Archive for March 26th, 2010

"Half-Life 2: Episode 3" and "Half-Life 3" may not be officially scheduled releases from Valve right now, and since "Portal 2" and Steam for Mac plans in full swing, they probably won't be for a while. That doesn't mean Valve co-founder Gabe Newell isn't willing to talk about what he wants to see from the series, though. He thinks games need to get back in touch with "scaring" their players.

"I feel like we've gotten away from genuinely scaring the player more than I'd like, and it's something we need to think about, in addition to broadening the emotional palette we can draw on," Newell told Edge Magazine, according to CVG. He referred to broadening the "emotional palette" of "Half-Life" games in the future, even if he didn't say when a new chapter will be ready.

Speaking about how he's seen the series grow thus far, Newell said that Valve hasn't intentionally tried to keep the maturity of the content at levels paced with an aging audience, but he did say he wants the games to evolve.

"That isn't something we think about except as part of each project needing to respect the fact that simply repeating the past isn't going to have the same impact now as it did then," he explained.

If the next new box labeled "Half-Life" takes half the step "Half-Life 2" did growing out of the first installment, I don't think any of that will be a problem. Newell, in the meantime, can feel free to scare me to his heart's content so long as he does that much with Valve's next sequel.

Do you want to see more terror in your gaming experiences? How soon would you like to see a new "Half-Life game? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Since "Lost Planet 2" was originally pushed to May 18th from Q1, I don't know if you can call its new May 11th launch date "early," but that's when you'll see it in stores. Capcom unloaded a new timetable for the game, which also includes a multiplayer demo giveaway starting Wednesday, March 31st and a public demo that will kick off for Xbox Live and that PlayStation Network on April 21st and 22nd, respectively.

The demo will initially be available only to "Capcom’s most avid fans," according the announcement on Capcom-Unity.com. It will feature a map titled "Tubulent Jungle" and a 16-player versus mode. Downloading the demo will also unlock immediate access to the Machine Gun SP in the full retail version of "Lost Planet 2."

I don't know how long the window for the demo will last if you're only interested in the gun, but you'd probably be well served to download it sooner rather than later and not wait until you drive to the store to pick up your copy of the full version. It's a nice incentive, though, and one that looks like it won't have any strings attached -- that is, unless you don't own a console, in which case your PC copy of "Lost Planet 2" will be out later this fall.

Are you going to give the "Lost Planet 2" demo a try? Does the one-week release date move make you happy? Share your opinions in the comment section below.

FROM SPLASH PAGE: When I spoke to "Penny Arcade" creators Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik last month, the conversation covered a lot of ground — including some talk of the "Nerdcore Rising" documentary that followed musician MC Frontalot on his first national tour. That tour culminated with a show at Penny Arcade Expo, the massive gaming convention organized by the webcomic duo.

Well, the webcomic's "rapper laureate" is at it again this year, bringing nerdcore to the masses at PAX East, which kicked off today in Boston and runs throughout the weekend.

The comics- and gaming-friendly rapper hits the stage tonight (Friday, March 26) with fellow geek-friendly musicians The Protomen, Anamanaguchi and Metroid Metal during the show's 8:30 PM EST concert. MTV Multiplayer editor Russ Frushtick is already on the show floor (so keep an eye out for new and updates), but I managed to get a preview of tonight's performance from the man himself, MC Frontalot.

Continue reading PAX East Preview: MC Frontalot Brings 'Zero Day' To Boston over at SplashPage.MTV.com.

Quantic Dream co-CEO David Cage said that he might have a "Heavy Rain" announcement regarding the PlayStation Move soon, and that announcement appears to be that his game will adopt motion control support later this year. "Heavy Rain" was original designed for the Move, but since it beat Sony's new peripherals to stores by the better part of a year, that command system wasn't integrated at launch. The game and the Move will reportedly be reunited, however, by the end of 2010.

Sony confirmed for the Belgian magazine Chief that "Heavy Rain" will work with the Move this fall, according to Eurogamer. A downloadable update would be the most likely way to make that happen.

Now that the Move and its library of games are public knowledge for the most part, I've got to wonder if we'll see any other titles coming out of the woodwork with such updates. Cage went on the record earlier about "Heavy Rain," but there could be some surprises waiting if other games decide to take a similar post-release path.

Gesture controls should weave into the gameplay in "Heavy Rain" quite seamlessly in theory. Some new DLC to showcase the controls in some new story material would be extra-sweet, too. But surely Quantic Dream and Sony have already contemplated this.

