Mitch has written a total of 335,654 words on this site.

mitch@gamersushi.com Twitter: @mi7ch Gamertag: Lubeius PSN ID: Lubeius SteamID: Mister_L Origin/EA:Lube182 Currently Playing: PUBG, Rainbow 6: Siege, Assassin's Creed: Origins, Total War: Warhammer 2

SEGA West Restructures, Focuses on Downloadable Titles

segaTimes are still tough, and the pinch of the economy has been especially hard on the video game industry. Unless a studio’s game has broken sales records world-wide, chances are they’ve had to let at least some part of their work force go (well, except for Infinity Ward, but that’s another story).

SEGA West is the latest company to feel the squeeze, and as such, they’ve chosen to reformat to focus on smaller-scale downloadable titles. Unfortunately, downsizing also means redundancy, so 73 people from SEGA have lost their jobs. Although SEGA West President Mike Hayes is adamant that this move is solely an initiative taken by the high-ups in the Western branches, SEGA’s parent company recently went on record with their concerns over lack-luster North American sales.

At any rate, Hayes’ section of SEGA is now focusing on the downloadable market place. Mr. Hayes mentioned that, with the performance of Super Monkey Ball on the iPhone and the upcoming release of Sonic 4, they’ve seen great feed back with regards to the re-inventing of existing intellectual properties. He goes on to say that, with the resurgence of popular SEGA IPs, the challenge is to do more than just reinvent familiar brands. He does mention that the company expects to make some new IP announcements in the coming months.

With the iPad seeing a global launch in the next few weeks, this is also a brand new market for game companies to spread into, and SEGA West is excited about the opportunities offered by the device. What do you guys think of this new move by SEGA? It sucks that people had to lose their jobs, but SEGA is a business, and they have to stay afloat. With Sonic 4 still in production, do you think they’re putting all their eggs in one basket?

Source: Industry Gamers

Marvel vs Capcom 3 Trailer Tears It Up

If there are two demographics that are always open to crossovers, it’s comic book nerds and video game geeks. Honestly, growing up, if I saw that Batman and Spider-Man were appearing in the same book, I would pick that junk up post-haste. Same thing with video games. Super Smash Bros Brawl is probably one of my favorite party-fighters of all time simply because it allows you to play as either Sonic or Solid Snake.

Naturally, I’m a huge fan of Capcom’s crossover fighter series featuring the mighty Marvel heroes. Even though I routinely get my butt handed to me whenever I try to play it, I just can’t deny that having Ryu on the same team as Wolverine is incredibly awesome.

What do you guys think of the trailer? Very stylish, and there’s plenty of tantalizing silhouettes for us to puzzle over. I think I see Deadpool in one of the backgrounds. Anyways, what do you guys think? Excited for this game to drop next Spring? What combatants do you want to see slug it out?

Today’s WTF: StarCraft II Lands an “Adult-Only” Rating in South Korea

leaf graphicI think if we tallied up the amount of “WTF” posts we’ve done on GamerSushi, I would imagine that StaCraft II would probably walk away with the proverbial crown of shame. Whether you’re paying for the game in three easy installments, or losing out on LAN gaming, Blizzard’s “it will get here eventually” game is building up a lot of strange press.

I think that this newest piece of SC2-related news might take the cake, though. If there’s one country in the world that loves themselves some StarCraft, it’s South Korea. Honestly, your country has to love a game for the developer to reveal the trailer for one of the most hotly anticipated titles in recent history there. StarCraft is a national pastime in Korea, but it looks like the sequel might not make it to that status.

The Korean Ratings Board has slapped the sci-fi RTS with an Adults-Only rating, citing violence, foul language and depiction of drug use as the reasons. Honestly, how violent is this game going to get? Typically, Real Time Strategy games are played from a top-down perspective, so I can’t image the gameplay being too over the top. Perhaps the game’s cut-scenes are to blame?

How do you guys feel about this? Is the anyone out there playing the Beta that might be able to comment on the violence issue?

