Even cynics like us have to admit at least a passing curiosity with the nerd orgasm that is Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe and its cross-universe roster. Earlier today we approached the game's production coordinator, Hector Sanchez, and while he would not let us in on the game's complete lineup, he admitted that the team is looking to feature between 20 to 25 characters, "split up evenly half and half, and then split up again between heroes and villains."
Additionally, while talking about possible alternate costumes or other unlockables, Sanchez told us that the team is "planning to support downloadable content," before stopping short and saying he "was going to say something" but couldn't. Downloadable characters seems the obvious source of his pursed lips, making us continue wondering what comic book icons will be further ground beneath the heel of Midway's floundering franchise.
The weekend before E3 is a magical time for video game trailer connoisseurs -- many game developers, in an attempt to get a head start on the hype frenzy, will release new media for their blockbuster titles in order to pique the interest of E3 attendees. Not exactly the wisest move, as most of these West Coast-bound bloggers will be spending most of their weekend deciding if it would be a fashion faux pas to bring a fanny pack to the convention, in order to house their digital cameras, iPhones, audio recorders, handheld gaming devices, and their precious energydrinks.
With our staunch anti-fanny pack mentality already set in stone, we're able to skip said deliberation and show you these trailers -- the first of which being the gameplay debut for Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. While our mind still boggles at the logistics of how Superman can even feel our measly human punches, the game looks gorgeous, and the mid-air combat between arena tiers looks badass. Hopefully, Midway's E3 booth will give us a chance to get our hands on MK vs. DC, and, as a result, murder some of our favorite childhood heroes.
Let's face it -- one of the main things that has set Mortal Kombat apart from its contemporaries throughout the years has been its inclusion of flagrant acts of grisly violence. When Ed Boon explained that the upcoming Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe would explore the softer side of the series with Teen-rated acts of pugilistic carnage, many fans were upset, as it seemed their thirst for evisceration would go unslaked. The latest salvo of screenshots for the brawler from Midway might confirm or ease your fears of a censored MK title -- no, there's no evidence of any impromptu spine-removal procedures, but there's pummeling and arm-breaking aplenty. Does the latest entry in the toasty franchise look gruesome enough for your sinister bloodlust?
Breaking a new title into the MMO market is difficult, as any game developer whose name isn't synonymous with an overabundance of frosty precipitation will attest -- especially when your title fits into a particular niche already explored by another developer. For instance, NCSoft's City of Heroes cornered the super hero MMO market when it debuted in 2004, creating an intimidating hurdle that other online vigilante simulators have yet to attempt to vault.
The latest issue of Edge magazine features an interview with Jim Lee, creative director for Sony's upcoming DC Universe Online, who reveals the steps Sony is taking to set their title apart from NCSoft's. With their inclusion of a number of recognizable faces from DC's voluminous roster, and their focus on making the title a "kick-ass hybrid between a traditional MMO and a first-person action console game", the apparent differences between the two games are clear. As long as there's a rich, intricate fish-controlling engine, we'll give it a shot.
In a brief interview with Gamespot, Midway's Ed Boon has (once again) discussed the return of fatalities in upcoming cross-brand brawler, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. The infamous finishing moves will be performed by all Mortal Kombatants and DC Comics villains, but not by any of DC's untarnished heroes. You know, the ones "who don't kill that often." Instead, nicer folks like The Flash will have "brutalities," moves which inflict pain upon the recipients without totally murdering them.
Of course, don't expect the levels of violence and depravity to be quite up there (down there?) with previous Mortal Kombat games, as Ed Boon mentions that this Unreal-powered showdown is still pushing a slightly Tamer boundary. "Certain animations, blood effects, and sound effects that we have in the game are really pushing the T-rating envelope," he said. We're sure gore hounds will find this worthy of debate, but we're more concerned about everything that happens before the fatality.
Let's hope E3 grants us the opportunity to beat the snot out of that smug Superman.
