Second Story Gamer

Surprise!  Harmonix has officially announced that Rock Band 2 will be coming to the Xbox 360 this September and other consoles later this year.  Along with this announcement, they gave us some juicy details about Rock Band 2, most of which are good.

Like the fact that Rock Band 1 downloadable content with be compatible with Rock Band 2 and the fact that the downloadable content released after Rock Band 2 releases will still be compatible with Rock Band 1.  And on top of that, Harmonix has stated that the weekly tracks released to Rock Band will continue through Rock Band 2’s release (take notes Guitar Hero).

Along with DLC compatibility, Harmonix has also announced that Rock Band 1 instruments will work with Rock Band 2, so we don’t have to worry about more plastic toys around the house.  They are, however, still releasing new instruments for Rock Band 2, so those of you who need your yearly plastic fix can calm down.

You want some more great news?  Every song on Rock Band 2 will be the master recording.  Yes, that means the actual artist will be singing his/her own song.  I know, it’s totally amazing.  Speaking of setlists, Rock Band lead designer Dan Teasdale has said in a interview with IGN that they have “also secured what I can easily say is the best setlist I’ve ever seen in a music game”.  Is that just PR hype, or does he have evidence to back it up?  Hopefully we’ll see in the coming weeks, as more songs for Rock Band 2 get leaked or announced.

Teasdale also had this to say in response to Guitar Hero IV’s announcement that it had multiple instruments was Rock Band:

Yeah, the clip of the Activision executive making that statement is floating around on the internet. I think the follow-up question he got was priceless: “Isn’t that called Rock Band?” We released Rock Band back in November 2007, almost 10 months before GH:WT will even make its debut. I think looking at a calendar settles when the “amazing advancement” in music games actually took place.

B-b-b-burn!  But what’s up with the lack of PS3 love, Harmonix?  What did they ever do to you?  Well, according to a different representative:

“Microsoft has been a great partner throughout the launch of Rock Band in the last year and their continued support is instrumental in supporting the more advanced features and cross title compatibility we will have in Rock Band 2.

I wonder if there was money involved…

[via Kotaku]

A group of researchers from the Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials (that really rolls of the tongue) from Tohoku University in North Japan has developed a 42 GB version of the not so “advanced material” that is the DVD.

The Japanese team has said that it reached this incredible result by shaping the pits on the DVD’s surface, which are usually flat, into “V’s”.  This “V” formation has made it possible to significantly multiply the amount of data the DVD can hold.

Brace yourself.  Everyone with an Xbox 360 just jumped for joy.  Who needs Blu-ray’s when DVD’s can hold nearly as much storage, right?  Well, here I am to bring your hopes crashing to the ground.  This “super disc” cannot be used in existing DVD/CD technology.  So these researchers would have to develop a whole new, probably expensive technology.  But it’s alright, I doubt next-gen 360 games will need it anyways.

Brace yourself again.  Everyone with a PS3 just jumped for joy.  If this technology could be implemented into Blu-ray, think of the possibility.  We could see 200 GB Blu-ray discs very soon, right?  Wrong.  This research team has also stated that this “V” technology cannot be applied into Blu-ray discs.  But it’s alright, 100 GB and 200 GB Blu-ray discs are being developed, even if they take some time to be released.

So this whole story is pretty useless.  To use this technology, we would need a whole new format of disc reader, which would be very expensive.  Thanks research team for bringing so many hopes up, then slamming them down.  Oh yeah, their next project has been announced: making Blu-ray discs that can hold multiple times the capacity of today’s Blu-ray’s.  Estimated completion time: two years after the next version of discs is announced.

[via CrunchGear]

Eight years after the release of Diablo 2 and after years of speculation, Blizzard has recently officially announced the existence of Diablo 3.  And, as to be expected, Diablo fans have lit up the internet with their cries of joy.  Here is the teaser trailer:

The gameplay and graphics are similar to the original Diablos (sad news for those who were looking for an MMO) and Diablo 3 will will feature an isometric perspective and the same Mana and Life bubbles.  Interactive environments will be playing a big role in Diablo 3, as well.  There will be a new Witch Doctor class, which has the ability to summon pets, cast diseases, and control minds of enemies.  Also, there will be a female version of every class in the game.  Blizzard has also noted that Diablo 3 will have co-op and multiplayer elements.  And Mac users can rest easy, because Blizzard has announced that Diablo 3 will be releasing simultaneously on the Mac.

Check out the gameplay and artwork trailers after the break.

As is the case with most console price cuts, a flyer for a popular department store has given us the “rumor” that the Xbox 360 will be getting a price cut very soon.  I say “rumor” because although this is still unconfirmed, after the first few times a flyer has leaked a console price cut, you kind of just believe it.

