Month: May 2009

Rumor: Next Team Ico Project Revealed

Team Ico, the awesome guys that brought us classic legendary titles like Shadow of the Colossus and Ico, have been hard at work on a new, super-secret project. Well, according to PlayStation LifeStyle, that PS3 project has just been revealed, codenamed “Trico”. While they have no source on the trailer below, it definitely has the look and feel of some of their past projects.

The footage shows a boy and a strange creature that seems to be a dog/rat/bird thing, and the two engage in co-operative platforming through awesome environments. I don’t know how I feel about the animal, but the footage definitely has a great feel to it. No word on whether this is real or not, but the music isn’t original and appears in the movie “Miller’s Crossing”.

So what do you guys think?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xF3fED8EXl4[/youtube]

Source- PlayStation LifeStyle

Developer Talk

valveWe’ve all got our favorite developers when it comes to video game makers. Dudes that we really look up to, respect, or perhaps want to be in the world of our favorite pastime. Whether we’ve been following them for years, or gained newfound love of them due to a recent title, we hinge on nearly everything they do and say.

For me, two of those developers would be Bungie and Valve. Valve has yet again re-solidified that position after their recent bought of TF2 blog posts in the light of the leaked “Meet The Spy” video. Seriously, they’re hilarious. Anywho, it got me thinking: if you could ask your favorite developer one question, what would it be and why?

I would probably talk to either Valve or Bungie and get their thoughts on multiplayer balance, because both of them seem so darn good at it. What about you guys?

Mass Effect 2 Has a Trailer for an E3 Trailer

Bioware is super excited about what they’re going to be showing off at E3 this year in regards to Mass Effect 2. Apparently, there will be a new trailer that gives us the scoop about what to expect from both the gameplay and the story. How excited are they about it? Well, so excited that they made a trailer for that trailer. That’s right, it’s the Mass Effect2 E3 prelude, and it’s full of teasing galore. Give it a watch.

Modern Warfare 2 Details From Game Informer

modern-warfare2Got the newest issue of Game Informer in the mail today, and I was pleased to see that this issue’s cover story was a first look at Modern Warfare 2, from Infinity Ward. Considering we’ve had naught but two tiny teasers to go on so far for this game, I was instantly excited to tear it open and read away.

While there’s no real earth shattering news about the game, there are a few details that have been confirmed by the developers. For one, there doesn’t seem to be a co-op mode for the single player campaign, however, there will be a new co-op mode called Special Forces. This mode thrusts the player into crazy scenarios (a la Mile High Club from CoD4) built for co-operative play with some buddies.

In addition, Modern Warfare 2 continues the story of the first game, taking you to the snowy regions of Russia as well as the mountainous terrain of Afghanistan and will be about 8-10 hours long, about the same amount as CoD4. Enemies will carry modifiable weapons, much like foes might in multiplayer. Also, there will be lots of destructible props within the environment, many more than in previous entries.

All in all, while there’s nothing to really get pumped about, it’s cool to hear more about Modern Warfare 2. I’m really pumped about Special Forces mode, as it is full of the kinds of scenarios that Infinity Ward couldn’t fit in the story. The one in the magazine featured commandos storming a shower room, decked out with riot shields as enemies fired down from above. It looks awesome.

So, who else is pumped about this game?

A Gamer Growing Older

g_simpsonAs I get older and grumpier (which some people did not think that was possible, but I got skills) I find myself changing in the way I play and look at games. I love them, but I don’t feel the need to rush out and get something on the first day or to play it over and over trying to get 100% completion. I just don’t have the time anymore or the energy.
Continue reading A Gamer Growing Older

Rumor: New Metal Gear Game?

kojimaAh, Hideo Kojima. You’re a little rascal. You like to make crazy cut scenes, pretentious dialogue, awesome action and things that tease your loyal followers. Take this new announcement Web site from Hideo Kojima, for instance. It appeared sometime last week and has a mysterious countdown, a field, some lightning, and what appears to be the number “5” (or the letter S) splashed across it.

However, it seems some Metal Gear Solid fans have done some digging around, and the source code for the site shows that the timer runs out on June 1, the day of the Microsoft E3 press event (Sony’s is on June 2). A Microsoft Metal Gear game, perchance? Also, looking at the meta keywords reveals the words “next” “metal gear” and “mgs”, though nothing that says “mgs5”.

So, what does this all mean? While Metal Gear Solid 4 was the last entry into the Solid Snake story, I wouldn’t put it past Kojima to keep the series going, only with a new and rebooted storyline with some different characters. What do you guys think?

