Patapon 2 Twice as Long as Patapon 1
In an interview with Famitsu Magazine, Patapon 2 developer Hiroyuki Kotani has revealed that the sequel will include roughly twice as much content as the original game. This means more levels, more bosses, and more playable characters. The difficulty level of the original game was legendary, with some Pataponians giving up the battle part way through. This time, Kotani has included some features to make the game more accessible to rhythm game n00bs like us, such as a more relaxed timing system and visual cues for beats.
Can you guess the top selling console in Japan?
Without a new Monster Hunter title in sight, the PSP still managed to outsell every other console in Japan last week, including the Nintendo DS and Wii. Boosted by the release of a new color (metallic blue), Sony managed to sell 74,000 units, up by more than 20,000 over the previous several weeks. It is nice to see the handheld performing well in Japan, and we hope that some of that success will translate to new software development and sales in other territories. The poor Xbox 360 was in last place, selling only 4200 units.
Incidentally, the blue PSP looks hawt, and we hope that the company considers bringing it to our shores soon, given the success that it has achieved in Japan.
Japanese hardware sales for week ended July 20:
1. PlayStation Portable (74,024)
2. Nintendo DS (54,531)
3. Nintendo Wii (40,803)
4. PlayStation 3 (11,253)
5. PlayStation 2 (9535)
6. Xbox 360 (4208)
Iphone is not match for Sony and Nintendo
The iPhone has a ton of promise as a gaming machine. Sega certainly think so. But what of other companies? Companies that, thanks to their stake in the handheld market, may not be quite as open to the idea of facing a new challenger? MTV found out by asking Nintendo and Sony what they thought of Apple’s latest gizmo. Unsurprisingly, both were a little cold on the device. Reggie said:
From our standpoint, we are aware of what the iPhone is doing. We certainly monitor it. But just like in the home console space we’re focused on doing what it is we do well…we’ve got a large installed base that we’re looking to drive even further and to sell software into. That’s our focus. We’ll see what happens with the iPhone but it is not something that will make us change our direction.
A fail of E3
Show is degenerating and lacking value
So many have, in the wake of the recent Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, weighed in on whether the show was a success or failure. My turn …
Actually, the show was a bit of a mixed bag. There were positives, but when one takes into account what is supposed to be the scope of the event, the negatives were overwhelming. The ESA wanted a more intimate show – Ok, it was still spread out throughout the convention center, but instead of occupying the big halls (South and West), where one could actually spend an afternoon, morning or even all day visiting publisher after publisher, this year’s debacle was confined to meeting rooms that where scattered from one end of the LACC to the other. That is hardly intimate.
There was no enthusiasm, no energy that should be associated with the vibrant industry that brings imagination to life. This year’s show was dull to the point of boring. Yes, there were still good games to see, but altering the format, visiting their studios on media tours would have accomplished the same thing, only with deeper experiences with the games. The studio visits are more advantageous because instead of getting 25-30 minutes with a superb title like Fallout 3 in the Bethesda booth, a visit to the studios would likely mean more hands-on time, access to developers … in short, the kind of visit that means robust coverage, giving players and consumers not only a sense of the game itself, but also allowing for interview time with key developers.
The idea here, folks, is to give as much information as possible to allow you to make informed decisions about potentially purchasing the game. While past E3s did not offer much more, there was excitement, there was enthusiasm and there was a celebration of the industry. All that was lacking from this year’s event. It felt more like a fast-food drive-in. Get in, get something that is barely nutritious and get out.
One journalist stated that E3 was killed last year with the Santa Monica debacle. He referred to this year’s edition as the ‘zombie E3.’ I’ll take it a step further – it was the ‘vampire E3.’ It returned from the dead and sucked the life out of what should have been a great event.
It almost seems as though the ESA forgot what one of its purposes is – which is to promote the cash-cow that spawned it. Scuttlebutt had it that the ESA had stated no banner ads decorating the interior or exterior of the show, nor video display ads. What part of VIDEO-game industry does that show a misunderstanding for? This is a graphical medium. That is like asking a new band to promote itself without playing music; like asking an artist to paint without supplying either something to paint on or the materials to paint with.
Honestly, there was not even a sign out front of the L.A. Convention Center that said “Welcome E3!” If one did not know the event was taking place inside, there were no outward signs to state otherwise.
It almost feels like the ESA went through the motions without caring about the final product. And there is a lesson to be learned in that – if you can’t do something you value with enthusiasm that shines in the final product, then simply don’t do it.
It was nice to catch up with those within the industry that have not been seen in a long time, but that was not supposed to be the point of this. It was supposed to be an event where the spotlight was on the games and the industry. It has not been that way for a while now.
Last year, in the wake of what took place in the Santa Monica version, many called for an end to this event. Not only is the timing bad for the industry (much better in May, now it is bumping other events that certainly threaten to eclipse it), but the value of the event is lacking. Activision Blizzard declined attending, but still got media coverage by holding an off-site press conference. It seems that others may decline the invitation to an event next year, if there is an event. If the ESA was wise, it would would take a year off, evaluate what it does and if no one misses the lack of an event in 2009, then the answer to the dilemma of whether one should happen or not would be readily apparent.
