Monthly Archives: June 2012

E3 2012: No New Consoles From Microsoft or Sony? No Problem At All.

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Between Ubisoft’s mind-blowing Watch_Dogs, Naughty Dog’s brutally beautiful The Last of US and Quantic Dream’s stunning surprise Beyond: Two Souls., it’s CLEAR that the current console cycle has at least one great year left in it. Granted, Rayman Legends had me tearing up from laughing so much and YES, Ubisoft showed off how well the Wii U Gamepad and new Pro Controller will work for multiplayer action there, but it’s going to be another might spectacular 2012 and 2013 for gamers who happen to just own a PS3 or 360. More in a bit. I’m still processing a ton of notes…

E3 2012: Nintendo Direct Pre-E3 Video: Wii U Gamepad Revealed

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Nintendo is rolling out a redesigned (well, final design, actually) and renamed controller for its upcoming console (which is still called Wii U, by the way), the Wii U Gamepad.The video also reveals a new social network service, Miiverse, which seems to be set up as a cross between a social site, chat service and help center. It should be interesting to see how this operates for those potential Wii U buyers who have no need for the service or don’t want their kids using a network at all. That said, I’m certain Nintendo has security measures in place to keep things as safe as can be.

As their official press conference isn’t until Tuesday, a price point for the console and controller have yet to be announced. No doubt this will be leaked before the event but the gremlins, but expect the internet to collapse upon itself like a dying star system once the new games are rolled out one by one.  Oh, this is going to be quite an interesting week, that’s for sure…

E3 2012: Two From Atlus: Zeno Clash II & The Testament of Sherlock Holmes

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Like plenty of publishers these days, Atlus has been diversifying its games lineup for a while now with unique games in assorted genres outside the ones they’re know for in the US. Here are trailers to two titles from their lineup, one a sequel to a PC, PSN and Xbox Live Arcade fighter/action/shooter hybrid (that i REALLY wish would be put on a disc with the first part so MORE can play it) and the latest in the Sherlock Holmes game series ported from PC (which has ZERO to do with that bizarre BBC show everyone seems to like save for Holmes purists). Oh yeah, my Game of Thrones review will be up once all the E3 madness subsides, it’s not as bad as some sites are saying… you just need a great deal of patience and not mind at all that the game takes itself REALLY seriously (for the most part)…

Update: Dragon’s Dogma: The Game That Just Keeps On Giving!

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OK, how many times did YOU defeat that Ur-Dragon? Did you find all those hidden in plain sight storerooms and dungeon entrances? Did you get the Salvation Key the first time through and explore those areas you thought you couldn’t access? I’m stopping my second playthrough about 12 hours or so in to do some E3 stuff, but, as noted in my review, this game is MASSIVE. Capcom has a definite keeper here and I sort of wish I hadn’t truncated my review so much (I didn’t want to spoil so much of the wild second chunk of the game that opens up when you get into a certain location). Anyway, if you’re looking for a game that’s going to surprise you as much a hundred hours in as it does the first hour, DD is worth that $60. I’d buy a sequel in a heartbeat, provided a few tweaks are made. Change #1: the button for giving someone a gift should NOT be the same one for a basic attack. The only times my character went to jail were due to accidentally hitting someone I wanted to give a present after closing the dialog too quickly. Yeah, it my fault, but I’ve heard of others doing it, so I’m not the only klutz with a controller out there….

E3 2012: Spec Ops: The Line TV Spot: I’ll Have a Shot Of Yager, Please…

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2K Games and developer Yager really have a hit here, what with all that amazing sand technology and the source material (Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness) being perfect for the game they’re presenting. Here’s yet another example of a genre game defying the usual conventions and stepping outside of the box to do it differently. Like a few other titles pushing the envelope, I’m hoping gamers can free up a few extra brain cells to actually appreciate the hard work that went into this one without complaining about the experience NOT being what they “expected.” Hell, sometimes, it’s NICE to be surprised about a game, I say…

The Last of Us: Naughty Dog Breaks New Ground (Again). Deal With It.

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Every time I see bits of this upcoming PS3 exclusive, I have to shake my head in disbelief. But, hmmmm… some fans still want these guys and gals to crank out a new Jak & Daxter game instead of going all out and making another new IP that might be a better move for the developer at the end of the day.  I think they’re entitled to that opinion of course, but I also think they’re slightly bonkers with nostalgia. That and perhaps Naughty Dog has simply grown out of and away from making this sort of CG cartoon experience (no doubt thanks to the success of the Uncharted series). For me, outside of Ubisoft’s fun as hell Rayman franchise, some excellent 2D and 3D indie games and a bunch of cool handheld titles, mascot games and particularly, mascot based platformers are a dying breed. OK, save for the new Sly Cooper game coming, plus Mario and a newly revived Sonic doing their stuff on different systems.

