Nick Doerr
Articles by Nick Doerr
Rise of the Argonauts video features dramatic lighting, sunsets
Here's a video detailing some of the finer points of Rise of the Argonauts -- namely, cutscenes! The highlight to us, the part that pumped us up, was the short clip of Jason facing off against what is most likely a god or giant atop a volcano. Gigantic boss battles? Check. Slamming someone in the face with a mace? Check. Dramatic view into the sunset? Check. We've got this game on our radar; how about you?
Kid attempts to steal wrestler's PSP; fails
Those thieves who make their living stealing PSPs are either getting even less smart or more desperate. Either way, this latest story of attempted PSP, er, reallocation should give everyone a slight grin. Elijah Burke, or the Black Pope as he may be known in the world of wrestling (forgive us if we got that wrong -- our wrestling knowledge is on the same level as a turtle), wrote up his experience in a blog about a 14-year-old kid that tried to steal from him on a plane.What happened essentially was this: Burke took his PSP out of his bag and placed it on a seat rest betwixt him and the kid and promptly fell asleep (the kid was sleeping too). When he woke up, it was gone. He made a threat which we're sure almost melted the kid's mind, then the wannabe-thief removed the lifted PSP from his bag and returned it. Note to all: don't be that dumb. It's obvious you took it. Another note: don't steal from people much, much bigger than you.[Thanks, Joseph B.!]
PixelJunk Eden gets demo in July, Monsters may get free patch
If you're curious about what's going on with Q-Games and the PixelJunk franchise, we've located a little bit of news to satisfy your 2D urges. First up -- PixelJunk Eden is to get a playable demo in July. This is coming from Dylan Cuthbert's mouth (well, technically, keyboard), so take it as official. Cuthbert wants everyone to experience the game before its final release, which is a nice gesture.A second piece of information was the YouTube uploading feature, which isn't anything new, but still very cool. Finally, Cuthbert wants to do one more small, free patch to PixelJunk Monsters. He's requesting what you would like to see in the patch, so let him know. Our idea? A hint on how to best approach each level would be dandy.
Rumor: Sony's 'break apart' PS3 controller in the works
A little while back, we heard inklings of a Wii-like controller for the PS3 making its rounds in focus group testing. It seems those rumblings have been moved into the next stage: working units of said new remote may have already been delivered to some developer partners, sources say. The reasoning behind this controller is simple -- create similar games that made the Wii such a huge hit and perhaps the PS3 will gain a bigger audience as well. The system's got pretty much everything else under the sun as a feature (insert in-game XMB stab here), but is creating their own Wii-mote a bit too far for Sony to step?
Some interesting alternate game titles scrapped by David Jaffe
Oh, sorry. Did we interrupt you from playing Metal Gear Solid 4? Enough about that! Let's talk about something random and fun (and gloat about our amazingly awesome photoshop skills). David Jaffe updated his blog recently and spoke out about some of his greatest franchises and titles that simply didn't stick for them. In fact, Kratos from God of War was going to have a very, very different name.Twisted Metal could have been named the following: Urban Assault, Cars and Rockets, High Octane, or Firestorm. All of these are sexy names in their own way. Calling All Cars might have been named Criminal Crackdown or Damage in an alternate dimension. God of War emerged after brainstorming names like At The Hands Of The Gods, Dark Odyssey, Omega, or just the Greek omega symbol with no real name. Kratos was going to be named Dominus -- the developers ousted this name by joking "get the door; it's Dominus" for a year. There you have it. Think Jaffe and crew chose the best names after all?
Akira Yamaoka admits David Lynch as Silent Hill influence
The new Silent Hill game isn't completely abandoned by the original Japanese devs: long-time composer for the series, Akira Yamaoka, is still on board and singing praises to the new staff and the new game. Yamaoka sat down with Gamasutra at a recent Konami event and spoke a bit about the game. Let's listen in.Yamaoka thinks it's a natural step for the game to move on to Western developers -- it had originally been a game whose horror is derived from American cinema. Plus the franchise is more popular in the US, he says. Yamaoka is also trying to move away from the horror genre, saying he "worked on some other titles that are not horror titles. But also I have something, another project in mind, that I'm trying to develop." If you're looking for what influences the Silent Hill team, he says it's probably David Lynch (The Elephant Man, specifically). So there you go. At least we can expect his white-noise style of music to scare us silly in Silent Hill: Homecoming, right?
If you want to eat a sandwich, Baja will let the AI race for you
The new trend in video games seems to be this: they will try their hardest to make it easy on you. First we heard Alone in the Dark would let you skip portions of the game if they were too hard or you couldn't figure out a puzzle. Now we hear THQ's Baja will actually let the AI drive for you if you'd rather eat a sandwich. This is useful for online multiplayer, we guess, where you can't pause the game to answer the door or something, but it's still a little unnecessary.Why can't more games be masochistic like SMT: Nocturne? Relaxing while playing is one thing -- we love unwinding with a simple game every now and then, too. But we also want our games to challenge us, inspire us, and force our minds to think up a strategy to proceed. It makes reaching the end that much sweeter. Of course, everyone plays games for their own reasons and ours is no more important than anyone else's. Why do you play games? Does this new "pamper the player" approach bother you or make you happy?