Source: 1up

Review: Just Cause 2

just cause 2You’re dropped onto a tropical island playground with a reusable parachute, a grappling claw, and the ability to take thirty bullets to the face and survive. What do you do? Well, if you’re Rico Rodriguez, the protagonist of Avalanche Studio’s open world adventure Just Cause 2, you blow stuff up. I mean, sure, you can collect resource crates, hijack a variety of vehicles and earn some cash on the side, but the main objective of Just Cause 2 is to make things explode.

More than any other open world game out there, Just Cause 2 is about freedom, and it isn’t about to let silly things like a coherent narrative and tasteful voice acting get in the way. No, from the minute you’re dropped onto the island until the moment you actually bother to take on an assigned mission, you can pretty much do whatever the heck you want. Unlike a lot of other sandbox games, which shoe-horn you into a ridged progression before you’re allowed to access the cool stuff, you can hop into a jet and lay waste to military bases within the first half-hour of Just Cause 2’s campaign. But is the game worth a purchase?
Continue reading Review: Just Cause 2

Gears of War 3 Trailer Drops on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

We all knew it was coming, but somehow the promise of a trailer for Gears of War 3 made us forget that the surprise had been spoiled last week. Cliff “Dude Huge” Bleszinski himself made an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and he brought with him the first trailer for Gears of War 3, entitled “Ashes to Ashes”. Take a gander:

Very, very cool, and definitely in the vein of Epic’s previous trailers, all of which have paired the traditional shooty-shooty vibe of Gears with some somber strains of music. There’s a few things that attentive fans may spot in the trailer, such as a female Gear, and the first signs of the new enemy for Gears 3, the Lambent. What did you guys think of the trailer? Should we start the hype train? Anyone else get a sort of “Pompeii” feeling from all the ashen bodies in the video?

Crysis 2’s Writer Slams Modern Warfare 2

crysis 2First Battlefield Bad Company 2 takes a swing at Modern Warfare 2, and the newly-announced Crysis 2 is attempting to kick them while they’re down. EA Games recently revealed a trailer for the up-coming military sci-fi First-Person-Shooter, and now they’re trotting out the various people who are working on the game to let you all know how awesome their game is.

One such person is Richard Morgan, who you may or may now know of as the 2003 winner of the Philip K. Dick award for his novel Altered Carbon. Turns out he’s also a huge video game nut and he’s stoked to be penning the story for Crysis 2. As a video game junkie, he’s probably played a few of last year’s mega-titles, and in a recent interview with CVG, he’s let the world know that he doesn’t have a very high opinion of Modern Warfare 2:

“I thought Modern Warfare 2 was an immense disappointment,” he said.

“It was a massive stepdown from CoD4. What I thought when I played it was, ‘Jesus guys, what have you been doing? You’ve not ramped anything up. The story is worse and the game doesn’t really hang together, it’s just a bunch of mission levels.

He goes on to say that the whole campaign was basically “bad storytelling”, and that Infinity Ward were “too impressed with themselves”; he also states that Modern Warfare 2 was “the same but…way worse. And it cost more money”. While taking pot-shots at the competition is nothing new in the video game industry, he did have a few good things to say about Uncharted 2, praising how developers Naughty Dog created an excellent storytelling vehicle.

You talk a big talk, Mr. Morgan, but let’s not forget that the first Crysis had a story that didn’t amount to much either. You’ve got some big shoes to fill, but you definitely seem to be qualified for the job.

What do you guys think about these comment? Any of you PC guys worried about Cyrsis 2 making the jump to consoles? What’s your opinion on the trailer? Finally, is anyone going to get this game?

