Monday, August 17, 2009

Some Notes on the Day



Just a couple of quick mentions about the news of the day. First I am sorry that I didn't post a lot of news today I had too many other things going on, the big one being my Red Faction playthrough for the review, I totally underestimated the amount of time I would be spending with it for the review. I am a completionist, so running through quickly is not an option.

The Chromehounds servers will be shut down on the 6th of January, so to all you players out there, sorry for ya because it's a great game.

Shadow Complex came out today be sure to get if you are a Castlevania or Metroid fan as the reviews going around point at it being unabashedly similar, I will get a review of it up sometime down the line so don't look here for it yet(unfortunately).

Gamescom coverage starts early tomorrow, so check here I should have as much of it covered as I can without actually being there, maybe in a couple of years I can get out there to cover it live.

Thanks to everyone who's been reading, it's not a lot yet but it's getting there and I appreciate all of my readers! If the commenting isn't working I am sorry, it works on my end so I don't know what else to say except reload, switch browsers, or make sure you have clicked through to comment(someone may need to know that) Otherwise have a nice evening.

Ready For A New Cycle By 2012?




Will you be ready for a new console cycle by the time 2012 rolls around!? I don't know if I will be or not, seeing as I haven't been this content with a console generation since the SNES was the console of choice. Whether you are or not Crytek's president Cevat Yerli seems to think that's about the time the new ones will be heading to stores. Similar to GDC Europe last year he outlined Crytek's evolution from Far Cry and the first Cry Engine to Crysis, CryEngine 2, and CryEngine 3.

Until then, he believes Crytek will be ready to power games with its CryEngine 3, which is claimed to be "next-gen ready," and which will likely stay very relevant until Crytek releases another engine specifically designed for that next generation of hardware. Until the graphical renaissance Yerli sees occurring around 2013, games will have to rely on art style and use of physics to distinguish themselves in the coming years instead of sheer graphical muscle.


I can't even begin to imagine what the hell graphics are going to look like when the next generation roll around. Once Alan Wake and Heavy Rain release in their respective platforms, we will be getting pretty close to the uncanny valley, graphics will be so lifelike they will be hard to distinguish from reality. If the CryEngine 3 will be powering games later this gen and early next it must have some serious power behind it. That statement in itself is silly considering just how good Crysis looks and it's powered by the first CryEngine. So can we imagine what the 3rd iteration of that engine will be capable of? I don't think anyone can, and I certainly don't think anyone will be ready for the next generation of platforms until at least 2012, and that's fine with me.

If the uncanny valley is reached with the next console generation than it is likely that console generation will in fact be the last. Some would have you believe this one is but I don't think the world is ready to be console-less just yet, we still have at least five years of traditional gaming left before we should start the transition from console to no console or distributed gaming. Though some of use are ready fro that, the rest of the world is not since saturation of HD and High Speed internet isn't where it needs to be, especially since America is further behind than most in terms of adoption and acceptance of more powerful mediums. I just hope when we do get there we can put all of the retarded console war bickering behind us, it's getting really old

Quote IGN

Spore Evolving On Nintendo Platforms This Fall




EA has announced the release date for the newest entries in the Spore franchise that are coming to Nintendo platforms. Spore Hero for the Wii, and Spore Hero Arena for the DS will be coming out on October 6th in North America and October 9th Internationally. Lucy Bradshaw from Maxis had this to say about the games:

“Spore Hero and Spore Hero Arena give Spore and Nintendo fans a new, dynamic and engaging way to interact with their customized creature heroes,” said Lucy Bradshaw, VP and General Manager at Maxis. “Players’ heroes take center stage as both games, distinctly tailor-made for its Nintendo platform, infuse creativity, combat and adventure to create a unique gameplay experience on the Wii and Nintendo DS.”


Spore Hero is designed specifially for the Wii and takes players on a action packed adventure to become the hero of the title and save the planet from destruction. There will be engaging battle and puzzles to solve that will aid in collecting and unlocking more than 250 unique parts for the Spore Creature Creator. The parts that are unlocked will change the way players move and fight through the world on their quest and also battle friends in a dynamic multiplayer mode to become the best player around!



Spore Hero Arena will be set on the same universe as Spore Hero but with a brand new and engaging story. The galaxy is being threatened by an evil force that must be stopped and it's up to you to do so. You must build your own gladiator to battle on different planets, collect parts, gain upgrades and unlock special abilities to be used in your single player quest or online via Wi-Fi.



Both games will be available this fall with Spore Hero for $49.99 MSRP and Spore Hero Arena for $29.99. Spore Hero is rated E10+ by the ESRB, and Spore Hero Arena is rated E by the ESRB.

Source EA

Xbox 360 Arcade Price Increase!?




In Britain that is. The Xbox 360 Arcade is actually getting a price increase in Britain from 130 to 160 pounds(sorry I don't have their dollar sign). The Elite is mentioned but the price isn't, the Premium(Pro) isn't mentioned given more evidence that it is in fact being phased out completely. Accessories are getting a small bump up as well by one or two pounds, and Microsoft has attributed all of this to the poor pound to Euro exchange rate. Kind of a strange move considering Gamescom starts tomorrow in Germany, but money has to be made so I guess their hands are tied in this matter. Feel free to comment below.

via Eurogamer

New Command and Conquer 4 screens



EA released a bunch of new screenshots for the final Command and Conquer game yesterday and you can check them out below. For now they only have the game as coming to the PC, but that could change down the line. The game sold okay on consoles but it likely sold better on PC and keeping it there keeps the quality higher, and from the looks of these screens the game is moving along nicely.