Even though Harmonix is well underway developing Green Day: Rock Band, the studio has just announced that they are also hard at work creating Rock Band 3, which should be released THIS holiday season. The news was just revealed on the official Facebook fan-page for Rock Band.
According to the simple status update on the social networking site, we should expect something new and fresh:
“Harmonix is developing Rock Band 3 for worldwide release this holiday season! The game, which will be published by MTV Games and distributed by Electronic Arts, will innovate and revolutionise the music genre once again, just as Harmonix did with the original Rock Band, Rock Band 2 and The Beatles: Rock Band. Stay tuned for more details!”
I really hope Harmonix has something exciting up their sleeve because if they don’t, I think many gamers will be hesitant on buying the next installment of the famed music series. The music genre as a whole is really starting to take it’s course because the market was flooded with rhythm games. Sadly, I wouldn’t even blame Harmonix for the amount of titles in stores that require gamers to press colored buttons on plastic instruments. A lot of it has to do with Activision and milking their Guitar Hero franchise.
Since the first Rock Band was released in 2007, we have seen a total of three games on the home consoles with the name. However, in the same span Activision has shipped a total of NINE games under the “Hero” name.
Hopefully Activision hasn’t ruined the fun for both EA Harmonix, but again it really is up to them on bringing something new to the table. And then in a year, their competitor can steal the idea.
Some news is starting to trickle out of Nintendo’s US Media Summit in San Francisco. The company has confirmed dates for two highly-anticipated videogames for their Wii console. And let’s say summer is gonna be a good season for Wii gamers, which is generally unusual for the industry.
The sequel to arguably the best Wii title to date, and perhaps this generation of consoles as a whole, Super Mario Galaxy, is dated for May 23. Super Mario Galaxy 2 was predicted to be a huge holiday title for the Big N when it was first announced at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, but it never saw the light of day — nor mentioned much after the convention.
Another big title which was also first shown at E3 — Metroid: Other M – now officially has a date. The title, which is being co-developed by Team Ninja — makers of Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden — will be in stores on June 27th of this year. The next installment of this particular Metroid game, will experiment with the combination of both first and third-person action sequences, a departure of the recent Metroid games, which was almost all in a first-person prospective.
It’s interesting to see Nintendo release these games before or right after E3, considering not much has been talked about them. With that said, it’s going to be hard for Nintendo to gain E3 hype for both titles. While I don’t see that being to much of a problem for Mario because well…it’s Mario, I do see Metroid having some advertising problems.
When Metroid is released, it pretty much is right after E3 ends, which doesn’t sound like a horrible idea at first; however, it’s risky. The reason is because the title could get lost, with all the other gaming announcements by various companies. And if the game doesn’t impress gamers when it’s showed off, they might forget it even exists when it ships a few weeks later.
I hope Nintendo has something HUGE up their sleeve for the expo because these are two games that would normally be considered Christmas titles. With that said, Nintendo is certainly not forgetting about the ever-so-important holiday season. So I fully expect some major announcements by Nintendo at the famous videogame convention in June.
Summer is universally known as a slow time for gamers. Most of the anticipated titles skip the warm season and generally come out when the weather gets colder, just in time for the holidays. However this year, Electronic Arts has decided to change up the theory “when games should be released.”
Barring no major setbacks or delays, EA is set to release both the reboot of the Medal of Honor game, which is set in modern times and Realtime World’s ambitious title APB (All Points Bulletin) will be released this summer. The publisher expects to release both games between July through September; however no exact date was announced.
The company also announced vague dates for a couple other important games as well. From October to December, Crysis 2, Criterion’s (Burnout) first take on Need for Speed and EA’s MMA game will all be launched. Following December and ending in March, Dead Space 2, a sequel to Dragon Age, an unnamed Epic Games shooter, along with a unannounced action title, are all scheduled to ship.
Gregor Collienne is a photographer from Germany. However, he doesn’t take pictures that catches his eye, or tries to capture the perfect setting to inspire people. Instead, for the most part, he takes humorous snap shots of people doing an everyday activity and pairs them up with another group, who are doing something completely different. When you check out his work, you not only chuckle, but they make you think — it almost feels like an optical illusion.
