Joystiq

Ludwig Kietzmann

- http://www.joystiq.com

Reality check: Super Mario Galaxy 2, Metroid: Other M not due 'til 2010

by Ludwig Kietzmann { 5 months ago }

Nintendo's newly announced sojourns into space, Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Metroid: Other M, are already sending avid Wii fans into convulsive seizures of glee (gleezures, if you will). Though it's the kind of behavior that blends well with the bustling E3 crowds, it's rarely professional for those of us trying to do work. As a preventative measure, we've etched the tragic facts of Nintendo's release schedule into our minds, bringing us down to earth from the galactic highs offered by Mario and Samus' returns.

They're currently not due until 2010. Gleezure contained.

Gallery: Super Mario Galaxy 2

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days launching on Sept. 58/2 [update]

by Ludwig Kietzmann { 5 months ago }

Keyblade-wielding vermin news now, with the announcement of the North American release date for Square Enix's awkwardly named DS RPG, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. Speaking at the Nintendo E3 2009 press conference, company president Reggie Fils-Aime noted that the game was slated to launch on September 44/2. We're sure you can't wait to learn more about the myth/math of the Kingdom Hearts universe!

Update: Square Enix has sent through an official announcement, which actually specifies a Sept. 29th release.

Joystiq live from Ubisoft's E3 2009 keynote

by Ludwig Kietzmann { 5 months ago }

We're live at Ubisoft's E3 2009 press conference, held at the Los Angeles Theater. Our initial approach has filled us with hope -- at the rate people are moving past the registration desk and into their seats, we're incredibly likely to see Beyond Good & Evil 2. Because it'll be done and on shelves.

Stay tuned for more -- and less bitter, we hope -- updates!

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Overheard@E3: Kudos to Kudo's Wii burn

by Ludwig Kietzmann { 5 months ago }

No doubt a little flustered by the woman wildly flailing about at the other end of the stage, Kudo Tsunoda slipped in a comment that, according to wicked modern parlance, could easily be classified as a "sick burn." The recipient? The Nintendo Wii, which will soon find itself competing against Microsoft's just-announced motion control system, "Project Natal."

Said Kudo: "This isn't the kind of game where you just end up on the sofa using some kind of preset waggle commands." Pheeeeeew.

NXE update: watch all media with your Xbox Live party

by Ludwig Kietzmann { 5 months ago }

Want to watch some Netflix movies, but afraid that your dilapidated couch's springs will grievously injure the tender buttocks of your lady friend? Well, try inviting her into your Xbox Live party*, which, according to Microsoft's E3 press conference, will soon support online, virtual couch viewing of all media -- including images, Netflix videos and your culturally outdated music.

Hey, anybody wanna watch Van Helsing with us? Hello?

Bungie confirms Halo: Reach, beta included with Halo 3: ODST

by Ludwig Kietzmann { 5 months ago }

Glimpsed briefly at Microsoft's E3 press conference: A teaser trailer for Halo: Reach! You're lucky to have us deliver you some incredibly surprising and well-researched facts! Here they come:

Bungie and Microsoft are working on a new Halo game, called Halo: Reach.
It's out in 2010.
Purchasing Halo 3: ODST will net you entry into the Halo: Reach Xbox Live multiplayer beta.
You will probably buy it.

Modern Warfare 2 map packs hitting Xbox Live first

by Ludwig Kietzmann { 5 months ago }

Modern Warfare 2 has officially joined the somewhat exclusive Microsoft DLC club. Infinity Ward's relentless first-person shooter will offer downloadable map packs (duh!), the first two of which will launch first on Xbox Live. The news came via Microsoft's E3 press, where Microsoft's John Schappert was keen to emphasize that the Xbox 360 version would lead the way in Modern Warfare 2's online component.

Which, with any luck, will be heavy on the snowmobile combat. Snowmobile combat!

Splinter Cell banner seemingly reaffirms Xbox 360 exclusivity

by Ludwig Kietzmann { 5 months ago }

click to hulk out banner

The recent re-emergence of Sam Fisher from the shadows of ... uh, awkward stealth game metaphors has prompted several questions: Where has the gravelly voiced assassin been for the last few years? Is Ubisoft still toying with social stealth? And is the game still exclusive to the Xbox 360?

