Late Night Consoling

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This LNC is going to be a little lighter than usual. I'm moving into a new apartment on Friday (which is several hundred miles away) so I have to have everything packed up by then. It's been really hectic this week, and I'm still trying to get everything sorted out. I had a really great anecdote to share with you in tonight's edition, but I'm going to have to sacrifice it for the good of the news. Hopefully it'll be in tomorrow's LNC, or the one after that (or the one after that).
  • PSP 2.00 Finally Available

    [psp]

    After an odd unacknowledged delay, Sony has made the official North American version of the PSP 2.00 patch available on their website. The biggest addition is the web browser, though it also adds support for a few more file formats. The site also notes that "Depending on the software title, you may not be able to play without first updating the PSP system software," which will be a pain for homebrew enthusiasts who also want to play new PSP games. (Once they actually release some new PSP games, anyway. Oh snap.)

  • Resident Evil on DS

    [ds]

    In honor of Resident Evil's 10-year anniversary, Capcom will be releasing a remake of the first Resident Evil (PS1) on the Nintendo DS. The game's Japanese title is Biohazard: Deadly Silence. Little is known about the title, other than it will incorporate first person realtime 3D battle sequences, and will make use of the DS' wi-fi capability and other unique features.

  • New Unusable Chaos Theory Content

    [xbox]

    Ubisoft today released two new cooperative play maps for Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory over Xbox Live. However, they apparently don't work. Whoops. When the maps are fixed, they will continue the game's co-op campaign.

  • Advent Children Hitting U.S. Later

    [psp]

    Despite prior announcements, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (or Advent Children: Final Fantasy VII, depending on who you ask) will not be released in North American shores simultaneously with the Japanese version on September 13. It will come to this continent this "holiday season" in the form of a two-disc Special Edition DVD.

  • No Price Drop For PS2

    [ps2]

    Contrary to much speculation, Sony has no plans to drop the price of its PS2 this holiday season. Some had suspected the manufacturer would do so in order to aggressively compete with Microsoft's Xbox 360. Ray Maguire, head of Sony Computer Entertainment UK, told the BBC that the current price point does not leave enough of a profit margin to justify dropping the price. The company hopes to attract new buyers with non-traditional games which appeal to people who are not yet gamers.

  • Killzone 2 on PS2?

    [ps2]

    IGN has pointed out that EBGames.com has a listing for "Killzone 2 PS2" with a release date of January 1, 2006. IGN's calls to Sony revealed no further information. It is worth noting that EBGames.com also has a listing for "Killzone 2 (working title) PS3", and it is also worth noting (as I often note) that retailers rarely know much more than anybody else does.

  • Tecmo Supporting PS3

    [ps2]

    Not surprisingly, Tecmo will be developing for Sony's PS3, according to president Junji Nakamura. Despite the well-known Team Ninja's history with Xbox, its parent company Tecmo has long supported Sony's platform. Nakamura did have a few things to say about PS3 development, though, noting that "compared to the Xbox 360, it seems to be somewhat out of place with today's developers. I believe that it is having an influence on the skills and abilities of developers. You will have to change your way of thinking."

  • Misc. Q&As/Features

    Because we just can't get enough talk about Xbox 360 pricing, Gamasutra has many opinions given by industry professionals and more than a few "Anonymous"es regarding the subject.

    EGM (by way of 1UP) takes a look at the history of fighting games from 1981 to 1987, culminating in the first Street Fighter title.

Misc. Media/Previews

Portable

Gamespot goes hands-on with Game Arts' Lunar: Dragon Song (DS). IGN looks at Criterion's Burnout Legends (PSP, DS).

Videos: Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (DS).

Multi

IGN previews Cranky Pants' Evil Dead: Regeneration (PS2, Xbox, PC). Please please let an Evil Dead game finally be good. IGN also checks out PopTop's Shattered Union (Xbox, PC) as well as Blitz Games' Pac-Man World 3 (PS2, Xbox, GCN, DS, PSP, PC). GameSpot looks at Midway's L.A. Rush (PS2, Xbox, PC).

Screenshots: World Series of Poker (PS2, Xbox, GCN, PSP, PC). Beat Down: Fists of Vengeance (PS2, Xbox). Phantasy Star Universe (PS2, PC).

Videos: X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse (PS2, Xbox, GCN, PC). Burnout Revenge (PS2, Xbox, X360). L.A. Rush (PS2, Xbox).

Console Game Of The Evening [Submit Yours!]

Blast Corps for the N64. "A testament to Rare's ability to create original and addictive gameplay. The magic combination of fast paced smashing and engaging puzzles made this gem a sleeper hit." (submitted by midgetherder)

From The Chatty
  • reply
    August 24, 2005 8:11 PM

    I wonder if the forced upgrades will know the difference between Japanese and US 2.0, and depend on the proper version? That'll make it a pain for those who import games, does it not?

    And a big "Oh hell no" to that Advent Children thing. They're just giving the anime subtitle crews something new to work on. Didn't they realize the importance of the simultaneous release? They better make that 2-disc pack special because all the FF7 fanboys will have already watched it in .avi form.

    • reply
      August 24, 2005 8:15 PM

      I don't know lots of specifics about the PSP thing, but apparently people who already have the Japanese update are unable to install the US one. No idea what the implications are, if any.

      • reply
        August 24, 2005 9:24 PM

        None. We checked at the office today - the checksums on the Japanese and US files are identical, so they're the exact same update and Sony shouldn't be able to tell which one you installed, should you submit your unit for service under warranty.

        More likely the release was held up by the unfinished US PSP site, which just launched today.

    • reply
      August 24, 2005 8:29 PM

      I thought that same thing about Advent Children. I predict it'll be up within hours of it hitting shelves. I'll still buy it - I might even wait until it hits DVD here to watch it - but still. It'll be even funnier if the Japanese version has english subtitles built in. I bet it will.

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