gamescom-09
Latest
GamesCom enters the ranks of E3 on its first year
With a bajillion gaming conventions going on this year, and the global economy being the way it is, you'd think gamers would need to pick and choose their events more carefully. You would actually think that if you decided to run your brand new gaming convention the exact same days as BlizzCon, you're in for some problems. Well, you'd be wrong.GamesCom in Cologne, Germany has just reported its attendance numbers and it blew away all expectations. 245,000 people attended the 5-day event that exhibited 458 companies from 31 countries. Quite a feat considering it was their first year. Our parent site, Joystiq, was on the ground at GamesCom and can provide more helpful statistics such as liters of Kölsch consumed and number of times they ran into champion boxer Wladimir Klitschko. Very important stuff.
GamesCom offers a closer look at the Sith Warrior class
It seems Star Wars: The Old Republic is the next big thing. We've been raving about it for months and this week's GamesCom gave the press and, more importantly, the public a chance to get down and dirty with BioWare's biggest project to date. IGN took the time to nip to the Jedi Temple and revealed that BioWare were spoiling attendees with a brand spanking new demo focusing on the Sith, specifically the Warrior class. Indeed they report this demo was basically a back to basics with this mysterious sect, focusing on their training on Korriban – could this be their starter area? They report it examines their mentality and beliefs within the Star Wars universe. After all, if you're going to roll a Sith you need to understand how their minds work as well as taking them down pits and killing giant worms. The piece is amazingly detailed and does more than enough to whet the appetites of Star Wars fans as well as Team Massively. Check it out by clicking here and you might want to start thinking up evil-sounding names while you're at it.
Just Cause 2 trailer wants to destroy something beautiful
Clearly appealing to our more destructive impulses, a new trailer on Videogamer.com for Just Cause 2 is inviting us to the beautiful island paradise of Palau, only so we can tear it asunder in a hail of bazooka fire and trucks tied to helicopters. We're a little ashamed to admit how well the approach is working.We're holding out hope that when it drops in 2010 Just Cause 2 will be able to deliver on the promise that games like Mercenaries 2 and the original Just Cause were unable to fulfill, because the trailer really does look like a lot of fun. One quibble: Are we the only ones who miss Rico's Banderas hair?
Sony announces new PS3 Slim, coming first week of Sept. [update: now with pics!]
click for high-res PS3 Slim gallery digg_url = 'http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/18/sony-announces-new-slimmer-ps3-coming-first-week-of-sept/'; We know, we're as shocked as you are! Sony has used the GamesCom stage in Cologne to announce the oh-so-tiny PS3 Slim. The good news is that the system sports both a slimmer form factor (33 percent smaller, 36 percent lighter and 34 percent less power use) a 120GB hard drive and the tidy price tag of $299 (or €299, £249, and ¥29,980). It boasts all the same features as the current PS3, which means still no backwards compatibility with your PS2 games. If you've been holding off on buying a chunkier PS3 until the inevitable release of its slimmer little brother, your wait will finally end in September. %Gallery-70349%
Register your PSP Go quickly, get Gran Turismo PSP free
As an incentive for people to snatch up their slide-screened handheld the day it hits store shelves, Sony has announced that it will give anyone who registers their PSP Go between October 1 and October 10 a totally free copy of Gran Turismo PSP. That is to say, a totally free download of the full version of the game. It really wouldn't make much sense for Sony to send a UMD for you to play in your brand new, UMD slot-less device, now would it?
Seen@GamesCom: Hating expensive Sony products
In the shadow of Sony's hotel in Cologne, Germany, a street ad displays a rather good deal. Electronics retailer Saturn is urging passersby to pick up a PS3 and a PSP for €399 -- not a bad deal, considering the PS3 costs that much on its own. Now we understand Saturn's tag line! "Wir hassen teuer," as in, "We hate expensive."Of course, who knows if that deal will remain as hot within the next few hours, when Sony has its press conference on the eve of GamesCom. It's widely speculated that the company will announce a PS3 Slim and a possible price drop.
Slim Pickings: The story of the fabled PS3 Slim (so far)
digg_url = 'http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/17/slim-pickings-the-story-of-the-fabled-ps3-slim-so-far/'; Judging by the hundreds of reader-submitted tips we've received in August pointing to "totally conclusive evidence" of the existence of a slimmer, sexier version of Sony's home console, we think it's safe to say that PS3 Slim pontification has reached a fever pitch. As video game news conduits, we've frequently been forced to gaze into this swirling maw of speculation in an attempt to gin the might-be-reals out of the most-assuredly-fakes. One of the prevailing pieces of gossip regarding the hardware is the moment of its unveiling: Tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. EST, during Sony's GamesCom press conference. Before we arrive at that potentially auspicious hour, we're going to look through the brief annals of the PS3 Slim's history, analyzing the big pieces of evidence, debunking the obvious mockups, and interpreting data from a poll we conducted over this past weekend. If you're looking for a "final word" on the subject, you'll find none here. That's for tomorrow's Sony presentation to determine -- or depending on which way the tides of fate turn, to obfuscate even further.
