BioWare has created some of the most sought-after games of this generation. FromMass Effect to Dragon Age, the studio has redefined RPGs for the home console. The company has been so successful that they announced last year that they are opening up a whole new studio in Montreal, Quebec, which means more original games will come out from the studio.
While having a live chat with Eurogamer earlier today, the CEO of BioWare Ray Muzyka confirmed with viewers that BioWare is developing titles for the PlayStation 3. When asked if some games, not necessarily for the PS3, will be unveiled at this year’s E3, he responded with the simple answer of “yes!”
Sadly, he didn’t reveal if we should expect completely new titles or sequels to already successful franchises. Although, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see something about Mass Effect 3, even if it’s a tease. Muzyka has confirmed the third installment of the space RPG is already in the early development stages.
What many call the best racing simulation of all time, is about to get better. Sony has unveiled the fifth installment of their highly-acclaimed driving game, Gran Turismo.
If you are a fan of the series, the biggest thing that should be glaring to you in the trailer is the car damage. While the franchise has always been known to be incredibly realistic, seeing the car become beat-up was never include with the installments. Though, it was because the developers, Polyphony Digital, didn’t have the talent to visually display damage, it was actually the fault of the car manufactures.
Car companies like Ferrari, refused their automobiles to show what an expansive car would look like if it hit a wall going 100 MPH. They thought it would have been a bad PR move. While we clearly see damage in the trailer, I’m not entirely convinced we’ll see some of the more high-end cars take it.
Another thing that was shown off in the trailer were NASCAR and WRC, further suggesting that Sony has even gained more licenses for their beloved racing franchise.
When game designer Hideo Kojima took the stage at the Xbox 360 briefing, he confirmed that Metal Gear Solid: Rising was coming to the Microsoft console. It was a bit of a surprise because Sony repeatedly suggested that the series would only be able to play on a PS3. After the conference, reports started to emerge that Rising would be an Xbox 360 exclusive, living the PlayStation 3 in the dark.
Luckily for owners of the Sony console, this isn’t the case. Journalist and TV host Geoff Keighley, tweeted that he spoke with SCEA head honcho Jack Tretton. According to Tretton, the PS3 will have Metal Gear Solid: Rising available the same time as the 360 launch.
“Spoke to Tretton – he confirmed Metal Gear Rising is absolutely coming to PS3 alongside Xbox 360.”
So, PS3 ‘fanboys’ can now relax knowing their going to also be able to play the next installment of Metal Gear. Which makes sense for Konami. Why at this point in the gaming industry would you make a popular game like MGS and alienate 25+ million people?
This isn’t a victory for either Sony or Microsoft. The true winner is Konami.
A few weeks ago, a trailer from Team Ico (Shadow of the Colossus) was release, and was titled Trico. This same game was rumored for sometime now, but only one single screen capture was shown. When this ‘leaked’ trailer was set loose to the internet hounds, many, including myself, thought it was quite impressive.
Guess what? A new updated trailer has been released thanks to E3, and it looks considerably superior. The textures, animations, lighting and even the boy’s expressions have been upgraded. Even simple If you don’t think it’s possible, check out this clip I have embedded above. The textures, the animations, lighting and even the boys expressions have been all upgraded to a realistic feel. Another thing that just drops my jaw, is the fur swaying rapidly from the wind.
Also, the name Trico has been officially changed to The Last Guardian, which I like better.
There is even a more exciting part about this game, than just the graphics alone. Not only can Team Ico create a stunning visual title, but they can match it with the gameplay too.
I would also like to mention how happy I am that they have kept the wonderful score. It really helps set the mode of the relationship between the monster and the small boy.
Today at the Nintendo Press Conference I had the pleasure of seeing the world unvailing of the Wii Vitality Sensor. Now this could be the next generation of gaming according to President Satoru Iwata. After the applauses quited at this unvailing – there wasn’t much else. Iwata showed some pictures of the device and some pictures of him using the Vitality Sensor – there wasn’t much after that. No games were demo’d just the promise that it could track your bodies vital stats.
