heavy metal suicide

Stories for March 10, 2008

2008-03-10T11:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the extended away time. I promise it won't happen again. Anyways, onward...

- The Konami/Mercury Steam game is quite surprising, and fairly exciting.. It is pretty different from what Mercury Steam has worked on so far.
- Speaking of exciting and mysterious games, Project RedLime will be unveiled very soon. It's awesome.
- A non-PSP version of Patapon is planned.
- Soulstorm does indeed conclude the Dawn of War series. Fret not, for THQ will unveil an all-new Warhammer game later this year.
- EA will bring a few of their major "usual suspect" perennial franchises to the iPhone, such as Need for Speed and some sports games. They have a few original projects in the works as well, aside from Spore, as well as some The Sims spin-offs, and some typical mobile phone titles. Other publishers with iPhone plans include THQ, Activision/Activision Blizzard, Atari, Gameloft, PopCap, Namco Bandai, Disney, and 2K Games. Super Monkey Ball is not Sega's only iPhone title. A well-known competitive FPS title will arrive with online options. Several publishers are preparing "brain training" titles, as well.

Notes for February 21, 2008

2008-02-21T10:23:00.000-08:00

Yes, they will be unveiling GoldenEye tomorrow.

And yes, I'm trying to find out what Project RedLime is. I don't think it's Wing Commander...

That is all.

Notes for February 18, 2008: Temporarily Away

2008-02-18T06:57:00.000-08:00

Sorry, readers, but I may be a little busy for the next few days. I have an important and exciting event to attend this week...in fact, I'm on my way directly there now.

In the meantime, don't hesitate to continue posting questions. If I do find time in the evenings to post and respond, I will.

Stories for February 16, 2008

2008-02-16T02:34:00.000-08:00

- Expect to see a little of Warner Bros' Speed Racer game soon. Don't expect to be terribly impressed, though.

- I'm surprised that Midway hasn't shown the new Gauntlet yet.

- The amazing Mirror's Edge is also due for a proper unveiling before too terribly long.

- Plans have changed regarding The Lord of the Rings: The White Council, since I last mentioned it. It is dead now, replaced by Pandemic's LOTR project. The Hobbit is still coming, anyways.

- EA has plans for Battlefield Heroes-esque installments of quite a few of their properties, including Medal of Honor, Need for Speed, and some sports titles.

Stories for February 13, 2008:

2008-02-13T10:20:00.000-08:00

- Red Alert 3 looks really awesome.
- Spore Creatures is also really terrific.
- Not long ago, there was some brainstorming at EA about bringing back Ultima (to match the new Wing Commander, perhaps), but that's all backburner'd for now.
- Codemasters' is working on a follow-up to DiRT. It will apparently feature a dedication to the late Colin McRae. On a related note, Race Driver: GRID and Operation Flashpoint 2 are both looking quite nice.
- Activision/Neversoft really have no shame. The new Tony Hawk game is more than just a little inspired by skate. People call EA derivitive, but yeesh...
- I doubt that Blizzard will be using GDC to show off either Hydra or Diablo III. It is my understanding that the Diablo III unveil is currently pegged for E3, while Hydra's coming out date is still a mystery.

Stories for February 7, 2008

2008-02-07T16:40:00.000-08:00

I'd like to address the uproar I've seen in a few different places over my comments regarding Kingdom Hearts III. This hasn't come up amongst my comments much, so this isn't so much directed there, as much as it is at a few forums where I've seen discussion about my statements.

Now certainly, I do not at all object to people questioning or disbelieving or even completely disregarding my statements. I don't expect to be believed unquestioningly by all because indeed, I am merely a humble blogger sharing info that I cannot rightly prove to be true. I rather encourage all of my readers to think for themselves, and to only believe me if they personally choose to do so. So, this not me being upset at people who don't believe my info. This is just a follow-up to and expansion of my original story, for those who want more info.

Let me begin by saying that what I was told about the plans for the game, I was told a number of months ago. Things may have changed since then, certainly. This game is a long ways off; it's only in the planning stages at the moment. Any and everything about it could change between now and the time it enters actual production. So could market conditions.