Source- Kotaku

Meet the Spy Trailer Meets Your Mom

I’ve got to say, I’ve been a huge fan of the Valve “Meet The” series, though why you still have a trailer promoting a 2 year old game, I’m not sure. Anywho, this newest entry, Meet the Spy, is probably my favorite so far of the bunch, and has some really awesome stuff to be seen inside. Hurry up and watch it, before he finds your mom, too.

GamerSushi Asks: Anticipation?

lostAfter waiting for the season finale of Lost all week (don’t worry, no spoilers here), I started thinking about the idea of anticipation. You see, I was so pumped for this episode of one of my favorite shows that I literally could not stop thinking of it in the days leading up to it. It consumed every waking moment practically, and I couldn’t wait.

I think the last time I got like that over a game might have been Gears of War 2, but I think the time that I had the most anticipation for a game ever would have to be Halo 2. After a nearly 4 year gap between the two Bungie titles, the excitement had gone to a fever pitch amongst me and my friends. We waited in line for a couple of hours (with hundreds of others) in order to get our copy, and then proceeded to play it like mad over the next few weeks and months.

What about you guys? What was the most excited you’ve ever been over the release of a video game? What was the most recent time?

Attack of the Midnight Launches

launchIf there’s something that I’ve learned about gamers, it’s that we like to torture ourselves. Seriously, it’s true. Whether it’s with a dungeon, a particularly hard boss, or maybe obtaining a certain achievement or level in a multiplayer game, we will beat our faces against the screen until we are a bloody mess in order to satisfy our goals. We’re masochists, really.

I think one of the more obvious symbols of this self-induced flaying would have to be the storied midnight launch. The midnight launch, the method of instant releases for both systems and games, brings a real life obstacle for a gamer to grind his way through. Something to set our hopes on and try to tackle. Though I’ve participated in many midnight launches in my day, none was so arduous as the quest to obtain my Playstation 2 back in 2000.
Continue reading Attack of the Midnight Launches

Beyond Good and Evil 2 Parody

Funny stuff right here. Looks like the dudes over at Destructoid did a parody of the Beyond Good Evil 2 leak that was circulating over the weekend. In order to prove that it was, in fact, gameplay, they added some of the context-sensitive button pushing seen in some of the more recent Ubisoft titles. Gave me a good laugh.

Today’s WTF: Nintendo Likes to Tease

nintendo-skirtI know, harping on Nintendo for not making many hardcore games lately is a little old hat, but they just make it so darn easy to pick on them sometimes. Especially when they say ludicrous things. Take these recent comments from an interview with Denise Kaigler, Nintendo’s VP of Corporate Affairs, which insinuate that Nintendo is totally fine with the teasing relationship they’ve created with their disgruntled fanbase.

But absolutely, I will give you that hardcore gamers have an insatiable appetite for everything Nintendo, and we love that! We love that. When we get to a point where core gamers say, “OK, Nintendo, enough! We don’t need any more games from you guys….” None of us wants to be put in that position, right?

Oh, certainly not Nintendo. I know I hate being bombarded with lots of great gaming options to choose from. Hit the jump for the rest of the ridiculousness.
Continue reading Today’s WTF: Nintendo Likes to Tease

Today’s Awesome: Team Fortress 2 Meets Smash Bros

We’ve all seen mash-ups, and while they are either hit-or-miss, this one is particularly sweet. Someone took the original Smash Bros 64 intro cut-scene and re-filmed it completely with GMod, using Team Fortress 2 characters. And it totally works. Definitely jealous of this idea and the execution. Team Fortress 2 meets Smash Bros 64. Who would have thought?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bbH632PSpw[/youtube]

7 Crazy Gaming Rigs

pcI’ve finally decided to update my PC in just a couple of months, seeing as how it’s been almost 4 years since my last significant hardware upgrade. I’m actually pretty excited about this, as I’ve spent a little more time lately on my PC and have been getting the itch to play certain games that I haven’t had before.

Since I’ve been curious about all of this business again, it was neat to see that Wired had an article titled The Best Gaming Rigs Money Can Buy up today, where they detail a few of the craziest machines in the PC gaming world. While some of them have atrocious cases and can obviously be made for much cheaper given some tweaks, it’s still pretty nuts to see some of these things. I really can’t justify spending up to 10k on a computer.

What do you guys think? When was the last time you PC gamers updated your machines? What is your next upgrade going to be?

Source- Wired

Gaming Obsessions

warcraft3I think I need an intervention. I have this problem, you see. Sometimes, I get stuck playing a game for months on end, not because it’s ridiculously fun or anything, but because I become obsessed with getting good at it. I don’t know why, but I have this fixation with certain games where I need to become better at them, even after the game isn’t nearly as fun as it once was when I started playing.

