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Quartermann: New Strider in the works, Kojima may be working on FPS
EGM's rumor-mongering editor amalgamation Quartermann has some info on another Capcom franchise that may get an update. Apparently Strider could be the next classic character to get a Bionic Commando upgrade, with the Q-mann saying that it could take on Devil May Cry-style gameplay. The other tidbit is that Metal Gear Solid guru Hideo Kojima may be working on a first-person shooter. Allegedly Kojima has been to FPS studios Infinity Ward (Call of Duty 4) and Guerrilla Games (Killzone 2) for reasons unknown. Maybe he's just trying to learn how to make a proper better multiplayer experience?
Hsu and Boyer's Sore Thumbs is a must-read
Maybe it's just because we're nerds for gaming journalism dirt, but we can't get enough of Sore Thumbs, a blog run by former EGMers Dan Hsu and Crispin Boyer. Now that both have moved on from the mag, they're spinning tales about the glory days of gaming journalism, often with shocking results.In the newest entry, for example, Hsu delves into the Ubisoft/Ziff Davis blackballing and how it, in a sense, played a part in his resignation. It's all fascinating stuff that's both unflinchingly honest and essential reading for informed consumers of game media.
Quartermann: Rockstar making Max Payne 3 internally
Of all of the people who make crap up on the internet, the enigmatic EGM rumormonger Quartermann seems to be the most accurate. This could be because Quartermann is just an amalgamation of different EGM editors and they hear some fairly juicy stuff in their day-to-day, like (for example) the rumor that the same Rockstar team that made The Warriors is busy toiling on Max Payne 3, presumably to cash in on the upcoming movie. With original devs Remedy hard at work on Alan Wake and Rockstar Toronto not working on anything that we know of, it would seem to add up. In a more nebulous vein, Quartermann also says that Rockstar North, the team behind GTA IV, is hard at work on a PS3 exclusive. You'll know if this rumor is ever confirmed, however, when you see PS3 fanboys with an otherworldly glow and floating a few inches off the ground as a choir of angels sings in the background. Also, 360 fanboys will start throwing themselves off buildings, Happening-style.
1Up talks Gears of War 2 multiplayer with Bleszinski
In an "epic"-ally long video with a lot of talking and not enough gameplay footage, 1Up's Dan Hsu interviews Epic's Cliff Bleszinski (no more CliffyB, remember?) about Gears of War 2's multiplayer. Bleszinski discusses various aspects of GoW 2's online chainsodomy, from god-mode animations, to hostage taking, to the new version of the Gridlock map. Although not confirming the final count, he also says about 10 multiplayer maps will ship with the game. Check it all out in the video after the break.[Via X3F]Update: Just to clarify, this video was shot in April before Hsu announced his resignation from Ziff.
New EGM promises Killzone 2 blowout
The fine bunch of gaming journos at Electronic Gaming Monthly have themselves quite a cover this month. It's covered in Helghast, and that can only mean one thing: oodles of Killzone 2 coverage. The game hasn't been seen for over a month now, and, even then, it was a lot of what we'd already seen in video form ... only playable. With E3 just around the corner, EGM is taking the wraps off more of the game, promising to divulge "everything you need to know about PS3's killer app." More killer than Metal Gear Solid 4? We're all ears eyes! [Via PS3 Fanboy]
Killzone 2 featured in August EGM
EGM subscribers are going to have quite a surprise waiting for them at the end of this week. The cover story for this August's issue is none other than the PS3 exclusive FPS, Killzone 2. It's a project shrouded in mystery, and we're glad that (in spite of its 2009 release), we're going to learn more about this hotly anticipated game. 1UP, EGM's online counterpart, will have a few teasers online. SCEA's Mike Graham also promises that "as we get closer to E3," we'll start seeing more of the game. Can't wait! We're proud to say that once this issue comes out, we're heading straight to the bathroom and making a killzone of our own. (That pun didn't work as well as this, did it?)