This time, the flyer belongs to Kmart (which was a popular department store so it still counts).  And according to said flyer, the new price for the Xbox 360 Pro SKU will be $299.99, which is a $50 price reduction.  There is no information of whether or not this price cut will be the same for the Arcade and Elite SKU’s priced at the moment at $280 and $450 respectively.  Don’t worry, another flyer will probably be leaked in the coming days.

I would take this as full confirmation that a price cut is coming very soon.  So if anyone is planning to buy a 360 anytime soon, restrain yourself till this price cut happens.  And what would be a more perfect time to announce it than E3, coming up in a few weeks.  Hit the break for an image of the full flyer.

[via Joystiq]

Rest assured PS3 owners; you won’t have to gaze jealously at the Xbox Live Video Marketplace for long because Sony Playstation executive Kaz Hirai told reporters that a movie download service is coming to US Playstation 3’s later this summer, with Japan and Europe getting the service at a later date.  There is now word about whether TV shows are included in the service, but Hirai said that more details about the service will be available next month, most likely at E3.  Sony has already released a video service in Korea.

Official numbers for the Xbox Live Video Marketplace have never been released, which makes one doubt its success.  So will the PSN video service be able to succeed where the Xbox Live Video Marketplace “failed”?  With Blu-ray being such a major selling point of the console, why would consumers use a download service that will have lower quality movies?  However, the PS3 does have a bigger hard drive which is perfectly suited for video downloads.  So, only time will tell, unless Sony decides to withhold numbers like Microsoft has been doing, in which case, it wont.

[via Joystiq]

Remember that other announcement around the time that the Spring Dashboard update was cancelled?  You probably don’t; it was lost in the hub-ub of 360 owners complaining about their lack of update-ness.  Let me explain: instead of an update, Microsoft announced that they were releasing a tool this Spring that fixes the DRM problem (not being able to play your downloaded content unless signed in to Live) that plagued many Red Ring of Death victims.

Well, said tool is now available on Xbox.com.  It is a seemingly simple two step process that involves uploading your licenses (the games and videos that you downloaded) onto Xbox.com then downloading the transferred licenses manually onto your 360.  And while the process probably isn’t as easy as the site says it is, there’s no way it’s worse than trying to fix the problem with Xbox Tech Support.  It better not be.

Another rumor’s hitting the streets and this one is very, very interesting.  In the latest issue of EGM, rumor guy Quartermann has given us some seemingly crazy information about Microsoft and the Xbox 360.  The magazine says:

We’ll tell you what’s up with Microsoft: new hardware options. It may sound totally insane — trust us, we did a double-take the first time Qmann whispered it in our ears — but word has it that Microsoft may begin allowing third-party manufacturers to create Xbox 360 hardware. And we’re not talking about peripherals, people; we mean hardware that runs 360 game discs created by someone other than Microsoft.

This rumor may seem totally ridiculous at first glance, but there have been precedents set.  For example, Sega CD drives were available for the PC and Panasonic released a DVD/Gamecube player soley in Japan.  There have even been whispers of Microsoft releasing Xbox 360 capable drives for the PC.   However, even with those precedents, I still think this rumor is highly unlikely.

But if this rumor happens to be true, think of the possibility.  If there were multiple manufacturers of the Xbox 360, the price of the console would shoot down fast as competition between the third-parties rose.  And as the price shot down, the install base of the console would shoot up, because it would be more affordable.  And as the install base grows, the amount of games sold would probably increase (I said “probably” because of the Wii’s example).  And as the amount of games sold increases, the amount of games developing will increase.  Yay!

Time to head back to Utopia.

[via Kotaku]

On GigaOM, Wagner James Au has an interesting article, in which he argues that the fact that GTA IV was unable to move big hardware numbers, signifies the “beginning of the end” for next-gen consoles (the Xbox 360 and PS3).  And GTA IV really didn’t move any consoles, because the GTA IV-less Wii sold twice as much as the Xbox 360 and the PS3 combined.  But does this fact really mean that next generation development is going to come grinding to a halt?  Au explains:

If Grand Theft Auto can’t move more machines, nothing can. Which not only suggests that the market for next-gen consoles has been exhausted, but that the audience for big budget, AAA next-gen titles has been tapped out, too.

Which is why I think GTA IV is next-gen’s siren song, and a sign of drastic changes to come. Expect to see games made for lower budgets, targeted at wider audiences (ones that aren’t fixated on high-end 3D graphics) and delivered over broadband with a micropayment program in place. Don’t expect a follow-up to the 360 or PS3 anytime soon, either. In other words, the days when so-called “next-gen” gaming reigned supreme are coming to end — instead, the industry’s future will be shaped by games like Rock Band.

