Category: GamerSushi News

Gran Turismo 5: Kevin Butler Steals a Car

There’s really not much left to say about the Kevin Butler persona, the man who acts as Sony’s VP of everything awesome and hilarious. It’s a brilliant marketing touch by Sony, and to me, shows that they really do understand gamers in this leg of the console generation cycle.

In this newest Kevin Butler spot, the executive is pumping up Gran Turismo 5, and stealing a car in the process. Does this mean that the game is real, finally? Really real? The promised release date at the moment is November 24th, which is less than a week from today. Perhaps we can finally hope.

The more I think about this game, the more excited I am by its release. I’ve loved every single GT game, and I think the thought of this one’s delays actually delayed my enthusiasm as well. But now that we’re on the verge of another one, I can’t stop thinking about it. Anybody else considering picking it up?

GamerSushi Asks: Would You Rather?

Apparently we’ve been leaving the Would You Rather game off to the side of the road, flopping like a fish out of water. So, being the kind gents we are, we decided to resuscitate it and bring it back to life for your enjoyment. Not that I’d do mouth-to-mouth with a fish. Well, maybe I would.

For the uninitiated, in Would You Rather, I simply ask a series of questions, and you follow up with your answers. Give as much or as little explanation as you want for your choices, but we all know that we like to see the reasoning behind the madness.

But beware, lest your answers be terrible and full of fail. For if they are, Jeff will use his vast eyebrow powers to blink you straight out of existence. Either that or he will call you names that hurt your feelings. He’s good at both, but it really depends on his mood that day. Anyway, have at it, folks.

Would you rather… Continue reading GamerSushi Asks: Would You Rather?

EVE Incursion Character Creator Is Most Impressive

EVE, the ridiculous space MMO with high-flying pirate antics and corporate espionage, is getting a new expansion pack known as Incursion in Janaury 2011. One of the new things that’s going to be included in this big update happens to be the Incarna Character Creator, for designing your characters. And it is filled with much hotness.

Honestly, I’m not sure why this even matters, since the game takes place inside of spaceships, but it’s still damn cool.

The idea of character creation is an interesting one. I feel like we should have some better tools at our disposal for more robust character creation systems at this point, but maybe that’s pie-in-the-sky thinking. I feel like most character creators end up producing people that all look the same for the most part.

What do you guys think? Got a favorite character creator? Is this one impressive at all?

GamerSushi Asks: Desired DLC Schedule?

New Vegas

Downloadable content, or DLC, as we in the industry refer to it as, is still a pretty new element to video games. As such, publishers and gamers both seem to be feeling each other as to how best go about implementing it. The issues range from price to file size to when it should be released. Nothing gets the Internet cranking like dreaded Day 1 DLC.

But it is a decent question, brought up by today’s news that Fallout: New Vegas, a massive game like few others, will have its first expansion pack drop on December 21st on Xbox Live. The game came out in October, so most people who bought it right away should have beaten it by then.

But back to question at hand: how soon after a game’s release should DLC be rolled out? And how often after that? It depends on both the size of the game and the DLC, but personally, I think 3 months is enough time and then maybe a month or 2 before the next one. What say you?

Source: Joystiq

BioWare Drops a Teaser for the 2010 VGAs

Mass Effect 3. I want it. You want it. BioWare hasn’t said much about it, aside from the fact that it’s coming. While the third chapter in the series I affectionately dubbed “nerd crack” exists somewhere, we haven’t seen much from it. With Spike’s Video Game Awards swiftly approaching on December 11, BioWare dropped a new video teasing…well, something. It doesn’t look quite like Mass Effect, and it certainly isn’t Dragon Age. Take a look:

Very cryptic, as a teaser has every right to be. Personally I’m leaning towards a Mass Effect-themed shooter, but what do you guys think? Is it something else entierly, or is it that rumored Mass Effect MMO I wrote about a while ago? Hit us with your thoughts and speculations!

Spike Video Game Awards 2010 Nominations Go Live

Spike Video Game Awards 2010Boom, sucker! Coming at you like a whole week’s worth of cliched masculine programming, it’s the list of nominees for the 2010 edition of the Spike Video Game Awards. All joking about Spike TV’s lineup aside, the VGAs are gaming’s only legitimate awards show and we need to lavish it with our praise, hoping that it will one day become less of a gong show. Hopefully this year they won’t troop out the troglodytes from the Jersey Shore again.

This year’s list of contenders is actually very solid, with some impressive choices filling out each category. While the big names fill in most of the lists, Spike gave due attention to all walks of gaming from the big Triple-A titles to the indie darlings that captured our cold, jaded hearts.

If you want to see the full list, hit the jump.

