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We were ready to be disappointed by Ubisoft's new portable Prince of Persia, largely because the protagonist bears a striking resemblance to an Oompa-Loompa. But the charming, colorful animations won us over, as did what appears to be a pretty full utilization of the DS's touch-screen capabilities.
It was then we realized what wasn't included in the trailer: Our almost comically meaty hands. Now we're in doubt that we'll be able to see any of the on-screen action behind our mitts, leaving us just as nervous about the game as when we started. So, we'll rely on your judgment: How's it looking to you?Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Thanks to Brain Age, millions of kids have been able to trick their parents into thinking that the Nintendo DS is being used as an educational device. With the help of popular college prep company Kaplan, the trickery can continue. They announced their plans to create a SAT prep game for the Nintendo DS with the help of developer Aspyr only a few months ago. Now, they have a fully functional prototype ready, and a name to boot.
FutureU will feature at least four different question types, and over 1200 questions. Now, we asked why it wasn't called something a bit more marketable, like R0x0rz the SATs, or SAT Test Prep DS, and a Aspyr representative informed us that The College Board has strict control over the SAT brand. The title won't have "SAT" in it, but the packaging will make it very clear what the product's purpose is.
A very early version of the game we saw featured some rudimentary character customization, added to give the illusion that FutureU is more of a "game" than a "learning experience." The DS version of the game won't offer any real questions from the SAT, nor will it try to grade you. Instead, players will go through various games that test the concepts found in the SATs. For example, Glyphs will have players attempt to figure out the meaning of a word by deconstructing the word's various roots. Predictions train reading comprehension by removing a word from a passage. Players can then scribble predictions on what should be in the missing blank(s). Then, players will be able to choose from a selection of possible words, and use their predictions to choose the correct missing word.
While its interface is more "game-like" than most edu-tainment titles, it's still clear what FutureU is and what its purpose is. And that's to let you carry your DS around and claim you're "studying." FutureU will be available on DS, PC and Mac this Fall. %Gallery-27372%Permalink | Email this | Comments
The room is stuffed with a handful of game journalists. It's dark. Drifting from the (very nice) speaker system are the sounds of ocean waves lapping against a boat. On screen, Lara Croft stands on the wooden deck wearing scuba gear. Thrifty girl that she is, it looks like Lara didn't want to spring for a wetsuit with legs in it. Apparently not worried by the deep cold of the ocean, she dives into the water. It's time for me to play Tomb Raider Underworld. %Gallery-28391%
E3's oddly intoxicating cocktail of libation and lack of sleep can often give those in attendance a unique perspective on the industry. However, as we wandered into Nintendo's coolly lit corner of the LA convention center, we were quickly reminded that this is an outfit with a perspective all of its own.
If the company's ambivalence during its own pre-E3 presser wasn't enough to convince us of Nintendo's indifference toward core gamers, our sit down during the show with Nintendo spokesman Charlie Scibetta proved that while the organization may preach that "hardcore" gamers play a critical role in Nintendo's strategy, its actions paint a different picture altogether.
As if worrying about Daleks, Slitheen and Cybermen wasn't enough, the UK now has to worry about dangerous third-party device chargers flooding in from China. The BBC reports a specific warning was issued about the chargers for Nintendo DS, DS Lite and Gameboy machines, but the chargers can also be used on mobile phones and music devices.
Identifying the third-party chargers apparently isn't easy, as one version has the code DE62347066 (seen above), while others are just marked "Travel Charger." The units have been shown to overheat or cause electrocution. The easiest way for UK folk to make sure they don't get one of the "hundreds of thousands or even millions" of faulty chargers is to buy first-party devices. The "bad ones" retail for about £6 or less, while the good ones are £15.
You're allegedly looking at the inside of the PSP-3000. If it looks familiar, it is. A second hardware "refresh" will supposedly borrow heavily from the PSP-2000 design with a few key upgrades, according to the PSPChina.net forum (yeah, it's in Chinese!). A user there cites "reliable sources" and demonstrates his claims with picture evidence, suggesting that the PSP-3000 will feature a built-in microphone, a PlayStation button (in place of the current "Home" button) that parallels the one on PS3 controllers, and a thinner metallic ring on the back casing (all pictured after the break). The poster claims to have no knowledge of an internal hard drive or flash drive, but confirms the UMD drive will almost surely remain in place.