But I maintain that what I said is true. I was told, by an involved party, that the current target platform for Kingdom Hearts III (as in "III," and not a spin-off) is the Nintendo Wii. This is due to one thing, predominantly: demographics. Yes, Kingdom Hearts has most certainly attracted a considerable following of those who can't count their age on all of their digits combined. Yes, Disney and Square-Enix know this. But the fact is, this is still a franchise targeted most squarely at 9-to-14-year-olds. And at this moment, the Wii is far and away the top performer among this age group.

Disney (whose interest and investment in the property is at an all-time high) wants this game marketed to and targeted at the largest audience possible, while keeping it on one of the three new systems, and they've decided that the Wii is the system to do this on. Disney feels absolutely no loyalty whatsoever to Sony (or anyone else) or the PlayStation family. They know they've got a hot property here, and they are not letting anything stand in the way of taking it as far as possible. As of right now, they don't think that the PlayStation 3 is the platform that will facilitate this.

That so many found this such an outrageous idea really surprises me. This isn't about personal preference, or what system you personally think is the best, and most certainly, none of this story has anything at all to do with me or my feelings. This is about demographics and marketing, and what Disney feels will allow this series to go as far as it can. So, I repeat: I have been told that Disney wants Kingdom Hearts III on the Nintendo Wii.

Anyways, enough of this. We now return to our irregularly scheduled program...

- This all reminds me that plans for an animated Kingdom Hearts project are not necessarily permanently scrapped, just way on the back burner for now.

- For the few people out there who are wondering and looking for closure, it seems as though the long-dormant plans for a North American release of Nintendo's bit Generations series have completely disintegrated. Pity.

- Capcom does have plans for a North American release of Kabu Trader Shun; expect it to be branded as "Ace Stock Trader."

Stories for February 1, 2008

2008-02-01T06:02:00.000-08:00

- Someone told me that the Wii-exclusive Metal Gear title is somehow related to the Game Boy Color's Metal Gear: Ghost Babel.

- Criterion's Black 2 will feature a full compliment of online multiplayer modes (with co-op a possibility), unlike it's predecessor.

- I don't know the current status of the game, but during Rockstar Vancouver's first brainstorming sessions for a follow-up to Bully, one of the ideas they came up with was a very similar title starring a female counterpart to Jimmy Hopkins. They (at least semi-seriously) referred to this game concept as, I kid you not, Tough Cookie.

Stories for January 29, 2008

2008-01-29T06:52:00.000-08:00

- Luxoflux should be ready to show off their new game at E3 at the latest (it's not another True Crime, thankfully).

- On a related note, Vigilante 8 Arcade is still coming to XBLA later this year.

- PROPE will be unveiling their original Wii game "before TGS." Sega has optioned the publishing rights.

- Just Cause 2 looks much better than the first.

- Marvel Universe Online and Untitled Marvel Fighting Game may both be dead and buried in shallow graves, but Raven will still have Marvel: Even More Ultimater Alliance (tentative title) ready by next Spring.

Stories for January 27, 2008

2008-01-27T15:24:00.000-08:00

- At the moment, it's a safe bet that you'll be able to play as both Star Wars characters in both versions of Soul Calibur IV (and that you'll have to pay a few extra bucks to do so via DLC; in fact, I almost expect Namco to pull an "EA," and have the data actually on the discs, which you then pay to unlock).

- An exclusive Metal Gear game on Wii? Totally. Note the lack of the word "Solid."

- Suda 51 and Hideo Kojima's Project 'S' will absolutely result in a new Snatcher game, but not until Suda and Kojima's current projects are done.

- A Cloverfield game? Nah...not right now anyways. Perhaps for the sequel.

Stories for January 14, 2008

2008-01-14T21:18:00.000-08:00

- The identity of Factor 5's upcoming Wii game is...Turrican! Nothing from the Thornado era of the game's long development is being used here. Expect some essence of Metroid Prime, mixed with some massive scale, on the order of Shadow of the Colossus.

