Archive for March 25th, 2008
March 25, 2008
Rock Band is ready for an encore. After chart-topping performances on the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, the Harmonix-developed rhythm is set to bow on Nintendo’s Wii. Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello had already revealed the latest platform for the game in an investor conference call earlier this year, but today the publisher–along with MTV Games and Harmonix–announced the game’s release date, June 22.
The Wii edition of Rock Band will launch in the US and Canada as a special edition bundle including the game, drums, microphone, and a wireless guitar peripheral. Although stand-alone instruments will be available on day one, there were no announced plans for an unbundled edition of the game.
Similarly up in the air was the game’s downloadable content scheme. Gamers have downloaded more than 6 million add-on songs for the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Rock Band, but Harmonix, MTV Games, and EA have shown a willingness to forgo that added revenue stream, as the PS2 edition doesn’t support downloads. Regardless of whether Wii owners get to purchase new songs, the game will come with an extra five songs in its initial set list, pushing the number of tracks included in the bundle to 63.
Like downloadable songs, online play is a staple of the Xbox 360 and PS3 editions of Rock Band, but was left out of the PlayStation 2 version. As of press time, representatives with Electronic Arts, Harmonix, and MTV Games had not returned inquiries into the specific feature set of Rock Band for the Wii.
[UPDATE]: A Harmonix representative addressed a few questions about the Wii edition of Rock Band on the game’s official forums. According to the post, “The feature-set is a lot closer to the PS2 version of Rock Band which was also developed by Pi Studios.” That version did not support online play or downloadable content.
[UPDATE 2]: A Harmonix representative further detailed Wii Rock Band release plans for If Its Games, noting that a stand-alone version of the software will also arrive on June 22 and explaining the decision to pare down the game’s feature set.
“The Wii version still contains the robust four-player band experience and all the fun at the core of other versions of Rock Band,” the representative said. “However, because the Wii
March 25, 2008
After Sonic’s recent lackluster performance in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, you’d be forgiven for having low expectations for Sega’s next sports game to feature mascots: Sega Superstars Tennis. The characters aren’t all A-listers and the tennis isn’t great, but the game’s interesting court designs, minigames, and classic Sega tunes make for a good package.
Sega Superstars Tennis features 16 characters from classic Sega games. Each player is rated for speed, control, power, spin, or all-around ability. The eight characters that are unlocked from the start include: Sonic, AiAi from Super Monkey Ball, Nights, Ulala from Space Channel Five, Beat from Jet Set Radio, Amigo from Samba de Amigo, Tails, and Dr. Eggman. The unlockable characters aren’t quite as interesting and mostly consist of lesser characters from the same games, though Gillius from Golden Axe and Alex Kidd are worthy additions to the lineup. The courts on which you play and the music you hear while you play are inspired by the game’s characters and are sure to please anyone who has enjoyed Sega’s games over the years.
Admit it, you’ve always wondered who would win this epic showdown.
The characters, levels, music, and even some of the gameplay from these classic franchises are put to good use in superstars mode. This mode is made up of 14 different worlds, each of which is based on a well-known Sega game. The roster includes Super Monkey Ball, Puyo Pop Fever, Samba De Amigo, OutRun, Virtua Squad, Sonic the Hedgehog, Nights, Space Channel Five, ChuChu Rocket, Jet Set Radio, and more. Each is filled with challenges that range from winning single and doubles matches to minigames that mix tennis with gameplay from the franchise on which the area is based.
Many of these challenges are really fun, and some of them are especially creative. In the Virtua Squad minigames, you shoot (aim the ball at) the bad-guy targets that pop up while trying to avoid hitting the civilians, just as you would in Virtua Cop. In Puyo Pop Fever, you’re essentially playing the actual puzzle game and clearing the Puyo with tennis balls. ChuChu Rocket is also a lot of fun. Just as you did in the Dreamcast game, you have to lead the mice to their rockets by changing the direction of the arrows on the level and avoiding cats–only this time you change the arrows by hitting them with tennis balls. It’s amazing how well some of these games mesh with tennis, and the ones that are done well are really a lot of fun. The only knock against these stages is that the game doesn’t do much in the way of explaining the gameplay, so if you’ve never played ChuChu Rocket before, you’re going to be clueless as to how to proceed here.
