Category: GamerSushi News

Killzone 3 Developers Think Motion Controls Are The Future

killzone 3 move controls

Killzone 3, hitting the PlayStation 3 on February 22, is the first big triple-A title to feature motion controls utilizing Sony’s Move gadget. While Nintendo has tried in the past to put first person shooters on the Wii, the efforts (i.e The Conduit) have fallen kind of short in bringing about a sea change in the way we play our games. The developers of Killzone 3, Guerrilla Games, believes that analog sticks are the way of the past, and that their title marks the beginning of a new era in FPS games. Speaking with CVG regarding the Move controls for Killzone 3, principal programmer Tommy de Roos had this to say about the future of FPS games and what the enthusiast gamers think:

“I think they’re opening up to it,” he said. “At the beginning there was a lot of reluctance but I know that a few of them picked it up, they tried it and they were actually quite surprised at how well it worked and the extra dimension it gives you.”

While he did admit that turning around and aiming was kind of difficult, the precise aiming was winning more people over than turning them away.

The interview concludes with Mr. de Roos saying that motion controls, and not just the Move specifically, will be the tools of the future for FPS games. It seems that Guerrilla Games is of the opinion that we’ll all be waggling at ambiguously foreign adversaries in the future. People may say that the dual analog controller is here to stay, but if motion controls can give us mouse-like precision, could it be adopted wholesale? What do you guys think?

Source – CVG

Gaming: No Country for Funny Men

Portal 2

On top of being innovative and addictive from start to finish, one of the things that I loved about Portal was that it was devilishly clever to boot. This didn’t just stop at its gameplay, but carried over to its script, which was genuinely funny. As much as I can’t wait to see more of Aperture and its insane puzzles, one of the things that I’m dying for in Portal 2 is the sidesplitting humor that came from the writers at Valve.

Oddly enough, it’s not that often that we get to play funny games these days. That might sound strange, but it becomes more noticeable when you play games that actually make you laugh. Games like RDR: Undead Nightmare or Secret of Monkey Island. So why aren’t more games funny? One of the great legends of game comedy himself, Tim Schafer, has an idea.
Continue reading Gaming: No Country for Funny Men

2010’s Top Selling Games By Platform

Just Dance 2

The NPD’s new stance on not releasing sales data has caused all manner of consternation across the world, especially in message board threads where fanboys endlessly snipe at each other. But, even non-partisan minds have a curiosity about such things and thankfully, Gamasutra has managed to obtain some of the juicy details.

Breaking down the top ten games across each non-PC platform, we see that Just Dance 2 was the best-selling Wii game of the year and despite lukewarm reviews and a late entry, Epic Mickey managed to nab the 4th spot. Not as many Nintendo games as usual and some of the titles in the top 10 are likely unknown to most of us.

Hit the jump for the full lists!
Continue reading 2010’s Top Selling Games By Platform

GamerSushi Asks: What Are You Playing?

Magicka

It’s Super Bowl Sunday, so naturally that means it’s practically a holiday weekend here in the You Ess of Ay. Everyone gathers around the pigskin shrine to worship the gods of beer, brutality and testosterone. These gods require ritual sacrifices of meat and snack foods, apparently.

Regardless of your religious affiliation this weekend (go Steelers), one thing I’m sure we can all agree on is that many video games have been played. As for me, I’ve been tearing through Gran Turismo 5 like a mad man in the past week, with some 999 on the side as well as Game Dev Story. Up next after I’m done with these games are Little Big Planet 2 and another game I’ve had my eye on: Magicka. If you’re unaware, Magicka is a Diablo style adventure game that you can purchase on Steam, where several players battle together to link magic spells and decimate droves of enemies. It sounds like a blast, and is getting a lot of praise.

So, what are you guys playing this weekend? Who do you have in the Super Bowl? And have you heard of Magicka? Go, go, go (Packers)!

It’s Real: Halo: Combat Evolved Remake Hitting November 2011

halo combat evolved remake 2011

Get your fanboy hats on, folks, because it looks like the rumored HD remake of Halo: Combat Evolved that I posted about back in November is the real deal. Joystiq, citing an unamed source, has learned that the game that kick-started Bungie’s rise to power and revolutionized First Person Shooters on the console is getting remade in High Definition with new art assets.