- Gran Turismo 4 Mobile is most definitely dead.

Stories for January 3, 2007

2008-01-03T06:24:00.000-08:00

Happy new year.

- id Software has a release cycle worked out that they usually follow with little deviation. Wolfenstein, then Doom, then Quake. This pattern first played out from 1992-1999, again from 2001-2005, and you can expect it to repeat again in the same order from 2008 to 2013, only this time, Rage will join the mix in 2009.

Stories for December 29, 2007

2007-12-29T14:14:00.000-08:00

Greetings again. Sorry for the dry spell...holidays and all, doncha know. Anyways....

- Disney's Avalanche Software studio will deliver a tie-in game for next year's Bolt (which was once known as American Dog).

- If Fallout 3 lives up to their commercial expectations, ZeniMax (Bethesda's corporate parent) has every intention of acquiring the dormant Fallout MMO property from Interplay, for development as their fledgling online studio's second MMO title. What will be the first? Elder Scrolls, of course.

- id/Raven's Return to Castle Wolfenstein II (don't expect that name to stick) is still on track for 2008, and it looks terrific.

By the way,

2007-12-19T21:02:00.001-08:00

I'm up for answering questions related to the subject of this blog, if anyone cares to pose any. Just leave them in the comments, if you please, and I'll do the best I can.

Stories for December 19, 2007

2007-12-19T10:50:00.000-08:00

- Like Dark Mirror before it, PSP "exclusive" Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow will receive an enhanced PS2 port at some point in the future. So will Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters, Silent Hill: Origins (these two are old news, I know), and God of War: Chains of Olympus (this one isn't such old news).

- Had all gone according to Midway's plan, BlackSite 2 would be arriving in Summer 2009. Of course, Midway's plan didn't include BlackSite 1 being a critical and commercial failure, so scratch that one for now.

- Rare intends to create at least a couple more XBLA games (Microsoft was pleased with the quick turnaround on Jetpac Refuelled), at least one of which will feature Mr. Pants, Banjo-Kazooie 3 will arrive in 2008 (barely), and the Killer Instinct 3 tease seen in the 2007 Rare Christmas Card is not a joke in the slightest. They really aren't working on a Jet Force Gemini sequel, though.

Howdy, Surfer Girl

2007-12-16T23:46:00.000-08:00

Howdy, Surfer Girl. Perhaps you and I could compare notes sometime, seeing as how we definitely have similar info and perhaps the same source on at least one story (we also both seem to like the words "things," "akin," and "component"), though one of us saw fit to share the scoop 6 days earlier than the other. ;)

Stories for December 15, 2007: Of Dinosaurs and Light Cycles

2007-12-15T14:45:00.000-08:00

Disney's next task for it's Propaganda Games division is a sequel to the studio's nearly-complete Turok reboot. Not exactly shocking, but more quality dino-slaying is always welcome. The really enticing story, however, is what Propaganda will be tackling after Turok 2.

Disney's film division is finally building steam for the long-awaited movie sequel to the pioneering cult classic Tron, with a director, writers, and producers lined up, and Jeff Bridges just waiting for the call to climb aboard. It looks like Disney has big plans for Tron, and are hoping to breed a blockbuster of Pirates-caliber. Of course, a movie this big is going to have a tie-in game, and Disney has already selected Propaganda to helm the project.

It's rumored that the internet will be a key element, or perhaps even the focus of the new film's plot (which may or may not disregard the events of Tron 2.0), and this will hopefully translate into some really interesting online elements for the new game. There's some huge potential for this project, and though it's a couple years off, I'm already eagerly anticipating Tron's return.

Stories for December 13, 2007: My Lord of the Wings Commander

2007-12-13T15:49:00.000-08:00

- MySims has done well enough for a sequel of sorts (or few, seeing as how this is EA we're talking about) to get the greenlight.

- EA will have a game based on the film version of The Hobbit, once that movie actually comes together (so, probably not until Winter 2010).

- On a related note, The Lord of the Rings: The White Council is not cancelled. It has been placed on a long hiatus for "extensive retooling," but you can still expect to play it on the current generation of consoles.

