Wow, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: the Crystal Beares (what a mouthful) looks awesome. I agree with Steel about Alan Wake and Mario and Luigi 3 is pure sex!
Foolz said:
We seriously need to have an all steel, gg and Leo podcast.
Ha good old Mark Coleman. Check out his reaction after he lost to Fedor. Pay special attention to the guy in fron of him. Always a calm guy that Coleman!
Bash Party specifically features 400 new levels set to new backdrops including underwater and outer space, both of which come to life with freshly added zero-gravity-based physics allowing objects to float after they are dislodged. There are new blox types such as the virus and conveyor as well as new shapes like the cylinder and wedge. And in addition to the play mechanics of the original, which allowed for throwing and grabbing, players will in Bash Party be able to sling and launch projectiles or, as EA puts it, "blow the competition away with the new cannon, paint ball and slingshot tools." The developer also promises an assortment of new blox characters that can be thrown about and intermixed into the puzzles.
We always say that zero-gravity makes everything better. Now, Boom Blox reaps the benefit.
"In Boom Blox Bash Party we are taking the game elements to the extreme," said Amir Rahimi, senior producer. "In the original Boom Blox, we really focused on perfecting the game's physics so now we can push the boundaries of physics, offering exciting new challenges and completely new ways to play."
One such new way is the title's additional team-based multiplayer mode in which sets of players can face off against each other in blox-ridden showdowns.
Perhaps the most exciting component to the sequel -- other than the zero-gravity physics, of course, which we can't wait to try out for ourselves -- is the significantly enhanced WiiConnect24 option. Bash Party enables players to much more intuitively edit stages, handing them access "... to the same tool set the EA development team used to create each and every level in the game," according to the studio. Then, as the company adds, "with the press of a button, players will be able to grab, play and rate new levels from EA as well as levels created by members of the Boom Blox Bash Party community." Bashers will be able to directly share levels with EA or with friends.
Wow, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: the Crystal Beares (what a mouthful) looks awesome. I agree with Steel about Alan Wake and Mario and Luigi 3 is pure sex!
Foolz said:
We seriously need to have an all steel, gg and Leo podcast.
Ha good old Mark Coleman. Check out his reaction after he lost to Fedor. Pay special attention to the guy in fron of him. Always a calm guy that Coleman!
Bah, it sold half the amount of Mario Tennis. But I hear they only put out a limited number of copies. It sold through 45% on its first day. My opinion of the game has changed somewhat about the game from watching the videos. The enviroments are so empty it almost looks like Endless Ocean the RPG. Wandering about just looking at stuff. The torch movement isn't quite smooth enough, or is it the players fault? And the combat looks a little weak. I love the visuals and music and atmosphere though. It got a decent Famitsu review, mostly 8s I think but not stunning.
According to the research firm, Xbox 360 exclusive Nuts & Bolts, which released on November 11 in the US, had sold just 140,000 copies by the end of the year.
According to the research firm, Xbox 360 exclusive Nuts & Bolts, which released on November 11 in the US, had sold just 140,000 copies by the end of the year.
Rare should've stayed with Nintendo.
Given the state of proper 3rd party efforts, stuff like Nuts and Bolts might have stood out on Wii especially if Rare pushed the system like they pushed the 64 and cube. Anyhow I posted the Killzone 2 reviews, looks like Guerilla finally made it good.
"Taken as a whole, Killzone 2 doesn't initially seem to offer enough to justify the superlatives that have been dutifully set aside by the PS3 faithful. Despite the often-stunning graphics, it's often derivative of other titles and doesn't - on the surface - seem to have much that distinguishes it from the herd.
It's deceptive though. This is a methodical shooter that makes few concessions to those not already interested in its single-minded approach to cover-based military action. I've compared it to Rainbow Six in the past, but it also calls to mind F.E.A.R, another tough tactical effort that was often misunderstood by those expecting a frag-happy spook hunt. Killzone 2 is a taut and muscular game, a shooter that gives back more than you put in, provided you have the intestinal fortitude. It may take its time revealing its true depths and pleasures, but the journey is well worth taking. Between Killzone 2's unforgiving grit and Resistance 2's alien-bursting excess, the PS3 finally has both ends of the shooter spectrum covered in grand style."
