Category: Industry News

The GamerSushi Show, Ep 22: The Hangover

The funny thing about the banner image on the front page is that we thought about Photoshopping our faces on the characters of The Hangover, but then realized we could leave Nick’s the same. Think about it.

So how do we all hold up after a couple of weeks to reflect and regret our actions in the last podcast? Pretty good, actually. Episode 22 of the podcast is all about Dragon Age 2, Infinity Blade, Radiant Historia and other gaming goodness. Apparently we were focused on RPG’s when we did this. “Nice.”

After those initial topics, Nick drops a game of fill in the blank on us. As always, my exceptional vocabulary and clever word play propelled me ahead of my opponents and secured my victory. So be ready for that.

Alright, victory celebrations aside, here’s the podcast. Listen. Rate. Enjoy.
Continue reading The GamerSushi Show, Ep 22: The Hangover

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Bethesda Calls Your Graphics Bluff

Skyrim

And here we are, back to the graphics discussion. While there are great numbers of gamers out there that swear up and down that graphics are all that matters when it comes to new games, there are just as many that say that graphics don’t interest in them. As I’ve said here before, I wouldn’t consider myself to be in the first camp, but every now and then something catches me by surprise.

Well, it looks like Bethesda’s Peter Hines, the company’s VP of marketing, has called everyone’s bluff. Here’s what Hines had to say on the most recent OXM podcast when talking about Skyrim:

“There’s a lot of people who say graphics don’t matter. To them I usually say ‘you’re lying’… [People] will look at a screenshot and make a snap decision: ‘that looks awesome’, or ‘I’m not interested’. So if you can make something look amazing just at first glance, it’s so much easier to get them.”

From a marketing standpoint, it seems like the man has a point with the latter half of the statement. However, I’ve always maintained that you need more than that to hook somebody once the first visuals have been released. People are quick to pick up on whether or not a game will have any staying power.

What do you guys think? Are gamers lying when they say graphics don’t matter? COME AT ME WITH COMMENTS, BRO.

Source – CVG

Battlefield 3 Returns With Fault Line Part 2

Continuing in the grand tradition of posting videos only I care about, I bring you the next installment of the “Fault Line” series of trailers for Battlefield 3. Previously on Fault Line, we saw our squad of Marines take the fight to some insurgents in a parking lot, but this time around they’re up against a sniper with a fifty caliber rifle. How do you deal with such a threat? Heavy ordnance, of course. Have a look at Fault Line Part 2: Good Effect on Target:

It’s still amazing to me that this is apparently an Alpha build, because the whole thing is really impressive. I know that I’ve said that quite a few times about this game, but for real, take a look at those animations. Part three will debut on the 30 of March, so come back then for the newest episode! What do you guys think of this trailer?

Batman: Arkham City Trailer Swoops in with Gameplay

Oh man. My love for Batman: Arkham Asylum has been well documented on this site. It combined the best parts of Metal Gear Solid, Metroidvania structure and just feeling like a badass and churned out perhaps one of the best licensed games to ever grace our screens. For months, anticipation has been building about the follow-up, Arkham City, and I’ve been waiting anxiously to see some kind of gameplay after all of those tantalizing yet empty pre-rendered trailers.

Fortunately, the first Arkham City gameplay trailer has arrived, and it’s something to behold. If Arkham Asylum was the Batman game I’ve always wanted, Arkham City looks like the one I’ve always dreamed of. Check it out.

Thoughts? Drool? Go.

Black Mesa Source Devs Make Light of Japanese Earthquake

black mesa source devs are idiots

I long ago lost my faith in most of humanity so people mocking horrible natural disasters no longer surprises me, but I thought this particular faux pas should be brought to our attention as it concerns Black Mesa Source, the long-time coming Source Engine update for the original Half-Life.

On the game’s official forums, the lead developer posted a comment concerning his thoughts on the Japanese Earthquake, and boy, is it a doozy. The quote is not safe for work, and is plenty offensive aside, so I’m not going to post it here. You have to be a member of the BMS forums to view posts, but Neogaf has all the appropriate links.

Black Mesa Source has been on the radar for quite a while, but the game has reportedly been making real strides towards an actual release and the developers have received a lot of support from Valve themselves. It’s unfortunate that the developers of BMS feel this way, and it will no doubt hurt the game in the long run. If you weren’t disgusted enough, though, members of the forums are backing up the devs, supporting them and their moronic statements.

What do you guys think about this? Sure, it’s one guys opinion, but he’s the public face for a mod that has been the focal point of many articles in official publications for years, not to mention fervent fan support. Should he have kept his mouth shut, and will this affect reception of the game in the long run?