Source: CVG

Top Six: Games You Shouldn’t Play Around Non-Gamers

As a lifetime gamer, I’ve come to accept certain facts about our pastime. The most difficult one to swallow, though, is the undeniable truth that gaming is very, very strange. Sure, we may not see it that way, but have you ever been playing a game and had your parents or a sibling walk into your room, pull a disgusted face and walk out? It may be because you were covered in Cheetos dust and Mountain Dew stains, but the greater probability is that they saw something on the TV screen that they just couldn’t comprehend. Well, to help you along with your family, I’ve assembled a handy list of games you should never play around non-gamers:
Continue reading Top Six: Games You Shouldn’t Play Around Non-Gamers

Modern Warfare 2 Fan Video is Too Good Not to Share

I already know what you’re saying: “Two Modern Warfare 2 videos in a row, Mitch? WTF, you crazy Canuck!” Well, slow your roll, dude, because this film is a little different than your average bear. Freddie Wong, the man behind the Bike Hero video and the real life Portal Gun is back, but this time he’s dishing up some MW2-flavored action. Filmed for the budget price of $209.42, this fan film pays a wonderful tribute to Modern Warfare 2. Take a look:

Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. Despite having a production cost of two hundred dollars, Freddie Wong and his crew did pretty well. What do you guys think of the video?

Today’s WTF: From Zero to Nuke in 30 Seconds

I’m sure that, by this point, most of us have ventured into Modern Warfare 2’s online arena and have seen some crazy shenanigans go down. From the Javelin glitch and speed skating to ridiculously accurate knife tosses, Infinity Ward’s leviathan continues to provide quality entertainment at other people’s expense. Just take a look at the following video where some lucky dude grabs a early multi-kill and proceeds to dominate everyone:

Too wild, eh? What do you guys think? Is this legit, or is the user engaged in some shady activity?

SEGA Admits Mistake in Putting MadWorld on the Wii

madworldAh, the Wii. No other console in the history of gaming has done more to both bring together and tear apart the masses. While it is introducing a whole new generation of people to the joys of our hobby, the reception to Nintendo’s little white juggernaut by the enthusiast gamers has been nothing short of underwhelming.

Last year’s MadWorld, a black-and-white blood bath death match by Bayonetta creators Platinum Games, is a great example of the divide between the game’s target audience and the people who actually own a Wii. No one knows this better than Mike Hayes, President and COO of SEGA Europe, who recently commented that putting MadWorld on the Wii was a bit of a “mismatch”. He went on to elaborate why he thought that, in hindsight, MadWorld should have been a 360, PC or PS3 title.

“Clearly that was a mismatch with the Wii audience — particularly in terms of the amount of cross-ownership between Wii and the other home platforms. If you’re going to play a mature-rated game, you’re going to get your 360, PC or PS3 out to do so. But you can’t knock us for having a go.”

Continue reading SEGA Admits Mistake in Putting MadWorld on the Wii

The Freedom of Movement

just cause 2Well, we all had a lot of laughs on Thursday, didn’t we? We fooled a few of you, but it was all in good fun. With that out of the way, I had some time yesterday to really sink my teeth into Just Cause 2. While the demo did give me some pause, I was willing to look past my reservations and give the game a go. It turns out that second guessing myself in this instance was a good call, because so far the game has been excellent. While the story is non-existent and the voice acting borders on offensive, the freedom that the game allows you is nothing short of revolutionary.

For those of you who haven’t picked the game up yet, you’re basically dropped into a massive island playground after a couple of requisite missions and you’re left to your own devices. When I say this island is huge, I’m not exaggerating. I stole a helicopter from a mountain top military base and flew it all the way into the capital city; all told, the trip took me twenty minutes. So, with a sandbox on such a massive scale, how does the game allow you to move around so easily?
Continue reading The Freedom of Movement

April Fools: Valve Does Some Backtracking, Announces New DRM Measures

valvedrmWhile Steam, Valve Software’s online store, has typically been a haven for Digital Right Management – or DRM – free titles, recent events have forced the company to take a different stand on their policies.

While similar moves by UbiSoft have been largely decried by gamers world-wide, Valve Software sees the merit in maintaining a tighter hold over their products. This update, set to be released with the service’s next patch, will introduce Valve-Net, the program that will regulate users and ensure that only registered members with legitimate copies will have access to the network.

Valve-Net works just like UbiSoft’s service where an internet connection must be constantly maintained in order to play your games. While the move is sure to make the developer unpopular, Valve’s head of Steam Community Management, Ryan Hayworth, assures fans that this change is for the best.

