Yeah, I missed running this short trailer update a few days back, but amusingly enough, a few weeks ago, I had the Dreamcast here plugged in and yup, got in some time with the original. Sega’s on the right track here, although in a perfect world, they’d just get a bunch of classic DC games out on a disc format so more people could play them. One game at a time may get the internet cheering (when it’s the RIGHT game), but I think the better thing to do would be to let more people see just what the Dreamcast era was all about with a bit of healthy budget-priced overkill….
Of course, I wasn’t actively looking for one, but you know how this one goes. Just by chance, I found a copy of this gem on eBay last week with a dollar starting bid from a seller in Japan. Given that it’s gone for a lot more previously but demand seems to have leveled off, I figured I’d take a chance while hoping not to get sniped on the last minute (like I did with the last copy I bid on last year).
Long story short: the auction ended where it started, so I scored the game for a dollar (plus eight more for airmail shipping). Another update to come (and maybe a photo or two) once it arrives and I play around with it a bit…
This spring, NISA will be publishing Acquire’s upcoming downloadable PS3, Xbox 360 and PC fantasy action game (for up to six players), Gladiator VSunder a name that makes it sound exactly like either a RPG or a League of Legends pastiche. This of course, could work for or against the game as I can see JRPG fans wanting to snap it up automatically because of the Nippon Ichi connection and overly protective LoL fans thinking it’s a shoddy rip-off of some sort. Yours truly falls under the happy medium label, as I want to see the game succeed on its own merits and not just some accidental honors blessed upon the game by those who automatically support ANYTHING certain companies put out just to add another notch to their gaming belts. Of course, i don’t want it to fail miserably because it gets bad word of mouth from too many people who haven’t a clue (and nope, uninformed opinions based on NOT touching the game don’t count). In English: personally, I like what Acquire has done here (and with previous entries in the series) and want to see how it’s all turned out, no matter who publishes it and under what name.
Granted, if it were titled “Mr. Pablum’s Peanut Butter Palace” or something similarly silly, I’d wonder who the hell was thinking up these game names and how the hell I could get a piece of THAT particular pie. I can think up dopey names all day, so I should at least be able to collect a paycheck for that…
As for me, after the last couple of installments doing their best to milk things dry, I like the new location the series is headed to. The choice of a Revolutionary War setting shows that Ubisoft is interested in taking the series in a different direction that just may shake up the gameplay in a few core areas. I always get a chuckle out of poking around message boards and seeing the bile flow from the folks that don’t get the fact that the AC series isn’t “their” game. Like it or not, at the end of the day, Ubisoft dictates what goes on in the series and as long as the games continue to sell, you can expect them to keep being made. As for those who were expecting the series to stay overseas as far as settings go… lighten up, already. Sure, it may seem jarring to have things leap from the vast and lovely architecturally dense cities to pre-1800 America and its fight for independence, but let’s just see where this one goes as more info (and some ACTUAL gameplay) are released, hmmmm?
Hell, I’ll only complain if I see the exact same game mechanics and animations (and maybe some Dodge cars being driven during a big battle sequence like in that stupidly overblown commercial from last year)…
And here you go: six additional super short to short videos of more skill usage from Capcom’s upcoming action/RPG. Just when you think you’ll be sticking with a melee or archer class, along comes some cool mage spells to cast and there goes your game plan straight out the window. As much fun as these are to watch, I’d actually prefer all these DD clips be combined into one longer video or ones longer than a few seconds each, but hey… it’s Capcom’s world and we’re just living in it. Or we all will be when the game hits retail in May…
Normally, I’d blame gremlins or whatever that thing on the left that lives in a closet here, but in reality, there’s nothing like a REALLY chuggy internet connection to ruin a formerly productive writing session. Feh. I’ve a few different updates I was working on that I’ll have to get back to tackling later today, so check back this afternoon/evening. I want to get them all done and posted before I camp out in front of the TV for The Walking Dead, Shameless and Eastbound & Down. We shall see what happens, I suppose. OK, I’m off to bed, as I can barely keep my eyes open and I’m all out of toothpicks (ouch)…
I’m always happy to see more Starhawk in action and hope the game does spectacularly well enough that we see more by LightBox Interactive that keeps the series going (and maybe even a Vita game at some point). Of course, I’ll be all about covering every bit of the single player campaign simply because heck, the team has worked on it for so long and I love to see games that don’t forget those of us who crave a bit of story more than merely hopping online and shooting up the competition. Conversely, the beta seems to be huge success with PS3 owners who want to do just that as well as those new to this style of RTS/shooter gameplay. Now, let’s hope anyone else who eventually picks up the game will get what’s here and be able to keep up with the blazing fast pace it offers when compared to other action/shooters.
Hmmm. That trio of names above sound like a bunch of Mad Max drivers (they must be personal friends of The Toecutter and Humongous). OK, I’m guilty of missing posting this trailer from about two weeks ago, but that’s because I was buried in Toy Fair stuff, so there (nyah!). Anyway, Bugbear’s hard work is paying off in my book, as the game is looking better each time I see it. Sure, it may not be the most original arcade-style racer out there. But if the parts that work as well as they’re supposed to all click into place, Namco Bandai is going to have quite a sleeper here…
Yikes. It still seems not enough of you out there know the difference between a developer and a publisher. Yup, I keep reading message board posts on different forums from or having actual conversations with folks who rant and rage about whatever wrongs they feel certain game companies have committed against a favorite game franchise, but I always see the same mistakes in self-misdirection. You simply can’t have a rational argument that works at all if you keep pointing your fingers in the wrong places. Once again, a DEVELOPER makes games, while a PUBLISHER gets them out the door into a retail or online shop near you. Yes, sometimes both are the same, but more often than not (in the case of many AAA titles), many hands are working together. Let’s keep the DISTRIBUTOR out of this for now, as that’s a bit tricky to define and can get bizarre if you follow the twisty trail that loops backward on itself at times.
So, it’s come to this has it? Actually, it’s no big deal that we’re seeing launch trailers land online before a game ships, but of course, some out there are over-speculating (as usual) when they should just knock it off and get their grins on that BioWare and EA are getting the final part of Shepard’s story into their hands. Well, issues with DLC aside (for those who can’t access it more than the ones who CAN but still want to complain all day about the cost and availability schedule), I’d say the game is going to be huge (duh) and neither the developer nor publisher should let those pooh-pooh bears rain on their parade.
"DESTROY ALL FANBOYS!" 