Source – Neogaf

DICE Calls Out Competitors

Battlefield 3

I think this is when junk, in a very official capacity, “gets real”.

Apparently one of the bigger trends in the industry these days is for game developers to call out other game developers in a no holds barred type of way, causing the blogosphere to erupt in a collective chorus of “oh snap”. The most recent edition of this would have to be Battlefield 3 wranglers DICE, who in the upcoming issue of the Official Playstation Magazine has dropped notice to its competitors.

Here’s what general manager of DICE Karl-Magnus Troedsson (or should it be Trollson?) had to say.

Our competitors are getting lazy. They’re using the same engine, the same recipe for building a game. At some point you need to take that leap. I haven’t seen them take that leap since a long time ago. We are doing that now. They had better watch out. We are coming for them.

This seems specifically aimed at Call of Duty, which is everyone’s favorite target these days. While it makes for a funny quote, I don’t think anybody is going to knock Activision’s shooter off of its sales throne anytime soon. Honestly, my attitude toward this kind of statement is that I wish guys would just be quiet and make awesome games.

What do you guys think about stuff like this? Are you rooting for DICE and Battlefield 3? Do you want them to keep their mouths shut? Go!

Source – CVG

Eclipsing the World (of Warcraft)

BlizzardIt’s hard to believe that anyone could try and out-do the mammoth MMO that is World of Warcraft, even Blizzard itself. But already Blizzard COO Paul Sams has been quoted, saying they are going to do just that with their new MMO codenamed “Titan”.

“I believe it’s the most ambitious thing we’ve ever attempted, and I feel like we have set our company up to succeed on that. We have some of our most talented and most experienced developers on that team. Many of the people that built World of Warcraft are full time on that other team.”

While this doesn’t spell the death of World of Warcraft it does lead to some questions as the highly experienced and talented staff that created the most successful MMO gears forwards on its new project. Sam’s also said that World of Warcraft still has an experienced staff watching over the game, just key members were moving on to the new project. The quote that really interests me is this next one… Continue reading Eclipsing the World (of Warcraft)

Crytek Shows Off CryEngine 3’s Pretty Pixels at GDC 11

GDC 11 happened last week, and it seems that one of the highlights of the show was when Epic demoed its next gen ambitions behind closed doors. The demonstration ran in real time and had a Blade Runner-esque feel to it, astounding gaming press viewers who went on to report about it on their respective sites.

As impressive as the screenshots are, I couldn’t help but think that Crytek essentially does the same kind of thing now with its various iterations of CryEngine. And wouldn’t you know it: Crytek confirmed its awesomeness with a brand new CryEngine 3 video demonstration.

If there was a way to display the face I made when I saw this demo via text, I would have just pasted it here and not bothered with any kind of setup. Seriously, just watch it. Then we can drool together in the comments.

Gaming Pop Quiz: Spring 2011 Edition

Where is 2011 going? It’s already a week into March, and I feel like time for playing games is just slipping through my fingers. I was going to see if I could make a joke about pixels and grains of sand in there, but it kind of fell through last second. Don’t judge me.

As we have no doubt beaten the issue beyond death by now, you probably already know that 2011 is the year of the gaming assault. Already we’ve had some stellar titles, and we’ve barely even scratched the surface. Nearly every single month for the rest of the year is going to have some kind of landmark release (or several), and for March that title is Dragon Age 2. Naturally, we thought it was time to check in with another edition of the Gaming Pop Quiz. You know, because of the dragons and all.

As always with our getting-to-know-you type games, feel free to answer with as much or as little as you like. Answer to the best of your ability. Go! Continue reading Gaming Pop Quiz: Spring 2011 Edition

Poll: Which HD Remake Excites You Most?

In case you’ve been holding your fingers in your ears every time we hit the topic on the podcast, you should know that I love Beyond Good and Evil. This past Wednesday the classic (although not commercially successful) title hit XBox Live Arcade, gracing player’s screens with re-done assets and a slick HD resolution.

As someone who’s had a soft spot for this game for years, I can say that it’s an excellent recreation of a game not many got to play the first time around, and so far I’m getting into it just as much as I did back then. The thing is, that’s not the only HD remake we’ve got on the horizon. We’ve discussed this before, but there’s also the Splinter Cell games coming, the Team Ico collection and Halo CE HD.

I thought I’d create a poll to find out which of these HD games you want to play most. Because I’m generous like that. Go!

Which HD remake excites you most?