I suppose this is an obsession. Right now for me, I’ve been doing this with Halo Wars. It’s a good game, and I still have fun, but I spend more energy on trying to come up with the right build order than really enjoying what’s there. I think this happened for me with Halo 2 as well, and Warcraft 3 before that. Games like Halo 3 and Counter-Strike have never been bogged down like that, but for some reason, those other titles were.

So what about you guys? Has a game’s fun ever been obscured by a want to be better at it? Or have you been obsessed with a game in general?

The Boldest Series Of All Time: Final Fantasy

final-fantasyVideo game sequels are so different from movie sequels. Video games have the advantage of trying new things out, listening to what worked and what didn’t and then forging ahead with that knowledge in mind. Movies could do that, but clearly, they choose not to. The point of this is that some game sequels are way out there compared to the originals.

The Legend of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is a prime example, as is Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest. Both were sequels to very successful games and both were met with a tepid response. Oh, sure, you will find someone who will try to tell you that both games were the actual pinnacle of each respective series, but that same person probably thinks they understand David Lynch’s movies…and they don’t. Trust me.
Continue reading The Boldest Series Of All Time: Final Fantasy

First Modern Warfare 2 Gameplay Video

Well, it seems that another tiny teaser is available for the next entry to the Call of Duty franchise, Modern Warfare 2. It shows some snow action, underwater bits, and some good ol’ helicopter flying. It also hints to a debut of some more footage, set for May 24th during the NBA Eastern Conference Finals on TNT. I think I’ll have my DVR handy.

GamerSushi Asks: What Are You Playing?

peggleIt’s been awhile since I’ve checked in with what you guys have been up to, videogame-wise, so I thought I’d take a little poll. Now that the Spring games have come and gone, and we enter that familiar “release drought” that plagues gamers each year, I’m curious what games are currently being tackled by your calloused fingers.

For me, I’ve been playing lots of Halo Wars, Peggle, and even a little Final Fantasy VI on my Nintendo DS. I’m hoping to move towards finally finishing Valkyria Chronicles later this week, as well as some Resistance 2. Right now, I just don’t have as much time as I want, and I end up playing Halo Wars instead of moving onto some other games that I seem to have wasted money on. Also, Peggle is stupid addicting and I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn’t played it. Hopefully, I can get my act together soon.

What about you guys? What are you playing?

GameCop Vs LameCop #6

GameCop vs. LameCop is a feature where Anthony and I argue about video game issues, playing the role of either the GameCop or the LameCop as we do so. We switch roles each time. The GameCop has your best interests as gamers at heart, while the LameCop is just what he sounds like: a total loser.

This week, we tackle several issues including multiplayer in single player games, Nintendo’s lackluster GTA: Chinatown Wars sales and E3 predictions.

Continue reading GameCop Vs LameCop #6

Rumor: Leaked Beyond Good and Evil 2 Footage?

Not many people played Beyond Good and Evil, which is a shame because it was one of my favorite games of last generation. Much to the happiness of fans, a sequel is coming. Well, it seems that some dudes may have stumbled across a leaked video of Beyond Good and Evil 2, and posted it on the Web for our viewing.

While it’s not confirmed that this is Beyond Good and Evil 2, anyone that has seen the first one can recognize the style of the government soldiers, as well as Jade. And let me be the first to say that this video is incredible. I don’t think it’s actual gameplay, but seems to be more of a target render. If they get anywhere within 50 percent of what they show in this video, I’ll be a happy man.

Who played the first Beyond Good and Evil? Who else thinks this is awesome, if it is indeed the sequel?

Bioshock 2 Multiplayer Details

bioshock2Once again, a case of a game having multiplayer that doesn’t exactly need it in the first place. When Bioshock came out, there was a group of people that, as great as the game was, wanted multiplayer for some reason. I’m not sure what exactly they expected, but I for one love playing great single player games and thought that Bioshock was a perfect example of that golden age of gaming done right.

Well, it seems that the 2K Games dudes are going to deliver a multiplayer experience for the sequel, but luckily, it sounds like they’re going through a lot of work to do it, rather than just throwing everybody in Big Daddy suits. Apparently, each player is going to play a plasmid test subject during the Fall of Rapture. So, basically, the multiplayer helps add to the lore and mythos of the game series as a whole.

If Bioshock 2 has to have multiplayer, it’s probably better that they do something like this that builds more layers onto the story. Hopefully though, the mode doesn’t turn out to be stupid or take away from development of the single player. What do you guys think?

Source- Kotaku