Up top is one picture of his work. While it’s unlike a lot of his photos — it made me laugh nonetheless. I’m assuming the picture is asking all of us, what if we could control our girlfriends or all women for that matter, with a single PlayStation controller? Like, how awesome would that be? No more would we hear the excuse: “I have a headache.” Can some smart scientist make this happen? Please!
If you want to check out Collienne’s work, click here.
The creator of the original Resident Evil, Shinji Mikami, has been directing his next project titled Vanquish and last night the first trailer premiered on GameTrailers TV, which I have embedded up top. Apparently, Mikami has been working with the talented Japanese studio Platinum Games, who was the team behind the newly released Bayonetta game for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
Much like a lot of debut trailers, this one doesn’t show any gameplay; however it does something a tad different and doesn’t follow the exact same unwritten rule of a first trailer. The clip mixes CG, along with real human actors, and is getting some flap for doing it. Some people are quickly to comment that maybe Platinum Games doesn’t have enough faith in their own CG and have decided to use ‘real life characters,’ in hopes to disguise what they can’t do. This is just ridiculous to assume.
If anyone remembers the very first Resident Evil for the original PlayStation back in 1996, they should recollect a lot of the scenes used real-life actors. To me, it looks like Shinji Mikami is once again going back to his roots and doing something similar with actual actors, rather than CG in Vanquish — which is fine by me. However, that doesn’t excuse my hatred for a publisher, Sega in this case, releasing a debut trailer and not showing us gameplay whatsoever. I would rather them give us something rather than some fancy cut-scenes, so we would have more to talk about the next day.
Anyway, when you watch the trailer, America is being heavily attacked by either an alien race, terrorists, or another country. Unfortunately for us Americans, especially for the ones who live in San Francisco, it’s up to an albino Master Chief clone to save the richest country in the world. I say “unfortunately’ because most albinos have poor vision or are legally blind, which — in my opinion — doesn’t bold to well in a devastating war.
The only thing that Tiger Woods likes more than golf is probably… money. If you thought I was going to write women, then I fooled you! Even with his recent image of being a squeaky-clean athlete has been tarnished because of his third love, multiple women, and advertisers axing his face on their products, EA Sports is still sticking with him.
The giant publisher has announced Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and iPhone, will be released sometime in June of 2010; however, no specific date was revealed. The game will feature the same famous golf star that your girlfriend most likely slept with, among other golfers from around the world. Of course, we don’t know any of their names because it’s well…golf.
So there you go, Electronic Arts promised Woods would still be their cover athlete for the sports game, and they were true to their word. With the announcement, EA Sports was unable to provide any screens or trailers — so, you’re just gonna have to wait a tad longer.
Nintendo releasing a Mario 2D side-scroller, rather than a 3D platform adventure, was probably a great move on their part. According to the latest numbers from NPD, New Super Mario Bros. Wii has already outsold Super Mario Galaxy, which is ridiculous because Galaxy has been out for over two years. While the newest installment of Mario has been out for a little over a month. As of today, Super Mario Galaxy has sold about 4.1 million copies, while the New Super Mario Bros. Wii has moved about 4.2 million.
Now we can blame a number of reasons why NSMBW has already outpaced what the critically acclaimed Galaxy has done, since it launched way back in 2007. One obvious answer could be contributed to the fact the Nintendo Wii has a much larger install base then when Mario Galaxy debuted to gamers. However, I think it goes much deeper than just numbers.
Nintendo has been marketing their system to not only the casual gamer, but also insuring it would be a family friendly console. Many of the moms and dads who purchased the system, as well as a person who wouldn’t normally buy a videogame system, but felt compelled to own a Wii, probably saw the New Super Mario Bros. Wii and fell in love with the nostalgic look to it. I’m pretty sure these ‘people,’ who probably don’t buy many games to began with, pretended to go back in time and play with a game that reminiscent their growing up days. Now combine that with a fun multiplayer aspect, and Nintendo has a hit on their hands.
Either way, it was smart for Nintendo to go back to its roots once again with Mario.
Tony Hawktweeted about how he was in Chicago meeting with Robomodo, the developers behind his latest, but not well received, videogame Tony Hawk: Ride. According to Hawk, he met up with the studio to discuss whatever they have planned for their next project.
“Just met with @robomodo about our next project and it’s already much better than I expected. Details soon. Chicago is not warm.”