View Results

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Battlefield 3 Shakes It Up With The Fault Line Series

When I posted the Battlefield 3 Gameplay teaser last week, I had a pretty decent understanding that a much longer, more involved trailer was going to follow shortly thereafter. The fact of the matter is I’m really digging Battlefield 3, so I apologize for “double dipping”, as it were. That said, I think you’re going to enjoy this trailer (Part 1 of the Fault Line Series) which goes a bit more in-depth with the short snippets we saw last week.

I’d file that under “do want” for sure. Since this is Part 1 of an ongoing series, you can bet that I’ll be posting the remainder as they come. I’m certain that we won’t be disappointed.

The Top Game Design Programs in the Country

MiyamotoI’d like to think our Sound Off the other day was a rousing success. It let a few of you talk about some stuff that you’ve been thinking about, and also brought to light a few issues that you guys were interested in. Score one for Eddy, yes? And you guys, I guess. But me most of all.

Anyway, one of the things that you guys brought up was the topic of getting into the video game industry. While I’m not whiz when it comes to the gaming industry myself (every attempt of mine has gone down in burning flames), it seems that GamePro has posted a recent article to help you do just that. They basically do a run down of the best grad and undergrad game design programs in the country, by school. It’s certainly an interesting list, and one that I thought would be beneficial for you guys.

So what do you guys think? Would you be interested in going to any of those places? I have to say that I’m not too surprised that USC ranks at the top for both grad and undergrad, knowing the way they excel at other media as well. What kinds of positions are you guys interested in specifically when it comes to games? Go!

Source – GamePro

The GamerSushi Show, Ep 21: Drunk Cast

Urgh. This is the episode of the podcast where we decided to play a drinking game in honor of our 21st birthday together, so to speak. The results are either brilliant or completely inaudible. For real. You may excuse yourself from this if you don’t want to hear us all embarrass ourselves. Especially me.

Along with the drinking game we play (shots every fifteen minutes plus drinks for podcast memes), we also chat about Skyrim, marrying video games, Battlefield 3, Bulletstorm, goats and donkeys, the Dragon Age 2 demo and difficulty in games. Nick also takes time away from slamming beer and whiskey to deliver a brand new game of grades. The results are not very pretty, but probably hilarious to listen to.

So yeah. Hopefully you don’t hate us after this.

Alright, warnings aside, here’s the podcast. Listen. Rate. Enjoy.

Continue reading The GamerSushi Show, Ep 21: Drunk Cast

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Today’s WTF: Magicka Goes to Vietnam

It seems that the Veitnam setting is the current hot button for video games with first person shooter franchises Battlefield and Call of Duty staking their claim in that dark period of America’s history. Not to be left behind, PC gaming upstart Magicka is jumping on board with a Vietnam expansion. Yes, you did read that right. Check out the trailer complete with the requisite Vietnam era song with a bit of a twist.

That was kind of weird, I’m just going to say that. Now that you know that Magicka is the word, are you going to check out this “unique” expansion?

Remembering the Half Life 2 Heist

HL2 Source Code

If you recall, one of the most famous gaming heists of all time occurred back in October of 2003, when a lone hacker cracked into Valve’s servers and lifted all of Half Life 2’s source code in its entirety. Even in the days before sensationalist gaming blogs, this was a monstrously huge deal, and the news of it swept over the gaming community like a tsunami.

Several months later, German student Axel Gembe was arrested by police officers in order to keep the hacker from being picked up by the FBI in America, under a presumed trip to visit Valve for a job interview. That’s the part of the story you might not be aware of. Eurogamer recently did an interview with Gembe, who has set his life on a different path since all of that craziness went down. It’s one of the cooler gaming articles I’ve ever read, especially looking back on all that’s happened since then with Valve and its meteoric rise in the industry.

Anyway, give it a read if you think it’s something that would catch your fancy. Do you guys remember when this went down? What did you think of the article? What do you think of Gembe’s remorse and the changes he’s made in his life?

Source – Eurogamer

Games Media Fail: GTA V Not Confirmed

GTA V Fraud

I’ve long been hard on video game “journalism”, especially when it comes to getting news and scoops about games from voice actors and people not directly involved with the development of the game, but I’ve kept my silence. Until now. You may have heard on numerous sites on the Internet (but not this one) that news of Grand Theft Auto V had leaked. How did this get out? Someone checked the IMDB profile of Declan Mulvey and saw he was credited as being in Grand Theft Auto V.

And what did many sites do? They ran with it, many of them even bothering to contact Rockstar or Take-Two for confirmation, forgetting that real journalists get confirmation BEFORE running a story, not after. And lo and behold, it turns out that it was a typo, as Eurogamer so helpfully points out. It was meant to read Grand Theft Auto IV, not V.

