Games
Gears of War 2 coming November 2008
Microsoft and Epic Games have been denying rumors of a Gears of War sequel since the original came out in 2006, with only a "wait and see" comment here and there. At the Game Developers Conference today, Microsoft had a short teaser trailer and Cliff Bleszinski came on stage to announce that Gears of War 2 would be arriving this November. Our network site Gears of War Realm has the latest:
Providing a dramatic close to Microsoft’s GDC keynote address, Epic Games Inc.’s lead designer Cliff Bleszinski announced that the epic saga of Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad continues exclusively on the Xbox 360 this fall with Gears of War 2. This highly anticipated sequel to the 4.5 million-selling blockbuster Gears of War delves deeper into humanity’s struggle for survival against the nightmarish Locust Horde, and promises to take high-definition visuals to a whole new level.
To our team the original game was just a tease, the appetizer to the ‘Gears of War’ characters and new style of gameplay. We were so amped to get to the next chapter, and dig deeper into the universe of this franchise," said Cliff Bleszinski, lead designer for Epic Games. "Gears of War 2 is an even bigger, better, and more badass experience than the first game, and we can’t wait to get it in the hands of eager gamers this November."
There's sure to be more info available at E3 2008 later this year, keep an eye on Gears of War Realm for all the latest news.
Gears of War 2 Announced for November [Gears of War Realm]
Gears of War 2 teaser trailer
EXTRA EXTRA! Nintendo tells fans to scram until March!
DATELINE Internet -- A big black blizzard blew through the computer juice joint today when Nintendo of the United States of America formally called out that their next big thing, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, was being delayed by another month. Nintendo's being a real flat tire about the whole thing, only giving up the following bit on the old magic newstand.
Due to delays in the completion of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, we’ve had to change the release date of the game to Sunday, March 9th.
I deeply apologize to the people who have looked forward to playing the game for so long and ask that you hold on just a little longer. Thank you for your patience.
The upcoming electraniacal version of fisticuffs for the Wii has been delayed twice prior to today's caper, and a lot of people have a beef with Nintendo about it. They consider this baloney, and wonder if the people behind it are canned, corked, zozzled, or just plain splifflicated. Whatever the bull, every Tom, Dick, Harry, and Jane that was expecting this next month will have to wait to see what the Big Cheeses at Nintendo do next.
TipperQueen discusses her appearance at CES 2008
It's not every day that you can say you met both the richest man in the world and one of your favorite rock star idols, but long time Dallas resident Kelly Law-Yone (aka TipperQueen) recently did just that at CES 2008. She appeared on stage with Bill Gates and Slash of Guns N' Roses fame to help promote Guitar Hero 3 during Microsoft's keynote address at the annual Consumer Electronics Show.
Realm Media Networks was able to ask Kelly a few questions about her recent experience.
Realm Media Networks: So, to get started, how were you selected to appear at Microsoft's CES keynote?
Kelly Law-Yone: Since I have several YouTube videos of me playing Guitar Hero, including some of my WSVG [World Series of Video Games] performances, Microsoft knew that I was a technical player that could perform on stage. They also had me perform at their GH2 360 release, so I had already worked with them before. I was contacted in December while I was in Florida for a Guitar Hero tournament, so I had less than a month to prepare for all of this.
RMN: What was it like meeting Bill Gates and Slash?
Kelly Law-Yone: I got to talk to Bill briefly backstage about Guitar Hero, which was pretty awesome. He seemed really impressed when he learned that people used their right hand to tap notes on the fretboard. He was really easy going and was always cracking jokes when something didn't go exactly right.
I only got to meet Slash briefly before the show started, and it was hard to recognize him without the shades and the hat, haha. I didn’t even know he was going to be there until I arrived in Las Vegas. I was more nervous about Slash watching me during my performance than anyone, because after all – he's the one playing this on a real guitar. I didn’t want to mess this up, and I didn't!
After the show, I got to take a picture with Robbie Bach and Bill Gates, which was simply amazing. I couldn't believe it was really happening, because I’ve always wanted to meet Bill ever since I was a kid. I also got a picture with Slash and congratulated him on a great performance and he said the same to me! I only wish I had the chance to play him on Guitar Hero 3.
RMN: How did this CES press conference compare to the Guitar Hero 2 launch?
Kelly Law-Yone: The CES Keynote was much more rehearsed and practiced than the GH2 launch. During the keynote, everyone was running around backstage and there were tons of wires on the floor so people would constantly tell you to "watch the floor." CES is one of the biggest events of year, so it was definitely more scaled up.
RMN: Are you going to be appearing at any other Microsoft events?
Kelly Law-Yone: I would love to work more with Microsoft – they are a great group of people to work with. Everyone knows how to have a good time but still stay focused on what needs to be done.
RMN: Many people are saying Guitar Hero 3 has bumped up the difficulty significantly over Guitar Hero 2, does that seem like an accurate statement to you?