One of the highlights of the Nintendo E3 Press Conference was Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days for the Nintendo DS. “The game centers on the daily life of the main character Roxas, exploring the time from his creation during the first game, Kingdom Hearts, and leading directly into Kingdom Hearts II. It features 3D graphics, and single and multiplayer modes of play.” The visuals looked to be catching up to PS2 and the whole storyline and action kept our attentions hardcore.
Easily one of the best announcements to come out of the Nintendo press briefing was Metroid: Other M. Other than the name being terrible, the game is looking mighty incredible.
First, Nintendo is working with Team Ninja (Dead or Alive) to development the next installment of Metroid. Although, it seems like a surprise, which it is, this isn’t the first time the Nintendo has worked with the studio. Members of Team Ninja worked on Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii, so the relationship must have grown for Nintendo to trust them with their beloved franchise.
Up top is the first trailer of game and boy does it look sick. The game has cinematic’ that compares with the Final Fantasy titles, which is a first for the series. Fans of the retro Metroids will be happy to know that 2D exploring is going to make a return, however, it will also go into a first-person mode which reminds me of the Prime games.
All in all, this is a game to look out for and should make hardcore Nintendo fans breath a little easier. Check out the awesome footage up top.
Adding to the Mario theme for E3, Nintendo announced a sequel to the New Super Mario Bros., however, this time it is for the Wii.
The game revolves around multiplayer, which will support up to four-players, which Nintendo cleverly calls “4D Mario.” Although, last time I checked, the forth dimension would mean ‘time itself,’ and not 4-players. Maybe Nintendo meant it was 4-Dumb. Okay, I’m kidding because the game actually looks fun.
The multiplayer is competitive in nature, however, you also need to work to together. Basically, it acts like co-op, until you need to screw someone over for your own personal gain — just like in real life.
‘New Super Mario Bros. Wii‘ is scheduled to come out this fall.
Check out the video up top and after the jump, check out the official description. (more…)
Nintendo has announced a sequel to their critically acclaimed game, Super Mario Galaxy 2 for the Wii. The first thing you’ll notice from the game is Nintendo will be bringing back the green dinosaur, Yoshi. Other than that, the game looks like a rehash of the original Galaxy, which came out in 2007. Although, is that really a bad thing? The first game is easily one of the best titles to be released this generation, on any platform.
However, that does not hide the fact that their is disappointment in the air after the conference. Many people here at the show were letdown by how it looks, because visually — it is the same.
Either way, I’m sure when Nintendo launches the game, it’ll receive great reviews. As of now, there isn’t a set date but it does look like it was far along in development, so I’m guessing later this year.
Right now, the most sought after video game convention in the country and perhaps the world, is going in Los Angeles. Because the show is an industry only event, the average gamer can’t attend E3. In theory, if they don’t work in the gaming world, there isn’t a way to get into the prestigious show. That one reason alone, scalpers are making a decent amount of cash just selling the passes. Clearly, this actually goes against the rules of the conference
Obviously, most people who want or want to sell a pass, are using the site Craigslist. People who have already been selected to attend the event, but would rather sell their badge to make money, are selling them anywhere from $150-$500. The prices very, which for the most part depends on how many days the purchaser would go for.
While I can’t be certain which attendees are selling their passes, I’m guessing it is a wide range of industry professionals; from the Media to employees of publishers/studios.
Although I understand that some people find it tempting to sell a pass for a few hundred bucks, I just couldn’t do it myself… and for a number of reasons. For one, it’s too risky. If for some reason I decided to sell my badge (it would never happen), there would be a chance that the person would get into trouble. If that were to happen, I’m pretty sure the expo would blacklist me from attending the show…forever. That alone would definitely not be worth it.
I also couldn’t sell my pass because I just love going to the show. Every year E3 comes around, I can’t wait. It truly is an event that would depress if I were to miss it for some unknown reason. It’s that good!
Obviously people know this because their spending a good amount of cash just to get in.
Ubisoft has confirmed that Crysis 2 will be making its way onto the PC, but also the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. For sometime, we already figured that this was going to happen, manly because when the company showed off the engine for the first time, they made a point to reveal what it could look like on the consoles. What was their motive to release Crysis 2 on the home systems? I’m guessing money.