Continue reading Spike Video Game Awards 2010 Nominations Go Live

The Not So Fun Moments of Co-Op Gaming

Leeroy JenkinsCo-op. You’ve all heard us gush on numerous occasions about how we love it and want to get it pregnant. It’s one of the best things that this generation returned to us on a massive level, and has become a staple of most gaming releases.

But it’s not always fun and games. We’ve all had that co-op buddy that just doesn’t pull his weight, or is constantly griping about the game’s controls, or is always screwing you over so he can get the best loot. While my brother and I loved our time in Guardian of Light, there were definitely a few arguments had over whose fault it was when everything went to hell. Name calling might have happened. It’s a tough memory. I got to thinking about this because The Kartel posted its list of the 5 Worst Co-Op Gaming Moments, and it gave me a good chuckle. I think Leeroy Jenkins easily should top that list, as it’s one of the greatest gaming griefs of all time.

Anyway, as much as you all love co-op as well, what are some of your least favorite or hilarious co-op memories? Got any buddies that make it hard to play through a game with, or any games where it was particularly easy to grief your partner?

Source – The Kartel

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time is on PSN Today

Prince of Persia Sands of Time

Sometimes, the things you wish for in life come true and today is one of those days. The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, one of the most critically acclaimed games of the last generation, will be released on the PSN when it updates later today, for the low price of $14.99. Clearly, someone up there is paying attention to silent prayers. Now, if only Jessica Alba would knock on the door…

This is no simple port of the PS2 title, but a 720p resolution and Trophies as well. And if you are really insane, it’s 3D enabled, but let’s face it, I am talking to myself with that one. The following two games in the PoP trilogy, The Warrior Within (meh) and The Two Thrones (thumbs up!) will be available in December. Personally, I will be downloading this tonight as the Sands of Time is one of my all-time favorites and if I reviewed it back in the day, I would give it an S.

Is anyone excited about this or going to download any of these games? Did you play it in the first place or are you looking to play it for the first time? Commence!

Source: Playstation Blog

I Miss Cheat Codes

Konami Code

The Konami Code. The Blood Code. Debug mode in Sonic 2. Great relics of my youth, tall bastions of gaming greatness. These are a few of my favorite things.

Or at least they were, back when cheat codes were still the cool thing to do. Growing up, finding ridiculous cheats was like taking the shackles off of a game, making it some feral beast that could do what it willed. Why, you could see Lara Croft’s pixel jubblies. Or spawn a tank in GTA III. Or become completely unstoppable and play Doom on Nightmare with God Mode turned on (my personal favorite).

Anyway, seeing the news that Goldeneye 007 has a big head mode stirred up whatever center of my brain produces nostalgia. Seriously, whatever happened to cheat codes? Are they still a part of games and I’m just missing them, or what?

What are some of your favorite cheat codes in video games?

Source – Kotaku

Sly 4 Teaser Trailer Hidden in The Sly Collection

Good news for people who like platforming games, of which there has been a dearth of on this new console generation: Sly Cooper 4 is coming! Sucker Punch, who you now know from the Infamous series, hid a nice trailer for Sly 4 in the newly released Sly Collection for the PS3.

In case you didn’t play any of the Sly trilogy on the PS2, you missed out on one of the better made platformers in recent years. Clever writing, tight controls and snazzy cel-shaded graphics combined to give the PS2 another mascot candidate, along with Ratchet & Clank and Jak & Daxter. Sadly, still no sign of Jak, but here’s hoping.

[youtube width=”500″ height=”310″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfjDUcaYMEo&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Now that you’ve seen the proof, are you pumped up for some thieving? Was I the only one that played these games? Do you think platformers like this have a place in the current generation? Go!

Rumor: Diablo 3 Coming to Consoles?

diablo 3 on consoles

The Sundering has begun, people! One of the surest signs of the apocalypse, as foretold in the forbidden tome the Necronomicon, is the debut of a Blizzard title on home consoles. Long has the realm of this developer been the PC world, but according to a recent uncovering by Gamasutra, the winds of change are blowing.

While it’s safe to say that this is firmly in the rumor category, job postings by Blizzard point pretty strongly towards a console version of the upcoming hack-and-slash RPG Diablo 3. Normally these sorts of things are kind of ambiguous, but the phrase “prior experience in console game development” with an “extensive knowledge of Diablo” is kind of specific. Blizzard has never confirmed nor denied the possibility of Diablo 3 showing up on the Xbox 360 or the PS3, so keep that in mind when you pick up the torches and pitch forks on your way to California.

To editorialize a bit here, I’m sure that the fervent PC-playing masses are going to blow this thing out of proportion and claim that Diablo 3 will be “dumbed down” for the console players, but the more people who get to play Diablo, the better. I played the junk out of Diablo 2, and in this day and age, it’s more economically viable for people to have a console than an up-to-date gaming rig. I’m sure that the PC version of Diablo will be handled with due care by Blizzard. They know which side their bread is buttered on.