EGM refuses to review MGS4 due to Konami-imposed restrictions
While we're hearing lots of praise from critics about the upcoming Metal Gear Solid 4, it appears that early critics are being forced to censor certain details from their reviews. It was rumored that details about the length of cutscenes, install time, and a number of other quirks must be omitted from early print reviews. Looks like those rumors were true. EGM has decided against reviewing the hotly anticipated title in its upcoming issue, instead opting to print a five-page roundtable discussion about the game. No scores, due to "the limitations Konami wanted to impose on our comments."Dealing with publishers involves delicate balance, and it's encouraging to see a major editorial outlet refusing to succumb to increasing demands to censor opinion pieces in games journalism. Reading a roundtable should do more than enough justice to the game -- more so, in fact, than an all-encompassing number score.
EGM delays MGS4 reviews, Konami's 'limitations' cited
Flipping through our copy of the July issue of EGM we were surprised to see that the editors passed up a coveted pre-release review of Metal Gear Solid 4 for ... a roundtable discussion? Turns out there's a pretty significant explanation. Here's what EGM has to say verbatim (emphasis ours):"Metal Gear Solid 4 will hit store shelves shortly after this issue of EGM lands in your hot little hands. And four EGM editors -- Matt Leone, Jeremy Parish, Andrew Pfister, and Shane Bettenhausen -- have already invested plenty of time in the game. So why don't we have a full review in this issue? Simply put: We weren't happy with the limitations Konami wanted to impose on our comments, and rather than publish compromised reviews in the interest of being the first to rate the game, we'd rather wait until next issue, where we can be completely open and thorough with our thoughts. In the meantime, our MGS4 vets sat down for an informal chat about the game (and remember -- [once the limitations are lifted] you can find the full review on 1UP.com!)."
Gears of War 2 info explosion in new EGM
The latest EGM magazine features one final cover story by outgoing editor Dan Hsu, but boy does he go out with style. The main act is a rather detailed preview of Gears of War 2 with quite a bit of new details about the game. You will now be able to take pictures during the game and upload them to a website for sharing and voting. Also noticed during their playtime was an Epic dev "watching a video," which is perhaps a hint at saved films. Other hinted features include 4-player co-op and AI bots for multiplayer. Our friends at X3F have some more details, including new weapons and what to do if you find yourself knocked down or stumble upon a downed enemy. The latest EGM, with GoW2 on the cover, should be on newsstands already.%Gallery-22753%
Gears of War 2 multiplayer detail explosion
The July issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly has an extensive 13-page blowout of Gears of War 2 multiplayer details. Earlier last week, some information leaked from and article in X360 Magazine, but the EGM cover-story by outgoing editorial director Dan Hsu includes a world of new information ripe for the picking.Some information between the X360 and EGM article is slightly different. Most notably, some of the buttons involved in getting rid of a downed enemy are strangely different. However, since we don't talk about Gears 2 enough around here, we have all the info you need here.From new weapon stats, the possibility of bots and the ability to blow you and your enemies up with a diabolical grenade--here is the newest info from EGM's fantastic July cover story. The issue also includes an extensive interview with Cliff Bleszinski, so any Gears fan should check it out.All the info we got from EGM's cover story, after the jump!
EGM set to reveal first GoW2 multiplayer footage
As part of their July Gears of War 2 extravaganza issue (which has yet to spill its contents), we have just come across mention that EGM and 1UP are also set to release the first ever multiplayer footage from Gears of War 2. When will we get the GoW2 multiplayer video love? We aren't exactly sure, but have a sneaky suspicion that the video will go live sometime around June 3rd when their July issue hits newsstands. We say bring on the 5v5 multiplayer footage right this very moment, so we can witness the use of meat shields and gather enough blood to fill all these buckets Cliffy told us to stock up on.
Fake EGM GoW2 details mention stamina bar and new multiplayer modes [update]
Update: Rumor official debunked. Cliff Bleszinski popped up on the NeoGAF forums to discredit these supposed EGM GoW2 details saying that whoever published this news is "making shit up". Thanks for the clarification Cliffy.We've been eagerly awaiting the arrival of EGM's special July issue featuring Gears of War 2 awesomeness that's set to hit newsstands on June 3rd. But, if the rumors are true, we won't have to wait until June to get the new feature reveals, because a helpful EGM subscriber claims to have already received his July issue and has spilled all the exclusive Gears 2 deets.Over on the GameSpot forums, member Prosecut0rGodot claims to have already received a copy of EGM's July issue and posted a recap of all the new Gears 2 details that were revealed. If true, EGM is said to reveal new GoW2 features including co-op specific cut-scenes and decisions that'll affect the game's ending, a brand new stamina bar has been added and will dictate a player's performance, a never before seen "Acheron" Locust creature will make an appearance and two new multiplayer modes were announced including the chainsaws only "En-Garde" mode. A few other goodies were supposedly revealed, so make your way towards the break to read the entire list of the rumored GoW2 info.