Will you play through "Heavy Rain" again if it adopts move support this fall? Would you like to see some DLC come out for the game when the Move hits stores? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Apple is definitely putting a heavy gaming focus on the iPad, which launches next month. That's no surprise, given the iPhone's success. It seems, though, that in their enthusiasm, Apple has inadvertently revealed a handful of iPad titles on their web-based app store database of approved apps. Prime among them? "Plants vs. Zombies HD" and "Worms HD," two apps which already have non-HD installments in the App Store, making their planned destination pretty obvious.

PadGadget spotted Apple's mistake and made a list of the remaining "HD" games in the database. While it's possible these aren't destined for the iPad, the HD moniker is pretty heavily implying games designed for a larger screen. Here's the list:

* Ammoin HD
* Azkend HD
* Flight Control HD
* Grind HD
* HD Recovery
* Labyrinth 2 HD
* NBA Hotshot HD
* Numba HD
* Plants vs. Zombie HD
* Sparkle HD
* Worms HD

Any other App Store gems that you'd like to see make the jump over to the iPad? Let us know in the comments!

Despite their seemingly-veiled hint that we'll be seeing Episode 3 of "Penny Arcade Adventures" at PAX East this year, Joystiq was able to confirm with the Penny Arcade creators that no such game is forthcoming. They attribute the absence on the game's developer, Hothead, being hard at work on the upcoming action/RPG, "Deathspank."

PS - Just a friendly reminder that I'll be reporting live from PAX East this weekend, so keep an eye out on news and impressions from the show from now until Sunday.

A reported attack on Ubisoft's DRM servers for "Assassin's Creed 2" and "Silent Hunter 5" earlier this month caused headaches for the company and players alike. The downed servers prevented games from authenticating user accounts, thus rendering legal copies temporarily unplayable. Now, reports are surfacing from players who claim to be receiving games and content from Ubisoft as compensation.

"Following the recent temporary game server outages which may have caused disruption to some 'Assassin's Creed 2' players on PC only, we would like to reward your patience if you have experience any problems by offering you a full downloadable game from the list provided below, completely free of charge," an email explained that was posted to the official Ubisoft forums. Games appearing on the list included "Tom Clancy's HAWX," "Heroes Over Europe," "Tom Clancy's EndWar" and "Prince of Persia." DLC for the original game is also being mentioned in some cases.

Take this for the message board-plucked info that it is, but the email images look convincing enough. Either it's all for real or there's a conspiracy at work to flood Ubisoft's customer service offices with demands for free games. Take a look and judge for yourself.

In the meantime, it will be telling to see whether Ubisoft sticks with this DRM model or makes any tweaks for its next round of PC releases. I'm going to bet the biggest change will involve enhanced server security.

Have you received one of these emails from Ubisoft? Do you think they're doing everything they should under the circumstances? Share your opinions in the comment section below.

Project Natal will get a head start on E3 this year, appearing in a special event that Microsoft will hold on the Sunday before its traditional auditorium presentation. Sony made the PlayStation Move its focus during GDC this year, but Microsoft appears to have decided that Natal warranted an extra event all to itself. Slated for the evening of June 13th, the family-friendly unveiling will likely get Natal details out in the open before most of E3 is open for business.

More details will be released closer to the event, though Microsoft indicated it would be appropriate for all ages, according to GameSpot.

This will be an interesting move to watch for several reasons, not the least of which will be that it presumably takes the focus off of Natal for Microsoft's regularly scheduled E3 event. I'd be surprised if the new control system was completely absent, but they surely wouldn't have given the device its own stage if they didn't have another spotlight-worthy announcement or two in the rafters.

A Sunday night announcement may take the pressure off third-party developers as well, since putting everything out in the open before the show goes into full swing will presumably give them a green light to discuss their own contributions as soon as the floor opens up. Additionally, it just makes Natal seem like a bigger deal, and in the year of the great motion hardware arms race, Microsoft will want all the attention it can get.

Are you surprised that Microsoft has added a whole new event to their E3 schedule? How do you think Natal will stack up against the Move? Share your predictions in the comment section below.

Review by Jonathan Goldner

I've been playing racing games since as far back as "'Pole Position" and "Out Run," and my tactic of choice is always the same: mash down the gas and let the rest sort itself out. In some games, this will actually work. But in others, like Capcom's new "MotoGP 09/10," my brute force approach just doesn't hold any gasoline. After all, the MotoGP series is all about making the most accurate motorcycle racing sim.