Kelly Law-Yone: I actually think it's the opposite; I think GH3 is a whole lot easier than GH2. Part of it has to do with the larger timing window when you can hit the notes so you don't have to be as precise. Some people complain about the complicated chord changes, but all it takes is figuring out what is most comfortable for you. One of my favorite parts about GH3 is the different hyperspeed settings and the fact you can play at your own [hyperspeed] on XBOX Live. I think the note charts in GH2 are much more complicated than that of GH3 actually. "Through the Fire and Flames" is the hardest song to do well on, in my opinion, but if I get through the first few notes of the song I know I’ll pass it, unlike Guitar Hero 2’s "Jordan."
RMN: Thanks for answering a few questions, I'm sure your fans were excited to see you up on stage at one of the biggest press conferences of the year!
Kelly Law-Yone: It was definitely one of the greatest events I have ever been to, and I have to thank Microsoft, my team – Team Pandemic, and my friends and family cheering me on. Being on stage with Bill Gates and Slash seems surreal, and I’m really thankful I got to have this amazing experience. Keep rockin’ everyone, and have a great 2008.
Other Links:
[pic] TipperQueen at WSVG Dallas 2007
[pic] TipperQueen at Midnight Gaming Championship
This Thanksgiving be thankful for Mass Effect
Mass Effect is pushing the envelope of what is considered "next-gen" with its graphics, and is highly anticipated for its life-like conversations that are controlled by the player. A release date has finally been announced, November 20th, which places it squarely at the beginning of the holiday shopping season.
From the creators of the critically-acclaimed “Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic” and “Jade Empire,” comes an epic space saga for Xbox 360 that spans the entire galaxy. Combining RPG and tactical action elements, “Mass Effect” offers an engaging mix of gameplay set against a deep, multi-directional story.
“With ‘Mass Effect,’ BioWare is delivering an incredible next-gen gaming odyssey. Our fans will journey through a vast, futuristic universe as they are challenged to make impactful decisions that will determine the very fate of the galaxy,” said Ray Muzyka, chief executive officer, BioWare Corp. Added Greg Zeschuk, president of BioWare Corp., “The best games bring players into an immersive, realistic world that is fun to explore from beginning to end. We’ve achieved that in ‘Mass Effect’ by putting the player at the center of a compelling, cinematic storyline full of realistic characters and hundreds of exciting locations.”
A $60 game is not an easy purchase for most people, but the RPG elements allow the game to played in several different ways, with varying outcomes. By releasing before "Black Friday" on November 23rd, they guarantee the game will be available to be picked up by boys and men alike that are looking for a quality title to get or give this Christmas.
Realm Media Networks interviewed the man behind the music of Mass Effect, Jack Wall, when he visited Dallas with Video Games Live.
Also visit our Mass Effect Image Gallery
Microsoft needlessly markets to 1 million Halo 3 customers
The media blitz has begun for Halo 3, the biggest title Microsoft is pushing this year for the Xbox 360. With the release on September 25 only a few weeks away, logos and artwork are beginning to appear everywhere, from 7-11 to Burger King. Preorders for the new Bungie title have already reached the one million mark, and you can tell Microsoft is excited.
"What we've experienced is nothing short of phenomenal," said Bob McKenzie, senior vice president of merchandising at GameStop Corp. "Halo 3 has eclipsed many previous records and will prove to be one of the must-have items of 2007."
Mountain Dew is launching a limited-edition drink called Game Fuel with extra caffeine and a slightly different flavor, and has been promoting this new product at events like the recent WSVG event in Dallas. Pontiac is giving away 1,000 copies of the game, along with a Halo 3 G6 GXP Street car. With displays popping up at every video game store, and various retailers around the country, Microsoft is comparing the advertising to the levels of a movie. Most movies with this much marketing have a video game tie-in, but luckily for gamers the Halo 3 movies are the tie-in for the game.
View our Halo 3 Image Gallery
Halo 3 Preorders Pass One Million Mark [Xbox.com]
Ultimate Mortal Kombat will use dual screens to 'compliment' the experience
Fans of the Mortal Kombat series are looking forward to the release of Ultimate Mortal Kombat on the Nintendo DS this November, and our network site TRMK has gotten an interview with Producer Hans Lo. In it, he discusses some of the upcoming features, how the game is being ported, and how their planning on using both screens of the ubiquitous Nintendo portable.
TRMK: Are there any plans for uses of the DS's unique features such as "dual screen", touch screen, and/or headset?
Hans Lo: It's about finding what works best and makes sense for the game. It's not our intention to change the way the games are played, but to compliment what is already there. So with that being said, we are looking at some things now that take advantage of the dual screens, and touch screen. We'll keep you guys in the loop as we move forward.
Unfortunately he doesn't mention specifics, but it sounds like the developers are trying to take their time to make the game enjoyable for everyone. It's exciting to read that 3 of the 4 original Mortal Kombat team members are working on this project, hopefully the game will live up to the uber-fan's expectations.
