to be honest. I understand that Capcom made real advances between RE3 and RE4, but none of that creativity seems to have been applied this time. It ends up feeling like a prettier version of their last game, but with a 2-player option now. But is this really a bad thing? I mean, shouldn't a 2-player RE4 be awesome? Unfortunately, the bar has been raised in the last few years, making RE5 seem a little out-dated already. First of all, there's the Wii version of RE4. Now, I don't usually like Wii ports with tacked-on motion controls, but this is one instance where the control scheme was perfect. After having had much more fast and accurate aiming, it's tough to go back to the older, less precise analog stick.
The second reason it doesn't seem too impressive is because of Left 4 Dead. This game really showed how co-op survival horror should work, and RE5 seems pretty basic in comparison. In fact, it takes many of the aspects of Left 4 Dead, such as helping your partner escape from a zombie's clutches, and reviving them when they take too much damage, but doesn't seem to handle them quite as well. Your inventory, although streamlined from the last game, still requires a number of button presses to do things like hand ammo to your partner, which can be a pain when surrounded by undead.
Ultimately though, the reason why Resident Evil 5 seems out-dated is because we've seen horror portrayed in many interesting ways over the last few years, from creepy and atmospheric games like Bioshock and Dead Space, to the fast, panic-inducing Left 4 Dead. Compared to these, RE5 seems very old-school, because the only ways it scares you is to give you less-than-ideal controls and low supplies of ammunition. This was the tactic Capcom employed back in the first Resident Evil, but one would hope that over the years they'd developed new methods of inducing fear. Apparently not, though, as the demo relies very much on these two mechanics to keep you on the edge of your seat.
So in the end, I'm less than impressed with the demo for Resident Evil 5. It's too familiar feeling, which isn't a good thing when other developers are creating brand new, original IPs. The last few years have seen some real advancements to horror video games and this feels like a step backward. I know it's unrealistic to expect companies to re-invent franchises with every new instalment, but simply upgrading the graphics and tweaking the controls doesn't seem to cut it anymore. To me, RE5 sort of feels like RE2: A definite improvement over the last one, but without much of a leap gameplay-wise. We may have to wait another few years before Capcom decide to mix things up again.
Resident Evil 5 is due out on March 13th in N. America and Europe, for Xbox 360 and PS3. The demo is available now on XBLM and Feburary 2nd on PSN.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Get back to where you once belonged
The acquisition of 1UP by UGO affected many things: We lost EGM after 20 years in publication; we lost many of the writers we had come to know and love; and we lost the weekly shows, such as 1UP Yours and The 1UP Show. The end of 1UP Yours was probably the saddest part for me as I had been listening to it every week, ever since it first started back in 2005. That's why I was shocked on Friday when iTunes began downloading a new episode - I thought there weren't going to be any more.
It turns out that none of the guys could let things end so suddenly, so got back together for one final show. And in order to go out with a bang, they got the original cast. That's right, you'll be hearing from Garnett Lee, John Davison, Andrew Pfister, Shane Bettenhausen, and Luke Smith, despite the fact that 4 out of 5 of them no longer work for 1UP. The episode is very long - almost 3 and a half hours - but this gives them a chance to have a proper, classic show before they get to the reminiscing and sad goodbyes.
And what a show! Hearing the original cast re-assembled reminded me why it was that I loved 1UP Yours to begin with. It's hosts are funny, passionate, intelligent gamers that may not always have the same opinion on everything, but can offer solid reasoning behind their points of view. Right from the start I knew this program would be special, and it continued to be my most eagerly anticipated show each week for a long time, including television shows as well. I've been turned on to many games through it, such as Viva Piñata and Crackdown, and have heard multiple opinions on just about everything else. 1UP Yours was really the show that made me love podcasts, and I don't think anything will ever be able to replace it.
So to Garnett, John, Andrew, Shane, Luke, and anyone else who's contributed to 1UP Yours over the years, thank you. Thank you so much for entertaining me, educating me, and inspiring me. You may not think that your listeners can really get to know you through the show, but after spending literally hundreds of hours hearing how you feel about things, I think that I know you a lot better than most people know the authors of their magazines. Getting to hear video game discussion in this way beats everything else, as the passion in your voices can't be matched on paper. In fact, these new methods of journalism are what inspired me to start writing, so I have you guys to thank for that as well.
