All Topics Gaming older than one year ago

Media Vision, best known for the Wild Arms RPG series, is working on a new project for PlayStation 3 and PSP. New job listings suggest that the project is quite early in production, and is expected to be "a massive project that will span a long term." While the listing describes the Wild Arms series as being "representative of Japan," this new title for Sony platforms will be one that "appeals to users not just in Japan, but around the world as well."

This new project is only the latest in a growing trend of Japanese RPG developers attempting to create a title with worldwide appeal. Most recently, Square Enix made two versions of Nier in an effort to better appeal to Western sensibilities. It'll be interesting to see what approach Media Vision takes for its new globally-focused project.

[Via Andriasang]

#rumor Earlier today, the NBA Live page on Facebook put up that image, and the answer seems to be "What is the new name of EA Sports' NBA franchise?" Correct! I'll take "Potpourri" for a thousand, Alex ... More »

I can’t think of any that would necessarily work better on the iPhone, but I can say that I want Canabalt on the DS!

Team17 Software, best known for its Worms games, is bringing an expanded version of Alien Breed: Evolution to PC and PS3 this summer. Alien Breed: Impact takes the original XBLA game and adds "suggestions from the community," such as weapons upgrades, increased difficulty, and a new "Prologue" campaign for newcomers to the franchise.

Like its predecessor, the top-down shooter is powered by Unreal Engine 3, and will be distributed digitally via Steam and PlayStation Network. Expect both versions of Impact to arrive this summer.

Space economists rejoice!

Bland and lifeless arcade shooting.

Hi everyone! At long last, ModNation Racers is available now for the PSP! Thanks to those who have been following my blog posts the past few months as we’ve been working hard to bring you a great game loaded with features. We’ve talked at length about the over-the-top kart racing action, as well as the revolutionary Creation Studio tools that let you design Mods, Karts, and Tracks on the fly before you Share them with the world! Critics are starting to chime in too with great things to say, and we’re happy all our efforts are paying off.

What we haven’t talked about yet is price. You can get all of this amazing content for a low price of $29.99, whether you prefer to buy it on UMD or digitally through the PlayStation Store. With over 25 tracks, a PSP-version exclusive Last Kart Standing Mode, and virtually endless user-generated content, this really is an incredible purchase for the long summer days.

Speaking of long days…just how hard have we been working? Well I kind of touched on that in my previous post, when I mentioned a Behind-the-Scenes video that was coming. It’s here now to watch, and watching it myself I am reminded of all the fun we had making ModNation Racers as well as all that hard work. Throughout the video you’ll see some of our daily meetings, trips to QA, and nearly every person focused on making the game all that it is today!

From day 20 down to the final hours before we shipped, from funny moments to the serious make-or-break decisions that have to be made on the fly, everything is chronicled in this video. You will see the design decisions, bug reviews, programmers and artists working side-by-side and some of the levity that breaks the tension of a team at 4am.

Anyway, hope you all enjoy this first installment of the video, above. And alas, now I can finally see you on the track!

If the recent animated prequel didn't convince you that Pacific City, the setting for the Crackdown series, has gone to hell in a handbasket since the franchise's first installment, then perhaps this will do the trick. BitMob recently posted a panoramic comparison of the city as it looked in Crackdown to how it looks in Crackdown 2. In short, it looks like a really, really terrible place to live now.

Watch as some of the notable landmarks from the first game crumble, decay or simply become derelict due to the influx of violent mutants that plague Crackdown 2. It looks like Pacfici City has become a generally more dangerous place to take up residence -- though, as a concern, we imagine that ranks second behind what this gruesome makeover has done to the city's property values.

How does Nintendo get away with copying an ingenious product like One Wireless Gaming?? Of course, I’m being sarcastic. Thanks to our friend, Tyrone for the picture message!

#rumor ESPN, citing multiple unnamed sources, says 2K Sports is pursuing basketball's greatest player ever, Michael Jordan, for the cover of NBA 2K11 and may have plans to feature him as a playable character in the game. More »

#science We can daydream about alien invasion, killer robots, and rampaging genetic mutations, but the world is more likely to go on until something like this happens: the death of a star. More »

Can one of 2009's best games get better?

First collaboration between EA and its subsidiary Playfish.

After being outed by a handful of ratings organizations, Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project has finally been confirmed for release on Xbox Live Arcade. A listing for the game recently appeared on the official Xbox website, bringing with it no pricing or release date details -- though it does confirm that it falls under the "Action" genre. Oh, thank goodness. We were afraid it might have become a casual puzzler during its transition to consoles.

We've contacted Microsoft to see if anyone can fill in the blanks in regards to the game's price and due date. We're betting it launches sometime in August, which would be appropriate, since we all know August is Stripper and Rocket Launcher Appreciation Month.

[Via Shacknews]

We take the fight online.

The price is wrong, Bob.