A partial answer to the last question may be evident in the large Splinter Cell: Conviction banner draped across the Los Angeles Convention Center. It's notable not only for the distinct lack of self-pitying scruff, but for being the only banner to prominently display only the Xbox 360 and Xbox Live logos. Of course, as we've learned in the time since the game was first announced, "exclusive" doesn't always mean what we think it means.

E3 2009: A banner year

by Ludwig Kietzmann { 5 months ago }

A brief tour of the Los Angeles Convention Center -- soon to be swathed in flashing and impossibly loud video game booths -- reveals an early portent of E3's revitalization. Advertising has returned in full force, with humongous banners draped across buildings and video game characters towering over attendees.

Oh, and there's a bit of money-wasting eccentricity too. Try the gigantic pile of junk outside the South Hall (courtesy of the homeward-bound Rabbids?) or the cruel, cruel Final Fantasy XIII cast teasing their arrival in ... 2010. Click through our gallery and pretend you're there!

Gallery: E3 2009: A Banner Year

Alpha Protocol dev diary yaps about dialogue system, headslams

by Ludwig Kietzmann { 5 months ago }

This latest developer diary for Alpha Protocol, Obsidian Entertainment's forthcoming secret-agent-'em-up, certainly speaks for itself -- and for the game's dialogue system. Though the primary form of communication is verbal and varies between suave observations and snide retorts, we're most enamored with the delightful "headslam" option. In fact, that's probably going to be the modus operandi for our Jack Bauer impersonator once the game arrives in October.

Ex-KGB agent slow to spill secrets? Headslam. FBI director whining about reckless behavior? Headslam. Old lady giving eye witness account of terrorist activity? Headslam. Old lady with broken nose crying about getting headslammed for no reason? Headslam again.

NPD chronicles 100K debut for Riddick's Assault on Dark Athena

by Ludwig Kietzmann { 6 months ago }

Despite staying well outside the game media's chronicles of ridicule, Starbreeze's Vin Diesel star vehicle (note: not the one that's about him driving vehicles) failed to appear among the NPD group's list of top sellers for April. According to the NPD's Anita Frazier, The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena sold 100,000 units across all platforms during its debut month. Oddly, the NPD data includes figures for March, even though the official North American release was on April 7th.

Since Starbreeze's previous effort, gothic comic adaptation The Darkness, broke into the top ten in June 2007, Riddick's performance may seem disappointing, especially in the face of positive word-of-mouth and a relatively quiet release month. Without a new tie-in film to generate buzz, the impetus fell on Atari's marketing -- and it seems to have failed to convince gamers that Vin Diesel still has some gas left in him.

Atari hadn't responded to our calls at the time of publishing, nor our suggestion to feed Vin a spicy burrito.

Eidos Montreal's 'Thfourteeneff' now entering pre-production phase

by Ludwig Kietzmann { 6 months ago }

Eidos Montreal yesterday unveiled its second project, the curiously named and nigh-unpronounceable "Thfourteeneff." Though many speculate the fourth-coming game to be the latest title in the acclaimed Thief series, the unproven developer (which is also hard at work on the controversial Day o' Sex 3) has revealed little else beyond the moody logo seen above. Those hoping for a more substantial reveal may have a long wait ahead of them, as the studio's general manager, Stéphane D'Astous, told IncGamers that Thfourteeneff has yet to enter the pre-production phase.

With the conceptual stages behind it, Eidos Montreal is looking to hire an additional 40 designers, programmers, artists and other personnel to start full development and help "introduce this classic franchise to new fans." As for the target platforms ... well, who knows what we'll be playing on by the time the game arrives? "With the fast evolving world of hardware, there's a lot of things that will be happening in the following years so we need to be close to that," said D'Astous, "but either way, there's a lot of work to be done."