I really hope this isn't the last time the cast of 1UP Yours get to record a podcast together. I realize that they're all busy with new jobs, but I just can't stand the thought that fun adventures are going without us. They even discuss the possibility of getting back together, but much of it seems to be in jest. However, I'm sure that, given enough incentive, they could be persuaded to keep the show going. So what would it take? How about a subscription fee? It's nice to get the show for free, but since that isn't happening anymore this might be the only solution. If you were to charge, say, $15 a year (about the same as a magazine subscription), and you got just 100,000 people to subscribe, that's $1.5 million annually. I know that many people would download it for free, but I think you have enough of a loyal fanbase that many more would be happy to support you.
So until that time, thanks again. I know that everyone involved in the show will go on to do great things, and I only hope that you can all find the time to keep us informed. 1UP Yours will always be an inspiration to me, and if I ever start a podcast that's even half as entertaining, I'll die a very happy man.
Monday, January 26, 2009
You don't want it to get infected
I'm not really much of a PC gamer, but I just had to give this a mention as it concerns one of my favorite titles of the holiday season - Left 4 Dead. As you may know, the premiere zombie horror game of 2008 didn't even feature any zombies; they were "infected" à la 28 Days Later. This made them easier to deal with in some ways, like the fact that they didn't require a head-shot to put down, but tougher in other ways, like their speed and agility.
Well, for one modder, who goes by the name Doku, this wasn't good enough. Hordes of infected just couldn't cut it, so he decided to change things a little bit and add some "realism". Download his mod and you'll find yourself playing a very different Left 4 Dead. First off, everyone is slower, zombies and survivors. You have no flashlight, and must take down all enemies with a shot to the head. Thankfully, you have a laser sighting on your gun now, but no on-screen crosshairs otherwise. Oh, and you won't be finding ammo or health packs in safe rooms anymore; you'll have to search for them.
One other big change is the lack of special infected, except for tweaked tanks for the finales. Now, the game can be tackled by a single person without the fear of being constantly jumped by a hunter or smoker. But why would you be alone anyway? Wouldn't your AI teammates be with you? Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention that: You have no AI teammates anymore. Whether you can still invite real people to join you isn't mentioned, but the mod seems to be focused on turning Left 4 Dead from an arcadey co-op shooter into a single player survival horror.
There's a whole bunch of other little changes and tweaks that seem to have the singular goal of making things more difficult, and you can read the whole list here, as well as download the mod. This should give PC gamers something to do while we all wait for Valve's official DLC. Meanwhile, check out this video of the mod in action. I swear you'll never take your flashlight for granted again!
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Damn parasites!
I don't usually consider myself an achievement whore. I'm much happier playing games properly and earning my gamerscore the hard way, but every now and then something comes along that's just a little too tempting. For some, it might be the prospect of getting 1000 points in 2 minutes with Avatar: TBE, but who really wants that on their played games list? Instead, I managed to bump up my gamerscore by becoming an achievement parasite.
See, my girlfriend Katie is currently playing Fable 2. After getting rather far by being a goody-goody, she decided being nice wasn't all that fun and instead began killing everyone. I hadn't played Fable 2 yet, but couldn't say no when she invited me to join her. I didn't even realize that it could be played co-op on one machine, but, sure enough, pressing start prompted me to pick my character. The only choices were male/female and good/bad, but it allowed me to align myself correctly.
After a few minutes of senseless massacring (including her virtual husband), she decided to carry on with the quests, and this is where I discovered something cool. It turns out that all the achievements in Fable 2 are unlocked not only when you fulfil the requirements, but also when a friend fulfils them. This means that when playing in co-op, any achievements unlocked are given to both players, regardless of who actually earned them. Almost immediately I started getting little 5 and 10 pointers for random things my girlfriend was doing, but what about the major achievements? Would those also be unlocked for both of us?
The following day she was playing again, this time advancing towards the end of the story. She told me that some big achievements were coming up, and asked if I wanted to join her. Well sure, I thought. Why not? Five minutes and one boss fight later, I was up 100 points. She was nearing the end of the game, but I had to go to work so couldn't be there for the finale. She offered to keep me signed in after I left so I could get the last achievements, then sign me out afterwards. As cheap as it felt, how could I refuse?