All of the levels in superstars mode are not created equal. The Jet Set Radio stage has the look of the game, but the tagging minigames are frustrating and uninteresting. Running around the court while collecting rings in Sonic’s stage isn’t too exciting, either. The superstars mode feels unfinished in places because some of the levels have very little or nothing to do with the game on which they are based. OutRun’s court has the look of OutRun, but there are no challenges based on the game. The same goes for Samba De Amigo and Space Channel Five, although some of the excellent music from those games is featured. Golden Axe is particularly noteworthy because, aside from not having any challenges based on the game, the level in which it takes place isn’t even based on Golden Axe; it’s Curien Mansion from House of the Dead, complete with zombies. But even with these issues, superstars mode is an entertaining and enjoyable way to play tennis.
It’s a good thing that superstars mode is so much fun, given that the actual tennis in Sega Superstars Tennis is merely average. The simple controls mean that it’s easy to pick up and play, but you’ll have mastered the gameplay in a matter of minutes. There are a few different control schemes on the Wii and they work fine, though the motion controls don’t add much to the experience. In all versions the controls are tight, but there are times when you’ll hit the button to swing and your character won’t respond. This seems to be the game’s way of punishing you for getting to the ball late. This is kind of cheap, but if it didn’t happen you’d rarely lose a point because it’s so difficult to hit a winning shot that you’re almost always in position to return the ball. Lobs, drop shots, and net play are ineffective, which means that you’ll spend your time hitting from the baseline, trying to run your opponent back and forth from left to right until he or she can’t get to a shot. Each character has a superstar ability that can be activated once the star below the character begins to flash, but these abilities aren’t much help and serve only to interrupt play. There is a distinct difference between the different play styles of the characters, which makes for some variety in how you attack each opponent, but don’t expect too much challenge from the artificial intelligence. It’s generally fairly easy.
Sega Superstars Tennis gameplay is fun, but it’s so simple that you probably won’t want to play online, given that the points can go on forever. However, if you do go online on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 (there’s no online mode in the PlayStation 2 or Wii versions) then you’ll be pleased to know that the game features a surprisingly robust online mode that runs well and is lag-free. You can play a quick match, a ranked match, and even enter a tournament. Additionally, you can use the TV mode to watch the game’s best players do their thing live or just enjoy highlights from matches. Unfortunately, you’d be hard-pressed to actually use any of these great features because almost nobody is playing online. We never saw more than four people online at one time, which is a shame considering how much effort the developer put into this aspect of the game.
Some of the minigames do a great job of combining the gameplay of their source material with tennis.
You won’t be amazed by Sega Superstars Tennis’ visuals, but it’s a decent-looking game that makes good use of its source material. The courts and their surroundings look like they were ripped straight from the games on which they were based. The characters aren’t particularly detailed, but they all look fine and are nicely animated. Sonic will spin to get to hard-to-reach shots, Beat will skate around the court, and Nights hovers just above the court while gliding to and fro. Although the game is hardly pushing the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 to their limits, the frame rate isn’t always steady, particularly on the PS3. Some courts are worse than others during singles play, but the frame rate chugs on any stage if you’re playing doubles.
If you’re looking to play traditional tennis, then you’ll want to stick with Top Spin or Virtua Tennis. But if you want a lighthearted tennis game, enjoy minigames, and have a special place in your heart for the glory days of Sega, then you’ll find a lot to like in Sega Superstars Tennis.
March 25, 2008
Although Harmonix moved on from the Guitar Hero series after wrapping development on Rocks the 80s, Gibson Guitar Inc. hasn’t forgotten the developer’s involvement in putting the rhythm genre on the map. In the latest twist in Gibson’s ongoing patent spat with the billion-dollar rhythm game genre, the guitar manufacturer has filed a patent-infringement suit against Guitar Hero and Rock Band creators Harmonix and its publishing partners Electronic Arts and MTV Networks.
Thursday’s filing is the latest development in Gibson’s quest to continue to cash in on the burgeoning rhythm game genre. In January, Gibson notified Activision that the Guitar Hero franchise was in violation of a patent the guitar manufacturer filed in 1999. Reminiscent of virtual-reality setups as envisioned in the ’90s, Gibson’s patent calls for a “head-mounted 3D display that includes stereo speakers” by which musicians can simulate a concert using an instrument. As per the patent, the prerecorded concert would play while musicians accompany the concert on their own instruments.