We’re not just talking about a tuned up re-release, no sir. This game is using an entirely new engine (Joystiq claims that the engine behind Reach is not powering this remake, contrary to popular belief), and is being made by Saber Interactive. The game will support 1080p and 3D as well, if that’s your thing. Multiplayer is still being worked out, but the game is confirmed to have online co-op (the original shipped with split-screen two player co-op).

Furthermore, this remake is apparently one of two Halo games under the 343 Industries banner, so expect more news from the Halo front. For a release date, we’re looking at November 15, 2011, ten years after the original launch of Halo: Combat Evolved.

On an unofficial note, that makes me feel really old, because that will mean I was 14 when the original Halo came out. Are you guys excited about a Halo: Combat Evolved HD remake? Nervous? Nauseous? Go!

Source – Joystiq
Continue reading It’s Real: Halo: Combat Evolved Remake Hitting November 2011

Handing out the 2011 Game Awards Early

Batman Arkham City

If there is such a thing as gaming nirvana, then I think 2011 is approaching that status. Basically, 2011 is the nexus around which all other years revolve and aspire to. That’s putting it in dramatic terms to be sure, but more games keeping getting added to the list of greats that we’ll be playing by year’s end. Now we’ve got the NGP to look forward to, and even a few surprises like Saint’s Row 3. As we’ve said before, it’s exciting to watch it all unfold.

However, some people don’t want to wait, and have already started crowning their champions. GamesRadar recently released a Preemptive 2011 Game Awards list, and while I think it’s kind of ridiculous, it’s still fun to speculate. They’ve pegged Guild Wars 2 as the most addictive game of 2011, Skyrim as the best RPG, and Batman: Arkham City as game of the year. The possibility of Arkham City actually being better than Portal 2 seems like a long shot to me, but one that I’ll be happy about if it ends up being true.

So what do you guys think of their preemptive game awards? What do you think the winners are going to be in all of these categories by the time 2012 hits? Go!

Source – GamesRadar

DICE Officially Cans PC Versions of Battlefield 1943, Bad Company 2: Onslaught

battlefield 1943 bad company 2 onslaught pc cancelled

It is with a heavy heart that I type this news, PC faithful, because DICE, the developers behind the Battlefield and Mirror’s Edge series, has officially announced that they are cancelling both the PC port of Battlefield 1943 and the co-operative Onslaught Mode for Battlefield: Bad Company 2.

In a recent post on the Battlefield Blog, DICE General Manager Karl Magnus Troedsson came out in a very frank way and told the community that these two eagerly awaited games would have to be discontinued to make way for Battlefield 3.

We know some of you eagerly have been awaiting Battlefield 1943 and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Onslaught on PC. I’m sad to say that these two titles are now officially cancelled. Instead, our talented teams will focus on delivering the greatest possible gaming experience in our next behemoth release. We’re confident this will lead to an even better experience in Battlefield 3, not only on PC, but on all platforms.

While this is hardly a surprise, given that I originally posted about Battlefield 1943 on PC facing a delay over a year ago, it’s still very much a let down. I did play and enjoy both 1943 and Bad Company 2: Onslaught on the Xbox 360, but the PC is my preferred platform for Battlefield.

So, PC gamers of this site, any thoughts on the unfortunate cancellation of 1943 and Onslaught? Do you feel slighted by DICE? Are you still looking forward to Battlefield 3 (which is running on the Frostbite 2 engine)? Go!

Source – Battlefield Blog

What it Takes to Make a PSN Port

PS1

If you read anything that I say at all, you’ll know that I’m one of the constant voices clamoring for digital releases of old games. While I prefer these to be restored in pristine HD, I don’t even care if that’s the case, as I would love the chance to play them at any resolution at all. You can count me as one of the people that is obnoxious about this, as I never have understood what the hold up is on these old school classics. In my head, just take the code and slap it online, yes?

Actually, that’s ridiculously wrong. Fortunately for the ignorant masses, Sony has come along with a great piece of transparency and released some thoughts about the process of converting PS1 classics to the PSN store. I found it a really cool article, and it shed some light on a few issues that I didn’t know existed. For instance, what happens when a particular product is featured in a game, but the license on its use has run out? What happens when the developer that made the game no longer exists, or if the game is bugged when they convert it, and nobody is left that can drop what they’re doing to fix it?