“We just want to make sure that only paying customers our games. We’re not a fan of piracy, and Gabe [Newell, CEO of Valve Software] agrees that only the most stringent of protection methods will ensure the success of PC gaming. We currently have no plans for a refund for anyone who is unhappy with Valve-Net, and we thank our faithful player-base for their patience.”

What do you guys think about this sudden reversal from Valve? Will this change your perception of the company? Will you continue to use Steam? Will we ever see Episode Three?! Let us know!

Source: CVG

Cross-Contaminated Media: Spider-Man

spider-manI may be a bit biased here, but I think that Spider-Man is the most enduring pop culture icon of the last hundred years. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in 1962 for the Amazing Fantasy series of comic books, the old web-head has spawned a media empire spanning years of comic books, TV series, action figures, movies, and, yes, video games. While most of the media properties associated with the wall-crawler have been largely successful, Spider-Man’s video games have had a chequered past. He’s been appearing on our television screens since 1978, but what Spider-Man games have swung to glorious heights, and which ones have gone splat on the sidewalk?
Continue reading Cross-Contaminated Media: Spider-Man

GamerSushi Asks: What Are You Playing?

bc2
We might sound like a broken record around here, but this first half of this year has been an absolute treasure trove for our hobby. We’ve already had several Game of the Year candidates land on our consoles already, and we’re not even in April yet! Even though we’ve got Splinter Cell: Conviction and Red Dead Redemption on approach, we’re getting ever closer to the dreaded Summer Drought where our consoles remain cold and dark and we’re forced to venture outside in search of amusement.

Before that happens, we have a few more weeks of glorious gaming! Seeing as how we’re inundated with more excellent games than we know what to do with, I thought I’d initiate our little monthly quiz and find out what you’re playing.

Since I know you’re dying to find out what I’m spending my time on, I’ll deign to answer your queries. This time, anyways. I’m currently doing a heck of a lot of PC gaming, mostly on Battlefield: Bad Company 2. This game continues to be fantastic, and I just can’t get enough of it. I’m also smiting the forces of Chaos in Dawn of War II, and that’s a pretty good time, especially in the co-op campaign. On the console, I’m just about done my fourth Mass Effect 2 playthrough, this time with a Shepard carried over from the original. I also got my mits on a PlayStation 3, so I’m looking forward to firing up some of 2010’s big PS titles. Oh, and I’m playing Pokemon HeartGold, but don’t tell anyone.

What about you guys? What have you got on the go, and what are you looking forward to? Anything that we haven’t talked about on GamerSushi that you think we should be checking out?

Hydro Thunder Trailer Fills Me With Joy

I think that developers have finally cracked the magic code that protects the part of my brain that controls impulse buying: HD-remakes of games that I loved in my youth. First Sonic the Hedgehog gets his own downloadable nostalgia-inducing title, and now my favorite boat-racing game, Hydro Thunder, is getting an X-Box Live Arcade release. The game is being rebuilt to take advantage of current generation technologies, and the developers are adding all sorts of goodies like wave physics and all that jazz. Have a look at the trailer:

I remember sinking hours into the arcade version of this game, and even more into the Nintendo 64 version. There might be too many good Arcade titles coming out this year, but I’m going to make an effort to put this one on the list! Is anyone else going to pick it up?

Brevity is Not the Soul of Wit for MGS Peace Walker Trailer

Oh, Hideo Kojima and your crazy gameplay conventions. More than any other gaming franchise in the history of our hobby, Metal Gear Solid has been equal parts awesome and puzzling. Where else can you be sneaking through an enemy base like a bad-ass at one moment and the then staring at a Playboy to regain your…ahem…”Stamina” the next? Besides being completley out to lunch, Metal Gear games are also famous for their propensity to drag on and on, and this new trailer for the upcoming PSP game Peace Walker is no exception. Clocking in at eight minutes, it shows three Snakes on a mission to take out a helicopter and tie some dudes to balloons. Go ahead and watch:

As easy as it is to make fun of Metal Gear, there’s no denying that this game looks solid. Heck, it even makes me want to buy a PSP even though all my handheld love is currently going into Pokemon Gold. What do you guys think about this trailer? I’m still trying to work out why this game isn’t a full fledged PS3 title, but it looks like it might just work. Sound off!