The first game did sell well, considering it was only playable on a PC that had to contain some of the highest specs out there, however, it didn’t sell nearly as much as it could have. By releasing it on the Xbox 360 and PS3, they have just made it available to about 53 million more people.
Up top is the first teaser trailer for the next installment, although it’s pretty useless — it doesn’t show much.
Here is the trailer for the newly announced sequel Left 4 Dead 2, from Valve. Like we said earlier today, the second installment will feature a more combat based system. Sure, there will be long range firearms, but it looks like they might be a little scarce when compared to the first game. Once the player is out of ammunition, they will be forced to use everyday objects like a frying pan, and of course the gamers ultimate weapon — the chainsaw.
Judging by the trailer, the world where the undead lives once again, looks to be in the deep south. To be more specific, the New Orleans area.
After watching the trailer, it’s hard not to get excited about this next first-person shooter. I especially love the quote from the beginning of the video. “The last time I saw my grandmother, she asked me if I was still a praying man. I told her ‘yes ma’am’. Well she says, ‘pray harder’.”
Head developer of Modern Warfare 2 Jason West, took the stage earlier today, during the Xbox E3 briefing. Obviously West there to support and show off his anticipated first-person shooter, and boy is it looking good.
Up top is the full demo which was shown during the show, and hopefully what we will be playing this week on the show floor of the convention.
The clip starts of with a character, who gamers will control, mountain climbing in a blinding snow storm. The cool thing about this scene is it is fully playable, which should really help players feel immersive.
Of course this is Modern Warfare 2, so even though it looks like the game is going to add various mechanics to the gameplay, the most important aspect is the shooting.
Have no fear, it looks like it plays very similar to Modern Warfare 1, but with some added tweaks. My favorite thing I noticed was the animation of the enimeies getting shot. At one point of video, you will see the main character on the bottom of a hill, with enemies up top in a line looking down. As the player picks off each enemy, they suddenly fall to the snowy ground, and slide down the hill. Meaning, the environments really do look more interactive, and should help with the gameplay overall.
The demo has also confirmed that vehicles are playable, most notably snowmobiles. While it’s cool to include various elements of gameplay, I wasn’t to impressed with this particular moment of the game. The driving just didn’t seem to flow to well, and seemed out of place. Of course, I’m assuming this is a really small portion of the game, so even if it isn’t as fun as the rest of the game, it should not be that long until it is over.
It looks like Microsoft is trying to let the Web 2.0 trend continue and expand on their Xbox Live service. First we get word that they are allowing users to listen to LAST.fm straight to the Xbox console. Now, we hear that Xbox 360 owners who have Twitter and/or Facebook can access their accounts via Xbox Live.
If players choose to log onto their Facebook using the gaming online service, they will have access to all their friends on both Live and Facebook — all under the same page. You’ll also have the ability to post screenshots from the games you are playing straight to your Facebook profile. Th first game to take advantage of this feature will be Tiger Woods 10.
Twitter is going to be your average ‘Twitter account,’ but you’ll be able to accesses it through your NXE dashboard. I’m assuming there will be a way to update your 140 word status by simply pressing a button, and that will automatically say what game you are playing. Joy!
Dan Greenwaltof Turn 10 took the stage today at the Microsoft Xbox E3 press briefing today and unveiled the heavily rumored racing game, Forza 3. The game, which is scheduled to come out exclusively for the 360 in October, is the third installment to the highly praised racing simulation series. According to Greenwalt, Forza 3 will be “the definitive racing game of this generation,” and he promises the game is “inspired by all-things cars.”
Turn 10 will give players the ability to take out other cars they would be racing against, meaning it won’t be just another simulation and taking out other drivers is encouraged.
Forza 3 will feature a brand new graphics engine, and its promised to visually look better than ever before, all doing this while running at 60 frames-per-secound. One of the greatest things that the series offers is letting players create their own content — and this time around players can upload high-def video and it will include a video editor.