What do you guys think? Of all of Blizzard’s franchises, isn’t Diablo 3 the best suited for a console transition? If it came out on the Xbox 360 or PS3, would you get it? Doesn’t Gamasutra sound like a dirty word?

Source – Gamasutra

Poll: Which Type of Shooter Do You Prefer?

Last night, I fired up Halo: Reach for the first time in several weeks. I think it was something of a coping mechanism, since I know I’m going to be holding out on Call of Duty: Black Ops until around Christmas. It was pretty nuts to see everyone on my friends list in the new CoD, and meanwhile I was playing the classic space marine scenario.

The funny thing is, I had a lot more fun than I expected to, even though I’m itching for Black Ops more than I can say. One of the things I’ve always loved about Halo is the ability to have these isolated little firefights, epic stand-offs between you and one other player that feels separated from the rest of the match. The only reason this is possible is because of the way the game’s health system works. I remember Goldeneye playing much the same way back in the old days.

It seems that as time goes on, more shooters go in a different direction. Like Counter-Strike, the health in CoD pretty much works on the “one shot, one kill” method, which is a big part of what makes it so addictive I think. The ability to respawn and immediately jump back into the fray and rack up more kills has a lot of appeal to it, for a totally different reason than a shooter like Gears of War or Halo.

Thinking about these two styles of play, I thought I’d make a poll to see what you guys think. Got a preference?

Which type of multiplayer shooter do you prefer?

View Results

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GamerSushi Asks: Games that Grow on You?

Heavy Rain

Reviewing game experiences is a tricky business. Often times, my opinions about a game change and shift over time. I’ve found that more often than not, I really need some time to step away from an experience to see what sticks and what ultimately fades away in my mind.

For instance, I reviewed Heavy Rain several months back, and while I enjoyed it, I did have some strongly negative feelings about how the game unfolded at the end. Oddly enough, now that I look back on it, I find myself feeling more positive about it overall, and actually dying to go back and play it through. I know this happens for me in the opposite way sometimes as well. This happened after Metal Gear Solid and more recently, Alan Wake. With both of those, my initial impressions gave way and I now look back much less fondly on them.

So what about you guys? What games have grown on you over time that you didn’t like as much at first? What games did you feel more negatively about over time? Go!

Transferring Franchises from East to West

Legend of Zelda

Japanese game development has had some bumpy spots as of late. The old school game dudes can’t seem to catch much of a break, and some would argue (and by that I mean me) that they are losing touch with gamers outside of their own country. I wouldn’t say that they are getting worse at what they do by any means, but there seems to a part of the industry that’s moving past them. So what about all those classic Japanese franchises?

That’s why CVG has put together a list of 7 Games Japan Should Give to Western Developers. I’m not entirely in agreement with everything they’ve got down on here, especially with Final Fantasy, which is just one title removed from being a really excellent series again. Likewise, they list Resident Evil on here as well, but Resident Evil 5 was a huge hit, a critically acclaimed game and was designed with many Western sensibilities in mind. Also, many racers should be striving to achieve what Mario Kart has done even in recent years. It’s hardly stagnant. Those aside (plus the really ridiculous names they’ve given the titles), I agree with the rest of the list, particularly Legend of Zelda.

Interestingly enough, we did a feature very similar to this last summer. So what do you guys think of this? Would you take those Japanese franchises and give them to Western developers, or leave them where they are? Go!

Source – CVG

L.A. Noire Trailer Brings the In-Game Drama

Rockstar’s 2nd most secretive project after Agent is L.A. Noire, which is due in Spring 2011 for the 360 and PS3. And just in time, we finally get some in-game footage in this new trailer of the detective thriller. In case you forgot (and who could blame you) players will work to solve a series of murders. Judging from the dramatic trailer which reminds me of a movie trailer with all the one-liners designed to make you wonder what the hell is happening, the game will be heavy on the dramatic flair. The facial animations are pretty impressive, I must say, although a few are in the valley dubbed Uncanny.

Well, there you have it. What do you think? Is this on your radar? Rockstar has let this game go largely unnoticed, but I have a feeling the hype machine is about to ramp up. Are you interested?

Rumor: Call of Duty Gets Space Marines?

Space Marines

It seems like everything’s been Call of Duty around these parts lately, no? Considering it’s probably going to end up as the year’s largest release, I guess you can’t really blame us too much. If you don’t believe me, check out the reports that Black Ops moved 5.6 million copies and defeated Modern Warfare 2 in day one sales. Yeah, it surprised me, too.