It remains to be seen how much Thfourteeneff will share with its supposed predecessors, created by Looking Glass Studios and then Ion Storm. If concept art, purported to be from the latter studio's efforts (see it after the break), is to be believed, Thief could have been (and may yet be) set in a more modern milieu. For the time being, all we're certain of is that Garrett will find himself in a fantasy world where a "4" sort of looks like the letter "E."

[Via VideoGamer.com]

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Joystiq review: Fable 2: See the Future (DLC)

by Ludwig Kietzmann { 6 months ago }

Click for more Blue Man Group

You can't really trust that Murgo guy. A trader by profession and a swindler by nature, Murgo returns to Bowerstone Market in Fable 2's "See the Future" add-on to sell you some odds, some ends and a few more plot devices. Seemingly unaware of the true nature of his own wares, the smooth-talking salesman offers several cursed items to you, each with a very low cost of entry. It's getting out that's tricky.

Gallery: Fable II: See the Future

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BigPark CEO: Xbox 360 exclusive will broaden audience, be playable at E3

by Ludwig Kietzmann { 6 months ago }

What prompts a giant like Microsoft -- amidst layoffs and studio closures -- to purchase a Vancouver-based developer that's barely two years old? Aside from boasting a collection of 20-year industry veterans that have had their hands in franchises like Need For Speed, SSX and NBA Street, BigPark Inc. benefited from having its ideas being "very compatible" with those of Microsoft.

That's according to BigPark CEO and co-founder Hanno Lemke, who spoke to us regarding Microsoft's recently announced plans to acquire the studio and its "extremely talented group of people." BigPark's titles (including free-to-play tower defense game, Wizard Defense) focus on online social play, digital distribution and a direct-to-consumer model. Lemke suggested that his company's upcoming Xbox 360-exclusive game, which has been in development for more than a year, would be in line with what it had released before. Resulting from a fortuitous "meeting of the minds" between BigPark and Microsoft, the game is unlikely to be a typical product aimed at the Xbox's hardcore audience (no space marines here!), instead fitting in with Microsoft's "big push to broaden the audience." A casual, free-to-play title would certainly fit the description, if one were to speculate.

Though Lemke refrained from offering much detail, he confirmed that the "very new and different" title would be playable at next month's E3 -- and that it would break some rules. "[It's] pretty innovative in how it's delivered to consumers," he remarked. And if there's any doubt that the game plays a pivotal role in an audience expansion strategy, consider just what prompts a giant like Microsoft to purchase a Vancouver-based developer that's barely two years old. "It obviously goes beyond one game, right?"

Microsoft to acquire BigPark, working on Xbox 360 exclusive

by Ludwig Kietzmann { 6 months ago }

What you know about BigPark probably isn't enough to fill a small garden -- but you'll likely be hearing a lot about the Vancouver-based company in the coming weeks. Microsoft has announced plans to acquire the group, which bills itself as an "interactive online entertainment company." Its founders, who came together in 2007, claim to share a goal of creating "great games in an inspiring and collaborative environment for highly talented and creative people." Though BigPark itself has yet to do so on its own, its members are said to have produced popular franchises such as Need for Speed and SSX. Update: BigPark's first project was a free-to-play tower defense game, called Wizard Defense.

Microsoft and BigPark -- now reporting to Microsoft Game Studios -- will "continue" collaborating on an Xbox 360-exclusive title, one that is likely to be unveiled at next month's E3. "We're looking forward to being part of the Microsoft Game Studios team, where we believe we can successfully contribute to shaping key Microsoft initiatives through fresh and engaging consumer experiences," said Wil Mozell , studio president and co-founder of BigPark. Mozell's name doesn't ring a bell, but another co-founder does: Don Mattrick, Microsoft's current VP of Interactive Entertainment Business.

According to BigPark's rather ambiguous website, its goal is to "expand gaming audiences around the world and bring them together through accessible and highly entertaining interactive experiences." Expanding audiences through accessible experiences? That definitely sounds like a part of Microsoft's ongoing attempts to put the Xbox 360 in the same space as Nintendo's Wii.

[Thanks, DanteSparda504]

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