While it's difficult to nail the complete picture of this rumor working only with clumsy translations, we've noted a few possible additions to the details above, including a modified USB input and supposed pictures of a black model (now removed -- mock-up images here). The possibility of cell phone integration (beyond Skype compatibility) and some vague references to a "touch-screen" and RMVB support are likely just wishful thinking, as are reports that PSP-3000 is already in mass production. We'll keep you posted as the story evolves.
Update: PSP Fanboy's Alan Tsang reads Chinese! Tsang elaborates on the the rumor here (which we mostly nailed the first time around).
Gaming buffet GameTap just announced that THQ- and ValuSoft-published titles will begin finding their way onto the service starting this summer. Notable titles include:
During our time at E3 last week, we were able to spend about an hour with a very patient Maxis Producer Thomas Vu, who guided us through a near-final build of Spore (the whole thing) and answered a barrage of questions. Here's what we gleaned from our play session, broken down into each phase:
First it was Quake Zero, then it became Quake Live, and now we have a fresh new look at Quake Arena, id's free-to-play, browser-based iteration of Quake III Arena. As you'd expect, the visuals are decidedly simple, but still stylish nonetheless. We noticed a few instances of gameshow-like billboards peppered throughout levels; while they simply read "Quake Live" in the video, it's likely these are placeholders for in-game advertising.
The trailer beckons viewers to QuakeLive.com for more info, but the site is still serving the sole purpose of a gateway for beta signups. From what's shown in the footage, it will eventually become a very robust matching and ranking component of the game. With QuakeCon kicking off in just a couple of weeks we expect to find out more details soon.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Nintendo could see its GameCube, Wavebird and Wii Classic Controller banned from retail shelves. Bloomberg reports that Nintendo has lost its attempt to overturn a $21 million patent-infringement verdict brought against the company by patent trolls patent holders Anascape Ltd. of Tyler, Texas. The house of Mario has a stay on the ban by putting the judgment amount in escrow until its case goes to the US Court of Appeals in the Federal Circuit.
The Texas jury found the Wiimote and Nunchuk controllers did not violate Anascape's patent; previously, Sony paid off Anascape back in 2004 and Microsoft settled on May 1, just before the Nintendo trial began. Anascape argued for the ban because it wants to enter the market and Nintendo has "clogged the channel." Yeah, we're very much looking forward to seeing if the third-party Anascape controller ever releases.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
"Absolutely the hard-core gamer crowd is critically important to us." Which would explain why so much of Nintendo's E3 press conference was taken up by spirited flailing, smiling soccer moms and the worst rendition of the Super Mario Bros. theme the world has ever been forced to endure.
But Nintendo hasn't forgotten about the mythical "hardcore" gamer crowd, Cammie Dunaway tells Wired. The executive VP of sales and marketing, who insists that she's a "genuinely smiley, nice person," explains that "the Zelda and Mario teams are hard at work," possibly on something that could rival the infinitely desirable Super Mario Sluggers. "And even Super Mario Sluggers, which is certainly an expanded audience title, but what core gamer doesn't love Mario and baseball and finding out which combination of characters are going to do what kind of crazy things in the field?" she ponders.
Dunaway also notes that Nintendo is committed to a variety of games, catering to casual players with titles like Cooking Navi, and exciting tougher crowds with the DS iteration of Grand Theft Auto. We mean, she must have seen it, right? "I have not looked at the product. Have you?" Well, no ... but we haven't been incorporating it into our sales pitch either.
We aren't ashamed to say that one of the only things that even remotely caught our eye in Atari's booth was What's Cooking? With Jamie Oliver for the DS. The gameplay takes The Naked Chef's recipes and places the player in a more realistic Cooking Mama simulation. Actually, it's everything we ever wanted from Cooking Mama: Going through the process of making recipes on the DS and then actually making the same items in real life. Yes, the recipes in the game translate to the real world.