So now I have achievements for the end of Fable 2, but none of the beginning ones. The reason I consider this parasitic is because I didn't really earn any of them, I just followed my girlfriend around while she earned them, contributing nothing myself. Well, to be fair, I did help kill a boss, but when you consider that playing in co-op removes much of your camera control, I'm not sure if my presence made it any easier. Thankfully, she was happy to forfeit that control just to see the happy look on my face when I unlocked another ill-gotten achievement.
So now I wonder what other games allow achievement parasiting, such as this one? Most titles require you to unlock your own achievements, even when playing in co-op, so this technique wouldn't work. However, I bet there are many instances where just being in the right place at the right time would boost up your gamerscore. For instance, what would happen in Gears of War if you invited a buddy to join you right before you defeated a berserker? Would they also get the achievement for it? I think they might.
Feel free to leave a comment telling us of any other games where you can tag along and get free gamerscore points. And if you know anyone with Fable 2, bring a controller over to their house and grab a few yourself!
Friday, January 23, 2009
Why so DLC-rious?
This week in Rock Band, it's Miller time! Steve Miller, that is, whose band brings us a nice 3-pack of songs including everyone's favorite - The Joker. Alongside these are a number of individual tracks by hard-rockin' groups, such as Godsmack and Rob Zombie. While heavy metal isn't exactly my kind of music, it's nice that we're still getting a fairly diverse selection, and I'm sure plenty of fans are pleased. As usual, the tracks are 160 MSP ($2) each, but the Steve Miller pack can be acquired for 440 MSP ($5.50).
Here are this week's offerings:
By Steve Miller Band
Space Cowboy
Take the Money and Run
The Joker
Godsmack - I Stand Alone
Belly - Feed the Tree
Ghost Hounds - Wind Me Up
Mute Math - Typical
Rob Zombie - War Zone
Note: Click on any song for expert drum videos.
Okay, so lets forget about the individual tracks and focus on the Steve Miller pack. I'm not even that much of a Steve Miller fan, really, but haven't bought any songs for a few weeks and wanted something that I knew. So how are they?
First off is The Joker, which is in tier 1 for drums (0-6, remember?) so is fairly easy. The beat is traditional, and even the fills aren't tricky. Since the song is so slow, the few occasions where the beat changes are easily mastered, so expert players shouldn't be surprised if you see those gold stars on your first try.
Next is Space Cowboy, which falls into drum tier 4. This song is a little different, and has a beat that goes back and forth between hands, sort of like the last section of Don't Fear the Reaper by Blue Öyster Cult. As with that track, it's not too hard, but keeping it up constantly is a little tough for someone who hasn't gotten his fair share of practice recently (me), and this is made even harder by it's ever-changing kick drum rhythm. Also look out for the tricky solo in the middle that switches things up a bit.
Finally we have Take the Money and Run, which is also in drum tier 4. This track has the most interesting rhythm of the three, starting off with a syncopated section not unlike Funk #49 by James Gang. The beat continues to switch back and forth between hands, but is a little easier after the intro. No tough fills or solos, so master the chorus and you'll pretty much be all set.
So would I recommend them? Well, yes and no. Space Cowboy is interesting, but might be a little tricky for beginners and a little easy for experts. Take the Money and Run is probably the most fun of the three, but there are still better tracks to spend your money on. If I were to recommend any of them, it would probably be The Joker. Not because it's a great song to play, mind you, but more because it's a classic that should be included in any game about rock and roll. Ultimately, this week's selection is great for fans of the band, and more take-it-or-leave-it for everyone else.
In other Rock Band news, Forbes joined Entertainment Weekly in the list of magazines that shouldn't pretend to know about video games. In an article about Activision's Bobby Kotick, writer Peter C. Beller called Rock Band "a shameless knockoff of Guitar Hero". Okay, I've gone through this before, but in case any other uninformed folks are reading, lets just have a brief history of the two franchises.
Guitar Hero was developed by Harmonix (makers of rhythm games such as Frequency and Amplitude) and published by Red Octane (makers of rhythm game accessories such as DDR dance mats). Red Octane owned the name and manufactured the guitars, but Harmonix made the actual game, which was similar to earlier titles of theirs. After making Guitar Hero 1 and 2 the companies split, with Red Octane being purchased by Activision, and Harmonix being acquired by EA. Since Activision now owned the Guitar Hero name, they employed Neversoft (makers of the Tony Hawk games) to work on GH3 and World Tour. Meanwhile, Harmonix teamed up with MTV Games and publisher EA to develop Rock Band.
