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PSN leaderboards point to top game downloads for January
Gamasutra wasn't able to get its hands on year-to-date PSN sales data directly from Sony, but it has come up with some interesting conclusions based on an unscientific look at ... leaderboard stats. The site broke down January's new releases, as well as a few other games that sold well last month, and the big debut of the month appears to be Hustle Kings, which added over 39,000 players to its ranks. Assault Heroes only picked up 754 new players, but given that it's a game that actually came out in 2006 on the Xbox, that's not a big surprise. PSN also offered up its "10 for '10" sale in January, and Uno came away from that event with a whopping 87,000 new players on its leaderboards. Braid and Critter Crunch also did well, adding 20,000 and 17,000 new players to their leaderboards, respectively. Keep in mind that these numbers are far from official, and not complete anyway -- Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgment, Thexder Neo and Matt Hazard were released on PSN last month, and none of those games are included in this analysis, due to unreliable or nonexistent leaderboards. But it is probably fair to say that PSN had a pretty good month in January, especially with the games featured in its "10 for '10" sale. More of that, please.
Matt Hazard: Blood Bath & Beyond receives postmortem
Matt Hazard: Blood Bath & Beyond was in the unfortunate position of being a not-so-bad follow-up to a pretty darn bad game. As if we needed to feel even worse for it, Gamasutra has released one of its all-too-humanizing postmortems centered on the PSN and XBLA release. Developer Vicious Cycle's revelations about underestimating the work a downloadable game would take are interesting, but we're kind of disappointed that the "What went wrong" section isn't just "The first Matt Hazard game" in big letters.
This Wednesday: Matt Hazard brings 'Blood Bath & Beyond' to XBLA, PSN on Thursday
Faux video game legend Matt Hazard returns (this time, for real) in Blood Bath & Beyond, blasting his way onto XBLA and PSN this Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. The 2D side-scroller has the protagonist battling through his "classic" gaming past, fighting "pirates to penguins; lighthouses to laser-wielding astronauts; Mounties to mechanical rhinos" for $15 (1200). The idea behind Matt Hazard sounds so perfect on paper: take thirty years of video game cliches and mock them. Sadly, as evidenced by Matt Hazard's first outing, Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard, instead of creating humor from the conventions, it ironically relied on them for the core gameplay -- thus, creating a game that invariably could mock itself and was its own punchline. Hopefully, this time around Hazard will make the jokes instead of being one. %Gallery-74470% Source -- This week on Arcade: Matt Hazard [Major Nelson] Source -- Parody Alert!!! Matt Hazard [PS Blog]
Parody for charity: Retro Matt Hazard stuff on eBay
click to go down Fake Memory Lane in our galleryThe best part of the Matt Hazard series, in our opinion, is the part that doesn't exist -- the fake retro series which the new games pretend to reboot. While the classic Matt Hazard games aren't precisely real, you can now buy the cartridges on eBay. To benefit Child's Play, D3 is selling mockup Hazard memorabilia, including nonfunctional game cartridges and functional Haz-Matt Carts shirts -- and, of course, slap bracelets -- in four simultaneous auctions. It's kind of the opposite of digital distribution: instead of getting a game without physical media, delivered over the internet, you'll get cartridges with no game inside through the mail. %Gallery-80446%
Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond dated for Jan. 6
D3Publisher's Matt Hazard: Blood Bath & Beyond now has a date with both Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network. It will arrive on January 6 and 7 on Microsoft and Sony's platforms, respectively. Playing on the same camp featured in the original retail Matt Hazard game -- which parodied other games and featured an aging video game star -- Blood Bath & Beyond is a 2D shooter in the same vein as many classics like Contra and Bionic Commando. Alongside the release date, D3 has also revealed Dexter Dare, Matt Hazard's burnt out sidekick with a sordid history -- including a prolonged "Mana abuse problem" that we're probably supposed to find hilarious. Check out some new screens and Dexter Dare character art in the gallery below. %Gallery-79162%
Hands-on: Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond
As disastrous as the first game was, there's no denying that the Matt Hazard concept has potential. The games industry has been around for decades now, and it's ripe with material to poke fun at. Blood Bath and Beyond, D3's upcoming download-only sequel to the first Matt Hazard, embraces the legacy of retro games by becoming one: this side-scrolling 2D shooter is unapologetically old-school. Matt Hazard's "in your face" attitude is immediately evident from the moment you see the difficulty select screen. You can traverse the game through "Wussy" mode, but real gamers will want to play in "Damn This is Hard" mode -- with the most daring playing the Contra-inspired "F**k This S**t" mode, which kills players in just one hit. Like its retail predecessor, Blood Bath and Beyond struggles to be innovative. However, at least this iteration of Matt Hazard succeeds far more at getting the basics right. This is a simple game: simply run around shooting enemies. Weapon selection is gone, as well. You can run over power-up boxes and use upgraded weapons (like flamethrowers and shotguns) with finite ammo. %Gallery-74470%
Matt Hazard trailers put out-of-work characters back in the game
It must be tough being a video game character. They always have to be "on" -- ready to go should we boot up our systems or pump more quarters into the machines. But what happens when we stop turning them on? A two-part trailer for the second-chance Matt Hazard: Blood Bath & Beyond (now a side-scroller!) explores the more desperate side of the digital beings we've so carelessly abused and sold back to GameStop.Head past the break for the two trailers and see if you can spot all of the cameos! (You know it's hard times when even a certain mustached plumber can't find any work.)