There is a cliché about having an event and no one showed up (you know the one – suppose they had a ** – insert event there – and no one came?). When it comes to E3, can the realization of that be truly far away?
A brief review of Code Lyoko: Quest for Infinity
July 22, 2008 - If you’re not the world’s biggest Code Lyoko fan, allow me to catch you up on the basics. Code Lyoko is an animated television series that debuted several years ago in France. Having been translated into multiple languages and scattered around the world, the Code Lyoko franchise has had a reasonable impact on the US market. This is clear when noting the multiple Code Lyoko games released for US platforms. One of those games is Code Lyoko: Quest for Infinity, an action platformer for the Wii, PS2 and PSP. And although you’re supposed to be questing for Infinity, you might end up questing to stay awake. (more…)
Counter Strike: PSP 1.56 is out
Fragging on the PSP just got a little better! With Nataku92’s newest release of his CounterStrike homebrew “port,” the addition of grenades is just one of the new features. Some of the major changes include the support for online gaming, which requires 3.xx firmware for either the Fat or Slim PSP.
An interesting point of interest is also the .NET server (titled CSPSPServer), which is installed to the computer and works in conjunction with CS: PSP 1.56. Don’t worry about finding it yourself, as the game, server, and .NET framework have all been bundled together right here for your ease of access.
Here is the official changelog:
* Fixed a bug in the server list pinging code
* Map files are now deleted if the download is cancelled before completing
* (prevents crashes when trying to redownload the same map)
* Fixed a bug that prevented properly putting the PSP in sleep mode while the game was running
* Implemented grenades (you can only carry one grenade at a time though)
* Added the highlighted gun’s image and cost to the buy menu
* Implemented a simple decal system for blood and explosion marks
* Implemented a grid partitioning system to optimize collision detection
* (larger, more complicated maps don’t slow down as much now)
* Fixed a bug that made the remaining ammo count after reloading inaccurate
* Made the camera less jerky during variations in frames per second
* Added a map check that gives an error message when the map and the server’s map don’t match
* (this should also catch half downloaded maps that would have otherwise crashed the game)
* Fixed a bug in the knife collision check when more than two players were in contact
* Redid a lot of the bot code (they should now detect when they get stuck and try to move away)
* Implemented A* pathfinding (bots can actually find each other now instead of moving randomly)
* Made waypoints optional (bots won’t move on maps without waypoints)
* Fixed a few other bugs
(more…)
Duke Nukem coming to PSP
The original makers of Duke Nukem, the side-scrolling PC game, are returning to make three new games set in the Duke Nukem universe. The new trilogy will be comprised of three episodes: Critical Mass, Chain Reaction, and Proving Grounds. The company plans to release its Trilogy for both the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP, and while the games will reportedly follow the same general storyline, each version will take full advantage of that platform’s strengths. Both games will feature modern, updated 3D graphics, although the action will take place in 2D like the classic titles. (more…)
More JRPG titles from NAMCO
July 7, 2008 - With Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of a New World already out in Japan, and the August release of Tales of Vesperia approaching quickly, fans were likely wondering what’s next for the Namco RPG staple. Today, Namco gave the answer.
The DS and PSP will be getting new entries in the Tales series, the company revealed today at a press conference in Tokyo.
PSP owners (in Japan at least) can look forward to Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 2, the latest in the Tales of offshoot series that brings together characters and worlds from all the other entries for one fan service-filled romp. The new entry will include a total of 50 characters, including a member of the Vesperia cast, and will offer a more robust character creation feature.
The DS is getting Tales of Hearts, a completely new entry in the series. Developed at Namco Tales Studio, the new title features fully 2D in-game visuals, although the movie scenes mix 2D and 3D. Namco is making use of a new Combination Aerial LMBS battle system, which is said to be a powered up version of the Aerial LMBS system from the Destiny series.
Both the DS and PSP titles are scheduled for Winter release in Japan, but a timetable shown by Namco at the event suggested that the DS title will hit first in late 2008, with the PSP title following in early 2009.
Outside of these game announcements, Namco also revealed that Tales of the Abyss will be getting its own anime. Being produced in celebration of the series’ 10th anniversary, the Tales of the Abyss anime will kick off this October and span 26 episodes.
Expect some of these Tales games to make their way stateside, especially if Vesperia and Symphonia do well.
Madden NFL 2008 (part 2)
The playoffs were as full of surprises as the regular season was. That’s the magic of having parity in a league, as well as teams run by young quarterbacks who can either step up their game or panic come playoff time. (more…)
Madden NFL 2008 (part 1)
July 7, 2008 - We’ve shown off the new features. We’ve revealed the ratings. In this week’s Madden Monday, we reveal what it all processes out to by simulating the 2008 NFL season using Madden NFL 09. We used the most updated rosters available, although things will obviously change between now and the start of the regular season after training camp and preseason.
Preseason
We started the simulation in the preseason, which resulted in two key injuries, one of which dramatically derailed the team of the player involved. Both players hurt were wideouts. The first was Randy Moss, who went down in the first week of the preseason with a torn pectoral muscle that would keep him out of the Patriots lineup until Week 10; the other was star returner Devin Hester, who broke his collarbone in the final preseason game and was placed on Injured Reserve by the Bears. This automatically ended his season without a single regular season game. (more…)
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