The Basics

You're an international grand prix motorcycle racer. Choose your nationality, name and colors, then hit the road. If there was a storyline beyond that, I missed it. The game format is fairly standard with practice, qualifying and race modes on each of 17 real-world race tracks. Successes on the asphalt translate into a reputation rating that subsequently unlocks more features & options.

The Highs

Follow That Line!
Perhaps in a nod to gas-mashers like me, "MotoGP" features a visual cue on the track surface called the raceline that helps coach your speed and track position in real time. If it's green, you're speed is within controllable limits. But when it fades to red, apply those breaks because a turn is approaching and you're coming in too hot. This made the technical twists and turns more accessible to even an out of control driver like myself on first play.

Customize It
Through racing success (and gratuitous showboating) new sponsors and bike manufacturers become available to you, creating a "Madden" style general manager component to the game. Which press officer or engineer to hire? Invest research resources in the engine, gearbox or exhaust? Switch bikes or keep the custom one you've built with your engineer? Decisions, decisions.

The Lows

Welcome To The Jungle
Even with the raceline guiding me, I still spent A LOT of time in the grass and gravel embankments on the sides of the track. Many of my turns were either too shallow, too deep or sometimes even both. While eating up straightaways and taking gentle turns were a lot of fun and I was able to pass the other racers, my lack of patience and control translated into an all too often wreck on the side of the road. The in-game coaching voice kept imploring me to "stay on the road!" and reminding me that "this isnt motocross!" In fact, I had to downshift the game's difficulty from moderate to gentle just to stay on the bike. After that it was much more forgiving, and I started to get the hang of it. I still mashed the gas pedal, but I also learned to tap the breaks and lean into turns. The game is more fun when you're still on the bike.

Controlled Confusion
Beyond my own lack of racing accumen, I found the default controller setup (on the 360) somewhat counter-intuitive. Part of this is the somewhat complicated dual front and rear braking system. On the 360 controller, the gas is right trigger but the breaks are the left trigger and the X button. It would have made better sense to me to make the breaks the left and right bumpers so they would at least be the same finger movement. By the time I realized this subconscious disconnect, I was well on my way to getting the hang of it and elected not to re-assign the buttons.

Staffing Issues
While the ability to play racing team owner/manager as well as rider adds an interesting level of gameplay, I found the basic interface of making those decisions somewhat complicated and frustrating. I wanted to hire an engineer but accidentally fired my press officer, just on basis of misunderstanding the menu. I had unlocked sponsor offers but had no "slots" on my bike to put their logos. What? Why is employee pay day on my racing events calendar? Am I supposed to do something? Overly complicated and involved.

Final Word

"MotoGP 09/10" is a fine racing simulation game, but only if you're interested in the fine grain details that it offers beyond the basic race gameplay. The graphics are not remarkable but they do not detract from the quality of the game either. The final verdict for me as a brute-force, non-technician was that I didn't find myself jonesing and counting the minutes until I could return home and fire up the Xbox again, which I always consider the hallmark of a great game.

Wii Sports Resort Archery Nintendos Wii Sports Resort Invites Everyone to a Tropical Escape On July 26, Nintendo invites everyone to kick back and transform their living rooms into a tropical island adventure with the Wii Sports Resort™ video game, the next chapter in the Wii Sports phenomenon. Wii Sports Resort introduces a new era of motion controls with 12 resort-themed sports enhanced by the included Wii motionplus™ accessory. This accessory attaches to the base of the Wii Remote™ controller to bring exacting precision to games that are specially designed for it. Wii motionplus recognizes the slightest twist or turn of the Wii Remote controller to bring players deeper into their games. Wii Sports Resort leverages this technology as players escape to a virtual resort and experience all the fun activities of the island setting. The 12 sports (archery, basketball, bowling, golf, table tennis, Swordplay, Air Sports, canoeing, cycling, Frisbee®, Power Cruising and wakeboarding) allow players to use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk™ controllers in different ways, and while some sports require both controllers, others can be played using only the Wii Remote. In archery, players hold the Wii Remote vertically like a bow while drawing back the Nunchuk. In Frisbee, players motion with the Wii Remote as though they were tossing a real Frisbee. And while playing wakeboarding, players hold the Wii Remote sideways as though they were hanging onto the end of a tether behind a speedboat ...