IGN
"Killzone 2 is only a short month away from hitting shelves, but the game will definitely be worth the wait. The single-player experience is a truly enjoyable campaign across the Helghast home world that will test your skills, particularly on the higher difficulty levels, and the game simply looks phenomenal for a console shooter. But perhaps the strongest segment of the game is the extremely deep multiplayer, which gives seven basic classes with which you can create your own customized super-soldier after performing your class-specific duties. Not only did Guerrilla achieve a milestone of delivering a great exclusive title for Sony's PS3, it delivered one of the better shooters to come along in a long time. Get your hands on this game"
Just watched the trailer for Disney Dance Dance revolution. That shit's going to sell a million.
*adds Killzone2 to wishlist. Didn't think much of the first one. Actually, take that back. The first one sucked hard.
In other news, don't get me wrong, I own Boom Blox, am dying to try it, read the reviews for it and I get what it is about but a sequel? Didn't it sell 12,000 copies?
And Rare -- if they had stayed with Nintendo nothing would be different except the Stamper Bros would be $350 million dollars poorer and still having to go to work each day.
And sorry if I'm late to the party it's b4 6 in the morning here, so this is the time I'll be turning up each day.
"Sony also saw a 97 per cent decrease in operating income to JPY 0.4 billion (USD 4 million). The company blamed the appreciation of the yen against the euro, along with the decline in hardware and software sales."
I hope they are talking about SCE and not Sony. 4 mill of OI for a company like Sony = Death. For a division like SCE that's not horrible, but it's pretty grim.
*adds Killzone2 to wishlist. Didn't think much of the first one. Actually, take that back. The first one sucked hard.
In other news, don't get me wrong, I own Boom Blox, am dying to try it, read the reviews for it and I get what it is about but a sequel? Didn't it sell 12,000 copies?
And Rare -- if they had stayed with Nintendo nothing would be different except the Stamper Bros would be $350 million dollars poorer and still having to go to work each day.
And sorry if I'm late to the party it's b4 6 in the morning here, so this is the time I'll be turning up each day.
Killzone 2 sounds good, but I get the impression it might be too demanding to be widely appreciated by people who like to be overpowered in FPS and blow everyone away. It sounds more like you have to tactily use cover to "survive" levels as the previews say.
Boom Blox is at 740'000 at the moment (roughly) and EA said that they were happy with the sales, if they didn't announce the sequel so soon it might have hit a million. You have to note that Wii games with budgets smaller than say, well just compare the budget for this game vs Fallout 3 or whatever. You can sell less to be a sucess. This is getting weird though, the game is out in Spring this year and has just been announced? Same for the Indiana Jones Wii game? I'm not sure I like this new policy of snap announcing games for this system. It doesn't give me time to get a handle on a title and watch its development.
I think if Rare had stayed with Nintendo their games probably would have been a better fit with the wii audience, Nintendo might have stayed more relevant with core gamers with a 2nd party producing proper games to supplement Nintendo's own. But then 3rd parties would have bitched because only Rare and Nintendo games would have sold - N64 all over again.
But you know, on Wii Rare's games would have it easier when most 3rd parties are producing trash for the most part. They wouldn't have been weighed -purchase wise- against Fallout 3, Gears of War 2 etc. And with hardware that they were already familiar with (GC tech) they could probably have had a much faster output.
As we previously reported, after Boom Blox sold only 60,000 units in its first month, Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello remained confident that the game had met sales expectations and would only continue to sell. And wouldn't you know it, he may have been right -- according to a recent EA investor conference call (via shacknews), Boom Blox has sold over 450,000 copies since it launched last May.