Shortly after, Robomodo tweeted and confirmed Tony Hawk was indeed inside their studio; however, nothing was mentioned about a possible new game between the legendary skateboarder and the gaming studio.
“@tonyhawk just left the building….and took all of our food with him! j/k”
Obviously, Robomodo is creating a new project, and it will take advantage of the skateboard peripheral — but will the game be a Tony Hawk game? Probably so, considering Hawk was with the developers discussing the new project, though, I really hope whatever it is, it is requiring a major overhaul when compared to the previous game. I honestly can’t see Activision giving the the studio the greenlight to develop a similar game. In fact, I’m surprised they gave them the okay to do a sequel, or another ’sports’ game for that matter.
Nintendo of America has gone out of their way to once again trademark the 2001 launch title for the Gamecube, Luigi’s Mansion. Obviously, reading that sentence would sound like Nintendo is planning on making a sequel for the less-than-steller videogame starring Mario’s brother, but I wouldn’t jump to a conclusion.
Nintendo has always been a company that protects its own property, even if they plan on not developing it. According to Kotaku, a few trademarks for Luigi’s Mansion were about to expire or already did in 2009. So this could be nothing more than protecting what they feel is theirs. Although, the website pointed out that maybe we could possibly see the re-release of the original title, under the Play Control label, something Nintendo did with a few titles including Pikmin 2.
The game could work well with the Wii, considering you could move around the Wiimote just as Luigi uses his vacuum in the game. Sadly though, I don’t think the game would be enhanced dramatically — so if this the idea, I’m not looking forward to it.
I didn’t think Luigi’s Mansion was a terrible game, in fact I think a lot of gamers unfairly blasted the title because they wanted Nintendo to make an sequel to Mario 64. Instead, they got Luigi doing his best Ghostbusters impression. Although, if we just get the same game, I won’t be excited because we’re talking about a first-generation Gamecube game. If Nintendo is planning on releasing that has something to do Luigi’s Mansion, I just hope it’s a brand new title altogether. It should take advantage of the Wiimote, instead of using the exact same control scheme — but instead of using buttons, you wave your hands around the air, which is what other Play Control games gave done in the past.
Since the dawn of inventions, everything has been inspired by something else. It’s just the way nature works and videogames are no exception. All of us have no choice but to be okay with that because that’s the way it’ll always be. However with that said, I’m not okay with people bluntly steal/copy from a videogame and call it their own.
Up top is footage from a game called Duludubi Star and I think the Chinese developer who created it, was a little more than inspired by Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii. The game follows an unimaginative blue dragon, who collects coins on small planets where its gravity is a staple point in the game, which is the exact premise of Super Mario Galaxy. Hell, even the menus are exactly the same — couldn’t they have at least not make it so obvious and change them!?
Yeah, it’s pretty pathetic. Watch that, and click here to see what Nintendo did with Mario two years ago.
It’s official, EA has announced they have the rights to the Midway classic NBA Jam and they plan on releasing a brand new game in the series for the Wii this year. President of EA Sports’, Peter Moore, spoke briefly about the reboot.
“Diehard fans of the original game have been asking for a remake for more than a decade. We’re very excited to give them their wish this year with the return of this iconic franchise.”
Apparently Moore had forgotten about the 2004 version of NBA Jam for both the Xbox and PlayStation 2. Although, most who had played that version probably wish they had forgotten it too. Alright, maybe it wasn’t that bad — but it certainly didn’t feel like the old-skool Jam I grew up playing with.
The publisher is promising that they will keep the retro feeling of the original Jams, but update things so they can compare to today’s standards, aka the graphics.
I’m hoping EA not only have hundreds of easter-eggs included with the game, but also keep it 2D. When Midway decided to bring back NBA Jam in 2004, they made it 3D. The third-dimension just didn’t work with a simple game like NBA Jam. So, here is hoping EA DOES remember that version and understand what was wrong with it, but I’m not holding my breath either.
When Madworld was released for the Nintendo Wii early last year, it was met with glowing reviews. It was praised for its mature content and unique graphical style, that used colors to illustrate how violent the virtual world was. Sadly with all those accolades, Wii owners never gave the title a chance.
According to reports, the first month of sales were dreadful. The game launched in March and only sold about 66,000 units, which is horrible considering how many Wii’s are in homes. This eventually led to Sega to reconsider their plans on launching more mature content on the family system.