NCsoft announces Aion has gone gold, now being manufactured
Aion, NCsoft's latest MMO that is due to launch in the US and Europe next month, has just gone gold, the company has announced. For those not in the know, this means the game has been completed and is now being manufactured for release. Yes, that's it, the game is done. This comes after Aion has topped Steam's weekly sales chart and the Collector's Edition has almost sold out in the UK. The announcement hits just a few days before GamesCom 2009 in Cologne, Germany where NCsoft will be demoing version 1.5 of the game, which includes The Shadow of the Balaur content patch that was released in Korea on August 5th. NCsoft will also be demoing this latest version of the game at this year's Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle and it will also be included with the North American and European versions of the game when Aion is released on September 22nd/25th. The Shadow of the Balaur promises new zones, instances, quests and some specially created Western looks within the expansive character customisation system.
Remedy's Sam Lake shows off Remedy's Alan Wake
Remedy writer Sam Lake narrated a video presentation of Alan Wake at gamesCOM, providing the most detailed look we've seen yet at the psychological thriller. We see Wake realize that his wife is missing, and begin the undertaking of piecing together the manuscript that he doesn't remember writing, and whose events are coming true. Lake discusses the role of the game's light sources, which act as shelter and weapons against the shadowy, possessed townspeople. We're delighted to see this much of Alan Wake. By revealing this much footage, Remedy seems to be treating it like a real game that, in fact, "is done." %Gallery-64691%
Poll: What do you think of the rumored PS3 Slim?
We certainly hope you're feeling altruistic today, dearest readers, because we need your help. As you've probably heard, the oft-rumored PS3 Slim is ... well, rumored to be announced next week at GamesCom. Before Sony's keynote at the event, we'd like to test the waters to find out exactly what you guys would want from a svelter Sony console, and whether you even think it exists.There's a few polls asking these questions and more posted after the jump. If you've got a few minutes, we'd love your input.Update: We've closed the polls and posted the results after the jump. Thanks for your help!
Namco to make 'major' announcements at Gamescom
Namco Bandai issued a press release today to announce that it will have a whole lot of games we already know about on display in its booth at Germany's Gamescom expo next week. Snore. But, as if some kind of reward for those who kept reading past the list of already-known titles, a single line revealed that "major exclusive new announcements will be made to the world's gaming media" by the publisher at its pre-show press conference on August 19. Major and exclusive. Let's just hope it's something more major than a release date for Splatterhouse or news that someone finally realized Dead to Rights: Retribution needs a lot of work.
gPotato to unveil new project at GamesCom
The gPotato games portal, hosted by Gala Networks Europe in Dublin, Ireland, will be on hand in force for the upcoming GamesCom convention in Cologne where they will announce and unveil a new MMO project for the portal.The new project, which will be demoed at the convention, comes with a tentative release date of early 2010. The genre or nature of the new project has not been released either, so it's anybody's guess as to what the new title will be.gPotato currently hosts some of the more popular free-to-play MMOs, including Dragonica, Rappelz, Flyff, and Allods Online. Those four games will be on hand at the convention as well for demonstration, so it's sure to be a game filled good time over at the gPotato booth!
Sony, EA and Activision reveal Gamescom lineups
For those of you headed to Gamescom and wondering what you'll be waiting in line to play (or standing on tip-toes to watch as a trailer), VG247 has posted the announced lineups for three major publishers: Sony, EA and Activision. Square Enix hs also reiterated its lineup.Sony will be showing the PSP Go, of course, along with Gran Turismo, LittleBigPlanet, Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier, and more on PSP, and God of War III, Uncharted 2, Heavy Rain, MAG, and lots of other big stuff on PS3. Activision will have a pile of plastic-instrument (and skateboard) games, as well as Modern Warfare 2, Blur, and Bakugan. EA's bringing basically everything ever. Head past the break for a full list.
The Daily Grind: Are you looking forward to any gaming conventions?
August and September are notoriously known as the months of gaming conventions, and ultimately, two months where we're pretty busy reporting announcements and general event coverage. We have both GamesCom and GamesCon (yes, confusing), GenCon, BlizzCon, GDC Austin, PAX, Tokyo Game Show and Dragon*Con to think about. Plus, there are countless smaller cons all around the world celebrating the gaming and general geek culture.So which conventions are you most looking forward to in the coming months? Since we already have plans to attend a few of these conventions, we're curious to know which ones our readers see as the most important to them. Let us know your annual favorites that you usually attend, plan to attend for the first time or simply want to hear more about.