To the average consumer, I can understand why Rock Band looks like a rip-off, but really it's the other way around, especially after World Tour added drums and microphone. This is hard enough for the casual gaming customer to understand without respected magazines telling blatant mis-truths about the whole deal. In response to the backlash, Peter Beller issued a statement in which he claims to have known about the company relationship the whole time, in which case his statement is even worse because he knew it to be wrong. Either way, he stands by what he said, going so far as to quote the dictionary definition of 'knockoff' to prove his point. Whatever, Peter, whatever.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
TF2 delivers payload
Now that Left 4 Dead is finished, out, and being enjoyed by many, Valve have a chance to continue work on their other baby - Team Fortress 2. This news comes to us from Valve's Robin Walker, who spent some time discussing the game with The Escapist. Although frequent updates have been released, it sounds as though they're busy working on something really major, including a new map, game mode, and possibly even a new class.
Much of the discussion is focused on the already-available updates, and the reasoning behind them. Obviously, re-balancing had to be a focus, as it does in many games, and watching the way players use certain classes helps give an idea of what can be fixed. He mentions that The Spy's disguise is no longer very useful as players have become a lot better at spotting it, and the engineer's guns are too "binary", meaning deadly for some, useless for others. As someone who totally sucks with both these classes, I agree that they are tough and could use a little tweaking. These are just two issues that will be looked at when more class updates roll around.
But what about the new stuff? Unfortunately, not much is mentioned about the new Payload map, nor the "very different" new game mode. As far as a new class goes, well, a little time is spend discussing the possibility, but nothing is confirmed. Fans have been expecting an announcement about this ever since an Easter Egg in Left 4 Dead teased at the possibility, but Walker instead says "We've got several new class designs floating around, some of which we like a lot, but right now we're focusing on the broadening of our existing classes through the addition of the unlockables". This means that the class updates that deliver new weapons and tactics may be the closest thing anyone's going to get to a new class, for a while.
But now the important part. What about Xbox 360 players? Valve have been releasing updates for a while on PC, but have had to deal with Microsoft's weird DLC restrictions on 360, so have released nothing. They promised that the updates would eventually make it to the console, but gave no exact date. Well, once again, 360 players are left in the dark, as there is no mention of the console version anywhere in the article, leading me to believe that we'll be getting nothing, at least not initially. It's a real shame, as I'd love to play a bit more TF2, but understand that many players have gotten bored of the limited selection of maps and won't go back until a larger selection becomes available.
So PC players, have fun. The rest of us will just have to wait and see if Microsoft and Valve can work something out for console gamers. Of course, in the meantime, I wouldn't say no to a few Left 4 Dead updates......
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Cry me a river
This week on Zero Punctuation, Yahtzee takes a look at Far Cry 2, the latest sandbox shooter by Ubisoft Montreal. Apparently, Crytek, the makers of the first game (Far Cry, Crytek, get it?) weren't good enough to make the sequel so were replaced by the studio who brought us Assassin's Creed and Prince of Persia. I guess they didn't like the original game very much as, by the sound of it, Far Cry 2 is vastly different from the original.
Probably the biggest change is the structure of the game. Taking cues from just about every action game that's been released since Grand Theft Auto, Far Cry 2 is a FAG (that's Freeform Action Game, for those who don't know). This means that rather than be guided down the path from point A to point B, you are instead given a choice of how to proceed. Maybe you want to go from point B to point A instead; maybe you don't want to go to point A at all; maybe you want to align with point C and blow up the other points. These choices can be yours as you attempt to locate and terminate The Jackal, an arms dealer who's helping destroy the African state you find yourself in. While I haven't played it yet, I've heard good things about it (not so much from here) and it even ended up on some Game of the Year lists, so I may have to pick it up at some point
For now, here's the review. As always, it contains plenty of strong language so is NSFW.
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It must have worked
It's January 21st, and we officially have a brand new president here in the US. And it's all thanks to Xbox 360. Between the in-game Obama advertising campaign and Rock the Vote polls conducted a few month ago, enough people decided to put down their controllers and cast their vote. Well, I'm assuming that's the reason anyway. Since the only news I follow is gaming news, I have no idea if there even was another part to his campaign, or if the Xbox 360 was it.