Modern Warfare 2 DLC Trailer is Stimulating

As we are all well aware, Infinity Ward is still giving us a map pack for their immensely popular online shooter on March 30 despite their current trouble with parent company Activision. Featuring five maps, two of them remakes of the popular Call of Duty 4 maps, Crash and Overgrown, this add-on will cost an astounding fifteen dollars. Take a look at the newly released trailer for the Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus Package:

How do you guys feel about this? I’ve moved on to Battlefield: Bad Company 2, and I don’t think I’ll go back to Modern Warfare 2. The game was really addictive for a while, but the land-slide of bugs and glitches killed my enthusiasm. Who here is still playing this game, and are you going to pick up this up?

Nintendo Reveals New 3D-Enabled DS Handheld

ds
I don’t suppose you remember a few weeks back when Eddy posted a sweet video of a Nintendo DS doing some really neat 3D tricks? Seems that idea isn’t so far fetched after all, as Nintendo just announced that they are developing an updated version of the venerable DS handheld device called the 3DS. As you might glean from its moniker, this new portable system is capable of 3D gaming without the use of a pair of funky glasses.

Furthermore, this new DS is capable of backwards compatibility with all current DS and DSi titles.We can look forward to seeing this device in Japan before March of next year, with a North American release to follow shortly thereafter. No firm date has been announced, but 1up postulates that we will see the 3DS hit Japan late this year with a NA follow up in the spring of 2011. Next week also sees the release of the DSi XL which has a much larger screen than previous versions of the DS.

What do you guys think about this announcement? I think we’ve seen more DS iterations released in our life-time than we have Call of Duty games. How do you think this new development will play out for Nintendo? Should they be worried about flooding the market? Would you even pick one up? Fire away!

Source: 1up

GamerSushi Asks: Are Games Pissing You Off?

conviction
One thing I’ve been noticing a lot recently is that it takes fewer and fewer annoyances to make me give up a game in frustration. In my youth, I used to be able to look past repeated cheap deaths or terrible voice acting, but now that I’m older and my time has become increasingly more valuable I’m throwing aside games that rub me the wrong way very quickly.

A couple examples of this have come from two demos I’ve played recently: Splinter Cell: Conviction and Just Cause 2. While they both have the makings of two very fun titles, there are certain aspects of both that make me doubt whether or not I even want to bother with them. I’m going to sound a little petty here, but just hear me out. For Splinter Cell: Conviction, I was having a decent time tagging guys and doing silent take-downs, even if I did find the actions a little repetitious after a while. Once I got detected by the guards, that’s when I started to get agitated. While they’re searching for you, the various henchmen populating the level will spout phrases like: “Target lost, requesting update!”, or, “Continuing search for the target!” over and over until you put several bullets through their skulls. While this may not be enough to set most people off, having to listen to a dozen automatons bark their dialogue while waving their flashlights around really did the game in for me.
Continue reading GamerSushi Asks: Are Games Pissing You Off?

Halo Reach’s Matchmaking System Puts You in Your Place

halo reach
When you think of Halo, I bet the first though that comes to mind is the multiplayer. While the Halo games have always had a good campaign mode (personal interpretation, here), it’s the online chaos that have drawn people to the games, and Bungie’s up-coming Halo: Reach looks to improve on what has come before. In a recent sit-down with Shacknews, Bungie Studios gave an in-depth look at the ranking system for the sci-fi FPS.

A lot of changes have been made under the hood for Reach, and the plan is to make it more accessible than Halo 3’s system was. While the friend’s list in Halo 3 was obtuse at best, Reach’s new friends interface, called Active Roster, is being made to fix some of the problems inherit with the previous model. It’s omnipresent throughout all of Reach’s menus, and it provides you with real-time updates on all of your friends and what they’re currently doing in Reach. Part of the overhaul is the “queue” option, where you can wait to join your friends automatically once they leave their current game, instead of having to do the complicated rigmarole of repeated invites and lobby joining.
Continue reading Halo Reach’s Matchmaking System Puts You in Your Place