Au goes on to explain that even though GTA IV has already sold 9 million copies, it will take a miracle for it to reach the 21.5 million that San Andreas sold.

I don’t fully agree with this logic though.  Even though GTA IV didn’t push hardware sales that much, it still drove in over $500 million in revenue for Take-Two.  I doubt all developers will move to low budget, microtransaction games when there’s still huge money to be made by making megatitles.

And I also don’t think that the hardware numbers influenced by GTA IV will be seen until we get closer to holiday.  Plenty of more casual gamers will wait till October or November to pick up an Xbox 360 or PS3 and Grand Theft Auto IV.

But there may be some truth in this story.  We always hear about developers moving away from big games, as they get more and more expensive to make, to smaller, less risky titles.  But that in no way means that all developers will stop making mega-hits in favor of mini-games.  I think we’ll just start seeing more casual titles used by developers to help fund their bigger titles.

But what do you think?  Is this the end of this generation?  Or is Wagner James Au being a bit paranoid?

[via GigaOM]

Just as the Wii is known for having heaps upon heaps of mini-games on it, the DS is a puzzle game filled handheld. As an avid puzzle aficionado, this was a major selling point of the system. So the second game I bought on the DS (after the New Super Mario Bros.) was Professor Layton and the Curious Village. And, boy, did I get a hold of a puzzler.

Well, I should probably clarify something.  This game isn’t a traditional puzzle game.  The genre puzzle game is usually associated with Tetris, Lumines, or Planet Puzzle League; these are all games that require fast paced stylus action to, usually, match up similar colored blocks.  Take that definition and throw it out the window for Professor Layton.  Hit the jump for the rest of the review.

EA has released three new trailers for their upcoming game Battlefield: Bad Company and it looks like they are taking a very strange marketing approach to the game: making fun of games that are good.  The three games that the trailers parody are Gears of War, Rainbow Six, and Metal Gear Solid.  Here’s the Gears parody trailer:

So they made fun of the brilliant commercial for Gears of War, by having a random infantryman destroy Gary Jules’ cover of the Tears for Fears classic “Mad World”.  And, surprisingly, it was kind of funny.  But wait, there’s more.  The Rainbow Six parody is even funnier, and the Metal Gear one reaches a new level of hilariousness.  Check them out, after the break.

One potential problem with this strategy though, EA.  What happens when the people figure out that Bad Company isn’t as good as Gears of War, Rainbow Six, or Metal Gear Solid? (Burn!)

In what is sadly his last issue of EGM, Dan “Shoe” Hsu wrote a very in-depth preview of Gears of War 2 and included in the preview is a graphical comparison of the two games.  He writes:

Gears of War 2 looks better than its predecessor, but it might not be that obvious to the casual observer unless your doing side-by-side comparisons.  That’s not a knock on Gears 2’s graphical improvements, however- it’s more a testament to how good the original Gears looks today.

And he is exactly right.  The original Gears of War still outclasses most games that come out now in terms of graphical quality.  So how could Gears 2 get much better?

Well, the side-by-side comparisons were shown for the original map Gridlock and its Gears 2 upgrade.  The major difference is that the Gears 2 version is overgrown with moss and is hazy but everything is much more vividly lit.  Also, there are debris and pieces of paper flying around and chunks of cover blowing off from gunfire or explosions (destructible environments confirmed).

So Gears 2 won’t look much better than the original, but that’s okay because the original Gears was absolutely gorgeous.  Check newsstands for the latest issue of EGM to read the rest of the preview.

[Source for Image: Xboxkings]

As some of you may have seen on the Xbox Live Dashboard, the first trailer for Call of Duty: World at War was released very early this morning.  And here it is:

So there you have it, folks.  The Treyarch developed, next game in the Call of Duty series looks ( I can’t believe I’m saying this) halfway decent from this trailer.  Previously, I was inclined to fully write this game off, but after this trailer, I may give Treyarch the benefit of the doubt.

At this time, the lineup for the Xbox 360 looks like this: Gears of War 2, Too Human, Fable 2, Banjo and Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, and Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise.  And while that release schedule is fairly strong, it’s nothing compared to 2007.  But, according to Aaron Greenberg, Microsoft is not done announcing titles for 2008 just yet.

Greenberg, director of Xbox 360 product management, said, “We have not announced all of our line-up yet for 2008 but will provide more details at E3 next month.”  I wonder what other games Mr. Greenberg has up his sleeve.  We’ll see come next month.

But in the meantime, in addition to the five games mentioned above, we can look forward to Infinite Undiscovery, Fallout 3, Madden 2009, and the GTA IV downloadable content, according to Greenberg.

“Xbox 360 will continue to be the home to blockbuster games and the most exclusives,” Greenberg continued. “By the end of the year we will have over 1,000 games available for Xbox 360, which will be 2-3 times more than any other platform.”

