Late Night Consoling

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I picked up a couple game related books and I hope to start one after this goes up. The first is High Score! The Illustrated History of Electronic Games. Lemme tell you, it means business. This thing is frickin' STUFFED with high-quality pictures of equipment, games, screenshots, even photos from inside the early days of companies, such as Electronic Arts and id Software. Every page is color on very high-grade glossy paper, so I'm trying hard to be careful with it; it's just plain beautiful. Also picked up Power Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life. This book comes highly recommended from many industry professionals and it too has plenty of images to enhance the information. I'll let you know how I liked 'em when I finish them, but if you also want to get behind the scenes, the two books I recommmend are Opening the Xbox by Dean Takahashi and The Ultimate History of Video Games by Steven Kent.
  • Resident Evil 5 Confirmed

    [ps2] [gcn]

    EGM interviewed the man behind Resident Evil 4, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, and the designer confirmed that development on Resident Evil 5 is currently underway. "We are going to do a Resident Evil 5, of course, but as for exactly what it will be like...that's something we're busy thinking about right now... [RE4] is the start of a new story line. In other words, when you think of it that way, then it's safe to say that RE5 will naturally proceed from where RE4 left off."

  • Atari and Spark Unlimited Team Up

    [ps2] [xbox] [gcn]

    Atari and Spark Unlimited announced a new partnership that will have Spark Unlimited developing titles exclusively for Atari. The first game, in development for next-generation consoles, is described as taking advantage of "full multi-media potential, which Atari will look to exploit in film, television and consumer products." The product will be unveiled in the Spring, most likely at E3, but will release in the fall of 2006.

  • Another Console Tour for Call of Duty

    [ps2] [xbox] [gcn]

    Activision sent out a rather brief press release saying that a new console Call of Duty is in the works. Set for release this fall, both Gray Matter and Treyarch will handle the development, now that Spark Unlimited, the developers behind the original CoD console game, is tied to Atari.

  • Revolution Update

    [nintendo]

    Nintendo president Satoru Iwata was interviewed by a foreign publication and had a few things to say about the company's next-gen console, codenamed Revolution. He said, "If the next generation platforms are going to create even more gorgeous looking games using further enhanced functionality, and if that next-gen market can still expand the games industry, then I'm afraid that third-parties may not support Nintendo." However, he cited the success of the DS as a reason why the system may flourish. "Therefore I believe there should be more third parties who are willing to support Nintendo's new ideas," he added.

  • $60 for Next-Gen Games?

    Sony had their annual meeting with retail partners and Sega was there showing off its next-gen title Condemned. Prices became a topic of discussion and sources within the show claimed that Sega said they will sell the game for $60. Sega also speculated that EA would sell its next football game for $70.

  • Misc. Q&As/Features

    [ps2] [xbox] [gcn]

    Another Shane Kim interview, who is the head of Microsoft Games Studios, this time with GameSpot. GameSpy has a video interview with Garrett Young about Forza Motorsport. IGN chats with those in charge of the sound design for Killer 7.

Misc. Media/Previews

PS2

GamerFeed has an in-depth look at SOCOM 3. A trailer for Makai Kingdom can be found at GameSpot. IGN takes a look at Atelier Iris.

Xbox

TeamXbox has impressions of the multiplayer mode for SpikeOut: Battle Street. GameSpot has footage for Top Gear RPM Tuning.

Portable

GameSpy previews Ape Escape: On the Loose (PSP). GameSpot has impressions of the PSP titles NFL Street 2 Unleashed, Tales of Eternia, Tiger Woods PGA Tour, NBA Street Showdown, and FIFA Soccer 2005. They also have a feature preview of Retro Atari Classics (DS) and trailers for Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade (PSP) and Nanostray (DS). IGN gives us the latest on Pac-Man Pinball Advance (GBA).

Multi

GamerFeed gives us the low down on 25 to Life (PS2, Xbox) and Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks (PS2, Xbox). GameSpot takes a look at TimeSplitters: Future Perfect (PS2, Xbox, GCN). WorthPlaying has shots of Predator: Concrete Jungle (PS2, Xbox). Gaming Horizon spends time with Lego Star Wars (PS2, Xbox). IGN updates their preview of Psychonauts (PS2, Xbox) and posts new videos for NARC (PS2, Xbox).

Console Game Of The Evening [Submit Yours!]

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom for the NES. "A game that featured both whips and children (Insert hilarious and topical Michael Jackson reference). Still, much fun was had with this one." (submitted by BrodieMan).

From The Chatty
  • reply
    March 4, 2005 8:04 PM

    I have read The Ultimate History and High Score. Both real good.

    • reply
      March 4, 2005 8:50 PM

      I've read "Opening the Xbox" and it was a good read as well. Before reading it, I would've assumed ppl were lying if they said that the first xbox was developed in only a few months while Sony's PS2 took a 2 years or something.

      • reply
        March 4, 2005 9:51 PM

        packing the components of a normal PC onto a smaller compact version doesn't seem nearly the same as designing a completely new console like Sony had to do, but maybe i'm just all screwed up. :D

        • reply
          March 4, 2005 10:15 PM

          No, you're right, the xbox is basically a pc. But, bear in mind that when it was released, the graphics card in the xbox wasn't even available yet; it was the "bleeding edge" of technology.

          consoles are computers, I don't see the point in saying the obvious. If your argument is that you can build a better pc, well, yeah, you can now. However, there are still many exclusives to the xbox that I have grown to cherish such as Halo, Halo 2, Ninja Gaiden, DOA series, Riddick (at first), Mech Assault, Project Gotham Racing, ect. I know I'm metaphorically tied down by microsoft, but hell, I love the games on xbox.

          By the way, I used to own a GC and PS2 but sold both after falling in love with Halo and Splinter Cell (which was exclusive at the time). Besides, I was traditionally a PC gamer and enjoyed multiplayer matches, which Xbox live (its the best) would allow. I still build kick ass PCs but sitting on the couch in my dark basement is a more engrossing/immersive setting for me.

          • reply
            March 5, 2005 12:34 AM

            Just to illustrate how much the Xbox was a PC here's a story of when I was an intern for Universal Interactive.

            Our xbox dev console was a tall pc tower with a top of the line processor in it for the time (can't remember what now). It had RAM, and a sound card and HD's too. But to top it off MS would send out a new video card every once in a while to keep up with the capabilities of what they were developing for the console.

            Then we got the final spec clear xbox dev kits with a SCSI port on back. Those were so sexy looking. As a 16 year old working for this company I had so many bragging rights over my friends, because I got to play with xboxes and it wasn't going to be released for many months.

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