However, that hasn’t stopped developer Shigenori Nishikawa, who directed Madworld, thinking about creating a sequel. “I think MadWorld was very well received and was acknowledged for its innovative graphical style and gameplay,” Nishikawa told ONM. “We would definitely be interested in making a sequel in the future.”
Again he is right about the title being well received by critics; however, Wii owners just didn’t buy it. The only reason why publishers give studios the greenlight to develop a game is because they feel it could be a money maker. Obviously, these publishers are not always right with their predictions
When Madworld was in the early stages of development, Sega felt they could market mature titles to a profitable niche on the Wii. The company would release other ‘mature’ titles, but ultimately they failed in terms of sales. Let’s face it, there isn’t a lot of videogames dedicated to a male over the age of 18, who is looking for something a little more ‘adult.’ Sega thought releasing this content could potentially capture these men — sadly, there is not a bunch of people who fall under that demographic who own a Wii — according to how many people actually purchased these games.
The only way we could see a sequel to Madworld, is if some publisher felt the original game was just poorly marketed (which it was), and that it could feasibly sell better, as long as it was marketed right. Of course they would have to pick up the rights to the game, but until that happens, don’t wait for a Madworld 2.
Of course, a sequel doesn’t necessarily have to come out for the Wii.
According to ESPN, EA Sports is set to announce a classic game from the 16-bit era is returning. The sports website is reporting that the giant publisher has bought the rights to the 1990’s popular sports title NBA Jam and they plan on updating it exclusively for the Wii.
The rumor isn’t that far fetched, considering it was (is?) owned by the struggling Midway Games, but whom have recently started to sell off its assets. Although when those reports came out, I don’t remember NBA Jam being one of games mentioned. Obviously if this true, the game should have a major overhaul and I’m not just talking about the graphics.
NBA Jam was a pop-culture icon. Not only was it an over-the-top arcade basketball game, when the sport was at its peak, it had crazy characters and themes. From the famous phrase like “Boomshackalacka,” to playing as Bill Clinton; it was a game that many talked about during my childhood. While the gameplay was fun, it wasn’t perfect. What made it survive for so many years were the secretes. Unlike today when a game comes out, you can pretty much find whatever hidden easter-eggs it has on day one, thanks to the Internet — NBA Jam fans didn’t have that luxury back then. Back then, we found some secrets every month through gaming magazines or word of mouth and when you saw it for yourself — it was something special.
So while I look forward to what EA will do with the NBA Jam reboot, if it is true — I’m not sold on the idea just yet. To me, it will be nothing more than the newer arcade sport games they have developed recently like, Madden Arcade or NHL Arcade.
It should be noted that Midway at one point tried to bring back NBA Jam in 2004 for the PlayStation 2 and original Xbox. Sadly, the game didn’t live up to the hype and ultimately received not-so-great reviews by critics.
If you love Mario like the other millions of people roaming this planet, try not to weep while you watch this “uplifting” fan-made Mario tribute. It’s not that I’ll think any less of you as a person if water starts to leak out of your eyes — I for one had a hard enough time holding back the tears — but the problem is you’ll realize that you’re crying for a pixelated plumper. Stuff like that can only be unsafe psychologically because you start to question your own self worth. So I urge you, please watch to be entertained and don’t do anything stupid…
Last week, FInal Fantasy XIII saw a tremendous launch in Japan. The famous RPG series saw more than a million copies moved in the first day alone and by the time the forth day came around, Square-Enix had sold nearly two million units. Obviously, Japan’s love for role-playing games was still here; however, according to Media Create, this past week the numbers had slowed.
Kotaku is reporting that Media Create has tallied the total numbers of videogame sales in the Land of the Rising Sun, and Nintendo’s New Super Mario Bros. Wii had taken the top spot, something it has already done. The side-scrolling game moved about 506,000 copies and now has totaled almost 2.5 million. The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks for the DS, also published by Nintendo, debuted at number two selling about 291,000.
Final Fantasy XIII saw a drastic change since its first week launch and came in forth place overall and moved about 189,000 copies. Beating out the famous 13th installment of FF was the surprise hit, yet critically smashed game Tomodachi Collection, selling 227,000 and 2,317,000.
After the jump, check out the top ten best selling games in Japan. (more…)