Anyway, I thought I’d share the article because of how informative it was. I honestly had no idea that the process had so many tricks to it, so it’s nice to know they are actively working on it. What do you guys think? Any other classic games you’d love to have in digital formats?

Source – Playstation Blog

Today’s WTF: Treyarch to Gamers: Stop Being so Angry, Yo

treyarch angry gamers

While Call of Duty: Black Ops may be Treyarch’s best contribution to the series to date, there are some out there who think that the game isn’t all that great. They’ll say that the story is confusing and poorly written and the multiplayer is full of broken spawns, latency, and on the PS3, dirty hackers. They might also say that the game is basically the same it’s been for the last eight years.

As the underdog studio just released the First Strike Map Pack (available exclusively on Xbox LIVE, kids), Treyarch community manager Josh Olin gave a little interview with NowGamer about how patches are important to the online experience and what Treyarch are doing to keep Blops going strong. At the end of the interview, however, the writer asks Mr. Olin what he thinks the biggest problem with the game industry is: Continue reading Today’s WTF: Treyarch to Gamers: Stop Being so Angry, Yo

Fill in the Squares with Modern Gamedev Bingo

Bingo Balls

Ever feel like you just see the same things in video games over and over? Apparently you’re not the only one. Whether it’s FPS number 127 of a given year, the same voice actors/actresses or a similar bald male protagonist, sometimes gaming tropes get more than a bit tiring.

A new post over at I Get Your Fail takes all the cliches from video game development and turns them into a game in their own right, with Modern Gamedev Bingo. I have to say, it’s a pretty funny collection of gaming jabs, and it makes me want to do this for some of the games I’m currently playing. In particular, I like the squares for “realistic color palette”, “story based on war” and “has zombies/nazis”.

As funny as the whole thing is, it’s also a bit depressing to think that so many modern games can be summed up so succinctly. What do you guys think of this bingo board? Do you guys think these cliches are necessarily bad things? Go!

Source – I Get Your Fail

The GamerSushi Show, Ep 17: “Sup, Bitches?”

It’s a new edition of the GamerSushi Show, ladies and gents. While 17 is not a very special number to celebrate (except for dog lovers in Canada, apparently), we’re still happy to be releasing these podcasts every week, despite our general apathy towards doing things. And really, that’s an achievement in and of itself.

In the not-so-remarkable-but-still-excellent 17th episode, we chat about a number of gaming topics, including: Sony’s NGP, Dead Space 2, Bulletstorm, Crysis 2 and Game Dev Story. We also play a whopping two games this week instead of the usual one from our friendly beard. This week, Anthony drops in with a game where we guess about a classic review. Likewise, Nick gives us a game of Grades, where we rate industry happenings. We also talk about the Social Network at some point in there, I think, unless it got cut by Nick’s merciless editing.

Anyway, give it a listen and please rate the podcast on iTunes as well. Continue reading The GamerSushi Show, Ep 17: “Sup, Bitches?”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSS

Hottest February 2011 Releases

Killzone 3

The first month of 2011 is already gone and thanks to LittleBigPlanet 2 and Dead Space 2, we’ve seen two sequels that took their franchises to a whole new level. The month of February, which also happens to be my birthday month, looks like a nice mix of sequels and new IPs for us to blow out hard earned cash on.

Take a look at the list and see if there is anything that catches your eye. For myself, Radiant Historia, a time-travel JRPG on the DS that reminds me of Chrono Trigger, has capatured my imagination and likely my pre-order as well. Are there any games I left off that you think should be on the list? Speak now!

2/14/11

  • Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation  – DS

2/15/11

  • Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds – PS3, Xbox 360

2/22/11

  • Bulletstorm – PC, PS3, Xbox 360
  • Killzone 3 – PS3
  • Radiant Historia – DS

GamerSushi Asks: Can a Game Have Too Much Hype?

homefront hype

It’s only natural that, with a market so inundated with products, video games publishers are going to crank up the advertising for their game if only to push it into greater awareness with the consumers. Sometimes, though, there’s a game that takes it too far.