Atari was completely unprepared for our interest in the game, as we couldn't get specific details on how many recipes are in the title, but we were told that there were over 100. Furthermore, the way Atari presented the game was as if someone had never played Cooking Mama before, which was obviously the case with some worthless Nintendo of Europe execs we scared off, who were too busy appearing posh and asking inane questions. Once they were gone, we got some time to actually test out the game and some of its features. %Gallery-28217%
Can Sony Bend do no wrong? Resistance: Retribution was easily the best PSP game I saw in Sony's E3 2008 room, and arguably better than any PS3 game there as well (I didn't play all of them). Retribution is essentially "Syphon Filter PSP, Part 3," and players of that handheld franchise will instantly recognize visual and structural similarities. There are, of course, numerous designs that link this new game to Insomniac's Resistance games, despite the obvious perspective change (Retribution is third-person!).
PSP has a difficult time handling the demands of modern action titles. The lack of a second analog nub cripples most games that dare follow the trajectory of similar console-based efforts. Luckily, Bend has had two previous "trials" to get it right, and this time the gang nailed it. While the developer guiding my tour described the demo as a "before pre-alpha" build, I was amazed by the game's playability. At the core of Retribution's gameplay is what Bend's calling the "aim assist box." %Gallery-27792%
Since we landed in Los Angeles for last week's E3, we've posted hundreds of articles. Knowing that there's a (very) small percentage of Joystiq readers who don't visit our site every 5 minutes, we've decided to collate all of last week's biggest news items to make sure you didn't miss the most important parts. (For breaking news from each of the big three press conferences, check out our highlights posts for each). Microsoft
Wow, it's a great week to be a Wii owner. Well, we mean, it's comparatively great, if only because console competitors Xbox 360 and PS3 are getting absolutely nothing. On the other hand, all those Wii offerings were beat out for the top slot by a DS game that, in its original form, was released 17 years ago, so we guess it's all a matter of perspective.
If you've got a hankerin' for mummy-centric games that star a character that sort of but not really looks like Brendan Fraser we've got a full list after the break.
E3 is now over, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't take a look back and relive the magic. This week's PS Fanboy Week in Review compiles all the top PlayStation stories from the show. Also, take a look at those happy faces playing Rock Band 2 in the picture above. [From left: Jem Alexander, Naughty Dog's Arne Meier, PS Blog's Jeff Rubenstein, and Andrew Yoon] Previews
During the first few days of last week, Santa Monica, Calif. played host to a bevy of video game journalists, slaveringly searching for scoops to present to you, our dearest readers. Thousands of reporters representing hundreds of publications, both online and tangible, were in attendance, restlessly toiling to bring you up-to-the-minute coverage of all the major keynotes and conferences. During the seldom breaks in our otherwise hectic schedules, it was difficult not to reflect on our chosen profession, and inquire about the origins of our singular career path.
After rigorous research, we here at the Japanese Hardware Sales Institute of Gaming Journalism History discovered the earliest known example of ludological reporting -- a fantastic exposé from an O'Reilly era episode of Inside Edition, which introduces a pair of pipefitting siblings that recently made their way into the hearts and minds of our nation's children. You may have seen this particular video before, and become familiar with reporter Joel Loy's intrepid coverage of the 8-bit sensation known as "Nintendo", and his poetic assertion that the iconic plumbers represent the righteousness and dauntlessness of the human spirit.
Modern day game bloggers could take a lesson from the piece you see above. Sure, we no longer live in a world where bowties and mullets serve as appropriate work attire. Nintendo's game counselors have dispersed, putting the skills they've developed during their tenure to good use at Taco Bells across the nation. However, the exuberance and romanticism you see applied in the video above, the two traits that most game journalists have unceremoniously traded in for sarcasm and trepidation, should never have never been lost over the years.
Puzzle Quest Galactrix takes the fantasy world of the original Puzzle Quest and injects it with a healthy dose of sci-fi. The "match three" gameplay is still present, as are the RPG elements, and it all comes together in a Puzzle Quest experience for those who prefer interstellar drama over orcs and goblins.
We're going to write the rest of this hands-on with the idea that the reader has played the original Puzzle Quest, because if they haven't, they should go out and rent/buy it right now. For those who played the first Puzzle Quest and didn't like it, Galactrix won't convert them, unless the sci-fi concept is the only thing they felt was missing from the original. %Gallery-16892%
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