EA CFO Eric Brown reiterated Riccitiello's claim that the title continues to meet the publisher's expectations. Given Boom Blox's irregular sales figures, we'd love to know if this is typical PR spin or if they really did anticipate industry-defying lasting ability. Regardless, it seems as though their refocusing of efforts may be starting to pay off.
VGChartz has it at 740'000 now.
aspro73 said:
"Sony also saw a 97 per cent decrease in operating income to JPY 0.4 billion (USD 4 million). The company blamed the appreciation of the yen against the euro, along with the decline in hardware and software sales."
I hope they are talking about SCE and not Sony. 4 mill of OI for a company like Sony = Death. For a division like SCE that's not horrible, but it's pretty grim.
I can't tell. This is Gamasutra's article
Sony's game division saw a year-on-year sales decrease of 32.2 percent for the quarter ending December 31st, down from ¥581.2 billion ($6.43bn) in 2007 to ¥393.8 billion ($4.36bn), due to the strong yen and a decline in all of its video game unit sales.
Though the company primarily blamed its year-on-year 97 percent drop in operating income to ¥400 million (4.42 million) on unfavorable exchange rates against the U.S. dollar and Euro -- a similar challenge also snagged Nintendo -- it also acknowledged a decrease in worldwide hardware unit sales.
PlayStation 3 sales fell 440,000 units to 4.46 million systems sold during the quarter. The company's PlayStation Portable moved 680,000 fewer units year-over-year, and only sold 5.08 million during the October-December period. PlayStation 2 likewise saw its hardware numbers decrease by over 53 percent year-on-year, dropping by 2.88 million to only 2.52 million units sold.
Though worldwide software unit sales were up for the PlayStation 3 by 14.8 million units to 40.8 million sold during the quarter, negative numbers for the other two platforms brought overall software unit sales down.
The PlayStation 2 saw its software unit sales dramatically decreasing 51 percent compared to the same three-month period in the previous year, down by 31.2 million units to 29.7 million. The PlayStation Portable also suffered a decrease of 2.8 million units to 15.5 million.
Following losses in Sony's Game division and a planned restructuring for the overall company that will see 16,000 employees laid off in an effort to save $2.9 billion, it remains unclear whether the company will cut its PlayStation staff -- though widespread reports have suggested significant reductions there are unlikely.
"As long as we plan prudently, I think we will be fine," said SCE Europe president David Reeves in December. "We have a good business model. People will continue to buy the hardware, continue to buy the software. I'm convinced of it."
But you know, on Wii Rare's games would have it easier when most 3rd parties are producing trash for the most part. They wouldn't have been weighed -purchase wise- against Fallout 3, Gears of War 2 etc. And with hardware that they were already familiar with (GC tech) they could probably have had a much faster output.
Okay, I buy that. I think rare did lose a lot of focus after their aquisition, and they seemed to loose a lot of time in getting used to the XB. I mean, they spent 4 years or so practicing with the Conker re-release.
I had no idea Boom Blox did that well, but yeah, it is off-putting that they are "rushing" it out, if they are and also Indy LEGO. Maybe they are just trying to get the games out they can before the wheels fall off the economy completely.
But you know, on Wii Rare's games would have it easier when most 3rd parties are producing trash for the most part. They wouldn't have been weighed -purchase wise- against Fallout 3, Gears of War 2 etc. And with hardware that they were already familiar with (GC tech) they could probably have had a much faster output.
Okay, I buy that. I think rare did lose a lot of focus after their aquisition, and they seemed to loose a lot of time in getting used to the XB. I mean, they spent 4 years or so practicing with the Conker re-release.
I had no idea Boom Blox did that well, but yeah, it is off-putting that they are "rushing" it out, if they are and also Indy LEGO. Maybe they are just trying to get the games out they can before the wheels fall off the economy completely.