Ultimate Mortal Kombat Developer Interview with Hans Lo
vVv Vision talks about WSVG, Gears of War patches, and MLG
During the recent WSVG event in Dallas, Realm Media Networks was able to talk to the top two Gears of War teams about the tournament and Gears of War in general. Here's the full transcript of the interview with the vVv Vision, the 1st place team.
Team Members
Jerry Prochazka, Manager (vVv LordJerith)
Ryan Watson (vVv Takedown)
Ethan Holmes (vVv Bawabus)
Kevin Green (vVv StOnEs)
David Held (vVv puff)
Realm Media Networks: How did you guys get into this tournament?
vVv LordJerith: We were signed up for the event, then Matt, the CEO of WSVG, contacted us and gave us his own personal invite. He wanted us to come out to check out the World Series of Video Games. We are excited ... it was really good tournament for us. So it was really great for us to get the invitation, the World Series of Video Games has been a really accomodating and good event for us.
RMN: So are you guys professional gamers, do you play in a lot of tournaments full time?
vVv Stones: Yeah we've been playing in MLG. We just won in MLG Meadowlands [In Meadowlands, New Jersey], the first tournament for Gears of War so far, well, the first really big tournament. [see vVv Vision at Meadowlands]
RMN: So how's the setup for this competition compared to the setups of the other competitions?
vVv Takedown: Here's we're kinda thrown in the back behind Fight Night Round 3 and Quake 4. We're all kind of set in the back a little bit more. At MLG they have the main stage and the big screens and stuff, I think it's a lot better. Gears of War doesn't stand out as much here as it does there.
RMN: So much do you guys play, outside of competition?
vVv puff: We try to get as much practice as possible. Whenever we get off of work, I don't since I don't have a job so I gotta get a job. (everyone laughs) We get on around 8 and practice until about 11. If we're doing good, we're going to keep playing. We get as much practice as possible.
RMN: So how do you guys practice?
vVv puff: We try to run different strategies around different kind of teams to see what they do, and just mix it up.
RMN: Favorite maps & weapons?
vVv Takedown: War Machine, Shotgun
vVv Bawabus: War Machine, Handy B Button without it I wouldn't be good at this game
vVv Stones: Manshion, Shotgun
vVv puff: Clock Tower, Pistol or Boom shot
RMN: Since Gears of War has come out there has been some patches, that made some subtle changes. How has that affected you guys?
vVv LordJerith: This is one of those classic situations where the game developers have kind of shut out the voices of the competitive community in favor of more casual gamers. Fortunately for the competitive community, we can adjust to the developer's desires to favor the casual gamers. Some times it is unfortunate, specially with a title as popular as Gears of War, that the developers don't take time to satisfy both communtities.
In this particullar last patch they took out the weapon sliding glitch, which although a glitch, we discovered actually increased the pace of the game. It made the game more interesting. Obviously when they removed it, we adjust and continue to move forward. But even though it's a small community, because of the growth of competitive gaming it would be nice if the developers gave some of the top teams a little more ear.
Such that Microsoft has done with Shadowrun by bringing in the top Halo teams and Counterstrike teams to help develop the game, ensure it's balanced and keep it fast paced.
RMN: I saw just a couple days ago, it's expected to be announced at E3, about Gears of War would be coming to the PC. Do you guys have any feelings/opinions on that, how the control would differ on a keyboard/mouse?
vVv Bawabus: The different setups with Shadowrun they spent a lot of time balancing the control of the PC and the consoles, because obviously a mouse is much more precise than just moving a stick around to aim. With the way Gears is setup I really see no way they can balance it over than making it so that the aimer doesn't really track with the mouse completely. But that would just be frustrating to PC players.
Honestly, I don't see PCs developing as much as consoles can just because it feels better with the control for a lot of people. PCs obviously cost a lot. It's just easier for more people that are better at games to get into them on consoles.
RMN: So how would you feel if you had to compete across platform for those games, like Shadowrun, that are available for both PC and consoles?
vVv Bawabus: Actually, we've been practicing a lot and I don't think at this point gaming would make much of a difference if both PCs and Consoles got into it at the same time. Yeah we'd beat them, it wouldn't matter. (team laughs in agreement)
RMN: So what are you going to do with the money?
vVv Takedown: I'm probably going to save the money and use it for travel to get to other events.
vVv Bawabus: I'll probably be saving some of the money for college, or other funds, and then donating the rest to charity.
vVv Stones: Dunno, probably throw some rims on my car. New intake, new exhaust? And then I'll probably use the rest to pay my college tuition.
vVv Puff: I'll probably use mine to save it, and then I can move out of my mom's house finally.
RMN: Thanks guys! Congratulations on your win!
Links:
WSVG Dallas 2007 full story
WSVG Dallas 2007 image gallery
vVv Vision website