Maybe the Xbox 360’s 2008 lineup can live up to the high, high standard set by 2007.

[via Videogamer]

A new rumor has been floating around the blogosphere, as an Infinity Ward insider has revealed that the developer is making a new science fiction game.  Infinity Ward is best known for making Call of Duty 1, 2, and 4 (in other words, the good Call of Duty’s), but they have never branched out of the realistic war, FPS genre.

The insider seems very sure of himself, as he said, “we are currently working on a new sci-fi title, we cannot release any more information as of yet, we may or may not announce it at E3″.

Personally, I think that this rumor is false because of the strange timing.  Infinity Ward is supposed to be making Call of Duty 6, right?  How are they going to be able to make Call of Duty 6 and this new sci-fi game at the same time?  Unless, it is the same game.  Could Call of Duty 6 reboot the franchise even more than Call of Duty 4 did?

[via TalkPlaystation]

Yes, I know I’m a little late to the party.  Everyone else has had and played Grand Theft Auto IV for almost two months now.  But I’ve only just got a hold of the game, so maybe I can persuade some of you who are still on the fence (I don’t know how, with all the positive hype swirling around the game).  I’ve played about 5-6 hours of the single player and a couple multiplayer matches, so here are my first impressions of the game.

Grand Theft Auto IV is such an expansive game that a short summary of it could hardly do it justice.  But I’ll try.

The game starts out with the main character Niko Bellic arriving in America to try to live the American dream.  He quickly finds out that life in America isn’t as easy as everyone told him it would be and is forced to do some dirty jobs throughout Liberty City.

But don’t worry, you’ll never get bored in Liberty City.  Every aspect of it feels like a living, breathing city.  For example, you can visit locations in the city that vary from burger shops to pick up something to eat, to internet cafes to try your luck in an online dating service.  There is always something to check out in the city.

And although I haven’t played very much of the game yet, I’m already in awe at the scope of the game.  Rockstar has put very much love, care, and money into this game and it definitely shows.  This game will definitely be taking up the bulk of my gaming time for weeks, if not months to come.

Speaking in an interview, Entertainment and Device Division boss Robbie Bach has publicly stated that he would love the next iteration of the Xbox console to be the first one on the market.

“The last cycle for the original Xbox was a little shorter than typical (at four years). We started way late,” he said. “If you take the question of whether it was the right thing to try to be first [on the market], the answer to that is definitely yes. It has given us a leg up in a number of places that are super important.”

What are those advantages, you ask?  Bach continued, “It has given us a leg up with game developers. It has given us a leg up from an economics perspective.  It helped us expand Xbox Live quickly.  At a strategy level, if you asked if we wanted to be first again, I would say yes.”

So the next Xbox will likely be the first console out next generation.  I wouldn’t expect it very soon though, because I’m sure Microsoft will be testing the hell out of that machine, after their Red Ring of Death fiasco with this generation.  I expect the console to be out 2011, at the very earliest.

Read the rest of the interview here.  It has some interesting tidbits about a Wii-like controller, HD downloading on the 360, and potential multi-touch gaming.

And for the regular readers: I just picked up a copy of GTA IV (finally, I know), so expect a first impressions up soon.  Also, expect a review of Professor Layton and the Curious Village soon as well.

I can’t help but say I told you so, because Sony has just announced that the PS3’s 2.40 firmware update will be adding in-game Xross Media Bar (XMB) and trophy system.  Yeah, not exactly the best kept secret Sony.

To reiterate, the XMB will allow cross game invites, chats, and messages while playing PS3 games and a universal friends list.  That may make the PS3 online system an actual Xbox Live competitor.  And speaking of Xbox Live competitors, the PS3 trophy system is aiming to combat Xbox Live’s wildly popular achievements.

I guess some rumors can come true.  Hopefully the same will be for the recent flood of leaks.

[via Playstation Blog]

And sorry about the recent downtime.  My host has been switching servers and stuff so, hopefully, everything is up and running fine now.

Wow the past few days have been great for rumor lovers.  On top of the recent Microsoft and Activision leaks, now we have an inside UK source telling us that development for Heavenly Sword 2 has been cancelled.  The source stated that the game is just no longer commercially viable for Sony, so development, which had been going on for a few months now, was axed.

Even though the first Heavenly Sword sold abysmally (although that was probably due to the tiny PS3 user base when the game first came out), I’m still surprised that Sony would decide to can development for the second.  In my opinion, they should have kept developing so they could make the second game better and turn Heavenly Sword into a real franchise.  But since when do major corporations do what I think they should do?