The high impact, mid-air fight between Sub-Zero and Batman (shown below the break) seems a little out of character for the Dark Knight, who's always been more about calculation and strategy than all out hand-to-hand Kombat. We're also a little worried about how the DC heroes' long-standing prohibition against killing is going to match up with the Mortal Kombat series' famously fatal, er, fatalities. But these kinds of academic nerd-concerns are hard to maintain when watching the concentrated 360- and PS3-fueled awesomeness on display in this video.
[Update: Gamespot has an interview with Project Lead Ed Boon that discusses the game's story and the balancing between the variously super-powered characters. The interview also confirm Superman's and Scorpion's somewhat obvious inclusion in the game. Gamespot's preview has more details]
According to Mortal Kombat Online, we don't have to wait for the big Noob.com reveal as they say a Midway source has confirmed to them that the next game in the series would be Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, a game originally rumored back in September.
Normally we'd be skeptical without a press release from Midway in our inbox, but MKO also nabbed the above image which we have to admit looks pretty darn authentic. Hopefully we'll get some more details later in the day about character rosters, but for now, you may be permitted to rabidly fantasize: What's your dream crossover battle?
Holy (adjective) (noun), Batman! Our second bit of Lego related news for the evening (this time, about a real game) comes in the form of this fantastic new trailer for Lego Batman: The Video Game. We're positive that fans of The Dark Knight can find something to get excited about in this video, whether it be the inclusion of fan-favorite villainess Harley Quinn, the hint of a Catwoman romance subplot, or the chance to see some sweet Lego Joker ass. If, you know, that's your thing.
If the first few pages of the first issue of the World of Warcraft comic tickled your proverbial fancy, then you might want to check out the online-only issue #0 that MTV Multiplayer recently put up. The series, which is being published by Wildstorm (a branch of DC Comics) and written by former Hawkgirl author Walter Simonson, seems to pay more attention to lore than most comic book adaptations of popular franchises. For instance, on page three, a level 6 human rogue runs up to a level 70 blood elf warlock, calls him a H0M0L0RD, and /spits on him twenty times.
You should be able to find issue #1 in your nearest Cheetos-scented comic book retailer this Wednesday.
Despite the rise of micro-transactions and pay-per-download content in the PC and console worlds, Valve recently announce it has no intention of charging for downloadables in games such as Counter-Strike and Team Fortress 2. Designer Robin Walker explains their logic that gives Valve a big gold star in our book: "You buy the product, you get the content ... We make more money because more people buy it, not because we try and nickel-and-dime the same customers."
Micro-transactions were innocent at first, but when we had to pay for horse armor in Oblivion and tutorials in Madden, the line had to be drawn. Kudos to Valve for a step in the "don't make the customers angry" (i.e. "right") direction.
Pointlesswasteoftime has been peeking into the future, and has prepared a list of the 12 best games from 2010. It's really nice to know that the Wii will still be dominating gaming by then. Speaking of the Wii, sign us up for those Star Wars: Jedi Saga and DC vs. Marvel: Superhero Brawl games. And seriously, have you heard of a better concept for a game than Killchain? That would seriously be extreme fun. Burnout is just the tip of the iceberg in setting up a series of accidents.
Of everything on the list, the one that has the best chance of coming true is World of Starcraft. Isn't it about time Blizzard just went ahead and told us that they're gonna make this for the crying masses? Maybe they'll wait until WoW subscriber numbers start dropping off, which doesn't seem like it'll be anytime soon ... looks like 2010 isn't a bad guess.
Posts with tag dc
Despite the rise of micro-transactions and pay-per-download content in the PC and console worlds, Valve recently announce it has no intention of charging for downloadables in games such as Counter-Strike and Team Fortress 2. Designer Robin Walker explains their logic that gives Valve a big gold star in our book: "You buy the product, you get the content ... We make more money because more people buy it, not because we try and nickel-and-dime the same customers." 