Matt Hazard returns in Blood, Bath and Beyond
click for high-res gallery ... of Matt Hazard You probably weren't eagerly awaiting the return of self-aware game hero Matt Hazard. Oh sure, it's kind of a funny premise, but so was Ishtar and we all saw how that worked out. Besides, if you want to softly chuckle as you play a miserable game, the first Matt Hazard title is probably available for a pittance. Regardless, we've brought you to this post to alert you to the existence Matt Hazard: Blood, Bath and Beyond now (officially) coming to XBLA and PSN. It's a really great name, but judging from the screenshot, we're assuming Darkened Structure was taken. %Gallery-74470%
D3 trademarks new Matt Hazard title
Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard was not a very good game. In fact, it kind of made our hearts hurt a little bit to play it. So, when we read that D3 had trademarked another Matt Hazard title, we were going to just let the opportunity to write about it slide by.But that's when we read that the new title was "Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond," which really yanked the decision out of our hands. C'mon, "Blood Bath and Beyond"? That's hilarious. We're not sure if it's for the "retro" XBLA/PSN Matt Hazard game announced in February or a new sequel, but either way, a great name. ... Not that we'll play it.
'Retro' Matt Hazard game for XBLA and PSN this summer
D3Publisher is working on a retro-style side-scrolling XBLA and PSN action game intended to fill in the backstory of Matt Hazard, the lead character of Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard. It's planned for release sometime this summer. (Eat Lead launches against Halo Wars on March 3.)If you're not hip to Eat Lead's "hook," it's supposed to be the latest game in a long-running series, and Matt Hazard is supposed to be a "video game icon." Only it isn't and he's not. The downloadable game is ostensibly one of his past titles being made available for the first time in years. Only it's not. Get it? We'd hazard a guess that this game could do well -- if the synthetic nostalgia and in-jokes of Eat Lead aren't lost on the larger gaming audience.
Matt Hazard takes on Japanese RPGs in Eat Lead trailer
Eat Lead: The Return Of Matt Hazard's premise is certainly interesting. It seeks to systematically pick apart video game cliches using as much meta-humor as possible. The gameplay footage after the break shows the eponymous Matt Hazard facing off against a JRPG character, complete with a massive sword, hilarious hair and Final Fantasy style text windows. Their discourse is actually fairly humorous, though the gameplay that takes place afterwards looks about as generic as a 3rd-person shooter can get. You'll be able to see whether the premise is worth the price of admission (from what we've seen, it's not looking likely) when the game releases this Spring.%Gallery-33560%[Thanks, Christian!]
Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard is a parody (of itself)
Edgar Wright's "Shaun of the Dead" is an example of a great parody that not only pokes fun at genre conventions, but masters them. Although it attempts to genuinely scare the audience, the film never forgets its comedic intent. However, when parodies fail to rise above the farces they make fun of, the result is usually disastrous (look at "Scary Movie" and "Disaster Movie").So what does any of this have to do with D3Publisher's upcoming shooter, Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard? Unfortunately, this supposed "comedy shooter" is less "Shaun of the Dead" and more "Disaster Movie." Although it attempts to make fun of the shooter genre (and the industry as a whole), uninspired and mediocre gameplay mechanics hinder it from garnering the respect a proper parody needs. The poorly developed story elements also need serious reworking. The game's greatest asset, its unique premise, is stunted by generic game design -- and that's a pity.%Gallery-33545%
Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard announced
D3Publisher has announced a shooter known as Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard. The game will parody various video game genres and the industry, as well as pop culture. The title stars Matt Hazard (his fictitious history can be found at this official "unofficial" website), who returns to prove he can still take his old foes from the game publisher Marathon Megasoft. The game seems to be aiming to offer an entertaining third-person shooter experience (complete with a cover system) without taking itself too seriously. Take a look at the screenshots below and look for Eat Lead when it is released Q1 of 2009.[Via Joystiq]%Gallery-33560%
