Once again, I know much of it is “old news” but since some folks have been asking my take on things, plus I also not everyone has the time to troll message boards and assorted new sites for hours a day…
- The big item from this week, something which I’m certain everyone has heard of by now, because everyone’s been talking about it, and rightly so, is how you and I will be able to make games for the Xbox 360.
Ever since the news first broke, people have been discussing and analyzing every new bit of info that’s been released (which now includes an official blog). I’m not completely up to speed on all that’s out there, but the basics is that all you need is a PC and to join a “creators club”, which allow access to tools to make the games, and the means to share and test games among each other. And there’s the chance that a particular game might be picked up for release for the general public via Xbox Live Arcade.
It goes without saying that this tremendous news to the independent developmental scene. Microsoft has been courting that scene for a while now with Live Arcade, but this is the ultimate red carpet. The tools will be released in spring in 2007, and who knows… maybe there’ll be a 360 version of Jizzmoppa this time next year?
- So there’s been a slew of rumors regarding a possible price cut for the PSP, enough to force Sony into making an official “NO” statement. Which basically means that it’ll definitely happen, more than likely during right before the holiday shopping season. It sorta has to… the DS is really trouncing them at the sales counter. Though I’m not too certain about those other rumors regarding a system redesign.
Many are wondering if the system is officially dead, and while I hardly think that’s the case… who knows, it might either stay the course, which isn’t horribly bad, or maybe get a slight upswing in popularity… as I’ve said before, the chances of it being “the next iPod” are officially dead.
Further cementing this sentiment were comments from EA last week in which they announced that “handheld priorities” were being shifted from the PSP to the DS. I just love this quote:
“There’s no doubt that EA has historically bet more on PSP… I think we were excited by the technology, but the consumers have proven that actually what they want is fun.”
So are they trying to say that “fun” is not possible on the PSP?
And this is yet another “nail in the coffin” are far as the gaming press is concerned for Sony, which has become a very popular whipping boy for them as of late (well it’s sorta been that way since E3, but now everyone’s out to tear them a new one it seems). Much like Nintendo, if you’re at the top for too long, people are just not gonna take it anymore.
- Speaking of, and I’m not too certain of the details regarding this one either, but I believe IGN recently accidentally leaked some confidential info that Nintendo asked for it to be pulled. So maybe I could get in trouble for repeating some of the stuff that was said, but since much of it has already been discussed elsewhere, and have been somewhat speculated/predicated/hoped for already… the Wii is supposedly coming out on November 12 and will retail for $229. But the interesting part is how there will be two colors available, black & white, and that IBM, the makers of the CPU, is working on a revised chip for a future Nintendo handheld, one that would play GameCube games. Which long-time readers is something I predicted would happen years ago. Though now with the DS being so big as it is, I wonder if a portable Cube is even necessary.
I’ve also heard that Super Paper Mario has been delayed in Japan, to December 30th, and it won’t be out in the US till the first quarter of 2007. Also, Phantom Hourglass, the new Zelda DS title has been delayed into the next year as well.
And according to a chat session with the senior vice president of marketing at NOA conducted by Nintendo Power’s Camp Hyrule, and which I read at the Gaming Age Forums, the Wii version of Twilight Princess will not support the Cube’s controller. Which means if you want to play it like a traditional Zelda game, then you’re going to have to get the GameCube version.
But on the brighter side of things, Harrison also made vague allusions to the possibilities that it won’t be just familiar favorites on the Virtual Console, so we might in face get stuff that was previously on in Japan; as time has passed, I’ve become more and more convinced that it really wasn’t going to happen and that we’d just be getting staple Nintendo games, and that’s it. Its still not preventing me from stocking up on old NES and Genesis games though…
- As also pointed out at NeoGAF: a few weeks ago, Tim Schafer, the brains behind Psychonauts, casually mentioned at the end of a recent news post that he’s working on a top secret Bettlejucie game?!
- So G4, the video game channel, which at this point spends more time playing Star Trek and the Man Show, recently did the impossible: they made Jack Thompson, everyone’s favorite stark-raving lunatic anti-violent video game advocate, look intelligent and sensible. Here he is in a “debate” in which he faces off against Adam Sessler, a G4TV “personality” who does the whole hyper gamer shtick, I guess to “talk for us” but comes off as a blathering idiot. Its not so much what Sessler said, it’s how he said it, and in the process came off as a major tool.
