Archive for July, 2009
With only about a month to go before Guitar Hero 5’s September 1 release, Activision has decided to reveal the game’s final 15 tracks. Oddly, a number of the tracks had already been revealed during or around E3 (Arctic Monkeys’ “Brianstorm” and Stevie Wonders’ “Superstition,” for example).
Yesterday, EA Sports confirmed the first three fighters for its upcoming blended martial arts videogame, tentatively titled EA Sports MMA. Headlining the game’s roster will be current WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko, the Russian huge man who’s considered one of the best fighters in the sport. Joining him will be Gegard Mousasi (Dream) and Renato Sobral (StrikeForce). Signing Emelianenko would seem to be a major coup for EA, since current rumors had him pegged to announce a deal with the UFC on Friday, and because he’s a major name in MMA. But since he’s never fought in the UFC, Emelianenko would presumably fall outside of UFC president Dana White’s policy to blacklist any UFC fighter who signs with EA Sports. GameSpot’s Brian Ekberg pondered the question of Emelianenko’s videogame future, so I pose the same query to you, Destructoid readers: were Emelianenko’s UFC signing rumors boundless, or will the champ appear in both EA Sports MMA and THQ’s next UFC Undisputed game? For more on EA Sports MMA, hit up the game’s official Web site and Twitter account.
Get excited. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is available on Xbox LIVE Arcade. The fighting title — which we’ve covered exhaustively — launched without a hitch earlier this morning. Priced at 1,200 Microsoft Moon Dollars, purchasers can expect all the fun of the original releases of the title without the fat. MvC 2 has improved menus and zero locked characters. In addition to that, it has a robust on the internet component, three visual filters, and widescreen support. Also, Zangief. The game has Zangief. If you’re exhausted of Street Fighter IV, King of Fighters 12 or BlazBlue, it might do you some good to try out the MvC 2 demo. It’s fun. We promise. MvC 2 is slated to hit PlayStation Network on August 13th. Via Destructoid
When I found out that the Twitter and Facebook applications for Xbox 360 wouldn’t be included in the upcoming August-bound dashboard update, I became admittedly sadder than any human being ought to be over such a silly thing. Microsoft’s James Halton was able to reassure us that the social networking functionality is still on the way, noting that autumn was the target release period. However, he did mention Facebook and Twitter would be available for Xbox 360 “before Christmas” at the latest. For the time being, the newly added Netflix celebrations will have to suffice. For those of you who didn’t get a “sneak peek” (or whatever Microsoft is calling it) of the new dashboard update, they are everything you would want them to be. Via Destructoid
Ever since Ubisoft announced that Splinter Cell Conviction (along with a number of other titles), would be pushed back until 2010, the European publisher has been trying to assure fans that it’s not because the games suck. Yves Guillemont was quick to point out that the delay was “a question of polish,” and the game’s official site now declares that the delay was necessary to live up to Ubi’s own ambition. “Splinter Cell Conviction is a very important game for us. We want to ensure it’s a game that long-term fans and gamers new to the series equally enjoy when they play it. Previous Splinter Cell games have set the bar very high when it comes to quality and enjoyment, we’re firmly focused on continuing this with Conviction,” says Ubisoft.
If you loved Overlord II, then let it be known that Codemasters has released the first downloadable content on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, available for your downloading pleasure on both systems today. “Battle Rock Nemesis” is a new netherworld arena, containing a number of combat challenges. It’s not like Fraggle Rock. Battle Rock Nemesis is available for $5.00/
It had already dropped hints at New York Comic-Con last year, but Top Cow has confirmed at San Diego Comic-Con that a sequel to 2007’s The Darkness videogame is the works. Little information was revealed about the title, outside of the fact that it will be written by Paul Jenkins, who also wrote The Darkness videogame prequel comic book. As for who else will be involved, it’s hard to state. Rumor has it that the original game’s developer, Starbreeze Studios, won’t be returning for the sequel, busy working on at least two games for Electronic Arts. (This has been confirmed by VG247.) And as of right now, reps for Mike Patton (who nailed the voice of The Darkness in the original game) have told us the singer/songwriter has yet to be approached for the project. In case you missed the original, Top Cow also announced the game had gone platinum, and will soon be available for both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 for a sweet $29.99. [via Joystiq] Via Destructoid
Along with our retail review duplicates of King of Fighters XII (officially out tomorrow for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3), Ignition also sent over a Terry Bogard figure/statue, which arrived this day. The polyresin figure sits on base made to look like stone, Terry Bogard’s signature cap a separate accessory that fits nicely in its hand. However, trying to put the hat on its head is a lost cause — it simply doesn’t fit properly. No matter what you do. Superior of, though — it’s prone to get knocked off during the King of Fighters tournament anyhow.
Yesterday it appears that a patch was released for Bionic Commando: Rearmed over PSN. The update is a bit of a blended bag, unless you’re a total wuss and can’t beat the game as it is. See it does allow for Trophy support, which is good. However, along with the Trophy support comes some changes to the games basic gameplay. Players now have unlimited lives (no starting levels over from the beginning), can swing into walls without falling to their untimely deaths and can reel out their line if it is too short. These features make the game immensely easier, betraying its old school roots. Thankfully the update only tweaks the simple and normal levels, but that doesn’t really excuse it. Who was out there complaining that BC: Rearmed was too hard, especially on easy and normal? Nancy-pants girlie men that’s who. For now 360 owners can walk around claiming they have more massive nerd balls as the update does not appear to have landed on LIVE yet. PS3 owners, your cred is in question until the 360 wusses out too or Demon’s Souls lands. Via Destructoid
I love my Xbox 360 just as much as I love my PlayStation 3. It’s got a great library of games that I’ve invested a considerable amount of time and money into over the past few years, and it’s a system that’ll likely still be serving me for some time to come. That stated, in a significant parallel to the PS3, my love for the system seems to come at an inverse proportion to my love for the company behind it. I am of course talking about Microsoft, otherwise known as the poster boy for corporate greed and everything that is wrong with America. Not my words, the words of other people … probably. Despite bringing out a good console that many true gamers have flocked to, Microsoft has also helped to ruin fun for everybody. Perhaps you don’t believe me, and are preparing to call me a “bias troll that’s trying to get fired” already, but please read the article before making your accusations. Nobody ever asked Microsoft to get into the console gaming market. In fact, the company’s motivation for doing so wasn’t even out of demand, or necessity, or consideration for the market, but simply to try and stick it to Sony. The Xbox exists to halt the PlayStation brand from succeeding, and MS essentially stuck its massive nose into an industry that it didn’t really have any business getting involved with. Now that it’s here, we have to deal with it, but unfortunately Microsoft brought a lot of baggage, especially with the current generation. The most important bit of baggage is one we all know about by now, the fact that the Xbox 360 is a technical piece of shit, as far as hardware goes. Not even mentioning the red ring of death, the Xbox 360 is home to all manner of technical errors and random crashes. Each major update seems to bring with it a fresh slew of reports from gamers who now have a glorified brick sitting underneath their televisions. Be it red rings, E74 errors, or any other number of things that could go wrong, Xbox 360 ownership has been ruled by one dominant emotion – fear. |