Either way, Microsoft have decided to carry on bringing election info by offering free videos showing the president and vice president being sworn into office, as well as the inauguration speech itself. All of these are available on the 360 dashboard, under the video section, which is also home to a number of election-themed TV shows such as The West Wing (yes, it was added specifically, as far as I know). While you might not agree with the results, Microsoft must be given some praise for offering these videos to us, especially in this day and age when casual, kiddy games are really starting to take over.
So go ahead and have a watch, if that's your thing. I think it's great that the 360's new dashboard can accommodate this type of thing, and I hope they bring us more important stuff in the future. Now, if they could just figure out a way of letting you vote with your console.......
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Holiday games +1
The holiday season's over and chances are, you've already played plenty of 2008's big releases. You may have even finished some of them and have relegated them to life on a shelf (maybe a shelf at Gamestop), but don't forget about them yet - new content is on the way. Thanks to the miracle known as the internet, our favorite games no longer have to be completed before they make it to stores. Instead, new levels, weapons, and content can all be worked on for months or years after the games are launched, keeping them fresh.
In fact, a bunch of titles that only just released in the last couple of months already have DLC available, or in the works. Maybe it's just a way of keeping folks from trading their games in, but either way, it's great to get new content. Here are a few of the titles that have add-ons planned:
Fable 2
An new island is available for Fable 2 players, entitled Knothole Island. As well as adding new quests, weapons (including an assault rifle from another popular game), and dungeons, the pack contains many more items of clothing for customizing your character. Knothole Island is available now for 800 MSP ($10).
Fallout 3
The other holiday season RPG has plenty of new content on the horizon. The first piece planned is called Operation Anchorage, and will take place in Alaska. You will utilize new weapons, armor, gadgets, and perks in order to save the place from the threat of Chinese Communism. As another bonus, the DLC will raise the level cap from 20 to 30, allowing for a more powerful character. Operation Anchorage will be available in January for 800 MSP ($10), and will be followed by The Pitt in February and Broken Steel in March.
Mirror's Edge
A whole new pack of time trial maps are on the way for everyone's favorite free-running game. These take you out of the city and into some crazy Mario-Galaxy-style surreal landscapes. 9 all new time trials will take place over 7 maps, with PS3 players even getting a free bonus map. Mirror's Edge Time Trials will be available on January 29th, also for 800 MSP ($10).
Left 4 Dead
Unfortunately, not much is known about the new content coming to Valve's excellent zombie shooter. We know that new campaigns are on the way, as well as the ability to play versus mode on maps Dead Air and Death Toll, but as far as new weapons go, who knows? PC players will also get a Software Development Kit for making custom levels, but 360 gamers will have to make do with the ones provided. Hopefully more details will be released soon about the updates.
There are other titles that have content being released, or at least planned, such as Call Of Duty: World at War, Gears of War 2, and, of course, Rock Band and Guitar Hero, but these are the ones that excite me the most. As far as the Fable and Fallout stuff goes, well, I think I still have plenty to occupy me before I start spending more money, but I'll certainly purchase the Mirror's Edge and Left 4 Dead DLC the moment it's available. I think it's great that developers are still spending time working on content after they could very well have moved on to their next project, and it definitely brings the games back into the spotlight for a little while. Instead of having the usual winter slump, I have lots of stuff to look forward to in the near-future, and will offer up my opinions on all the new content when I get a chance to play it.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Manual transmission
Do you read instruction manuals? You know, those little booklets that come with every video game? I think most people just ignore them, or use them as a quick reference guide during play. I'm a little different, though. See, back in the day I had a NES. Many of the games I owned were second hand, and as a result, a lot came sans-instructions. With only 2 buttons on the controller, it was never hard to figure out what did what, but I came to realize that I wasn't always discovering everything
Occasionally, I would pop in a game that I thought I was completely familiar with, only to accidentally do something that I didn't know could be done. All of a sudden I understood why I had been so frustrated up 'til that point - I was missing an important gameplay mechanic. I know that getting better and figuring out new tactics is part of any game, but I'm talking about important stuff here. All of a sudden I began to wonder if I was missing things in other games too. Was that fighter too hard because I didn't know how to pull of special moves? Did I have trouble at that shooting game because there's some way of powering up your weapons? With no Gamefaqs to guide me, I had no real way of knowing. Therefore, whenever I bought a game that did have instructions I would read them cover to cover, ensuring there was nothing I was unaware of.
