Joystiq liveblog @ EA Showcase Tokyo
Hey Joystiq! We're live from Roppongi Hills' gorgeous Mori Tower, where we're attending the EA Showcase Tokyo. We're not sure if there will be any big revelations, but stay tuned as we update this liveblog with all the details.
0:11AM "This ends the presentation." Now, we'll be able to play the games, ask questions and write impressions. BRB, guys.
0:08AM Video of new "Atakama Desert" level is incredibly impressive. We'll be hosting that on the site in the next few hours.
0:07AM 4 character classes, 40+ weapons, 15+ gadgets, 15,000 kit customizations creates the "ultimate all-out-war experience." "We have the best online multiplayer experience of 2010."
0:05AM "Destruction 2.0" is being introduced in the evolution of the Frostbite engine. "You can level houses all the way to the ground. You can also chip away small pieces of the cover enemies are hiding behind."
0:04AM There are 15+ Vehicles in the game, including helicopters, armored personnel carriers, ATVs, and more.
0:03AM Karl-Magnus Troedsson, Executive Producer of Bad Company 2 is here to show us a brand new level for the game.
0:00AM Giant boob-boss is Cleopatra, FYI.
0:00AM Players can choose either punishment or absolution in certain scenarios. It's like BioShock's Little Sister segments. This will affect your morality meter.
11:58PM Oh, there's a giant boss in the background with her boobs showing. LUST!
11:57PM Dante's Inferno now takes the stage. EA showed off Limbo, then Anger at E3, Heresy at GC, and now at TGS, they'll be showing off "Lust." "Lust" is apparently represented by "righteousness," "epic bosses" and "puzzles." Wait, what?
11:55PM Demo available on October 27th.
11:53PM L4D has earned over 50 game industry awards, sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide. L4D2 is a "much bigger game" with five co-op modes and an all-new multiplayer mode that still hasn't been announced. (Thanks for not announcing it here, Valve?)
11:52PM Left4Dead 2 level designer Kim Swift now takes the stage. "In case you don't know anything about the original game," she says. Um ... what is it again? /sarcasm
11:49PM "You start as a street kid in Rio" with "the crappiest cars in the game" in the Career mode, playable for the first time at this showcase.
11:47PM Grandma finished last in the race, though.
11:46PM EA producer talks about how his 5 year old son, "Jackson" and his grandmother, can both play Need for Speed NITRO.
11:45PM "Congratulations to Need for Speed SHIFT!" It's our "first step" of using different development teams for the same franchises.
11:44PM Breaking news: "MySims Agent is rated E for Everyone." Seriously EA, we want some, um, new news? Please?
11:40PM MySims Agents producer Mitch Ueno takes the stage. He now presents a trailer for the game on the big screen.
11:36PM October 1st Japanese release for Dead Space Extraction.
11:36PM Dead Space was originally not released in Japan. But, here's Dead Space Extraction, in "the land of Resident Evil."
11:35PM The "Heavy" is introduced. These heavily armored enemies must be shot in the head (a lot) to be taken down. Once again, the two players use the "Aggro" system to gain the attention of the enemy.
11:33PM The stepjump returns. It appears The 40th Day encourages much more partner separation than the first, as the two are now apart, blocked by a fence. Player Two must seek a button to open a gate.
11:29PM In this demo, there are hostages that must be rescued. Player Two moves to sneak behind an enemy soldier, and snaps his neck. Morality went down, according to HUD indicator on the top-right.
11:27PM Two players, equipped with Xbox 360 headsets, start talking to each other. Player One DIED. "Phil you gotta listen to me, we're partners."
11:26PM Benoit Richer, Level Design Director, for Army of Two: The 40th Day is now on stage to show off the "organic co-op" of the new game.
11:25PM EA debuts the European ad for FIFA 10, as it intersplices images of players from Japan and all over the world playing the game. "Let's FIFA 10" is the slogan, as the commercial asks "how big can football get?"
11:23PM FIFA 10 will be available in Europe on October 2, North America on October 20, and Japan on October 22
11:16PM FIFA 10 trailer now plays on the screen, promising "improved defending," and "fluid player control." We're sure these features are familiar to those that have been following the game.
11:13PM Rex Ishibashi, General Manager EA Japan. Tsumuji, aka "Whirlwind," is being produced in Japan.
11:13PM We're reminded a lot of Celda. The trailer has a big-eyed character running around a top-down field that's reminescent of A Link to the Past. There will be towns to visit, dungeons to crawl. Like the DS Zelda games, all the action is controlled by the stylus.
11:10PM Traditional Japanese music starts playing as the EA logo flashes on screen. Looks like they're announcing Tsumuji, a DS-exclusive cel-shaded adventure game. THere's a long dragon climbing up a dragon.
11:09PM The lights are dimming. The presentation has begun!
11:02PM Andrew asks Ross, "do you see any Xbox systems?" Nope. Looks like this show will have a heavy Nintendo and PlayStation presence. Makes sense, considering where we are.
10:57PM People are still checking into the lounge area. We're sitting next to Brian Crecente and the Kotaku team.