On a side note, Ninja Theory, makers of the first Heavenly Sword (but they had stated that they weren’t working on the sequel), seem to be getting more and more bitter with the way Sony is treating them.  So bitter, in fact, that they are apparently moving their studio, which had offices in Sony Cambridge, to another location.

It looks like all is not well for the European branch of Sony.

[via Kotaku]

The same source that gave us previous Xbox 360 rumors of “Avatars”, Forza 3, and Lips has dropped some more bombs that are less related to Microsoft.

Call of Duty 5 Box Arts

That same independent survey that provided us with so much information earlier has now given us images of the potential Call of Duty 5 (which will likely have the subtitle: World at War) box arts.  Like Call of Duty 4, Activision has once again given the duty of selecting the final box art to the community.  My personal favorite is the one on the bottom left.

Guitar Hero IV Information

Once again according to the survey, Guitar Hero IV (still searching for a subtitle) will end up costing $179.99 for the bundle containing all of the instruments in the game.  Apparently, there will be touch sensitive buttons running down the neck of the new guitar, which will be wireless.  Also wireless are the new drums with raised cymbals and the new microphone.  And there will be plenty of artists, with the survey listing Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Foo Fighters, Smashing Pumpkins, and more.  So get ready for a new heap of useless plastic instruments in your garage later this year.

“Trioxide”

This is probably the most interesting leak of the night, which also makes it the least likely to happen.  On the site with the same survey mentioned above, something called “Trioxide” keeps popping up.  It claims to have “the ability to play the latest console games on your PC”.  Now there is no information how “Trioxide” can do this, if this is even legal, or what “Trioxide” even is.  But we do have two prices for the…thing; it will cost either $49 or $299.  The more expensive version is said to have a controller, which makes it seem like “Trioxide” is some kind of device, not just software.

Sources: Call of Duty 5 Box Arts, Guitar Hero IV Info, Trioxide

Xbox 360 Fanboy has had a pretty busy day and I’m sure they’re exhausted.  Uncovering an independent online survey that reveals tons of mostly Microsoft related information can really take it out of you.

But remember: although these leaks all look like they are from a legitimate source, so did the rumor that iPhone games are going to cost $25 (they aren’t).  Thus, I’m still tagging these as rumors.

Xbox 360 “Avatars”

As shown in the image above, Microsoft seems to be making their version of the Nintendo Mii’s, just as Sony is making characters for Home (if it ever comes out).  As the images says, these “avatars” will be taking the place of users gamer pictures, so Microsoft looks like they are going to be pushing this aspect hard.  It will be interesting to see if these avatars will have the simplicity of the Miis or the complexity of Sony’s avatars.  From the picture above, it looks like a mixture of both, so that’s fine.  It won’t be fine if I have to start paying 80 MS points for a new pair of shoes for my avatar.  Understand?

Forza 3 Information

Also thanks to this survey, we have a rumor about the contents of Forza 3.  According to the leak, Forza 3 will be overflowing with content, with 400 cars and 100 tracks.  In fact, there will be so much content that the game will have to ship on two separate discs.  If the survey is to be believed, the game was constrained by DVD sizes.  I wonder if future Xbox 360 games will have the same problem.  Also in the survey was that Forza 3 will have some sort of “assist system”, which I’m guessing will make the game more accessible, and car deformation.

Lips

Previously leaked at Microsoft Gamers Day 2008, the Xbox 360 seems to be getting a new title called Lips.  According to the aforementioned survey, Lips will be a singing game that will be Microsoft’s competitor to Sony’s Singstar franchise.  The game is rumored to be shipping with two microphones that have lights and limited motion controls and will have 30 songs built in.  That seems like a paltry number, until you hear that the game has the ability to import music from your iPod to sing along with.  And those of you cringing at the thought of a box with the words “Lips” on it, rest assured; it seems as though “Lips” is just a codename for the project.

Sources:“Avatars”, Forza 3, Lips,

The past few weeks have been very good to users who, like me, love demos.  Demos give me a chance to try out a game before I decide whether or not to buy (or rent) the title.  And in recent days, I’ve had a chance to check out the demos for Ninja Gaiden II, Dark Sector, Civilization Revolution, and Battlefield: Bad Company.

Instead of a full length review, I decided to shorten my experiences with each game into a short summary.  You know, because they are demos; it’s not at all because I’m lazy.

Ninja Gaiden II

The original Ninja Gaiden was known (and feared) for its complex combat system and brutally hard difficulty.  Fans of the series will be glad to know that Ninja Gaiden 2 continues that trend.  The combat is very gory as well, with dismembered limbs strewn across the ground.  And the graphics may not be as great as some other titles, but they are still very good.  My one gripe with the demo is the camera, which you have to babysit throughout the game.  Hopefully, the developers can patch that problem with the full release.