Following Gibson’s request for Activision to either license the device or cease sales of Guitar Hero products, Activision filed suit with the US District Court of Central California to invalidate Gibson’s patent and prevent the guitar maker from seeking damages. As grounds for its suit, Activision claimed that Gibson’s suit was motivated by the publisher cutting its marketing and support agreement, and also noted that Gibson’s three-year delay in not pursuing the patent has granted Activision an implied license. Gibson responded to the suit last week by attempting to force the publisher’s hand, taking to court many retailers who sell Guitar Hero products in an attempt to yank the game off of store shelves.
Gibson has yet to file any formal complaint against Activision, a spokesperson representing the publisher confirmed for If Its Games.
Gibson isn’t waiting to drop the gloves with Activision’s former partner on Guitar Hero, given that the guitar maker challenged EA, MTV, and Harmonix on Thursday in the US District Court of Middle Tennessee over the Guitar Hero franchise through Rocks the 80s, as well as Rock Band. According to the suit, Harmonix and its distribution partners are infringing on Gibson’s aforementioned patent, and the guitar maker is seeking an injunction that would halt the sale of the Harmonix-created products as well as award damages and legal expenses.
In a statement addressing the suit, Gibson said, “This new lawsuit relates to the same US patent involved in the lawsuit filed by Gibson Guitar recently against various retailers in the same court. Gibson Guitar had made good faith efforts to enter into a patent license agreement with the defendants in this case. The defendants have not responded in a timely manner with an intent to enter into negotiations for a patent license agreement. Gibson Guitar had no alternative but to bring the suit, and it will continue to protect its intellectual property rights against any and all infringing persons.”
EA, MTV, and Harmonix were quick to respond to the allegations. “This lawsuit is completely without merit and we intend to defend [against] it vigorously,” said a Harmonix spokesperon in a statement. “Gibson’s patent, filed nearly 10 years ago, required a 3D display, a real musical instrument, and a recording of a concert. Rock Band and Guitar Hero are completely different: among other things they are games, require no headset, and use a controller only shaped like a real instrument. It is unfortunate that Gibson unfairly desires to share in the tremendous success enjoyed by the developers of Rock Band and Guitar Hero.”
March 25, 2008
March is often said to come in like a lion and go out like a lamb. In terms of new games, the month’s early releases, such as God of War: Chains of Olympus and Army of Two, had the lion part covered. But looking at the expected arrivals for this final full week of March, it appears that the month will be going out pretty much the same way it came in.
The week kicks off with the latest installments in a pair of venerated franchises. First up is Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core, the PlayStation Portable prequel to SquareSoft’s landmark original PlayStation role-playing game. Players follow SOLDIER agent Zack Fair in a story that takes place seven years before Final Fantasy VII and sees the protagonist’s path cross with those of many of the original game’s familiar faces.
Meanwhile, PC gamers will get a chance to pick up the first expansion to Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, Kane’s Wrath. The add-on includes 13 new missions and six new subfactions for the real-time strategy game, as well as a beta key for a trial of the upcoming Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3.
A handful of original intellectual properties are also debuting this week. Digital Extremes’ Dark Sector, the very first game announced for the current generation of consoles, is finally coming out. The third-person action game puts players in control of a secret agent trying to unearth Cold War secrets in Eastern Europe with the help of a distinctive, bladed disc weapon.
Meanwhile, The Creative Assembly is branching out from its Total War franchise to try something new with Viking: Battle for Asgard. Published by Sega, the gory hack-and-slash game lets players rend opponents limb-from-limb while going toe-to-toe with all manner of nastiness culled from Norse mythology.
As for downloadable offerings, this week’s Xbox Live Arcade new release is the puzzle game TiQal. Borrowing from the likes of Tetris and Lumines, Slapdash Games’ TiQal challenges players to create colored squares by dropping a variety of differently shaped pieces onto an increasingly cramped playfield. TiQal will be available on Wednesday for 800 Microsoft points ($10). Original Xbox adventure game Dreamfall: The Longest Journey also finds its way to Xbox Live this week.
As for the Wii Virtual Console, it adds a pair of old-school offerings to its catalog with the Square shooter King’s Knight for the Nintendo Entertainment System, and Namco’s futuristic sports game Powerball for the Genesis. In keeping with the standard prices for games from those systems, King’s Knight costs 500 Wii points ($5), whereas Powerball is 800 Wii points ($8).