Rumor: Bungie making third-person Halo prequel
When Red Storm creative director Christian Allen (of Ghost Recon fame) joined Bungie last year, we speculated that he'd be working on a Halo-themed squad game. Lending further credence to our mutagenically induced prescience, EGM's Quartermann rumor column reports that Bungie's first game post-Microsoft will be a third-person Halo prequel "chronicling early skirmishes between the ODST troops and the Covenant" (read: no Master Chief). They're not sure if this is the same as Peter Jackson's mysterious Halo project, though it would appear that they're hiring a team specifically for that. EGM says that Microsoft will be ready to reveal all once the hype-train for Gears of War 2 has come to a halt. [Via X3F]
Splatterhouse resurrected for 'next-gen' consoles
When we think of great gaming experiences that are long overdue for a revival, only one name comes to mind. No, not RocketKnight Adventures (good call though) ... it's Splatterhouse. If we've said it once, we've said it a thousand times: storytelling in games needs an injection of creativity! So what better property to invest our trust in than Namco Bandai's Splatterhouse? It's got it all: an evil mansion (the titular Splatterhouse, naturally); a Friday the 13th-style hockey mask ... err, "terror mask"; and a unique protagonist named Rick Taylor fighting gross, puss-filled baddies in a supernaturally enhanced quest to save his girlfriend.With that said, we're sure you'll relish the news – literally bursting through the cover of next month's EGM – that Splatterhouse has had an ancient Mayan sacrificial mask strapped to its corpse and been resurrected for "next-gen" consoles, on a mission to retrieve money straight out of our wallets. But really, Splatterhouse?
Electronic Gaming Twenty Years Ago
Did you know that the first issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly (and the preview issue before that) was branded as U.S. National Video Game Team's Electronic Gaming Monthly? It's been a long time since we thought about that group, although one of them has come to notoriety recently. Team member Steve Harris is EGM's founder, and many of the guys worked as reviewers and "strategy consultants."The world of 1989 EGM is a different one than we know now. Companies like Taxan and Beeshu could afford many consecutive ad pages. FCI had its own strategy hotline. It was possible to write neutral-to-good preview text about the execrable Hydlide. And handheld gaming was just about to be elevated to the status of real gaming. Steve Harris's opening "Insert Coin" column refers to the rumor that "Nintendo may be leading the way with a mid-range cartridge system that will play a variety of games on a specially developed 2" LCD screen." Although the magic of that statement is diminished somewhat when a full writeup of the Game Boy, including a picture, appears toward the end of the magazine. Maybe he wrote that before that information came in.
Print gaming journalism may be on its way out, says 1UP's Cox
We can still fondly recall those afternoons during our formative years when, while returning from school, we would notice a rolled-up, plastic sheathed bundle of gaming journalism joy poking out of our mailbox. We're sure it's an occasion that most of you can warm-heartedly remember as well, whether your poison was Nintendo Power or Electronic Gaming Monthly. Unfortunately, in a recent interview with the mighty Ombudsman, 1UP's Simon Cox spoke about the closing of Games For Windows magazine, and how EGM (as well as print gaming journalism as a whole) may have an expiration date.Cox explained that "dollars and eyes," particularly the beady, sunken eyes of PC gamers, are continually moving away from print media and towards internet publications, stripping the ink-and-papers of their subscribers, advertisers and, eventually, life. Cox remarked that while EGM still has a great deal of spunk, and is supported by a body of loyal readers, it too will eventually be crushed by the incipient, grim claw of new media. The fact that you're reading this right now may support his claim -- have your gaming news consuming habits changed over the past few years?
