(note: images and video links to be added soon)
So it's gonna be a big week for video games...
First off, the Electronic Entertainment Expo, also known as E3, starts today. already we have gotten keynotes from the three major heads (microsoft, nintendo, and sony), and we can expect more news as the week continues. some highlights so far:
-FFXIII available for the Xbox360. The final announcement of the Microsoft keynote, This one is a doozy. Square-Enix had a press conference after the Microsoft one, saying "We considered the situation of the hardware, and that we would like to provide
FFXIII to as many fans as possible in the world." Since FFVII Sony has held the position of being the only compay that Final Fantasy would appear with. This has been an incredibly valuable asset, as the Final Fantasy series has been instrumental in Sony's success thus far. So the news that Square-Enix is breaking away from Sony is HUGE news, and great news for gamers everywhere. Also, the announcement makes some unsaid statements about Sony's performance (or lack thereof) in the current console battle. But i'll leave the rest of this to the other thread started by Endyss (beat me to it you ass!). However, Squeenix has said that they will finish the PS3 version before starting on the 360 port, making the PS3 version first to market.
-Grand Theft Auto coming to the Nintendo DS. Set in a modern-day Liberty City, GTA: Chinatown Wars will use a custom-made engine to finally bring the GTA series to Nintendo. More information is scarce as of right now, but hopefully we should be hearing more as the week progresses.
-Wii Music announced. Bringing more than 50 instruments, Nintendo's new music game promises to bring the the experience of playing music to anyone. Shigeru Miyamoto states "Now most music games require you to press buttons with precise timing to symbols on screen, but we've designed Wii Music to allow everyone, inclusing those who can't read music to enjoy the experience of playing music."
-Wii Sports Resort announced along with Motion Plus accessory. A sequel of sorts to Wii Sports, Sprts Resort is set at the beach, with games including jetskiing, frisbee, and for some reason a sword duelling mode. Included in the pack is the new Motion Plus add-on for the Wii controller, which gives will "allow for more comprehensive tracking of a player's arm position and orientation."
-iD jumps ship from Activision to EA. During a presser from EA, John Carmack (co-creator of Doom, Quake, Wolfenstein...you get the picture) revealed that iD's new IP, Rage, would be published under EA's banner. This marks the first time in a decade taht Activision will not be publishing iD's games. The game itself is a blend of iD's classic shooter formula with a large dose of vehicular combat, set for release on the PC, 360, and PS3. However, this does not mean that Activision will never produce another iD game, as Carmack says taht they are slated to publish the next Wolfenstein, revealed in this month's Game Informer magazine. Apparently iD has never signed a multi-game deal witha publisher, go figure.
-Sony announces PS3 Greatest Hits line. Available for $29.99, the initial list is as follows:
- Motorstorm
- Resistance
- Warhawk
- Call of Duty 3
- Fight Night
- Need for Speed: Carbon
- Assassin's Creed
- Rainbow Six Vegas
- Oblivion: The Elder Scrolls
- Ninja Gaiden
-$400 80GB PS3 announced. basically the same functionality as the 40GB core pack, just with an 80GB hard drive. "allow for more comprehensive tracking of a player's arm position and orientation."
-Sony's Home still not ready. although it looks much better (new water effects for one), there is still no release date set for Sony's much touted Home program. Looking much like Second Life, Home shows lots of promise for the PS3 platform, but at this rate they'll be lucky to get it out before the next generation of consoles.
-Ratchet and Clack Future: Quest for Booty announced for PSN. The direct sequel to Ratchet and Clank Future, the new game hopes to provide a shorter game for a lower price, making it more of an expansion or an episode following Future instead of a whoel new game. For thsoe of you who dont know, PSN is Sony's equivalent to Xbox Live Arcade and Wii Ware.
-Nintendo debuts Wii Speak. Yet another peripheral, Wii Speak is a microphone that sits on top of your sensor bar and allows everyone in the room to get in on the chat. Also mentioned is the ability to send messages to friend's cell phones and post to message boards.
-PSN now offers downloadable movies and tv shows. Starting tonight, you can now purchase and rent movies and TV shows off of the Playstation Network from Sony and several of its partners. Tv shows go for $1.99, movie rentals range from $2.99 to $5.99, and movie purchases range from $9.99 to $14.99. You can also send your downloads to your PSP for portable viewing.
-God of War 3 formally announced for the PS3. Not much beyond a pre-rendered trailer though :(
-"Massive Action Game" announced for PS3. Promising support for up to 256 players in a single multiplayer environment, "MAG" looks much like a SOCOM game set in the future. sounds like a SOCOM MMO too, with features like character advancement trees.
-New Xbox 360 Dashboard revealed. Now touting a much more streamlined experience, the new dashboard also offers a load of new features:
- players can now rip any 360 game, past, present, and future, to the 360's hard drive. this may speed loading times, but will also take the noise of the disc drive out of the picture.
- Xbox Live MArketplace will be available via the regualr internet as well, so now gamers can view and purchase games anywhere. If your 360 is active when you buy the content, the download will start immediately.
- If you like the current layout, too bad. The new verison is being forced in an update due later this year.
- nothing has been removed, so relax as everyhtign will still be there, just with a new look.
- Avatars introduced. jumping on the Nintendo bandwagon, Micorsoft is bringing in their own Mii-like avatars, designed by Rare.
-Portal: Still Alive announced. Essentially an expansion for the first Portal, Still Alive brings new levels and achievements to Xbox Live (no word yet on a PC release).
-LocoRoco 2, Resistance: Retribution among new PSP titles. Other titles include Patapon 2, Super Stardust Portable, Valkyria Chronicles, Midnight Club: Los Angeles Remix, and NBA 09: Inside.
More will be added to this as the week progresses. we are sure to get a massive dosage of video and other new releases that flew in under the radar as more journalists get access to the main floor(s).
Bah Weep Granah Weep Ninny Bong
This is the Narwhal.
Denne er narkval
Hvor er narkval?
Where is the narwhal?
Lykkkelig liten narkval!
Happy Little narwal!
This has been Conversational Norwegian with Freakazoid.