It's not that EA are rushing Boom Blox 2 out. The first came out in May last year so it will be a full year and the game is very stage based and, well you can see from the level creator that you can do a lot of design in a short amount of time. It's just that I disapprove of yearly sequels and I personally want a longer spell between games, otherwise I just feel like I'm not over the first game. Boom Blox 1 has 300 + stages and I recentely found a cheat before Christmas to unlock them all. I'm nowhere near ready for another one. It's just that they announce the game and it's out in a couple of months? When did this start happening in the games industry?
The Indiana Jones game isn't a LEGO one, it's the staff of kings game that was shown in 2006, only now it's on Wii and DS and a Playstation platform (either PS2 or P). And was announced/leaked last Sunday. TRAILER here (click the watch in higher quality option). Our best guess is that the "next gen" version has been cancelled.
Overnight, Electronic Arts announced a sequel to last year's surprise critical hit Boom Blox, which you may recall was inspired by an idea from film director Steven Spielberg. The initial press release cited features like more locations/challenges/characters, but perhaps the most interesting addition from a design perspective is that players will be able to upload and download levels online. We emailed a few questions to senior producer Amir Rahimi to get more details on how it works.
1UP: Can you elaborate on how level sharing works online? Will EA approve each level? What will be the process from creating a level to seeing it appear online?
AR: Once a user has created a new level, they can submit it to EA. EA will review submitted levels, filter out any inappropriate content, and make a selection of them available to the community. This process does not apply to the Wii Friends feature. Users will have unfiltered access to any level created by anyone on their Wii Friends list. Users can also search for and rate the levels that are made available.
Additionally, EA will periodically provide additional levels that have been created by the development team available for download. These new levels will consist of brand new content that builds on the many great game modes offered in Boom Blox Bash Party as well as classic levels from the original Boom Blox.
1UP: How would you compare the level sharing system to the one in Little Big Planet?
AR: Our focus when building the level sharing system for Boom Blox Bash Party was to make it as easy as possible to gain access to post-launch content generated by EA and by users. For example, when a player enters a multiplayer mode, they can either play the levels that are on the disc, or with a single click, they can connect to the level sharing system and gain access to every level of the same game mode that is available online. They can then save these levels to play later, remix, and upload. Also, players will have the ability to do text searches, allowing them to search for very specific levels or game modes.
1UP: Will there be any costs involved with downloading EA-created or user-created levels?
AR: The only costs the user will incur are their own Internet costs. There will not be an additional charge from EA to download levels.
Dean Scott: We've been working on the Nintendo games since late 2007. And anyway, there's no 'save as Nintendo Wii' command on our magic game-making machine.
VideoGamer.com: The Wii seems like a great console for a game like Overlord. How has Dark Legend been designed to make the most of the Wii's control options?
DS: The pointer gives you a more tangible connection with the game world. It's the physicality and intuitiveness of Wii games that really draws people in, so you have to make that the starting point. So the player moves an on-screen pointer to command the minions: sweeping them around to break things and pointing directly at things they want to attack and interact with. Because you can aim anywhere, we give the player FPS-style control over where they're shooting off magic attacks and the like. Because of this connection, the player feels more like they *are* the Overlord. It really draws them into the experience.
Then we've got the throttle feature. The Overlord can snatch a minion up by its throat, and shake it around by waggling the Wii Remote. That charges the minion up and they start giggling maniacally, before you drop them down and they run off at an enemy and explode. Sort of a heat-seeking, suicide bomber with sharp teeth and bad breath. It's great fun. It'll bring people together, through a minion being blown apart.
DS: Overlord Dark Legend looks amazing. When people see this game in motion, they are going to be seriously impressed. It sounds like such a lame cliché to say "it looks like the 360 version", but that's true. Not exactly, but it's closer than we ever imagined possible on the platform. Quote me, and hold me up to internet ridicule if that's not the case. Of course we've made some changes to get that level of fidelity on the Wii, but the guys at Climax have been very clever with it. In terms of looks, it blows away just about everything else I've seen on Wii.