Siren screens have bloody pummelings, new female character
This should make Monday a bit less of a chore and a bore: new Siren screenshots fresh from Famitsu. These screens show off a new female character who, in classic Siren fashion, stands by idly while you take control of someone who either bashes the bad guys with a weapon or issues commands to duck, climb, or whatever other orders you have access to. The demo was fun, so we're looking forward to seeing more of this game when it releases. Until then, screenshots will have to suffice.
PS3 Poll Police: Picking up MGS4 upon its release?
It's another poll! The Poll Police are asking a pretty obvious one this week, as the PS3 faces its most ambitious software release so far (arguably). Metal Gear Solid 4 hits the streets on June 12, with some lucky souls getting copies early somehow, and we want to know if you're going out there to get it when the time comes. Getting MGS4 as soon as it releases? Yep -- gonna be there at midnight. Yeah, I'll pick it up sometime that day. Maybe; depends on gas prices or whatever. Nah, but I'll pick it up when I see it. Nope, not my type of game. My opinion is different than these. Very different. pollcode.com free polls We know we'll be out there for the midnight release -- even if there isn't one, we'll still sit outside our local gaming store and claw pitifully at the door until we're either chased away with a broom or given a plate of hot cereal and welcomed inside. Although, it's over 100 degrees where we are, so hot cereal could be replaced with "breakfast ice cream". It exists, surely. Last week's poll results are up next, so why not take a look at those as well?
If you love JRPG's, why not sign a petition?
We don't normally fall into the "sign this petition" realm of things. However, many of the staff at PS3 Fanboy have felt the reason they bought a PS3, aside from their blind love for the console by itself, has been ignored. This reason is what made the PS One and PS2 so successful (believe it or not): the JRPG. Only a few have been announced, even fewer coming stateside. While we probably won't see the likes of Agarest Senki or Tears to Tiara here, we'll see Disgaea 3 and Valkyria Chronicles before the end of the year -- however, these all are SRPG's.Over at the PS3Forums, a petition has started and is getting swirled around to many different places, with its final destination being Sony itself. The petition is to get an answer about Sony's stance on the JRPG this generation -- are announcements coming? Will we see White Knight Story, Star Ocean 4, the oft-rumored Shin Megami Tensei PS3 title at all this year? If you love JRPG's, sign their petition. It only takes a few seconds and who knows -- it might actually get us a pretty detailed answer. Especially now that Sony is more eager to secure exclusives from third party developers.
This in-game XMB video is touted as 'clearer'
The term "clearer" really means a lot when watching this new supposed in-game XMB video. It certainly appears to have more clarity than most online videos, after all. While the feature has been more or less confirmed for firmware version 2.40, it's still interesting to see these videos quickly crop up all over the internet. People have learned to fake a lot of things with the advent of the computer and the internet, but this looks pretty good. We especially enjoy seeing the XMB finally including a clock in the upper right. What do you think?[via PS3Forums]
Soulcalibur IV official website launches
"What's within your soul?" indeed, SoulCalibur IV. The official Namco Bandai website for the game has launched and with it, tons of fun little things for you to read, ogle, download, or desire. Depending on how you answer the aforementioned question, the website will be displayed differently. It's pretty cool, really. The game itself is due out by the end of next month, so your wait is almost over, fighting game fanatics. Until then, keep your sights on their site, as it will surely update fairly regularly.
BenHeck's one-handed controller available for preorder
Attention readers! Do you have only one hand? Or, do you find yourself snacking on a sandwich, pizza, and/or a delicious salad whilst playing video games? Behold, BenHeck's infamous one-handed controller mod -- now available for pre-order.The gigantic plate of controller pieces comes fully customizable; each module of buttons can be swapped around to suit your one-handed gaming needs. It also comes with 2.4 GHz wireless, so it's not going to clutter up your floor. What you do with your free hand is up to you. Here are a few applications: eating food, lifting weights, and texting friends. Anybody interested in this surprisingly smart piece of hardware?