Over the years, games have changed. Controllers have gotten a lot more complex, but to compensate, tutorials have pretty much become standard. These days we get guided through all the controls and maneuvers before we even get a chance to play. Plus, many titles features extensive menus with logs and notes that are much more detailed than any manual could be. And, of course, there's always that thing called the internet, which can teach us everything we could possibly want to know about any game. All of these things have have made the good old instruction manual all but obsolete.
I still find myself reading them, though, before I get started on any new game. Old habits die hard, you know? I don't read them cover to cover anymore, but I at least skim through them. I'm glad that I do, as I still find little tips that wouldn't be discovered during normal gameplay; details on some otherwise-hidden mechanic, such as how the health regeneration or leveling system works. Being someone who likes to fully understand the all the rules of gameplay (which isn't always a good thing), I appreciate that level of detail being available.
But there's another reason I like instruction manuals; this one a bit sillier. You see, often when I get a game, I've been anticipating it's release for a long time. Any gamer knows the excitement of reading about a new title and imagining how awesome it's going to be when you finally get to try it out. Well, all that ends when that disc is popped in the system and loaded up for the first time. Therefore, I came to realize that, for me, the instruction manual is my very last chance to geek out about my newest purchase before I find out if all the months or years of waiting were worth it. It's like the foreplay before the main event, in which I can check everything out and get myself super-psyched for what comes next. That way, even if the game turns out to be a total disappointment, well, at least I still got those last few moments of pleasure.
Friday, January 16, 2009
December NPD - Nindependence Day
2008 is over, and we finally have the last month's worth of sales data, courtesy of NPD Group. As far as hardware goes, we see insane numbers, with four out of six consoles selling over a million units. Of course, Nintendo aren't content to stop there, selling just over 2 million Wiis (about the same as last month) and over 3 million DSs. 3 Million! In one month! The Xbox 360 comes in 3rd with a very respectable 1.4 million, and the PSP just hits the million mark. Unfortunately for Sony, the PS3 isn't doing quite as well, but the PS2 is still moving a lot of units, considering it's age, proving there's still some life in it yet.
Here are December's figures:
- Nintendo DS - 3,040,000
- Wii - 2,150,000
- Xbox 360 - 1,440,000
- PSP - 1,020,000
- PlayStation 3 - 726,000
- PlayStation 2 - 410,000
All this leads me to one conclusion: All the hardcore gamers have bought everything they're going to buy for the year, as most of the big releases were out by November, leaving December to all the parents buying presents for their children. Since Nintendo have done a better job of shipping Wiis to stores, people are finally getting their hands on them and need some games, so get the only ones worth buying - Nintendo first party ones. I don't know exactly what they're playing on the DS, but I bet it isn't The World Ends With You or Chrono Trigger. Shame. As much as I love the DS, I admit that there's an awful lot of crap on it, and this is probably what's being sold.
Here are the numbers:
01. Wii Play (Wii) - 1,460,000
02. Call of Duty: World at War (Xbox 360) - 1,330,000
03. Wii Fit (Wii) - 999,000
04. Mario Kart Wii (Wii) - 979,000
05. Guitar Hero World Tour (Wii) - 850,000
06. Gears of War 2 (Xbox 360) - 745,000
07. Left 4 Dead (Xbox 360) - 629,000
08. Mario Kart DS (DS) - 540,000
09. Call of Duty: World At War (PS3) - 533,000
10. Animal Crossing City Folk (Wii) - 497,000
Of course, since the year is over, we now know which were the biggest sellers for the entire period. There are no surprises really, with six of the ten also being on the December chart. The others are Smash Bros. Brawl, Madden NFL '09, and two versions of Grand Theft Auto IV. Nintendo dominate again, but of course, this is all part of their plan: If you release barely any games for your system then everyone has to buy the ones you do. Clever Nintendo, clever.
So here they are, the best selling games of 2008:
01. Wii Play (Wii) - 5,280,000
02. Mario Kart Wii (Wii) - 5,000,000
03. Wii Fit (Wii) - 4,530,000
04. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii) - 4,170,000
05. Grand Theft Auto IV (Xbox 360) - 3,290,000
06. Call of Duty: World at War (Xbox 360) - 2,750,000
07. Gears of War 2 (Xbox 360) - 2,310,000
08. Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3) - 1,890,000
09. Madden NFL 09 (XBox 360) - 1,870,000
10. Mario Kart DS (DS) - 1,650,000
So that's it for another year. Will the economy doom 2009's numbers, or is the best yet to come? With no big releases on the horizon, Nintendo's usual games will most likely chart for a while longer, assuming they continue to ship Wiis to stores. Apart from those, we'll just have to wait and see what January's numbers hold.