I'm not going to share the secrets of how we made that possible, the Climax art ninjas will take that to their graves. Or they might swap it for the recipes for KFC and Coke. Seasoned Overlord gamers won't get the feeling that there's something missing when they play this, and that's the important thing.
"At least one big industry name has questioned whether developer Rare's skillsets are still applicable in today's market"
Rare's skills are fine. If Rare's skills aren't "applicable" then Nintendo's shouldn't be either, as they basically make the same style of games.
Rare's problem as I've said time and again, is the audience they're making games for. They got bought by the COMPLETE wrong company for the style of games they make. I have no doubt in my mind that if they were making the same games on either PS3 or Wii, their sales would triple. Why? Because Nintendo and Sony's audience actually like console-style, family-friendly platformers and quirky games like Viva Pinata. Microsoft's doesn't.
Instead, they're trying to sell these games to people who basically just want PC shooters and WRPG's on a console. Trying to sell Banjo to the Xbox crowd is like trying to sell the new 50 cent CD at a Slayer show.
When they got bought by MS, they left their fanbase behind. I feel sorry for them, as until they get away from MS they games are doomed to fail no matter what.
I don't get why people think Rare is with the "wrong" company or are developing games for the "wrong" audience. A goal of any hardware manufacturer is to have your system a prospect for as wide of an audience as possible. Microsoft needs developers like Rare to attract different consumers. There's getting to be a pretty decent selection of games like Nuts and Bolts that should start making the 360 more attractive to these types of consumers but they do need to bring out a few more and keep them coming. The recent price cut should start to bring in more of this crowd as well. I'm very glad Rare is with MS because Nuts and Bolts is not only just a great game in general and lot's of fun it looks freakin' marvelous as well.
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Okay just went through all the news.
Wow, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: the Crystal Beares (what a mouthful) looks awesome. I agree with Steel about Alan Wake and Mario and Luigi 3 is pure sex!
Ha good old Mark Coleman. Check out his reaction after he lost to Fedor. Pay special attention to the guy in fron of him. Always a calm guy that Coleman!Bash Party specifically features 400 new levels set to new backdrops including underwater and outer space, both of which come to life with freshly added zero-gravity-based physics allowing objects to float after they are dislodged. There are new blox types such as the virus and conveyor as well as new shapes like the cylinder and wedge. And in addition to the play mechanics of the original, which allowed for throwing and grabbing, players will in Bash Party be able to sling and launch projectiles or, as EA puts it, "blow the competition away with the new cannon, paint ball and slingshot tools." The developer also promises an assortment of new blox characters that can be thrown about and intermixed into the puzzles.
One such new way is the title's additional team-based multiplayer mode in which sets of players can face off against each other in blox-ridden showdowns.
Perhaps the most exciting component to the sequel -- other than the zero-gravity physics, of course, which we can't wait to try out for ourselves -- is the significantly enhanced WiiConnect24 option. Bash Party enables players to much more intuitively edit stages, handing them access "... to the same tool set the EA development team used to create each and every level in the game," according to the studio. Then, as the company adds, "with the press of a button, players will be able to grab, play and rate new levels from EA as well as levels created by members of the Boom Blox Bash Party community." Bashers will be able to directly share levels with EA or with friends.
---
Tell me to get back to rewriting this site so it's not horrible on mobileHow did he do that?
EDIT: WTF he did it again
---
Tell me to get back to rewriting this site so it's not horrible on mobileBah, it sold half the amount of Mario Tennis. But I hear they only put out a limited number of copies. It sold through 45% on its first day. My opinion of the game has changed somewhat about the game from watching the videos. The enviroments are so empty it almost looks like Endless Ocean the RPG. Wandering about just looking at stuff. The torch movement isn't quite smooth enough, or is it the players fault? And the combat looks a little weak. I love the visuals and music and atmosphere though. It got a decent Famitsu review, mostly 8s I think but not stunning.
Rare should've stayed with Nintendo.