Dark Sector

People will always remember Dark Sector as the first next-gen game ever announced, way back in 2004 But the actual release of the game has come and gone almost unnoticed by most gamers.  Well, a couple months after the retail game shipped, the developers have finally put a demo of the game up on Xbox Live, probably hoping to generate some excitement for the game.  And while I fully support developers following this trend, the game just wasn’t my cup of tea.

The strange thing is that this game is very, very similar to Gears of War.  It has a third-person, over the shoulder camera and uses a one-button cover system, much like Gears.  The problem is that it just doesn’t do it as well as Gears did.  The character doesn’t stick to cover as well as Marcus Fenix did in Gears, and the shooting elements are pretty bland.  The seemingly coolest feature of the game, the bad ass boomerang blade that the character carries around, is fun for the first few times you use it, but gets old fast.  So all in all, an interesting concept (even if it was almost a direct rip off of Gears) gone awry.

Civilization Revolution

The Civilization series are strategy games that have always been synonymous with the PC.  However, 2K looks to change that as an Xbox Live version of the demo was made available last week.  Before you mark this game off as another PC strategy game getting a lazy port to the Xbox 360, check it out.  Because I have to say, this was my favorite demo of the four mentioned.

This game is a turn-based strategy game that involves making troops, gathering resources, researching technology, and attacking enemy civilizations.  If those things make you feel fuzzy inside, then this game is perfect for you because the graphics are decent and the UI is intuitive.  But if that isn’t the kind of game you like, you may not have as strong feelings for the demo as I had.

Battlefield: Bad Company

Battlefield is another long series that has had its roots in the PC market.  But, like Civilization, its looking to branch out into other areas of the gaming market.  The demo had both single player and multiplayer game modes and I tried both.

The single player mode was completely useless, in my opinion.  The cheesy dialogue given by your two squad mates (who are two grown men playing Rock, Paper, Scissors as the demo opens) is almost unbearable.  The developer should have spent the time wasted on the single player improving the multiplayer, because the multiplayer could also be better.  That said, it’s not as bad as the single player was, but it’s by no means great.  Especially since the Battlefield series has major competition in Frontlines: Fuel of War.  One very cool aspect of the game was the destructible environments.  Almost every object in a level could be blown to pieces.

So there you have it, four demo reviews.  Look for these to be posted more often, because I believe that if a game can’t capture you within an hour, it’s not meant to be played.  That rule does not apply to JRPG’s.

After much analyst speculation, NPD numbers have finally come out.  And yes, May continued the unprecedented growth that makes one wonder if the gaming industry is really recession proof. On to the numbers; we’ll start with the software figures:

1. Grand Theft Auto IV (Xbox 360) - 871,300
2. Mario Kart Wii (Wii) - 787,400
3. Wii Fit (Wii) - 687,700
4. Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3) - 442,900
5. Wii Play (Wii) - 294,600
6. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii) - 171,100
7. Iron Man (PS2) - 130,600
8. Guitar Hero III (Wii) - 116,800
9. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness (DS) - 107,000
10. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time (DS) - 102,000

So Grand Theft Auto IV kept its crown in spite of very strong competition from Mario Kart and Wii Fit.  But the interesting thing is the sales difference between the Xbox 360 and the PS3 version;  the Xbox 360 version outsold the PS3 nearly 2-to-1, which is almost in line with Microsoft’s Aaron Greenburg’s previously thought completely wrong predictions.  Other than that, the numbers are pretty much straightforward, as the Wii had a great month with titles Wii Play, Smash Bros, and Guitar Hero III also on the list.  Curiously, hyped up new titles Haze and Boom Blox were absent from the list.

Overall, software sales were almost in line with previous analyst predictions, bringing in $536.9 million, up 41% from last year.  On to the hardware numbers:

1. Wii - 675,100
2. Nintendo DS - 453,600
3. Playstation 3 - 208,700
4. Xbox 360 - 186,600
5. PSP - 182,300

Although the Wii didn’t sell as many units as last month, it still had a fantastic month.  And it turns out the analysts were wrong about their hardware numbers.  The PS3, expected to be 25,000 below the Xbox 360, actually beat it by 20,000.  But both consoles still didn’t meet the expectations driven by GTA IV, but we may see a bump this holiday season.

However, total hardware sales were $428.6 million up 34% from last year.

So software sales across all platforms were very, very good, but hardware sales were slightly lacking on the Xbox 360 and PS3, considering that GTA IV was supposed to drive hordes of consumers to stores to purchase consoles.  Maybe a price cut would fix that issue.  You hear me Microsoft?

With NPD numbers set to come out later this week, analysts are predicting what they will be.  After April’s outstanding figures, in which software sales alone were up 68% from April 2007, most analysts are predicting another double digit jump for May.