Let DLC rule
This week in Rock Band, am I gonna go your way? This question, and more, can be answered when you download the 4-pack from Lenny Kravitz. As well as these songs, there will also be one by a band called Megasus, and another by Honest Bob and the Factory to Dealer Incentives, who fans should know from their previous tracks in Harmonix's games. The Lenny Kravitz tracks are 160 MSP ($2) a piece, but the whole pack can be acquired for 560 MSP ($7), and the other songs are 80 MSP ($1) each.
Here's this week's selection:
By Lenny Kravitz
Are You Gonna Go My Way
Freedom Train
Let Love Rule
Mr. Cab Driver
Megasus - Megasus
Honest Bob and the Factory to Dealer Incentives - Entangled
Note: Click on any song for expert drum videos.
So in answer to your question Lenny: No, sorry, I'm no gonna go your way. I mean, it's a catchy and well known song, but the drum chart just looks to similar to a bunch of other tracks and I don't want to buy anything that I can master on my first try. The other tracks are alright, I guess, but nothing too exciting. Think I'm just gonna skip them all. Besides, I've got plenty of other stuff to keep me occupied this week.
In other news, the Wii Rock Band store is now up and running. Finally, fans can see the true brilliance of the game as they pick and choose their own ideal tracklist. Initially, there will only be 50 songs to choose from, including the 20 free bonus tracks released recently for other systems, but I'm sure they'll be doing all they can to try and catch up. Unfortunately, none of my favorite tracks are available yet, but there are still some fun ones, including Working Man (Vault Edition) and Message in a Bottle. Lets see if Harmonix can have the same success with Wii DLC as they've had on 360 and PS3.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
The king lives on
It's been over 2 years since the PS3 and Wii launched and we officially moved into the current console generation. Apparently, a large number of people didn't get the memo, though, as the Playstation 2 continues to sell, despite being on the market for over 8 years. Either that, or it's because many families are only just buying a video game console for the first time, and want one that's cheap, with a large selection of games. Either way, the PS2 still appears on the NPD charts each month, which means a lot of people are just getting their hands on one. In fact, just the other day, Sony announced that their little black box has sold 50 million units in North America, which is nothing to scoff at.
So for all those people who are just getting into gaming (not that you'll be reading this), what do you pick up for your brand new system? With all the talk these days of HD graphics, cel-shading, 5.1 surround, and downloadable content, what about the PS2? It has such a large selection of games, not all good, so it could be a little overwhelming for a new customer who wanders into Gamestop looking for something to play. That's why I now present to you my list of 5 games no PS2 owner should be without. There are a lot more essentials apart from these, but they are the ones I would recommend above all others:
Bully
Rockstar's final PS2 game, and in my opinion their finest. They take a lot of the fun gameplay aspects from the Grand Theft Auto series and transplant them into a boarding school setting. Gone is the carjacking and shooting, to be replaced by skateboarding and slingshotting. You also get the chance to attend classes, kiss girls, and stay up past your curfew in this fantastic and funny adventure.
God of War
Taking cues from previous titles, such as Devil May Cry, Sony have crafted the ultimate action game, staring a badass hero with blades attached to his arms. Although the story is surprisingly intriguing, the main focus is on all-out combat, as you build up Kratos' repertoire of moves and take on some huge bosses! Oh yeah, and since God of War 1 and 2 are both very similar, just buy whichever one you can get easiest. You can't go wrong either way.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
There are now 3 of these titles on the PS2, but the first one is the best. Taking influence from games like Tomb Raider, Ubisoft re-started their old franchise, and brought it into the modern age with fantastic results. Using the prince's acrobatic moves, as well as the power to turn back time (even after you die), you must navigate around the environment and sword fight with enemies in this thrilling puzzle platformer.
Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy
The most obscure title on this list, Midway's psychic action game should definitely not be overlooked. As well as an arsenal of guns, you must utilize Nick Scryer's selection of powers to get through the levels. Telekenesis, pyrokenesis, mind control, and energy draining (as well as others) must all be mastered if you hope to stand a chance. And nothing beats the feeling of taking over an enemy soldier, making him kill all his teammates, then jumping him off a building!