Personally, I’d rather see a developer show what an “old” console like the PS3 can do by stretching the hardware as far as possible while doing something innovative and “adult” in the process. Look, I liked the Jak games on the PS2 and while Naughty Dog didn’t program the game, Daxter on the PSP is a classic for that platform. That said, I wouldn’t mind seeing a Vita J & D collection at some point. As it stands, unless there’s a supreme reason for bringing both characters back in an all-new game (for a new console), just beating a dead horse harder won’t make money come out of its ass…

Metal Gear 25th Anniversary: Meet Hideo Kojima & Yoji Shinkawa In NYC!

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Do you LOVE the Metal Gear series? Are you going to be in New York City next week? Do you need some new (and really cool) T-shirts and don’t mind spending a little money? Well, here’s something awesome you can be a part of.

Er, cue the press release, as I’m buried under pre-E3 stuff:

©Konami Digital Entertainment

METAL GEAR 25th ANNIVERSARY UT T-SHIRTS GO ON SALE

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 HIDEO KOJIMA / YOJI SHINKAWA AUTOGRAPH SESSIONS (JUN 8 & 9) 

   

WHAT:

UNIQLO Celebrates the Metal Gear 25th Anniversary and UT (UNIQLO T-Shirts) Collection by hosting Autograph Sessions with game designer Hideo Kojima and artist Yoji Shinkawa

WHO:

UNIQLO

Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd., Metal Gear game designer – Hideo Kojima

Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd., Metal Gear Solid artist – Yoji Shinkawa

WHERE:

UNIQLO New York 5th Avenue Global Flagship: 666 Fifth Avenue at 53rd Street

UNIQLO 34th Street Flagship Store: 31 West 34th Street, bet. 5th and 6th Avenues

WHEN:

Friday, June 8th at UNIQLO 5th Avenue    6:00PM – 8:00PM

Saturday, June 9th at UNIQLO 34th Street    4:00PM – 6:00PM

DETAILS:

The Metal Gear series is taking over two UNIQLO stores on June 8th and June 9th to welcome the arrival of a special UT and UNIQLO T-Shirt collection in honor of the series’ 25th Anniversary. To celebrate the occasion, UNIQLO will be hosting autograph sessions at their 5th Ave and 34th street locations featuring the game’s designer Hideo Kojima and artist Yoji Shinkawa. For the first time in New York City, fans will be able to get autographs from both of the game’s key influencers at the same time! In order to get these coveted VIP autographs, both events require a minimum $30 UNIQLO purchase.

The limited edition Metal Gear UT merchandise will go on sale at UNIQLO 5th Avenue the morning of June 8th and then at 34th Street the morning of June 9th. All 10 exclusive designs retail for only $19.90 each!

Humble Indie Bundle Out NOW (And it’s The Best One Yet!)

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HEY! You’ve only 11 days left to snap up one of the best deals in gaming (ever!). Pay what you want, get five amazing games which would normally run you $110 if you bought them separately. Yes, your brain is hearing that correctly and YES you can and should do this, I say.  If you’ve never played Amnesia; The Dark Descent, Bastion, Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery, and LIMBO, the deal is already a must buy, but add in Psychonauts and well, you’re getting not only one of the best games this century, you can also probably fire your therapist. Or at least, cut down visits to once a month (or less). Anyway, head over the the Humble Bundle site and download these awesome titles. Did I mention your purchase helps out the Child’s Play charity?  Well, I just did, so there! Still, it’s too bad this deal isn’t on a disc or consoles, as I’d see it selling VERY well indeed at around $40 with some nice artwork and maybe a PDF manual for every game on that disc (or disc set).

E3 2012: Hawken Live-Action Trailer: Now, Everyone Will Want A Real Mech….

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In a prefect world, this wouldn’t just be a free to play game that’s going to blow only the PC crowd away, but hey, I can always hope for the game to do well enough that some publisher throes money at Adhesive Games and Meteor Games to do some sort of console or portable version. Hell, it’s not as if we haven’t seen cool mech combat games before on a disc. Armored Core, the Xbox Mechwarrior games, Chromehounds, Phantom Crash (and so forth and so on) are a few examples of games I’ve enjoyed with a controller and a huge grin on my face, so a little Hawken would make me smile even more…

That, and I’d like to throw money at these guys who keep making games for free (and you should, too).

E3 2012: Soul Sacrifice Debut Trailer: Another Great Looking Vita Game? Sign Me Up!

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OK, looks aren’t EVERYTHING (as I say when I look in the mirror each morning), but with Kenji Inafune (of Mega Man fame) and a bunch of talented artists and programmers working away like mad, this one’s looking like an instant classic in its own right. That’s fine by me, as the Vita needs as many solid games as possible if it’s to stomp away the blues and rocket up the sales charts a bit more. Keep ’em coming, Sony!