Dan "Shoe" Hsu ends long career at Ziff Davis
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Dan_Shoe_Hsu_leaves_the_1UP_Network'; [Update: 2:20PM: Shoe has posted a blog about the move, noting that his departure is "my own decision; I'm not being forced out or laid off or anything like that." Hsu writes that he plans to take "some much-needed time off" before considering future career moves.][Update 2:17PM: Ziff Davis Vice President for Editorial Simon Cox has written a blog post on the departure, noting that the move will be effective Friday, April 25.]Ziff Davis announced today that Dan "Shoe" Hsu, former editor-in-chief of Electronic Gaming Monthly, will be leaving Ziff Davis "to pursue personal interests." Site Director Sam Kennedy will be taking over Hsu's current role as Editorial Director of 1UP Networks. The abrupt departure, which comes after an 11-year career with the video game news publisher, follows a Tuesday announcement that Ziff Davis Games For Windows magazine would be going to an online-only format effective immediately. It's not immediately known what Hsu plans to do next. Kennedy will also maintain his current role as editor-in-chief of the online gaming news portal.Hsu started working for Ziff Davis in April 1996. He briefly wrote for start-up Gamers.com from April 2000 - 2001 before returning to Ziff Davis and becoming editor-in-chief of Electronic Gaming Monthly. Hsu was promoted to editorial director last year, when former Editorial Director John Davison left Ziff Davis to start parents gaming guide What They Play.
Former ESRB rater dishes on organization
In the April issue of EGM, Jerry Bonner, one of the first full-time raters for the ESRB, tells his side of what's going on behind the ESRB's iron curtain. Bonner says he rated 700 games during this six-month stint and has some suggestions he believes could help the organization. He recommends things like dropping the "Adults Only" and creating a "Teen 16" rating, actually letting raters play the games instead of watching videos submitted by the publisher, and for the organization to be less secretive. One of Bonner's great reveals is that the ESRB rates sequels based on "parity," meaning whatever the game's predecessor received is what the sequel will receive.ESRB president Patricia Vance doesn't take the criticism lightly and retorts that Bonner's information has "misleading statements, factual inaccuracies, and misrepresentations." She goes on to say that the organization does not "arbitrarily" change ratings, nor does it give blanket ratings to franchises. The ESRB's secrecy is apparently in the interest of national security "integrity and trustworthiness of the ratings system." All we can say is if people didn't have to sign an NDA to get a job with the ESRB -- they will now!
Ziff Davis: EGM, 1UP publisher files for bankruptcy protection
Ziff Davis Media, publishers of EGM, Games for Windows Magazine, and 1UP.com, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection today, in an effort to get their house in order and pay off some of that $390 million in debt they were sitting on last August. What does this all mean? If approved by a court, Ziff will restructure to lighten its debt load ("a total of $400 million") and, theoretically, all of your video gaming properties should continue on with business as usual (we expect to hear as much from one of the 1UP guys in time). Jason Young, CEO of Ziff Davis Media, framed it this way: "Today's restructuring agreement goes a long way towards resolving the burdens of a debt load and capital structure established seven years ago, during a leveraged buyout of the company." More on this as we hear it.[Thanks, Blizake]
April issue of EGM reveals Bungie's next project: Lego Halo
LucasArts isn't the only developer with a proclivity to "hit the bricks", it seems -- according to the latest issue of EGM, Bungie is currently working on a heretofore unannounced project in conjunction with Lego. The brainchild of this unholy union is -- as you've probably already guessed -- Lego Halo. Set to follow the entire storyline of the Halo trilogy, and featuring gameplay similar to the other games in the Lego crossover genre (with just a dash of traditional FPS fare mixed in), this chimera is sure to sell like hotcakes to fans of Master Chief and construction toys both -- if it actually existed, that is.As many of our loyal tipsters (as well as one of our sister sites) didn't realize, this exclusive preview ran in the April edition of EGM -- the same edition which is infamous for its history of April Fools' skullduggery. Sorry to break your naïve heart, if you didn't see this coming -- but the only way you're going to get your hot little hands on Lego Halo is if you order it from a parallel universe. Would you mind picking up a copy of Mushroom Kingdom Hearts for us while you're over there?[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