While most games can get on our nerves if we see them too many times of news sites or watch their commercials on TV, there’s the rare time that too much exposure can be a bad thing. For me, this phenomenon is happening with Homefront, THQ’s Korea invades America shooter. It seems that every time I go to check one of the blogs I frequent there’s something on how the game’s narrative will really get to you, or the multiplayer will revolutionize the industry, or how the game is being written by the guy who wrote Red Dawn. At first I was kind of interested in the premise, but now every time I see something about this game, it just draws out a sigh of apathy.
Continue reading GamerSushi Asks: Can a Game Have Too Much Hype?

The Outstanding Gaming Mysteries of 2011

Half Life 2 Episode 3

Let’s face it. We already know a whole lot of what to expect about 2011. We already know that we’re getting two badass new handheld systems in the 3DS and NGP. We also know that we could potentially have a Game of the Year contender by April when Portal 2 comes out, and that Uncharted 3 and Mass Effect 3 will be easy contenders on their release dates as well.

But there are still a handful of things that we don’t know. Mysteries, as it were. GamesRadar was kind enough to put together a list of the 12 biggest gaming mysteries that they hope to see answers for in 2011. These mysteries include but aren’t limited to: Tali’s face, the release of HL2 Episode 3 and a window for the next generation consoles.

There’s a bit more to it than those few I named, so I’d recommend checking it out yourself. Personally, the biggest thing I want to know in 2011 is the console question. I love the stride that this generation has hit on all fronts, and hope to see it continue for quite some time. I don’t want the will-they-or-won’t-they question hanging over us for several more years. I just want someone to say the consoles won’t come until 2015 and then we can all move on and enjoy our games.

So what about you guys? What are your biggest gaming questions for 2011, both in terms of untold stories in games or the industry at large? Go!

Source – GamesRadar

Game Dev Story and Addictive Gaming

Game Dev Story

One of the things about portable gaming that always kept me at arms length was its long term accessibility. It’s cool to be able to play something on the DS or iPhone for a few minutes here and there, but I never imagined that I would sit down for a few hours straight in order to play something. Recently, that notion has been challenged by 999, which I’ve posted about a couple of times. However, another addictive game ruined my life this week in the form of Game Dev Story for the iPhone.

If you’re unaware, Game Dev Story is like playing Roller Coaster Tycoon, but with a video game development studio. You create games, hire staff, manage advertising and try pump up your sales and profits. You learn new genres, get bigger offices and can even make your own console eventually. The goal is to run the company for 20 years, and make great games in the process. It’s quirky, fun, easy to play and as I said before, crazy addictive. So far, my biggest hits have been a card game called Cardville as well as my RPG titled Loot World.

I downloaded the game on Monday and have been playing it several hours each day since. I never thought I would be that into an iPhone game, but it seriously has me itching to play more all the time, made worse by the fact that I physically can grab my phone and play whenever I want.

Have any of you heard of this game or played it? What’s the most addictive game you’ve played recently?

GamerSushi Poll: Sony’s NGP vs Nintendo’s 3DS

In a huge move last night, Sony announced the Next Generation Portable (nee NGP or PSP2) and hot damn, does it look impressive. It has two analog sticks, a touch-sensitive OLED screen, two touch pads on the back of the device, and it can render PlayStation 3 games in real time (like Metal Gear Solid 4’s cutscenes running at a steady 20 frames per second). It also ditches the clunky old UMD format and adopts a sexy new flash-based card which allows developers to pack more punch in their games.

Additionally, Sony confirmed that a long list of studios have already queued up to produce games for the NGP. They also revealed that some big name franchises will make an apperance on the portable such as Uncharted, Killzone and Metal Gear Solid, to name a few.

Sony came out in a big way last night, and it looks like they’re attempting to break the portable gaming market by shoving everything they can into their device. While price hasn’t been confirmed, speculation points to it being more than the 3DS. Since Sony is going all out with this device, how is Nintendo’s 3DS going to fare? As we’re so considerate, we made a poll for you guys to vote on. So, go ahead: which platform are you rooting for: Sony’s NGP or Nintendo’s 3DS?

Which Portable Gaming Device Will Come Out Ahead?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

As always, if you have any thoughts please write them in the comments section below. Fight!

Direct2Drive Introduces PC Gaming Rentals

Direct2DriveOne of the downsides to PC gaming (and one of the defenses that some PC gamers use for piracy) has always been the lack of ability to rent the games that we are the most interested in. Sure, there are demos available, but we all know that demos don’t necessarily showcase a game in the best way possible. But what if you could rent PC games, and do it legally?

