Late Night Consoling

20
  • Criterion Performs its Fifth Burnout

    [ps3] [xbox360]

    Electronic Arts today announced that developer Criterion is currently working on the fifth entry in its well regarded Burnout series of racing games. Entitled simply Burnout 5, the game is headed for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Burnout 5 diverges significantly from past series entries by featuring a seamless open world environment called Paradise City. "Gone is the need to jump in and out of menus to aimlessly search for fun," notes EA's press release. As players gain more notoriety in the world, they will face up against the city's other legendary racers. "Burnout 5 is a complete reinvention of the series, built from the ground up for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360," said Criterion designer Alex Ward. "To create truly next-generation gameplay, we needed to create a truly next-generation game, from top to bottom." In a feature that is somewhat reminiscent of Stefan Eriksson's car crash that spawned months of bizarre and convoluted Gizmondo-related news, today's announcement claims that players will be able to actually "rip their cars in half."

    EA plans to ship Criterion Games' Burnout 5 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2007.

  • An Alliance of Composers for Marvel: Ultimate Alliance

    [ps2] [ps3] [xbox] [xbox360] [gamecube] [nintendo] [ds] [psp] [gba]

    Raven Software's upcoming action RPG superhero mashup Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (PS2, Xbox, GCN, PS3, X360, Wii, NDS, PSP, GBA, PC) will be scored by its own alliance of composers. Activision announced today that Chance Thomas (Quest for Glory V: Dragon Fire, Unreal II: The Awakening), Cris Velasco (Jaws: Unleashed, Terminator 3: The Redemption, God of War), and Mark Griskey (Gladius, Star Wars: Racer Revenge, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith) will be handling composition duties for the game, which will feature over 50 minutes of original music.

    Activision plans to ship Raven Software's Marvel Ultimate Alliance to all platforms later this year.

  • Tecmo Goes Virtual

    [nintendo]

    IGN relays information from a Tecmo financial report indicating that the veteran publisher has signed on to release content for Nintendo's Virtual Console service for Wii. Long time gamers no doubt remember the company's classic NES titles such as Tecmo Bowl and other sports games, as well as the Ninja Gaiden series, both of which are likely candidates for Virtual Console inclusion. Apparently, the company's support for the service is "aggressive." No specific titles or release dates were divulged.

  • More Oblivion Downloads this Week

    [xbox360]

    Bethesda sends word that its next piece of downloadable content for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion will be available for the Xbox 360 version of the game via Xbox Live this Thursday, August 31, the same day the content for the PC version will be available. The Spell Tomes pack, which adds several new spells to the game, is the cheapest Oblivion download yet, at 80 Microsoft Points ($1).

  • Rule of Rose Gets a Website

    [ps2]

    Atlus announced today that its dark Sony-developed survival horror title Rule of Rose (PS2) has received its very own official site. Rule of Rose is set for release in North America on September 12, 2006.

  • Dead Rising's Sales Rise Quickly

    [xbox360]

    Capcom has announced that its zombie killing title Dead Rising (X360) has seen brisk sales in its first two weeks at retail, with the publisher already having shipped over 500,000 units in North America. The game, which has also seen strong reviews, is set for release on September 8 in Europe and on September 28 in Japan.

  • Misc. Q&As/Features

    Over at FileShack we've got a video diary on Ubisoft's Rainbow Six Vegas (PS3, X360).

    As you may have noticed in tonight's Evening Reading, Wired has a lengthy feature up asking whether the PS3 can save Sony. It frames the upcoming PS3 in the context of Sony's recent PR and financial troubles, looking back on the company's history leading up to its present situation, and comparing it to its competitors in Microsoft and Nintendo.

    CNET News.com has an interview with Sony Computer Entertainment America president Kaz Hirai, speaking on PlayStation 3 and revealing nothing particularly new.

Misc. Media/Previews

Xbox/X360

IGN goes hands on with From Software's Enchanted Arms (X360). 1UP takes a look at EA Black Box's Xbox 360 version of Need for Speed Carbon (X360, also PS2, Xbox, GCN, PS3, Wii, NDS, PSP, GBA, PC).

Portable

We've got a preview of Konami's Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (NDS). GameSpot checks out Namco's MotoGP (PSP). IGN checks out Nintendo's Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis (NDS), Arc System Works' Guilty Gear Judgment (PSP) and Zipper's SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 2 (PSP).

Multi

IGN checks out High Voltage's Family Guy (PS2, Xbox, PSP). GameSpy previews Sega AM2's Virtua Tennis 3 (PS3, X360).

Console Game Of The Evening [Submit Yours!]

Parasite Eve II for the PlayStation. "Not as good as the first, but a decent outing. Guns and mitochondrial powers, how can you go wrong?" (submitted by shesmovedon)

From The Chatty
  • reply
    August 29, 2006 8:33 PM

    Nice to see strong sales for Dead Rising. Bring on Dead Rising 2! A sandbox town infested with zombies!

    • reply
      August 29, 2006 8:44 PM

      word

    • reply
      August 29, 2006 9:27 PM

      ALL I ASK FOR IS CO-OP (Live!) IN DEAD RISING. PLEASE!

      • reply
        August 29, 2006 9:33 PM

        That'd be nice but I bet the fps would crawl. I was trying out the dead rising demo on someone's 360 the other day and there was noticeable slow down whenever I killed 3-4 zombies at once.

      • reply
        August 29, 2006 9:42 PM

        Six player Coop is all that is needed.

        Have a part of a game to collect pieces to build a mega bus or something.

    • reply
      August 29, 2006 9:55 PM

      Maybe developers will get a clue and stop releasing all their decent games over the same three months every year.

Hello, Meet Lola