The various predictions range from a 30% gain to a 43% gain, which correlates to $495 to a $545 million in software sales.   A big seller for May, according to these analysts, will likely be Wii Fit.  Although it was somewhat supply constrained in the US, they are predicting sales of about 600,000.

On the hardware side, the Wii is expected to dominate the market with another 750,000 unit month.  On to less obvious news: the Xbox 360 is expected to pull out in front of the PS3 with 250,000 units, compared to the PS3’s 225,000.

Most analysts previously said that May was the month where GTA IV would impact console sales the strongest, but with these low predictions for Xbox 360 and PS3 sales, I think they were mistaken.  250,000 units is a respectable number but nowhere near what was expected of GTA IV’s influence.  That said, I think that we will probably see console sales due to GTA this holiday, because GTA IV will definitely have legs.

Keep in mind that these numbers are just predictions and could be totally wrong.  We’ll just have to wait and see later this week whether or not these analysts were correct.

[via Joystiq]

By the way, I hope you like the new site layout.

A problem plaguing many Xbox 360 gamers since the launch of the product, the Red Ring of Death, has never been given an exact explanation from Microsoft.  We know from non-Microsoft affiliated tech gurus that the RROD occurs when the graphics chip overheats but we’ve never been given a great explanation from Microsoft.  They’ve just told us it’s ” a Microsoft design issue”.  But what caused the design issue?

Well, a report on EETimes may give us a bit more information on the matter.  In the article, Gartner Research analyst Bryan Lewis said that “Microsoft wanted to avoid an ASIC vendor”.  ASIC vendors develop chips for specific applications (get more info here), but Microsoft wanted to save money, so they opted to make the graphics chips themselves. The decision was designed to save the company tens of millions of dollars up front, but it was a stupid move because it ended up costing them $1 billion in repairs.

The article also states that Microsoft has since redesigned the chip with an unnamed ASIC vendor, thought to be ATI.  That’s one thing that makes me question this source.  If the chip has been redesigned, why are we still getting so many Red Ring of Death problems?  Maybe there are just too many Xbox 360’s on the market with the old chip design.

But if this is the truth, expect the internet to light up soon in cries of “cheap bastards”.  And, for once, I’m in total agreement.  With pockets as deep as the Marina Trench, why did Microsoft have to cut corners to save a few million dollars, which is pocket change to them?  And it ended up costing them much, much more than that.  Not only did they have to pay over $1 billion in Red Ring of Death repairs, but their reputation with some fans was also destroyed irrepairably.  Tsk, tsk.

Standing strong since February, Take-Two is still saying that EA’s $2 billion buyout bid undervalues the company.  But Take-Two knows that if EA ups their price even $1 or $2 a share, Take-Two will be forced to yield to the behemoth that is EA.  Of course, Take-Two could just take their money and go quietly, but Forbes reports that they may take a different route.  A more “kick EA in the balls” route.

The only way Take-Two can resist being bought by EA is by making their company so big that EA can’t buy them.  And the way to do that would be to partner with another company.  The two game companies that come to mind are Activision and Ubisoft.  Since Activision Blizzard is busy with their own merger, I doubt it will come that way.  So that leaves Ubisoft.

Ubisoft is the fifth biggest publisher in the world, but their $1.2 billion acquisition budget would not allow a full buyout of Take-Two.  So the two companies would likely form a partnership, rather than one totally buying out the other.  The two companies could greatly benefit each other as well; for example, Take-Two has sports games and Ubisoft has the Tom Clancy license.  And the combined company could be huge.  It would likely rival EA and Activision Blizzard as the biggest gaming companies in the world.

However, EA owns at least 17% of Ubisoft’s stock, which gives them part control of the company.  That could lead to a sticky merger situation.  One thing is for sure though, if Take-Two doesn’t make this deal, an EA flag will be flying over their headquarters soon.

[via Forbes]

I was sifting through Xbox Focus when I found this Halo 3 Forge video.  Sure it may be pretty weird, but it’s also funny as hell.  So watch it, enjoy it.  Turn down the volume though, the music is slightly annoying.

Since almost every other gaming blog is talking about the recently showed iPhone games (Super Monkey Ball being one of them), I decided to report some news you may not have heard.  Like the fact that some major Call of Duty 5 (dubbed Call of Duty: World at War) information has been revealed.  Unfortunately, it’s been mostly forgotten under heaps of WWDC news.

A UK gaming magazine called gamesTM has revealed the first details of Call of Duty: World at War.  According to the magazine, Call of Duty 5 will (unfortunately) be set in the Pacific theater of World War II and will be developed by Treyarch, who made Call of Duty 3.