- Last week the director of the new Halo flick was announced, and its Neill Blomkamp. Who is he? A South African who’s been making sci-fi-ish short movies and commercials, and if his Alive in Joburg is any indication, Halo might have the potential to be one of the best video game to the big screen adaptations yet. The short is a bit lite on plot, but the atmosphere is pretty damn neat, and most importantly its actually watch-able, unlike all of Uwe Boll’s masterpieces.
- For whatever reason, there seems to be more and more discussion going around regarding shooters, or shumps, than usual. Which is totally awesome btw! Going back to the Gaming Forums, here’s a list of all the best shmups to play on the NES (which is actually pretty timely since I just got a top-loader NES and I’m thinking of stocking up on shmups since most emulators can’t run them properly, plus again, I sorta doubt that Zanac will be immediately available). Naturally, Recca is mentioned, but another game which I had no idea existed was listed: Konami World, which was described as “a Gradius crossover that mutated.” Does anyone know what that’s about?
- Meanwhile, someone at the Insert Credit forums pointed out something at the Gamestop forums: a DS tech demo that’s also a pretty awesome looking shump.
- And Xboxyde recently passed along some more images of the next-generation Silpheed for the Xbox 360, which is now called Project Slypheed…
- I’ve also heard rumors that Senko no Ronde has become almost impossible to find in Japan, even just a few short days after its release. And that really sucks… I almost thought about getting it yesterday instead of those bitGeneration games I picked up. But the last thing I need is to buy games for (yet another) system that I don’t own. Once again, G. Rev should have fucking released in on Dreamcast.
- And remember me going on and on about SEGAGAGA? Well it seems that there’s a fan-sub translation initiative is actually underway! And here’s the guy who’s heading it, along with a blog that will be providing updates…
- Speaking of Dreamcast, I want this watch
- Also courtesy of the IC forums, check out the Whores of Warcraft. Yeah, I don’t know why either.
- Here’s a commercial for Chousoujuu Mecha MG, the new DS game from Sandlot (the folks who did R.A.D.) which I believe I’ve posted about. And once again, its more giant robot action, and it looks good!
- If you got to Hong Kong, you’ll find a ton of pirated and rom hacked games all over the place. Often they’re games for one system that’s been translated, and poorly, for another. Usually its a game that ‘s for one system but re-made for a less powerful one, or staring a different company’s property (think Sonic on the NES). Well here’s one of the best ones I’ve personally ever seen: a very tight Super Mario World for the regular old Famicom/NES. Check out video 1 and video 2.
- On a similar note, the one thing I’ve been wanting to get more into is the “demo” scene. Its basically folks who hack video game hardware to make it do stuff that was never originally intended. For example, here’s a pretty nifty GBA demo by the “Shit Faced Clowns”; aside from the technical aspects, much of what I’ve seen oozes an underground/”leet” vibe, which is both cool and cornball at the same time. Think cable access… on a Game Boy Advance.
And if you’ve got a flash cart, or a decent GBA emulator, instead of watching just a video, why not try the real thing?
- Moving more towards comics now, Robin’s been working on a comic that’s about the dark underbelly of being a video game geek. It still in works, but you can check out what’s been thus far over at his site. Also, check out the really snazzy cover!
It’s going to have a sleeve, just like old NES games. Given how hot a topic video games are these days when it comes comics and art in general, to the point that much of it is starting to get old (case in point, I think everyone needs to give the Katamari jokes a rest… seriously), I’m absolutely shocked that no one else has thought of it.
- So I got an email the other day from Matthew Bernier whose work I first encountered at the mini comics fest that SVA threw last spring; his book, Out of the Water, is still one of the finest “debut” books I’ve come across. Anyway, Matt was nice enough to let me know that he finally has a website! Check it out.
- I also recently discovered my friend Shep, who’s part of the movie night circle that also draws, now has a website. Its mostly doodles for diehard comic book/film geeks, and if you qualify, you might like what you see. Such as, what if Steven Seagal was in A Clockwork Orange…
or Return of the Jedi…
or 2001…
or what would it be like for General Zod (you know, the main bad guy from Superman 2) if he was still a private and was in Full Metal Jacket…
My personal favorites are his Star Trek: The Next Generation episode guides…