This week’s new releases are listed below (list taken from retailer information–actual dates may vary).
MARCH 24, 2008
Command & Conquer 3: Kane’s Wrath (PC)
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (PSP)
King’s Knight (Wii VC)
Powerball (Wii VC)
Dreamfall: The Longest Journey (Xbox Originals)
MARCH 25, 2008
Dark Sector (Xbox 360, PS3)
Viking: Battle for Asgard (PS3, Xbox 360)
Universe at War: Earth Assault (Xbox 360)
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3 (PS2)
Octomania (Wii)
Opoona (Wii)
Obscure: The Aftermath (Wii, PS2, PC)
Australia Zoo Quest (PC)
Backyard Baseball 2009 (DS)
Harvest Moon DS Cute (DS)
Warriors Orochi (PSP)
Rebel Raiders: Operation Nighthawk (Wii)
MARCH 26, 2008
TiQal (Xbox Live Arcade)
MARCH 27, 2008
PlayStation Network release schedule not yet announced.
MARCH 28, 2008
No announced releases.
March 25, 2008
Reuters - Electronic Arts and Starz Media are producing an animated prequel movie to the upcoming sci-fi horror video game “Dead Space.”
March 25, 2008
TechWeb - Gibson also has a claim against Activision, saying that company’s Guitar Hero violates Gibson’s patents.
March 25, 2008
Reuters - Electronic Arts Inc said on Monday that Chief Financial Officer Warren Jenson will leave the video game publisher, which is pursuing a hostile takeover of rival Take-Two Interactive Software Inc .
March 25, 2008
AP - Warren Jenson, the chief financial officer of Electronic Arts Inc. since 2002, is leaving the video game publisher in the midst of its hostile buyout bid for smaller rival Take-Two.
March 25, 2008
Two new games have been added to the Wii Shop Channel this wee. They are KING’S KNIGHT (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points) and POWERBALL (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points).
March 25, 2008
According to \’N-Europe\’, the rumor that a new Nintendo firmware for the Wii blocked Datel\’s FreeLoader was infact a \’joke\’. According to them, owners of the FreeLoader for Wii may sleep soundly in the knowledge that the whole thing was just an invalid rumor.
March 25, 2008
MTV, Harmonix and EA have today announced that Rock Band is set to be released for the Wii on June 22nd 2008 at a price of $169.99. The pack will include sixty three songs as well as five bonus songs. Moreover, the drums, microphone and wireless guitar will also be available to purchase individually as of June 22nd. Full information is available at the news section of RockBand.com.
March 25, 2008
Harmonix and EA announced today that they will be releasing Rock Band for Wii in the U.S. and Canada on June 22, 2008 for the suggested retail price of $169.99. Rock Band for Wii will be released as a Special Edition bundle including the software, drums, microphone and a wireless guitar. Stand alone instruments will also be available on June 22nd. The game will feature 63 songs including five bonus songs. It has also been revealed that there will be no DLC for the Wii version yet.
March 25, 2008
News.com is reporting that Mytopia, another casual-gaming network, has launched into public-beta. More than just a regular game with virtual rewards, Mytopia encourages exchanging points for real-world prizes like iTunes or Amazon certificates. “Since Mytopia is centered on “classic games,” the offering–Sudoku, chess, backgammon, hearts, spades, dominoes, bingo, and poker–is a bit of a yawn, though the company has said new games will be added on a monthly basis. On the flip side, the familiarity of those games may be a draw to players who don’t want to learn a whole new set of rules. Indeed, Mytopia is targeting a thoroughly non-”gamer” demographic.”.
March 25, 2008
According to PC World, the PS3 firmware update v. 2.20 that is expected to be released in late March, will expose the ability to \”Portable Copy.\” The say that \”Portable Copy\” will enable PS3 users to copy a standard-definition version of a Blu-ray movie to a PlayStation Portable (PSP). This is not mentioned in the firmware update v. 2.20 press release, only that you can you can transfer music and photo playlists from the PS3 to the PSP.
March 25, 2008
According to Reuters, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is targeting April 8 to release its first two BD-Live titles. They are \”Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story\” and the Arnold Schwarzenegger sci-fi thriller \”The 6th Day\”. The PS3 firmware update v.2.20, that will enable the use of BD-Live features, will be available in \”late March.\”