Also revealed are the systems Call of Duty: World at War is releasing on: the PC, PS3, Xbox 360, and the Wii; a separate team within Treyarch is developing the Wii version.  All versions will be running on the Call of Duty 4 engine.  That’s right, Treyarch managed to get the Call of Duty 4 engine up and running on the Wii so, hopefully, the Wii version will look very good.

The magazine also stated that their would be co-op in the game, something new to the Call of Duty series, and that the multiplayer will involve vehicle and squad based elements.

The story, the magazine says, will be “as gritty as any game out there”.  For example, here is how one of the levels plays out:

The opening scene of the first level we are shown is a Japanese commander stubbing a cigarette out in the eye of a prisoner before slitting his throat - the blood splatters and dribbles down the side of the tent you are being held in. He turns towards you to deal out the same treatment but help arrives just in time. Cue a daring level-long escape.

It could be gut-wrenching, but it also has the possibility of being disastrously cheesy.  Sorry for being the pessimist, but after Call of Duty 3, I’m approaching anything with Treyarch’s name on it with caution.

[via videogaming247]

According to a CruchGear tip, Microsoft will be announcing their long rumored Blu-ray capable Xbox 360 tomorrow at 9 AM PDT.  The rumor stated that these Xbox 360’s will ship before holiday season and that they are rumored to cost less than the Elite SKU.  The tipster stated:

I’m told MS will upstage Apple with a Monday 9am PDT announcement (1 hour before WWDC) via press release that the Xbox 360 will get Blu-Ray before Christmas.  Price was “under the current Elite”, but i could get any more details.

First of all, does Microsoft really think that an announcement of a Blu-ray capable Xbox 360 will really upstage Apple at WWDC?  With so much hype revolving around WWDC, I don’t think Microsoft has a chance.

This rumor is interesting because the tipster said that the price of the Xbox 360 would be “under the current Elite”.  Not only does that give us the information that the price of the SKU will be under $450, but the phrase “current Elite” gives me the impression that we may see a price drop soon.  There is the possibility that I’m crazy though.

But don’t get too excited yet, fanboys; this rumor comes from only one, anonymous tipster, so tread lightly.  Especially since what happened the last time Microsoft was rumored to be revealing a new Xbox product.

[Update: Robbie Bach has officially said that the Blu-ray capable Xbox 360 is false.  Apparently this tipster really wanted to give Microsoft some attention when, at the moment, Apple is getting a lot of attention.  Someone's a fanboy...]

Remember that game Bioshock?  You know, that little game that’s turning into a movie and being ported to the PS3?  Well Take-Two chairman Strauss Zelnick gave us a little more “Bioshock branching out” themed news.

When asked a question about the Bioshock movie and its potential release date he definitely teased us about a potential Bioshock 3.  He said, “”It’s unlikely that the picture would be released to coincide with Bioshock 2.  It would be more likely that it would be released coincidentally with Bioshock 3.  That also remains to be seen.”

Since the first game sold over 2 million copies, it was unsurprising when Take-Two announced a sequel.  But a third one?  It sounds as though Take-Two is already planning to make Bioshock a trilogy based on the first game’s sales.  Franchise confirmed.

Although the exact dates for everything have yet to be hammered out, Zelnick said that we can expect Bioshock 2 in the fourth quarter (August-October) of 2009.  Since development is being handed from Irrational Games to 2K Marin, I wonder if this will be enough time to make a proper sequel for the beautiful and expansive original Bioshock?

And if all the rumblings of Bioshock 2 being a prequel are true, what does that make Bioshock 3?  A pre-prequel?

[via Gamespot]

I, like most gamers, can’t stand cell phone gaming.  If I want to play three year old games on a two inch screen, I’ll check them out.  However, don’t completely write off iPhone gaming as a branch of cell phone games garbage.  iPhone gaming (and iPod Touch gaming, for that matter) looks like it will be very promising on the device’s gorgeous, touch-sensitive screen.  And with games like Spore attaching themselves to the system, the device has promising potential.

So iPhone games may differentiate fully from old mobile games, but what will be the difference in the pricing of the two formats?  Cell phone games, as of now, usually cost $5-$10 a pop.  According to LemonQuest, who are developing an iPhone game themselves, Apple expects prices for these games to be around $25 a piece.

$25 a game seems a bit pricey to me, but if these games break out of the “mobile games” mold and are the equivalent of at least a DS game (a good DS game, that is), then $25 seems like a fair price to me.  But there’s no way I’m paying that much for Tetris.

Note that on Apple’s own developer page, they state that Apple lets developers set the prices for the games, so long as they get a 30% cut.  So this statement is totally unconfirmed.  Expect more news about the pricing of iPhone games and more information in general about them at Apple’s WWDC (World Wide Developers Conference) show next week.

[via Pocketgamer.biz]