Shadow of the Colossus
A very unique game, unlike any of the others mentioned today. At it's heart it's a puzzler, in which you find then kill the giant mythical beasts of the title. Rather than simply run up and start smacking them, though, you must find ways of climbing these enormous monsters in order to get to their weak spots. Fun, challenging, and, at times, haunting, no PS2 fan should pass by this masterpiece of electronic entertainment.
So there you go. I wouldn't say that these are my top 5 PS2 games of all time, but I think they've all held up nicely since their release. Of course, an obvious one that I'm missing is Guitar Hero, but I figure that most people will be aware of this series, so it doesn't need mentioning. Besides, as good as Guitar Hero was at the time, we have Rock Band these days, which I would only really recommend on next-gen systems so you can buy DLC. So go out and look for these games if you want to see the best the PS2 has to offer. There are many more excellent titles out there, but if you start with these, I think you're really going to enjoy your newly-discovered pass time.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Tomb and gloom
This week on Zero Punctuation, Yahtzee takes a look at Tomb Raider: Underworld, Eidos' latest attempt to make Lara Croft relevant again. It's funny: Anyone who just started reading this blog may think that I love the series, as this is the third post in a week that mentions it, but it's only coincidence, I swear. Back when the first game was released, I avoided it, not wanting to be just another teenage boy drawn towards a title with a curvy female protagonist. I finally cracked and bought a copy, at which point I discovered that it was actually an excellent game. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about the sequels, which got worse and worse, culminating in 2003's god-awful Angel of Darkness. It looked as though Lara's 15 minutes of fame were over.
Thankfully, in 2006, Tomb Raider: Legend was released, proving that the old girl had some life in her yet. Underworld sounds like it follows in the same footsteps, without adding anything too revolutionary. However, since I haven't played it I can't offer my opinion on it's finer points, so lets talk about something else for a minute: Boobs. Yes, that's right, how can one expect to have a discussion about Tomb Raider without someone mentioning Lara's jugs. I originally thought that they were the only reason people were talking about the series. That was, until I found out that the games are actually fun to play, and Lara has nothing more than two triangular ridges sticking out of her chest. Sure, they may be a lot better rendered these days, but back on PS1 they were far from erotic. So lets drop the supposition that people are only interested in looking at virtual breasts, and accept that Tomb Raider actually has something to offer.
Anyway, enough of my thoughts; here's the review. As always, it contains plenty of strong language so is definitely NSFW:
Check out the rest of his videos here.
Two heads are better than one
Back in the day, my best friend and I played through the original Tomb Raider. Yeah, I know: Tomb Raider is only single-player, but that didn't matter. See, I may have been the one with the actual controller in my hands, but we were both equal participants in the puzzle solving, which is really the main focus anyway. It was the same for Final Fantasy VII. Following the story and deciding on battle strategies was something that could easily be done by more than one person, despite the fact that it was supposed to be a solo endeavor.
I've found, over the years, that there are many games that really play better with another person to help out. Obviously nothing too action-heavy, but anything with puzzles or strategy lends itself nicely to this type of play. Sometimes all it takes is a second set of eyes that may spot something I missed. I probably would have ended up resorting to a strategy guide when playing Shadow of the Colossus if my girlfriend hadn't been nearby, suggesting things that I hadn't tried yet. Other times it's helpful to be able to plan tactics with someone, especially in RTS games like Command and Conquer. I would often find my friends playing this one together, figuring out the next plan of attack with input from each other.
Story-heavy games are another type that benefit from having a second person around. From Metal Gear Solid to the Final Fantasy series, any plot is better with someone else to follow it's highs and lows, twists and surprises. If that person can also help figure out how you're going to defeat the seemingly-impossible next boss, then all the better really. In fact, knowing how good certain titles can be with a friend around, I've actually held off on playing them while I'm alone. As much as I want to play Braid, last year's XBLA puzzler, I'm going to wait until a night when my girlfriend's not working so she can help me with, what I've heard are, some tricky levels to figure out.
So all I'm really saying is, just because it says '1 player' on the box, doesn't mean it can't be experienced by more than one person. Many of my most memorable video game moments took place with others in the room, following along as intently as I was. So thanks to all those who made my gaming time a little better, and thanks again for not insisting that it was your turn with the controller just before we got to the final boss!