PlayStation 3: same power usage as five refridgerators
Would you rather have your PS3, or five medium-sized refrigerators? We ask because, it seems, they use the same amount of energy. According to Australian consumer group Choice, the PS3 consumes more energy than five fridges. Basically, using a fridge costs roughly $50 per year, whereas the PS3 will use $250, even if it's just turned on and not in use. The PS3 also uses ten times as much energy as the Wii, the study shows. It's an interesting study, but who really leaves their PS3 on all year? You've got to keep the fridge on, but the PS3 might not get used at all some days. Take the results with a grain of salt, since it really ought to vary between each individual.[via PS3Forums]
Pre-order Bumpy Trot, get nifty pouch
If you've been out of the loop for Japanese game releases, Irem Software has Bumpy Trot: Vehicle Battle Tournament set for sometime in July. The game is a spiritual successor, of sorts, to the PS2 game Steambot Chronicles. It hit shores outside of Japan, so this one might, too. Well, if you're an import-friendly type of person and want to jump on this with a pre-order, you'll get this really nifty PSP pouch as a bonus. Enjoy![Via Siliconera]
The trials of replacing a broken 60GB PS3
Ever wonder what happens to that glorious 60GB PS3 you sprang to the stores on launch day when it dies? How Sony works the warranty of a console SKU that no longer exists? Ars Technica sure did -- they even wrote about their experience doing just that. This is a very important read to all early adopters and reinforcement that you did, in fact, get the best model of PS3 available. But summation of the PS3 SKU's aside, we found the death of their 60GB the most pressing matter to discuss.Their 60GB console died during a long session of Grand Theft Auto IV (what else?). Their unit was purchased in September of 2007, but manufactured in February of the same year. The laser diode has died out, hindering its ability to read discs -- everything else is still functional. They went back to GameStop to cash in on their extended warranty. They were told a new 60GB system would be in their hands in about a week. Not so. The only real option is to "upgrade" the consumer to an 80GB system -- this loses some backwards compatibility (Emotion Engine chip to software emulation) and a few other nitpicky options. So what about contacting Sony directly? They contacted customer service and were told that if they sent the 60GB in, it would be repaired and the necessary parts replaced. They should get back what they sent in, except repaired. They decided to wait on GameStop to find a replacement and are still waiting. It seems Sony will repair your console so long as they have the parts to replace in your particular console, but it might not continue forever in regards to canned SKU models.Moral of the story? Early adopters: be careful with your PS3. You bought the best. Treat it that way.
Sunrise moving GPX Cyber Formula games to PSP
Not familiar with the GPX Cyber Formula franchise? Not a problem. It's an old anime and a yearly game in Japan by Sunrise, starting in 2003. Generally, the games released on the PS2, but for this year's title, it's getting moved onto the PSP. Dubbed Shinseiki GPX Cyber Formula VS, it boasts seven tracks, eleven drivers, nineteen vehicles, and one hundred customizable doo-dads to fiddle with. Since it's on PSP, expect some ad-hoc play for some rival racing or partner up for time attack relay shenanigans. We probably won't see this hit outside of Japan, but it's interesting to see developers move from the PS2 onto the PSP instead of the PS3.[via SiliconEra]
The potential pitfalls of Blu-ray
We're good sports. While Blu-ray has "won" the "format war", there are still a number of areas where it needs to watch its back as this Digitimes Research data has revealed. What are they? Let's make a bulleted list so it's easier to separate them. Not all game consoles support Blu-ray. With DVD, every game console decided to base its hardware on the disc. However, the Wii isn't fully HD and the 360 probably won't jump into the Blu-ray bandwagon, so it's all up to the PS3 to shoulder the weight of Blu-ray. But hey, add-on drives to the 360 aren't an impossibility. In-car audio/video equipment is basically incompatible with Blu-ray. Not that we'd really recommend you playing a Blu-ray video in a car anyway, but DVDs work fine. You need a screen double the size of those available in cars to even get a proper resolution. As far as backing up stuff on the PC is concerned, Blu-ray isn't that necessary. DVDs and CDs cover the small stuff while external drives are useful for backing up the big stuff. The same goes for business use in terms of backup. Blu-ray isn't competitive enough with the UDO market in the business industry. They conclude saying that Blu-ray is useful only for watching movies and playing PS3 games. It's a decent list of worries, but are they really big worries, or just making mountains out of mole hills? Let us know your thoughts. [Thanks, Henry!]
Matchman enters the side-scrolling shooter arena
Here's a quirky title announced from the UK publishers Lexicon Entertainment: Matchman. Partnered with the Chinese developers TF-H Co. Ltd., this game is scheduled for the DS, Wii, and PS3 in 2009. The game itself is a side-scrolling shooter involving pure black and white graphics in the style of really, really old cartoons. The gameplay is probably going to be run-of-the-mill, but boss battles seem to switch things up. Instead of firing madly, you give a boss monster apples until its stomach explodes, for example. We assume the game will be a downloadable PlayStation Network title for the PS3.[via SiliconEra]
Fallout 3 limited edition lunchbox contains many goodies
Since we seem to be on a limited edition kick, let's go over the newly released specs for the Fallout 3 limited edition pack. This is by no means a final product, so take this list with a grain of salt. Anyway, if you grab the limited edition, you'll be getting what you see above: the game (of course), a Vault-Tec lunch box, a bobble-head Vault Boy, a "making of Fallout 3" DVD, and an artbook. A fairly standard package, though the lunchbox looks rather cool because it seems, well, vaguely dirty. It's probably just the image, though. What do you guys think? Good limited edition, or will getting just the game satisfy you?