Square Enix and Eidos announce joint lineup for Gamescom 2009
Though it's been quite some time since Square Enix and Eidos shacked up, the first time the two share booth space will be at the upcoming European trade show, Gamescom 2009. Aside from bringing the first publicly playable Supreme Commander 2, some highlights include Dissidia Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days and ... Nier. Alright, maybe not Nier. The event announcement says that both Final Fantasy XIII (as a franchise unto itself, not just the eponymous iteration) and Final Fantasy XIV will be at the show, though it doesn't detail if hands-on time with either will be available, or how much new info to expect, unfortunately. Finally, Batman: Arkham Asylum and Mini Ninjas will be descending from Eidos' camp. Gamescom 2009 kicks off on August 19 - 23 in Cologne, Germany. (Also, Pony Friends 2 ... finally!)
BioWare reveals The Old Republic plans for PAX and GamesCom
Great news for those of you heading to Seattle, WA for PAX -- or Cologne, Germany for GamesCom -- to check out Star Wars: The Old Republic. Seems like BioWare is ready to place their hard work live in front of the public, to be torn limb-from-limb the the ravenous throng. The first-ever live demonstration of the game will be at both events, to be specific. The BioWare booth is certain to be a crowded mess of people dressed as every Star Wars character in the book.The only thing better would've been a hands-on demo. Sadly it's not yet meant to come true, although we expect next year to be a different story.Still, a controlled live demo (presumably shown several times each day) is better than a looping trailer or worse yet: nothing at all.We're sure many of you plan to attend one of these events, and you can expect us to be there as well. So even if you don't manage to make the trip, expect a report from Massively. Plus, BioWare intends to upload footage from the demo so nobody fully misses out. Hoorah BioWare!
Rumor: PSP app store to be unveiled at Cologne Gamescom
Is Sony working on an App store for the PSP Go, to be revealed at Gamescom in Cologne, this August? A source close to Destructoid suggests they might be doing just that -- unveiling a section of the PSP store which offers smaller games which could also be free-to-play. The source suggests that while file size will be limited at 100 megs, that's the only limit content will be given. Meaning non-game applications may also be on the cards.These smaller games and apps are supposed to compliment the full PSP games made available digitally for the download-only PSP Go system. There are already a couple of games that fit this model, in the form of Super Stardust Portable and Everyday Shooter, both of which are under 100 megs. This sounds like a great idea to us. We'd love to see the PSP Store become as great a repository of quality downloadable-only games as the PS3 Store has become. This is still very much a rumor for now, but hopefully we'll see it come true at Gamescom in August.
Cologne and Leipzig, don't make us turn this car around
Or, given that it's Germany we're talking about, it's the fancy bullet train we'll be turning around. Regardless, we've had it with our rowdy passengers, Cologne and Leipzig. Jostling for the title of premier European games convention in 2009, Cologne's Gamescom organizers have been quick to proclaim victory over the Leipzig Games Convention, citing better (nay, existing) trade support and location. Speaking to MCV, Koch Media managing director Klemens Kundratitz declared that there "will not be another show of any relevance in Germany." He added, "[Leipzig] might try something, but the top 12 publishers are in the BIU and we are committed to take the show to the next level in Cologne." Even SCEE president David Reeves joined in, telling MCV, "Leipzig Games Convention has its limitations logistically in terms of getting there and the number of hotels available for visitors." Reeves also predicted that 400,000 attendees -- compared to Leipzig's 200,000 -- will stink up Cologne in September 2009.Leipzig isn't going down without a fuss, however, with Leipziger Messe CEO Wolfgang Marzin rubbishing reports of weak trade support. "We've already proved that GC works, and we have trade backing – nobody wants a show in September. Another copy of GC in Germany is ridiculous; what is the benefit of holding another show? I am confident that the big show will be GC next year." Big? Or biggest?
Leipzig Convention without industry support, gloats Gamescom
The organizers for next year's Cologne-based Gamescom event want you to know that their show will be the 'new European games platform for the international games community." Taking place from September 9th to September 13th, 2009, Gamescom has thrown down the gauntlet and cast a demeaning glare towards the recently concluded (and returning) Leipzig Games Convention. "It was to be expected that the Leipzig trade fair would try to keep the topic in its 2009 programme as well by announcing its date," said Oliver P. Kuhrt, managing director of Gamescom organiser Koelnmesse. "But they will have to do it without the industry for the most part. The lead trade fair will take place in Cologne in 2009 and beyond." Despite posting improved attendance numbers this year, Kuhrt is adamant that it's time to move 'zig down from its biggest-show-in-town status. "Whatever happens in Germany in 2009 outside of Cologne cannot claim to represent this sector." It figures that the organizers of a trade show would exhibit such a fine "Oh snap," but we think it best to wait and see if the Cologne show offers up something to sniff at.
