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EA's Facebreaker trailer makes its debut, lacks gameplay
We've been entranced with EA's Facebreaker since they announced it a little over a week ago. With its lighthearted attitude and Fight Night Round 3 meets Team Fortress 2 visuals, we can't help but hearken back to long summer nights spent playing Ready 2 Rumble Boxing on the Dreamcast. However, we shouldn't get our hopes up without knowing anything about the gameplay, which, unfortunately, this "world premier" from GameTrailers doesn't really shed much light on. I guess we'll have to wait until the game is fully detailed in the March issue of EGM before we'll know if we can ever relive our Days of Afro Thunder.
EA reveals 'Facebreaker,' a tooned-up Fight Night
Those approaching the fun will find an inevitably "colorful" cast of playable caricatures to choose from, including "Latin lover" Romeo and "an oversized Russian demolitions expert" called Molotov. If you'd prefer to have your own face broken, you can either integrate a personal photo via Game Face technology or simply wear your Tingle costume when buying the game from the store.
More Facebreaker details can be found in the March 2008 issue of EGM.
EA to stop online support for six PSP games
- FIFA Soccer 06
- FIFA World Cup 2006
- Fight Night Round 3
- Madden NFL 06
- NBA Live 06
[Via PlayStation boards]
Fight Night elbowing its way onto the Wii?
While it's still in the discussion stages -- don't listen when your buddy runs up, throws a left hook, and dances around your prone form crowing about Fight Night -- it does seem that there's a good chance that EA's boxing game will make an appearance on the Wii. In an interview with Doghouseboxing.com, producer Michael Blank focused on the need to tailor the controls and the foundation laid in Wii Sports to accommodate the level of detail and realism in Fight Night. We don't think it'll take as much work as they insinuate (Blank is trying hard to distance his boxing sim from the simplistic play in Wii Sports), but at the same time, it's heartening to hear an EA rep say that they're not going to port a game unless they can do it right.
Of course, that doesn't mean that's what's going to happen. After all, Fight Night Round 3 went to the PSP. But a girl can dream, can't she?
Fight Night producer ponders Wii version
If you've grown tired of furiously pummeling those smiling Miis in Wii Boxing, there's hope for you yet. Speaking to Gabriel Montoya of Doghouseboxing.com, the producer of Fight Night Round 3 explains that a Wii entry into the fisticuff franchise is currently being discussed within the towering offices of EA. "We're contemplating and we definitely feel there are some exciting things we can do with the Fight Night franchise and the Wii," says Michael Blank. "When you play Wii Boxing it is a very simple experience and I think that is what they designed it to be just to let you know that you can throw punches. With Fight Night we have an amazing simulation of Boxing and so we need to take those Wii controls and tailor it to what the Fight Night consumer might want to experience." Though nothing definitive has been announced, Fight Night Round Wii seems like an inevitability.
With SSX Blur showing EA's willingness to embrace an alternative control set and Wii Boxing providing a solid, albeit simplistic boxing example, the way is paved. Even if it is with bloody teeth.
[Via CVG]
Assassin's Creed nominated for Visual Effects Society awards
Come February 11 Assassin's Creed could be taking home two Visual Effects Society awards, for 'Outstanding Real Time Visuals in a Video Game' and 'Outstanding Pre-Rendered Visuals in a Video Game', as the visual effects organization hosts its fifth annual awards ceremony at the Kodak Grand Ballroom in Hollywood, CA. A pair of impressive accolades would certainly look good on the retail box, but how can a game with an unconfirmed release date be considered for a real time visuals award next month?We suppose nominating Assassin's Creed for pre-rendered kudos (based on the trailer?) is admissible (as long as the game doesn't win), but don't go heralding Ubisoft's title as a real time effects masterpiece when a playable demo isn't even publicly available. Why not consider Assassin's Creed for a VES award next year; and give credit to current games instead? As it stands, the PlayStation 3 version of Fight Night Round 3 is the only other title nominated in this year's 'Real Time Visuals' category.
Best of the rest: James's picks
Bully (PS2)
Bully is my current favorite and has renewed my faith in Rockstar as a forward-moving publisher. The familiar game mechanics don't feel stale in this decidedly more innocent universe. Bully relies more on mischief than shock value, a relief, as are the smaller scale and lower difficulty level (really, the missions are simply less frustrating than some of the tedious tasks that abound in the GTA series). Bully isn't deserving of 'Game of the Year' honors, but Rockstar Vancouver's effort is one of the most refreshing and outright fun titles of 2006. [See also: "Dissecting Rockstar's formula"]
Def Jam isn't alone, new fighter from EA
1UP is reporting that EA Chicago, in addition to Def Jam: Icon and the next Fight Night, is working on another fighter. The announcement from EA declares that they are working on "a licensed title and a new intellectual property in the fighting videogame genre." We have no idea what the licensed title could be, but 1UP suggests that the new IP might be the rock and roll version of Def Jam, allowing players to pit the likes of David Bowie and Gene Simmons against each other. While the idea is interesting, we'd rather see EA create an entirely new fighter so they can spend time tuning the gameplay instead of the concept. How about the rest of you? Would you like to see Green Day face off with Metallica, or would you rather have something new?
In-game ads adapting
While in-game ads aren't new, Wired News explores recent additions to the trend. Some advertisements are becoming more overt, while other forms of product placement are more subtly placed in games.Adidas uses the product-placement route with frequent branding in NBA Live 07. Burger King takes the obvious, if comical approch in Fight Night Round 3, with an unlockable King mascot character who joins your ringside entourage.
Acclaim plans a different approach with free, ad-supported MMO games; pop-up ads from corporate sponsors would let you know which real-world company just paid for your in-game sword. We're interested in seeing how gamers view that tradeoff, but clearly there's a line where too many ads will scare players away.
See also: Grand Theft Auto: Coca-Cola City
See also: The King is in your Xbox 360
PS3 gets upgraded FNR3
Let it be known that we don't ignore positive Sony news at 360Fanboy: Recall last week's announcement that EA will grace the PS3 with an upgraded version of Fight Night: Round 3 including a first-person mode, ESPN integration, and some minor graphical polish. When I first heard this, I was annoyed that there are no plans to release this stuff as downloadable content on XBLM. Then I realized, by the time Joe Average gets his hands on PS3, we'll likely be enjoying Fight Night Round 4. Still, it's nice that PS3 fanboys have something to cling to in their hour of need. Maybe EA should throw in some 1080p Burger King ads to really spread the cheer.
Fight Night 3 slaps a shiner on the PSP
Fight Night Round 3 may look all sweaty and pretty on the Xbox 360, but just try lugging that whirring next-gen behemoth and a TV onto a bus for some portable game time and you'll appreciate the sleek, fits-in-your-pocket-ness of the PSP now that it's finally landed, bruises and all, at a store in your neighborhood. Plus, with the twenty bucks you could save by buying the PSP version, you can pay someone to pat yourself on the back for being so thrifty.