Do things like this bother you? They seriously get under my skin. All this running around, checking out domain registers, talking to voice actors and then walking back stories is starting to get old. It makes the whole games media look juvenile. Am I being too harsh here? Or is this just the state of the Internet these days? Go!

Source – EuroGamer

GamerSushi Asks: Sound Off!

Skyrim

At GamerSushi we do our best to scour the Webz for the things that we think you guys would like to talk about. Over the years, we feel like we’ve gathered a decent taste for everyone’s interests (Valve). When we can’t locate anything worthwhile, we try to pull from the issues we ourselves face in the games we play. Typically, this means we select all of the topics and put them up for your perusal.

Tonight, I wanted to try something different. I thought I’d ask what you guys want to talk about. Since we don’t have a forum proper (and plan on keeping things that way), you guys don’t always get to sound off on what you’ve been thinking about from a gaming perspective. Heaven knows that between all of the trailers (such as Skyrim or Dead Island) and new releases over the last few weeks, there’s certainly a lot to discuss.

So, have at it. What have you guys been thinking about in terms of games? Thoughts on the industry or things you’re playing? We’ll see how deep this rabbit hole goes. Go!

inFAMOUS 2 Duality Trailer Tears It Up

It’s been a week for excellent trailers, it seems. While Skryim is definitely the best of the bunch, I do have a soft spot in my cold, jaded gamer heart for inFAMOUS 2’s Duality trailer, which shows off some more gameplay along with the two warring sides of Cole’s psyche. This time around, the good and evil parts of Cole are personified Kuo and Nix, who will tempt Cole into assisting them to further their own goals. Check out the trailer embedded below:

I’m very much looking forward to inFAMOUS 2, which has been confirmed for a June 7 release. The original was one of my favorite games of 2009, so I can’t wait to see how developers Sucker Punch have juiced up the sequel. What about you guys, excited about inFAMOUS 2?

The GamerSushi Show, Ep 20: Hype Machines

Welcome to Episode 20 of the podcast, this time with bigger explosions, more sadness and lots of terrible burns. Mitch is absent for part of this cast, although Jeff is back. But worry not, for the fellowship will be re-united tonight when we record Episode 21 of the podcast, complete with drinking games.

In this podcast, we tackle a number of gaming issues, including the ridiculously good Dead Island trailer (and all they have to live up to), replaying classic video games and ten year console cycles. Nick also hits us with a mathematically stimulating game of percentages which has us battle about Marvel Vs Capcom 3, Video Games at the Smithsonian, and Bungie’s Space MMO. We also chat about Mega Ran’s Black Materia, the FFVII hip hop tribute which is seriously incredible stuff. I may post about it separately later, but for real, check it out if you love either hip hop or the FFVII soundtrack.

So, without further ado, here’s the podcast. Listen. Rate. Enjoy.

Continue reading The GamerSushi Show, Ep 20: Hype Machines

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Epic Games Talks Gears of War 3 Beta and Release Date

gears of war 3 beta details and release date

At an Xbox 360 press event today, Epic Games revealed a bit more about Gears of War 3, including the upcoming Beta and some additional details on the game’s September 20 release. VG247 has a really good interview with Gears’ art director Chris Perna about the new look for Marcus and friends, the environments, and the recently unveiled cover art for Gears of War 3.

As Gears of War 3 is the end chapter for the current trilogy, the characters are being redesigned to display the wear and tear of the fifteen year war against the Locust, the main enemy of the game. The armor is a worn down, the weapons are ragged and filthy, and the characters faces are tired and grubby. Gears of War 3 will retain the same predominantly brown look endemic to the series, but the levels are going to be a bit more varied this time around as opposed to the city and cavern based backdrops of the first two games.

It’s not just the protagonists that are getting a make-over for Gears 3, but the Locust as well. As Gears of War 2 saw the destruction of the Locust capital city (spoilers), the former alien conquerors are eking out an existence much like the human population of Sera, the planet Gears of War is set on. The Locust are beaten and broken, living in the wasteland and bearing a superficial resemblance to the Sand People of Star Wars (a comparison drawn by Chris Perna). The Lambent, the new enemy that are the bane of humans and Locust alike, are a bit more extraterrestrial in their origin; they’re very different from the Locust, who are more or less humanoid in their appearance. Chris Perna once again makes a reference to sci-fi pop culture by saying the Lambent are more inspired by H.R. Giger’s Alien designs than Conan the Barbarian, which served as the original inspiration for the Locust.

There’s not much more detail about Gears 3 gameplay or story wise that we didn’t already know about, but a bit more information was dropped about the Beta. Hit the jump to see how to get in, and what rewards you get for playing it. Continue reading Epic Games Talks Gears of War 3 Beta and Release Date