- Wing Commander is coming back. And no, not another XBLA game with a tacked-on WC motif. This one is going to be huge.

Stories for December 12, 2007

2007-12-12T16:58:00.000-08:00

- Gran Turismo 4 Mobile is not coming out in 2008. More than likely, it's not coming out at all. Also, while it won't be coming out on PS2 as originally planned, Kazunori Yamauchi still wants to make something of his pet project Gran Turismo for Boys. To my understanding, Yamauchi is considering starting it over from scratch as a game for PlayStation Network and/or PSP.

- Halo Wars will be released on PC about a year after the 360 version. I can also guarantee that Halo 3 will be released on PC eventually, but we'll all be considerably older by the time that happens.

- Dead Rising 2 will come after Lost Planet 2.

- Capcom will release a new flagship Mega Man game on the consoles by 2010. This game will be the first in yet another new division of the franchise, instead of directly continuing any of the others. The early ideas for the game show some enormous ambition; expect something big. In the meantime, Capcom will continue milking the cow and release another half-dozen titles in the Mega Man Star Force series.

Stories for December 9, 2007: Blizzard things

2007-12-09T07:22:00.000-08:00

- The multi-platform tie-in game based on the upcoming Warcraft movie is being developed by the Blizzard "team 3" that used to be Swingin' Ape Studios. This is the "totally awesome" game that some Blizzard employees were referring to as "Hydra" at the Austin GDC earlier this year. Also, StarCraft: Ghost is not secretly still in active development at the moment, but it's the next thing on this team's to-do list after the Warcraft movie game is finished.

- The "next-gen MMO" that Blizzard has been hiring for is Diablo III, which probably won't go into actual development until well into next year. This will be the third time the game has entered production. It's going have both an MMO component (expect something more akin to Guild Wars, and less like World of Warcraft), and a traditional single-player component. There should be a fancy cinematic announcement trailer at some undetermined games industry event during 2008.

Stories for December 7, 2007: Medal of Honor in for some changes

2007-12-07T13:57:00.000-08:00

Activision's Call of Duty 4 has sold 3 million copies in only a month's time, and has been awarded outstanding, 90%+ reviews almost across the board. Meanwhile, EA's Medal of Honor: Airborne sold about a half-million units before completely dropping off the charts, and was met with tepid 75%-ish reviews from most critics. This so-so reception followed a fairly troubled development cycle, which saw the game go over-budget, switch engines halfway through development (from Renderware to UE3), and suffer a nearly year-long delay (after which many players still think that the game feels rushed).

Medal of Honor peaked commercially with 2002's Frontline, which sold well over 7 million copies, and EA is acutely aware of the franchise's dramatic decline in popularity since that game. They know that the series needs a serious shot in the arm. Thus, the next core game in the series, which has been in development at EA Los Angeles since mid-summer, will be distinctly different from it's predecessors. In case you haven't already guessed, yes, EA is taking a page from Activision's playbook, and will be bringing Medal of Honor into the modern era, with the next core game set in, surprise, the Middle East, a few years in the future. In an amusing twist that creates some familial continuity with the other games in the series, the player character will be the grandson of Jimmy Patterson and Manon Batiste.

The game, which doesn't have a concrete subtitle yet but is being referred to internally by the simple codename "Medal of Honor X," will be coming to 360/PS3/PC in winter 2008. There will also be unique versions coming to PSP, DS, and Wii, which will be handled by EA Canada and their resident Team Fusion. Expect an official announcement and first peeks in March or April.

beginnings

2007-12-04T21:07:00.000-08:00

Greetings. I shall go by, for the purposes of this blog and none other, the name "skaterboy." (Lame, I know, but it's the best I could do on short notice, as I just decided to do this. I might change it later.)

Here there will be exclusive videogame news tidbits, as well as stories about unreleased games you might not have heard of. These will be different stories from surfergirl's, as we have different sources.

Oh, and also, a promise from me to you: No politics here. Ever.

See ya.