That’s the very question that Direct2Drive, also known as D2D, addresses in a new announcement: beginning today, they are offering a PC gaming rental service. Basically, you pay $5.00 to download a game to your hard drive. You get 5 hours of playing time. If you decide you want to keep it, the $5.00 goes toward the full purchase.

Honestly, getting the money toward your purchase makes this an even better deal than traditional video game rentals. While they’re only offering a handful of games at the moment (Silent Hill: Homecoming, Grid and Divinity II), this is definitely something to keep an eye on. I’d love to see this service expanded into something even bigger and better. It should also be noted that OnLive offers PC rentals, but that is via streaming, as opposed to downloading and playing the game directly.

So, what do you guys think of this? Cool? Uncool?

Source – D2D

GamerSushi Asks: Favorite New IP of Last Decade?

WoW

The game industry is expanding, growing at a massive rate with more quality games coming out now than ever before. In the old days, we used to pine for something to play during the slow summer months. Now we would kill just for a month off to catch up on our ever-growing backlog.

With all the new properties being introduced and becoming either new favorites or new targets to bash, 1UP did me a favor and compiled, you guessed it, a list of the 50 Biggest Video Game Properties of the Last 10 Years. Most of the games you would expect are on there, such as Uncharted, World of Warcraft and Mass Effect, but there are a few surprises, like Psychonauts and Beyond Good & Evil. Deserving games, to be sure, but not what you think of when you think “big”.

What games on the list do you think shouldn’t be? What was missed? And what’s your favorite new franchise of the last decade? Inquiring minds, like mine, want to know!

Source: 1UP

The GamerSushi Show, Ep 16: Sweet 16

For some reason, all of you crazies keep coming back to listen to our podcasts. And for some reason, we keep getting together on Skype to record them without killing one another. Basically, everybody wins.

We celebrate the sixteenth edition of the GamerSushi Show by waxing not-so-philosophically about a variety of topics. These include our manly Valve love, the Nintendo 3DS, Final Fantasy XIII-2, and then some. Nick also drops in with another one of his games, Percentages, and I think there are some hilarious results that come out of that conversation. I may have broken the podcast a couple of more times in this episode, for which you’ll have to forgive me. Lord knows I’m having a hard enough time forgiving myself (not really).

Anyway, check it out, and be sure to rate the podcast on iTunes. Many thanks to those of you who already have done so. You’re our favorites. Continue reading The GamerSushi Show, Ep 16: Sweet 16

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSS

Tuesday Demo Overload With Crysis 2 and Bulletstorm

Crysis 2 demo

Today is a big day for EA Games as they not only drop Dead Space 2 on us, but also unleash the multiplayer demo for Crysis 2 on the Xbox 360 and Bulletstorm on both consoles (no PC, sorry fellas). Since there’s really not much else going on in the world of gaming (and I’ve got a lot of free time) I decided to check out both demos and report on them for you. Ain’t I thoughtful?

The first one that I tried was the multiplayer demo for Cyrsis 2. I played a lot of the original on the PC, including some very fun stints in the multiplayer mode. While the original version emphasized large-scale maps with vehicles a la Battlefield, the sequel drops you into small arenas like those found in Call of Duty. Both teams are equipped with the series’ iconic Nanosuit and there are several load-outs to choose from, unlocked via ranking up through the in-game progression system.

Gameplay wise, it’s exactly as I imagined Crysis would be if I played it with a gamepad as opposed to a mouse and keyboard system. As an old-school PC guy, the mouse and keyboard set up is far superior for fast-paced gameplay, so I ended up with more deaths than kills. Watching everyone else use their suit powers to leap around the map and absorb bullets was pretty wicked though, and the game definitely looks gorgeous. Crysis 2 on the 360 doesn’t look anything like the videos parading around on the Internet, but it is one of the better looking game I’ve played in recent memory. Suffice it to say that, while it was fun, I’d much prefer to get it on the PC come release day. One thing that did irk me about the graphics is that the level I was playing on, Skyline, features a lot of brown textures, and the opposing team was decked out in brown colored Nanosuits. Seeing as my team was wearing white, this struck me as a little unbalanced. Hit the jump for my thoughts on Bulletstorm! Continue reading Tuesday Demo Overload With Crysis 2 and Bulletstorm