Given the state of proper 3rd party efforts, stuff like Nuts and Bolts might have stood out on Wii especially if Rare pushed the system like they pushed the 64 and cube. Anyhow I posted the Killzone 2 reviews, looks like Guerilla finally made it good.
Killzone 2 reviews
Eurogamer
"Taken as a whole, Killzone 2 doesn't initially seem to offer enough to justify the superlatives that have been dutifully set aside by the PS3 faithful. Despite the often-stunning graphics, it's often derivative of other titles and doesn't - on the surface - seem to have much that distinguishes it from the herd.
It's deceptive though. This is a methodical shooter that makes few concessions to those not already interested in its single-minded approach to cover-based military action. I've compared it to Rainbow Six in the past, but it also calls to mind F.E.A.R, another tough tactical effort that was often misunderstood by those expecting a frag-happy spook hunt. Killzone 2 is a taut and muscular game, a shooter that gives back more than you put in, provided you have the intestinal fortitude. It may take its time revealing its true depths and pleasures, but the journey is well worth taking. Between Killzone 2's unforgiving grit and Resistance 2's alien-bursting excess, the PS3 finally has both ends of the shooter spectrum covered in grand style."
IGN
"Killzone 2 is only a short month away from hitting shelves, but the game will definitely be worth the wait. The single-player experience is a truly enjoyable campaign across the Helghast home world that will test your skills, particularly on the higher difficulty levels, and the game simply looks phenomenal for a console shooter. But perhaps the strongest segment of the game is the extremely deep multiplayer, which gives seven basic classes with which you can create your own customized super-soldier after performing your class-specific duties. Not only did Guerrilla achieve a milestone of delivering a great exclusive title for Sony's PS3, it delivered one of the better shooters to come along in a long time. Get your hands on this game"
Killzone 2 sounds good, but I get the impression it might be too demanding to be widely appreciated by people who like to be overpowered in FPS and blow everyone away. It sounds more like you have to tactily use cover to "survive" levels as the previews say.
Boom Blox is at 740'000 at the moment (roughly) and EA said that they were happy with the sales, if they didn't announce the sequel so soon it might have hit a million. You have to note that Wii games with budgets smaller than say, well just compare the budget for this game vs Fallout 3 or whatever. You can sell less to be a sucess. This is getting weird though, the game is out in Spring this year and has just been announced? Same for the Indiana Jones Wii game? I'm not sure I like this new policy of snap announcing games for this system. It doesn't give me time to get a handle on a title and watch its development.
I think if Rare had stayed with Nintendo their games probably would have been a better fit with the wii audience, Nintendo might have stayed more relevant with core gamers with a 2nd party producing proper games to supplement Nintendo's own. But then 3rd parties would have bitched because only Rare and Nintendo games would have sold - N64 all over again.
But you know, on Wii Rare's games would have it easier when most 3rd parties are producing trash for the most part. They wouldn't have been weighed -purchase wise- against Fallout 3, Gears of War 2 etc. And with hardware that they were already familiar with (GC tech) they could probably have had a much faster output.
This story is from the 30 July 2008
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3169056
As we previously reported, after Boom Blox sold only 60,000 units in its first month, Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello remained confident that the game had met sales expectations and would only continue to sell. And wouldn't you know it, he may have been right -- according to a recent EA investor conference call (via shacknews), Boom Blox has sold over 450,000 copies since it launched last May.
EA CFO Eric Brown reiterated Riccitiello's claim that the title continues to meet the publisher's expectations. Given Boom Blox's irregular sales figures, we'd love to know if this is typical PR spin or if they really did anticipate industry-defying lasting ability. Regardless, it seems as though their refocusing of efforts may be starting to pay off.
VGChartz has it at 740'000 now.
I can't tell. This is Gamasutra's article
Sony's game division saw a year-on-year sales decrease of 32.2 percent for the quarter ending December 31st, down from ¥581.2 billion ($6.43bn) in 2007 to ¥393.8 billion ($4.36bn), due to the strong yen and a decline in all of its video game unit sales.