Anyway, the franchise seems to just build on itself every year, no matter who’s in charge. Eventually though, it stands to reason that at some point, people will get tired of the same formula. There are only so many time periods to exploit, after all. Which is why it’s interesting to hear rumors that Call of Duty’s next entry, developed by Sledgehammer Games, will take place in the future. From Gamasutra:

That unit hasn’t talked specifically about what it’s doing with the franchise. But industry sources say Sledgehammer’s Call of Duty will be set in the future and feature, for lack of a better term, space Marines, a very big step for a franchise that has historically based itself on realism.

Could this be the Call of Duty game that is due out next year in 2011? What about the title that the leftovers of Infinity Ward are still working on? Only time will tell, I guess.

What do you guys think about these rumors? Would Call of Duty: Halo be a good direction for the series to go?

Source – Gamasutra

Heavy Rain Deleted Scenes Show “The Secrets of the Scenario”

I actually liked Heavy Rain quite a bit. I thought it was a very fresh take on both game mechanics and narrative, even if the story did become really uneven in the second half. There was something strangely compelling about this game, even if I was just deciding whether my son would eat pizza or have a healthy meal. That said, there were certain parts of the game that left me with nagging doubts, like Ethan Mars’ unexplained blackouts. Fortunately, a new video expunging the deleted scenes of Heavy Rain shows the explanation for this and many more mysteries besides. I’ve embedded the video for your viewing pleasure. Obviously, this thing is chock-full of spoilers, so beware!

This is a pretty rare glimpse into the game design process, and it filled in a lot of the blanks in Heavy Rain. Personally, I feel that most of the stuff they cut was well deserving of it, but the missing parts of Madison’s story would have been cool to play. What do you guys think of Heavy Rain’s deleted scenes?

Valve Chats Multiplayer, Crafting Sequels and Portal 2

Portal 2

Remember in the first Batman movie when Joker is watching Batman do his superhero thing, and Jack Nicholson famously quipped, “Where does he get all those wonderful toys?” I kind of feel like that every time I read interviews with Valve, who are just so good at what they do that it astounds me. Whether you like their games or not, you have to admit that they’re at the very least smart, and good at talking about games.

To me, the most respectable thing about Valve is the drive to always one up themselves, and to continue delivering experiences that will give the most value to their customer base and build up community around games. Take their recent interview with Game Developer Magazine, where project manager Erik Johnson talked primarily about Portal 2 and what it means to create a sequel for a much anticipated title.

Reading over the article, it seems like Valve really understands what made the first Portal click so well for such a huge audience. Check out some awesome quotes after the jump. Continue reading Valve Chats Multiplayer, Crafting Sequels and Portal 2

Super Mario Gets His Own Street in Spain

super mario bros

It’s taken a while, but Nintendo’s famous turtle-stomping plumber is finally getting his due. Although Lara Croft already beat Mario to the punch in this regard, the iconic video game character is finding a way to one-up her by having the inaugural road of a new suburb in Spain named in his honor as opposed to re-naming an existing road.

Avenida de Super Mario Bros was just christened in Zaragoza in Northern Spain this past weekend, marking the first in a series of streets named after famous video game franchises and characters. Expected to follow after Mario are roads named after Sonic the Hedgehog, Space Invaders and The Legend of Zelda, to name a few.

Arcosur, the housing zone inside the Zaragoza suburb (confusing, no?), is a project aimed at first time home buyers. The video game themed names came from an online poll where the future residents could pick the names of their streets. Besides having awesome road names, Arcosur residents hope that the media attention this is garnering will push the Spanish government to finish the project by June of 2012, its current projected completion date.

This isn’t really a huge story news wise, but I thought it was a pretty cool one to share. Most of the home owners in this neighborhood are around 20-35, so I’m not really surprised that they snuck a few video game references in there. Just for fun, what franchises would you name a street after?

Source and image – CNN

GamerSushi Roll Call: Call of Duty: Black Ops

Call of Duty: Black Ops

Call of Duty: Black Ops is finally out my friends, and it’s getting good reviews across the board. From what I’ve seen, the praise is ranging from “best Call of Duty yet” to “It’s OK, but it’s Treyarch so it’s better than I expected”. Honestly, I think by this point that Treyarch have proven themselves to be a competent studio. Sure, Call of Duty 3 was a little rough, but for a franchise off-team, they’ve managed to turn things around pretty significantly (I mean, they’re no Obsidian).

In honor of this monumental release, I thought I’d get a little roll call going. Who has Black Ops, and what do you think of it? Have you tried the campaign, multiplayer or zombie mode? What do you think of all the new additions that Treyarch has made, and what about the omissions? I was a little disappointed to hear that Spec Ops mode isn’t making a return. Lastly, what platform are you gaming on? Personally, I’m going PC, but I’m tempted to pick up a 360 copy just for the achievements. I know, I know, I’m terrible. Alright, hit me!