Late Night Consoling
by Alec Matias, Jan 24, 2005 8:00pm PSTWe're now getting into the best part of the year for gaming news. E3 is less than four months away and everyone is trying fruitlessly to keep their big projects under wraps, but loose lips won't let that happen. Of course, the excitement is raised exponentially as this is the year where we'll see three new consoles and possibly the successor to the Game Boy. I remember taking this job not long after E3 2004; like two weeks after and ugh, I felt like I was disappointing management since there wasn't anything to talk about; everything was announced at E3. I also remember spending like five hours on my first LNC so I wouldn't look like an idiot, but I'm sure some of you will be quick to post that I failed.
- Konami told gamers to keep their eyes and ears open on January 27 as it had a surprise to share. Well, the proverbial cat is out of the bag. Konami is developing a new Castlevania game for the PS2 called Castlevania: Curse of Darkness. Players control Hector, a Devil Forgemaster who trained under Dracula, who is out for revenge against the other Devil Forgemaster, his old chum Isaac. Hector is out for revenge as Isaac is trying to frame Hector's wife for murder. The game is described as an action-RPG by producer Koji Igarashi, who wanted to make "a better 3D action game." The Belmont family will be included in some aspect of the game.
Konami's Big Secret: New 3D Castlevania
[ps2] - Namco will announce tomorrow that it plans to publish Arc the Lad Generation for a U.S. audience in May. For our market, it will undergo a name change to Arc the Lad: End of Darkness. The biggest feature going for this game is the ability to take the action online, allowing up to 4v4 versus matches or 4-player co-op.
Namco Exporting Arc the Lad Generation
[ps2] - Take-Two Interactive makes headlines again! This morning, they signed an exclusivity deal with the MLBPA and then later it was revealed they exercised an option in their publishing agreement with Sega to fully purchase Visual Concepts and its subsidariary, Kush Games. The deal also grants Take-Two rights to all its properties, which is basically all the 2K series of sports games. Supposedly, the sum of the purchase was $24 million. The low price could be a reflection of the company's loss of its flagship series, NFL 2K, and the ESPN naming rights.
Take-Two Buys Visual Concepts
[ps2] [xbox] - UK retailer Argos updated their online shopping site with a rather interesting listing: a new slimline PS2 in a sleek silver color. It was priced at 99 pounds, the same price as the standard black PS2. No other information is currently available, as Argos quickly removed the listing, and it's not sure if the console will make it to the states.
Slim & Silver PS2?
[ps2] - In a recent interview, SCE president Ken Kutaragi disclosed that over 4,800 Japanese gamers have sent in their PSPs for repair due to issues with the square button. The complaint is that the button is not sensitive enough, requiring it be pressed stronger than the others. Kutaragi admitted that it wasn't an issue with the PSP as it was part of the design. Because of its close proximity to the screen, the sensor under the button is a bit misaligned. Kutaragi stated, "This is the design that we came up with. There may be people that complain about its usability, but that's something which users and game software developers will have to adapt to. I didn't want the PSP's LCD screen to become any smaller than this, nor did I want its machine body to become any larger."
4,800 Gamers Unhappy with their PSP
[psp] - The rumors have been slamming the web recently. Over the weekend, a supposed source close to Nintendo divulged a few details about the company's upcoming console, Revolution. The highlights were integrated broadband, gyroscopes in the controllers, dual processors and a hard drive, use of the HD-DVD format, connectivity with the next-gen Game Boy, and Mario will available at launch. As for Sony's PlayStation 3, the Cell processor will reportedly run at a whopping 4.6GHz. Other tech bits about the Cell can be found here.
PS3, Revolution Rumors
[ps2] [gamecube] - That's the word coming from French gaming site Jeuxpo. Namco will release the latest entry in the series for the PS2, Xbox, GameCube, and an unannounced platform. (launch title for Xbox 2?) No other details were available, but it's definitely something to keep an eye on for E3.
Soul Calibur 3 in October?
[ps2] [xbox] [gamecube] - GameSpot talks with the EA producer of Batman Begins. GameBiz chats with the lead designer of FIFA Street. IGN finds an online version of the American PSP device manual and runs it down here.
Misc. Q&As/Features
[ps2] [xbox] [gcn]
Daily Filter: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13: The Masters, Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion
Dear Esther Mac port confirmed
Killing Floor hits a million sales, discounted on Steam
Jam Live Music Arcade announced for PS3, Xbox 360
Metal Gear Online to quietly die this summer
Comments
In other words you will buy it and like it even though it has design flaws. Give us your money and we will reward you by taking it and crapping all over you.
WTG Sony!
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Lament of Innocence had a fantastic battle system, but the level design was horrible, and everything was far too repetitious.
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LNC is still about the only thing I look forward to on a daily basis here at Teh Shack.
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http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=4848
1 Dragon Quest VIII Square Enix PS2 3.3 million
2 Pokemon FireRed/LeafGreen The Pokemon Company GBA 2.4 million
3 Dragon Quest V Square Enix PS2 1.6 million
4 Pokemon Emerald The Pokemon Company GBA 1.4 million
5 World Soccer Winning Eleven 8 Konami PS2 1.0 million
6 Sangoku Musou Koei PS2 1.0 million
7 Jissen Pachi-Slot Hisshouhou: Fist of the North Star Sammy PS2 0.9 million
8 Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater Konami PS2 0.7 million
9 Gran Turismo 4 SCE PS2 0.7 million
10 Derby Stallion 04 Enterbrain PS2 0.6 million
The biggest surprise here - as most of you will notice, is Derby Stallion 04 only coming at number 10 when last years title, Derby Stallion 03, was number 2 on the year end charts.
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In what order should I play the games? I currently have Resident Evil and Resident Evil 0, but I can see there's a RE2, RE3: Nemesis and Resident Evil - Code: Veronica X. In which order should I play through all these, and the fourth one? I wanna get them in the right order, but I'm a bit confused as to how they're "supposed" to be played.
I'm guessing something like 1 -> 0 -> 2 -> 3 -> Veronica X -> 4, perhaps?
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check out the alignment of the square button.
http://www.gamesarefun.com/consoles/psp/square.jpg
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Thank you Japanese gamers! For being the US PSP beta testers. It's great that by the time the PSP ships here must/all the bugs have been squashed.
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Offering additional testimony praising the handheld, Kutaragi said, "I believe we made the most beautiful thing in the world. Nobody would criticize a renowned architect's blueprint that the position of a gate is wrong. It's the same as that."
W.T.F????????????? First off, you WOULD criticize it, if you had to use that building every day and the gate got stuck while you were on your way in.
Secondly, people are PAYING FOR THIS THING. It is NOT a piece of art, it is a piece of merchandise.
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Headline should read:
"Thousands of US gamers happy to have their toys tested on Japanese guinee pigs first."
http://www.shacknews.com/ja.zz?id=9424492
Help me with Resident Evil 4 round two ;'(
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I liked how it looked, so I made it unplayable.
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The Shack is always clamoring over online co-op games. This one has that AND is an RPG. I hope to see a lot of you online playing this one!
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