#desperation Europe has been on the receiving end of great PSP Go game bundles since the device launched in October of last year, and they're only getting better, with Sony soon offering ten free big-name titles to Euro Go purchasers. More »

Super Mario Galaxy 2 is now the highest rated video game in history... at least according to Game Rankings and its penchant for number crunching and outliers-inclusive averaging. It was a good run 1998's The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, don't let the door hit you in the ass. More »

Those awaiting the arrival of Test Drive Unlimited 2 shouldn't make any travel plans for the second week of September, because Atari's already booked you for a trip to Ibiza. The scenic racing game is due to be released on September 21, 2010 in North America, and pre-order campaigns will roll out beginning this week (May 28). As has become the norm, various retailers will feature unique bonuses in exchange for your solemn vow to purchase the game from them. Here's a quick rundown of what's being offered to pre-purchasers:

• Amazon pre-order bonus: Aston Martin V12 Vantage Carbon Black special edition, in-game avatar apparel and Amazon video games store credit (amount TBA)
• Atari.com: custom Nissan 370Z
• Best Buy: Aston Martin DBS Carbon Black special edition
• GameStop: TDU2: Casino Online bonus game (including poker, roulette and slots; playable with friends online) and two exclusive unlockable cars
• Walmart: Inuit finish Audi Q7 V12 TDI Quattro, in-game avatar apparel and Walmart.com gift card (amount TBA).

We recently saw Test Drive Unlimited 2 in action and will have hands-on impressions of the game from E3.

#unitedfrontgames Find out how cake and beer helped one studio produce the massive creative racing engine that is ModNation Racers in this week's Kotaku Talk Radio Podcast, now available for download. More »

[flickr] June's shaping up to be quite a packed month for Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero DLC aficionados. On top of a free pack of national anthems for Xbox 360 and PS3 users -- you haven't lived until you've rocked out to Germany's national anthem, "Lied der Deutschen," by the way -- three separate band track packs will be available. These will feature Stone Temple Pilots, Alice Cooper and All Time Low.

Head past the break to check out the full list of DLC. We have a feeling that Spanish foreign exchange student staying with your family this summer is going to be pumped to play some "Marcha Real."

Welcome to Earth!

The Halo assault rifle has had a difficult time earning respect. It was totally outshined by the pistol in Halo: CE, ditched entirely for Halo 2 and brought back again in Halo 3 -- only to lose the spotlight to the battle rifle. Now, thanks to a creative Halo fan, the assault rifle has been brought to life ... and completely nerfed. (Like, it's actually a Nerf gun -- get it?)

Taking a stock Nerf rifle and an "infamous knock off dollar store assault rifle," a modder known as Moz cobbled together this Halo assault rifle, adding custom pieces and paint. The best part: It actually works; albeit with a slightly lower rate of fire than an actual assault rifle. See it in action after the break.

[Via Kotaku]

#gameclub We are up to Alan Wake's fifth episode and a well-lit room. Time to talk about a few things. More »

If a report by Edge proves accurate (wait till E3), then Pachter's estimation that Project Natal will cost less than an average game is off. Instead, a source backed by Edge has alleged a $150 price point (with plenty of room to drop) for the forthcoming Xbox 360 motion tech camera -- or $300 when bundled with the Xbox 360 Arcade console. Additionally, the source has suggested an October 26 worldwide release -- give or take "a few weeks."

Of course, both the rumored pricing and release date remain uncorroborated (we repeat: wait till E3). But, hey, that doesn't mean we can't have a bit of fun with the supposed intel. And by "fun," we mean, "host an online poll asking if you'd spend $150 on Project Natal" ...
View Poll

The company won't spare any expense.

If a report by Edge proves accurate (wait till E3), then Pachter's estimation that Project Natal will cost less than an average game is off. Instead, a source backed by Edge has alleged a $150 price point (with plenty of room to drop) for the forthcoming Xbox 360 motion tech camera -- or $300 when bundled with the Xbox 360 Arcade console. Additionally, the source has suggested an October 26 worldwide release -- give or take "a few weeks."

Of course, both the rumored pricing and release date remain uncorroborated (we repeat: wait till E3). But, hey, that doesn't mean we can't have a bit of fun with the supposed intel. And by "fun," we mean, "host an online poll asking if you'd spend $150 on Project Natal" ...
View Poll

Bloober Team's extremely gradual rollout of media for Last Flight continues... In October, Bloober Team sent out screenshots; today, there's a teaser trailer, which shows what would appear to be real environments from the game -- we hope.

Even at this glacial pace, we're pleased to see progress toward a release of Last Flight, the now-episodic WiiWare action game about a plane full of vampires and the food critic who loves kills them. Being trapped on a plane with a bunch of monsters is a great setup for a horror game, and killing vampires with a bunch of random weapons is a great setup for a game.

#rumor Would you pay $149 USD for Project Natal? According to a report from Edge, that's what current Xbox 360 owners should expect to pay when the much-hyped motion sensing camera from Microsoft launches later this year. More »