Though the company primarily blamed its year-on-year 97 percent drop in operating income to ¥400 million (4.42 million) on unfavorable exchange rates against the U.S. dollar and Euro -- a similar challenge also snagged Nintendo -- it also acknowledged a decrease in worldwide hardware unit sales.
PlayStation 3 sales fell 440,000 units to 4.46 million systems sold during the quarter. The company's PlayStation Portable moved 680,000 fewer units year-over-year, and only sold 5.08 million during the October-December period. PlayStation 2 likewise saw its hardware numbers decrease by over 53 percent year-on-year, dropping by 2.88 million to only 2.52 million units sold.
Though worldwide software unit sales were up for the PlayStation 3 by 14.8 million units to 40.8 million sold during the quarter, negative numbers for the other two platforms brought overall software unit sales down.
The PlayStation 2 saw its software unit sales dramatically decreasing 51 percent compared to the same three-month period in the previous year, down by 31.2 million units to 29.7 million. The PlayStation Portable also suffered a decrease of 2.8 million units to 15.5 million.
Following losses in Sony's Game division and a planned restructuring for the overall company that will see 16,000 employees laid off in an effort to save $2.9 billion, it remains unclear whether the company will cut its PlayStation staff -- though widespread reports have suggested significant reductions there are unlikely.
"As long as we plan prudently, I think we will be fine," said SCE Europe president David Reeves in December. "We have a good business model. People will continue to buy the hardware, continue to buy the software. I'm convinced of it."
Okay, I buy that. I think rare did lose a lot of focus after their aquisition, and they seemed to loose a lot of time in getting used to the XB. I mean, they spent 4 years or so practicing with the Conker re-release.
I had no idea Boom Blox did that well, but yeah, it is off-putting that they are "rushing" it out, if they are and also Indy LEGO. Maybe they are just trying to get the games out they can before the wheels fall off the economy completely.
Here's hoping. I can't wait to give it a shot...
It's not that EA are rushing Boom Blox 2 out. The first came out in May last year so it will be a full year and the game is very stage based and, well you can see from the level creator that you can do a lot of design in a short amount of time. It's just that I disapprove of yearly sequels and I personally want a longer spell between games, otherwise I just feel like I'm not over the first game. Boom Blox 1 has 300 + stages and I recentely found a cheat before Christmas to unlock them all. I'm nowhere near ready for another one. It's just that they announce the game and it's out in a couple of months? When did this start happening in the games industry?
The Indiana Jones game isn't a LEGO one, it's the staff of kings game that was shown in 2006, only now it's on Wii and DS and a Playstation platform (either PS2 or P). And was announced/leaked last Sunday. TRAILER here (click the watch in higher quality option). Our best guess is that the "next gen" version has been cancelled.
1up:
Overnight, Electronic Arts announced a sequel to last year's surprise critical hit Boom Blox, which you may recall was inspired by an idea from film director Steven Spielberg. The initial press release cited features like more locations/challenges/characters, but perhaps the most interesting addition from a design perspective is that players will be able to upload and download levels online. We emailed a few questions to senior producer Amir Rahimi to get more details on how it works.
1UP: Can you elaborate on how level sharing works online? Will EA approve each level? What will be the process from creating a level to seeing it appear online?
AR: Once a user has created a new level, they can submit it to EA. EA will review submitted levels, filter out any inappropriate content, and make a selection of them available to the community. This process does not apply to the Wii Friends feature. Users will have unfiltered access to any level created by anyone on their Wii Friends list. Users can also search for and rate the levels that are made available.
Additionally, EA will periodically provide additional levels that have been created by the development team available for download. These new levels will consist of brand new content that builds on the many great game modes offered in Boom Blox Bash Party as well as classic levels from the original Boom Blox.
1UP: How would you compare the level sharing system to the one in Little Big Planet?
AR: Our focus when building the level sharing system for Boom Blox Bash Party was to make it as easy as possible to gain access to post-launch content generated by EA and by users. For example, when a player enters a multiplayer mode, they can either play the levels that are on the disc, or with a single click, they can connect to the level sharing system and gain access to every level of the same game mode that is available online. They can then save these levels to play later, remix, and upload. Also, players will have the ability to do text searches, allowing them to search for very specific levels or game modes.
1UP: Will there be any costs involved with downloading EA-created or user-created levels?
AR: The only costs the user will incur are their own Internet costs. There will not be an additional charge from EA to download levels.
OVERLORD DARK LEGEND Wii
http://www.videogamer.com/wii/overlord_dark_legend/preview-1467.html
Dean Scott: We've been working on the Nintendo games since late 2007. And anyway, there's no 'save as Nintendo Wii' command on our magic game-making machine.
VideoGamer.com: The Wii seems like a great console for a game like Overlord. How has Dark Legend been designed to make the most of the Wii's control options?
DS: The pointer gives you a more tangible connection with the game world. It's the physicality and intuitiveness of Wii games that really draws people in, so you have to make that the starting point. So the player moves an on-screen pointer to command the minions: sweeping them around to break things and pointing directly at things they want to attack and interact with. Because you can aim anywhere, we give the player FPS-style control over where they're shooting off magic attacks and the like. Because of this connection, the player feels more like they *are* the Overlord. It really draws them into the experience.
Then we've got the throttle feature. The Overlord can snatch a minion up by its throat, and shake it around by waggling the Wii Remote. That charges the minion up and they start giggling maniacally, before you drop them down and they run off at an enemy and explode. Sort of a heat-seeking, suicide bomber with sharp teeth and bad breath. It's great fun. It'll bring people together, through a minion being blown apart.
DS: Overlord Dark Legend looks amazing. When people see this game in motion, they are going to be seriously impressed. It sounds like such a lame cliché to say "it looks like the 360 version", but that's true. Not exactly, but it's closer than we ever imagined possible on the platform. Quote me, and hold me up to internet ridicule if that's not the case. Of course we've made some changes to get that level of fidelity on the Wii, but the guys at Climax have been very clever with it. In terms of looks, it blows away just about everything else I've seen on Wii.
I'm not going to share the secrets of how we made that possible, the Climax art ninjas will take that to their graves. Or they might swap it for the recipes for KFC and Coke. Seasoned Overlord gamers won't get the feeling that there's something missing when they play this, and that's the important thing.
More at the link
I'm off to bed.
"At least one big industry name has questioned whether developer Rare's skillsets are still applicable in today's market"
Rare's skills are fine. If Rare's skills aren't "applicable" then Nintendo's shouldn't be either, as they basically make the same style of games.
Rare's problem as I've said time and again, is the audience they're making games for. They got bought by the COMPLETE wrong company for the style of games they make. I have no doubt in my mind that if they were making the same games on either PS3 or Wii, their sales would triple. Why? Because Nintendo and Sony's audience actually like console-style, family-friendly platformers and quirky games like Viva Pinata. Microsoft's doesn't.
Instead, they're trying to sell these games to people who basically just want PC shooters and WRPG's on a console. Trying to sell Banjo to the Xbox crowd is like trying to sell the new 50 cent CD at a Slayer show.
When they got bought by MS, they left their fanbase behind. I feel sorry for them, as until they get away from MS they games are doomed to fail no matter what.
I don't get why people think Rare is with the "wrong" company or are developing games for the "wrong" audience. A goal of any hardware manufacturer is to have your system a prospect for as wide of an audience as possible. Microsoft needs developers like Rare to attract different consumers. There's getting to be a pretty decent selection of games like Nuts and Bolts that should start making the 360 more attractive to these types of consumers but they do need to bring out a few more and keep them coming. The recent price cut should start to bring in more of this crowd as well. I'm very glad Rare is with MS because Nuts and Bolts is not only just a great game in general and lot's of fun it looks freakin' marvelous as well.
They're going nuts over the KZ2 review.